The palace was quiet.

Part of it was because it was the middle of the night, and part of it was because the barrier muffled sounds from outside, but Blue Shadow Palace was generally a quiet place anyway. Because the master of the palace was this man, the servants of Blue Shadow Palace always moved as silently as ghosts, terrified of accidentally doing something to upset him. That was another reason why Isaac and the other guards hated working duty here. It was always so dead and eerily quiet; it lacked the warmth of human presence.

Isaac slowly looked around the room. He had stood guard at Blue Shadow Palace countless times, but he had never been inside the bedroom.

Inside the massive room, large enough to rival most drawing rooms or grand halls, there was a huge bed, a bathtub large enough to comfortably fit four or five people, and a few minor pieces of furniture like tables and chairs. Other than that, there was absolutely nothing unnecessary. There was barely anything that could be called a decoration, nor any bright colors. Isaac soon realized there wasn’t even a scent. There were no perfumes or scented candles, which were standard in any space occupied by royalty or nobles.

Nothing that grated on the ears, nothing that cluttered the vision, no scent that stimulated the nose—there was absolutely nothing to stimulate the senses. To think a room could be this utterly dry and barren.

Could there be any space that better reflected this man?

Isaac gently patted his chest, which was aching for no apparent reason. Just then.

「Why is the room so shabby? Wasn’t he a Prince?」

「Like we saw earlier, he was desperately trying to fill his belly with blood like a kid who starved for three days. He must be really poor.」

「If the country is this strapped for cash…… Tsk, tsk.」

The tigers, who had been prowling through every corner of the bedroom, returned and huddled together, whispering loudly. Isaac thought to himself, ‘There isn’t a single country on this entire continent as rich and powerful as ours, you clueless idiots,’ but knowing full well the wildly extravagant tastes of witches, he kept his mouth shut.

Isaac’s mother had been the same. Regardless of an item’s actual monetary value, if it sparkled, had bright colors, or was lavishly decorated, she couldn’t take her eyes off it. Her fellow witches who occasionally visited their house were all exactly the same. Even Isaac, if he had to state a preference, leaned toward flashy over plain, and shiny over dull.

Still, worried they might disturb the Prince’s reading, Isaac was just about to tell the beasts to be quiet when——

「Sigh. What’s the point of having such a pretty, flawless face when he’s this poor?」

「Well, he’s the most beautiful person in the country. You can’t have everything in life. He’s got the looks, so you just have to put up with his rotten temper and empty pockets. What else can you do?」

「True. That face of his totally reeled in our Manbang. At least we scored a highly effective painkiller, so I guess the face isn’t completely useless.」

「”Manbang”? Who’s Manbang?」

「This clueless, dense, simpleton right here.」

「Ah, the guy who ruined his life because he was distracted by a pretty face?」

“WILL YOU DAMN CATS SHUT UP?!”

Yeah, yeah, him, the tigers nodded amongst themselves. Unable to hold it in, Isaac instinctively yelled. The very next second, he locked eyes with the Prince. The moment he met those piercing blue eyes, Isaac hiccuped, snapped his mouth shut, immediately bowed his head, and mumbled in a voice that was practically crawling back down his throat, “I apologize.”

The Prince stared blankly at Isaac for a moment before shifting his gaze to the tigers, who were rolling their massive eyes around innocently.

“It seems you were not their master.”

Hearing the Prince’s remark, Isaac was just about to say, ‘If I were their master, I would have thrown them out a long time ago,’ but—

「Master?!」

「Master?! Master?!」

「We are taking pity on him and looking after him!」

「Exactly! He serves us and offers us tribute, so we find him endearing and look after him!」

「Of course, of course! Who else would look after our Manbang if not us?」

“…… I still have my third wish left…… Shut your mouths before I hang you all

upside down in a pepper grinder.”

The second Isaac ground his teeth and whispered the threat, the tigers went wide-eyed and stared at him. What? Us? What? They clamped their mouths shut and just rolled their eyes around, but it still felt like he could hear them. These miserable bastards. Swallowing a groan, Isaac massaged his temples firmly.

“A third wish, you say.”

A low voice drifted over. Isaac flinched, his shoulders stiffening. I have a bad feeling about this, he thought, hesitantly turning his head to see the Prince staring intently at him, lost in thought.

“You said the wishes are only valid on the new moon.”

“…….”

“It seems those beasts are intricately connected to those wishes.”

“…….”

Frozen stiff, unable to answer, Isaac watched as the Prince gently tapped the cover of his book. *Tap, tap.* The sound of tapping fingers was followed by a sharp thwack as he closed the book. Isaac’s heart dropped.

“How many wishes can you grant in total?”

“…… Three.”

“So you can use three spells only on the new moon.”

Isaac fell silent again. The Prince, who was scrutinizing every single micro-expression on Isaac’s face, undoubtedly took that silence as an affirmation.

Even with his gaze lowered, Isaac could feel the Prince’s intense stare burning into his face. That perpetually emotionless, unreadable face was even more terrifying because it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

“If you have your third wish left, that means you have already used the first two. What were they?”

Isaac didn’t answer. Cold sweat beaded on the back of his neck. Staring intently at the unresponsive Isaac, the Prince slowly tilted his head.

“One must have been to come here. As for the other……”

Staring into the empty air for a moment, the Prince suddenly nodded.

“…… Ah. I see. That is why I cannot remember your face.”

Isaac’s heart plummeted to the floor. A bead of sweat rolled down his neck.

He knew it, but this man was terrifyingly intelligent. Recognizing that the Prince had solidified his conclusion the moment he caught Isaac’s brief, panicked expression, Isaac felt his chest run even colder. Every casual, tossed-off remark felt like it was systematically driving him into a corner.

“So, what do you plan to use the remaining one for?”

“……. I was considering taking my time to figure out exactly how to hang those things in a pepper grinder, but…… is there something you desire?”

Isaac mumbled, feeling thoroughly defeated. Adding the polite honorifics at the end, which he hadn’t quite dared to drop out of respect for his superior, he braced himself, incredibly anxious to hear what kind of demand this man would make.

“That is yours. I am satisfied with this damn pain being gone.”

But unexpectedly, the Prince shook his head willingly. Isaac was momentarily surprised, but on second thought, felt that perhaps it wasn’t so surprising after all.

Thinking about it, the Prince had no greed beyond what he personally desired. Once his initial desires were met, he didn’t bother seeking out more. Right. He was always that kind of person. That was why everyone feared him, but no one despised him.

Suddenly, Isaac felt a tiny bit of warmth bloom in his chest. Maybe it was because the tension had finally broken, but he felt a faint, stinging warmth. After tossing a casual glance toward where the servant had been and lightly massaging his neck, Isaac watched the man and suddenly blurted out without realizing it.

“Then…… would you like some tea? We still have quite a bit of time left before dawn.”

As Isaac spoke, the Prince, who had been rubbing his neck, raised an eyebrow slightly. Isaac grasped the flint in his pocket and struck it. Simultaneously, the last tiger swelled in size and bounded over to Isaac’s side.

“I wish for tea and refreshments. Enough to satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst.”

It felt like a bit of a waste to use his third wish like this, but whatever. He didn’t have anything else to wish for today, and the new moon would come around again eventually. Besides, he happened to be quite thirsty himself.

The tiger, who had been staring at Isaac with its chin resting on its paws, nodded. Soon, a tea table appeared between the prince and Isaac. From the teapot and teacups to trays filled with food, it was a spread pleasing even to the eye. The warm tea that slid down his throat had an excellent taste and aroma as well, and Isaac nodded in satisfaction. For the first time today, he felt a sense of fulfillment in having his wish granted.

“Is it really alright to waste your last wish on something like this?”

“Well…… I don’t really feel like anything else today…… It’s warm and nice.”

Isaac lifted his teacup and smiled. But the moment his eyes met the prince’s steady gaze, the smile quickly faded.

“If there is something necessary, there would be. Like my death, perhaps.”

At the prince’s casual remark as he sipped his tea, Isaac froze mid-motion. Then he blinked and looked at the prince from a distance.

‘…… I hadn’t thought of that. Why didn’t that occur to me? It’s something I’ve never considered even once.’

If the prince were to die.

Right, then everything would truly become easier. The oath of the Moon River, whatever nonsense about it being in the treasury, he could just throw it away into some distant river without hesitation and forget all about it. Then Isaac could return to the peaceful everyday life he once had. If the prince were to die—if he simply wished for his death.

…… But.

“Until the next time, I’ll think about whether there’s a better option.”

Isaac lowered his head. The prince only cast him a brief glance and said nothing more. Whether Isaac might make such a wish, but he didn’t seem to care in the slightest.….. Does this man even experience anxiety, or the feeling of not knowing what to do? How exactly has he lived his life to be this utterly detached from everything?

Isaac looked out the window. There was nothing but the pitch-black sky.

“A new moon night like this isn’t so bad.”

He mumbled, taking a sip of his tea. The warm tea coating his throat was fragrant; it felt comforting amidst all the depression. Then, Isaac suddenly remembered that for this man, the new moon was always a time of horrific torment.

“Is the pain of the new moon really that severe?”

Isaac hesitated for a moment before asking. The Prince nodded lightly, as if it were no big deal.

He was a man who wouldn’t show a single trace of emotion no matter how much pain he was in. Just recently, at the hunting tournament, hadn’t he been the man who slaughtered a demon beast without his expression changing even once, even when chunks of his flesh were torn out by the beast, exposing raw red muscle and white bone? It was shocking to hear a man like that explicitly acknowledge pain, which prompted Isaac to ask again.

“……. Exactly how much does it hurt?”

The Prince stared at his own fingers, which he was slowly flexing as if pondering the question, and opened his mouth.

“I once poured oil over my body and set it on fire. I thought the sensation might mask the pain even a little, but it was useless. Even while watching my own flesh burn, that sensation was far too insignificant to cover the pain of the new moon.”

Hearing him answer so casually, Isaac snapped his mouth shut. His chest ran chillingly cold. He couldn’t even begin to imagine just how terrifying that pain truly was.

He had heard that the royal family’s curse supposedly begins to manifest the moment a child passes infancy and their biological sex becomes defined. When their secondary sexual characteristics are clearly established——the moment they become capable of bearing or siring a child and passing on that cursed bloodline. If so, even accounting for a year or two of variance depending on the person, it happens around the age of thirteen or fourteen at most.

He had been suffering that unimaginable agony since that incredibly young age.

“Why haven’t you forged a pact with a wizard?”

Rubbing his chest, which throbbed with a dull ache, Isaac had blurted the question out without realizing it, but he flinched the moment he made eye contact with the Prince. Those deep, unreadable blue eyes were staring quietly at him.

‘Craps. I might have crossed a line.’

The Prince’s gaze, flashing with a hint of annoyance, landed on a sword hung on the wall a short distance away. After staring at the sword for a moment, the Prince looked away, as if deciding it was too much of a bother. A cold chill ran down Isaac’s spine. If that sword had been within arm’s reach, he might have just slashed him on the spot.

As Isaac, still sitting at the tea table, stealthily shimmied his body backward, something resembling a smile flickered at the corners of the Prince’s eyes.

“Quite……”

That low murmur was all he said, but Isaac could easily guess the rest of the sentence. ‘Quite quick on the uptake, aren’t you.’

‘…… See? If he had been closer, he really might have just slashed me.’

“I am not particularly fond of annoying things. Nor of people babbling unnecessary words.”

“……. I apologize.”

Isaac bowed his head deeply to the Prince, who spoke while sipping his tea. He was letting it slide for now. But there would certainly be no second act of mercy.

“But……. fine. I am in quite a good mood today. I will answer you. Why I haven’t made a pact with a wizard.”

Unexpectedly, perhaps because he really was in an exceptionally good mood just as he claimed, the Prince readily continued, and Isaac looked at him with a surprised expression. The blue pupils stared fixedly at Isaac.

“Ultimately, wizards are the exact same breed as witches. Whether they are born with the body of a human or the body of a monster—that is the only difference. And I detest your kind.”

His tone was entirely nonchalant. A voice so light and steady that it didn’t even convey the emotion of ‘detest.’ Ironically, that was exactly what made it clear that those words were the absolute, unvarnished truth.

Isaac sat frozen, facing the Prince. Unable to say anything, a brief silence flowed between them. Only after taking three or four quiet, bated breaths did Isaac speak.

“…… I apologize…… I will come earlier next time. If my blood is acceptable, please drink as much as you like.”

Isaac mumbled gloomily.

It makes sense that he hates us. Considering the agonizing time he has endured. But still, earning someone’s hatred was never a pleasant feeling…… Sighing in depression, Isaac suddenly felt like something unfamiliar caught the edge of his vision and raised his head.

The corners of the Prince’s mouth, who had been looking at Isaac at an angle, were slightly twisted upwards. Whether he found it funny or simply absurd, his face quickly returned to its usual expressionless state, but it was a completely unfamiliar face that Isaac had never seen before. Because of that, even after that fleeting expression vanished, Isaac couldn’t look away for a while. At the same time, he thought again …… ‘He really looks like a sculpture. Even though he’s terrifying, I can’t take my eyes off him.’

“So, why are you still remaining here, witch?”

The Prince suddenly asked. Only then did Isaac tear his eyes away from his mouth, scratching his head as he answered.

“I couldn’t board the boat.”

“The boat?”

“A boat comes every Great New Moon. It carries you to the Land of the Dark Moon.”

“The Great New Moon…… So that would be once every seven years.”

Isaac gave the Prince an odd look as he muttered to himself, “There should be about half a year left now.” It was something ordinary humans shouldn’t know much about. Only witches or wizards would typically care about such things, yet he knew it perfectly well.

Looking deep in thought, the Prince abruptly spoke.

“Many witches must board that boat.”

“Yes, of course, ……, ……”

He didn’t know why, but those words suddenly sounded to his ears translated as: ‘There must be a lot of painkillers over there.’ Isaac stopped mid-sentence and just blinked. The Prince looked at him. The moment he met those blue eyes, Isaac reflexively blurted out.

“I don’t know where they board it.”

“…….”

“I’m telling the truth. That’s why I couldn’t go seven years ago either.”

Isaac firmly insisted once again.

It wasn’t a lie. The time he spent alone as a child after sending his mother away fourteen years ago had not been comfortable. Being an orphan without any connections was harsh in any era. That’s why, when the Great New Moon arrived seven years ago, he had desperately wanted to get on the moon-sliver boat, whether by begging the ferryman or clinging to the stern, but he couldn’t achieve his goal. Having lost all ties with other witches, Isaac had no way of knowing where to go to board the boat.

After that, Isaac’s head had grown a bit thicker, and he got the hang of surviving in the world, making life a little less difficult than before. So, even though he occasionally thought of the Land of the Dark Moon, the idea of crossing over had been slowly fading from his mind.

If half a year passes and the moon-sliver boat comes again for the first time in seven years. As to where one had to go to board that boat……, …… those guys probably know.

Isaac cast a sidelong glance at the tigers sitting in a neat row next to the tea table. As one of them, blinking out of boredom, let out a yawn, the other two opened their mouths wide and yawned in unison. If only they didn’t talk, these guys wouldn’t be entirely without their own cute charm……

“I suppose living in the human world is manageable enough for you to settle down like this.”

The Prince said. Turning his gaze back to the Prince, Isaac let out a hollow laugh.

“How could living as prey ever be manageable?”

The seven years he spent alone as a child after sending his mother away, and the subsequent seven years after becoming an adult and learning how to live a somewhat decent life—not once had he ever thought his life was ‘manageable.’

“It’s not easy. Though I suppose you, Your Majesty, who is always in the position of the hunter, wouldn’t understand.”

Even while smiling and chatting, blending in among people, the sudden, sharp feeling of floating entirely alone. They don’t know that that feeling alone can wear down a piece of your heart…… However,

“But living as a human doesn’t seem easy either.”

Isaac murmured, wetting his lips with tea.

Everyone lives crushed under the weight of life. His own is just a little bit heavier. That’s all. So he just had to endure it that much more. Even if a life of endurance isn’t easy.

「Hoho, look at him. Sitting there spouting philosophical nonsense like some enlightened old man.」

「I keep telling you, he acts like a little old man. He hasn’t even hit his thirties yet.」

「We, with our vast hearts, must understand. He almost died just a little while ago. You see, kids who almost die usually have their minds age rapidly.」

‘Unable to hold it in, the three beasts had started whispering among themselves again. Look at them, the moment the third wish was used up, they immediately started chattering again. Those guys should have had their mouths much bigger than their eyes, they were built wrong. Still, it was both pitiful and funny watching them put their heads together and just move their lips, trying to be mindful of the atmosphere. Should I let this slide……?’

「Huh? When did he almost die?」

「You know, the hunt a while back—」

“HEY! QUIET!!”

Isaac yelled, almost spitting out the tea he had in his mouth. His heart suddenly started pounding.

“Animals shouldn’t interrupt when people are talking! Stay quiet and still!”

‘Isn’t there a way to tie up those massive snouts? A rope would be nice,’ Isaac thought, looking around. The Prince raised an eyebrow lightly and asked.

“Did something dangerous happen?”

“Yes, well, there was a bit of an accident…… But it ended without any major issues.”

It wasn’t a big deal, so please don’t ask for details, Isaac added inwardly, thinking hard about what to make up if he probed further. But the Prince seemed to have little interest in Isaac’s answer, staring fixedly at him, lost in thought. Then,

“Lately it hasn’t been so easy to find witches…… so it would be troublesome if you died just yet.”

“Pardon?”

“If you die, the oath sworn on the River of the Moon will become useless.”

“Well, yes……”

Replying in confusion to the sudden remark, Isaac finally understood the context. ‘I see. He’s saying that if I die, his new moon painkiller disappears.’

“…… Well, it’s not like my corpse would come flying to you. Besides, a corpse wouldn’t have blood flowing through it anyway……”

As Isaac muttered, the Prince stared at him intently. Isaac broke into an unprompted cold sweat down his neck. The implication of that gaze was undoubtedly,

「It would be problematic if you accidentally died somewhere, so it really would be better to lock you up in a dungeon or something.」

Right, exactly that. Isaac flinched reflexively. Facing such an Isaac, the Prince’s gaze shifted to the side. The three tigers were sitting in a row, putting their heads together and whispering.

「I told you I was right. That is definitely the face of someone thinking those exact thoughts.」

「Yeah, it doesn’t seem far off.」

「But considering he has such a neat and tidy face, what kind of harsh life has he lived to make his expressions so sparse? It’s really hard to read him, so hard.」

“I told you to stop reading people’s faces however you want!”

Freaking out, Isaac grabbed the tiger’s snout. It was so massive that he had to wrap both arms tightly around it just to barely force its mouth shut. Watching this display, the Prince muttered.

“They are noisy beasts.”

“I apologize. Those brats don’t mean any harm.”

…… Isaac genuinely wondered if that was true, but he made excuses for them for now. Beside him, the tigers were cluelessly roaring a song of protest:「Brats?! Calling us completely young brats?! B-R-A-T-S?!」but he couldn’t exactly let them get sliced by a sword right in front of his eyes, could he?

Lost in thought for a moment, the Prince shook his head lightly.

“You’re not wrong. I did think it would be better to isolate you somewhere.”

At those casual words, a chill ran down the back of Isaac’s neck. ‘This is bad. I have a bad feeling about this.’

“What if I ordered you to swear on the Moon River to come to me when magic is not active?”

When magic is not active——everyday life without a barrier. A time when the Prince could easily capture Isaac and dispose of him however he wished.

Isaac faced the Prince. He couldn’t tell if those blue eyes were being serious or just testing the waters. So, after a brief moment of deliberation, he answered.

“I will not.”

The stiffness of his tense tongue was because the answer was completely sincere.

If he sought the Prince out during normal times, the outcome was painfully obvious. He would be isolated in a dungeon or elsewhere, removing any risk of accidents or threats to his life, and he would never see the outside world again for the rest of his life. Raised like livestock, getting his blood sucked by the Prince every new moon. An end more terrifying than death.

“You will not…..?”

“I will not.”

“Even if I were to cut you down right here, right now?”

“I will not do it.”

The Prince stared at Isaac as if trying to pierce through him. Isaac forced himself not to avert his gaze and met those blue eyes. Staring at Isaac’s face, rigid with tension, the Prince suddenly tilted his head slightly. *Crack,* a bone popped. Then again to the other side, *crack.*

As if contemplating what to do, the Prince’s gaze hovered in the air for a moment. Then, as if reaching a conclusion, his eyes locked onto a single point in the air.

The Prince, standing up from the sofa, moved slowly but without hesitation. Seeing him pick up the sword he had hung on the wall, Isaac faintly clenched his fists.

“You will not do it?”

The Prince asked once more as he walked in front of Isaac. The sharply honed, cold blue blade gleamed in the light.

The Prince’s demeanor was so apathetic and lethargic that he didn’t look like someone about to cut a person down. But Isaac knew that this was the very man who had slaughtered humans and beasts alike with that exact face. And the fact that, painkiller or not, if things didn’t go his way, he would gladly cut him down.

This was no joke or prank. It was real.

Isaac felt the back of his neck stiffen with tension, every hair on his body standing on end. Death was flickering right before his nose.

And,

“I will not.”

The moment his lips parted faintly, almost inaudibly, the Prince swung the sword down.

The blade fell in a straight line toward the top of Isaac’s head, cleaving the empty air.

The moment the Reaper’s scythe rushed in without hesitation to claim his life.

“——.”

The blade stopped.

A hair’s breadth away, a gap so small that if Isaac lifted his head even slightly it would touch, the blade stopped right above Isaac’s head. *Swish,* a strand or two of severed hair drifted down across his face.

Only after taking one, two slow breaths did Isaac confirm he wasn’t dead. ‘Why didn’t he strike?’ Isaac only lifted his eyes to look at the Prince. Behind the blade wavering before his eyes, the Prince was looking down at Isaac. Lower than Isaac’s gaze, specifically, at Isaac’s waist.

With a puzzled expression, Isaac followed his gaze, then dropped his eyes to his waist. And only then did he realize where his hand had moved unconsciously. Even though he wasn’t wearing his uniform right now, his hand had reflexively moved to his waist where the hilt of his sword would be, clutching empty air instead of a sword hilt.

“A sword-wielding witch.”

The Prince murmured as if talking to himself. Those blue eyes narrowed slightly as they looked down at Isaac’s hand. Isaac hurriedly corrected his posture and stammered, “No, this is—”. He hadn’t intended to fight back, it was just an instinctive reaction, he didn’t have a sword anyway, and even if he did fight back he couldn’t possibly win. He spouted excuses randomly as they came to mind, but the Prince stared down at Isaac silently, seemingly not listening. Then,

“Where are you hiding?”

Somewhere he would be accustomed to using a sword.

The Prince slowly raised the sword. Even as he watched the blade move gradually further away from his head, Isaac didn’t feel like he had survived. Rather, his spine grew even colder.

The Prince smiled. For the first time.

‘…… Shit.’

Isaac cried out inwardly. That was the face of a predator just setting out on a hunt. Even worse was the fact that the Prince had also noticed that Isaac had realized this fact.

‘Oho, look at this.’ With that face, the Prince slightly curled the corners of his mouth up. The narrowed blue eyes fixed on Isaac.

‘I’m screwed.’

Clutching his plummeting heart, Isaac muttered internally.

Against this despairing gloom digging deep into the earth, the fact that dawn was approaching, signaling the end of the new moon, offered absolutely no comfort.

* * * 

*Manbang (만방 – 萬方): literally means “ten thousand directions,” often implying something widespread or all-encompassing. The cats use this term mockingly toward Isaac, suggesting that he is “foolish in ten thousand ways” (foolish in every possible aspect). In Korean culture, “방 (bang)” is commonly used to indicate direction or scope, but here it is playfully twisted to create a humorous effect => So the cats calling Isaac “Manbang” is basically them saying he’s dumb in every possible way… like not just dumb, but next-level, all-directions, maxed-out dumb 😭