Bang!

Helsion slammed the desk with his only left arm. Still unsatisfied, he glared at Carter while snorting in frustration.

“Do you seriously think it’s acceptable that even with those troops, you still let Ascan get away?”

“…I apologize.”

Carter kept his head bowed low, unable to lift it. He felt too ashamed.

Helsion, unable to contain his rising irritation, swept every object off the desk.

Clang!

Documents and various items on the desk tumbled to the floor. Among them, glass objects shattered into fragments, losing all recognizable form.

Helsion stared at Carter with eyes burning in fury and demanded,

“Speak. What exactly was the reason you let Ascan escape?”

“The bomb from Lady Brellof was utterly unforeseen. I know it sounds like an excuse… but if it had been Count Atreus alone, we certainly would have captured him.”

No matter how exceptional Ascan’s abilities were, he couldn’t possibly fight off the massive force Helsion had dispatched alone.

If Carter hadn’t been pinned down by Tanashia’s bomb, it would have been impossible for Ascan to evade capture by so many soldiers.

“Damn it!”

Helsion slammed the desk again with his lone left arm.

Every time Helsion looked at his severed right arm, Ascan came to mind. He had thought he was the one using the other—but it turned out to be the reverse.

All this time, Ascan had thoroughly deceived and toyed with Helsion.

If he didn’t repay that humiliation, he felt he wouldn’t be able to rest even in death.

“…I really should have welcomed Lady Brellof as Empress.”

Helsion had recognized the value of Tanashia’s talent long ago.

He could never allow such extraordinary ability to be used anywhere other than the Calua Empire. That was why he had intended to force marriage…

But Ascan ruined everything.

Had the plan to welcome her as Empress succeeded, the bomb Tanashia created this time would have belonged to Helsion.

That very bomb, which had mocked them, would have undoubtedly been deployed in wars against other empires, expanding Calua’s territory.

“Huuu—.”

Helsion took a deep breath, calming his agitated emotions.

Ever since losing his right arm, controlling his anger had become difficult—especially when anything involved Ascan, he easily lost his temper.

But he wasn’t a fool. He knew clearly that rage alone couldn’t resolve the current situation.

“This probably won’t be the last time. It’s obvious Lady Brellof’s magical engineering weapons will repeatedly obstruct our path forward.”

He couldn’t leave things as they were.

If Tanashia wouldn’t stand on his side, she had to be eliminated.

Catching Helsion’s inner thoughts, Carter asked in an even lower voice,

“Should eliminating Lady Brellof be our top priority?”

“Obviously. As you said, without Lady Brellof, Ascan would never have escaped the Calua Empire. Who else on the entire continent could make such a thing possible?”

No one but Tanashia.

Though she was a fragile woman, her talent for crafting magical engineering weapons was downright terrifying.

Helsion’s ambition-filled eyes gleamed as he quietly continued,

“But I must somehow obtain the weapons Lady Brellof creates.”

This incident made him realize even more clearly: if used properly, Tanashia’s magical engineering weapons could grant immense power.

Even if Helsion killed Tanashia, the weapons she created would remain in the world. He resolved to somehow claim ownership of them.

Cautiously, Carter spoke up,

“Your Majesty, but magic stones can only be created and used by Lady Brellof herself—there’s no way to steal them.”

Helsion was well aware of that fact.

Previously, magical engineering weapons were made exclusively with expensive magic crystals—until Tanashia’s development of magic stones marked a major turning point.

Tanashia, lending her magic-stone-based weapons to those in need, had risen to fame across the continent as an arms dealer.

Helsion lifted one corner of his mouth in a meaningful smirk.

“There’s no such thing as ‘no way’ in this world. We just haven’t found it yet. Investigate everything—from Lady Brellof’s associates to the research labs in Arwen Empire. Don’t overlook even the smallest detail, and report back.”

“Understood. Your Majesty.”

“And how’s Bill? I heard he was injured.”

“Fortunately, it wasn’t life-threatening. He should be able to get out of bed soon.”

“Fortunately? Somehow, your attitude toward Bill seems different from before.”

Helsion noticed sharply. Carter had long disliked Ascan, and thus his feelings toward Bill had never been favorable.

But now, saying “fortunately, it wasn’t fatal”—that was completely different phrasing from how Carter had spoken of Bill before.

Carter lowered his already bowed head even further and said,

“It’s true that after witnessing this incident, my view of the Captain of the Royal Guard has shifted slightly. I’ve suspected him all along, but it seems clear now that he’s entirely severed ties with Count Atreus.”

“…That’s right.”

Helsion thought the same.

He’d kept Bill around because he was still useful, but Ascan’s betrayal lingered in his mind, making trust impossible.

Yet this incident had slightly changed his perception of Bill.

“We’ll need to observe further, but it does seem Bill has no connection to Ascan. Once he recovers, assign him to lead the human weapon experiments officially.”

“Understood.”

Though Bill wasn’t as exceptional as Ascan, he was a first-generation human weapon test subject. He had accumulated substantial experiential data.

Helsion had heard that the second-generation children hadn’t been greatly overwhelmed when facing Ascan.

If those second-generation children were further developed beyond their current state, they would undoubtedly prove highly useful in the future.

Until then, Helsion planned to observe Bill’s performance and decide how to treat him going forward.

“Go now. I’d prefer you never disappoint me again.”

“…I will bear that in mind. Your Majesty.”

At Helsion’s weighty warning, Carter, still bowing, tightly shut his eyes.

I sighed in relief after safely escaping the Calua Empire.

I’d feared the worst—that I might lose my life—but since no one was injured and we got away cleanly, it was an incredible stroke of luck.

To unwind after the prolonged tension, I was resting alone in the cabin when Dekain came to visit.

Fascinated by the bomb we’d used during our escape, he asked with sparkling eyes,

“I didn’t realize at first, but the bomb you made this time seems very different from your previous ones. How on earth did you manage to create something like that in such a short time?”

“Oh, I just combined bombs I already had on hand. It wasn’t particularly difficult.”

“How did you make it explode at the perfect timing?”

“I added a heat-detection mechanism. That allowed it to detonate more accurately than a timed bomb.”

Actually, it incorporated both timed and heat-detection functions.

When we planted the bomb and left, we couldn’t risk it exploding immediately—so I designed it to activate only after a set time and upon detecting heat.

I hadn’t anticipated using it during an escape like this, but I did calculate its potential to draw people’s attention.

When the bomb exploded, people would naturally gather there, giving us the opportunity to rescue Ascan or accomplish other necessary tasks.

Dekain gazed at me with an awestruck expression and said,

“I knew you were a genius, but the more I see, the more amazed I become. How do you come up with such ideas and actually build them?”

“Well, creating things like this is my job, after all.”

The original Tanashia was a genius, but unlike the novel’s version, I didn’t hide my talent—I continuously studied professionally.

Magical engineering was a field I chose for myself, and now, combined with modern knowledge, it had become entirely my own unique strength.

“Could you possibly make a few of those bombs for me too?”

I was startled by Dekain’s unexpected request.

“What would you use them for?”

Dekain grinned and replied to my question,

“I don’t have any immediate plans for them. But they seem highly useful. As you’ve probably heard, I’m in the process of restoring my status as a prince, and things are complicated on all fronts.”

I understood what he meant.

I didn’t know much about Lazent Empire’s political situation, but it couldn’t be easy for Dekain to gain official recognition as prince.

Grateful for all the help he’d given me so far, I hesitated briefly, then nodded.

“Alright. But promise me one thing: use them only for distraction, like this time. They’re weapons that cause too many casualties if used to harm people.”

We planted three bombs in the Calua Empire: first at the collapsed mansion’s pathway, second near the mountain trail, third at the harbor.

I calculated and placed them to minimize human casualties as much as possible.

I didn’t know how Carter, who’d pursued us, would interpret repeatedly avoiding powerful explosions—but that was possible only because I deliberately set the heat detection to activate at the maximum possible radius.

Dekain’s eyes crinkled happily as he said,

“I promise. I’ll never plant bombs for lethal purposes.”

“Good. I’ve used up all the bombs I had, so it’ll take a little time to make new ones. I’ll send them to Cain Trading Company as soon as they’re ready.”

“No need to go through the trouble. Just say the word, and I’ll come pick them up myself.”

“Does this count as repaying a bit of my debt?”

At my playful remark, Dekain chuckled and nodded.

“Yes. If you keep supporting me like this, I’ll have nothing left to fear in this world.”

“Oh, no need for such flattery.”

I waved my hands dismissively, laughing at Dekain’s excessive praise. But then his expression changed—unlike before, it turned serious.

His crimson eyes, as if stained with blood, gleamed with deep yearning.

“I’m serious. If you stay by my side, I’ll have nothing else to wish for.”

“…!”

My words caught in my throat.

I hadn’t been completely oblivious to Dekain’s feelings over the long years. But whenever I tried to confront them seriously, he’d always dodge with a joke.

This time felt different. For the first time, he fully revealed his heart to me.

Just as I was about to respond—

Knock knock—

A sudden knock made me turn my head. Leaning casually against the doorway was Ascan.

I couldn’t tell whether he’d overheard our conversation, but given the situation, I looked at him with a flustered expression and asked,

“Oh, when did you get here?”

Dekain frowned slightly. Apparently, he thought Ascan had interrupted him.

Ascan glanced between Dekain and me, then quietly spoke in a low voice,

“It’s late. You should go to bed now.”

“Oh, is it already that time?”

I glanced at the cabin window and saw the pitch-black night sea outside.

Dekain stood up, clearly displeased, and glared at Ascan by the door as he said,

“Your timing is impeccable.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Though Dekain’s usually smiling face turned fierce at Ascan’s reply, he quickly glanced at me and, as if by magic, his expression vanished.

Turning his back, Dekain walked out of the cabin with heavy footsteps and quietly said,

“Sleep well, Tanashia.”

Somehow, whenever Dekain and Ascan met, I felt invisible sparks flying between them.

As I scratched my cheek, lost in the strange atmosphere, Dekain left the cabin.

I looked at Ascan, who had suddenly appeared, and asked,

“What brings you here…?”

“If I hadn’t come, what would you have done?”

Hearing that, I realized—Ascan must have definitely overheard what Dekain had just said.

Looking closer, I saw a faint sharpness in Ascan’s golden eyes.

“Don’t worry. Even if you hadn’t come, I would have handled it fine.”

Though I’d been cold to Dekain for so long, making the atmosphere unsuitable, I couldn’t outright reject him first since he hadn’t explicitly confessed.

Perhaps his feelings toward me had changed over time.

Now, he seemed to still harbor emotions for me—but even if he had confessed, I would have refused.

I already had Ascan, my lover.

“That’s exactly why I can’t rest easy.”

“No, I can handle things perfectly well on my—!”

Click. Suddenly, Ascan locked the cabin door. I stared wide-eyed as he double-checked that it was properly secured.

Ignoring my gaze, Ascan finished checking meticulously, then looked at me with calm, settled eyes and said,

“From now on, get in the habit of locking the door whenever you’re alone in your room. What if something happens because you let just anyone in?”

“Come on, Zend and others are guarding us—what dangerous thing could possibly happen?”

“You need to be more cautious. All men are beasts. What makes you think it’s safe to be alone in a room with one? The ship is full of his private soldiers—if he harbors ill intentions, what will you do?”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely impossible—but Dekain wasn’t the kind of man who’d forcibly do something to me.

“Aren’t you underestimating me too much? I can protect myself, you know.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just hate the thought of anyone coveting what’s mine.”

“That seems like overthinking to me.”

“Not at all. If you look this beautiful to my eyes, how do you think you appear to others?”

Caught off guard by his words, I could only gape silently.

I hadn’t realized at first, but the emotion clearly visible on Ascan’s face was jealousy.

For some reason, in that moment, he seemed incredibly cute to me.

“Ten years have passed, yet he still circles around you—how tenacious. Hmph. From now on, avoid being alone with any man. If an unavoidable situation arises, keep both the window and door open…”

“…Pfft.”

I burst out laughing without realizing it. I didn’t know why, but Ascan’s nagging felt so endearing.

At first, Ascan looked at me, surprised by my sudden laughter, then his expression turned serious as he said,

“Are you even listening to me?”

“Of course. I’ll do everything exactly as you say.”

“This won’t do. Starting now, I’ll also teach you swordsmanship for self-defense.”

Unable to hold back my laughter, I giggled and suddenly hugged Ascan tightly. He was just too adorable—I couldn’t help myself.