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nChapter 51: Imperial Palace (2)

n… It had been three months since the professors’ promotion evaluation began, and the Imperial University Tower was still buzzing with discourse about who would become the Head Professor.

nIn addition to his unique ability to create, analyze, and understand formulas and theoretical frameworks, Deculein had the Yukline family behind him. Based on overall capabilities, however, Louina was superior to Deculein, and above all, Louina was better due to the differences in their personality. The majority held that opinion. Even now, Deculein was close to being audacious.

nThe other professors also supported her for fear of what it would be like if he became the Head Professor.

nIn addition, the evaluation of the University Tower’s criteria were not based on family or status but one’s own values and achievements. Even Adrienne, the current chairman, was from a negligible aristocratic family.

nTherefore, believing in the legitimacy of the selection process for the Head Professor, Louina fought.

nShe refused to surrender despite the numerous external pressures and threats from the Yukline Family, never allowing them to stop her even if it meant at the cost of death.

nBut… today.

n“If that position is not more important than your family, then give up now.

nYour voice used to always be strong. Now, it is weak and withered!” Her father’s words broke her.

nThe Yuklines’ immense pressure affected not only Louina herself but also her entire family.

nMcQueen originally belonged to the 12 Traditional Families, but they were eliminated from the Bercht Conference 10 years ago. Things had gone awry since then.

nHer father suffered a serious injury and lost his magical capabilities, causing the McQueen family to lose its prestige.

nThey now had no strength to fight the Yukline.

nIt wasn’t something that could be resolved if she endured and persevered on her own.

nShe realized later that their situation had become much more serious than expected. Her father, mother, younger brother, their vassals, household members, and entire family estate collapsed.

nDrip, drip…

nRain poured the day Louina visited Deculein, her sense of helplessness drowning her more than the stream of water that soaked her whole body.

n“That’s impossible.”

nAt the outer gate of the Yukline residence, one of the best mansions on the continent, a guard stood in front of her, blocking her path.

n“I have something to tell him.”

n“Not without a prior appointment.”

n“I know, I know. But I need to let him know!”

n“I can’t let you through.”

n“Get out of my way! If you tell him Louina’s come to talk to him, Deculein will—”

nMore guards stopped her, pushing her away. Regardless, she argued with them ceaselessly until a familiar voice stopped the commotion.

n“What’s going on?”

nDeculein.

nHe looked at her over the gate, standing under his servant’s umbrella. Louina hated that contemptuous gaze of his so much.

n“It’s you again, Louina.”

nDeculein’s eyebrows twitched. Louina pushed a guard away and dusted her clothes off.

n“…”

nHer lips moved as she glared at him, but her words refused to come out. Regardless, she knew she had no other choice but to declare her surrender.

n“… I give up.”

n“Give up?”

n“Yeah.”

nDeculein looked down at her like he was looking at a stray dog.

n“I give up. It’s time to put an end to all of this.”

nHer voice trembled.

n“Let’s stop here.”

n“… Stop?”

nA mocking tone leaked from Deculein’s twisted lips.

nHis next words disgusted her.

n“Stop what?”

n“… What?”

nDeculein pushed her entire family to a cliff. The terms of their bills were absurdly shortened, and their family check became a piece of toilet paper.

nThe whole estate was on the verge of bankruptcy.

n“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Louina, but…”

nDeculein walked slowly, every step of his echoing in her ears. Cold contempt rested in his pupils.

n“If you’re here to apologize…”

n‘Apologize?’

nHis words were nonsensical.

n“Then you must display the right attitude for it.”

nUnder his umbrella’s shade, Deculein’s blue eyes gleamed.

n“You’re too unyielding right now.”

nLouina bit her lip hard enough for her teeth to pierce her flesh, causing blood to gush out.

n“… Apologize?”

n“Yes. After your family was eliminated from Bercht, the Yukline began to support you, thanks to which your collapse was prevented. Our family forgave the McQueens’ arrogant behaviors, like not even expressing gratitude for what we did. However, your entire bloodline is now acting like a dog unable to forget its old habits. Naturally, I deserve an apology.”

nDeculein’s tone was calm and aristocratic. The moment Louina clenched her fist and looked at him, he squinted at her.

n“… A tree that’s rotten down to its roots will never survive. Just wait and see. Your family will sooner or later wither.” He turned his back on her.

nAt that moment, she felt like the world itself had gone crazy, like the sky itself had fallen.

nShe wanted to disappear right there and then, but for the sake of her family, she didn’t run away.

nAs he moved further and further away, she shouted.

n“Wait!”

nDeculein stopped, looking back at her over his shoulder.

n“I’ll do it.” Louina slowly fell to her knees, her lips dripping blood onto the ground.

nSplash—

nMud and rainwater dug into her clothes.

n“…”

nDeculein seemed a little surprised.

n“… I’m sorry. I apologize…” Louina bowed her head as she shed tears, though they remained camouflaged among the downpour.

nIn reply, he sneered in a tone of contempt.

n“Tsk. You’re ignorant and pathetic.” Deculein came closer. The rain grew stronger.

n“Your family is less than 100 years old, no roots, no history. You’re no more than damn garbage.”

nHis heels landed on her knees.

n“You were so full of yourself, refusing to acknowledge your place just to protect your pride.” He lightly stepped on her as if blemishing a brand, causing her to feel so much more emotional pain than physical she thought her heart was being torn apart. “You are disgusting and dirty to see.”

nCrush-!

nHis heels hit her knees again, ripping open her skin and flesh, rupturing her ligaments, and spilling her blood.

nShe desperately held back her groans.

n“Disappear. If you want to keep your family alive, don’t ever show your damn face before me.”

nLouina stayed in her place.

nThe guards barred the gate again, and heavy rain covered her body. Her blood, gushing out, mixed with the flowing rainwater.

nAfter asking for forgiveness until the rain stopped, Louina submitted her resignation letter at the Imperial University Tower the very next day. Two days later, she left the empire, and after a week, everything returned to normal.

nHowever, Louina hadn’t forgotten the humiliation she felt that day.

nShe never stopped striving and working hard.

nAs the Head Professor of a kingdom’s tower, she wrote several theses, developed magic, earned money to rebuild her family, and gained the respect of the kingdom’s people.

nAll of her efforts resulted in her return to the imperial palace.

nLouina stood in it, feeling as if she was in the middle of the battlefield. When she presented her identity to the guard, he opened the door with a salute.

nIt took 40 minutes to get to the imperial palace from the entrance due to several checkpoints and a change in carriages halfway through.

nNot long after, they reached the ‘road of modesty’ that led to the highly defended imperial palace.

n“Louina von Schlott McQueen!”

nWhen the emperor called out her name, Louina felt so moved by the favor she showed her that she felt as if she owned the whole world.

nHowever, the very next moment…

n“Deculein von Grahan Yukline!”

nUpon hearing his name, she looked at him immediately.

n“…”

nLouina vowed once more.

nShe wouldn’t lose this time.

nNo, she would pay him back double, even triple, the humiliation he brought her in the past.

nSharpening the blade in her heart, she quietly walked down the ‘road of modesty.’

n* * *

nI looked at Louina while we were at the hall of the imperial palace. She seemed difficult to deal with, based on her appearance alone.

n“Don’t look.”

nIn fact, there was a distinct edge to her voice. I looked away instead of arguing with her.

n“You’ve endured for quite a while. I heard that your ‘brain’ committed suicide three years ago.”

nThis time, Louina spoke first.

nI replied, “Don’t talk to me.”

n“…”

nI didn’t find any need to be nice to people who were hostile to me. Pretending to be congenial in situations where I didn’t know anything would only cause a detrimental effect anyway.

nThis was a simple fact that I realized while living as Deculein for almost half a year.

n“We will conduct a light body search.”

nThe maids then came.

nLouina took off her coat and was searched first. The handmaiden looked at her bag, filled with items, and asked. “What are these?”

n“A present and teaching materials to present to Her Majesty.”

nAt a glance, I noticed a magic book and a bunch of educational items. The imperial court wizard next to her inspected their magical properties.

n“I see. You may pass. Now, Deculein?”

nUpon being called, I calmly stood before the maids. They spent an exceptionally long time searching my body.

nThey then looked at the items in my velvet bag.

n“What’s this?”

n“It’s a well-thought present for Her Majesty.”

nShe took the item out of the bag, revealing a 33-year-old wine, considered one of the finest on the continent.

n“… Alcoholic beverages require a more detailed clearance process, so we’ll have to do a thorough inspection before providing you with the result.”

n“Okay.”

n“Tsk. We’re here to teach, not to have drinking parties.”

nI didn’t answer Louina’s words.

nAfter the search was over, we followed the maid up the stairs, leading us to the room where the emperor took classes, which they separated from other rooms due to its nature being a ‘place of learning.’

nIn front of the door with a golden lion carving, the maid knocked first.

nKnock, knock—

n“Your Majesty, your magic educators are here.”

n“Come in.”

n“Yes.”

nThe maid closed her eyes, opened the door, and bent her body forward. The emperor was revealed sitting in a chair, staring at us.

nI took a step into the room and paid my respects.

n“I, Deculein von Grahan Yukline, see you, glorious emperor.”

n“I, Louina von Schlott McQueen, see you, glorious emperor.”

n“Nice to meet you.”

nKeiron, the emperor’s escort and knight, stood behind her like a statue.

nI heard the maid close the door.

nWe moved a little closer to the emperor as she raised a question.

n“Magic, huh… Right, today will be our first class. Where do we start?”

nLouina rushed out.

n“Before we begin, I’d like to figure out which class and attribute you’d be most comfortable with.”

n“Class? Attribute? Oh, you mean the eight series?”

n“Yes.”

n“You don’t need to. Magic on our first meeting? No. Let’s talk.”

n“…?”

nHer eyes widened, seemingly in embarrassment. She looked like she was contemplating how to respond as she alternately looked at the class materials, lesson plans in her arms, and the emperor.

n“Sit down. Let’s have a chat.”

nAs Louina was about to speak, the emperor pointed to the chairs.

nI shook my head.

n“We are your magic educators, chosen to explore magical truths with Your Majesty. There is no need for us to stay here unless for a class.”

nI needed to make sure to draw the line now more than ever.

nI couldn’t get caught up by the emperor. If she were to be lazy, the difficulty of the game itself would rise sharply.

nMy words made her eyebrows rise in an arch shape.

n“I said I don’t want to.”

n“Even if you don’t want to, it is in the best interest of and is required by our traditions, manners, etiquettes, and future to do so.”

n“…”

nThe emperor glared at me.

nTok tok tok—

nShe knocked on the desk, looking dissatisfied.

nSilently, Louina sent me a signal behind her using the ‘Wizard Code,” the Morse code of wizards.

n—What are you doing? Your majesty won’t like you, and I’ll get caught up in your mess. Damn it.

nI didn’t reply.

nThe emperor scratched her eyebrows.

n“Then, let’s do it this way. Do you guys know how to play chess?”

nChess. I was familiar with its basic rules and opening patterns to some extent.

nHowever, that was only due to Deculein’s memory, not Kim Woojin’s. Noble hobbies or entertainment such as horseback riding or chess were naturally ingrained in this body.

n“I’m not good at it, but I know how to play it,” Louina answered.

nA smile appeared on the emperor’s lips.

n“Good. If so, what do you think? Let’s decide by chess. If you win, I’ll take the class as you say. But if you lose, you’ll have to turn back and leave. Today’s class will end at your defeat.”

n“…” Louina looked at me in resentment.

nI was worried.

nTo what extent could Understanding be applied to chess?

n“Alright. Louina, you go first.”

nI pushed her back forward, causing her to jump out as she cursed at me with her eyes. Nevertheless, she soon approached her with her head bowed.

n“I’m not good at it, but I’ll dare to go against your Majesty—”

n“It won’t matter if you two put your heads together.”

nI shook my head at her words. By observing their match, I planned to figure out whether or not Understanding could be applied to it.

n“Hmm. One-on-one is boring but fine. Let’s start.”

n“Okay.”

nLouina got the white pieces, and Sophien got black.

nTap—

nThe game progressed slowly. As the thrilling sounds of pieces hitting the chessboard echoed, I familiarized myself with how they moved.

nLouina paused several times to think about every action she took while Sophien moved her pieces after just a glance. With that attitude alone, the result of their bout was obvious.

nAn hour passed.

n“Checkmate.”

nThere were only black pieces left on the chessboard.

n“… I lost.”

n“You are too safety-oriented and too analytical, Louina. Gosh, it would’ve been way more fun to play with Keiron. Now then. Deculein?”

nThe emperor looked at me, faint hostility flashing in her curious eyes. She seemed like she was already starting to hate me.

n“Yes.”

n“You’re going to have to entertain me a little. Or I might have to punish you.”

nI sat where Louina just did.

n“We only get one chance.”

n“Only one?”

n“Yes.”

nIt was insurance in case I depleted all of my mana.

n“If we lose, we’ll have to step back. There will never be a rematch or a comeback.”

n“… Okay. We’ll do it your way.”

nThose vulgar words tickled my ears.

nSince I got the white faction, I was naturally responsible for beginning the match. I just moved a seemingly random piece. Soon, the black faction responded to my moves. At that moment, I just acted based on instinct.

nAt some point, however, without knowing it…

nMy eyesight turned blue, almost as if paint had percolated into my pupils.

nUnderstanding had been activated.

n* * *

n‘I can’t tell what this guy is thinking.’ Sophien thought.

n‘I feel like I’m looking at a wild dog. His moves are rough, incomprehensible, swift, and unpredictable. They’re quite strong and ferocious but crude nonetheless.’

nShe realized his unpolished wildness was as sharp as shards of glass.

n‘If I’m careless even a little, he will inflict fatal wounds on me.

nCompared to Louina, he’s ten times more ferocious and intimidating.’

nFrom his opening alone, he induced a melee and rushed into the offensive. He dug in whenever a chance appeared, and if he could catch any of her pieces, he made it a point to bite them off the battlefield.

nSophien moved her bishop while alternately looking at the chessboard and the opponent’s face.

nTap—

nTap—

nAs if to catch up, his queen moved immediately, taking less than 3 seconds from conception to launch.

nShe was shocked by his recklessness, but that didn’t mean he made a mistake.

nSophien peered into her opponent’s eyes.

nThe Yukline Head watched the chessboard without any movements.

nWas he hungry for prey?

nOr did he simply like to fight?

nWhatever it was, his temper clearly differed from his appearance.

n“…Humpf.”

nHowever, Sophien knew the weakness of his tactic.

nHungry wild dogs, blinded by their aggression, would self-destruct upon stumbling upon the most basic traps.

nTap—

nSophien deliberately showed a loophole in her defenses that she had steadily built up, creating a trap that looked like an honest oversight on her part.

nAnyone would look at it and see a delicious, unaware prey out in the open, but the moment they took the bait, they would be surrounded.

nSophien kept her face emotionless as she waited for the opponent’s move. The dog didn’t even stop to think. As she predicted, he was caught.

nHe kept biting back tenaciously, not knowing he was trapped.

nShe smiled.

nTap—

nHer knight had caught his queen.

nWith this, the game was over.

nAt least, it should have been over.

nHowever…

n“…”

nSophien found it bizarre. He continued his siege in such a dire situation. The game, which should’ve ended soon, went on longer than she expected.

nHe moved his pieces without hesitation.

nThe emperor couldn’t decipher what the bastard was trying to do.

nSophien followed his pace, which was the best she could do in this situation, but he attacked nonstop regardless.

nShe successfully counterattacked and devoured his offensive, but strangely, she felt as if she was slowly falling into a bog.

nThe situation was still, no, had always been favorable to her.

nRegardless, she felt surrounded by a strange atmosphere.

nHer victory was just right around the corner, but she had this ominous feeling of being dragged by him.

nAt some point, he stopped moving. Their battle had now entered the ‘end game.’

nThe emperor looked at the near-empty chessboard.

nWhy did he suddenly stop?

nCurious, Sophien tried to predict Deculein’s moves.

nHis future actions unfolded in her head.

nHis bishop would take the tile next to her king, and her queen would eat up his bishop, but at his eighth turn…

n“…”

nShe saw her defeat.

nIf Deculein kept going at this rate, she would suffer from a defeat so unconditional it wouldn’t matter what move she took.

nNo.

nIt wasn’t a matter of if. He deliberately brought her to this moment. It was what caused the mysterious atmosphere that she couldn’t seem to ignore.

nSophien couldn’t comprehend this exquisite arrangement. Every piece that he left on the chessboard, including their positions, had meaning.

n‘Did I underestimate him too much? At what point did he start luring me around like this?’

nThe emperor raised her eyes in silence.

n“…”

nShe found Deculein looking straight at her. His gaze, which had been staring at the chessboard the whole time, was now fixed on her.

nHe wore no expression.

nNow all she could do was move her pieces.

nHowever, his next move, once again, far exceeded her expectations.

nTap—

nHe took down his king himself, causing the white king to fall onto the board’s surface.

nThe emperor’s eyes, following the king, widened as she looked back at Deculein.

n“What are you doing?”

n“I lost.” Deculein gave a simple answer, sounding as if this was a natural outcome.

n“Your king hasn’t been caught yet.”

n“I don’t see any other answer aside from this.”

n‘… Is the answer yours or mine?’

nBefore the emperor could even ask that question, he stood up.

n“Since both of us were defeated by Your Majesty, I, unfortunately, will have to return home today. I will see you next week.”

nThey promised to leave without saying a word.

nThere was no rematch or comeback.

nDeculein faithfully fulfilled his promise, and Sophien could do nothing but glare at his back.

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