Episode 16

Episode 16. She Didn’t Look Sick to Me

“Sir Leonard. What are you doing here…?”

“We received a report of trouble near one of the guard posts. When I heard that even four knights had been taken down—not soldiers, mind you—I rushed over. I didn’t expect to find Her Majesty the Empress here.”

Leonard’s voice remained calm, but his eyes sharpened.

“Did that man offend Your Majesty in any way?”

The way he looked at the red-haired man was chilling, laced with barely restrained menace.

Yet the red-haired man, now the focus of Leonard’s hostility, only looked baffled.

“Empress?”

He glanced between me and Leonard with a furrowed brow.

“You’re the Empress?”

“Watch your tongue,” Leonard said coldly, drawing his sword. “To insult Her Majesty… your life alone won’t be enough to atone for it.”

The moonlight flickered off his blade, making it gleam like ice.

“Imperial etiquette is certainly unique,” the red-haired man said with a low chuckle. “Every person I meet pulls a sword on me.”

“If we’re talking etiquette, you’ve committed something akin to wiping out an entire noble house.”

Shrring. Shing.

The man drew two curved swords—one long, one short—from his waist.

“It’s my first time facing someone like you. I can’t just let this go.”

They squared off, eyes locked. The air around them turned cold, so sharp it made my chest ache.

“Please step back, Your Majesty,” Leonard said.

“Yes, I think that would be best,” the red-haired man added. “If you get hurt, I’ll look bad.”

Neither of them had any intention of backing down. They even wore matching, ominous smirks.

It felt like they would clash at any second.

“Wait!” I stepped between them. “This is dangerous!”

“Move aside, Your Majesty,” Leonard muttered.

“Stand back,” said the red-haired man at the same time.

“No, I won’t step aside,” I said firmly, shaking my head.

If I stepped back, they’d fight. That much was certain. And it wouldn’t end quickly like it had with those four knights earlier.

“Why are you two even trying to fight each other?”

“That man insulted Her Majesty,” Leonard said sharply.

“I found a worthy opponent,” the red-haired man replied. “I’ll keep my promise to you once I’ve had a bit of fun with him.”

“Sir Leonard, he didn’t really insult me. There was just… a misunderstanding.
And you, stranger—what promise are you talking about?”

“Didn’t I say I’d get you out of here safely?”

“Can’t you see I’m not in danger? No one here was threatening me—until you showed up. You’re the reason this whole misunderstanding happened.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“Enough. Let’s stop this now. There’s an important banquet tomorrow. I won’t allow needless fighting over such a trivial issue. Sir Leonard, he’s an important guest, please put your sword down.”

Leonard hesitated, then slowly lowered his blade.

The red-haired man let out a short tsk.

“Looks like I won’t get to see what you’re made of.”

He sheathed his swords, then gave me a strangely amused look.

“Still, I had a lot of fun today. Let’s meet again, Empress.”

He gave a flamboyant bow with one arm draped across his waist. I gave him a dry smile.

Meet again? Again?!

He’d basically kidnapped me to guide him, and now he was calling it a fun time?

Please. Let’s never meet again.

As he waved and walked away, I silently prayed for that.

Just as I was watching his figure disappear—

“Your Majesty,” Leonard called softly from beside me.

His expression was still tense.

“Why were you here?”

“Well…”

Because a flower-loving man who got lost wandered into my room, and then I escorted him out, only to get kidnapped again by yet another lost guest.

There was no way I could say all that.

“I just… felt a little suffocated and went for a walk.”

“Without a guard?”

His voice carried a hint of anger.

“I didn’t want to bother the maids. I didn’t think anything would happen.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie—aside from the “just a walk” part.

“More importantly, Sir Leonard… were you looking for me? How did you know I was gone?”

“There were signs of an intruder in the Empress’s palace.”

“…!”

The flower man. He must’ve left traces.

“The trail led to your bedchamber. When I found it empty, I searched everywhere for you.”

Now that he mentioned it, Leonard had been out of breath when he arrived.

The thought of him running all over the palace looking for me made my chest tighten with guilt.

He said nothing, just looked at me.

“I see,” I murmured.

Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy.

“W-well, I should head back now. Thank you for everything today. Please return safely too, Sir Leonard.”

I turned to leave—at least, I tried to.

Until his voice stopped me.

“Please… never do something so reckless again.” His voice was low, almost choked, as if he were forcing the words out.

“Unless you want to see someone lose their mind.”

Click, click.

The red-haired man walked slowly down a long palace corridor.

“There you are.”

A man with deep green hair and crimson eyes appeared before him.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you? Where have you been? I turned away for just a moment!”

“Ah, Momo. There you are.”

“Now is not the time for casual greetings. This isn’t the royal capital, remember? It’s the Imperial Palace. If someone accuses you of something, I’m the one who suffers for it!”

“Ah, right. Forgot about that.”

“You forgot again?! Where have you been?”

“Just wandering around, here and there.”

“You didn’t cause a commotion, did you?”

“Hmm.”

“That silence makes me nervous. What did you do this time? Don’t tell me you challenged the Imperial Knights to a duel or something?”

“Something like that, maybe.”

“Dear heavens. Where? I’ll go fix it right now.”

“No need. It wasn’t that serious. We didn’t even fight in the end.”

Momo covered his face with both hands.

“Why did I end up working for someone like this…?”

“That’s a pretty serious insult to level at royalty.”

“Just kill me already. That’d be less stressful.”

“Request denied. Without you, I’d be the one who’s stressed.”

“Oh, glad you understand that. Now where exactly did you stir up trouble?”

“No need to worry. It’ll resolve itself.”

“That’s never true.”

“It is this time. I came to an understanding with someone pretty important.”

“Important?!”

“A quiet little benefactor. Don’t worry about it, Momo.”

“Are you sure this ‘understanding’ actually happened?”

“They clearly wanted to end things peacefully. I’m sure they’ll handle it well.”

“Fine, I’ll take your word for it just this once.”

“Good, good. Trust me.”

“Anyway, you’ve had quite a bit to drink. What are you going to do about tomorrow’s banquet?”

“Banquet? Forget it. What a hassle.”

“Why not show up, even for a little? I heard the Empress herself will be attending.”

“The Empress?”

“Yes. Rumor has it she’s been too ill to appear publicly since her coronation…”

“She didn’t look sick to me.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. Forget it.”

“Now I’m even more worried. Are you hiding something besides the knight situation?”

“What do you take me for?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time. If there’s a problem, please just tell me.”

“And if I do?”

Momo looked serious.

“Even if it means going to war with the Empire, I won’t be surprised.”

“Seriously?”

“Knowing you, I wouldn’t put anything past you. Just tell me—you’re not actually planning to go to war, are you?”

“No. Just…”

The man shook his head.

“Something very interesting happened.”