Ellie had always felt something was wrong about Nil, though she couldn't pinpoint why. Whenever she saw her, irritation bubbled up inside her.
She didn't hate Nil—not exactly. She didn't even understand why she'd ordered her death at the Magic Tower, but it had felt right in the moment. She barely cared about her brothers anyway. She had three half-brothers, each with different mothers, and she was the only girl among them.
Ellie had observed all her brothers and understood them to some degree, but Aeren remained a mystery. Her other two brothers had clear desires and ambitions, but Aeren shifted between kindness and cruelty without warning.
He had saved many people and killed just as many. It wasn't as though he only killed bad people and saved good ones—no, he killed without any discernible reason.
Aeren treated her the same way, bullying her one moment and showing kindness the next.
"Brother Aeren is a lost cause."
Her second brother genuinely cared about his people and showed kindness to everyone, while her eldest brother was obsessed with the throne and personal glory.
"But all three of my brothers are too weak to rule the Vorthis Empire."
Her other two brothers had displayed blue light during their awakenings. As for Aeren, his performance had been completely forgotten—even she couldn't recall what had happened when he took the stage.
The strange thing was that no one seemed troubled by this memory gap. Everyone simply assumed that Jarek and Nil's extraordinary awakenings had overshadowed whatever Aeren had accomplished.
I'm the only one with true potential left in the royal family. But Jarek and Nil's emergence has completely overshadowed my achievement. I need to deal with them somehow, but what can I do? They've created an entirely new class of power—they could eliminate someone like me without breaking a sweat.
There are two valid options: kill both of them, or let them join the royal family.
Ellie was contemplating her future when she heard a knock at the door. She was lying on her bed and turned toward the sound. "Come in."
A maid entered, bowed gracefully, and said, "Your Highness, your mother is calling for you."
Ellie searched her memory for any wrongdoing. After a few minutes with nothing coming to mind, she nodded and sighed.
She complied with the maid, rose from the bed, and joined her. "Let's go."
Ellie left her room and walked toward her mother's office. After a few minutes, she arrived to find the door open.
She saw Aeren standing beside her mother and, a bit unsure, cleared her throat. "Mother, did you call for me?"
Viviana glanced at Ellie, who waited at the threshold, and said in a calm, cold tone, "You may enter."
Ellie entered and stood beside Aeren, who showed his usual lack of reaction to anything.
Viviana reviewed the last of her paperwork, then looked up at them both.
After a few thoughtful seconds, she said, "I have good news about your father—and the empire."
Ellie's eyes widened. "What is it?"
Aeren gave a slight nod at Ellie's question, silently waiting for Viviana's reply.
"Your father and the rival emperor have decided to forge an alliance. They want to prioritize their people's welfare, so they've agreed to end their rivalry and strengthen ties between our empires. These new connections... involve you two."
Aeren's eyebrow twitched slightly. He could almost guess what kind of "connections" they had in mind—and Ellie likely could too.
"What do you mean, Mother?"
Ellie sensed something was off and pressed for details.
"Hah, the alliances include marriage ties. They want our crown prince to wed their daughter, and Ellie, you'll marry theirs."
Irritation flared as Ellie turned to Aeren for support, only to find him wearing a creepy smile. Lost and uneasy, she watched him.
Aeren met Viviana's gaze, still smiling. "What other terms are there?"
Viviana saw Aeren's unsettling smile and felt disgusted, never having thought he'd be so interested in his marriage.
"They've negotiated terms on territory, population exchange, and imperial stability. They claim these marriage ties will bind us as brothers, secure our futures, and strengthen both realms."
Aeren frowned, weighing their logic. Why propose marriage alliances without knowing anything about each other? Had they uncovered some looming threat that demanded unity? Or was there a hidden hand orchestrating this pact?
He nodded, reaching a conclusion. Should I go there to investigate, or just wait for them to come?
While Aeren pondered the marriage's true purpose, Ellie couldn't take anymore and shouted: "Why would I have to marry some idiotic prince from another empire? I'm not doing it!"
Aeren and Viviana snapped to attention at Ellie's outburst. Viviana was about to respond when Aeren spoke politely: "Ellie, we're discussing the fate of empires here, and you're upset over something as trivial as marriage."
His tone made Ellie's eyes widen in shock, and Viviana looked on, puzzled by Aeren's manner. Ellie regained her composure and fixed her gaze on him, irritation flaring. "Don't spout nonsense, Aeren! I have talent and a future—unlike you, a worthless crown prince."
Aeren inclined his head. "Exactly. You're brilliant, and I'm the worthless one—you're the perfect candidate to elevate our empire. You only need to seize the right opportunities and quietly claim what's been withheld from us for centuries. Establish yourself there, and with gradual, unseen moves, the empire will be ours before anyone realizes."
He paused, confidence flickering in his eyes. "You know we have two enemies plotting against us, don't you? Ellie, you can prevent that disaster by controlling the rival empire from within. No one there possesses talents like yours. Give it just a few years, and we'll rule two empires."
His expression darkened, lips trembling as he spoke again. "Ellie, you're our last hope. Can't you see our family—and the empire—are in danger? Only you can save us. And you refuse to do it for your own family?"
Aeren's face fell, eyes hollow as he spoke with trembling lips: "Ellie, do you understand what we're up against—and what will happen if you refuse? No one else will stand by us. You have the power to save us, yet you're turning away from this chance."
Ellie was shocked by his hollow eyes and genuine expression—she'd never seen this before.
She began thinking more deeply, understanding that she had the power to secure her family's reputation and elevate them to something untouchable.
"But they're thinking the same thing, right? Like you, Aeren?"
Aeren met her gaze and finally spoke: "Of course they think like I do. But we have two individuals in our empire who shattered Purple Light and ascended to new Light. Even someone above Purple Light will feel threatened by our might. By the time they understand what's happening, they'll already be ensnared in our court's intrigues."
He paused briefly, then continued, "We simply need to demonstrate our superiority and extend the illusion of alliance to those two. They'll hesitate before acting—and by the time they realize it, we'll have everything firmly under our control."
Aeren explained to Ellie while thinking about the scene at the Magic Tower where he'd stopped his mother from killing both Jarek and Nil.
Ellie shivered at his smile, thinking: How much does he know?
She fell silent for several moments, then gave up, put her head down, and asked: "What if I become like their princess? What would you do to her?"
"I'll just remind you every day so you never forget your purpose."