And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 20

There was a knock, and the door rattled slightly. Emilia and Marcel entered the room, their breath coming in short, ragged bursts. Their expressions were stiff with tension, signaling that something grave had occurred. The moment their presence flooded the room, the air grew taut.

“We have identified it. That bracelet is a Bracelet of Subordination.”

Emilia’s words pierced my ears like a blade.

Subordination?

As soon as the word landed, the metal I had just put on my arm felt as though it were a living thing digging into my skin. Suddenly, the bracelet seemed to transform into something entirely different; reflexively, I clutched my arm.

“According to the Crown Prince’s account, the wearer is bound to obey the orders of the first person they make eye contact with after putting it on. It doesn’t seem to strip away consciousness or the ability to think but it appears those with weaker wills are more strongly affected.”

In that moment, I finally understood why he had been so desperate to peer into my eyes earlier. Goosebumps rose along my spine.

“So, he intended to put the bracelet on you and bend you to his will,” Marcel’s low voice made the silence tremble.

My lips stiffened, and the words caught in the back of my throat.

“Most likely, as per the information we gathered beforehand the Crown Prince had not yet given up on making Lady Luciana his consort.”

How revolting.

An emotion that was neither pure anger nor pure disgust erupted from the bottom of my heart in an instant. A loathing so sharp it made me want to spit pulsated through me.

“To commit such an act during a meeting between national representatives, this cannot be overlooked. I will prepare a formal protest. I doubt this was the Prince acting alone; I shall begin an investigation immediately.”

Marcel bowed deeply, his face grim, and left the room with heavy, hurried footsteps. Heavy anger and a sense of duty radiated from his back. Emilia took a deep breath, returning her voice to a calm tone before continuing.

“I will look into the removal process. There are several magic circles I have in mind. However, since it involves the psyche, we must proceed with caution. Now, if you will excuse me.”

The door closed quietly, and a hushed atmosphere returned to the room. Only the three of us remained: myself, Julius, and Anne. In the quiet space, words slipped from my mouth.

“Subordination… hee-hee. I suppose that means Julius is my master now.”

When I tried to laugh it off, Julius knitted his brows and immediately replied in a tone of absolute seriousness.

“You mustn’t joke about that.”

His lightning-fast reaction caused the corners of my mouth to soften involuntarily.

“Hey, Julius. Why don’t you try giving me an order? I want to know how effective it is.”

“I told you, no. It involves the mind.”

“It’s fine. I have a strong will, you know. Besides, even if something happens, Anne is here. We won’t get another chance like this, will we? For future reference, okay?”

Anne gave a small shrug beside me, her expression suggesting that stopping me was futile. Julius exhaled a quiet breath, as if giving in.

“…I have nothing in particular I wish to command.”

“How serious of you.” I prompted him with a gesture and a giggle. “Anything will do, come on, hurry up.”

“I suppose I have no choice. Very well, Lady Luciana. Sit beside me and look into my eyes until I say ‘enough’.”

It happened in that instant.

My body felt light, as if it were floating, and I moved naturally to Julius’s side before I could even think. My gaze was drawn to his eyes like a magnet.

What beautiful eyes.

They were deep and clear, like the bottom of a silent lake, holding a flickering light within. It was a mysterious color that calmed the heart just by looking at it.

“That is enough, Lady Luciana. …How was it?”

“Well… perhaps it’s because it wasn’t a command I disliked? I didn’t feel the urge to resist by force.” I crossed my arms and tilted my head thoughtfully. My lips moved faintly. “Next, try something that I’m more likely to hate.”

Julius lowered his brows in distress. His earnest face was so strangely amusing that a smile escaped me.

“Lord Julius, in that case—” Anne interjected, as if she had been waiting for the chance. “Please order Lady Luciana to go to sleep early today. She intends to do more work after this. No matter how many times I tell her, she won’t listen. She’ll collapse at this rate.”

“Oh, Anne! No, I have to finish today’s work today.”

“Ah, I see. At it again, are we?” Julius let out a nostalgic laugh. A soft light wavered in the depths of his eyes. “Lady Luciana, you said the same thing once long ago and ended up collapsing, didn’t you?”

He remembers. He really could have forgotten that.

“I will help you with the work tomorrow. For today, return to your room immediately. Once you’ve finished preparing, go straight to bed and sleep soundly until morning.”

The moment those words fell, my body began moving toward the door. It was a strange sensation, as if my will were being pulled by a thread. Even though I had been thinking “I must finish my work” a second ago, I now found my thoughts overwritten with “I must sleep.”

As Anne opened the door, Julius’s soft voice reached my back.

“Lady Luciana, please have wonderful dreams tonight.”

The voice was like a warm breeze, soaking softly into my chest.

As I stepped into the corridor, the moonlight cast long shadows. The sound of my footsteps on the stone floor melted into the quiet night air.

“Anne, just you wait.”

“Hee-hee. If you say things like that, I’ll have Lord Julius order you to forgive me tomorrow.” Anne shook her shoulders with a giggle. Her lightheartedness softened the silence of the night just a little.

As I walked, a thought crossed my mind.

—What is the difference between this Bracelet of Subordination and the “power of my words”?

The more I thought about it, the blurrier that line became.

I returned to my room and prepared for bed. The moment I lay down, my consciousness sank as if a string had been cut.

—Lady Luciana, please have wonderful dreams tonight—

Only that whisper remained as a gentle echo. The terror from earlier had vanished somewhere.

“It feels a bit unfair if it’s just me,” I murmured softly and closed my eyelids.

‘To those who love the Goddess, may wonderful dreams visit them today.’

With a faint smile and a chest full of relief, I fell into a peaceful sleep.