The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 172

Gerdio, Duchy of Lovelia.

Both the Blue Magic Tower Lord and I froze at the sight of him strolling through the imperial palace as if it were his own home.

Neither of us had expected to encounter the Duke of Lovelia at this moment.

The Duke of Lovelia smiled warmly.

It felt like a silent prompt for us to greet him.

My gaze shifted to the Blue Magic Tower Lord.

Belatedly, he too snapped back to his senses.

"Your Grace, the Duke of Heavenly Grace. It has been a long time."

Duke of Heavenly Grace.

A blessing bestowed by the heavens.

As the Blue Magic Tower Lord bowed with perfect courtesy, the Duke chuckled.

"Why such formality between us?"

"Not at all. Courtesy must be observed."

"Haha, haven’t we shared drinks and even walked arm in arm before? What’s with this?"

The Duke let out a hearty laugh.

To anyone, he would appear as nothing less than a benevolent, good-natured man.

And in truth, the Duke had left countless achievements for the empire.

From revitalizing commerce by renovating the empire’s once-troublesome carriage roads to tirelessly working to improve the lives of ordinary citizens—he was a man of undeniable merit.

Thus, he had earned the title Duke of Heavenly Grace.

The man who had elevated the empire’s standard of living to the greatest in the world.

If one were to name the most respected noble among the imperial citizens, he would undoubtedly be the first choice.

And precisely because of that, he had eventually grown covetous of the imperial throne itself.

He was confident that under his rule, the empire would become even more prosperous.

However—I knew his true nature.

'In terms of ability alone, there’s nothing to criticize.'

But beyond his exceptional competence, he had no moral boundaries.

If something could be achieved, he would stop at nothing—even if it meant treating human lives as mere pawns.

The Duke felt no guilt over his contract with the Evil God.

He had simply used it because it was necessary.

That was the extent of his reasoning.

The empire was his tool.

A world he could shape as he pleased.

And what he desired was just that—nothing more.

A man who should never be allowed to hold power.

A man whose brilliance only made him more dangerous when crossed.

That was the Duke of Heavenly Grace.

Perhaps that was why I found his current laughter deeply unsettling.

Thanks to my facial paralysis, I had practiced controlling my expressions relentlessly.

Because of that, I could discern details most people would miss.

The Duke’s seemingly hearty laughter was entirely manufactured—meticulously rehearsed to a degree no ordinary person could detect.

Then, his gaze turned to me.

His eyelids lowered slightly, his brows curved, and the corners of his lips lifted into a flawless arc.

A smile so perfect it could only belong to a saint.

"Hanon Irey, it’s been a while."

And as if to emphasize that he had even remembered my name without hesitation.

'From the very beginning.'

He had known I would be here—and had come deliberately.

I was certain of it.

"Yes, Your Grace. It has been a long time."

So I, too, revealed not a hint of unease.

Apologies, but if he could master his expressions, so could I.

A nephew meeting his grandfather at work.

A touch of awkwardness, a veneer of courtesy.

And a spoonful of the hatred Hanon harbored for the Duke of Heavenly Grace.

All of it was perfectly etched onto my face.

I dared to be proud—I was one of the best in the world at wielding the Bandages of the Veil.

Unless one possessed the abnormal perception of someone like Isabel or Shalina, no one would notice.

"Indeed. I heard you’ve been making quite a name for yourself at Jerion Academy. Mastering the ancient dragon’s magic, no less."

"My long-standing interest in archaeology proved quite helpful."

"I never knew you had such scholarly inclinations. Had I known, I would have supported you sooner."

"You flatter me, Your Grace. I’m well aware of how busy you are—I couldn’t possibly impose."

"Haha, I must have been blessed with a fine grandson. My daughter certainly bore a remarkable child."

My eyebrow twitched.

A deliberate act, of course.

Hanon’s mother had grown disillusioned with the House of Lovelia and left of her own will.

In the end, she had even offered her two daughters as sacrifices for the Evil God’s descent.

My mother had been used as a vessel for the Evil God’s manifestation.

Hanon knew all of this.

And yet, a geas prevented him from speaking of it to anyone.

And here the Duke was, shamelessly bringing it up to Hanon’s face.

It was only natural for Hanon to seethe with rage.

"Thank you."

But he could not reveal that anger before the Duke.

Hanon had already been silenced by the Duke’s machinations.

He was in no position to speak recklessly.

The Duke’s eyes met mine.

A man who sought to bend the world to his will—and one who sought to protect it.

Both of us concealed our true thoughts as we regarded each other.

The Duke was the first to look away.

He, too, had not come today with any immediate plans.

"Continue to strive diligently."

Oh, I will.

Because only then can I stop you.

Just as the Duke turned to leave, he paused abruptly, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Ah, now that I think of it, His Highness the First Prince seems to be quite busy these days. You should visit him before it’s too late."

The Duke’s lips curled into that same flawless arc.

His tone made it clear—he had known from the start that we were here to meet the First Prince.

As expected, this encounter had been orchestrated.

A warning.

A warning not to entangle ourselves further with the First Prince.

He must already know Hanon was involved with the First Prince.

Until now, he had left it alone—but if we began moving this openly, he would not stand idle.

"Thank you for the advice. We’ll pay our respects promptly."

So I accepted it brazenly.

Go to hell.

The Blue Magic Tower Lord subtly observed the silent battle of wills between me and the Duke.

He glanced at me, but I did not take my eyes off the Duke for even a second.

The Duke laughed at my unyielding demeanor before finally departing.

Yet, despite his smile, I could feel the icy gaze lingering behind him.

After today, I had been marked as a thorn in his side.

No doubt he had already resolved to eliminate me.

And not just eliminate—he would crush me utterly.

But I had no intention of letting that happen.

I would push him until he was the one feeling cornered.

I didn’t care about much else—but I would never allow the Duke of Heavenly Grace to stand at the empire’s pinnacle.

Bad Ending: The Duke of Heavenly Grace.

I had seen with my own eyes how the empire would fall because of him.

"You’re far bolder than I expected."

I spoke without hesitation, despite knowing the Duke’s true nature.

To the Blue Magic Tower Lord, it must have seemed like madness.

"He already considers us his enemies, doesn’t he?"

The Duke must have already learned of Vulcan’s downfall through some channel.

The one thing he hadn’t anticipated was how easily Vulcan had been dealt with.

To the Duke, Vulcan had been a useful pawn.

The unicorn horn used in Nia’s assassination had also been sourced through Mysticism, after all.

In fact, Nia’s death had caused significant trouble for the First Prince’s faction.

When Mysticism’s involvement surfaced, the Third Princess’s faction pinned it all on them, framing it as an independent act.

A classic case of cutting loose ends.

Originally, Vulcan and the Duke had been secretly linked through the Evil God.

The Duke had planned to nurture Vulcan and eventually use him as a pawn—both to eliminate obstacles and, later, to destroy Vulcan and Mysticism himself, claiming the glory of a heroic purge.

But all of that had crumbled.

The heroic narrative he had coveted had instead been split between the White Wood Master and the new heroes.

He must have been furious.

He was the type to rage when his plans were disrupted.

"Though I imagine you’re in a difficult position as well, Lord of the Blue Magic Tower. Given how closely you’ve dined with the Duke."

"You seem unaware of my circumstances. It matters little to me."

Of course.

Those gatherings had likely been mere formalities to secure the Blue Magic Tower’s support.

This man was just as much of a lunatic as the Duke.

The one saving grace was that the Blue Magic Tower Lord didn’t toy with human lives.

'Though if magic is involved, who knows.'

Still, he had never crossed that line.

"The Duke will make his move."

Vulcan’s death must have exposed something—the Duke would have noticed.

And if so, he would undoubtedly be preparing for an all-out war.

"Which is why we must strike first."

Of course, that wasn’t solely my role.

Which was why I had come to meet the one who would fulfill it.

Knock, knock—

"Your Highness, the First Prince, your guests have arrived."

"Let them in."

The door opened at the First Prince’s command.

Before us stood a man with golden-red hair and heterochromatic eyes—one red, one blue.

First Prince, Luke Raisen Hysirion.

The moment we entered, he smiled faintly.

"You’ve met the Duke of Heavenly Grace, I see."

Even the First Prince had known of the Duke’s presence in the palace.

But there was nothing he could do to stop him.

The Duke was still a member of the imperial family.

Not someone the First Prince could act against recklessly.

"I assume he left you with a warning."

"Yes. You’ve seen right through him."

The First Prince swallowed a bitter smile.

His eyes betrayed his concern over the Duke’s next moves.

The Duke possessed military strength on par with the First Prince’s.

Moreover, he had not hesitated to orchestrate the assassination of Nia, Nikita’s brother.

Exhaustion flickered across the First Prince’s face.

Balancing the duties of a future emperor while locked in a battle of wits with the Duke—it was only natural to feel drained.

And yet, before us, he stood firm as the First Prince.

He embodied the qualities an emperor needed.

"So, you have something to tell me."

The White Wood Master must have already relayed some of it.

But it was my role to deliver the full account.

The Blue Magic Tower Lord and I took our seats.

"Your Highness, do you recall the promise I asked of you in exchange for my aid?"

Before proceeding, I needed to confirm one thing.

The request the First Prince had agreed to.

At my words, his brow arched slightly—clearly puzzled as to why I would bring it up now.

"It’s not a difficult request."

Though depending on how he took it, it might be.

"I will help ensure the Duke of Heavenly Grace never ascends to the throne."

In return, just one thing.

"If Her Highness the Third Princess wishes it, grant her freedom from the imperial family."

Iris Hysirion, who had been shackled to the palace, unable to dream, forced to race toward the throne.

I would create an opportunity to free her.