The Princess Imprint A Traitor - Chapter 32: The Nocturnal Salon (2)

The sage scolded Eve in a teasing manner, making her squirm uncomfortably before eventually reassuring her with a chuckle. They continued to catch up, enjoying the long-overdue reunion.

Then, the sage turned her gaze.

Her black eyes landed on Mikael, who had been silently sipping his tea.

“It has been a while, King of the Homunculi.”

“Indeed it has, Sage of the Spruce Forest.”

Mikael’s deep voice carried a hint of coldness. Truthfully, if this person weren’t Eve’s master, he wouldn’t have even bothered with formalities. The sage saw right through his emotions.

“You seem to harbor some resentment.”

“I won’t deny it.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

Her amused response made Mikael bristle slightly.

“Don’t feign ignorance. In my past life, you deceived me with the ritual of regression. And in this life, you went and told Eve all about my… personal matters…!”

“Well, thanks to that, things worked out rather nicely, didn’t they?”

“…….”

Mikael was momentarily at a loss for words. Was this truly the attitude of someone who had supposedly mastered the wisdom of the world? While he struggled to respond, the sage smoothly took control of the conversation.

“So, I see you’ve regained all your memories.”

“Yes, I have.”

“And how do you feel about it? If I recall correctly, you once told me that if you ever found a regressor, you’d kill them on sight. That those who only realize their mistakes once they’ve lost everything are pathetic. You said quite a lot, didn’t you?”

“I—I… wait, I said that?”

Mikael’s ears turned red. He could feel Eve’s sharp gaze on him, clearly asking, “You actually said something like that?!”

Struggling to maintain his composure, he clenched his jaw and asked as politely as possible:

“…Do you perhaps dislike me, Sage?”

“You caught on quickly.”

“…….”

The sage was brutally honest.

“Since we’re being open, I might as well confess. I don’t particularly like you. You seduced my precious disciple and led her astray from the path of wisdom.”

“Seduced—me?”

“That’s right. Originally, I intended for my disciple to succeed me as the Sage of Crescent Lake and inherit my legacy. But alas, her training proved insufficient, and she succumbed to the temptation of mere physical beauty. In that sense, I find your kingly face and sculpted physique to be truly regrettable.”

“Ah… yes….”

Mikael gave a half-hearted nod, feigning agreement. He had no intention of arguing, but he also couldn’t quite grasp the sage’s true intentions.

“For someone who claims to dislike me, she certainly went out of her way to meddle in my relationship with Eve.”

Sure, revealing his past life’s tragedies to Eve was a bit much, but in a way, the sage had acted as a messenger of love. While Mikael chose to stay silent in front of her, Eve spoke up in his defense.

“Please don’t blame Mikael unfairly. It was my own decision to abandon the path of alchemy and choose to become emperor.”

“See that? She’s already taking your side.”

“Master…”

The sage took a slow sip of tea, then spoke with a quiet sincerity.

“Not that my disapproval matters much. It seems that fate itself has chosen my disciple for you.”

“Fate?”

At the unexpected weight of that word, both Eve and Mikael widened their eyes. Mikael was the first to process it and responded with a calm acceptance.

“I suppose my two lifetimes are proof enough. No matter how many times I died and was reborn, I was destined to love Eve. It seems you’ve seen that truth, Sage. If my fate had a color, it would be crimson.”

Beside him, Eve looked as if she might melt on the spot, but the sage remained unaffected.

“Unfortunately, I’m not here to entertain romantic notions.”

That statement only made both Eve and Mikael more curious. They straightened their postures, silently signaling their readiness to listen. It was a sage’s duty to reveal the truth to those worthy of knowing, so she did not hesitate.

“First, let’s establish exactly what you are. Do you remember what I told you before? You are the king born from the collective will of homunculi over three hundred years.”

“I remember. I understood it to mean that my power as king is a miracle created by the accumulation of their desires.”

Even without magic, strong willpower could influence mana, and mana was not only a force of nature but also the fundamental building block of living beings.

As if answering a desperate wish, a perfect existence had been born from that principle. The sage nodded in affirmation and continued.

“Will is not a singular force; it is a vast collection of desires and demands. All those countless wishes combined to create you.”

“So you’re saying they wanted an all-around ideal being?”

“Precisely. That is why your body possesses the strength to slay the Evil Dragon, the mental fortitude to resist the emperor’s brainwashing, and the overwhelming charisma to unite your kin under you. But that’s not all.”

“There’s more?”

Mikael’s tone carried a trace of disbelief. What more could there possibly be? The sage, however, gave a knowing, almost amused smile.

“You have a power that can strike at the very heart of the imperial bloodline. You’re already using it quite effectively, though you don’t seem to realize it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What power?”

At last, the sage gave her answer.

“Your charm.”

“…….”

“A dangerously seductive charm.”

“……Excuse me?”

Mikael, who had been listening attentively, nearly stumbled. He couldn’t outright call it nonsense, so he clenched his jaw and carefully rephrased his thoughts.

“I don’t think this is the time for jokes, Sage.”

“I’m being completely serious.”

The sage’s tone remained solemn.

“Homunculi were once fragile beings, dependent on the benevolence of the imperial family for survival. Did you know that homunculi were not always so beautiful? Their refined appearance developed over time as an adaptation for survival. And naturally, as their king, that trait was magnified in you.”

“…….”

“But appearance alone wasn’t enough, was it? That’s why you were also gifted with an irresistible charm that works especially well against the imperial bloodline. It’s the reason you survived Desmond II’s brainwashing. And one more thing—you recall how, in your past life, my disciple’s younger sibling was obsessively fixated on you? That was a disastrous consequence of your innate charm, amplified by an unhealthy will.”

“…….”

Mikael felt a complicated mix of emotions, his expression nearly crumbling under the weight of them. He finally managed to speak, seeking clarity.

“So, what you’re saying is… my very existence was designed from the start to take an imperial as my partner?”

The sage nodded.

“Unless you intended to resort to all-out war, a strategy involving seduction would have been the natural choice. And your past life proves that.”

“Ha…”

Mikael let out a dry laugh.

Indeed, in his past life, he had placed Rosenitte on the throne as a puppet ruler before ultimately seizing power himself. But to learn that what he thought was his own decision had actually been influenced by the collective will of the homunculi… that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

For a brief moment, Mikael felt a tinge of disillusionment with fate. But then his gaze landed on Eve, and his thoughts shifted.

After all, wasn’t it thanks to the abilities gifted by those greedy desires that he had managed to break through Eve’s iron defenses and win her heart?

His turmoil faded, and a smirk played on his lips.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter.”

“Mikael?”

Mikael firmly grasped Eve’s hand and turned to face the sage with confidence.

“The person I had to seduce and the person I wanted to seduce turned out to be the same, so isn’t that perfect? In fact, if I was born for the sole purpose of winning over Eve… I have to say, that’s quite thrilling.”

The feeling was no different from when he had declared that his heart belonged to her, that she was the very center of his world.

“Ah…”

Mikael’s words, as always, struck Eve’s heart with devastating force. She was briefly lost in his gaze before she regained her composure. Then, with a bright smile, she responded.

“It’s not like you could’ve seduced just any royal. I’m honored to be the one worthy of Mikael’s affection.”

“Eve…”

“Yes, Mikael?”

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the world around them faded away. The air between them grew heavy with the kind of quiet, lingering emotion only lovers shared.

But then—

“King of the Homunculi.”

“Yes?”

The sage interrupted without hesitation.

“You were incredibly lucky to be born in the same era as a competent imperial. There may never be a more well-matched fate than yours.”

Mikael raised an eyebrow.

“Weren’t you just dismissing romantic notions a moment ago? That sounds quite different from what you said earlier.”

“I changed my mind.”

Mikael opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the sage’s expression softened.

“King of the Homunculi—no, my former client.”

Mikael fell silent.

“I truly hope that this time, without any more painful detours, you will find happiness.”

His lips parted slightly, but for once, he didn’t know what to say.

Finally, Mikael pressed a hand over his heart and bowed deeply.

“…I will remember that.”

It was a gesture of gratitude.

With that, any lingering tension between Mikael and the Sage of the Spruce Forest had dissolved. The sage took a sip of tea before smoothly shifting the conversation.

“Now then, it’s time to discuss the real reason I came here, my dear disciple.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I hear that in your past life, the sister who poisoned you fell victim to Ambrosia’s curse.”

“…Yes.”

Eve’s expression darkened as she spoke.

“The curse stated: ‘I will plant the seed of disaster within Rozi, sever the bloodline of the Lord of Hyunseok, and plunge the vilest creature into despair.’ I suspect it means killing me to bring suffering to Mikael.”

“So, if I understand correctly, you put that poisonous child into temporary hibernation to prevent the curse from being completed?”

“Yes. Complete stillness is the closest thing to death. But when Ambrosia manifested through the tainted energy, it said it was already too late. That’s when I heard the curse.”

“Hmm…”

The sage fell into deep thought, and Eve made a suggestion.

“Master, could you take a look at Rozi’s condition?”

“That would be wise.”

With their tea finished, the three of them moved together toward Rosenitte’s chambers.

It was their second visit to the Crimson Room today. Once inside, Eve dismissed the attendants, and the sage approached Rosenitte, examining her like a physician would. Eve anxiously awaited the results.

So far, every renowned healer and curse specialist who had visited had said the same thing—they couldn’t understand the nature of Rosenitte’s condition. Her only hope now was her master.

Then, the sage let out a short laugh and stepped back.

“Ah, truly, what a cunning dragon. It certainly knows how to manipulate human psychology.”

“…What?”

“When people hear words like ‘seed of disaster’ and ‘despair,’ they naturally assume they’re cursed. They panic, they scramble for solutions. But Ambrosia was sealed away, unable to speak a true incantation strong enough to cast a curse. This was nothing more than a shallow deception.”

“So then… are you saying…?”

The sage nodded firmly.

“It’s not a curse.”

Was there reason to hope? A flicker of light passed through Eve’s amber eyes.

“If it’s not a curse, then what is it?”