Demon King of the Royal Class

Chapter 389

I had to talk to Charlotte, no matter what.

Due to her research on soul-binding magic, Charlotte often stayed at the palace rather than in the dormitory, and it seemed she had returned to the palace after observing Alsbringer’s choosing ceremony and congratulating me.

It was Saturday night.

I had been granted access to the imperial palace at any time. Instead of going through the main gate of the palace, I stood in front of the warp gate, holding the artifact Charlotte had given me.

Vertus already knew most of the facts, and he, too, did not wish to harm Charlotte. Nevertheless, it was still important to be cautious. Setting Vertus aside, even a record of me visiting the Spring Palace at midnight on the weekend could cause unnecessary rumors about Charlotte.

I planned to use the warp gate in the basement of the Spring Palace, which Charlotte had provided me access to. Following her instructions, I activated the brooch-shaped artifact and used my priority to enter the warp gate. After a slight time lag, I was able to exit the warp gate.

The underground room was dimly lit but not completely dark. The artifact had allowed me to interfere with the set path of the warp gate and exit through a completely different gate. Although it was my first time using it, I sensed it was a dangerous item.

I climbed the stairs leading up from the basement of the Spring Palace, and soon saw a button on the wall that operated a secret door.

‘Wait a moment. Why do I feel like I’m committing a crime even though I’m using something that was given to me?’

Charlotte had told me I was free to enter anytime, and so I did.

‘What if she’s changing clothes or something? Or if she’s asleep?

‘If she’s asleep when I enter, that would be a bit, well, awkward. But I have permission, right? It was given to me for such occasions, so there shouldn’t be a problem.

‘It’ll be like coming home late from work to find your wife sleeping, won’t it? Not that we were married yet, though! And not that it necessarily means we will be!’

I didn’t know.

Click.

When I pressed the button, the wall opened smoothly and silently, revealing the interior of Charlotte’s bedroom. Fortunately, I did not stumble into a situation where Charlotte was in the middle of changing clothes and screamed as she saw me suddenly enter.

However, the bed was noticeably smaller than the previous time I had visited. She had complained that it was too big and uncomfortable and had said she would definitely change it, and it seemed she had. It was still quite large, but not so big that one had to crawl just to get around on it.

Charlotte lay flat on her back on the bed, sleeping peacefully. But there was something slightly different from usual. Her hair was dyed black.

As I approached her, I could see it more clearly. It wasn’t like before, where darkness seemed to seep and flutter about her. It was simply Charlotte, with black hair, breathing evenly in a state of calm sleep.

The Demon King’s consciousness had been dispelled by my Incantation, leaving only the power to control darkness behind. That power was gradually merging with Charlotte’s soul, and the fusion was nearing completion. Thus, Charlotte did not go berserk anymore, nor did she break out in cold sweat.

It was as if the power had naturally become one with her without fighting for control over her consciousness. The power had engulfed Charlotte, but she was peacefully asleep.

Charlotte would be fine, even without the need for any soul-binding magic. She would be one with the Demon King.

Was this truly okay? I didn’t know. Perhaps she would be okay like this, but that would cause other problems too.

“Charlotte,” I called her softly. “Charlotte. It’s me.”

“Ugh...”

At the sound of someone calling her, Charlotte, her hair still black, furrowed her brow and tossed about.

“Wake up, kid,” I said in a teasing manner, and Charlotte’s brow furrowed further and she slowly opened her eyes.

“Hmm... huh?”

Our eyes met.

Come to think of it, seeing me in a dark room would probably make it look like a stranger had broken into her room from the shadows.

“Kya... hup! Ugh!”

As I watched Charlotte’s eyes widen in shock, I quickly covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

The moment I did, I wondered in my mind how this was any different from an irredeemable crime. I could see the fear in Charlotte’s eyes, and that she did not recognize who I was.

Come to think of it, Charlotte had been kidnapped by Sarkegar before. As fear overtook her reason, dark shadows began to flow from Charlotte’s hair. Dozens of dark spears materialized in the air, aimed directly at me.

Swish!

I was going to die.

“It’s me! It’s me! Reinhart!” I shouted.

The dozens of dark spears that were about to skewer me stopped just in time. It all happened in a single second as I stood there, still covering Charlotte’s mouth, before I could even explain myself.

I had almost died in the most ridiculous way possible.

***

“I’m sorry, Reinhart...”

“No... it’s understandable. I came unannounced.”

“I should have thought it could be you, but I was too surprised...”

Despite being the intruder, I found myself receiving an apology from the homeowner.

Charlotte, seemingly overwhelmed by the fact that she had almost killed me, hugged me tightly and apologized profusely without even checking on her own state.

“I was the one who told you that you could come any time, and then this happened... I’ll be more careful in the future. It’s just you haven’t even come at all before this...”

“I should have told you I was coming. It’s understandable to be surprised. I’m not hurt, so it’s fine.”

“I’m the one who gave it to you so you could come... Huh?”

Charlotte, while speaking, finally seemed to realize the state she was in, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“What... is this?” Charlotte murmured.

“Yeah, you should be more concerned about your condition right now instead of fussing over me,” I replied.

Charlotte ran her fingers through her hair and, realizing it had turned black, hurried over to stand in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom.

Her hair had become jet black, and her eyes, which were usually golden, were now dark. Her fingertips trembled. She was likely overwhelmed by the fear that she was being consumed by this power again.

“Again... again...”

“Calm down, Charlotte. It’ll be okay soon,” I reassured her.

I now knew that these episodes were merely psychological in nature. As I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, Charlotte turned away from the mirror and buried her face in my chest.

“No one is trying to control your consciousness like before. This just happens sometimes, but in reality, nothing is wrong. Trust me.”

“Yeah... okay.”

“You don’t feel like someone is trying to dominate you, or that you’re losing control over yourself, right?”

This significant change in her external appearance could certainly raise suspicions in others, but it might be something that could be controlled somehow. Even though she knew nothing was wrong, the fact that her appearance had changed was frightening to her.

Charlotte trembled and continued to sweat for a long time. It took quite a bit of comfort before she stopped shaking. However, her hair, which had turned black, did not revert to its original color.

“It feels... so strange,” Charlotte muttered in a daze, staring at the handful of blackened hair in her hand.

The feeling of something controlling her consciousness must have been terrifying, but now that she had calmed down, she would realize that there wasn’t actually anything threatening her.

Charlotte had even used her powers to attack me, although it was probably a reaction to the sudden sense of crisis. It seemed she was instinctively learning how to handle the Demon King’s power.

“Um, well. Anyway, is there something urgent?” Charlotte asked, seemingly more curious about my reason for visiting at night than her own issues, as she lowered her hand from her hair.

‘Where should I start?’

I had heard various things from Vertus, like how if I didn’t marry her, she might end up dying. How would Charlotte react to hearing something like that? Would she be disgusted by the idea of receiving sympathy from Vertus?

“Let’s say your condition improves,” I began, not diving straight into the heavy topic.

Charlotte nodded. “Yeah. I hope so.”

“Then, does that mean all your problems will be solved?”

“...”

Charlotte’s expression quickly fell.

“Will you be able to live on safely without any issues from now on?”

Charlotte couldn’t answer my question.

***

Charlotte had not ever been in a position to fully commit herself to the issue of imperial succession. She had primarily been focused on finding Baalier at first, and on top of that, she had been in a war with the Demon King’s soul for control over her body, one that she had been on the brink of losing, which meant that her focus had fully been on taking care of herself.

As a result, the gap between her and Vertus had widened too much, as Vertus continued to achieve more and more significant accomplishments.

Everything she had done for her survival had only ended up branding her as an imperial successor who had done nothing.

It was an inevitability. However, the fact that it was inevitable did not grant Charlotte any extra points.

“Did Vertus say something to you?” she asked.

“...”

I couldn’t bring myself to deny it.

“Perhaps things were destined to turn out this way ever since I returned alive from the Demon King’s Castle,” she said.

Even if she hadn’t wasted her time searching for Baalier, Charlotte wouldn’t have been able to overcome the aftereffects of the procedure she’d undergone at the hands of the Demon King. Her life had unfolded along a predetermined course.

“It’s true that my position has become unstable. The people who used to support me now have their eyes on Vertus instead of me, so that says it all.”

They hadn’t sided with Vertus before, but now that Charlotte’s defeat seemed certain, they were looking to Vertus instead.

The Spring Palace had been closed for unexplained reasons, so even her close aides likely knew there was a significant issue concerning Charlotte. Believing in a leader who couldn’t even live a normal life was difficult.

Moreover, the moderates, noting Charlotte’s situation, would have all sided with Vertus, who seemed more and more likely to be the next emperor.

“If Vertus becomes emperor, it might not be his henchmen who kill me, but my own people. They might try to use my life as a means of earning themselves a pardon.”

Vertus’s aides wouldn’t need to urge anyone to kill Charlotte. Charlotte’s own faction might implode, and they might kill her for him. In that case, Vertus wouldn’t be the one who killed Charlotte, so he could claim that he hadn’t harmed her.

The relationship between Vertus and Charlotte had not been mended, but it seemed Vertus’s hostility towards her had significantly diminished, enough that he felt he could afford to show mercy since he had already won.

“Well, I’m not sure. If I can just resolve this situation, maybe things will be okay while I’m at the Temple,” Charlotte said, smiling at me. “Remember what His Majesty said? That if anything happened to either of us, the other’s rights to succession would be revoked.”

“... Right.”

When we were freshmen, the emperor had indeed sent a decree to the Temple’s Royal Class stating that.

“So nothing major will happen, at least for a few years.”

No major incident would occur at least until we graduated from the Temple, which would be more than five years away. Of course, that was assuming nothing happened to the emperor in the meantime. Besides, even that decree could become meaningless over time.

“And during those years, the situation might change...” Charlotte trailed off.

In the coming years, if Charlotte managed to score some achievements of her own, the situation could indeed change. That statement was true. But even Charlotte’s supporters were already sensing the outcome and turning away from her. They needed to switch sides quickly to avoid falling out of favor with the next emperor.

Once the foundation was lost, it would be over. There would be no next opportunity. Charlotte’s words were just an excuse. An excuse to reassure me.

Vertus’s people wouldn’t harm Charlotte, but if her close aides did something foolish, neither Charlotte nor Vertus would be able to respond.

The claim that she would be safe for a few years was likely not true. She might not even graduate from the Temple safely. However, for a few years, at least, she could live free of the influence of the Demon King’s soul.

Charlotte was lying to me.

“Reinhart?”

“... Yeah?”

“I was never meant to live,” Charlotte said as she looked at me. “In the end, I was used, but if I can live my life according to my will, even if it’s just for a few years...”

She smiled sadly. “That’s enough for me.”

She had overcome a terminal condition, yet her life was still destined to end soon. She had struggled to escape a life with an expiration date, but the expiration date had merely been postponed, and she found solace in that. Charlotte had resigned herself to this fate.

It was exhausting. The empire, the royals, the emperor... What was it all for?

Even if Vertus no longer wished to kill Charlotte, she still had to die. Even without Vertus lifting a finger, the likelihood of Charlotte’s death was high.

Born with the potential to wield great power, she also bore the penalty of having to die if she couldn’t seize that power. Mercy was seen as a weakness and could not be tolerated.

Charlotte gently held my hand.

“Reinhart,” she said, looking at me with sorrowful eyes, “you’ve already sacrificed so much for me. I’ve given you nothing, yet you’ve given me so much. What I’ve received from you, I could never repay in a lifetime.”

She softly stroked the back of my hand. “Whatever you’re thinking, please don’t sacrifice anything more for me.”

Charlotte knew that I must have had something in mind to have rushed into her bedroom in the middle of the night.

“I’m asking you, as your friend.”

It was painfully clear that she thought of me as more than just a friend, but in the end, Charlotte chose the word “friend.”

***

Charlotte prevented me from saying anything further. It seemed she no longer wanted me to sacrifice myself for her.

She was already losing her base of support, becoming increasingly isolated politically, and her options were dwindling. Yet, Charlotte didn’t want me sacrificing anything else for her anymore.

It had not been publicly revealed that I had become the master of Alsbringer, and even if I were to marry Charlotte, it wouldn’t change much. For that to have an impact, it would have to be revealed that I was the master of both Tiamata and Alsbringer. To save Charlotte, I would have to bear the penalty of making my name known to the public.

I remained in Charlotte’s bedroom, sitting quietly in a chair by the bed.

In the darkness, Charlotte lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her black hair returned to its normal color after she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She seemed to have almost fully mastered her power.

“If everything is already over, maybe I shouldn’t give up this power. After all, it is a strong power,” she mused.

Her support was slowly dwindling, and she seemed to be reaching the conclusion that she should at least keep the power to protect herself, even if it was dark and unstable.

“... Maybe,” I replied.

Charlotte smiled sadly. The power that had nearly destroyed her was now something she was increasingly being forced to rely on. That was the sort of situation she was in.

If I had truly been an intruder, Charlotte could have used the Demon King’s power to kill the intruder and survive on her own. On the contrary, if she were completely freed from the Demon King’s soul, she wouldn’t even have that last resort of self-defense to fall back on.

Charlotte and I both knew this. I was the one who had entered her room this time, but she seemed to understand that if she ever faced a real intruder or assassin, the only thing she could rely on was this cursed power the Demon King had implanted in her.

“Nothing ever goes as planned,” Charlotte said, turning her head and offering me a weak smile.

Since being abducted and whisked away to the Demon King’s Castle, her life had been nothing but hell. She had searched for Baalier but never found him, only to discover that Baalier was the Demon King’s successor. She had lost her battle for succession. She wanted to rid herself of the Demon King’s soul within her, but realized that she probably had to rely on it to survive.

“Charlotte...”

“But, you know,” Charlotte said, gently holding my hand. “There’s one thing that didn’t go as planned but turned out to be good in the end.”

She pulled my hand towards her, holding it close to her chest as if embracing it. “Getting closer to you.”

I, the ill-tempered delinquent of Class A and the heir of a criminal organization, and Charlotte, who once thought of me as nothing more than human trash... We had grown close enough that we were there together in the Spring Palace’s bedroom in the middle of the night.

It wasn’t something Charlotte had ever anticipated, nor had I. This was also something that hadn’t gone according to plan.

“I’m really grateful for that.”

Not everything had gone as planned, but Charlotte didn’t seem to think she had failed at everything.

There was one way to save Charlotte. She might feel that there were still a few years of reprieve left, but there was always the possibility that a disloyal aide could try to take Charlotte’s life tomorrow. It could be an actual attack, or even poison. @@novelbin@@

I might end up losing this smile of hers. Even though it was a sad smile, losing it would mean losing Charlotte forever. I couldn’t bear that.

“Let’s do this, then,” I said.

“Hmm? Do what?” Charlotte asked as I brought my hand to her cheek.

“Let’s get half-married.”

“Huh? Half-married? What do you mean?”

Even though I knew this decision would change many things, I continued, “We can get engaged.”

“Huh?”

I couldn’t afford to lose what I had managed to protect.