Celebrity Lady - Chapter 148

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Chapter 148
* * *
In the underground basement of the Western Annex attached to the Prince’s Palace.
As expected, Naysen was not far away.
But the fact that Lark could not be certain of Rubetria’s life or death drove him to madness.
That Naysen had taken Rubetria meant he intended to extract something from her.
Therefore, from the moment time resumed flowing, the situation between them was likely on a knife’s edge.
“The instant we enter, don’t hesitate for even a second—raise a wall. Don’t let Naysen lay a hand on her under any circumstances.”
Quickening his pace alongside the knights who had come with him, Lark issued the command to Randian, his own spirit.
“Damn it…….”
His lips had gone dry with anxiety.
Already, too much time had been lost.
He was on his way, blessed with the protection of the Emperor’s spirit, Guardian, to face Naysen…….
Bang!
“The Masked Woman!”
The moment Lark opened the basement door, he was startled by the unexpected sight that unfolded.
“……?”
Naysen, unconscious and sprawled in a far corner.
Rubetria, bound to a chair, her eyes closed like death itself, just as Naysen was.
“Subdue the Second Prince first.”
Ordering the knights, Lark rushed to Rubetria and checked her condition.
“Ruby, please.”
There was a fairly deep wound on her nape, but her life was not in immediate danger, and she was breathing, however faintly.
It was a relief, though there was no time to linger in gratitude.
Lark quickly turned his attention back to Naysen.
“Y-Your Highness! You should come look at the Second Prince’s condition!”
Naysen was subdued with Specialized Shackles and Leg Cuffs—specially crafted so he could not move recklessly even if he used his abilities.
They still needed to block his vision last, yet the knights were hesitating for some reason.
“Don’t let your guard down. Cover his eyes first. What are you doing?”
Approaching the knights, who seemed oddly flustered, Lark froze.
One knight pulled open Naysen’s closed eyelid, revealing his pupils turned upward and drained of strength.
‘What? Why are his eyes…….’
Blue pupils.
Instead of the Gold Eyes that mark a Spirit Contractor, pupils of an unfamiliar color now took their place.
* * *
“What could have driven Naysen to abduct the Masked Woman?”
The Emperor, having collected himself after hearing Lark’s report on the situation, posed the question.
“We won’t know the exact reason until either the Masked Woman or Naysen regains consciousness. But since Naysen’s crimes are already evident, I intend to bring the matter of his punishment to the public discourse.”
“Wait.”
The Emperor stopped Lark, who was about to leave, and asked.
“What do you mean by saying he’s lost his spirit?”
“That too requires further investigation. The Gold Eyes have vanished and the Mark of Spirit Contractor is gone, so I can only surmise that the Spirit Contract has been severed.”
“That…….”
I shall look into it, Your Majesty.”
Lark turned coldly and left, and the Emperor sank wearily into his seat.
“What in the world…….”
The charges Lark had accumulated against Naysen were clear—had he not been of royal blood, he would have mounted the scaffold without question.
Yet the Succession Struggles that unfolded beneath the surface among the royal family had countless precedents.
So, in one sense, it was something that could certainly happen……. the Emperor thought.
“We must not allow Naysen to preserve his life through a Legal Loophole.”
But Lark was determined to send Naysen to the scaffold.
Given his ambitions and the danger of his spirit’s power, he feared the tragedy that would befall if the boy were left alive.
The Emperor, overwhelmed by Lark’s unwavering resolve, gave his consent—or seemed to.
‘I had believed Naysen would not abandon his duty as a human being.’
Yet there remained, until the very end, a doubt: would the boy truly poison his own cup?
So when Naysen suddenly cancelled his morning audience request.
‘I thought he had come to his senses.’
The Emperor had found some small comfort.
But that relief was short-lived.
Naysen had committed his crime openly within the Imperial Palace itself. The Emperor could not fathom his intentions.
Was it not the succession that he coveted? Why would he cast himself into such an abyss…….
“Listen.”
Just then.
A spirit appeared before him.
Clad in white armor like a holy knight. It was Guardian.
“I have come to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“I wish to remain only until you yield your throne to the next Emperor.”
“……?”
“The Spirit King has withdrawn his Blessing over this empire. We are free now, but coexistence with humanity is a choice. I will stand by your side only as long as you remain Emperor.”
“The Spirit King’s Blessing has vanished?”
The Emperor was startled, then recalled Naysen’s loss of the Gold Eyes.
“Why on earth……?”
“How should I fathom all the King’s intentions? He withdrew his Blessing and dissolved all constraints within the spirit realm. Already, several of the royal family have lost the power of Spirit Contractors.”
“Why so suddenly…….”
“The King has a message for you.”
Guardian spoke with pitiless eyes.
“You do not know your own son well. You wanted to believe he would not poison your cup, and yet he did so without hesitation.”
“What?”
A strange thing to say.
Spoken as if something that had not yet occurred had already come to pass.
“And you—even now, you will act according to your heart’s desire. Even as you judge your son’s crime grave, you harbor a secret hope that his life might yet be spared, do you not?”
“…….”
“Perhaps from the beginning, you never intended to kill your son. That is why you broke your oath with the Crown Prince and showed such foolish mercy to the Second Prince.”
“I do not understand what you are saying. I resolved to become coldness itself. I would not have acted thus. I cannot fathom why you would make such an assumption.”
“Forgive me, but it is no assumption. It is the reality that has already unfolded. The King merely turned back time.”
The Emperor froze in shock.
“I tell you this so you will not repeat the same mistake. Your hypocritical compassion nearly wrote a tragedy into this empire’s history.”
“…….”
“Consider it: your son is so ignorant and bold as to commit his crimes openly within the palace. If you were to let him live, what answer do you think he would give to your final mercy?”
“Wait.”
Sensing suddenly what that tragedy might be, the Emperor desperately cut him off.
Guardian stared at the Emperor, who struggled for breath, and delivered his words without mercy.
“Unless you wish to kill the child you love most a second time.”
Ah. Lark…….
The Emperor caught his breath, frozen in place.
What in that severed memory had transpired?
“I beg you: abandon hollow coldness and make a wise choice.”
Guardian delivered his warning and vanished.
* * *
Blink. Blink.
When I opened my eyes, I was startled by the unfamiliar sight before me.
A high and ornate ceiling—there was no way this was my room.
“Ah.”
When I tried to sit up, my throat hurt, and feeling it, I found bandages wrapped around my neck.
‘Right. That Second Prince bastard was clawing at my delicate throat. That son of a bitch.’
In the end, I stayed lying down, only turning my head to survey the space.
“Your Highness?”
A familiar figure of silver hair, bowed low in a seated position.
It was Lark.
At the sound of my voice, he lifted his head sharply.
“You’re awake?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’ll call a physician. Your throat…….”
“No, it seems the first aid was well done? For now, I’m all right. But what happened?”
Lark, who had begun to rise, hesitated and sat back down.
For some reason, he was staring intently into my eyes.
“What is it?”
“……No, it’s nothing. Naysen is now confined in the Tower of Silence. When I found you, both you and he were unconscious.”
“Unconscious? That’s a blessing in disguise. If he’d been conscious, there’d have been another uproar.”
“No.”
Lark shook his head.
“He couldn’t have caused trouble even if he were conscious. Probably won’t be able to from now on either. Somehow, Naysen’s Spirit Contract is severed.”
“What?”
“When I first found him, I confirmed that he’d lost the Gold Eyes, the mark of a Spirit Contractor. I didn’t know what had happened, but when he regained consciousness and we investigated properly, it was certain.”
“The Second Prince’s spirit has vanished?”
Lark nodded and continued.
“Not just Naysen. What he’s caused is so trivial compared to what’s happened—the entire Imperial Palace has been turned upside down.”
“Why?”
“A considerable number of the royal family have lost their spirits. Like Naysen.”
I went rigid.
“I know it’s exhausting to hear such troubling news right after waking, but could you tell me what happened?”
As I was about to answer, Lark rose and walked away.
This must be the Imperial Palace.
Looking at him rummaging through what appeared to be a dressing table, it seemed even he was unfamiliar with this new room.
He found a Hand Mirror and brought it to me as I sat up.
“Why this?”
As I gazed into the mirror absently, I froze.
‘My eyes…….’
Bright brown pupils.
Instead of the Gold Eyes marking a Spirit Contractor, my eyes had changed to a color I’d never seen before.
I spoke, looking at Lark’s eyes, which still gleamed gold.
“Your Highness’s eyes are fine though?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m confused about what happened. If the Spirit King’s Blessing had truly vanished, everyone should have lost the Gold Eyes…….”
“I think I know why my eyes are like this. I no longer have a spirit.”
Lark looked shocked at my words.
“I had one Final Wish remaining, and I used it. So, as promised, my spirit has vanished.”
“……I see.”
“But I have no idea why the other royal family members lost their spirits. Why don’t you ask your spirit about it?”
“He’s already at the Spring of Spirits. When he returns, he’ll tell me everything.”
“I understand.”
I nodded and thought of Wishit.
With my Final Wish, perhaps he had reclaimed the Spirit King’s power.
If so.
‘I think I understand why the royal family lost their spirits. With his power restored, it wouldn’t have been difficult for Wishit to withdraw the Spirit King’s Blessing.’
But the existence of spirits hadn’t vanished entirely.
Perhaps that meant.
‘Wishit granted freedom to the spirits as well?’
Those who still wished to coexist with humanity could do so.

I sent my thoughts quietly, but no answer came back.
I felt nothing at all.
It was a final farewell.
‘If he finds freedom…… might he choose to stay by my side, of his own will?’
That, of course, was a selfish hope.
Perhaps my desire to stay with Wishit forever without using that Final Wish had been greed as well.
Now that I thought about it, I was the only one who wanted us never to part. I never actually asked what he wanted…….
‘Ugh. I really wasn’t very good, was I.’
I began to understand why Wishit had vanished like he was fleeing, the moment he found freedom.
“Say, though.”
Just then, Lark asked tentatively.
“What did you wish for with that Final Wish?”
“Ah.”
I recalled Wishit’s bright smile. It was a satisfied face.
I thought that though I would not see Wishit again, if he was happy, that was enough.
And yet, tears came anyway.
“That he…….”
I barely managed to answer, my lips pressed tight.
“Would find his freedom.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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