A second in the past, within the secret library reserved for the imperial household.

I noticed Grasp past the communication mirror.

No, I attempted to see him, however I couldn’t.

He was lined in a black fabric or one thing, and the display by way of the mirror was darkish.

“Grasp, why are you protecting the mirror?”

“I’m afraid it’s as a result of I’m not carrying a masks, so please forgive me.”

“Ah. That’s about it, it’s fantastic.”

“Thanks.”

Simply by the sound of his voice, I may inform that the corners of the Grasp’s mouth had turned up easily.

He appeared to be in good spirits, however I felt a bit sorry for him, unable to go anyplace with out his masks.

‘He’s a really self-loathing individual.’

As anticipated of a Grasp of the Darkish Intelligence Guild, there was very scant details about him within the authentic story.

He had been severely wounded within the Continental Battle and had all the time lined his face with a masks.

All I do know is that it’s a magic masks that makes individuals assume he’s a distinct individual each time they see him.

‘They are saying that others understand him as a distinct individual, nearly like an inanimate object.’

If he hated himself, he would attempt to erase his existence.

‘Will there ever come a time when the grasp can be unmasked?’

Misplaced in thought, I rapidly gathered my ideas and requested Grasp.

“What’s occurring, by the best way?”

“I bought phrase from the Grand Corridor, and I assumed it’s best to know.”

“Grand Corridor? They’re imagined to be in the midst of a presentation proper now…………. What’s the information?”

“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has appeared within the Grand Corridor and is inflicting a ruckus, demanding to see you, Roselina, instantly.”

The Empress Dowager desires to see me?

‘Why hastily, I don’t even know her.’

The Empress Dowager entered the lifetime of a chaplain upon the Emperor’s ascension to the throne.

Her organic kids had been purged within the battle for the throne, so individuals assumed she was making a alternative to save lots of her life.

“Why does she need to see me?”

“Her Majesty has been hiding the signs of the Curse of the Rose for a very long time, and now {that a} treatment has been discovered, she desires to see it for herself.”

“Yeah, however one thing’s not proper. Her Majesty isn’t on the record, is she?”

“Sure. That’s proper.”

From the opposite facet of the mirror got here the Grasp’s settlement.

After discovering the reason for the Curse of the Rose, I requested the Grasp to create a listing.

It was a listing of individuals affected by the Curse of the Rose and when it manifested itself.

The concept was to unravel the curse of the faux rose.

(T/N: keep in mind that there’s the ‘actual’ curse of the rose and the ‘faux’ curse of the rose)

“The timing of the curse can masks its authenticity.”

For instance, anybody who was cursed with the rose earlier than I used to be born would have been cursed with the Curse of the Faux Rose.

My first thought can be to search out the individual whose Curse of the Faux Rose was manifested.

That individual can be by some means related to the one who created the Curse of the Faux Rose.

My record can be centered round nobles.

This was as a result of their identities have been sure, and the time-frame of the curse was comparatively clear.

Naturally, the royal household was the primary to be investigated.

“However the Empress Dowager wasn’t on the record.”

Both her signs have been gentle sufficient that she may conceal them, or she’s mendacity.

The reply may go both means, but it surely didn’t actually matter.

‘Even when the Empress Dowager had the curse of the rose, it might be a faux curse of the rose anyway.’

There was no means somebody who had by no means met me would love me sufficient to manifest the Curse of the Rose.

‘Moreover, it’s suspicious that she’s making a fuss now.’

I had deliberate to say my goodbyes on the finish of the presentation and go away.

Nevertheless, after sensing Felix’s unusual habits, I modified my plans and introduced that I’d make a shock look later within the presentation.

“I’ll be again in a couple of minutes anyway, so why do I must see her now?”

There was a way of urgency within the Empress Dowager’s demeanor that made me escape of my longtime chugger routine.

Out of the blue, my gaze fell on Felix.

‘What if the Empress Dowager is the one who imprisoned Felix within the palace?’

As soon as the door was opened, one thought after one other popped into my head.

‘She’s an unbeliever. She kidnapped Felix for some cause, and deliberate to sacrifice him on the altar we noticed earlier.’

That plan should have fallen aside when Felix disappeared.

And so they should have identified that I used to be the one who took him.

I may deduce another factor.

‘If they’ve that form of intelligence, they don’t know the place I’m.’

It was as if she had solely been given the knowledge, “Roselina is the one who took Felix.”

“She’s not the one who is aware of the key passages within the palace.”

If she was, she would have proven up right here, not within the Grand Corridor.

It was then that Felix gave me a wierd look.

“The Empress Dowager?”

“Sure. Have you learnt something about Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?”

I requested, pondering that Felix would know extra about her than I did, however he didn’t reply.

“Her Majesty, no, she’s unusual.”

“Unusual?”

“After I was a child, I used to discover secret passages, getting up at night time when everybody else was asleep and wandering everywhere in the palace.”

I ask, and Felix solutions enthusiastically.

“I took a incorrect flip that day and ended up on the Empress Dowager’s palace.”

At this level, Felix was excited and enthusiastic.

*Begin of Felix’s flashback*

‘Right now we’re going to have an much more thrilling journey!’

Regardless that he’d by no means been right here earlier than, he knew it was the Empress Dowager’s palace.

“I ponder if I’ll ever get to satisfy Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?

As Felix walked down the aisle with pleasure, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed one thing.

‘What is that this?’

It was a faint hint, barely noticeable until you seemed intently.

As he examined it, a smile unfold throughout his face.

‘A brand new path!’

He noticed a niche that hadn’t been there a second earlier than.

It was small and cramped, however younger Felix’s physique was smaller and lighter, so it didn’t matter.

With out hesitation, Felix pushed his physique by way of it.

Wow. I can see inside from right here, can’t I?

The place Felix was standing now appeared to be the doorway to a different secret passage.

There was a tiny hole between the wall-opening gadgets, and after I caught my head by way of it, he may see into the room.

The following second, Felix observed one thing unusual.

“Ugh.”

Felix rapidly lined his mouth.

It was forbidden to make a sound within the secret passage.

However what he noticed was surprising sufficient to make the well-trained Felix groan.

‘What was that?’

Kids have been mendacity useless and bleeding.

Felix gagged as he realized they have been kids his personal age, layered on high of one another on the altar.

“Ugh…”

A lady stood tall in the midst of the disgusting scene.

“No. They’re not sufficient, they’re not sufficient!”

Shouting hysterically, she was clearly the Empress Dowager.

He had by no means seen her earlier than, however he was positive of it.

“The sacrifice have to be a toddler with particular powers, in any other case it’s ineffective.”

The Empress Dowager seemed on the already useless kids as in the event that they have been trash.

“Did you succeed?”

Out of the blue, a determine appeared within the room.

The Empress Dowager clung to the hooded determine at her ft.

“Ha, simply give me another likelihood, I’ll do it subsequent time!”

“…………You’ve failed once more, I’m very disillusioned.”

“It’s as a result of that damned Helios bought in the best way, in any other case I may have made a sacrifice to our god…………!”

Felix was shocked by the Empress Dowager’s phrases.

‘Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has dedicated blasphemy?’

Within the Sylvester Empire, the god Helios was absolute.

Not even royalty was free from blasphemy.

‘This place is harmful.’

Felix’s instincts screamed purple flags.

The Empress Dowager was about to disclaim the god Helios and make a sacrifice to an unknown entity.

The second this was found, she can be compelled to relinquish all of her barely held energy.

If anybody witnessed this second, she would destroy them in any respect prices.

‘I ought to return.’

Felix pushed himself to his ft.

“The wooden for the sacrifice should be capable of see and really feel the spirits.”

“However within the Empire, such kids are scarce. How can we discover one?”

“The most certainly candidates can be Brighton or Blake’s blood kinfolk.”

In the meantime, their dialog continued.

The sound of their phrases appeared to drown out the sounds Felix made when he moved.

“Ugh…….”

Felix gritted his enamel.

His legs cramped from the shock.

‘What in the event that they heard me?’

Felix shuddered and peered cautiously out of the key passage.

“Like this child, for instance.”

He turned to see the hooded determine of shadow standing in entrance of him.

Intense eyes stare proper at him.

*Finish of flashback*

“So?”

I requested in disbelief.

“So what occurred?”

“I simply blacked out, and after I awakened, I used to be on a mattress in my palace.”

“What? How does that make sense?”

“No, it doesn’t. It doesn’t make sense, so on the time I assumed it was a nightmare, however then………….”

“However?”

I felt my chest tighten with frustration that Felix wasn’t capable of inform me instantly.

“In order that’s it.”

There are two methods to piss somebody off. The primary one is to say one thing after which cease.

The second is…

(T/N: wow Writer-nim, what a cliffhanger)