73

"Leca Parvati! Come out!"

His door burst open with a bang. Armed soldiers stood lined up outside.

Leca, who had been sitting calmly in his room, rose to meet them.

Quite a crowd. Did they think I'd try to run?

He stood with a faint, lonely smile.

The soldiers pounced without hesitation, grabbing his arms and binding them on both sides.

But Leca wasn't surprised.

That image—

the one that had flashed before his eyes some days ago—was simply coming true.

Soon, he would be locked in a cell.

That wasn't what hurt.

It was the fact that he would no longer be able to stay by Lady Mia's side.

Leca closed his eyes and quietly followed them.

The day before, during a shared meal, Leca had asked Mia,

"Lady Mia, you will soon become queen. Have you prepared yourself for that?"

To that, Mia responded without expression, chewing her bread.

"Is it confirmed now? Because Jakiel's dead?"

"There's a strong chance, yes."

And then, Leca swallowed the words he wanted to say next—

Because Julius desires you above all.

He couldn't bring himself to say it aloud. Even thinking about it made his chest ache violently.

"…I see. What did Mithys say? Is she satisfied now that things are going her way?"

"I haven't heard from Lady Mithys since that day."

"Yeah, with all that chaos, I'm sure she's lying low. She must be afraid of getting exposed."

Mia casually continued eating. Then, finally, she set down her utensils and said,

"I can't go back to my world with these wings. If becoming queen is the only way to fix this, then I'll do it."

"If it's about the wings… there's always invisibility magic, isn't there?"

"I asked Rodolphe. He said invisibility only lasts four hours max. That's not nearly enough."

"What about cutting them off…"

"I thought about that, too. But they'll just grow back when I molt. And who knows when that will be? That's the real problem."

"…Do you regret coming here?"

At that, Mia paused and looked at him. Then she smiled brightly.

"At first, I did. But not anymore. The time I've spent with you, Leca—it's become one of the most precious memories of my life."

"…Lady Mia…"

Leca felt his eyes well up before he even realized it. He quickly wiped his tears and bowed his head.

"My apologies… how disgraceful of me…"

Mia frowned deeply.

"Don't act so formal with me. We're more like friends than anything else."

"You are my master. Forever…"

At that, Mia giggled.

"Isn't it only three masters in a lifetime? The first was the king, the second was Mithys, and now it's me. Guess that means you're stuck with me for life!"

Leca smiled.

"Yes. I am destined to remain by your side, Lady Mia."

That night, a white dove fluttered to his window, cooing softly. Its leg carried a red ribbon and a folded white paper.

Leca untied the ribbon and unfolded the note.

My son, you will soon be captured and imprisoned.

If you want freedom, leave tonight.

But I know you would never abandon her and run alone.

If that's the case, remember this:

First—The incantation to unlock the mana suppression collar is: &^(%&$($_{++^. Memorize it well.

Second—Do not attempt to escape recklessly. The time will come.

That was where the letter ended.

Leca recited the incantation over and over under his breath, then tossed the note into the fire.

He sat quietly on the bed.

Outside his window, the sky was black as velvet, a crescent moon hanging low, surrounded by glittering stars.

I wonder… is Lady Mia asleep right now?

Do not worry too much, no matter what happens.

Even if fate tears me away from your side for a time,

I will never yield to such a fate.

No matter what comes, I will return to protect you.

That is my duty as a spirit.

I will make you happy—my master, my girl, my soul…

Leca whispered silently to the stars, and the stars above smiled down at him in return.

"Leca Parvati, are you aware of the charges against you?"

Satyrus, head of the Bureau of Justice, asked arrogantly.

Once, back when Leca was High Commander, they had greeted each other with mutual respect—but now, that felt like a distant past life.

"…No. I am not."

"You're saying you don't know?"

One of the eleven ministers—Jakiel now absent—scoffed. Julius was present as well.

"…No. I do not."

Leca replied flatly.

Then Julius fixed him with his pale green gaze and asked,

"Truly? You're saying your father never once told you about your bloodline?"

"If you mean the story of my bloodline… yes, I was aware."

"How brazen. That a filthy half-blood spirit could seize the seat of the Royal Knight Commander!"

Another minister sneered, clicking his tongue. Leca said nothing.

"Leca Parvati, your charge is contempt against the Sibareth royal family.

As a mixed-blood spirit, you are exempt from the Death by Disobedience clause, which applies to pure-blooded spirits. Were you aware of that?"

Satyrus said sternly. A faint, bitter smile flickered on Leca's lips.

"…Yes. I was aware."

"You were? And yet you still brought that human girl to the palace as a queen candidate?"

"At the time, I believed it was the right thing to do. That is all."

"Then recite the exact words of His Majesty's order from that time."

Julius's voice was cold. Leca closed his eyes, recalling the memory slowly.

"I don't remember it word-for-word, but…His Majesty said Queen Candidate Mithys had fled to another world, and that her absence posed a grave issue.

So I was ordered to locate her and bring her back safely. That is how I recall it."

"Then why didn't you return when Mithys disappeared?"

"At the time, I felt that Lady Mia had inherited Lady Mithys's power exactly—

and that it would be acceptable to bring her instead."

"Hmph."

The ministers whispered among themselves and muttered in debate. But Leca barely listened.

The twenty years he had spent in the palace now felt like a fleeting dream, a past life.

At last, the chamber grew quiet. And Julius spoke.

"Leca Parvati. You were once a close friend to me."

Friend, he says…Leca let out a silent laugh.

"As such, I chose to believe that bringing Mia here was an act of loyalty to the royal family. There are those who disagree, of course—but I ignored those voices, in respect of our long friendship."

"Voices of disagreement…?"

At Leca's question, a minister slammed his staff against the floor.

"That's right! You should be thankful for His Grace's mercy. Even the late Jakiel once claimed you were plotting treason—that you seduced the human girl to aid in a revolt! And some even supported his theory!"

Leca staggered, stunned. He had known Jakiel opposed Mia—but to think he had gone so far as to slander him…!

"You seem surprised," Julius said calmly.

"I swear by the God of Light, Ahura Mazda—I have never had such thoughts.

Though I am a half-blood spirit and exempt from Death by Disobedience, I would die if I told a lie. That part is no different from pure-blooded spirits!"

"How can you prove that? You've never died. It's unverifiable, isn't it?"

Julius drawled. Leca clenched his fists.

"My apologies, but our investigation found one incident in the past where you disobeyed an order and survived. We have the records to confirm it."

Another minister said this with a look of false sympathy. Leca thought bitterly:

So, even that was uncovered.

There are no eternal secrets in the royal court.

But who leaked it? With His Majesty still unconscious… It must've been Shamanaz…

"If disobedience didn't kill you, perhaps lying wouldn't either."

"..."

"I respect the late king who held you dear, and I still call you a friend. That is why I will not impose the usual punishment for those who defy the royal house."

The arrogance in Julius's tone was more than Leca could stomach.

"His Majesty knew of my bloodline and still appointed me. And I truly brought Lady Mia here out of loyalty to the royal family. Then tell me—what is my crime?"

Look at him—he bites back the moment I go easy on him.

Julius barely suppressed the urge to slap that red-haired, defiant spirit across the face—just like in their childhood.

Instead, he spoke.

"There are too many suspicions about you. None of them fully resolved. So until the truth comes to light—I sentence you to confinement."

"Guards!"

"Yes, sir!"

Dozens of soldiers quickly surrounded Leca.

"Take Leca to the underground prison. Lock him up!"

As Leca was being led away, he called out in his heart. It was a mind-transfer message.

Lady Mia… Lady Mia, can you hear me?

If you hear me—please, answer…!