Episode 64

Episode 64 – A Foxlike Man (4)

Countess Chloe’s carriage, carrying both her and Mary, made its way toward the Empress’s Palace. As Leonard had instructed, I stepped down from the carriage. Thankfully, I had wiped off my disguise and changed clothes during the ride back. If I hadn’t, it would’ve been terribly awkward facing him like this.

“What is it?” I spoke first.

“You seemed to have gone outside the palace in a carriage. Where did you go?”

“And why should I have to tell you that?”

“Because I’m Her Majesty the Empress’s escort knight. It’s my duty to keep track of Her Majesty’s movements.”

Oh, escort knight, is it now?

If only you knew what I just saw.

Without meaning to, my voice turned cold.

“You seemed quite busy, though.”

“No matter how busy I am, I always have time for Her Majesty.”

“Don’t say things like that anymore.”

You’ll just confuse people.

I gave him a cool look. I didn’t want to be toyed with by him any longer.

“You asked where I went, didn’t you? It wasn’t anything serious. I just went out for a light meal with the ladies-in-waiting. To get some air.”

“Yes. And you also dealt with a drunkard causing a scene.”

“That’s right. There was a drunkard who made a fuss mid-way…”

Our conversation had been flowing naturally—until I froze.

What is this?

He already knew everything…?

It seemed he’d caught the look on my face. The faint smile tugging at his lips was answer enough.

“…So you knew everything from the beginning.”

“It was about Her Majesty. How could I not know? Oh, and my aunt asked me to thank you.”

“Your aunt?”

“The lady who was with me today.”

Wait. That stunning woman was his aunt?

“But… she looked far too young to be your aunt…”

“She gets that a lot. But she’s already married and has two adorable daughters.”

Then… what on earth…

Who had I been chasing after all this time?

Embarrassment washed over me. I wanted to crawl into a hole. If I could turn back time, I’d never have followed him like that.

“It seems there was a misunderstanding.”

“Not just from me—every lady at that party must’ve misunderstood.”

“It appears I’ve failed to earn your trust.”

He took a bold step closer to me.

“But… please believe me.”

He reached out; his large hands gently cupped my cheeks.

His touch was tender, as if he were handling something precious. As though I might break.

My body stiffened instinctively.

Thump, thump.

My heart beat faster.

Then, in that very moment—

Something warm and soft brushed my lips.

“For me, there’s only Her Majesty.”

His warm breath fell across my lips.

That heat spread down to my chest.

Even after he pulled away, the spot his lips had touched still burned as if seared.

Thump, thump. My heart still raced wildly.

It was as if I could hear my heartbeat echo in my ears.

I worried he might hear it too.

Leonard’s eyes curved into a gentle smile. It was breathtaking.

So beautiful, it made me forget all my worries.

His alluring voice rang in my ears.

“As if I could ever look away from you.”

The next day.

‘Good grief.’

What on earth had I done yesterday?

The shock of last night’s incident refused to fade. The lingering intensity of it kept looping in my mind.

—There is only Your Majesty for me.

Leonard’s voice still echoed vividly in my ears. That gentle tone, the way his hands had cradled my cheeks with such care… and—

Almost involuntarily, I lifted my fingers to my lips. As I brushed them, the memory of that moment surged back with vivid clarity.

The kiss, which had begun so suddenly, had been incredibly soft—too tender, too warm. As if he’d deliberately left his mark on me.

I couldn’t pull myself free of his grasp.

—As if I could ever look away from you.

The way he’d said that—his gaze had captured me so relentlessly. It had been like staring into the depths of the ocean, impossible to measure; dark, still, and intense.

I couldn’t quite grasp what the faint heat behind those deep blue eyes had meant. But he had studied my reaction so carefully, as if every flicker of emotion mattered.

You’re insane. Completely insane.

How did it come to this—with him of all people?

Afterward, I hadn’t had the presence of mind to process any of it; I’d simply fled.

Not because I disliked it or felt uncomfortable. I’d just been… very startled. That’s all. Just…

“Your Majesty.”

A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see Jerome standing before me.

And he wasn’t the only one watching me. The ministers seated on either side of him were also looking my way.

That’s right. We were in the middle of a meeting about the Foundation Day celebration.

In just a few days, one of the Empire’s grandest festivals would take place. We were discussing the proceedings and formalities, but I had clearly let my thoughts drift. Jerome had caught on.

“You seem unusually distracted today. Is something the matter?”

He gave me a sharp look, then added,

“You don’t appear to be feeling well.”

He must’ve noticed the flush still lingering on my cheeks and mistaken it for illness.

“If you’re unwell, we can—”

“That won’t be necessary.” I cut him off firmly. “Let’s continue the meeting.”

Jerome opened his mouth a beat later, a bit taken aback.

“…Very well.”

Even as he agreed, his gaze remained fixed on me.

Was it just my imagination?

He seemed… displeased.

As though something wasn’t sitting right with him.

While Helena was in the midst of her Foundation Day meeting, the maids of the Empress’s palace were engaged in a far more clandestine discussion.

“We’ll be bringing someone new into the fold.”

“A new member?”

The maids perked up at Mary’s words. Their organization was shrouded in secrecy and mystery.

There had been a moment, shortly after the Empress had declared its dissolution, when it had seemed the group might truly disband.

But contrary to Her Majesty’s wishes, it hadn’t disappeared.

On the contrary, it had become even more secretive and tightly knit, acting more decisively than before.

And after the Empress’s recent series of seemingly miraculous feats, the group’s unity had only grown stronger.

“If it’s a new member, then of course we should accept them. Even now, we’re still recruiting discreetly across the empire.”

What had once been a palace-only circle had gradually expanded into a nationwide network. The Empress’s efforts during the drought had been a major turning point, fueling that growth.

The group’s nature had also changed. No longer merely concerned with gathering information about the Emperor’s moods or movements, it had evolved into something else entirely: a loyal society of those who supported the Empress alone.

Of course, the Empress herself had no idea any of this was happening.

“It’s not just a new member,” Mary said solemnly.

A flicker of surprise passed through the other maids’ eyes.

“Not just a member… wait, could it be?”

“Yes. A candidate for a leadership position.”

“Goodness! Then they must be someone quite remarkable.”

Though the group operated in a strict cell system, not all members were equal. There was one role that stood apart from the rest—an officer.

At present, only one officer existed within the organization.

An officer could never be an ordinary person. They needed exceptional skill and resourcefulness; more than anything, they had to possess absolute devotion to the Empress.

And now there was a new candidate?

Curiosity surged among the maids.

“Who is it?”

“They must be an extraordinary talent.”

“And to be that devoted to Her Majesty… is it someone we already know?”

“I’m very curious. The more who support the Empress, the better.”

Mary nodded.

“The organization’s grown so large; it’s time we structured things more formally.”

“Of course. The more talent we have, the stronger we’ll be.”

“Just look at what happened with Sir Leonard. That restaurant was run by one of our members, which made it easy to get in.”

“Exactly. That was a stroke of luck.”

“That’s the strength of Those Who Adore Her Majesty!”

They clenched their fists with determination.

“So… who is this new officer candidate?”

“It must be someone with deep affection for Her Majesty.”

“Of course.”

Then Mary spoke a single name.

At the sound of it, the maids gasped.

“Ah!”

“Of course…”

“If it’s that person, it makes perfect sense.”

“Well? What do you all think of bringing them in as an officer?”

“Absolutely—wholehearted approval.”

Their eyes met, and all of them nodded at once.