Chapter 3

After leaving the small shop, Benedict entered the alley visible before him. Walking with an expressionless face, he suddenly leaned against the red brick wall and closed his eyes deeply.

Unconsciously clenching his fist while thinking about what had just happened to him, he opened his eyes again to look at the small vial she had given him.

In the early dawn, after sword training, Benedict often patrolled the capital and walked through the alley of Irene and Rudbeckia’s shop.

It was exactly like a sparrow unable to pass by a mill, and this routine continued today.

With still three hours until the shop’s opening time, he entered the alley expecting no one to be there.

However, he immediately noticed someone’s presence due to the door left open for ventilation. It would be either Rudbeckia or Irene, but he was certain it would be Rudbeckia.

After an uncharacteristically brief hesitation, Benedict walked to the shop front. For better or worse, their eyes met immediately. Recognizing him, Rudbeckia greeted first.

<It is an honor to see Your Highness again.>

It was their first eye contact since the subjugation unit’s commendation.

<Though you may not remember, I am Rudbeckia of House Diaz.>

<I remember.>

Her abundant silver hair flowing below her shoulders, her bright red eyes looking up at him, her crystal-clear voice introducing herself — all these held his feet in place.

Wanting to extend his time with her, he pretended to visit the shop with a purpose. Though this behavior was another first, acting differently from usual in front of Rudbeckia didn’t surprise him.

<Thank you, but would you please step back?>

He recalled the moment he had wrapped his arm around her unstable waist.

Remembering his instinctive action, Benedict frowned as he had in front of her. His expression turned cold as he tensed his facial muscles, fearing they might loosen inappropriately.

Rudbeckia looked at him in disbelief before suddenly handing him the potion. Though he pretended to believe her words about Irene inside, he didn’t believe a single word involving Irene.

“This isn’t Irene’s power.”

Benedict stared at the blue liquid while tilting the small vial. Though he couldn’t use holy power like her and Irene, he could feel it.

The power contained in this vial was purely Rudbeckia’s holy power.

.

.

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Returning to the Imperial Palace, Benedict continued examining the vial containing the blue potion. He kept looking at it while handling the knights’ administrative duties and carried it in his pocket when entering meetings.

It felt just like that time. When he had been poisoned while saving another knight during monster subjugation, right after she had directly transferred her holy power to him.

Throughout the period when that raw power directly entered and mixed with his own, Benedict felt as if she were with him.

“Your Highness, here’s the third quarter budget.”

“Any word from the reconnaissance team?”

“Not yet. I’ll report as soon as we receive anything.”

Benedict looked up at Aaron von Diaz, the Captain of the First Division who had personally brought the budget.

Though the Emperor tried to take him into his personal guard whenever possible, he stubbornly maintained his position.

Few could act this way with Emperor Nicholas.

The Emperor thought House Diaz was his people, and outwardly, the Empire’s only ducal house did support the imperial legitimate line, the eldest son.

“The frequency of pirate landings on the southern Barad coast has increased. Though no damage has been reported, we don’t know when a major raid might occur.”

“How many knights can we deploy as reserves?”

“We can draw five from each division.”

“Twenty men. That should be sufficient. But gathering from different divisions might make integration difficult.”

“I think it won’t be a major problem if we choose the commander well.”

“I’ll report that to His Majesty. Have that suitable commander you mentioned in mind.”

Benedict passed the signed budget to his secretary. After Aaron saluted and stepped back, Benedict gestured for him to leave.

The Imperial family closely watched the seemingly conservative movements of House Diaz, or more precisely, the heir and daughter who would inherit the title rather than the Duke himself.

Outwardly, the daughter was considered the Duke’s headache. What father would let his precious daughter join a monster subjugation unit and open a shop?

Unlike the Duke or his heir, Lady Diaz was an endless topic of conversation and gossip in social circles. So was the fact that a duke’s daughter chose to make money with the Emperor’s illegitimate daughter, the Imperial Princess.

However, no one dared openly criticize Lady Diaz. Though Irene’s official rank was higher, in terms of honor, Rudbeckia, the legitimate daughter of House Diaz, ranked higher. Such was the authority of House Diaz.

Perhaps if not for the age difference, Emperor Nicholas’s wife might have been Rudbeckia rather than the princess of the Ahen Kingdom.

“Your Highness.”

“Do you have more to say?”

That was the part Nicholas was wary of.

Benedict is 26, and Rudbeckia is 22.

When Benedict, another imperial legitimate heir, married the daughter of the empire’s only ducal family, they were cautious about his growing influence.

“Are you feeling well?”

Benedict stopped his pen and raised his head. Aaron, who hadn’t left the office after saluting, threw an unexpected question. Benedict answered briefly.

“I’m fine.”

“Then…”

Aaron’s gaze paused at one spot on his desk after briefly stopping his words.

Benedict knew what he was pointing at without following his gaze.

“Your Highness, why do you need my sister’s spiritual power?”

Aaron had read Rudbeckia’s spiritual power in his superior’s desk drawer. The image of his sister who came to work early today suddenly flashed in his mind.

Benedict stared at Aaron with his usual composure, just as he had before her.

“I bought it because I needed it.”

“In person?”

“Yes.”

Silence fell. Even the secretary’s diligent scratching of the pen stopped.

Aaron’s golden eyes, resembling the Duke’s, alternated between Benedict and his desk. Aaron’s mind became tangled with complexity.

Benedict, whose life was constantly threatened by the current Emperor whenever possible… That Benedict had Rudbeckia’s spiritual power.

“Do you have more questions?”

“Your Highness, I request some personal time before you leave work.”

“Sir Diaz.”

He’s hasty and resolute. This demeanor was exactly like Duke Diaz during the noble council.

Given Aaron’s intensity, it wouldn’t be strange if Duke Diaz himself came to see him soon.

“It’s not like that.”

“Does my sister think the same?”

Suddenly, Aaron looked at him as if he were a bad person, but Benedict answered indifferently.

“Lady Diaz would be surprised in many ways if she heard your question.”

He thought he had answered very well to avoid troubling Rudbeckia.

However, seeing Aaron’s expression rapidly deteriorate, Benedict realized something had gone wrong in communication.

“I’ll change my request. Are you busy now, Your Highness?”

The secretary wasn’t the only one who noticed Aaron’s tone had changed.

Benedict held back a sigh and gestured for his secretary to leave. As soon as his secretary quickly left the office, Aaron planted his hands on Benedict’s desk.

“Your Highness, let me see that.”

Though he used the title ‘Your Highness,’ Aaron was clearly addressing his peer. Benedict answered, annoyed.

“I told you it’s not like that.”

“I’ll judge that after I see it.”

Aaron, now completely dropping honorifics, scanned the desk with eyes that looked ready to ransack the drawers. Finally, Benedict took out a small vial and handed it to him.

Aaron looked down at Rudbeckia’s spiritual power inside it, then looked at Benedict with incredulous eyes.

“Can I speak informally?”

“You already are.”

“Swear words?”

“I told you it’s not like that.”

“You don’t know what this is, do you?”

Benedict silently snatched back Rudbeckia’s spiritual power from Aaron.

Aaron raised his eyebrows fiercely and asked.

“How much did you pay?”

Rudbeckia hadn’t put a price on this medicine.

Aaron sneered as if he knew Benedict would avoid answering.

“You bought it directly? Ha.”

He did buy something. The internal medicine. Benedict was about to open his lips to say his piece.

“As if she’d sell her life for money. Talk sense.”

Benedict’s brows immediately furrowed.

“What?”

“And you say it’s not like that? What happened between you two? The child was already…”

“This is life?”

When Benedict lunged like lightning, Aaron’s heated words stopped.

The purest energy of those who use spiritual power was their life force.

* * *