When some agreement was reached on what they should do, the two Black Hawk Knights, Serus and Logan, left the room first.

Fabian and Liam, who were left alone, appeared to have no more desire to fight. At least the silent cooperation between them would continue until their mutual enemy had disappeared.

“I brought the book.” Liam carefully handed over old books wrapped in paper to Fabian.

“Is this the ancient book that Evelyn said?” Fabian took it, looking at it closely.

“Yes.”

“Have you read it, Duke?”

“Yes.”

The conversation between them was still dry. Frankly, they weren’t on good terms even though they said they would cooperate.

“What’s your impression? Is there something strange?” asked Fabian.

Liam bowed his head slightly and began to explain, “There are passages to interpret. And I checked it before coming here, but I have absolutely no idea of ??the book’s source. It’s just an ancient book. It’s not even listed in the royal library the Princess had found. “

“In many ways, it’s a suspicious book.”

“I put a bookmark in the relevant part.”

Fabian nodded, focusing on the book for a moment. However, the book’s picture was so dark, and the book’s look was very shabby. Without realizing it, Fabian’s face turned sour.

“How dare..”

According to the interpretation, the story inside the book was about the insults to the imperial family’s blood and the slander of the Emperor’s ancestors.

“I understand your anger, Your Majesty. But please focus more on the other pages.” Liam, who had read the contents of the book beforehand, told him.

“The demon curses the Emperor’s bloodline? Bullshit. The demon is, by nature, a natural enemy of human.”

“Well, the demons are just a low-class race that wants easy and big prey.”

“Right.” Fabian’s voice sank low. During the Devil Eye attack, the demons chased Adrian in the carriage in a way he had never heard or seen before.

‘Kill Adrian...kill him!’

The frightened child told him that the demons had said those words over and over again. It wasn’t just a delusion that came out of fear, but because it’s only that child who heard it, Fabian heeded it for a while.

“But there are many things that don’t make any sense. If that rambling nonsense is true, my ancestor is a bloodthirsty murderer, asking for help from a creature of mysterious power. But according to the book’s content, there’s no reason for the demons to hate Emperor’s bloodline.”

Until now, the Imperial family had never suffered direct harm from demons. That part was also written in the book. The Emperor’s ancestors asked someone to seal his madness. And the divine-guardian who promised to stabilize the demons who resided on the continent.

“If there’s a guardian or whatever he is as promised, why did the demons attack Adrian?”

“Why did you.. ..think so?” Liam fell into his own thought for a moment, listening to Fabian’s analysis.

“Didn’t you hear about the Devil Eye’s raid? Evelyn was also suspicious of the Wyverns incident.”

“I agree, but if they threaten the Imperial family, why is Your Majesty safe?”

Fabian blinked in response to his reply. Indeed, wasn’t the Devil Eye aiming for the Emperor’s blood? But they lunged at Adrian in unison instead of him, who was nearby and had a bigger figure.

“They’ve been targeting little Adrian since the beginning. But it was hard for them to strike because of the carriage”, Fabian recalled that painful memory. “I didn’t know if Adrian was blabbing out of surprise or not, but .... No, I thought that child actually heard it. He said that the countless swarms of demons had shouted killing words to him.”

“Huh? The demons said....., Ah, common sense is not important right now.” Liam quickly erased the nonsense.

“That child repeatedly told me. He was trembling with fear as the demons were screaming to kill him.”

“.... Then? What if the demon doesn’t actually target the Emperor’s bloodline, but only Prince Adrian?”

Liam’s conclusion seemed to hit Fabian’s head. And the two were silent for a moment.

“I’ve always suspected that the Vatican could control demon appearances.”

Frankly, it was a top-secret, but there was no reason to hide it from Liam right now.

“Look.” Fabian handed over a small notebook. From the emergence of demons, the damage and the Vatican’s appearance were clearly written on the chart inside. “It’s no longer a groundless suspicion. The appearance of the Paladin was always overlapped with demonic attacks. It wasn’t a mere coincidence.”

Since that mysterious Paladin appeared, the pattern of the demon’s appearance had changed entirely. It was no longer dependent on the season and the cycle. And when they emerged in some locations, they were instantly killed by the Vatican, controlling the demonic slaughter perfectly.

“I don’t know the means at all. But isn’t it obvious that that suspicious Vatican Paladin is a demon as well?” said Liam.

“I assume his power has a limit.” There were already too many questions, and Fabian chose to make a quick decision.

“That Paladin has an inhuman ability to control a demon?”

“Evidence showed that the number of demons that appeared in one year was always the same. Whether the Paladin showed up on the scene or not, the number didn’t change.”

Liam stared back at the notebook and realized that Fabian was right, “From the number of demons that appeared .... So most likely, he only can create limited demons.”

“Huh, create? There can’t be such nonsense ability. If he has it, I wouldn’t be able to save Adrian when he sent out the Devil Eyes. “

“Then, there’s only one reasonable conclusion.”

“Yes.”

They nodded at the same time.

“About his ability, it’s exactly unknown, but perhaps ...yes, we could say ‘controlling’ as it is written in this shabby book” Fabian looked displeased.

“Then, can we consider that he can place or move demons that already exist in different places?”

“I have the same thoughts. That’s why every year, the number of demonic manifestations is the same. And there must be another explanation why he couldn’t control more demons beyond that limit.”

“Then I understand now, why did he choose to become a Paladin despite having such extraordinary abilities.”

“Yes, why doesn’t he take my throne if he has the infinite ability?” Fabian said coolly. “His ability can only change the order or place. That’s why he needed a convenient tool called the Vatican.”

There was a moment of silence. “But if the Paladin has a similar power to the guardian in the book. For what purpose does he exist for?” Liam opened his mouth, asking a theoretical question.

“I’m thinking of finding out about it from now on.”

This was the first time that Fabian and Liam had the same opinion.

“If he goes after Evelyn and Adrian, he will have to pay for it. Either He’s a human being or a demon. To have no more worries in the future, I must erase his existence to the roots of this world.”

“I think the same way.” Liam said softly, and their gaze met each other in the same eye-level, “Of course, for the Princess.” His will seemed strong to the end.

“I’m proud to see you’ve worked hard for my Empress and my son.” Fabian’s sarcasm also remained the same. But, unlike the beginning, there was a slight change. There seemed to be a bit of solidarity growing between them.

The more suspicious the enemy’s identity, the more threatened by his unknown ability, the less bickering between them. Because their purpose of protecting Evelyn and Adrian was the same.

And that was only the beginning of their dangerous alliance.

---

***

The Empress Dowager firmly asked the Emperor to see her. But still, Fabian didn’t respond, ignoring his mother.

Monica soon gave up and was relaxed drinking tea. It was Stella, the Empress candidate, who was heartburn to see it.

“Stupid, why are you looking so restless?” Monica rebuked Stella as if she were annoyed, seeing her niece.

“Well, that’s.. ..if the former Empress is in this Palace with her son now.. I’m....what will happen then?”

“I don’t know. It’s your father’s business. His Majesty’s decision wasn’t bad, but to be precise, it’s not easy to remarry the same partner.”

“But, she already has a child, and he’s also His Majesty’s son.....” Stella bit her lips nervously.

“So?”

“If they get back together like this, I can’t do anything.”

Stella’s anxiety was reasonable. The Metis family couldn’t shine, nor could they foresee the future. Her heart, which had always dreamed of the Empress’ seat, was full of determination. So, she couldn’t give up now.

“Haa....” Monica sighed and beckoned her. Stella approached and sat beside Monica with teary eyes. Then she patted her niece’s shoulder, comforting her, “You’re still young, so you don’t know, but a bad situation won’t last forever.”

“Even if the woman, who already has a successor, becomes the Empress again? Of all things, the child is his real son.” Her voice cracked into a sob. And a crooked smile engraved on Monica’s lips.

“That’s only now,” said Monica. She was also a Emperor’s wife who once served as an Empress and had Fabian as her successor. Less than 20 years she spent in the Imperial family felt like an eternity, but she realized that it was just a moment. “There’s nothing eternal in this Imperial family.”

All was something that she couldn’t even imagine after a woman wore an Empress crown. It was the same with her husband’s love, who was the previous Emperor, for her. Monica also lost the luster of power as a mother’s successor at one point. After that, she couldn’t find any meaning in life.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Looking at his personality, my brother won’t give up.”

“But, if His Majesty remarries like this, even my father.....”

“Ha.. If the first and second Empress seats have been taken, then you can become the third Empress.”

Stella’s eyes bulged, listening to Monica’s frustrating words. Of course, Stella didn’t think that way, “No, It has to be me. I’ve already.... made up my mind.”

Just like the first candidate in the past, who was Stella’s eldest sister. If time was delayed, the younger Lady Metis, whoever she was, would replace her.

“You can’t make a choice as you wish. It depends on your fate.” Monica returned to her usual nonchalant attitude. Frankly, she couldn’t understand Stella’s ambition, why she was so eager to become an Empress.

Empress’ status was a terrifying specter. It was like a stroke at a young age that she didn’t realize. Once she sat in that position and gave birth to a child, her tears had dried up.

“I will give you an advice, don’t even think about using tricks.” Monica gave a hint, but at the same time, a clear warning to her niece.

“The former Empress now is living in a secret chamber. But after His Majesty announced it at the Congress, she will immediately take over the inner Palace. First of all, she has a solid reason for being the Crown Prince’s biological mother. “

Just imagining that, Stella couldn’t stand it. Only those who had experienced it could feel how hurt it was to see their dreams disappear like bubbles before their eyes.

“But we are not backing down. Since that’s our family’s will.”

“What do you mean....I don’t understand.” Stella asked bluntly, and Monica’s expression somehow became a little generous.

“If you’re desperate and try to hurt her child out of despair, you will definitely be severely punished. At that time, no one could defend you even though the child is gone. Like it or not, that child is the Emperor’s son, and every attempt to harm the Imperial family will cause destruction. “

Monica seemed to have already seen Stella’s innermost thoughts. She might not know that Stella already had the intention of poisoning the little Prince by asking her father, Duke Metis.

“So, what can I do?”

“As usual....Be normal.”

“What?”

Stella looked dumbfounded, but the Empress grinned a little bit bitter, “The former Empress is a beautiful woman. She has a good heart. But she’s weak. It means she’s too naive to live in this imperial family.”

Evelyn had no other emotions besides that. She never really hated or liked something and only had a few opportunities to face other people. However, Monica sympathized with her as she knew the pressure of sitting in the Empress’s seat.

“Do you know the Lady Satin?”

“Yes. She’s the leader of the Imperial noble wife group and contributes a lot to the world of socialites”.

Only

“How do you feel if her gang mocked you before your eyes at a social party?”historical

For Stella, it was a simple question, “My feeling? I don’t know about that, but I think I’ll slap her cheek first and stuff the feather fan into her mouth.” Stella was indeed the daughter of Duke Metis as she answered calmly without a moment of hesitation.

“Right, but the former Empress couldn’t cope with them.”

“Ah.....” A hope suddenly bloomed in her clear eyes. “Yes, if she could handle them, she wouldn’t get divorced .... I’m sorry .. I acted recklessly like an idiot.” Stella, who was restless, quickly found her grace and smiled. She was a resourceful child who resembled her father.

“If you know, go and rest. You’ll meet the former Empress soon.”

“Yes.” Stella set a polite example and walked away.

Monica looked at her figure with sullen eyes, wondering how her niece really looked like her brother a lot.