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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Brainwashing
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Ryan couldn't understand what Kies was saying.
Magic stones had existed since before he was born. Though not yet commercialized, their use was a natural part of life.
Kies surely knew this, yet he declared that magic stones would disappear. Ryan couldn't comprehend the source of his deep-seated conviction.
“If we squeeze the mages we've captured, we might get something even better than what that bastard made…”
But Kies seemed to have no intention of resolving his doubts.
After a moment of deliberation, Ryan decided to focus on the current situation.
Letting Kies out like this was suspicious in itself. There was no telling who might be watching him. He had to conclude his business as quickly and efficiently as possible.
“Then I will contact Marquis Epekel's family.”
Since he was already in contact with them because of Reshuan, this wouldn't seem strange.
Marquis Epekel also needed magic stones, and if he knew they could be depleted, Ryan could simply ask him about it.
Seeing Ryan's compliant response, Kies smiled with satisfaction. He paused for a moment before adding another word.
“There is one more thing you must do.”
“What is it?”
He thought dragging in the treasure and the Epekel family would be enough; he hadn't expected there to be more.
Ryan suppressed the irritation rising within him and maintained his composure.
“Make Marso Etoile fall even deeper for you.”
“…Pardon?”
Ryan doubted his own ears. He frowned, wondering if Kies had gone senile, but the man's eyes still shone with a quiet light.
Staring into those eyes, which glittered with madness, he was bewildered. What could possibly be gained from this?
*Ah.*
With a short sigh, Ryan furrowed his brow.
He searched his memory, recalling a rumor he had heard not long ago.
The play where the hidden, reclusive prince had revealed himself. And who had been by his side.
Regardless of Marso's somewhat cautious demeanor, Darcy had been blatant in revealing his own feelings.
Darcy, who had shown little interest in most things despite being a prince, had eyes only for Marso.
Whether those feelings were romantic or not, the rumors about the two of them had solidified into accepted fact.
“Is this because of him?”
“You're still sharp, I'll give you that. Befitting of a crown prince.”
“…Do I really have to?”
He knew Marso Etoile liked him. And he knew that even if she was hurt, that fact wouldn't change easily.
But that was precisely why he found it so unpleasant. Ryan hated Marso for constantly slandering his beloved Reshuan and demanding only his affection.
Her blind gaze, desperate for his love, was a burden.
Above all, the reproachful look on her face when she found out he’d had her followed was seared into his mind, refusing to fade.
*…I know it's not a feeling that can change overnight, but…*
Still, it was true that dealing with Marso had become awkward. The look of contempt on her face had made her seem like a completely different person.
At his lukewarm reaction, Kies narrowed his eyes.
“Do you have another way?”
Then, he asked mockingly. It was an accusation—did Ryan know Darcy's weakness?
Of course, Ryan had nothing to say. He pressed his lips together.
“He was never one to show his emotions in the first place. For someone like that to let another person by his side... A first is always special.”
The experience of a long life was not for naught. Upon hearing about Darcy, Kies had grasped the situation at once.
Kies had restricted everything in Darcy's life. As a result, Darcy had lived starved of everything.
The boy himself didn't seem to have properly realized his own feelings yet, but an observer could tell.
They could see the meaning behind Darcy's feelings for Marso.
He would surely be unable to think straight. After all, he was a boy so prickly and isolated that he could barely hold a proper conversation. And this was his first love.
*Though I don't quite understand where the two of them met…*
In any case, the fact that the object of his affection was Marso was a boon for their side.
It was the perfect solution for their need to find a way to control Darcy until they found the treasure.
Because Marso's one-sided love for Ryan was as natural and obvious to everyone as breathing.
“You must use what can be used. If you use Marso Etoile, you'll be able to control him as well.”
To persuade the reluctant Ryan, Kies chose his final tactic.
“It is also the path for the woman you love.”
Ryan, who had been silent, flinched.
Right, there was Reshuan. The woman who would become the crown princess and eventually rise to the highest position in this country.
A woman so lovely and beautiful that laying the entire world at her feet would not be enough.
*She hasn't seemed well lately.*
He knew she had met with Marso from what Leticia had told him. Deeply shocked by the encounter, Reshuan had been refusing all visitors, claiming she was ill.
It was inevitable that people would look down on Reshuan for not appearing in high society, though for different reasons than Marso.
Since she had never been one of them to begin with, people did everything in their power to find fault with her.
There were plenty who would side with her one moment and turn their backs the next.
This was because they weren't genuinely supporting Reshuan, but merely making a calculated investment for their own benefit.
In that regard, Ryan's position as the prospective crown prince was perfect for protecting Reshuan. Few would dare to challenge him, a man of status and honor.
But what if even that became uncertain?
Reshuan could be hurt. This was not a hypothesis, but a fact.
And Marso would be back on top again.
A person's nature doesn't change just because they act differently for a year or two. Her wounded appearance and her unfamiliar behavior would surely revert once the situation changed.
*This is all for me and Reshuan.*
Having finished his hypocritical self-justification, Ryan let out a heavy breath. His mind, which had felt as stuffy as if it were filled with storm clouds, became as clear as a stream.
“…I understand.”
Ryan replied, bowing his head.
He decided to look at the situation positively.
“Good.”
*While I'm at it, I should get rid of the guilt I felt seeing her betrayed face.*
He thought that if he treated her kindly, Marso would be pleased.
The possibility that Marso would hate it was not part of his calculations.
Marso loved him. This was close to an immutable law.
***
“My mother is said to have fallen in love with the Emperor at first sight.”
This was the first thing Darcy said after gazing into my eyes for a long moment.
Looking at the Emperor now, it was hard to imagine, but I had heard that he was quite popular in his youth.
The faces of Ryan and Darcy didn't just come from nowhere.
“But Kies didn't like mages. He despised them. My mother was no exception.”
The imperial family, knowing how formidable the power of mages was, had always been wary of them. Kies was the same.
The tragedy of their love began with this discord. Overcome by the fever of her first love, she didn't know what to do and ultimately decided to use her power.
Darcy, who had been speaking of his mother, paused to catch his breath.
Darcy, who had been looking at me intently, stood up and ran a hand through his hair.
He turned his head away as if to avoid my gaze, then met it again. The face that looked down at me, his chin resting on his hand, was as unreal as a sculpture of a god.
His eyes were as calm as the sea at dawn.
No, that was just how it appeared on the surface. I knew well that a storm was raging within him, thanks to the sight of his tongue moistening his lips, a clear sign of his nervousness.
“I'm still not sure if telling you about my ability is a good idea.”
He smiled, his eyes crinkling, as if trying to hide his anxiety.
“But I'd hate it more if you heard it from someone else.”
“I think I'd feel the same.”
After some thought, I agreed. I didn't want to hear about Darcy from anyone else. For one, their account would be filled with negative prejudice.
I knew that mages each possessed a unique ability. This, along with their magic, was considered their greatest threat.
At my agreement, Darcy raised one corner of his mouth and let his eyes drift over me.
“You know, sometimes it feels like you're the one using magic, not me. The way you always say just what I want to hear.”
“Maybe it just means you and I are that much alike.”
“I can't deny that.”
It was a strange thing. Despite our completely different lives and upbringings, we kept finding common ground in each other.
“Marso.”
He called my name. After a brief silence, his voice rang out.
“I can brainwash people.”
“…Brainwash?”
…The ability to control a person's thoughts… I never imagined something like that could be real.
Darcy was the only mage I had ever met, so I had forgotten that this was a fantasy world, completely different from the one I used to live in. It felt like someone had just doused me with cold water.
His face, devoid of any playfulness, spoke the truth.
I knew it instinctively.
The reason why the somewhat incompetent Kies could control the mages so effectively, and why Ryan could commercialize magic tools as he pleased without worrying about them.
It was all because Darcy, who never appeared in the main story of the book, was absurdly overpowered.
