The Day of the Procedure Arrived.
"The procedure will use the Miracle of Mental Stability to protect both of Their Highnesses' minds while gradually and completely lifting the sealing magic, allowing Princess Iomene’s psyche to recover. It requires the combination of powerful miracles and intricate magical surgery."
The court mage, adjusting the intricate magic circle installed within the Magic Tower, explained the process to the emperor.
"I understand it as a procedure that utilizes the unique trait of twins, where the intact mind of one can restore the damaged mind of the other. Is that correct?"
"Precisely, Your Majesty."
"The goal is for Iomene to receive Almene’s intact mind, resulting in the recovery of both. Correct?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"But what about the possibility of Iomene’s negative memories and emotions transferring to Almene and causing complications?"
At those words, the court mage nodded grimly.
"That risk certainly exists. Completely lifting the seal means that all memories, emotions, and thoughts will be shared in real time between them. There is just as much potential for mutual collapse as there is for recovery."
"In that case, the worst possible outcome would occur."
"However, we cannot keep forcibly severing the natural connection between twins forever. This artificial and imposed separation will, at some point, begin to fester and cause irreversible damage to the very soul they share."
The emperor massaged the bridge of his nose, his gaze complicated.
It was natural for him to be troubled.
Leaving things as they were would be harmful to both in the long term, but lifting the seal carried the risk of their minds collapsing together.
Sensing the emperor’s concerns, the court mage calmly continued his explanation.
"Of course, the chances of Their Highnesses recovering are much higher. Both of them have a strong will to be healed, and multiple priests will be casting extremely powerful miracles of mental protection. And most importantly—"
The court mage turned to look at me.
"We have His Holiness, the Saint. Even in the worst-case scenario, His Holiness may still be able to intervene."
That wasn’t wrong.
After all, I had Absolute Hypnosis, a god-tier cheat skill.
Of course, my Absolute Hypnosis was simply a skill that forced others to follow my commands unconditionally. It wasn’t some refined ability that could meticulously restore a broken mind.
Which meant that avoiding a situation where everything had to rely on my skill was ideal.
I was merely a reassurance, the last resort. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Please do not worry too much, Your Majesty. I am here."
Even though I would be leaving soon, I still genuinely wished for Iomene and Almene to find happiness.
The procedure today—
I would do whatever I could to guide it toward a successful outcome.
At my words, both the emperor and the empress seemed slightly relieved.
"Very well. Proceed!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The priests of the Lilia Church and the court mages approached the two princesses.
Iomene tensed at the sight, baring her teeth in unease, but when I reached out and took her hand, she calmed down.
"It’s okay, Iomene. Don’t be nervous."
At my words, Iomene stopped baring her teeth.
"If I get better, kiss."
I nodded.
"Yeah. I’ll do it. So you have to get better. Got it?"
Hearing that, Iomene gave a happy smile and quieted down.
After calming Iomene, it was Almene’s turn.
Sitting beside her twin, she hesitantly extended her trembling hand toward me.
"I’m nervous, Your Holiness. Could you hold my hand too?"
I nodded.
I took the hands of both twin princesses.
"It’ll be alright. Both of you are strong. And even in the worst-case scenario, I’m here. So don’t worry too much."
Almene smiled at my words.
After taking a deep breath, she gave a firm nod.
"Please begin. I’m ready."
"Me too."
Iomene, too, nodded seriously.
At their words, all the priests and mages in the room began to move.
The massive magic circle drawn on the floor radiated light, and the priests of the Grace Church began channeling divine power into the heads of the two princesses.
"The Miracle of Mental Protection has been cast!"
"Princess Iomene’s emotional state is stable!"
"Slowly! The sealing magic must be lifted gradually, never hastily! If the magic circle is ready, begin the process!!"
Iomene’s right eye—
Almene’s left eye—
The seal engraved upon them began to glow.
Both of them squeezed my hands tightly.
"Commencing the unsealing process."
At the mage’s tense announcement—
"Urgh! ......Aaaaaah!!"
The two princesses screamed simultaneously.
"Hold on! You have to endure, Almene! Iomene!"
At my words, both of them gripped my hands so tightly it felt like they were about to crush them, enduring the pain with all their might.
They held on so hard that blood began to trickle from my hands, but I couldn’t even feel the pain.
I could just heal myself later.
You two—
Please—
Please be safe.
Was it because of my desperate wish?
For nearly an hour—
They endured.
The procedure proceeded smoothly.
"Phase Two of the unsealing is complete! Moving on to the final phase—Phase Three!!"
Everyone involved in the procedure was drenched in sweat.
The court mage wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke, while I nervously looked at the twins.
Please.
Please, let nothing go wrong.
If only this could just continue smoothly without me having to intervene—
"I-I don’t want this!! Aaaaaah!!"
Almene suddenly let out a piercing scream.
At the same time, Iomene’s eyes rolled back as she began convulsing as if she were having a seizure.
Unfortunately, they had reached their limit.
"It hurts! It hurts so much!! S-Stop!! Please, stop!! Please, I beg you!!"
As Almene screamed in agony, the priests casting the Miracle of Mental Protection panicked.
"The miracle is failing!"
"Their mental states are becoming dangerously unstable! At this rate, they’ll collapse!!"
"They can’t hold on much longer!"
Almene’s face contorted in madness from the pain, and Iomene’s seizures grew increasingly violent.
"Your Holiness!! Help us! Please!!"
And then—Almene said the one thing I had never wanted to hear.
Goddamn it!!
Should I use Absolute Hypnosis to command them not to feel pain?
No.
Pain was natural.
Forcing them not to feel it could cause unpredictable side effects.
Think!! You dumbass, Kim Mingyu!! Think!!
What command should I give to ensure they survive?
How could I help them endure this moment?
Come on!! Think!!
—There was a way.
A way to save them using Absolute Hypnosis.
[Casting Absolute Hypnosis!]
Both of them fell under hypnosis at the same time.
I couldn’t do something grand like fully restoring their minds.
All I could do was help them hold on a little longer.
Please.
Please, just hold on.
Praying over and over, I issued the command.
"Recall your happy memories! Think of the happiest moments in your lives!!"
****
It Was Something She Had Steeled Herself for.
Iomene.
Her other half.
A being who had lived in suffering for sixteen long years.
Almene had wanted to save her.
That was why she had firmly insisted on undergoing the procedure.
It was something that had to be undone eventually.
Besides, His Holiness was with them.
She was certain he would help her.
With that resolve, she had begun the process.
But the moment Iomene’s accumulated agony from sixteen years of suffering began hammering at her mind, Almene realized—
She had made a mistake.
She endured with all her might.
Yet no matter how much she held on, the tormenting memories showed no end in sight.
At some point—
Almene finally realized she had reached her limit.
She squeezed His Holiness’s hand as if she meant to crush it.
It hurt.
It was excruciating.
She wanted to run away.
"Your Holiness!! Please, help me!!"
Like a black tide, Iomene’s pain crashed over her, threatening to swallow her whole.
Letting out a scream that sounded like a death cry—
Slowly—
Almene began sinking beneath the waves.
If she sank completely, that would be the end of it.
She, too, would end up just like Iomene—
A shattered, broken existence.
How pathetic.
Was that all her resolve and courage amounted to?
The conviction to save Iomene had been this weak all along?
As she sank deeper, lost in fear and regret—
A single, powerful command wrenched her back to the surface.
"Recall your joyful memories! Remember the happiest moments of your life!!"
From within the flood of torment and darkness, a single small memory surfaced.
Her father.
She remembered the emperor holding her in his arms.
She recalled enjoying teatime with her mother and father in a beautifully sunlit garden.
The memory of seeing an adorable puppy.
The sight of beautiful paintings, the sensation of soft silk garments against her skin.
The taste of sweet, delicate desserts that filled her mouth with happiness.
And the first time her parents had told her about Iomene.
The moment she had steeled herself to save her.
The waves of suffering still crashed over her.
The memories of Iomene, who had suffered unbearable pain every week for sixteen years, who had been abandoned in lonely isolation, continued to erode Almene’s mind and sense of self.
But Almene clung desperately to her happy memories, bracing herself against the tides.
Those joyful and cherished moments shielded her.
Compared to the overwhelming waves, they seemed fragile, insignificant, even foolishly small—
Yet no matter how violently the waves battered her, they did not disappear.
Clinging to those tiny, delicate memories like a staff to support herself, Almene kept enduring, holding on and holding on—
And at some point—
The waves stopped.
Silence found her.
And in that silence—
She heard the sound of a child sobbing.
A child who had yet to grow, her mind eroded by pain and loneliness, breaking down before she could even develop.
That child wept, raw and sorrowful.
Almene approached her.
And she called out her name.
"Iomene."
At those words—
The small, wounded child, bruised, scarred, and covered in self-inflicted wounds, lifted her gaze.
"It hurts. It hurts."
Iomene sobbed.
"It hurts too much. I’m so alone. There’s no one here. I want to die. I don’t want to live anymore."
Iomene muttered, like a fool, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Almene, as if she understood—
Held her in her arms.
"I know. I understand it all now. But you know—"
She took the memories that had protected her from the waves—
Those small, fragile lights—
And offered them to Iomene.
"There are still so many happy and wonderful things in this world. Your pain will always be a burden the two of us carry together. But my happiness—That will be something we share, too."
Cautiously—
Iomene reached out and took the light.
Tears quietly streamed from her eyes.
She gently caressed the light Almene had given her—
Then let out a small laugh.
But it was no longer the slow, broken voice of a child.
A clear, distinct voice came from Iomene’s lips.
"The baumkuchen you ate, the desserts. The cookies and cakes—I want to try them too."
At her words, Almene smiled through her own tears.
"Then we’ll eat them. We can eat them together."
"I want to hear Mom and Dad tell me they love me."
"They will. I’m sure they will."
"I want to walk barefoot in the grass under the warm sun, just like you, Almene."
"Of course you can. And I—"
Almene spoke to Iomene—
No.
A single, happy memory quietly declared to her own sorrowful past—
"I want to keep seeing the face of the man I love."
The horrifying memories—
And the joyful, floating, dreamlike ones—
They were all hers now.
There was no longer a difference between them.
Now, the only thing that separated them was the name each body bore.
****
"Mental Seal Released! Both Their Highnesses' Egos Are Stable! It's Perfect! A Complete Success!!"
With the court mage’s elated voice, the twin princesses opened their eyes simultaneously.
The magic circle that had forced them to keep one eye shut was gone.
Now, both of them looked down at the saint who was still holding their hands.
Their grips had been so tight that their nails had dug into his flesh, drawing blood—yet the saint showed no sign of discomfort.
"Iomene. Almene. Are you alright?"
His eyes were filled with nothing but concern as he looked at them.
And at that moment, as if unable to hold back any longer, the two of them moved simultaneously.
They lunged forward—
And threw themselves into the saint’s arms.
Pressing their faces against his body, they rubbed against him like affectionate kittens.
"I-I’m really sweaty right now!......"
It was fine.
Even the scent of his sweat felt like an overwhelming pheromone to them.
They loved him.
They loved this man standing before them.
The man who had saved them, who had ultimately made them happy.
They loved him so much—
To the point where it felt like their hearts would stop.
"Thank you."
As the two princesses spoke through their tears, the saint let out a soft laugh and embraced them gently.
"I’m glad. I hope both of you will be even happier than all the pain you’ve suffered until now."
They intended to be.
They would absolutely be happy.
After holding onto the saint for a moment longer, Iomene and Almene slowly pulled away.
They turned their eyes toward the emperor and empress, who had been watching them anxiously from the side.
Almene hesitated for a moment before stepping back, gently nudging Iomene forward.
Slowly, Iomene walked toward her parents.
She smiled—
A smile that trembled, half mixed with quiet sobs.
"I... I’m back. Mom. Dad."
Her voice was no longer hesitant.
It was clear and precise.
"It hurt so much. So, so much..."
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She opened her arms.
"Hug me. Tell me you love me."
At those words, the empress abandoned all pretense of dignity and rushed toward her daughter.
She, too, was crying.
Tears of joy, guilt, and overwhelming emotion all mixed together.
"My daughter."
She embraced her.
"My beloved daughter. Ah... O gods. Lilia, Saint... Thank you. Thank you so much..."
The emperor followed, much more slowly.
His face was weighed down with guilt and remorse as he approached Iomene.
"Can I... Can I love you? Can I hold you and tell you I love you? Can you forgive me, Iomene?"
The emperor, too, was crying.
And Iomene—
She smiled at him.
"Hug me, Dad. And tell me you love me."
The emperor wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"I love you. I love you. Iomene, I love you so much."
And Iomene—
Like a child, she began to sob.
Sixteen years of pain came pouring out of her at once, and she wept—
Desperately.
But on her face, strangely enough, was a smile of relief.
The emperor and empress only held her tighter, refusing to let go.
The entire room had fallen silent.
Everyone simply watched.
In that moment, there were no emperors, no empresses, no princesses.
There was no supreme ruler of an empire.
Only a father who had been saved.
A mother who had been forgiven.
And two daughters, crying tears of happiness.