Episode 9

Episode 9. The Lost Ring

There were countless rules in the imperial palace. Even the Emperor and Empress weren’t exempt from them.

I could tolerate that for the most part.

Most of the rules weren’t overly strict anyway—they were more like guidelines to maintain the dignity and decorum expected of the imperial family.

But there was one rule in particular that tormented me: on certain scheduled days, I was required to dine with the Emperor.

Why did such a rule exist? Apparently, it was meant to maintain the illusion of a harmonious relationship between the Emperor and Empress for the public.

Seriously. Isn’t this basically a show marriage?

And so, once again, I was stuck having an uncomfortable meal with Jerome.

Out of nowhere, he asked about my schedule.

“I heard Sir Leonard visited the Empress’s palace.”

How did he know that?

Caught off guard, I didn’t answer immediately. He asked again.

“Was I mistaken?”

“No, you’re right. He seemed worried about the security around the Empress’s quarters, so he stopped by briefly.”

“That may be, but I heard you shared tea and conversation with him.”

Why did he know so much?

Feeling uneasy about the entire conversation, I responded.

“He was just being considerate. We shared a light cup of tea, nothing more.”

In truth, he had been hit in the head with my book, so I was sort of obligated to show some civility as an apology.

“Hmm.”

Jerome narrowed his eyes slightly and put down his fork and knife. Even the way he dabbed his lips with a napkin looked graceful.

That noble air of his, the way it clung to every little gesture—he really did look like a classic male lead at times.

“I’ve always heard Sir Leonard is so obsessed with swordsmanship that he rarely interacts with other nobles. Curious that he’d speak with you.”

He stared at me for a moment before asking,

“Did you two know each other before?”

“No, we met for the first time in the garden the other day.”

“The other day?”

“The day Your Majesty carried the imperial concubine back in your arms.”

I wasn’t trying to be snide. It was just for context.

“…Did that bother you?”

“…?”

Bother me? Why would it?

For a moment, I thought I saw the corners of Jerome’s mouth lift ever so slightly.

He almost looked pleased.

What the hell? Why do you look happy all of a sudden?

I shook my head firmly.

“Not at all. As I’ve said before, I have no intention of interfering between Your Majesty and the imperial concubine.”

“You’re still saying things you don’t mean.”

He spoke as if he already knew everything.

I was genuinely frustrated.

“What do I have to do to convince you I’m being sincere?”

“You could start by not tormenting the imperial concubine anymore.”

“I swear, I won’t.”

“Good. That would be ideal.”

He didn’t seem convinced at all.

This man. He’s back to distrusting me again, just like in the original story.

“Why are you like this?” I asked, truly puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

“When I show even the slightest concern for your consort, you get angry and interfere. But when I try to distance myself, you accuse me of scheming and lying.”

Always shifting expectations, always changing the rules.

“What do you even want from me?” It was something I’d wanted to ask for a while, but never had the chance.

Why are you acting so differently from the original story, male lead? You’re making things so confusing.

Jerome’s gaze turned cold.

He glanced briefly around the room, likely checking on the guards and the chefs nearby, then said in a low voice:

“I don’t know what you mean. As I’ve said repeatedly, all I want is for you to stop meddling in Fay’s life.”

“I already told you—I’ll do just that.”

“You’ve said that many times before. And yet, what did you do?”

He tilted his head and asked,

“You pretended to repent, but kept bullying her anyway. Is it that unbearable to have a commoner in the palace?”

He let out a dry chuckle and continued,

“Or is it that you’re upset I don’t give you any attention?”

“Think what you want. But I’ll say it one last time—I won’t harass or torment the imperial concubine again. Just as you wanted.”

“…We’ll see.”

His expression shifted subtly. There was a strange glint in his eyes as he looked at me, something unsettling.

That was when it happened.

“Your Majesty!”

The dining room doors burst open, and a young woman hurried in.

Jerome looked surprised.

“What?”

It was his beloved, Fay.

The Emperor and Empress’s mealtimes were legally protected and strictly regulated. Not even the imperial concubine could interrupt them.

Fay knew that. She was never the jealous type, either. This was unprecedented.

“What is it?”

Jerome held her as she rushed into his arms.

“Your Majesty, I… I made a terrible mistake.”

“A mistake? What happened to make you cry like this?”

She’s crying?

Looking closely, I saw that Fay’s face was stained with tears. Even as Jerome asked her what was wrong, she couldn’t answer—only sobbed miserably.

“I… I did something terrible…”

Jerome gently wiped her tears away.

“What is it? What happened?”

“I lost the precious gift Your Majesty gave me.”

“The gift I gave you? Which one?”

“The one you gave me the day you shared your feelings with me. The one that symbolized your promise…”

“Do you mean the pearl ring?”

“Yes. The beautiful ring with the unique pearl in the center…”

A distinctive pearl ring…

Ah.

I knew what she was talking about.

The ring Jerome gave her when he finally confessed his love in the original story. It was their first gift exchange—deeply symbolic, special, and irreplaceable.

And now she’d lost it.

I quietly set down my fork. This isn’t the time to be eating.

“When did it go missing?”

“It’s been gone since this morning. I always put it on after my morning preparations, without fail,” Fay responded through tears to Jerome’s calm question. “I’m sorry. I lost the precious gift you gave me…”

“It’s fine. It’s just a ring. I’ll get you another one.” Jerome patted her back reassuringly. “Don’t cry.”

But that only made her cry harder.

“I said not to cry.”

“But that ring meant everything to me.”

“I’ll buy you a prettier, more expensive one.”

“No matter how beautiful another ring is, that one had memories, Your Majesty.”

My throat felt tight. I picked up the water glass beside me and took a slow sip.

They looked like a couple straight out of a romantic drama—but I couldn’t enjoy the scene at all.

The lost ring. It was a key plot point in the original story.

If my memory’s right…

It had something to do with me.

“Don’t worry. I’ll find it for you.”

“You must, Your Majesty. Please promise.”

“I promise.”

“Yes. Please find it… I wonder who could have stolen it…”

As Fay spoke, her gaze flicked toward me.

As if I were the culprit.

Excuse me?! How dare you!

Not that I could blame her—I did have a history. Or rather, Helena did.

I calmly set down my glass and spoke in a composed voice.

“Losing such a meaningful ring must be heartbreaking. But don’t worry. If anyone can find it, it’s His Majesty.”

Fay’s eyes flickered at my calm words, but she soon gave a soft smile.

“Yes. I hope so too, Your Majesty.”

After the meal, I returned to the Empress’s quarters.

“There seems to have been quite a commotion in the concubine’s palace,” Countess Chloe, the head lady-in-waiting, greeted me.

She already knew about the lost ring.

“That’s right. I’m surprised you heard so quickly.”

“There are quite a few people in the concubine’s palace who still report back to you, Your Majesty.”

“Ah.”

Right. I’d recently met my secret informants scattered throughout the palace in order to tell them to stop compiling daily reports and committing sabotage.

They must have connected with Chloe since then.

“Even so, that was fast. I only just heard it from the lady herself.”

“Apparently the whole palace has been in an uproar since early morning. They say she cried her eyes out all day.”

“Yes. She really did look devastated.”

Even Jerome couldn’t calm her down.

“I hear it was a very meaningful gift for them both,” Chloe spoke carefully, “I wonder who would dare steal something like that.”

“…That’s what I’d like to know.”

It would take real guts to pull this off.

“His Majesty looked furious. Whoever did it won’t get off easy.”

This wasn’t going to blow over like the time with the dress.

With a sigh, I asked Chloe,

“Just to be sure… this wasn’t one of our people, right?”

The only people daring enough to try something like this would be my network of people. They had the guts to rip a dress or sabotage shoes. A ring wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

Chloe shook her head.

“No, it wasn’t.”

She looked confident—she must’ve checked already.

“Thank goodness. If it had been, we’d be in serious trouble.”

“You personally met with each of them to explain. No one will act without orders for a while.”

I nodded.

“Right. We’d best stay low until things settle. Let’s be extra careful, in case the Empress’s quarters are searched too.”

“What? Search the Empress’s palace? That’s unacceptable.”

Chloe’s face turned stern.

It was indeed a big deal.

“I just don’t want any misunderstandings. Please be discreet.”

I let out a tired sigh and rubbed my shoulder.

“More than anything… I’d like to be alone for a while.”

“Of course. Call for me if you need anything.”

Chloe, sharp as ever, withdrew with the other attendants.

Once the room was quiet, I approached the bed.

Please, no. Tell me it’s not what I think it is…

Ever since I heard the ring was missing, something had been nagging at me.

I pulled back the ornate canopy and lifted the covers and drapes.

And there, under the dark bed…

Something small was glinting faintly.

“Haa…”

I let out a deep sigh and reached for it.

A small ring slipped over my fingertip.

A plain band, adorned with several small gems—and one unique pearl.

There was a small nick on the inside, like it had been scraped against something.

No doubt about it. This was the ring Fay had lost.

“Now what am I supposed to do with this?”

Whether the ring understood my dilemma or not, it shimmered faintly between my fingers.