"Who taught you that word?" Anna's voice was sharp with disapproval, her brows furrowed in frustration.
My brothers, however, were too busy laughing their heads off, clutching their stomachs as if I had just said the funniest thing in the world. Meanwhile, Anna launched into a lecture, her arms crossed tightly.
"Whatever, it's just a word," I muttered, pouting. Then I turned back to the real issue. "But isn't the emperor is bad guy? How could he do that to the saintess?"
"That's what they do when they get power," Liam said with a shrug, as if betrayal was just a fact of life.
I frowned. "What happened to her after that?"
Noyal's expression darkened slightly. "Nothing. The records only say she went missing."
I pursed my lips. "So how do we figure out what really happened to her?"
"Maybe we could ask Father," Noyal suggested. "He might be able to speak with the mages from the Magic Tower."
As he spoke, he handed me a small, rough sketch. I took it carefully, my breath catching as I saw the face drawn on the paper.
A woman with long pink hair and striking red eyes.
The same girl from my dream.
My mind spun with questions.
What was her connection to the emperor?
In the end, there was only one person I could turn to.
—
I found my father in his study, busy with his work, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. Taking a deep breath, I mustered my best sweet, innocent smile—the one that always melted him.
"Daddy, can you help me with something?" I tilted my head just enough to add to the effect.
Theo glanced up from his papers. "What do you need, my angel?"
I hesitated for a moment before asking, "Can you look into the last saintess for me?"
Silence.
I saw my mother and father exchange a glance.
"Is this about the promise?" my mother asked suddenly. Her voice was soft but firm. "You don't need to worry, Ellie. No one will take you away from us. We will protect you."
I sighed. Should I tell them everything?
The vision I had—it was terrifying. But seeing the way my parents looked at me now, the concern in their faces, I knew I couldn't keep it all to myself.
"I had a dream while I was sick," I admitted. "A girl told me to find the first queen. But according to Noyal, the saintess was actually the first queen since she married the emperor in secret."
I watched as realization dawned on my parents' faces.
"I think it's time Ellie knows the truth," my mother murmured.
Theo exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. "The official records say the saintess went missing. The emperor searched for her everywhere, but he never found her. A year later, he discovered a child who looked just like the saintess and brought the child to the palace. Queen Alexandra was furious, but the child was allowed to stay."
I sat up straight, my heart pounding. "What happened to that child?"
"Due to rising conflicts in the palace, the king sent the child to the Holy Land," my father said. "After that… there are no more records. Nothing."
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Something wasn't right.
The church and the first emperor—there was something between them, something hidden. And then, as if lightning struck, a new thought sparked in my mind.
"Then why are the royals and the church no longer on good terms?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Because whatever happened to the saintess and this child… it wasn't just forgotten.
It was erased.
"The conflict between the royals and the church began when the church sought more power—more influence over the empire, its laws, and even its ruler," Theo explained, his voice steady. "They wanted the emperor to bow to their authority, to let them dictate succession and governance. But the emperor refused. He built his empire through war and strategy, not divine blessings, and he wouldn't become a puppet to the church."
I frowned, feeling like a piece of the puzzle was still missing. "But don't you think there's more to it?"
Theo exhaled slowly, exchanging a glance with my mother.
"There is," Mother admitted. "But there are no records—just fragments of history and guesses. If we truly want to know the full story… the only way is through the Pope." Her voice hardened. "And that's exactly what he would want—to lure Ellie to the Holy Land. That will not happen."
I fell silent, realizing something I hadn't before. My family had been looking into this for years. Maybe since my first fever. They weren't just protecting me out of duty—they wouldn't give up on me, no matter what.
I was going to find the truth. I had my family.
Taking a deep breath, I asked, "Do you know what the Emperor's Eye is?"
The room went deathly quiet. I hated that silence.
Noyal finally spoke. "The Emperor's Eye is a power given to someone deemed worthy. It allows them to see through lies, punish evil… it's said to be the supreme power of dragons."
The tension in the air thickened. I clenched my fists. "The girl told me I have it," I blurted out. "But I don't want it. I rejected it. I don't want any of this—I just want to live with my family."
Tears welled in my eyes before I could stop them. Suddenly, my mother scooped me into her arms, holding me close. Her embrace was warm, her heartbeat steady against my ear.
"Ellie," she whispered, brushing my hair back. "It doesn't matter if you have that power or not. You are our blood. No one will take you away from us."
And that was it. The dam broke. I sobbed into her shoulder, overwhelmed not by fear, but by relief. By love.
After a long moment, I managed to calm down, soothed by the steady rhythm of my mother's heartbeat.
"We'll look into the Emperor's Eye," Liam said, determination in his voice.
Dad crossed his arms, nodding. "And I think it's time for Ellie to start physical training."
I blinked, suddenly suspicious. "What do you mean by physical training? Isn't walking and eating snacks enough?"
Laughter erupted from my brothers, their smug grins make me feel annoyed.
"It's okay. I can do it," I declared confidently.
I had no idea what I had just signed up for.
The next day, I learned the hard way.