MTM 109

“Zed….”

Harto came out of the study and called Zed before he even made it a few steps down the corridor.

“Huh? What’s wrong, Harto?”

He stopped walking ahead and turned around with a bright voice. Harto hesitated, his lips parting slightly, then asked in a trembling voice.

“Are you really… going to kill the Crown Prince?”

Harto couldn’t hide his worry. That was only natural. Even if the story had already strayed from the original work, he had never imagined a development where Zed would personally kill the Crown Prince.

Harto wanted to tell him. Zed didn’t need to stain his hands with his filthy blood. If left alone, the Crown Prince was destined to destroy himself.

‘But… what if he survives this time, unlike the original…? What then?’

To be honest, Harto couldn’t be certain himself. If the Crown Prince survived to the end, he would keep threatening Zed. Even this incident alone showed that Magnus’s obsession had already crossed the line and bordered on madness.

Harto didn’t want Zed to be put in danger again. He especially couldn’t bear the thought of his own existence becoming Zed’s only weakness and holding him back.

“Harto.”

Zed saw Harto’s eyes wavering with nowhere for his anxiety to go. He stepped closer and hugged him.

“I didn’t decide this on impulse just because of this incident.”

Harto lifted his head when he heard Zed’s calm voice. Zed gently stroked Harto’s soft hair and continued, as if he trying to comfort him, or perhaps convincing himself.

“My feelings toward Magnus… they’re from so long ago that I lived as if I’d forgotten them. But the truth is, I hated him enough to want him dead for a very long time.”

When the rabbit he cherished was brutally killed by Magnus’s scheme, the young Zed hated him with everything he had. He wanted to tear out his throat. His mother held him in her arms and whispered softly.

‘Ares. Don’t keep resentment or hatred in your heart. He’s someone so arrogant and foolish that he can’t even value a small life, someone blinded by jealousy and unable to control himself. Pity him instead. If you do that, the raging fire inside you will quiet down.’

Back then, Zed couldn’t understand why he had to feel that way, or why his mother forced forgiveness and compassion on him. Consumed by hatred, he imagined killing Magnus dozens of times every single night.

After that, when his mother passed away, he thought everything would be resolved if he alone disappeared from that hellish imperial palace. Even when Magnus tried to harm him whenever he could, Zed believed that if he kept running and hiding, Magnus would eventually give up.

He believed that the dark, black red fire inside him had already cooled like ash and vanished.

“But… that was just my illusion.”

Zed spoke as he held Harto.

“My hatred for Magnus didn’t disappear. It only went quiet. An ember remained beneath the ashes. It’s still there. Right here.”

Zed pulled Harto’s hand and pressed it against his left chest. Thump, thump, thump. The pounding heartbeat felt as if it might burst through his palm.

“To protect what’s precious, and for what comes next… I have to completely extinguish this ember. Harto.”

“Ah….”

Only then did Harto fully understand the feelings buried deep inside Zed. He understood what kind of determination had fueled him through those hellish years. He understood the weight of suffering Ares Carseon had been forced to bear from the moment he was born. That made Zed’s decision all the more painfully understandable.

‘But….’

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. The story had already changed from the original, and the relationships between the characters had changed as well.

“Harto, the truth is….”

Had Zed noticed the anxiety in Harto’s eyes? He hesitated briefly, then opened his mouth, he had made up his mind.

“There was a prophecy.”

“A prophecy…?”

Harto’s wide eyes wavered. Had Zed already received the revelation predicting the end of the world?

‘If that’s the case… then I, I….’

The thought made him feel stifled. He had only just started to believe he could change the fate given to him.

“If you give all your strength to the wanderer who bears the same sorrow as you, salvation will descend upon you.”

“…!”

“I think… the ‘wanderer’ in that prophecy is you, Harto.”

It was something he had never even considered. Harto’s mind went completely blank. The original novel didn’t mention a prophecy.

“Zed, I… I….”

Zed gently patted Harto’s shoulder, as if he understood his confusion.

“Don’t worry, Harto. It’s just a simple prophecy. Even if it didn’t exist, you’re more precious to me than my own life.”

With a gentle smile, Zed kissed Harto’s forehead, even as Harto continued to tremble.

“It’ll be over soon. Once this is done, let’s leave for the southern sea. We said we’d see the merfolk together.”

“Yes….”

“By the way, you remember that you can’t eat merfolk, right?”

“Ah, I know….”

Harto said that while blushing at Zed’s mischievous joke. Zed laughed as he thought that his flustered reaction looked cute.

“Good. That’s enough.”

Zed kissed Harto’s flushed cheek and lips one after another, as if he couldn’t stand how adorable he was.

Stunned by Zed’s gentle kisses and his sweet promise of the future, Harto nodded and moved his feet.

‘Yes, just like Zed said, it’s only a simple prophecy…. Fate can be changed. There’s still time….’

Harto repeated to himself like a spell and chased away the shadow of his anxiety.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

A few days later, thanks to Isadora’s discreet assistance, an opportunity finally arose to infiltrate the underground prison of the imperial palace.

“It seems Prince Damien’s condition is far worse than expected. Lately, he’s even been slipping large sums of money to the guards to demand detoxification magic. He distrusts potions and other medicines and wants direct healing through magic alone. We can use that. You can enter disguised as a healing mage.”

“Detoxification magic?”

Zed couldn’t hide his confusion when he heard the unexpected term.

“From the circumstances, it looks like small amounts of poison are being mixed into the prince’s food to slowly intoxicate him.”

“Poison?”

“Yes…. It isn’t all that surprising. If you look at the bloody history of the Regnovar Empire, there are countless cases where a prince who threatened the throne, or needed to be removed, was officially declared dead, then locked away in an underground prison and left to wither. They keep him barely alive and abandon him.”

“Why go that far? Wouldn’t it be better to just kill him?”

“They probably think the prince might be useful someday. As you know, Ares, imperial blood is something no one else can replace.”

Golden hair that shone like the sun and golden eyes alone had overwhelming value. That absolute appearance was the very reason the Regnovar imperial family was regarded as especially sacred compared to other empires. Magic could create illusions, but it couldn’t change one’s true bloodline.

“I’d like nothing more than to lead our knight order and storm in head on, but my face is far too well known within the empire. I can’t move recklessly. I’m sorry I can’t act personally. Instead, I prepared something special for you.”

Isadora gestured with her chin to the butler, and he brought over a large cloth basket. At the same time, Leon, who had been waiting quietly at Isadora’s side, stepped forward and rolled up his sleeves.

“Zed, you’re ready, right?”

“Ready…?”

“There’s no time to explain!”

“What? All of a sudden, what is this….”

“Get in, quickly!”

Zed looked into the basket with a dumbfounded expression. Leon and the butler shoved him from behind without listening and dragged him into the room with them.

Leon’s laughter and rustling noises came from behind the tightly closed door. The others waiting outside stared at the door in silence.

Click.

After a short while, the doorknob turned, and Zed opened the door himself.

“Ah…!”

The moment Zed appeared, Harto’s eyes widened. He had pulled a chair over and waited obediently in front of the door.