The palace was truly magnificent. Exquisite gold-layered carvings adorned every corner of the hall. Red curtains draped elegantly by the windows, while a crimson carpet stretched from the main entrance to the golden throne. Yet all that splendor paled in comparison to the silver-haired girl standing at the center of the room.
"You kept her locked in your chamber all this time and never told me? Are you insane?! She's a girl! Everyone in Urca knows you're capable of doing anything to her!" Danna shouted, his voice filled with anger and frustration.
"Oh, come now, Your Majesty. I haven't done anything yet," Ou replied with a mischievous grin. "And even if I had, she wouldn't mind. Right, Ningyou?"
Ningyou merely nodded and returned his smile, which only made Danna even more frustrated by their strange interaction.
"See, Brother? She doesn't mind at all," Ou laughed smugly.
"I am the King of Urca, Ou. At the very least, address me properly, even if you are my brother."
Danna truly felt he might go mad dealing with his beloved younger brother. What kind of fate had given him a sibling whose sanity was clearly questionable? The King of Urca let out a heavy sigh. Would Ou truly be able to become a good king someday?
The throne of Urca had only been entrusted to Danna because when the former king abdicated, Ou suffered an incident that prevented him from ascending the throne in his father's place.
Danna was merely Ou's half-brother, related by blood but born of different fathers. Yet among the royal family, Danna was the closest eligible successor. Thus, the throne had been placed in his hands.
"Brother, it's just the two of us here," Ou said lightly.
"Listen, Ou! You are the crown prince! Fix your attitude, or you will never become the King of Urca."
"I don't want the throne at all, Brother," Ou cut in calmly. "So I hope you remain king until you grow old. There's no need to return the throne to me."
Ou smiled sweetly, but it only fueled Danna's anger. His hands clenched tightly. How could his brother say such things so casually? The throne he held was never truly his. It was never meant to be. How could Danna disregard the order to give it back to the legitimate heir?
"Stop it! You must become a king!"
"Forget that. There's something important I need to tell you," Ou interrupted, pressing his index finger gently against Danna's lips.
Seeing the seriousness in Ou's eyes, Danna fell silent and gave in. Ou withdrew his finger and smiled before approaching Ningyou. He drew a knife hanging at his waist.
"Ningyou, give me your hand," Ou ordered.
Ningyou looked at him innocently before extending her right hand. Without warning, Ou plunged the knife straight through her palm. Danna's eyes widened in shock and fury. He rushed toward Ningyou, who bit her lower lip to suppress a cry.
"What are you doing?!"
"Be quiet, Brother. Just watch," Ou cut him off as he pulled the blade from Ningyou's hand.
As the wound on her palm slowly healed before their eyes, Danna froze in disbelief.
"How is that possible?"
"She's immortal. But that's not the only thing that makes her interesting."
The blond man tugged at the strings of Ningyou's gown, causing it to slip down to her chest. Panicking, Ningyou crossed her arms over herself, desperately holding the fabric in place.
"Stop! Don't treat her however you please!" Danna roared, making Ou's expression darken.
"Lower your hands, Ningyou," Ou said quietly, though a simmering rage lurked beneath his calm tone.
"I can't," Ningyou shook her head, staring at the floor with tear-filled eyes.
"Stop it, Ou!" Danna insisted, stepping between them.
"Don't think the wrong way, Brother. I'm only trying to show you something important," Ou explained with a charming smile.
Danna frowned deeply. "And nearly stripping her naked in the process? Are you insane?!"
Ou merely shrugged with a wicked grin. "It can't be helped. The location is rather inconvenient."
He grabbed Ningyou's hand, and the girl could only submit. Danna watched with pity as she struggled to keep her gown in place. When the king tried to help her, Ningyou shook her head gently and smiled.
"It's all right, Your Majesty. I'm fine."
Hearing that, Ou smirked and pulled her even closer. Danna stood frozen, his expression torn between anger and sorrow. What exactly was Ou trying to show him that justified going this far?
"Lower it a little, Ningyou," Ou said softly.
With trembling hands, she obeyed, lowering her gown slightly.
"That's enough," Ou said, stopping her.
Her gown now hung at her waist, revealing her upper body clothed only in thin undergarments. Ou chuckled at Danna's reaction.
"Brother, you should realize that you already have a wife."
"And you should know that I don't think the same way you do," Danna replied sharply.
Danna was not tempted by Ningyou's beautiful body. His gaze was fixed on the eight-pointed star symbol etched between her breasts.
"That symbol…"
"That's what I wanted to show you," Ou said, draping his cloak around Ningyou's body, causing her cheeks to flush red.
Danna shook his head slowly at his brother's behavior. Ou was infamous as a playboy who scattered his affections throughout Urca. And who could refuse him? He was handsome, wealthy, intelligent, charming, and always smiling. Not to mention, he was the sole crown prince of Urca. Countless women desired him.
Yet, that was not what made the women of Urca submit so easily. It was his reputation for cruelty and his love of bloodshed. As the Head of the Execution Division, merely hearing his name sent people fleeing in terror, especially women. None of them wished to lose their lives by resisting him. Ou Yuusha was an absolute nightmare in Urca.
Danna sighed, his thoughts returning to the eight-pointed star, the symbol of forbidden magic.
"You didn't do this yourself, did you?" Danna asked cautiously.
Resurrection magic, the art of reviving a dead soul into a new body, was forbidden and could only be performed by certain individuals. If it failed, the caster's life would be the price. As far as Danna knew, only one person in Urca was capable of such magic, and that person was Ou.
Ou chuckled, "If I were the one who did it, telling you would be the same as committing suicide, Brother."
Danna's eyes widened. If it wasn't Ou, then who?
"To find the mastermind behind this, I need your assistance."
Ou's expression became serious, and Danna knew this was never a good sign. Someone had used forbidden magic in Urca. This was not a small matter. It was a disaster.
"I've already executed everyone involved, five from Urca and four from Knightalia. I found Knightalian emblems on them. But none of the nine suspects opened their mouths."
In truth, Ou had never questioned them at all. He had simply beheaded them. Yet his words made Danna realize something was terribly wrong.
"Wait. People from Knightalia?"
Knightalia was a close ally of Urca. If this case involved Knightalia, it made no sense. Knightalia was not even a magic-oriented nation. Why would they be involved?
"Ou, don't tell me you executed the Knightalians too?"
He swallowed hard as he awaited his brother's answer. Ou only shrugged and smiled sweetly.
"What choice did I have? They attacked me first."
Hearing that, Danna collapsed into his seat, his face pale.
Oh, no. This was very, very bad.
He looked at his brother with an innocent expression. "Is something wrong, Brother?"
***