“Why is that?”
“What is that?”
“Why is it?”
Shockingly, the revelation that Arcne was the 0th Princess did nothing to change the reactions of all three.
“…..”
Ezekiel blinked without realizing it. He had never anticipated such a response.
“During years of battles at the Northern Front, I’ve seen countless humans who went missing in the Continent, return after being corrupted in the Demon Realm.”
It was the 1st Princess who spoke up among them.
“I naturally learned to let go of attachments. After all, rehabilitation is impossible, and trying to embrace them only causes problems.”
“I think the same.”
Hehera chimed in beside her.
“As you know, all the Princesses of the Empire are half-sisters. We don’t have any bonds since our mother is different. Even between the 1st and 5th Princess, saying they get along wouldn’t be true.”
She, too, wore a calm expression.
“I just feel this is an unexpected fact, but my intention to exile her hasn’t changed. What stands before us is merely a demon.”
“What you see before you is me.”
That was when Arcne spoke up.
“I’m glad to hear that you perceive me that way. The thought of having to be treated again like the 0th Princess, which I can barely remember, is quite uncomfortable. I even agree on that—I wish to be treated as just a demon.”
“Hey, I told you not to act so arrogantly!”
The 2nd Princess said with narrowed brows, radiating her unique energy wave—it was visible.
It was evidence of her heightened sensitivity.
Arcne didn’t seem to care much.
She wasn’t acting respectfully because she feared a clash with the Princesses; she knew if she fought with them, Ezekiel would be in trouble.
And she also knew that if either side got hurt, that too would make Ezekiel uncomfortable, which was why she maintained her manners.
Even in her seemingly simple actions, a prioritization of Ezekiel’s feelings underpinned her behavior.
“So, instead of appealing on the basis of being the 0th Princess, I will plead as the current me. There are parts where I can assist my husband.”
Arcne flashed a smile.
“Right now, my husband doesn’t only wield chill. He also handles heat and mana simultaneously. If not properly managed, it could lead to great trouble.”
The other Princesses listened quietly to Arcne’s words. They had little interest in Arcne as the 0th Princess, but when it came to Ezekiel’s health, they couldn’t help but pay attention.
“Among the three energies, I can greatly help manage the mana part. No, I can be the only one to do it. Isn’t that of immense value?”
“Arcne is right.”
Ezekiel quietly nodded.
“Currently handling three types of energy, his prowess in managing mana is lacking compared to chill and heat.”
Ezekiel explained how he had ended up swallowing the Blood Sphere in the Demon Realm. He even mentioned how he had achieved something through it and was actively working to improve.
“…..”
The expressions of the Princesses turned sour.
They didn’t want to accept Arcne’s existence, but they also didn’t want to witness Ezekiel failing to manage his energy and causing a disaster.
How long did the silence last?
“One hour.”
After a moment, the 1st Princess broke the silence.
“I will have you stay in the castle prison and allow you to learn mana management from the teacher for only one hour a day. I believe it’s a generous action.”
Surprisingly, Arcne accepted it easily.
She even managed a smile.
“That’s more than enough. I’ll spend my time properly in prison and steadily prove my worth!”
In contrast, Hehera shot back.
“Isn’t one hour too much?”
“We’ll have monitoring personnel present the whole time. Demon, don’t even think about making a fuss with the teacher.”
“Having monitoring personnel sounds good.”
Only then did a dramatic compromise find ground.
Arcne simply bowed her head once more.
“Thank you for granting me leniency. Just wait and see; your perception of me will change going forward.”
“That’s enough, disappear from my sight.”
The 1st Princess, Ether, issued a cold hard command, making it clear that this grant was for Ezekiel, not for her benefit.
Hehera’s gaze remained fierce as well.
“Don’t make a sound either. Stay out of sight.”
“I just want to be guided by my husband only as far as the path to the prison. I’ve got to be locked up all day… would you not consider this my last mercy?”
Judging it was acceptable, the two Princesses quietly nodded, accompanied by a clear warning that misbehavior would lead to immediate execution.
.
.
.
.
.
.
On the way to the underground prison of the Imperial Family,
Ezekiel felt puzzled.
“Hum hum~”
First off, it was Arcne humming a tune. It was something he couldn’t comprehend.
Locked up for 23 hours, she could meet Ezekiel for just one hour. Ezekiel had naturally thought Arcne would vehemently protest this.
But in reality, it wasn’t like that at all.
Could she really be satisfied with just an hour?
“Arcne.”
“Yes, my husband.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
Arcne raised her lips. She subtly hooked her arm through his at the same time.
“If I become arrogant and create conflict with the Princesses, it would only trouble you, my husband, right? I don’t want that. I need to act wisely.”
“It’s not just the attitude; it’s the time.”
“Oh~ you meant the one-hour restriction~”
Arcne nodded as if she understood, yet didn’t explain anything to Ezekiel.
She just continued to hum along, seeming even more cheerful than earlier.
…What on earth was she thinking?
‘Perhaps…’
Was she plotting something else?
An unsettling feeling took root in Ezekiel’s heart.
Thud!
Suddenly, Ezekiel and Arcne’s arms were detached. Someone had forcefully yanked at the collar of Arcne’s clothing.
Turning around, it was the 3rd Princess, Solana.
Solana’s gaze was colder than ice.
“Considering you’ve spent a long time in the Demon Realm, it makes sense you’re not fully socialized. The action I took was based on the past attachment to you being the 0th Princess.”
“Huh?”
“If it were another woman, I would’ve killed her. Please do not casually hook arms with the teacher.”
“Oh~ I see.”
Unlike the coldly warning Solana, Arcne responded with a bright smile as if it were no big deal.
“I’ve heard the news. You’ve been ordered to stay in the underground prison… We need to check if you have any items on you.”
“Go ahead~”
Solana and Arcne stepped into a small room for a moment, while Ezekiel waited outside.
‘At least that’s a relief.’
Though his gaze toward Arcne wasn’t kind, it was good that the Princesses respected Ezekiel’s wishes.
He didn’t expect them to get along, but he simply hoped nothing major would happen.
“This dress is too ugly.”
A short while later, Arcne emerged grumbling.
It was essentially a white cloth resembling a tablecloth. It was so loose that it completely obscured Arcne’s graceful physique, and she was dissatisfied with it.
“What is this? Am I a ghost or something?”
“I still haven’t fully cleared my doubts regarding you. Until then, you will live like this.”
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
Ignoring Arcne’s complaints, Solana approached Ezekiel and repeated her warnings several times.
“Teacher, please really just take her to the prison and return. The agreement only goes that far.”
“Got it.”
Ezekiel nodded and then headed down to the underground with Arcne. It was a very deep area.
In the dark and maze-like corridors, the prison assigned to Arcne was located at the deepest point.
It wasn’t particularly spacious. In fact, it resembled being locked in a tiny cage.
“…..”
Ezekiel hesitated for a moment.
“Hey? My husband, what are you hesitating about?”
“It just seems too harsh. Thinking that you have to stay in such a facility all day makes me feel uncomfortable.”
He shook his head.
No matter how he thought about it, this was too much. Arcne should just handle herself well, right?
“Hehe, to hear my husband say that, what a blessed being I am!”
However,
Creek─
Arcne stepped into the prison of her own volition.
Bang!
The door even shut itself.
“Thanks for worrying about me, but… I’m fine. You should go back. This space is dreary.”
Arcne only smiled reassuringly at Ezekiel, but it weighed heavily on his heart.
Was it possible that she was acting this way just for him, to avoid making him uncomfortable?
‘I should just ask for a different place to stay.’
Ezekiel resolved to do that.
“I’ll request that rather than a prison, a separate annex be built for you. It’ll be much more comfortable to live in.”
“Hehe, it’s okay, my husband. You should leave.”
With a sense of discomfort, Ezekiel headed back up to the surface. From here, the task was simple. All he needed to do was persuade the Princesses.
But,
Just as he began to stroll down the corridor,
Snap!
Someone seized Ezekiel’s wrist.
“My husband!”
“…!”
Upon confirming the identity of the individual, Ezekiel’s eyes widened in shock, muttering something in disbelief.
He couldn’t help it; it was Arcne.
However, Arcne was smiling brightly.
Seeing Ezekiel’s bewildered expression, Arcne explained gently.
“You don’t have to worry. The clone I’ve left in prison is made with all my strength. Unless something major happens, it won’t be discovered.”
And then.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh─!
Spider silk wrapped around Ezekiel once more.
“Gasp…!”
“Now, shall we go? My dear husband.”
Arcne sprang into motion, thump!
Her face overflowed with desire.
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