TOOCM | 001

Episode 1

Prologue: The Final Blessing

A dimly lit underground chamber, illuminated only by the faint glow of a single candle.

The sound of unfamiliar footsteps roused Reina, who had been lying there as if dead.

‘Who is it?’

Since losing her sight, her other senses had sharpened to an extreme degree, so she could tell.

The one approaching now was not the Emperor.

As a stranger appeared in a place where only the Emperor had ever entered, Reina slowly rose from her spot.

It seemed her final prophecy, about the long-stagnant rebellion succeeding, had come true.

‘It’s been about ten years, hasn’t it?’

Once called a princess, now no one would remember her.

Ever since her prophetic ability manifested, she had been blind and confined here.

Prophecy required vitality.

And the Emperor had no interest in his daughter’s life.

That was evident from how he used her power to embark on his grand dream of a conquest war.

“Even if it costs you your life, prove your worth. A useless oracle can only be granted death.”

If she didn’t speak, he would force her to open her mouth by any means.

There was no concern for his daughter, who grew weaker with each use of her ability.

Perhaps that’s why. Reina, seizing a moment when the Emperor let his guard down, spoke a lie.

“Duke Crencia will meet his end in this war.”

When she prophesied the death of someone he had long considered a thorn in his side, the Emperor left with a satisfied expression.

Unaware of the true meaning of her “end.”

After that, the Emperor never returned to this place.

He must have judged that Reina had no strength left.

If so…

At the end of the fleeting peace she had barely found, it seemed the moment of death had finally arrived.

‘I can finally rest.’

Reina sat quietly, like someone awaiting death, and waited for the other party.

Moments later, the footsteps stopped in front of her.

But the stranger didn’t speak to her right away. As if assessing her condition.

After a suffocating silence, he spoke.

“Princess Reina. Can you stand on your own?”

“!”

At the unfamiliar title she hadn’t heard in ages, Reina instinctively raised her head.

It wasn’t just the title that shocked her.

The person standing before her far exceeded her expectations.

No one could have imagined that a princess, believed to have died of illness, was imprisoned in the palace’s underground.

Reina gave a faint smile in response to his question.

“You’re not about to say you came to save me, are you?”

“And if I am?”

“No. That can’t be. You’re the leader of the rebels, and I’m the Emperor’s daughter. So, uphold your cause. You now know I aided the Emperor’s conquest wars, don’t you?”

“…That’s amusing. That’s not my way.”

“Anyway, my life is… Ah!”

Ignoring Reina’s words, Kaiden lifted her up in one swift motion.

Her weight, so light it hardly felt like carrying a person, made him frown instinctively.

“Have you even been eating? You’re like a shriveled cucumber.”

“Fasting makes it easier to use my power.”

“What the hell was the Emperor…!”

Kaiden started to snap but swallowed his anger.

“For now, let’s get you something to eat.”

With those words, Kaiden swiftly crossed the underground chamber.

* * *

The rebellion had succeeded.

The tyrannical Emperor and his followers were all purged, and Duke Crencia, the guardian of the North, ascended to the throne as Emperor.

But it was a hollow victory.

After a grueling standoff, Kaiden Crencia, who had claimed the throne, lost his most trusted subordinates, leaving him as good as armless.

And the one who had severed his “arms” was none other than Reina.

Without her prophecies, their strategies wouldn’t have been exposed, leading to their counterattack.

So, she assumed Kaiden would naturally hate her.

As the culprit who caused the deaths of his loved ones, she believed she had no right to complain even if he tore her apart.

But instead of killing her, Kaiden assigned her maids and physicians.

“For now, you should eat something. And get treatment.”

Reina couldn’t understand him.

How can you be like this?

The kinder he was, the more tormented Reina felt.

Even when she said she didn’t deserve such treatment, Kaiden was unrelenting.

When Reina continued to refuse food, Kaiden finally came to her.

“Are you trying to piss me off on purpose? If so, you’ve succeeded, Princess.”

“It’s pointless. I know my body best. I don’t have much time left to live. So, take your revenge by killing me.”

When Reina repeated herself, Kaiden snapped irritably.

“You’re spouting nonsense again.”

Then he handed her a bowl of soup.

“Eat. Even if I wanted revenge, I don’t have a hobby of taking it out on someone who’s already dying.”

“…”

“Besides, I already know you didn’t do it willingly.”

Reina, at a loss for words, stared at Kaiden.

No matter how she looked, she couldn’t detect any trace of negative emotion in him.

How is that possible?

Reina had so many people to resent.

The Emperor who imprisoned her.

Her maternal family who abandoned her and left the capital.

Even her missing brother—she resented them all.

She had to, or she couldn’t endure.

Clutching Kaiden’s arm, Reina said,

“Because of me, your family died, your friends died, and you lost your subordinates. How can you just let me be?”

Kaiden gazed at her trembling hand for a long moment before meeting her eyes.

“That’s a ridiculous question. Why would that be your fault?”

“I… I did it to survive, to avoid being beaten, because I missed my family, because of my selfish heart—I kept making prophecies that drove you into danger.”

Yes. To escape momentary crises, she acted as the Emperor wanted.

As a result, Kaiden lost everything in exchange for a throne he never desired.

She knew how much he had lost, having overheard a passing maid’s words.

“They say he drinks poison every day and still can’t sleep.”

“It’s all to mourn the dead. What’s the point of being Emperor? He lost everything he meant to protect. The North is as good as a dead land now.”

Tears welled in Reina’s soft blue eyes.

She looked like a lost child.

“I don’t deserve to live.”

“That’s arrogance, Princess. No human but a god can judge who deserves to live. If you’re alive, you have no choice but to live—that’s what it means to be human.”

“…”

“If you want to die so badly, try living first. Who knows, maybe then I’ll feel like killing you.”

Kaiden said indifferently as he stood up.

In that moment, Reina felt frustrated by her blindness for the first time in a long while.

Not because she couldn’t see the color of his emotions, but because she wanted to see his expression.

‘Is this why the Emperor feared him?’

Despite his cold tone, he had a surprisingly warm heart.

His sense of responsibility seemed as great as his strength.

Following his wishes, Reina brought the soup bowl to her lips.

Feeling tears well up, she lowered her head and ate.

Kaiden, silently watching, took the empty bowl and said quietly,

“You ate well. I’ll be watching next time too, so don’t even think about starving, Princess.”