Chapter 3
The Illness Called Partner Pain
Since ancient times, the direct imperial bloodline of Lun had possessed something known as a “partner” — a destined companion determined from birth as though by fate itself.
It was because they had inherited the bloodline of the wolf-beasts who founded Lun in the earliest days.
They loved only a single partner in their entire lifetime.
At first glance, it sounded beautiful and romantic.
But the truth was cruel.
A life without one’s partner? Well… I’ve never really imagined it, but I suppose that would be no different from being dead already.
Their attachment was so overwhelming that if they reached adulthood without finding their destined partner, they would gradually become consumed by an instinctive longing so intense it drove them mad.
Their hearts would ache as though being squeezed.
Their minds would grow foggy.
Piercing headaches would assault them relentlessly.
A madness that made life meaningless and robbed one even of the will to live—
The illness known as partner pain.
As countless generations passed, the imperial bloodline became increasingly closer to ordinary humans.
Yet strangely enough, that curse-like trait alone never disappeared.
And the limit was exactly twenty-five years.
“So I have less than a year left.”
If he failed to find his destined partner and complete the confirmation ritual before then, he would die.
Perhaps because of this cruel trait, every emperor’s partner throughout history had always come from within the Empire.
There was never enough time, so fate inevitably unfolded somewhere within Lun itself.
But for some reason, this generation’s emperor was different.
“…There are fewer than thirty noble ladies left who haven’t been checked yet.”
No matter how thoroughly they searched through Lun, there was still no sign of his partner.
“Perhaps they no longer exist in this world.”
How could imagining the death of someone he had never even met feel this sorrowful?
Rishard hated even his own uncontrollable emotions.
“Perhaps I should just…”
His gaze drifted toward a small red vial resting inside a glass cabinet in the office.
A secret elixir passed down privately through the imperial family for generations.
It was the final choice prepared for those suffering endlessly from partner pain.
“Your Majesty!”
Alec shouted in alarm.
“What are you thinking?!”
“You’re loud.”
Not only was Alec his aide, but he was also Rishard’s childhood friend.
Alec spoke desperately to him.
“Please don’t think such things. The temple is sending another attending physician tomorrow, so at least—”
“Alec, it seems my words went in one ear and out the other.”
Rishard’s icy gaze landed on Alec.
The chill in his eyes alone was enough to make the surrounding air feel frozen solid.
In the end, Alec took a step back before speaking again.
“…It may not be a fundamental cure, but shouldn’t you at least suppress the pain with divine power?”
The only known way to temporarily ease the agony of partner pain was through treatment using holy power.
That was why Alec had desperately searched for healers skilled in divine treatments.
Yet Rishard cut down every effort without hesitation as he rose from his seat.
“It’s only a temporary fix that won’t even last half a day.”
“Even so, it’s still something!”
Alec practically shouted.
And in the very next moment—
He tightly grabbed Rishard around the waist from behind just as the emperor tried to walk away.
“This time—this time really will be the last! Please, if only for my sake, just this once—”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Forced unwillingly into a back-hug with Alec, Rishard felt one of the most unpleasant moments of his life.
Alec also sensed the dangerous shift in his mood and flinched, yet stubbornly refused to let go.
“Y-You can glare at me all you want, but I’m not letting go until you agree!”
Though trembling violently, Alec still somehow held on with determined resolve.
Rishard let out an incredulous laugh.
“You’re like a damn leech.”
In the end, Rishard was the first to give in.
The instant he granted permission, Alec immediately leapt away from him and secured a safe distance.
The speed of his retreat was almost lightning fast.
“Ahem. Actually… there’s one more suggestion I’d like to make.”
“What is it?”
Even under Rishard’s sharp gaze, which clearly said Let’s see how far you’ll push this, Alec remained undeterred.
After struggling so hard to gain permission, he intended to make full use of the opportunity.
“What if we changed the treatment method starting tomorrow?”
Partner pain was such an absurdly rare illness that it affected not only the sufferer but those around them as well.
The anguish, terror, and despair caused by endlessly searching for one’s destined partner spread outward like waves.
And the focal point of that influence was the golden eyes symbolizing the wolf-beast bloodline.
The moment someone met his gaze, invisible waves struck directly, overwhelming others with unexplained fear and anxiety.
“That’s why the physicians start trembling and fainting the moment they make eye contact with Your Majesty.”
There was no way proper treatment could happen under those conditions.
Alec, having grown up beside him since childhood, had at least adapted somewhat.
But others hadn’t.
“And lately, Your Majesty has been struggling more and more to suppress the pain, making it difficult to control your strength.”
As descendants of wolf-beasts, the imperial family possessed physical abilities far beyond ordinary humans.
Partner pain, however, made that strength difficult to control.
Not long ago, Rishard had crushed the armrest of a perfectly fine chair right in front of an attending physician.
Afterward, rumors spread through the temple that Rishard was violently unstable and impossible to predict.
“What if we had Your Majesty fall asleep first using sleep incense… and only then had the physician channel divine power into you?”
“Do as you like.”
Despite it being his own suffering, Rishard showed no interest whatsoever.
The pain had already become familiar.
Who treated him or how they did it no longer mattered.
He only wished for this endless exhaustion to finally end.
In the stillness of dawn—
The sound of carriage wheels cutting through the silence echoed clearly in the darkness.
—You are to enter the palace at 4 a.m. through the eastern rear gate.
Recalling the contents of the letter sent from the imperial palace yesterday, I quietly stared out the carriage window.
Lost in thought while admiring the unfamiliar dawn scenery, time slipped by before I noticed.
The moment we arrived at the Imperial Palace, I instinctively gasped in awe.
“Wow…”
Even beneath the night sky, the palace had lost none of its splendor.
Thousands of windows reflected moonlight, glowing softly.
The gardens surrounding them looked like living works of art.
No wonder this place makes my shoulders tense up.
After entering the palace through the guided route, I walked along corridors far longer and more complicated than expected.
Eventually, I arrived at the reception room located at the very center of the main palace.
When I carefully opened the door and stepped inside, someone was already waiting there.
“So you’re the attending physician sent by the temple.”
The man’s voice was composed yet powerful.
I instinctively lowered my head immediately.
“Before you enter, there are a few things that need confirming first. Come sit down.”
Overwhelmed by his presence, I cautiously walked over and perched myself lightly on the sofa in the center of the room.
“You can relax. It’s not like you’re being punished.”
Only then did I properly look at the man before me.
His platinum-blond hair was neatly swept back, and his eyes carried a cold blue tint.
He appeared to be in his late forties to early fifties, with an overall stern impression.
The moment our eyes met, he introduced himself at once.
“I am Lucen Delmar, the Chancellor who serves at His Majesty’s side. You may call me Marquis Delmar.”
The Chancellor?
Wasn’t that the second-highest authority after the Emperor himself?
Startled by his unexpectedly lofty status, I widened my eyes.
Perhaps noticing my reaction, the Marquis calmly explained,
“The person originally meant to receive you suddenly became unavailable.”
Understandable, perhaps.
But sending the Chancellor himself as a substitute because someone else couldn’t come was certainly unusual.
“Enough of that. We don’t have much time, so let’s get straight to the point.”
Without warning, he handed me a document.
Confidentiality Oath
The document was packed with clauses stating that every detail regarding the Emperor’s illness—its symptoms, progression, and treatments—must never be disclosed to anyone.
But one sentence near the end stood out especially clearly.
If information is leaked, the oath bearer shall pay with their life.
Pay with their life.
It definitely wasn’t written as a joke.
“As for compensation, there is no fixed amount. You may charge the imperial family whatever sum you desire.”
“W-Whatever I want?”
“And if I accidentally demand enough money to bankrupt the Empire…?”
For the first time, the Marquis’s previously expressionless lips curved slightly upward, as though he found my words amusing.
“I look forward to seeing just how much you’ll ask for.”
His tone carried relaxed confidence.
As though responding to that challenge, I quickly grabbed the nearby quill pen.
If that was truly the case, then I should hurry and sign before he changed his mind.
Without hesitation, I began filling in the blank beside Name of Oath Bearer.
Once I finished writing the final letter neatly, I carefully handed the oath back to the Marquis.
But for some reason, after taking it, his gaze remained fixed on the document for quite some time.
“Your name is… Lena?”
A ripple passed through the Marquis’s previously calm eyes.
…What?
Why was he reacting like that?
Don’t tell me he realized it’s a fake name?
My heartbeat began pounding loudly in my chest.
