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Chapter 69:

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​“Ha ha ha… Hahahahaha!”

If one were to choose the most esteemed location in the Imperial capital, it would undoubtedly be the Imperial Palace. After all, it was the Emperor’s residence and where all matters of the empire were handled.

However, today was unusual, with not one but two princesses, highly regarded by the citizens, gathered there. What made the situation more intense was their mutual hostility.

“Solana, have you finally lost your mind?” Hedera spat, wiping at the corner of her eye with her index finger.

Her question was met with silence.

Hedera was forced to repeat herself. “Answer me. Have you gone mad?”

An average person would have collapsed under Hedera’s sharp questioning, but Solana maintained a serene expression as if nothing was wrong.

“Second Princess, I assure you I am in my right mind,” she replied calmly, her tone impeccably composed.

It seemed like Solana was trying to diffuse the situation, but Hedera’s hostility hadn’t lessened in the least.

Solana appeared determined to see things through to the very end.

…As if dousing a fire with oil and fanning the flames.

“After all, it’s not as if I’ve said anything untrue.”

“…What?” Hedera blurted, caught off guard. The situation was so unexpected that it took her a moment to process what was happening.

Before she could demand clarification, Solana continued, her voice as sweet as honey. “The one who consistently showed interest in the Master, the one who brought him all the way from that rural village to the capital, the one who arranged for him to be appointed as the Inspector of the Imperial Magic Tower —that was none other than me.”

The truth was that Solana had been in a foul mood ever since the duel.

Ezekiel was not only her esteemed master but also the man she loved. However, the moment he was gravely injured, terrifying memories from her past resurfaced.

— There’s no guarantee we can heal him.

— At this point, even the Third Princess’s holy power may not suffice…

An uncertain future, her own lack of ability, her master’s precarious state… The buried anxiety from that day welled up once more.

Ultimately, she developed a defensive mindset.

It’s not the teacher’s fault.

That’s right, it’s those sly foxes who are to blame. The ones who clung to him without a second thought, only to bring him misfortune. I’ll get rid of them all and keep him safe.

Whether those thoughts were logical or righteous was irrelevant. Solana simply couldn’t bear it if she didn’t do something, anything, to regain a sense of control.

Her lips curled into a cold smile, “You’re awfully concerned about Master all of a sudden, Second Princess. Why is that? Have you finally done your calculations and decided that the Imperial Magic Tower, which you once considered a garbage dump, is actually a honey pot ripe for the taking?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not interested in the Magic Tower. I’m simply trying to repay the Inspector’s kindness towards me…”

Hedera struggled to find the right words, unsure of where to even begin, when suddenly, a horrifying realization struck her.

The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place in Hedera’s mind.

Wasn’t Ezekiel’s true desire Hedera’s happiness?

There was no shortage of evidence to support that conclusion—from the Inspector’s every action to the words he had written in his letters.

…Solana went to such great lengths, yet Ezekiel is only concerned with my well-being. Perhaps that’s why Solana is so enraged.

At least, that was how Hedera made sense of the situation.

“…………”

The moment the thought crossed her mind, all her anger dissipated, replaced by a sense of amusement. She was now able to look at Solana with a newfound sense of superiority—as if she were observing something insignificant.

Was it the smug satisfaction of knowing that she held Ezekiel’s affections?

Or a sadistic desire to see the arrogant Solana brought to her knees?

Or perhaps a yearning for revenge against someone who dared to overstep their boundaries?

Perhaps it was all three.

A cold smile spread across Hedera’s face.

“Oh, Solana. Now I understand.”

Her tone, however, was far from empathetic; her mask hid nothing but derision.

“You’re anxious and afraid, aren’t you? Now that he’s finally here?”

Solana shook her head slowly. “You really should stop with these absurd assumptions. I simply find your opportunistic behavior distasteful…”

“The one who seizes every opportunity, who changes her tune depending on the circumstances, who clings to what she wants… That’s you, Solana, through and through.”

Her composure seemed to crack ever so slightly at Hedera’s words. Her previously benevolent expression hardened into an icy mask. She glared at Hedera, but Hedera continued, unfazed.

“You thought that making him the Inspector would bring only good things, but seeing him work solely for me has made you impatient? Your jealousy getting the best of you?”

“………….”

“Admit it.” The corners of Hedera’s lips curled upwards. “You want things to work out for the Inspector, but you also don’t want him to get hurt. And on top of that, you don’t want other women anywhere near him… Why are you so indecisive?”

“Is it so wrong to have all those desires simultaneously? They may not be ideal, but I hardly think they’re abnormal.”

“You misunderstand. Those feelings aren’t wrong in and of themselves.”

The expressions of the two women contrasted starkly.

Solana’s face continued to harden, while a mocking smile played at the corners of Hedera’s eyes.

“But here’s the thing.”

Hedera pronounced each word as if laying down a verdict.

“Thinking that merely waiting will earn you a rightful reward. That’s where you’re wrong.”

“Patience is also a virtue. You may not understand.”

“Is waiting really that great? Not at all.”

Hedera shook her head firmly.

“You can’t achieve anything. You’re not remarkable, so all you can do is wait. It’s your helplessness.”

Hedera, abandoned because she waited as a child.

Solana, rewarded because she waited as a child.

Their paths in life had diverged, as had their beliefs about the very nature of patience. 

​Hedera muttered as if spitting the words out.

“If you just wait passively, it’s natural that things will be taken from you.”

“…Thief.”

Solana’s hostility was palpable, but Hedera no longer felt displeased. In fact, the more Solana reacted this way, the better Hedera felt.

“Why? Was my explanation too blunt? And don’t think of the inspector as something to be merely taken away. This is ultimately for the greater good as well.”

Solana let out a scoff of disbelief.

“The greater good? How is this in any way pursuing the greater good?”

“The more I take care of the Inspector, the more the Imperial Magic Tower will prosper, and the preparations for the Ascension Ceremony are progressing smoothly. If that’s not pursuing the greater good, then what is it?”

“You’re always like this, aren’t you, Second Princess? Dressing your own selfish desires as acts of magnanimity.”

Solana’s voice trembled slightly, betraying her barely-contained rage.

“If you become the Dragon, you’ll be the one who benefits the most, won’t you? You’re not doing this for the greater good. You’re doing this to hoard even more power for yourself!”

“Hoard power? No, I’m merely preventing others from taking what’s rightfully mine.”

“Excuses, justifications, pretending to be virtuous… I see right through you. You’re not a thief, Second Princess. You’re a shameless robber.”

It was the first time Solana had expressed her emotions so candidly, but Hedera could face all of it and still maintain her composure; Solana losing her benevolent expression bit by bit meant that Hedera was gaining the upper hand.

“Solana, don’t flatter yourself by thinking you ‘created’ the Inspector. He was always destined to shine, with or without your help.”

“Is that why you ignored him for so long? Does that little lie make you feel better about your past behavior?”

“What’s important isn’t how I treated the Inspector in the past, but what I can offer him now.”

Solana, who had loved and supported him unconditionally.

And Hedera, who was finally ready to give him everything he could ever want.

Their stances were so different, their convictions clashing like thunder.

Neither believed for a moment that they were in the wrong. They were convinced that their own beliefs were absolute.

“You, stuck here… and I, destined for the Celestial Realm… It’s obvious who would be of more benefit to him. So…” Hedera began.

“…Enough with the rationalizations.”

At some point, Solana interrupted Hedera’s speech.

At the same time, she seized the opportunity.

“Second Princess, if you’re really so incredible, so capable of offering him everything he could ever want, then why is it that you’re always the one on the receiving end?”

“What?”

For a moment, confusion flickered in Hedera’s eyes, but Solana continued in a calm, low tone.

“You received help during the Imperial Treasury elemental rampage, for translating the ancient dragon language… The so-called great and capable Second Princess, why do you constantly rely on help?”

Hedera found herself at a loss for words.

“You justify your actions by claiming you’ll reward him later. But you’ve never actually done anything for him, have you? You’re just putting up a facade to exploit the teacher.”

In retrospect, Solana’s words were not entirely wrong.

We live in the present, not in the future.

Even when the future arrives, it takes the form of the present.

Hedera was so caught up in promising grand gestures in some distant future. Meanwhile, she hadn’t offered so much as a kind word or a gesture of support in the here and now.

…What exactly have I done for him?

Solana clicked her tongue in disgust.

“Just back off already, you parasite.”

A finishing blow.

The tide turned once more.

The composure that Hedera had so carefully maintained crumbled away, leaving behind a gaping maw of shock and fury.

“You, calling yourself a Saintess, can’t even distinguish between words that should and shouldn’t be said?”

“It’s only natural for the impious to hear harsh words.”

“…Do you really want to take this to the end?”

Hedera’s pupils turned into vertical slits.

Her imposing aura began to fill the space, causing the entire room to tremble, but Solana didn’t back down. She too exuded a strangely sharp golden aura.

Crack—crackle—!

Cracks began to form on the dining hall floor.

Clang—!

Plates on the table slid off one by one, falling to the floor.

“Solana, you truly…”

“The Second Princess is finally showing her true colors.”

Just when it seemed like they would clash at any moment,

Hedera blurted out a clever suggestion.

“Fine. Let’s ask the person involved.”

Both women’s gazes snapped toward a certain man.

“Inspector, you choose.”

The question he had desperately tried to avoid—

“…Me, or Solana?”—had finally arrived.

“………”

Had he ever faced such a difficult challenge in his life? He’d been through countless harrowing missions, but none quite like this.

“…………..”

Ezekiel silently chewed on sunweed.

…Why wasn’t I in my right mind? He wondered, bewildered by his own past actions.