When I awoke, I recognized the familiar ceiling overhead.
“I’m back…”
I managed to sit up despite my blurry vision. I wondered what had happened after I passed out. Was Alicia okay? I tried to stand up to check on her, but my body was too weak.
“I see you’re awake, Your Highness,” a man said. It was the same voice I heard before.
“Ah, it was you, Marquess.”
Seeing his face jogged my memory. I’d met him once or twice before I was sent to the tower. He was a marquess and head of one of the Great Five—the most influential among all noble families in this country. And of the Great Five, only he had earned enough of Father’s trust to learn about my magic and subsequent confinement.
“How is Alicia?!” I blurted.
“Alicia? Ah, if you’re speaking of the young girl who collapsed, her life is no longer in danger.”
“Good… Glad to hear it,” I said, letting out a sigh of relief. “So why were you there, Marquess?”
“The Great Five originally existed to support the use of the Sacred Swords, which consume a tremendous amount of mana. Historically, our houses have dedicated our magic to those swords. The sword you used was imbued with my magic, so I immediately sensed when it was summoned.”
This was the first time I’d ever heard of the Great Five playing such a role.
“Does that mean the heads of the other four houses know I’ve summoned the swords?” I asked.
“No, I believe I am the only one. No one else has dedicated their magic to the swords in some time. Every other family has neglected their responsibilities for the past few generations.”
“I see.” Silently thankful that they had slacked off, I studied the marquess anew. “Why did the Sacred Swords come to me, though? Did something happen to my father?!”
The swords could only be passed on after the previous ruler’s death or upon receiving the crown during the coronation ceremony. Obviously I hadn’t received any sort of crown, so the only possibility was that my father had been hurt.
“His Majesty was still in good health when you summoned the swords, so I cannot say. I do not know why you were able to inherit the sword before your coronation. This has never happened in the entirety of this kingdom’s history.”
“Wait, what do you mean he was still in good health when I summoned the swords? Did he…?”
“I am afraid it is as you fear: His Majesty has passed away. Her Majesty died in the same instant.”
“Mother, too?!”
I looked down, averting my eyes from the marquess. Even though he had earned my father’s trust, I couldn’t risk a stranger knowing my inner turmoil. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists so tightly my nails nearly broke the skin.
“Who did it?” I demanded.
The marquess’s brows lifted at that. Was it really that surprising? It was laughable to think my parents died of disease. Unless both my parents had simultaneously succumbed to the same grave illness, there was no way they’d die at the exact same time. I’d never come across any news about an epidemic, and besides, they would have informed me one way or another if they were ill. After all, I was their only child—and the sole heir to the throne.
It was possible an accident took their lives, but this was unlikely considering the palace’s high level of security. And if an accident really had taken the lives of the king and queen, palace security would seem shockingly terrible.
No, the most plausible scenario was that someone had murdered my parents.
“We managed to capture the culprit, but we do not know the mastermind behind all of this. Unfortunately, the assassin committed suicide before we could interrogate him.”
“Hm, seems like he was very well disciplined,” I said. “Well, never mind. It doesn’t matter. Find the mastermind, no matter what it takes.”
“Understood.” The marquess dipped his head in assent and left the room.
Once he was gone, I let out a deep sigh. I relaxed, feeling my body grow weak. At the same time, tears dripped down from my eyes, one after another.
“Father… Mother…”
I released all my pent-up emotions and allowed myself to grieve. Overwhelming despair crushed my heart. I sobbed long and hard, as though it would purge the devastation I felt. I couldn’t hold back the onslaught of tears.
Those two people had loved me despite my horrible powers. I loved them, too. I treasured them. Their deaths cut me deeper than any blade—and they’d died because of me.
When Alicia was kidnapped, I hadn’t asked for anyone’s help because I was overconfident in my abilities. As a result, she nearly died trying to protect me…and the Sacred Swords wound up in my hands. The marquess had said that His Majesty was still in good health when I summoned the swords, which meant Father was unable to summon them when he was attacked. If only my father had the swords, he would’ve been able to beat back his assailant. Those weapons had extraordinary power. If I hadn’t forcefully taken the swords away from him, both Father and Mother would have been spared.
Regret and guilt tormented me. My parents were so dear to me…yet I’d lost them. It was all my fault.
It hurts…!
I felt so sad and devastated. My heart ached so badly, I feared it might shatter. I was drowning in grief. The only things keeping me afloat were the tears seeping from my eyes, draining my destructive feelings one droplet at a time. Even so, the pain never lessened.
I cried all night long. Even as my voice grew hoarse and raw, my tears didn’t stop. I cried on and on and on.