Chapter 96

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: A Piece on the Board
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Cesare opened the glass case. The holy relic was exposed to the outside air for the first time in hundreds of years. It was an act that should never be done if one wished to preserve an artifact.

It could have caused fatal damage to the relic, yet he acted without hesitation. It was because he already knew it wouldn't be destroyed by something like this.

He held the feather up to the moonlight. The golden feather was still brilliant. As if sprinkled with gold dust, it held a soft luster, twinkling like a star whenever it caught the moonlight.

It looked no different from when it had been offered as a burnt sacrifice to turn back time.

Cesare recalled the feather stained with blood, then slowly lifted his gaze to the pale moon.

Does God exist?

Cesare was likely the only one who could answer that question with certainty. He had come into contact with a being that could be called a god.

In truth, it didn't matter if the being he had encountered was not a god, but some other malevolent entity. For Cesare, only the result was important.

He could no longer turn back time. Yet, there was one reason he collected traces of the past.

It was to block any possibility of others, aside from himself, meddling with time.

Of course, considering the trials he had endured, it was impossible for any other human to achieve the same success. This wasn't arrogance, but a fact based on objective judgment.

But Cesare didn't want to leave even the slimmest possibility. He was always thinking of a world without him.

For this was a regression that would be completed by his death.

Cesare habitually took out his pocket watch. The hands ticked with a regular noise, turning without pause. He stared for a long time at the sleek, platinum watch—the one that was not broken—before putting it back in his pocket.

There was much to be done.

***

Waking early in the morning, Aileen felt a chill. It seemed Cesare hadn't come to the bedroom at all last night. The bedding was undisturbed, showing no sign that he had even rested for a moment.

*I miss him,* she thought, listlessly stroking the thick pillow. Then, she roused herself with determination and began her morning.

Today was going to be another very busy day. She had to have lunch with the professors and Lucio, and she also needed to finalize and send out the invitations for the Grand Duchess Erzet's first tea party.

She planned to put her Morpheus research on hold for a while to review the formula for her headache medicine, checking if it could be mass-produced for commercialization. She also needed to come up with a name for the medicine, which she had simply been calling "headache medicine" until now.

As she was having breakfast in the dining hall, she picked up a magazine from the table. It was then that a sentence in a newspaper article, neatly stacked next to the magazine, caught her eye.

[…a crime targeting the Grand Duchess Erzet, which was thwarted.]

Startled by the mention of the Grand Duchess, she put down the magazine and picked up the newspaper first. The article was in *La Verità*.

She couldn't believe it, even as she read the words. Aileen read the article again. But the printed text did not change.

It reported that last night, a guest staying at the Grand Duchess's residence had been caught attempting to commit theft. The article, in a calm tone, stated that the crime was driven by a desire for the Grand Duchess's research data, and went on to describe the culprit's identity and his relationship with the Grand Duchess.

[Meanwhile, this incident has revealed that the Grand Duchess Erzet possesses outstanding knowledge, surprising the public.
She previously majored in pharmacology and botany at Palerchia University.
Though she unfortunately had to drop out due to difficult circumstances, she was a remarkable genius who consistently ranked first in her class from a young age. In fact, a research paper bearing her name was even published in an academic journal….]

Along with the story about the thief, the article also reported that the Grand Duchess Erzet was skilled in pharmacology and botany.

She stared blankly at the article, which even detailed what foods she had liked in college, before she came to her senses. Aileen murmured, her face pale.

“Lucio….”

It was utterly unbelievable. That he had been caught trying to steal from her laboratory.

Before she could stop it, an image of Lucio being executed by firing squad flashed through her mind. The thought that someone she had talked and eaten with just the day before might no longer exist in this world sent a chill down her spine.

Everything had happened while she was sleeping, completely unaware. It had even made it into the morning paper. This speed was impossible unless *La Verità* had prepared the article in advance.

She lost her appetite for breakfast, and instead just stared at the paper without touching anything. She checked all the newspapers and magazines, but the story about the incident at the grand ducal residence was only in *La Verità*.

*Cesare must have given them a heads-up.*

*La Verità* was a newspaper that moved according to Cesare's will. He had been taming them by granting various special favors, such as allowing them to exclusively publish the grand ducal couple's wedding photos.

It seemed Cesare intended to eliminate Lucio while simultaneously publicizing Aileen's expertise in pharmacology and botany. This was likely groundwork for when Aileen would later commercialize the headache medicine and, further down the line, announce Morpheus to the world.

After all, it would be better to have the public accept things one step at a time, rather than announcing everything suddenly.

He committed a crime, so he was punished. And in the process, he was used in a convenient way. She understood that perfectly well, yet an indescribable feeling enveloped Aileen.

*While I knew nothing.*

The thought that had suddenly surfaced wouldn't leave her mind. She felt a sudden sense of suffocation and deliberately took a deep breath. But no matter how deeply she inhaled and exhaled, the tightness in her chest wouldn't go away.

She had become the Grand Duchess, but fundamentally, nothing had changed. Aileen was not Cesare's partner. She, too, was nothing more than a piece on his chessboard. No matter if she was the queen, she would be discarded if she was no longer useful.

*No, is it right to think of myself as the queen just because I'm the Grand Duchess?*

Perhaps I'm nothing more than a mere pawn. The most insignificant...

Aileen squeezed her eyes shut. She stopped herself from constantly thinking the worst. As she tried to push away the negative thoughts, a servant approached to announce a visitor.

“Sir Senon has arrived. He says he is here to deliver something sent by His Excellency.”

It was too early in the day for a visit to the Grand Duchess, but it seemed Cesare had ordered it. Being with someone was far better than being alone with her dark thoughts. Aileen told the servant to let Senon in, her voice a little desperate.

“Lady Aileen! Good morning. You are as dazzlingly beautiful as ever today.”

Senon entered the dining hall with a bright smile. He placed a large bouquet of flowers on Aileen's table, along with a glass case.

“A gift from His Excellency.”

The fresh scent of flowers washed over her, clearing her dazed mind a little. Aileen first caressed a petal. Then she looked at the glass case.

Inside the antique glass case, which looked like an ancient relic, lay a large golden feather. She didn't know what it was, but it looked precious at a single glance.

“Also, as His Excellency wishes to commercialize the medicine you developed, I have brought the relevant statutes…”

“Was he executed?”

Aileen asked without thinking, her eyes fixed on the golden feather. The question came out of nowhere. Yet, Senon answered immediately.

“Not yet.”

Senon studied Aileen's face. She tried her best to maintain a calm expression. Senon asked in a serious tone.

“Do you wish for him not to die?”

Senon asked as if everything depended on her answer.

“No, it's not that. It's just…”

She couldn't hide the dejection in her voice. Aileen stared blankly at Senon. Receiving her gaze, Senon blinked rapidly. Aileen finally confessed what she was truly feeling.

“It's because I don't know anything…. I asked because I wanted to know.”