The long corridors, adorned with porcelain wall panels in shades of gray and dark blue, are filled with portraits depicting past royal family members, and sculptures representing the first ancestors of the demon race—creatures with long horns, sharp teeth, and bat-like wings. However, these sculptures have been made to look entirely grotesque, resembling monstrous beings. Who knows, perhaps they truly were that ugly and twisted.

The palace, with its labyrinthine, fringed corridors and various doors in different sizes, colors, and filled with rune symbols, seems intentionally designed to be so complex that it would be impossible for a stranger not to get lost.

In fact, only the best palace servants know their way around it. Unlike them, nobles and the palace inhabitants only know as much as is necessary for their duties.

Although it was initially King Aidz leading the way, midway through the journey, it was Floida who took over to show the way. It might be surprising to think that even King Aidz doesn’t fully know his own palace. But of course, he has taken the necessary precautions against this. After all, if your palace was filled with your own guards and spies, you wouldn’t feel the need to explore every corner. At least, Aidz didn’t.

After a few minutes of walking, they finally reached the physician’s chamber, distinguished by the door adorned with blue and green runes. Normally, one would expect the physician to come to the king, not the other way around.

However, this time was different. Time was short, and it seemed the King had much to discuss with the physician.

When Floida knocked on the door once, the physician’s voice immediately called from within, "Just a moment!" It was a gravelly, dry woman’s voice. From inside, there was a sequence of sounds: first the clinking of glass bottles, then the hum of what could be some spell, and finally, a sigh.

When several minutes passed without further response, the King frowned impatiently, casting a look at Floida. Floida gulped slightly and knocked harder. “Lady Meldon, His Majesty is here,” she announced, and as soon as she did, sounds of glass shattering and quick, stumbling footsteps approaching the door from the far end of the room were heard.

Moments later, the door swung open after a few whispered words caused the two runes on the door to lose their glow.

The person who opened the door was a short, petite woman with bags under her eyes, two white horns sprouting from each side of her temples, and wearing a white coat. Her dark brown hair was disheveled, and she looked quite exhausted.

“Y-Your Majesty, please forgive me!” She quickly bowed her head, making a deep reverence before the king. “I didn’t know you were here.” There was a hint of nervousness in her voice as she spoke, moving aside for the pair to enter.

As Floida walked past her, she cast a brief, disapproving glance. Or rather, what she intended as a somewhat understanding look was misinterpreted by the physician, who responded with a cold, half-embarrassed expression.

As someone who had once been the queen’s lady-in-waiting and was herself a noblewoman, Floida was not exactly trained for haughty, distant expressions. Although she could be manipulative, using emotions and feelings that weren’t her own as masks, when it came to showing real emotions, she wasn’t much of an expert. Sometimes, even a genuine smile could turn into a twisted, unsettling grin. In that sense, she had a childlike clumsiness.

Despite her feminine grace, it was clear that she had developed her body physically. Unlike many women who advanced their somatic life force energy through thaumaturgy, or theurgy, she had increased her physical strength, which, though not uncommon, was rarer among noblewomen. Instead of a gentle appearance, she had defined muscles that gave her the aura of a swordswoman.

Returning to the main point, as King Aidz walked through the room filled with various alchemical tools, there were coils filled with pills of different colors and substances—be they medicine, poison, or something else—encased in glass jars, and numerous scalpels and needles hung on the walls. The chamber, fitting for a royal physician, was large, orderly, and clean—despite a few scattered documents and broken beakers here and there. The walls featured shades of white and light blue, designed to put the patient’s mind at ease.

Before sitting on the broad couch, King Aidz placed the baby on a bed.

It was only then, distracted by the king’s presence, that the physician noticed the baby. At first, she blinked in disbelief several times. But the baby was still there, staring blankly at the room as if nothing had happened, despite the gaping hole in her chest.

Confused and unsure, she looked at the king seated with a slight frown and Floida, who stood beside him with her hands clasped, just as bewildered. Floida responded to her gaze with a subtle shrug.

“Uh, Your Majesty, could you explain what happened to this child?” She asked with a worried expression, looking back at the baby, who was now staring intently at her. Then she glanced at the king again.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

This infant will be okay? Something seems really wrong.

The king let out a slight sigh, then gestured firmly at Floida. “Explain it to her.”

Floida stepped forward at the king’s command and cleared her throat. “Lady Meldon, first of all, the child you refer to is His Majesty’s newborn daughter, the princess.” It was important to state this; after all, addressing the princess as ‘this child’ was inappropriate.

The look the physician gave the princess upon hearing this was amusing for Floida, even if they were discussing something serious.

Clearing her throat again to regain the physician’s attention, who now looked at the princess with a newfound perspective, she continued. “Secondly... I believe her body, including many internal organs, has been exposed to a lot of dark magic.” Her face twisted involuntarily as she recalled the scene in her mind. “It was far too much.”

Floida knew that despite her appearance, the physician was not foolish. Surely, she could deduce what might have caused this. After all, the king sitting on the couch with dried blood on his hand was a clear enough indicator.

“Impossible! Who would dare to inflict such horror upon our Princess? They must be found and punished immediately!” The physician’s response contradicted Floida’s expectations.

Well, maybe she is a bit foolish.

Floida swallowed nervously, glancing back at the king, fearing his reaction. But the king remained as expressionless as ever on his couch.

So, he wasn’t angry? Or he was hiding it? When it came to the king, it was always hard to tell.

“Very well, let me examine the young Highness.” As she hurried over to the bed, she cast a light spell to illuminate the area.

The princess watched the glowing light with her dark eyes, her gaze expressionless. The light couldn’t penetrate the abyss-like blackness of her eyes. In this way, she truly resembled King Aidz, but seeing the same empty expression on a baby was more unsettling than seeing it on Aidz himself.

Fortunately, Meldon, though she found it odd, didn't let it affect her professional demeanor. After all, she wasn’t the royal physician and alchemist for nothing.

She squinted her eyes, examining the little princess. There was a fist-sized hole in her chest, and when she turned the child around, she saw the same gap on her back.

It was clear—her chest had indeed been torn open. Dark magic had spread throughout her body, but the reason her flesh was torn seemed to involve physical force rather than an attack done purely through a distant spell. She had seen patients with bodies pierced by magic before, but their bodies were usually opened in a smoother manner.

Furthermore, magic, in essence, was like a fingerprint. Life force, qi, or mana—whatever one called it—carried unique codes that differed from person to person. Only those with Mana Sight or a Mana Nose could detect this. The most advanced could sense all mana aspects. Meldon, being an alchemist and palace physician, didn’t possess Mana Perception, but if she didn’t have the Mana Nose, she wouldn’t be of any use.

She closed her eyes and inhaled the scent gently; it would help her understand the effects of the spell cast.

However, the moment the scent hit her nose, her eyes watered, and she had to fight the urge to cough. The life force emanating from it was so overpowering that it could poison or suffocate someone. It was similar to the mana of the king himself. No, it was undoubtedly his mana.

Meldon glanced cautiously at Aidz over her shoulder. His right hand was entirely black; could there be a clearer indication of dried blood? She swallowed hard and looked back at the princess, noticing a short, black horn extending from the left side of her head. But there was no horn on the right.

Was it the king himself who did this to his own child? But why? Because she had only one horn? And most importantly, how did this little baby survive such an intense release of magical energy, something powerful enough to affect even the rare 'great demons’? How could she remain so expressionless in the face of such pain? How was she still alive without even having a heart?

Even Meldon didn’t understand; it was clear that some supernatural, miraculous events beyond her comprehension were happening.

She’s... she’s just as terrifying as her father. Maybe even more so in this state. You know, even her cutie face didn't help to change this—maybe just a little.

May the Great Iblis aid us when she grows up.

Meldon took a deep breath, thinking to herself. However, she knew she had to focus on the task at hand and leave her speculations about the future for another time. With that, she pulled her thoughts back to a more relevant matter: what needed to be done first. She glanced at the set of needles on the wall. Obviously, she would need to stitch up the wounds, but before that, she needed to open the window and make sure fresh air came in. And of course, she needed the fresh mana, renewed with the constantly flowing breeze and fresh air, to fill the room, unlike the stale mana that had become stagnant inside.

So, she opened the windows first, then moved toward one of the many doors in her room. At this moment, neither the king nor Floida existed for her. When she focused on her work, her entire world narrowed to that purpose alone. She was someone with a high level of concentration.

She brought a large box from the room she entered and, setting it down, lifted the lid to reveal a sticky organism resembling slime or gel. Raising her hands, she purified them by filtering the clean mana from the oxygen around her with a deep breath and concentration. Instead of using the clean mana stored in her dantian, she chose to extract it from the air, her preferred method, as she was advanced enough to absorb pure mana even through her breathing.

Although Floida didn’t fully get what she was up to, she left Meldon to her work. No matter how clever Meldon’s actions were, they would always look weird from an outsider's perspective.

Next, Meldon approached the wall where the needle set was hanging, taking the box and placing it on the table next to the bed where the princess was lied.

The princess now turned her gaze with renewed interest to the transparent glass box. It was a long, rectangular container filled with various needles, ranging from thin to thick.

On the other side, King Aidz maintained his calm demeanor as he watched Meldon begin her operation.

Floida stood beside him, hands still clasped together, playing the role of an observer like Aidz. However, from time to time, her gaze filled with concern for the princess, despite her attempts to conceal it and maintain her professional stance.

The situation was already odd enough for Aidz to personally come here and witness it with his own eyes. The fact that he had killed his own wife and unborn child—though the child had survived—left no words to be said.

Floida let out a deep sigh and allowed her thoughts to focus on the present, at least she tried, because there was so much to consider, and it wasn’t something she could manage.

She couldn't dare to question her king. Not if she valued her life.

Meanwhile, Meldon had taken the jelly-like substance in her hand—more precisely, she scooped some out and rubbed it between her hands. Then, without any sign of disgust, she applied it to the inner parts of the baby, spreading it across the tissues and nerves, avoiding the fractured rib bones. The areas where she applied the gel visibly swelled, and the gel darkened as it expanded. Finally, when she had spread the gel everywhere, she pulled her hands back, and the gel stretched like rubber, following her movements.

Creating a small, almost imperceptible mana burst in her right hand, she broke the gel’s adhesive hold. She didn’t do the same for her left hand, as she still needed its sticking power. Gripping the end of the stretched gel in her right hand again, she combined it with the gel on her left. She made sure to merge the two ends entirely but left the depths separate to reach two different places within the body: the left and right sections.

Finally, she began piercing the stretchy gel attached to the inside of the princess's body with the needles she took from the glass box, channeling mana into them. As Meldon infused her life force energy, the once blackened, gum-like gel started to glow in different hues.

*

Sighing Looks like we have a lot to do with you, cutie face. Please try to be patient and try not to look at me so intensely with those dull eyes of yours, deal?