Little Pink Starfish

This time was different. At first, Veloan couldn’t even begin to guess the reason for the change. But as if aware of his doubts, Shuzel came to Veloan for the first time on the day they returned to the palace with Ishar and told him directly.

“His Majesty needs you, Lord Veloan.”

With just that one sentence, Veloan realized he had hurt Ishar’s heart more deeply than he had imagined.

“His Majesty only truly smiles when you are by his side. And didn’t you say you would return all the magic you received from His Majesty? I believe those words.”

After that, Shuzel no longer harbored murderous intent toward Veloan.

Ishar, seemingly unaware of this shift in their relationship, was still going out of his way to prevent Veloan and Shuzel from crossing paths. Even that effort was endearing.

‘I don’t care if Ishar goes mad like this. I’ll love him no matter what. But he’s never once truly known freedom, or happiness, or joy. So if he’s going to go mad, I at least wanted to let him escape this prison-like imperial palace before that happens. Even if only for a short while. If he could get out of here, then maybe he could feel just a little happiness, a little joy… or at the very least, he could breathe.’

Veloan suddenly recalled the dying words Shuzel had once left to him in a dream, spoken in a voice full of grief. And also the expression on Ishar’s face when Veloan had passed those words on to him.

Remembering that expression made him stop in his tracks for a moment, but he soon began walking again.

‘I’m not the foolish version of myself from that dream. I’ll protect Ishar. Even if I don’t want to, I’ll protect the ones he cherishes too. Because only with them safe can Ishar fully see me.’

Resolving himself again, Veloan stepped out of the Emperor’s palace. The chilly air that carried the breath of winter greeted him.

He paused briefly to look up at the sky. It was a bright, moonlit night.

---

“As expected.”

Ishar set the paper in his hand down on the desk. It was a report written by Ober’s captain after investigating the coordinates retrieved from the magical artifact recovered from Glen.

There was nothing particularly notable in the contents. The only mansion at those coordinates had burned down to its frame—there was nothing left to salvage. But there was one thing they had found.

He picked up a snow-white card said to have been located on the top floor of the burned mansion.

Palm-sized and made of the fine material nobles used for invitations, it was hard to believe it had been left untouched by the fire.

On the pristine card were only three lines written in faintly glowing black ink:

“To Lord Veloan.”
A magical formula.
A sequence of numbers, likely coordinates.

The magic circle was familiar to Ishar.

‘The formula I gave to Karsha.’

It was the very formula that had once driven Veloan’s life into ruin. The ink was slightly smudged from the excessive pressure, as if written by someone unfamiliar with magic.

‘It wasn’t written by Duke Superzen. The handwriting is different. He must have had someone else involved write it.’

The evidence at the scene made it obvious—it was a trap designed to lure Veloan in.

“Leave me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ishar dismissed Captain Ober, who had been standing by for further orders, and stared down at the card, lost in thought.

It was too sloppy a trap to believe Duke Superzen had prepared it himself. Almost suspiciously kind.

Of course, if the duke had already learned that Glen had sold him out and was feeling desperate, perhaps he had sent it with a resigned heart. But it still felt off.

‘If the Duke knows I created this formula, then he should also know this card would never be passed on to Veloan.’

If someone had been sent to secretly hand the card to Veloan, Ishar might not have suspected a thing. But to place it right at a coordinate traced by a magical device made the whole thing suspicious.

‘Is there a third faction trying to frame Duke Superzen—someone I haven’t caught on to yet? Or a betrayal by one of his close aides? No, that’s not it.’

The more he thought, the more suffocating it felt.

It didn’t feel like a trap for Veloan—it felt like a test for Ishar himself.

Like someone was watching, saying: “Let’s see your conscience.”
As if saying, If you feel guilty, you’ll give this to Veloan.
What arrogance.

‘If Duke Superzen has gone mad from the pressure of his illness, maybe. But if not, then this could be a ploy to test my guilt—and if I don’t hand it over, they’ll give it to Veloan separately and try to drive a wedge between us.’

Part of him wanted to storm into the Grand Duchy and grab Duke Superzen by the collar—but he knew that would backfire.

‘They clearly laid a trap, boldly leaving the coordinates. If I hastily send Esche’s knights, they could die in vain or fail to respond properly. In that case, it’s best if I move alone… but Veloan will track me.’

Then he’d need to move solo, take measures to protect himself, and make sure Veloan didn’t notice.

Having decided, Ishar stepped out of the private chamber connected to his office. The moment he took a step outside, aides began searching for him from all directions.

“Your Majesty, the Ministers of Finance and Justice have requested an audience regarding the matters to be discussed at the full cabinet meeting.”

“Not today. Schedule it for tomorrow.”

“Your Majesty, the Justice Ministry has submitted a draft treaty with Kibus related to the recent Telvanil incident. Would you like to review it now?”

“I’ll look at it this evening.”

“Ah, Your Majesty, the Guardian of Klein has submitted another petition.”

“If it’s like last time, asking for a domesticated Haperon goat as a pet, burn it.”

“…Understood. I’ll burn it.”

“Your Majesty, urgent news from the Zenshina region. A landslide during the recent heavy rains killed the Count and Countess of Zenshina. According to the investigation team dispatched to the site, there are suspicious circumstances. It may be related to recent conflicts within the Eastern Nobles’ Union.”

As soon as he took one step, a deluge of events and issues from across the empire came chasing after him. Ishar sighed internally.

Most of these matters could be handled by his aides, but many still required his direct judgment.

‘Times like these make me wish I had an Empress…’

Or at least, if there were a royal heir officially appointed as Crown Prince, he could delegate some of it.

‘But seriously… if I do make Veloan my Empress, what happens with succession?’

Ishar had no intention of having a child with Veloan.

Recalling their last time together, Veloan didn’t seem to want a child either.

Bringing in a suitable child from a collateral line was one option—but if that were viable, Ishar never would have ascended the throne in the first place.

‘Should I take a concubine? But that would be disrespectful to the woman. More importantly, Veloan… he wouldn’t stand for that.’

“Master.”

“…Veloan?”

Just as Ishar realized this wasn’t the time to be worrying about heirs, Veloan appeared before him with a gentle voice that landed softly in his ears.

“Lord Veloan! Good day!”

“You’re here. Welcome.”

The aides and officials paused briefly at Veloan’s sudden appearance in the middle of the office, but quickly greeted him as if it were routine. Ever since returning to the palace with Ishar, he’d done this more than once.

“I thought you were helping with Esche’s training at this hour.”

“I finished early and came by. I figured you’d be busy. May I assist you?”

His sweet, affectionate words made Ishar’s heart pound. To have him offer help at exactly the moment he needed it—truly a future Empress…

‘No, wait!’

The evidence of his own crime still existed. Until that matter was resolved, Ishar resolved not to let his feelings for Veloan grow—or diminish—any further.

“That’s all right. You don’t need to help.”

“Esche said you’d be very busy this afternoon. So I wanted to help you even just a little, Master…”

As Veloan said, this afternoon’s schedule was already packed. Ishar meant to turn him down again out of guilt—but those pleading eyes made the words dissolve on his tongue.

“Then, would you assist just while I step out briefly?”

“Of course. But where are you going? I thought you were staying in your office all morning.”

“I have an errand in Rekayan. Just until then.”

Even as he spoke, Ishar was already preparing answers to three or more questions Veloan might ask.

“Hmm, all right. Take care.”

The unexpectedly light response left him more uneasy.

But he didn’t have time to dwell on that unease. The presence of the magical formula and coordinates in his pocket made his heart race.

“Thank you. I’ll be back soon.”

Leaving behind that brief farewell, Ishar quickly headed for Rekayan’s laboratory, located at the far edge of the palace grounds.

A small palace had been fully converted into Rekayan’s lab, so there were no guards or attendants at the entrance. Just a firmly shut door.

Ishar pushed the door open with his staff and stepped inside. The space immediately transformed—mist clouded everything around him.

But only for a moment.

The fog lifted, revealing a chaotic room filled with books and scrolls scrawled with indecipherable notes, stacked and scattered everywhere.

In the center stood Rekayan, staring intently into a massive tank that stretched up to the ceiling.