The Enemy Within

Unlike how the novel described it, the supposedly heartwarming first meeting between Marius and Sonia at that grand ball was, in truth, a deliberate move: the start of Marius's carefully planned attempt to finally get close to the girl he'd long been obsessed with.

That moment at the cliffs too—yes, the final chapter of The Crimson Devotion before it was abruptly abandoned and left unfinished for years...

I couldn't remember exactly what happened there, and the novel itself had ended on a cliffhanger without ever describing it. But I remembered, with painful clarity, what the real Sonia had felt that day.

Sorrow. Heartbreak... and betrayal.

Just remembering it was enough to make my chest sting.

Because I'd known that feeling too, once. In the life I had before all this.

"You've told me most of what you remember, so I guess there's nothing more I need to ask," Alessio said, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed with a thoughtful look. "Though... I know there are still some major events you were involved in. I take it you haven't recalled those yet."

A quiet beat passed before he continued. "So, would you like to hear my side of the story now?"

"Yes."

I nodded, eyes sharpening, ready to finally hear the truth behind the question I had asked him earlier.

"Do you know the Kingdom of Verenze?"

"Of course. That's the country the empire was at war with, right?"

"That's right." Alessio leaned forward slightly, his voice growing more serious. "Back then, our country was just one of many kingdoms on the continent. But 47 years ago, after defeating Verenze in the war when they tried to invade our territory, we unified and became the Aurenfeld Empire. Do you know what sparked that war?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure. I think one of my history books said King Esteban of Verenze was extremely ambitious...?"

"That's true. He had already conquered several neighboring kingdoms, expanding Verenze into a major power. But there was another reason behind his invasion of our land."

His tone shifted, more deliberate now. "You're aware that the number of magicians has drastically declined in recent times, and the use of magic is tightly regulated, right?"

"Yes, I've heard that all magical practices must be documented and reported. Wait... was that war somehow related to magic?"

"It was. The war was over magic stone mines. The stones produced by those mines were inherently magical, formed from raw mana deep underground. Now they're extremely rare."

He tapped his fingers once against his armrest before continuing.

"While some countries still have magic stone mines, many are what we call 'dead mines'—places that stopped producing after massive magical depletion."

That depletion was caused centuries ago, when ancient forbidden rituals drew directly from the earth's mana sources, consuming vast reserves of energy.

The misuse of arcane arts didn't just upset the balance of nature; it devastated humanity, and left the land scarred.

"To stop the devastation from spreading any further, the great archmage eventually stepped in. He gathered the last remnants of the world's raw mana and sealed them away in a single source."

I took my hand to my chin, furrowing my brow, trying to wrap my head around it. Then I realized—

"Don't tell me—"

"Exactly. That sealed core is believed to lie somewhere within the Aurenfeld magic stone mine. It's the reason this mine still breathes magic while all the others have gone silent. But to this day, no one's ever found the mine itself, not to mention reached whatever lies at its heart. One of my missions is to find it. But there's a problem..."

"A problem?"

"After the war with Verenze, led by my father—the war hero of his time—there were reports that, even though Verenze officially surrendered, many of its loyalists still held grudges and dreamed of restoring their fallen kingdom."

"If they find that mine before the empire does..." Alessio paused briefly. "...it could start another war."

I stiffened.

"I'd been trained since childhood. As the heir to the crown, it was my duty to guard against any potential threats. In the end, I was sent to Marius's estate because..."

He hesitated for a moment, then continued, his voice dropping.

"...Those Verenzian loyalists began to move, right after Marius claimed the title of Duke Wittelsbach."

I gasped. A chilling realization crept over me.

"Alessio, those state secrets you mentioned before... don't tell me they're..."

"Yes. Treason."

His eyes darkened, and his voice turned ice-cold. "Duke Wittelsbach the First may not have been a warmhearted man, but he was fiercely loyal to the imperial family. Ever since Marius inherited the title, however, several noblemen and noblewomen have mysteriously disappeared, and he's been making increasingly suspicious moves."

"Five years ago, a nobleman came to us for help," Alessio added, his hands now clasped tightly on the table. "He said Marius had leverage over his family and promised to hand us documents—evidence that would shed light on Marius's dealings. We were supposed to meet again in private, but he never came. No one's seen him since."

"That's exactly when our suspicions toward Marius began."

He let out a breath, eyes narrowing with focus.

"The imperial informant unit, together with members of the spy division, reported that individuals in black cloaks had been seen slipping through the back door of Wittelsbach Manor on several occasions."

At first, we weren't sure who they were, but eventually... we spotted something beneath their cloaks: a faint insignia that only became visible when the fabric shifted.

"It was the old crest of Verenze."

I felt my whole body tense as the weight of everything settled over me.

"So we began suspecting a collusion between Marius and the Verenzian loyalists."

"So that's why you all started suspecting he might commit treason? But... why?"

"Do you remember the old rumor that Duchess Wittelsbach wasn't Marius's biological mother?"

"Yes. Given the content of his letter, it's already been confirmed as true..."

"Yeah. When we first began our covert investigation into Marius, we also looked into the rumors surrounding him to uncover the truth about his origins. Eventually, we discovered that Marius's mother..."

Alessio paused, his gaze sharpening like a blade, as if bracing me for the weight of what he was about to say.

"...was a royal princess of Verenze."

"...!"