Episode 148

Beneath the dense, verdant shade, the two stood facing each other.

With each rare gust of wind, the sunlight filtering through the leaves shifted slowly. Ian saw no one else around, yet he sensed Gale’s aides and guards holding their presence in check, hidden just out of sight.

“Sir Ian, first, I must thank you for saving me that night. No one else dared to stand against Wesley, but you did. Truly commendable.”

It wasn’t that Ian had saved him because he was Gale or needed him. He had simply done what only he could do. With so many eyes watching, Ian’s actions were nothing less than expected.

‘Yet his tone has softened considerably. He clearly understands his precarious position.’

Though Ian hadn’t observed him long, Gale usually carried an air of arrogance and confidence. But now, standing as if on thin ice, every word he spoke was measured and serious. Without Wesley, and with his position shrinking rapidly due to the curse, it was only natural. One misstep now could mean complete ruin.

“Is there something you wish to discuss?”

“Sir Ian, I remember that night. Do you?”

He meant the night Ian had entered Gale’s palace—the very night everything that followed had begun. Ian bowed his head briefly, hesitating. Honestly, he didn’t need Gale much at this point.

“If Your Highness remembers, then so do I.”

Unable to challenge Marib, Gale could simply fade into history. Why would Ian carry the burden of a defeated man in the balance of power?

“I especially recall that you do not see Marib as fit to be emperor.”

Gale stepped closer, lowering his voice as if the words must never escape beyond the wind’s reach.

“Wesley’s curse is real. But it threatens not Bariel, only me. I will never, ever lose to Marib. Death would be preferable.”

The thought alone was terrifying. Ian sensed a deadly resolve in Gale’s low growl. Suddenly, it dawned on him—this was a man who had once committed treason.

‘He has a history. If he can’t turn this situation around, he might not hesitate to rebel again.’

It was a turning point—a circumstance forcing him to act on that grave crime. He had been quietly working behind the scenes, targeting the former Bratz and recruiting nobles. Before everything fell apart, he might just ignite the spark.

“Just as you taught me the forbidden command magic of Wesley, I will share something valuable with you.”

Gale snapped his fingers lightly, signaling the start of a deal. With nowhere left to retreat, Gale and Ian both weighed their paths. The wind stirred again, masking their secret exchange beneath its roar.

Whoosh.

“Before the current crisis erupted, Marib sent someone to acquire the ‘Silence Potion.’ The timing was the day after you swore your oath in Marib’s palace.”

Ian furrowed his brow but nodded. Despite his earnest performance, it seemed he hadn’t fully dispelled Marib’s deep-seated distrust.

“Who do you think it was intended for?”

“…You suspect me.”

“It’s not just my suspicion.”

“I agree.”

Having openly declared himself a double agent, Ian’s straightforward answer drew a sly smile from Gale. Now, the question was what each truly needed.

‘…Involvement in the manufacture of the Silence Potion?’

“You’ve gained influence in the Magic Department and are a major supplier of Luron stones. This shouldn’t be difficult.”

It was true. If necessary, they could even enchant the potion to nullify its effects. It might be a hassle, but considering the time to produce a new batch, it was manageable.

“Ultimately, only the two of us will have to take the potion before Marib. Sir Ian, you said you don’t follow Marib. This arrangement benefits us both, doesn’t it?”

“But Your Highness, the two of us will never stand before Marib together.”

Ian smiled knowingly, implying that the pretext to help Gale was too flimsy. Gale seemed to expect this and continued naturally.

“Should I be purged, no one will stand against Marib—not even my father. It seems unlikely that either of us would bow forever under someone unfit to be emperor. When that time comes, do you think you can oppose Marib?”

Taking out Gale first would be easy. But if Marib seized absolute power, the future would be bleak—because the one Ian truly supported was one of the twin princes.

If his misguided choice altered the throne, nothing would be more troublesome.

‘It would be best to remove both Gale and Marib simultaneously.’

“I’ll tell you a secret I hold about Marib.”

“…!”

Gale seemed to instinctively know what Ian wanted. Carefully, yet decisively, he drew Ian in. Ian frowned slightly, amused but wary.

“A secret?”

“Though unconfirmed, the investigation has been ongoing for some time. I think you’ll find it quite intriguing.”

Rustle.

Gale pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket. Unfolding the layers revealed a fine, white powder resembling flour. Ian looked at him, puzzled. What was this about?

“Do you know what this is?”

Gale gestured lightly for Ian to smell it. As Ian lowered his head, the scent triggered a memory.

It was the sleeping hallucinogen Lady Lien of Merelrof had imported from Hwan. A drug that could cause death by apnea during sleep—a kind of narcotic and poison.

“This is a new type of sleeping hallucinogen circulating mainly among foreign merchant guilds. If you smell it closely, you’ll notice its distinct odor.”

Gale assumed Ian wouldn’t recognize it, having received no reports on the Merelrof incident. Ian stared at him, speechless.

‘Why is this coming up now?’

He had some himself—stored in a box in the attic of the Romandro household, a gift from Lady Lien meant for use in the capital.

“Your Highness, what exactly…?”

“Lost the thread of our conversation?”

Gale chuckled softly, as if unsure whether Ian didn’t understand or was pretending not to. Ian stammered, almost involuntarily.

“Are you saying this is connected to Marib?”

“Marib—that’s a flattering title.”

“Please answer.”

“Yes. At some point, my father’s health rapidly declined. Though it could be attributed to age, something felt off for the past few months.”

Gale said he hadn’t suspected anything until the concubine Dylaina, who tended his father’s bedside, caused a fuss and ransacked the palace apothecary.

Only then did Gale realize his father often choked in his sleep, muttered his birth mother’s name, and even experienced hallucinations while awake.

‘Family hallucinations.’

Come to think of it, Beric had a similar experience. He fainted upon smelling it but clearly saw visions of his family.

Ian leaned back against a tree, shaking his head unconsciously. This was an unexpected revelation—for himself, Gale, and Marib alike.

“I’ll make you a firm offer. If you help with the manufacture of the Silence Potion, and if I get another chance, I will share everything I’ve uncovered with you. Together, we’ll hold the knife aimed at Marib.”

Ian quickly calculated and glared at Gale.

This man was truly formidable. Even if Ian refused, Gale would likely strike directly at Marib through rebellion or fabricating evidence.

That would be outright treason. The palace would be engulfed in bloodshed, and Ian’s plans could unravel.

“…I can’t trust you, Your Highness.”

“Is that so?”

Gale smiled, pulling out a cigarette. He exhaled deeply, raising his hands in a shrug.

“In what sense?”

Exactly that. The presumption of treason and his reckless attitude. If anyone intended to harm the emperor, it would be Gale—not Marib. Their temperaments were worlds apart.

“Whether you know it or not, my father cares for me more than Marib. That is my foundation and strength. How could I betray him? If my father dies in the palace, the only one who will smile is Marib.”

Because then, he would become emperor.

But for Dylaina, the twin princes, and Gale—who all relied on the current emperor’s power—this was bad news.

‘Right. Without the emperor, the others would have to live like ghosts, avoiding Marib’s wrath.’

Ian ran a hand through his tangled thoughts and sighed. Gale offered the cigarette again, as if inviting him.

“I avoid drugs, but I do smoke.”

“I’ll pass. I avoid cigarettes, too.”

“Is that so? Then you’ll live long—if you play your cards right.”

Ian suddenly recalled the chaos Gale had caused at the nobles’ drug-fueled party. By slaughtering all the slaves, he had solidified his power and, in effect, made a clear statement about his stance on the drugs.

If that’s the case, I have to be extremely careful. Gale’s reckless, but Marib must not spiral out of control.

There was only one way.

I have to deal with both of them at once—take what I can gain, and cut off what needs cutting.

Ian slowly lifted his head and met Gale’s gaze. They exchanged a knowing smile and fell silent. The look in their eyes betrayed a mutual understanding of each other’s true intentions.

“Your Highness, may I ask—can I trust everything you’ve told me so far? Honestly, if it’s all a lie, I have no way of knowing.”

“I expected you’d say that,” Gale replied, flicking his fingers while still holding his cigarette. From the shadows of the trees, one of Gale’s men approached quietly, almost imperceptibly.

For a moment, Ian wondered what trick was afoot.

Then he recognized the familiar vial in the man’s hand.

“…Isn’t that the truth serum?”

“You’ve already experienced it, Ian. You know how accurate it is. Now it’s my turn to drink.”

Without hesitation, Gale tossed back the serum. Then, raising an eyebrow, he gestured for Ian to ask his question. Ian glanced briefly at the empty bottle before speaking.

“Your Highness, do you swear that everything you’ve told me is the absolute truth?”

Blood trickled down from the corner of Gale’s mouth. He wiped it away carelessly with the back of his hand and gave a cold, sharp smile. The cigarette smoke thickened, swirling around them like a dense fog.

“Yes. I swear it. It is the truth.”