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Between light and darkness, there is a void we have never perceived, for it is invisible. Living beings are born from this void, and once they are born, they choose their own paths. But it never depends on free will alone.
Cause: That which leads to an effect.
Effect: That which occurs as a result of a cause.
A being is born to face causes, and thus effects come to pass. No good arises on its own, just as no evil arises without a cause.
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The lights reflected softly off the walls, and the sounds of gentle music filled the hall. The music stopped the moment the emperor entered the hall, followed by the empress and Prince Kieran.
The emperor took his seat on the throne and spoke coldly. "I hereby announce the crown prince of the Aetheris Empire…"
But before he could finish speaking, the doors to the hall swung open, drawing everyone's attention.
Whispers spread throughout the hall.
"Wait, look over there!"
"Impossible! How can this be?"
"Is that a ghost?"
"It's… it's really Prince Adrian!!!"
The empress froze in place, stunned by what she was seeing. She murmured to herself, "Impossible… How?!"
Adrian advanced with measured, steady steps until he stopped before the emperor. The emperor stared at him in shock, unable to believe what stood before him.
A cold silence settled over the hall before Adrian bowed and offered his greeting. "Glory to the empire… Your Majesty, I have returned."
The emperor spoke in a cold tone that concealed his shock. "So you were alive after all."
Adrian replied with the same coldness. "Yes… Thanks to someone, I managed to escape death."
The emperor asked sharply, "Then who tried to kill you?"
The empress held her breath as she waited for the answer.
She murmured fearfully, "Damn it… If he tells him now, in front of everyone, I'm finished… Even if I try to evade the question, rumors will spread."
While everyone waited for Adrian's answer, he said calmly, "Actually… I didn't see him."
The empress drew a breath, wondering why he was lying.
Adrian continued, "That day, I was asleep because of the magic Your Majesty had placed on me. When I woke up, I found myself in that place… But someone came and helped me."
The emperor asked him, "And who is this person who would be there? And what about the blood the general told me about?"
Adrian smiled faintly, his smile cold. "As for the blood… it belonged to monsters that were about to kill me. As for that person… they are here with us now."
Everyone wondered who it was.
Adrian spoke deliberately. "It's… the empress."
Voices rose throughout the hall. The empress froze in place, struggling to comprehend what Adrian was doing.
The emperor's eyes widened in shock. "The empress?! Are you certain of what you saw?"
Adrian replied calmly, "Of course."
Then he turned toward the empress with a smile. "Thank you for saving me… Mother."
The hall erupted in whispers.
"Did he just say Mother?!"
"Does that mean His Highness the Prince considers the empress his mother?!"
"How sweet!"
"Wait… why is the empress silent?!"
"She's just staring without answering!"
The empress could not deny his words, so she murmured to herself, "That bastard… What nonsense is he spouting?! Mother?! What a talented actor you are! But… I have no choice but to play along… This is better than telling the truth."
She smiled with feigned happiness and spoke. "Oh, my son… If only you knew how happy I am to hear you call me Mother. And there's no need to thank me. I was happy to have saved you just in time."
The emperor spoke sternly. "Empress… What made you go to a forbidden place?!"
The empress froze. She looked toward Adrian, who was smiling slyly.
The emperor asked with barely restrained anger, "I'm asking you… What were you doing in such a forbidden place?!"
Adrian interjected, "Actually… I hadn't intended to mention this, but the empress wasn't alone."
The emperor spoke anxiously. "What?!"
Adrian continued coldly, "She was disguised in a black cloak, accompanied by a strange man. Unfortunately, I couldn't see his face because he was wearing a mask. He killed the monsters himself…"
The empress screamed furiously, "Nonsense! What are you saying, you insolent brat?! Your Majesty, you must not believe what this devil says! He made up the entire story!"
The emperor spoke in a fit of rage. "You just admitted it yourself a moment ago… and now you're calling it nonsense?!"
The empress screamed hysterically in denial. "No!! I couldn't deny what Adrian said, because if I did, no one would believe me!"
The emperor spoke sharply. "If what you're saying is true, then there must be something preventing you from denying his words. What the hell are you hiding?"
The empress continued angrily, "I'm not hiding anything!! That bastard was wandering around somewhere, and there's no doubt that the story of his death is nothing but a delusion!"
She laughed maniacally as she continued, "You all decided he was dead without a single piece of evidence! How do you know he didn't run away on his own?!"
The emperor interrupted her sharply. "Kieran! … You told me about the man who was speaking to the empress that day. You were so afraid for your brother that you failed to conceal the truth."
The empress froze as she turned her furious, blazing eyes toward Kieran.
The emperor continued, "Kieran, can you be a man of principle and tell us the truth here and now? Remember… Your brother has returned this time, but there may not be another."
Kieran stammered as tears slowly streamed from his eyes. "I… I… I heard clearly… The man dressed in black was telling my mother that he had seen my brother Adrian… being dragged away by the monsters…"
The empress's eyes reddened, and the veins in her face bulged as she screamed hysterically. "You bastard! Are you speaking such nonsense about your own mother now? Who is closer to you? Me? Or that wretched devil?!"
Kieran interrupted her, screaming through his tears. "She was laughing when he told her that the monsters had dragged my brother away! I saw her!"
Adrian was inwardly thrown into confusion as events deviated from the plan…
[One Week Earlier]
Adrian crossed the barrier and glanced at the sky for a moment before continuing on his way. He walked through the forests, heading toward his destination. He was determined to kill everyone involved. When he reached the streets of one of the cities, he began searching for a route that would lead him to the palace.
"Adrian?"
A calm voice reached his ears. He turned to see Albert staring at him in shock and disbelief.
"You… You really are Adrian! I knew you were all right! Just tell me, what happened?" he said with a smile full of astonishment.
Adrian replied calmly, "Ah… It's a somewhat long story."
Noticing Adrian's condition, Albert grabbed his hand and pulled him along, saying, "Come on, let's talk at my house."
"Wait, where are—" Adrian murmured, but Albert did not stop.
After entering the Count's family mansion, Albert took him to his room and closed the door behind them.
Albert sat down and asked eagerly, "So… The news of your death was actually announced. What the hell happened?"
Adrian sat opposite him and said, "It's a long story."
Albert shouted in annoyance, "You've said that twice already, you fool! What is this long story?!"
Adrian sighed with a slight frown and said, "The empress tried to kill me…"
Albert's eyes widened in shock. "The empress?! Why would she do something like that?"
Adrian answered, "I think she's doing it for her son, Kieran… She's probably… coveting the throne."
Albert laughed lightly in astonishment. "She's doing all this for the throne… She really is something." Then he continued in a serious tone, "So… what are you going to do?"
Adrian answered sharply without hesitation. "I'll kill them all."
Albert raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Huh? And how exactly are you going to do that, genius?"
Adrian looked away, his cold expression unchanged…
Albert placed his palm against his forehead and sighed helplessly. "Just as I expected… You intend to go and kill them without having any plan at all." Then he adjusted his posture and continued, "If you want revenge, you have to act intelligently."
Adrian furrowed his brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"
A crooked smile appeared on Albert's face. "Bring them down with words. If you don't have the strength, use words to bring them down… Put on a well-crafted performance."
Adrian grumbled with slight annoyance. "I don't quite understand that… But the real problem is that I can't tell them what actually happened."
Albert stood up and walked toward the window, speaking calmly. "There's no need to tell them the truth… After all, performances are made of lies and fantasies that don't exist."
[Back to the Present]
The emperor asked firmly, "So… Empress, what is your defense now?"
The empress screamed angrily, pointing at Kieran. "Everything Kieran is saying is false!! If that were true, how is Adrian still alive?!"
She thought to herself with a malicious smile, "No one will believe this nonsense… How could someone so weak survive the monsters? Besides, he was…"
Adrian broke the silence with his calm voice. "That's right… Someone who was restrained couldn't possibly survive the monsters."
Then he smiled coldly, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "Isn't that… what you're thinking?"