Chapter 9

“Th-that… I get it, so please put me down, Kai.”

 

Even though he said it was fine, Roabellin’s eyes trembled as if an earthquake had hit them, filled with anxiety that someone outside might hear, or that the carriage might suddenly stop and someone might open the door. However, Kaisertern ignored her flustered voice and spoke with a nonchalant face.

 

“Let’s continue what we were talking about. Where were we?”

 

Because Roabellin had ended up sitting on his lap in the confusion, she had to wrap her arms around his neck to support her upper body. Of course, he was holding her waist, but still.

 

It was definitely a bewildering situation, but being entangled with Kaisertern like this made her heart pound violently.

 

“Th-that time, Your Majesty… ah, no, Kai treated… Eek!”

 

When Roabellin inadvertently used the word ‘Your Majesty,’ Kaisertern’s hand moved up her thigh.

 

“Let’s set a rule. Every time you use the word ‘Your Majesty’ inside this carriage, I will make you scream.”

 

His eyes looking at Roabellin were playful yet burning hot. Meeting those golden eyes while held in his arms, Roabellin ended up hiccuping. Kaisertern looked somewhat amused.

 

“Let’s continue the story. You mean your energy flow has remained in that state?”

 

“Ye, yes. It has stayed the same the whole time.”

 

“I see. Actually, I asked the Master of the Magic Tower about that.”

 

“Pardon? You were able to contact the Tower Master so easi—ah, of course you would.”

 

That was right. No matter how much he urged Roabellin to call him by his name, or the fact that she was currently sitting on his lap, he was the Emperor of the Great Empire. Even if the Magic Tower maintained neutrality between nations, there was no way he would be in the same position as her, who had been refused entry altogether.

 

“Something like that. And I also found out how to cure that tangled energy flow.”

 

“Really?! How…?”

 

“To perform the treatment, they said the caster needs an immense and stable amount of mana. While treatment skills are needed, the key factor is mana. Therefore, in this continent, only the Magic Tower Master and I can perform that treatment.”

 

Heat and anticipation gathered in Roabellin’s eyes. But Kaisertern spoke as if it were nothing.

 

“And, I explicitly told the Tower Master never to treat you.”

 

“What?! Why…!”

 

“Do you remember what I said when I gave you emergency treatment before? It’s because of the treatment method. They said there cannot be any clothes blocking the contact between the caster’s hands and the subject’s energy points.”

 

Roabellin thought about the meaning of those words for a moment, and soon her face turned bright red.

 

“A-aha. I see.”

 

“Right. And the Tower Master is a man. I cannot let another man put his hands all over your body. So, receive that treatment only from me.”

 

Roabellin felt a little dizzy.

 

‘Of course, since we’ve already seen each other’s bodies, getting it from Kai would be more comfortable than a stranger, but still.’

 

Even so, thinking that he had blocked one of the only two people on the continent who could cure this made Roabellin feel like he was being mean. But she couldn’t express such feelings to him right now.

 

“Then, you are saying you will do the treatment for me, right Kai?”

 

“Yes. But not now. I don’t know how strong your original magic power was, but it would be troublesome if you used that power to run away from me after being treated. I’ll do it after you have certainly become my person, never to change.”

 

It was a slightly aggravating answer, but honestly, Roabellin had intended to act exactly as he thought.

 

‘Oh… He has some insight, doesn’t he? True, if he had restored my divine power, I would have used it immediately while escaping tonight. My divine power is focused on healing, but it still would have been somewhat helpful!!’

 

Unaware of her regretful thoughts, Kaisertern looked at her and added.

 

“Also, the procedure takes quite some time, and it consumes a significant amount of stamina from both the caster and the subject. So, we cannot fill this short and precious vacation schedule with something like that.”

 

Roabellin pouted inwardly.

 

‘Considering it’s his first vacation in seven years, I suppose so.’

 

“Okay… Then, please do it next time.”

 

She answered obediently on the surface, but she became troubled.

 

‘If there are really only two people who can cure this, and the Tower Master was forbidden by the Emperor to treat me… After I escape tonight, I will never be able to cure this tangled and blocked energy flow. But I don’t know when I’ll ever be able to get out of the Imperial Palace like this again…’

 

It was when she was lost in thought and the strength in her hands around Kaisertern’s neck loosened slightly. Perhaps the carriage wheel rolled over a stone, but suddenly the carriage shook with a loud thud!

 

Roabellin, who was on Kaisertern’s lap, lost her balance and fell to the side.

 

“Ah…!”

 

Kaisertern sat up and immediately grabbed her as she was about to fall to the floor. Roabellin, who had squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them, realized that she was instantly lying on the seat.

 

Kaisertern was looking down at her from above. His hands were on her waist and shoulder, and their faces were close enough to touch.

 

Roabellin’s face flushed hot, but Kaisertern didn’t seem to have any intention of getting up. He stared quietly at her lying beneath him, then gently caressed her cheek with one hand.

 

“Don’t be upset that I won’t do it right away. I will definitely treat you. I just… had this thought. That you are like a wild bird with injured wings right now. That if I fix your wings, you might fly away from me immediately with them. …Making you not want to leave me is my responsibility, I suppose. So give me a chance to change your heart, give me time.”

 

At his serious voice, Roabellin couldn’t give any answer. Kaisertern pressed his cheek against hers, then his nose against the tip of her nose, and finally overlapped his lips with hers.

 

At his kiss, which felt like he was carefully knocking on the door to her heart, Roabellin unknowingly wrapped her arms around his neck.

 

The kiss quickly deepened, and the carriage filled with their hot breath. When Kaisertern pulled his lips away after the long kiss, a thick heat lingered in his eyes, and Roabellin’s eyes were also hazy with heat. It was then, as Kaisertern’s hand was slowly heading downwards.

 

The carriage stopped, and the coachman’s voice came from outside.

 

“Your Majesty, we have arrived!”

 

At those words, the two sprang apart as if bounced by springs and straightened their clothes. Realizing what they had been about to do in the carriage, both of their faces burned red with embarrassment.

 

Kaisertern got off the carriage and went inside, receiving greetings from the servants residing in the Hot Spring Palace and the entourage that had arrived earlier. Since there was no separate room suitable for staying right next to the Emperor’s bedroom in the Hot Spring Palace, Roabellin unpacked her things in a nearby empty room.

 

‘They said it’s a guest room, but it’s quite nice. It’s almost a waste to leave without even staying a full night.’

 

Roabellin looked around the room roughly and fell into thought.

 

‘I’m so glad it’s not the room right next to Kai’s like in the Imperial Palace. It will take a bit more time for them to notice I’ve escaped even if I’m not visible.’

 

She pictured the structure of the Hot Spring Palace she had grasped while entering and planned her escape route for tonight.

 

It soon became dinner time. Kaisertern suddenly said he didn’t want to eat alone, so Roabellin ended up having dinner with him.

 

“How is it? Does the food suit your taste?”

 

“It’s the Emperor’s meal, so it goes without saying. It’s much higher quality than the restaurant we first went to during the Vicent Festival.”

 

Watching Roabellin naturally switch between forks and knives suitable for the food, Kaisertern recalled the thoughts he had at the restaurant back then.

 

‘For someone claiming to be a commoner, using the cutlery properly and knowing about high-end dishes was all suspicious.’

 

Compared to back then, there had been some progress in their relationship, so he thought about asking her more directly now. However, it didn’t seem like she would confess anything on her own. From what he had seen, she was skilled at making up appropriate excuses to escape difficult situations.

 

‘Rather than poking at it clumsily and making her guarded, it would be better to catch solid evidence and present it.’

 

For Roabellin, it was a splendid meal she hadn’t had in a long time, but the thought of escaping this place in a few hours made her nervous, so the food didn’t go down well.

 

“You’re not eating much for someone who says it’s delicious.”

 

“No, it’s not that. It’s really delicious. Um… I guess I’m just tired from the carriage ride.”

 

At Kaisertern’s sharp observation, she made up a rough excuse and pretended to eat happily. However, since they had come to the hot spring to let Roabellin rest in the first place, her fatigue was a good excuse for Kaisertern.

 

“Right, then we should get into the hot spring now. Yulli, as I mentioned earlier, you will attend to my bath. You might get wet, so dress lightly and come.”

 

“B-bath… Yes.”

 

Since she had never attended to someone’s bath before, Roabellin became a little nervous.

 

Back in her room, Roabellin deliberated for a moment before picking out a white chiffon dress, the most modest one among the clothes the head maid had given her. After putting it on and looking in the mirror, she blushed at her awkward yet seductive appearance.

 

The material was fluttery and semi-transparent, and the design subtly exposed both her upper and lower body.

 

‘Still, this will probably be the last time I spend with Kai… Just one last time. I want to have a good time with Kai. If I happen to conceive a child from tonight, that would be even better for me.’

 

Roabellin, who had been checking her reflection in the mirror, headed to the hot spring with a heavy yet fluttering heart.

 

 

***

 

The hot spring bath was decorated to give a cozy feeling while maintaining the natural look of the surroundings.

 

Yellow lanterns hung here and there, and thanks to the steam rising from the moderately hot water, it gave the feeling of being in a dream. The hot spring was hidden within a small garden, surrounded by trees of appropriate height that separated the space from the outside.

 

‘Ah, those are Ukla trees. They’re rare on this continent. They must have bought them at a very high price.’

 

Although the hot spring garden looked quiet and simply cozy at first glance, Roabellin could tell that all the materials used to decorate this place were incredibly expensive.

 

Kaisertern, who had arrived first, was sitting in the bath with only a large towel wrapped around his lower body. His slightly wet hair was suffocatingly alluring.

 

Roabellin momentarily stopped breathing at his appearance, which was oozing with sensuality.

 

‘I mean, seriously, why is a person in a position who doesn’t need to seduce anyone so unnecessarily sexy?’

 

It wasn’t his fault that he was overflowing with sex appeal. But since she was trying to view him negatively, Roabellin found even this annoying. Wanting to deny the fact that she was helplessly crumbling under his silent seduction, she blamed him for no reason.

 

She hesitated, unable to approach him readily as he looked picturesque. In the meantime, sensing her presence, Kaisertern turned his head.

 

“You… came.”

 

He was momentarily speechless at Roabellin’s beautiful appearance in the goddess-like dress. For someone who always spoke clearly and firmly, it was a side of him one would never see normally.

 

“……”

 

Kaisertern couldn’t take his eyes off her. A violently rippling agitation was reflected in his golden eyes. Feeling shy under his blank stare, she wanted to look away. Avoiding his eyes, she quickly spoke up.

 

“Um, well, Kai. What should I… start with? The, uh, bath service.”

 

At her words, Kaisertern suddenly realized he had been staring at her blankly.

 

“Ah, right. …Come here.”

 

He motioned for Roabellin to come to his side and pointed to the hot spring bath with his eyes.

 

“Get in.”

 

“What…? But, I’m wearing clothes.”

 

At that, Kaisertern smiled playfully and said.

 

“It’s even better if you take them off and come in.”

 

His expression and tone were clearly joking, but Roabellin’s heart pounded fiercely in response to his words.

 

“I-I’ll go in wearing them.”

 

Flustered, Roabellin barely managed to answer and slowly entered the bath toes first. Kaisertern watched her slow movements without taking his eyes off her. As Roabellin soaked in the warm water up to her shoulders, her expression relaxed languidly.

 

“Wow…”

 

“How is it. Is it good?”

 

“Yes, very much so. It feels like all my fatigue is melting away.”

 

“I’m glad you like it.”

 

It was a little unexpected, so Roabellin glanced at him.

 

“Why is it fortunate that it pleases the maid attending you? It should please you, Kai.”

 

Kaisertern answered immediately.

 

“I came here to let you rest fully, away from the eyes of other servants. And also because I wanted to spend special time alone with you. So it is important that you like it.”

 

She didn’t know he would think of her, a mere maid, to that extent, so Roabellin’s face turned helplessly red.

 

‘Hmph, h-he’s good at seduction… Just as expected, he knows women well. Hmph, I already knew you’re that kind of man anyway!’

 

She tried to think that way and scoff inwardly. But contrary to her will, her heart was dancing loudly.

 

Kaisertern stared at her for a moment, then moved closer. He placed his lips near Roabellin’s ear and spoke in a low voice.

 

“Now, you must attend to the bath.”

 

His tone was casual, but his voice felt incredibly secretive and erotic. Feeling that, Roabellin’s face heated up.

 

“H-how should I…”

 

“Is there anything special? Service in a bath is just,”

 

Kaisertern wrapped his solid arm around Roabellin’s waist.

 

“Bath service.”

 

The next moment. His hot lips covered Roabellin’s. Before Roabellin even had a chance to pretend to dislike it, their lips were immediately entangled as one.

 

“Mmh…”

 

At the hot kiss, Roabellin felt an ecstasy that made her vision go black. Her body heated up quickly.

 

It seemed Kaisertern felt the same, as his hands on her clothes became urgent. Realizing he was looking for the buttons or knots of her clothes, Roabellin gently held his large, firm hand.

 

She had always passively entrusted her body to his touch until now. Because it was unexpected for her to reach out and hold him, Kaisertern paused for a moment.

 

But in the next moment, Roabellin guided his hand to the ribbon knot at the waist of her dress.

 

Realizing her intention, Kaisertern pulled the knot without hesitation to untie it. The fluttering dress came undone in the water. With a single touch from Kaisertern, the thin fabric slipped helplessly off her shoulders. Kaisertern also tore off the towel wrapped around his body in a single breath.

 

“Haa…”

 

At the electrifying sensation running through her body, Roabellin let out a small sigh without realizing it. Her heart fluttered so much it tingled.

 

While Kaisertern diligently kissed her neck and collarbone, passing her lips, Roabellin’s gaze was fixed on the yellow lantern hanging over there.

 

It was the moment their passionate night was beginning, but Roabellin had a slightly erratic thought for a moment.

 

‘The lanterns are brighter than I thought. What if Kai sees the tattoo on my back clearly?’

 

Even on the day of the festival and the night she received emergency treatment, Kaisertern had only seen her in the dark. But contrary to her worry, nothing remained to cover her body.

 

‘…No. Since it’s come to this, let’s not worry about it unnecessarily. It’s just an ancient language from some eastern region of the continent. Even if Kai sees it, would he know what it means? Let’s just be brazen. acting confident will raise less suspicion.’

 

Not even realizing that her judgment was clouded by excitement, Roabellin shook off the rising worry. In this moment, she wanted to focus solely on her lover, for what would be the last time in her life.

 

In the moderately hot water, their bodies heated up quickly. It was impossible to tell if their bodies were hot because of the hot spring water or because of each other.

 

Since Kaisertern had long since dismissed all the guards and servants near the hot spring, the deepening sounds of the two could not leak into anyone else’s ears. In this moment, there was only each other in the world.

 

After spending a long time in pleasure inside and out of the bath, the two moved to the flat wooden bench next to the hot spring.

 

Since they had started with bodies already relaxed by the warm water, Roabellin was now so exhausted she couldn’t move a finger.

 

Kaisertern laid her down on the soft bedding prepared on the bench, and he lay down too, hugging her from behind.

 

Held loosely in Kaisertern’s arms, Roabellin’s mind gradually cleared. Simultaneously, worry began to rear its head.

 

‘Gasp, I’m so tired!! If I fall asleep like this, I feel like I won’t wake up until lunch tomorrow. How can I escape with this body?’

 

Roabellin gathered her will to live and forcibly grasped her consciousness, which was flickering and trying to fall asleep.

 

‘If I stay like this, I’ll fall asleep. Let’s get up first.’

 

When Roabellin moved his arm that was hugging her from behind and staggered up, Kaisertern asked in a languid voice.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“I have to get up. The other servants will suspect why I’m not coming out. They already know I went in alone to attend to your bath.”

 

“I sent everyone far away. No one will know whether you come out or not. Don’t mind it, and rest with me a little longer.”

 

Kaisertern lightly grabbed Roabellin’s wrist. However, she gently pulled her wrist out of his grasp.

 

“No, I still came as a maid, so I should do some more work. You should go to your room and rest properly too, Kai.”

 

But Kaisertern was not easy either.

 

“Being with you is resting for me.”

 

He didn’t seem like he would let her go easily.

 

‘I need to quickly get dressed, pull myself together, and get out of here…!!!’

 

Feeling urgent, Roabellin quickly made up excuses.

 

“I want to rest comfortably in a bed. Please let me do that. And if I stay here too long, someone will know. I think it would be better to go out and show my face.”

 

At her desperate voice, Kaisertern recalled the conversation they had in the Lovers’ Forest.

 

‘She must be very worried about the possibility of others finding out about our relationship.’

 

Kaisertern sighed lightly in regret and surrendered to her.

 

“Alright. Let’s go out.”

 

Roabellin tried to stand up with a brightened face at his words, but she stumbled because she had no strength in her body. Kaisertern quickly supported her.

 

“Is it very hard on you?”

 

“Ah, a little… I’m fine.”

 

Contrary to her answer, she looked quite exhausted. Kaisertern thought of something, then placed his palm on her lower abdomen. The next moment, mana with a warm glow came out of his hand and flowed into her lower abdomen.

 

‘What is this?’

 

Just as she was about to ask, Roabellin felt her body, which had been drooping heavily like pickled cabbage, instantly become lighter.

 

“Ah, this is…”

 

“My magic isn’t specialized in healing, but I can do at least this much to restore exhausted stamina.”

 

It meant it was a kind of stamina recovery magic. As her worried stamina was restored, Roabellin became genuinely happy.

 

“Ah… Thank you so much!!”

 

Seeing Roabellin’s expression brighten, Kaisertern also smiled faintly at her. Not knowing that she was happy because she ‘recovered the stamina to run away.’

 

Back in her room with the door closed, Roabellin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

 

‘Good. It’s all done. As I wanted, I spent the last night with Kai, and thankfully he restored my drained stamina too… Now let’s go back, to Avery. Goodbye, Kai. Goodbye…’

 

Leaving him was regretful, but time for leisurely sentimentality was not allowed to her.

 

Roabellin wore comfortable clothes underneath and put on a modest black maid uniform over them.

 

‘If I carry a separate bag with clothes, someone might notice I’m trying to leave this place.’

 

Fortunately, the clothes underneath were thin, so the layering wasn’t very noticeable. Having packed money in the inner pocket of her skirt, Roabellin left the palace with the most natural expression and gait possible.

 

Perhaps because it was night, she didn’t encounter a single servant on the way to the main gate of the Hot Spring Palace. The few guards also paid no attention to her moving around the palace in a plain maid uniform.

 

Walking like that, she arrived at the main gate of the Hot Spring Palace. One of the guards guarding the main gate spotted her and asked in a loose voice.

 

“Who goes there? Where are you going at this time of night?”

 

Roabellin answered in a calm voice.

 

“I am a maid from the Imperial Palace accompanying His Majesty. I received an order to go on a short errand.”

 

“At this night?”

 

“Yes. It’s simple but a bit urgent…”

 

Since he couldn’t immediately think of what errand would require sending a woman out alone late at night, the guard tilted his head. But in fact, palace security is mainly about guarding against people entering the palace, and they tend not to pay much attention to people leaving.

 

‘There hasn’t been any report of someone causing trouble inside the palace and running away right now.’

 

Judging that it wasn’t a situation to be particularly wary of, the guard let her pass readily.

 

“Alright, go ahead. Watch out for the road since it’s night.”

 

“Yes, thank you.”

 

Roabellin was jumping with joy at the unexpectedly easily opened door, but she passed through the main gate struggling not to show it.

 

‘Freedom! I’m free!!!’

 

The faces of her beloved aunt and servants flashed by one after another. Feeling elated, even the air felt fresher for no reason.

 

However, after exiting the main gate, she soon realized that there was nothing around the Hot Spring Palace. Because it was an area with only the Emperor’s retreat, it was a bit of a distance from the town where civilians lived. And…

 

‘What is this, it’s all forest around here?’

 

It was because she hadn’t been able to survey the surrounding terrain as she came to the Hot Spring Palace with the carriage curtains drawn, held in Kaisertern’s arms. Faced with the unexpected terrain, Roabellin panicked.

 

‘Anyway, I have to pass through the forest. I don’t know which way is closest to the village, but I don’t have time to hesitate here. Let’s just go in any direction.’

 

Hesitating, she decided on a direction and entered the forest. Without knowing that it was the forest connected to Radak’s territory.

 

The forest was only silent. However, in this dark forest, one could not know when a person, a wild animal, a monster, or something even worse might pop out.

 

‘I don’t even have enough divine power to properly protect my body right now…’

 

Roabellin walked carefully through the forest, tense and with her senses heightened. It was pitch black night. Relying on a bit of moonlight and starlight to fumble her way through the forest path, Roabellin soon lost her sense of direction. Fortunately, the forest terrain wasn’t rough.

 

“Phew… At this rate, I can’t tell where I’m going. For now, I should just keep going in the direction I was headi—Ack!”

 

Roabellin, who was quietly talking to herself, suddenly screamed without realizing it. At some point, pain that felt like squeezing her brain washed over her. She collapsed, clutching her head in pain.

 

She shouldn’t make a sound because she was running away, but it wasn’t a pain she could endure without making a sound. Even though she gritted her teeth, painful groans leaked out.

 

“Ugh…”

 

There was no room to think about what on earth was happening. The moment her body, which had slumped down, collapsed to the ground, the pain suddenly decreased significantly. However, her head was still throbbing and her ears were ringing, so she couldn’t think properly.

 

‘Is it an attack? Did… Kai come to catch me? Because he’s angry I ran away? Ah, it hurts so much… But…’

 

Roabellin put her hand on the ground and barely lifted her upper body to sit.

 

‘I have to get up and hide while it hurts a little less.’

 

She attempted to stand up, but her vision spun, so she gave up for a moment. As she sat slumped for a while, the pain gradually subsided. As the strange symptoms calmed down, another shock visited her mind.

 

‘What is this, these scenes?’

 

Some memories were lighting up inside Roabellin’s head one by one, like light bulbs turning on.

 

‘Ah…!’

 

Looking closely, they were familiar scenes. None other than the memories she had lost after falling ill heavily right after her family’s extermination were resurfacing.

 

‘This is… the memory of escaping the castle on the day of the extermination. Right, the memories of this day were patchy.’

 

What came up next was just before the extermination, her brother Emilique’s last birthday. The memory of playing a prank and accidentally making that child cry.

 

‘It was his birthday, I felt so sorry… I never got to apologize properly for that. I miss you, my Emil.’

 

And another unfamiliar memory that surfaced.

 

‘A cabin…?’

 

The memory that started as a fragment gradually became a complete mass. Like a room becoming fully illuminated as tiny light bulbs turn on one by one in the dark.

 

At night, herself trembling in the cold in some small cabin, and a boy of her age protecting her by her side.

 

‘This is the hunting ground of the Aventador Royal Palace… Ah, right. It was the King’s birthday banquet.’

 

It was a familiar forest she had been to a couple of times.

 

‘Who was this boy?’

 

She began to remember more of the circumstances surrounding her visit to that cabin, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t recall hearing anything about the boy’s identity. However, a boy wearing expensive-looking clothes who could enter the hunting grounds attached to the royal palace, and who naturally spoke informally to a stranger, must have been at least a child of a noble family.

 

She knew all the children of Aventador’s noble families who were of a rank to be invited to the King’s birthday banquet. But that boy was not a child she knew.

 

‘Then perhaps he was foreign royalty?’

 

Thanks to the early education she received at the Duchy, she knew of the royal families of neighboring countries, but even searching through those memories, he was an unknown figure.

 

‘Ah… his name. Ah, right. He told me to call him Kai. Huh? Kai?’

 

Once the boy’s name surfaced, the black hair and golden eyes of the boy in her memory suddenly felt vividly distinct.

 

‘But this child looked so small and… weak. In fact, I was the one who saved and healed him with my divine power back then. How could this small child turn into such a large man…?’

 

She couldn’t quite connect that pretty, frail-looking boy with the current Kai, who was tall, large-built, and had a strong impression.

 

‘Ah!’

 

Roabellin, who had been thinking hard while clutching her throbbing head, remembered the story she heard yesterday from Joyce and the head maid.

 

‘Right… They said before Kai went through something called an ‘explosion,’ he looked like a boy who hadn’t even hit puberty yet… And that he had gone abroad just before that explosion…!’

 

His explosion was 8 years ago. Her memory was also from 8 years ago, when she was 12. If the foreign country he visited just before the explosion was Aventador…

 

‘If the boy I spent that night shivering with in the cabin is Kai before his explosion, everything fits…’

 

Her heart pounded violently.

 

‘He came to the King’s birthday banquet as a foreign prince, which is why he hid his surname from me, and… Ah!!!’

 

As she matched his identity—unknown to her back then—with the situation of that day, another fact surfaced.

 

‘That’s right, Kai said it that day. He said the men in his family have a history of suddenly growing at some point!!’

 

And she remembered how she had comforted him when he was downcast, telling him he was ‘like a Ukla tree.’ As the conversations from that day came flooding back all at once, her head rang and throbbed with pain again. It seemed she had overexerted herself in her unstable state.

 

“Ugh…”

 

But even as she sank to the ground clutching her head, she diligently recalled and organized her recovered memories. Although their appearances didn’t connect well, the boy named Kai she met that day had to be the same person as the current Emperor of this Empire.

 

‘We had met. Back then, and now, we met without knowing who the other was. Then… could Kai’s first love possibly be…’

 

Just as her thoughts reached that point, a black silhouette appeared in the forest.

 

 

***

 

 

Having returned to his room to rest for a moment, Kaisertern couldn’t shake the lingering sensation from the hot spring a short while ago. Whether he closed his eyes or opened them, Yulli kept flickering before him. He had let her go because she seemed to want to rest, but in truth, he still had plenty of stamina left.

 

He tried to tell himself that he needed to let her rest since she looked tired, but the afterimage of the time they spent together remained in his brain and body, tormenting him.

 

“…This is driving me crazy.”

 

Pacing around his room with a heated body, he eventually headed toward her room.

 

‘I just want to see her. I’m not going to do anything to a tired girl. I’ll feel better if I just see her face.’

 

Repeating this to himself, Kaisertern strode to Yulli’s room and knocked gently on the door.

 

“Yulli, it’s me.”

 

But there was no answer from inside. Thinking she might be fast asleep, he pressed his ear to the door to check for any presence. However, there was no sign of anyone in the room.

 

‘…?!’

 

He threw the door open. As he had suspected from the lack of presence, the room was empty.

 

‘Where on earth did she go at this time of night?’

 

She was a maid who only attended to him, so there was almost zero chance she had gone out to do other work.

 

‘Did she go for a walk in the palace gardens?’

 

She said she was tired, but that was possible. However, strangely enough, he felt incredibly anxious. His intuition was sounding a warning alarm that this was not a normal situation. Kaisertern immediately found a servant.

 

“Find Yulli. Mobilize every servant in this palace and bring her here immediately!”

 

After turning the entire Hot Spring Palace upside down looking for Yulli, Kaisertern finally heard from the main gatekeeper that a beautiful platinum-blonde maid had left earlier.

 

“She went outside the palace?”

 

There was no time to be angry at the gatekeeper who had let her out without suspicion. The moment he heard those words, he rode his horse into the forest. Knowing Kaisertern’s temper about hating a long trail of subordinates, the servant had only two guards follow him.

 

Sitting on his horse, Kaisertern quietly focused his mind. He searched for the trace of magic he had placed on Yulli some time ago, soon found a faint trail, and headed in that direction.

 

‘I placed it to prevent her from using magic inside the Imperial Palace; I never thought I’d use it for this. Yulli, where on earth did you go and why? Just be safe.’

 

Cautiously tracking her trail, Kaisertern suddenly felt mana rippling right in front of him like seaweed in water. Annoyed, he frowned slightly and snatched it away, tossing it aside like clearing a sagging spiderweb.

 

“A magic trap. Why is this…”

 

The moment Kaisertern casually swatted away the magic trap, Roabellin, who had been in agony, was released from its binding. Although the shock delivered to her brain was so great that the memories she had lost were returning as a side effect.

 

It had no effect on people without magic. But if a person with magic was caught in that trap, they would feel pain as if a crown of thorns was tightly squeezing their head. In other words, it was a spell that rendered resistance impossible. Kaisertern, possessing immense mana, could easily remove the trap, but for ordinary mages, it was a trap that could not be ignored.

 

“Beyond this forest is Radak’s territory, isn’t it?”

 

In the darkness, he cast his gaze toward the direction of the unseen Schlett Grand Duchy.

 

‘Yulli suddenly disappeared, and Radak has installed magic traps all over the forest…’

 

Perhaps these events were just coincidental overlaps. However, his mind recalled the time Radak had held Yulli, who had collapsed from a cold, and taken her to the palace doctor. He had brought her straight into the Emperor’s Palace precisely because he was worried Radak might harbor dark intentions and lay a hand on her.

 

‘Radak must have known Yulli and I were coming here today. For sure.’

 

Every royal knew very well that information was a lifeline. So royals always tried to grasp the movements within the Imperial Palace, and some even planted spies in the Emperor’s Palace. Kaisertern was not unaware of this. Therefore, rather than the fact that Radak likely knew his schedule, the circumstances suggesting Radak had his eyes on Yulli were far more unpleasant.

 

‘I know the two met before when Yulli had changed her face with magic… But with Radak’s level of mana, he might have figured out Yulli’s true appearance long ago.’

 

If so, it would be a piece of cake for Radak to find Yulli in this forest. Kaisertern felt a sense of urgency.

 

‘I must find her first.’

 

He urged his horse forward carefully, focusing more intently on finding Yulli’s trace. The subordinates who followed quietly trailed behind the Emperor.

 

 

***

 

 

“You there, who are you?”

 

The voice of the black figure approaching with a casually tossed question was a bit husky, but unexpectedly, it belonged to a woman. Roabellin tried to pick herself up from where she had collapsed. Seeing this, the woman approached quickly and helped support Roabellin to stand.

 

For a woman, she was quite tall and had a large build, but she was definitely a woman. And surprisingly, she was dressed as a knight. The female knight examined Roabellin’s condition with worried eyes.

 

“Hey, are you okay?”

 

She asked, but there was really no need to ask. Roabellin’s condition looked bad to anyone’s eyes. Confirming Roabellin’s state, the knight rummaged through her small bag, took out a dried leaf, and held it out.

 

“Put this in your mouth and hold it there. You’ll feel a bit better.”

 

Putting something given by a stranger into one’s mouth without checking is a foolish act. Roabellin knew this, of course.

 

‘But… she’s not someone who will harm me. I can tell.’

 

Since she was in a state where even walking alone was difficult anyway, if the intention was to harm her, there was no need to lure her with kindness. Roabellin decided to trust the good energy she felt from the knight.

 

When she accepted the leaf and put it in her mouth, she tasted a subtle sweetness. Roabellin soon felt the pain lighten a little. Watching her face closely, the knight spoke in a bright voice.

 

“See, it’s a bit better, right? It’s a natural painkiller that works quite well.”

 

Her head was still ringing, but Roabellin managed to answer.

 

“Ah, yes… Thank you. But may I ask who you are…”

 

“As you can see, I’m a knight. I’m on night patrol. What is a young lady doing alone here at this time of night?”

 

If she was a knight, and even on patrol right now, Roabellin immediately knew this knight must belong to some noble family.

 

“Is this… a noble’s territory?”

 

“You catch on quick, miss. This is the forest connected to the Schlett Grand Duchy.”

 

“Pardon? Grand Duke Schlett?!”

 

“Yes. You must have heard of His Highness the Grand Duke’s name?”

 

“Ah, yes. Uh, he is… His Majesty the Emperor’s older brother, correct…?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. The one and only Grand Duke of Prahenfelt.”

 

The knight spoke proudly. At her answer, Roabellin’s small hope that perhaps “he” wasn’t Radak crumbled instantly.

 

“Ah…”

 

“By the way, what brings you to the forest at this hour?”

 

“Ah, that is… I was passing through and lost my way.”

 

“Hmm. What is your name, miss?”

 

“It’s… Yulli.”

 

“Hmm. I am Letis. Yulli, I’m going to need you to come with me. Anyone trespassing on the Grand Duchy at night needs to be investigated.”

 

“What?!”

 

To be told to go to the Grand Duke for an investigation while she was in the middle of escaping.

 

‘Will I be tortured for being suspicious? Or perhaps, will I be taken to Radak? No, he’s the human who said strange things to me when I was hospitalized before and then disappeared!’

 

While Roabellin was too flustered to answer, a low voice resonated from right behind her.

 

“Take that hand off her.”

 

When Roabellin and Letis turned toward the sound, Kaisertern was lightly dismounting from his horse. Recognizing him by the moonlight, Roabellin felt all the strength drain from her body.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Roabellin mumbled weakly. She had made a decent plan to run away from him. She thought she had almost succeeded. To think he found her so soon after she disappeared. Roabellin was devastated.

 

‘How on earth did he find me? How far do I have to run for Kai not to find me…?’

 

Kaisertern, looking at Roabellin with intense eyes, strode toward her as she sat blankly on the ground. He knelt on one knee in front of her, gently held her chin, and examined her face.

 

“Yulli. What happened? Are you hurt?”

 

Letis, who was in front of them, was surprised once that the Emperor had come personally, and twice at his incredibly affectionate demeanor toward a mere maid.

 

‘That gaze is unmistakably the look one gives a precious lover. Who on earth is this woman that both the Grand Duke and the Emperor want her?’

 

Roabellin avoided Kaisertern’s eyes slightly and answered.

 

“N-no. It’s just, the tension released…”

 

Only after hearing her answer did Kaisertern stand up and look at Letis. Since she had already heard Roabellin call him ‘Your Majesty,’ Letis couldn’t pretend not to know Kaisertern. As soon as her eyes met his, she knelt on one knee and showed the courtesy of a knight.

 

“I greet Your Majesty, the Sun of Prahenfelt and the Lord of all knights. Knight Letis Berfen offers her loyalty.”

 

Kaisertern remembered that she was the escort knight standing behind Radak when he had entered the palace to offer greetings before. She remained in his memory because female knights were not common.

 

He looked at Letis with an overwhelming gaze and asked. It was eyes completely different from when he looked at Roabellin.

 

“We’ve met. Why are you here?”

 

It was in the form of a question, but Letis felt as if he saw right through whose person she was and what order she was carrying out.

 

‘Phew, this gaze and intimidation… the Emperor is indeed the Emperor. I can’t lie in front of this.’

 

Letis shook her head inwardly and spoke while still kneeling.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty. This forest connects to the Schlett Grand Duchy, and I was on night patrol.”

 

Hearing her words, one of Kaisertern’s eyebrows rose.

 

“It merely connects to the Grand Duchy; this isn’t the Duke’s territory. Yet you are patrolling all the way here?”

 

At his question, Letis broke into a cold sweat. It was a situation where she had to answer carefully.

 

‘If I say I patrol beyond the territory border, he could accuse the Grand Duke of coveting the Emperor’s land. Even if I say I crossed the border by mistake just today, he won’t believe it…’

 

While she was sweating and choosing her words, Kaisertern added another question.

 

“Furthermore, a knight, not a guard, is on night patrol. Was there some accident in the Grand Duchy?”

 

“It’s not that…”

 

She started to speak with difficulty, but Kaisertern didn’t let that slide either.

 

“I saw magic traps set up in the forest. Judging by the area covered, the Grand Duke must have installed them himself. Did the Duke send a knight to catch someone with magic who got caught in the trap?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Letis let out a dumbfounded sound without realizing it.

 

‘It is true that the Grand Duke told me to bring this woman, but…’

 

It was clearly an order the Grand Duke had given Letis, but the Emperor seemed to know more details about this order than she did, making her head spin.

 

Throughout the evening, Radak had been focusing on the magic traps he had installed. Sensing that Roabellin had entered the forest boundary, he immediately sent his knight, Letis, to bring her. Letis was loyal and tight-lipped, and since she had no magic, she was unaffected by the traps, making her the most suitable person for this task.

 

While assigning various tasks to Letis, Radak hadn’t told her exactly who Roabellin was or why she needed to be brought in. He had simply said, “I need that child. Our search for her is top secret.” So Letis had vaguely thought Roabellin was just a lady from a good lineage. And from the Emperor’s question just now, Letis inferred additional information: Roabellin possessed magic.

 

Leaving Letis, who was dazed from trying to piece together Kaisertern’s questions and Radak’s orders in her head, Kaisertern approached Roabellin again.

 

“We’ll hear the story of what happened when we get back.”

 

“Y-yes.”

 

Roabellin tried to stand up holding the hand Kaisertern offered, but her legs trembled and she staggered. Immediately, Kaisertern supported her shoulders and behind her knees, lifting her lightly into his arms.

 

“Ah…!”

 

Roabellin made a startled sound, but Kaisertern examined her condition as if it were nothing.

 

“The trap must have been quite powerful.”

 

Roabellin was flustered to be held in his arms in front of Letis and the guards, but she couldn’t resist the Emperor in front of them. Holding Roabellin, Kaisertern turned his head slightly toward Letis again.

 

“Go and tell the Grand Duke. This child is already my woman, so tell him not to try anything futile.”

 

As if he didn’t need to hear Letis’s reply, Kaisertern turned around, still holding Roabellin. He mounted his horse with her, and the guards quietly followed behind the Emperor.

 

‘His Majesty is sincere about that woman named Yulli. Who on earth is she…’

 

Left alone, Letis stood for a long time watching their retreating figures fade into the distance.

 

 

***

 

 

Kaisertern didn’t ask Roabellin anything while they returned to the Hot Spring Palace. However, even after arriving, he didn’t let her go and took her straight into his room. He felt that if he let go of her hand, she would vanish somewhere like smoke. Unaware of his feelings, Roabellin glanced at him nervously and spoke cautiously.

 

“Um, Your Majesty. May I go to my room first to wash up and rest…?”

 

Roabellin was in a hurry because she needed to quickly separate the money in her pocket and the comfortable clothes she was wearing under her maid uniform and hide them. If those were discovered, she would have no excuse other than that she had tried to leave the palace tonight.

 

But Kaisertern couldn’t bring himself to tell her to go to her room. He turned away from her, took off his jacket, and asked in a voice he tried to keep calm.

 

“Why did you go there?”

 

At his question, Roabellin bit her lip.

 

‘So it’s come to this. Right, there’s no way he would let it slide without asking.’

 

She carefully recited the answer she had prepared in advance.

 

“Well… perhaps because I stayed in the hot spring, I felt feverish and couldn’t sleep. So I intended to take a somewhat long walk, but I lost my way.”

 

Of course, from Kaisertern’s perspective, Roabellin’s answer was dubious. His brow furrowed slightly.

 

‘What kind of walk involves going outside the Hot Spring Palace where there’s nothing to see? And all the way to the forest connected to Radak’s territory?’

 

Furthermore, Kaisertern had seen with his own eyes that Radak’s knight tried to take her.

 

‘Did Radak try to kidnap Yulli? Or… was there a prior agreement between the two?’

 

Either option was unpleasant.

 

When Kaisertern remained silent, Roabellin glanced at him again.

 

“Your Majesty…? Um, I apologize. Going out arbitrarily at night and getting lost… I was careless. If you were worried…”

 

Since she was in the wrong, she felt guilty and couldn’t bring herself to call him Kai, keeping a psychological distance. But before she could finish her sentence, Kaisertern said something unexpected.

 

“Before we go to bed, you need to wash.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Roabellin couldn’t understand the meaning of his sudden words.

 

“Fill the bathtub with water.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

Although she didn’t understand why, Roabellin moved quickly, grateful that she could avoid this situation for the moment. Leaving the water running in the tub, she quickly took off the comfortable clothes she wore under her maid uniform and hid them in the corner of the bathroom along with the money.

 

‘Phew… Done. Later when I leave, I just need to hide them properly between the towels.’

 

As she turned around with a sigh of relief, she saw Kaisertern entering the bathroom. He had finished undressing in the meantime and was wearing only a large towel around his lower body, just like before. Startled to see him enter so suddenly, Roabellin made a small gasping sound.

 

“Hah, Your… Majesty.”

 

She quickly bowed slightly to indicate she would leave. But Kaisertern grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. Roabellin was drawn by his strong force and ended up burying her face in his broad, solid bare chest. When she looked up in surprise, her eyes met Kaisertern’s as he looked down at her. Roabellin’s eyes widened when she saw his golden eyes rippling with a darker color than usual.

 

Sex appeal flowed alluringly from his face as he looked down at Roabellin. However, regardless of his scent that seemed to seduce her or his face dripping with sensuality, Kaisertern’s mind was boiling with possessiveness.

 

The desire to let her rest since she must be tired and shocked today, and the desire to ensure Radak could never covet her again, were fighting loudly inside him. And before long, one side won.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

Kaisertern wrapped one arm around Roabellin’s waist and began unbuttoning her maid uniform with the other.

 

“You have to attend to my bath.”

 

Before Roabellin could say anything, he covered her lips with his. Even while kissing her, he moved his hands diligently and easily stripped off her maid uniform. Then, he placed his hand on her lower abdomen.

 

“This is an advance payment—for the stamina you’ll be using tonight.”

 

Realizing what his words meant from her earlier experience, Roabellin’s face turned bright red.

 

“What—now you’re just saying it outright?!”

 

At her shy reaction, his expression, which had been stiff the whole time, softened slightly.

 

“Hah, right. But remember what I promised. I won’t force the position of concubine on you until you want it.”

 

Roabellin’s relief was short-lived.

 

“However, if you conceive a child, I can’t delay it any longer then.”

 

At his words, Roabellin’s eyes widened, but before she could speak, her mouth was blocked by his lips. The passionate time that began again like that continued almost until dawn.

 

 

***

 

 

After spending one more day at the Hot Spring Palace, the two boarded the carriage to return to the Imperial Palace. Just like when they came, Roabellin rode in Kaisertern’s carriage.

 

‘Phew… It really was an intense two days. If Kai hadn’t cast stamina recovery magic on me several times, I would have collapsed long ago.’

 

Thinking back on the past two days at the Hot Spring Palace, Roabellin shook her head.

 

‘They weren’t exaggerating when they said he isn’t fully human… Those weren’t empty words. It really was superhuman stamina.’

 

Of course, that was partly due to Kaisertern’s stamina, but also because his possessiveness and desire for monopoly had risen to an unmanageable level because of Radak.

 

Kaisertern, sitting opposite her, was also looking back on this trip.

 

‘Except for the moment Yulli disappeared, it was truly a dreamlike two days. I guess I confirmed the extent of my feelings for Yulli thanks to Radak.’

 

Looking at her while thinking, he smiled because the sight of her shaking her head slightly while lost in her own thoughts was cute. Suddenly meeting his eyes, Roabellin remembered something. It was one of the memories she regained in the forest the night before last. She spoke cautiously.

 

“Um, Kai. You said that the magic trap works by delivering a shock to the brain of a person with magic, right?”

 

“Mostly, yes. The wavelength I felt that day was also that of a standard magic trap.”

 

“Ah, I see…”

 

Roabellin realized that her memories had returned because of the shock the magic trap had inflicted on her. Then, Kaisertern brought up a different topic.

 

“By any chance, have you ever been to Aventador?”

 

“Pardon? Why do you ask about there…”

 

Roabellin felt a prick of conscience but answered while trying to appear nonchalant.

 

“Because you seemed to recognize the Earl Grey from Aventador before.”

 

“Ah, did I?”

 

It was an unexpected topic. She didn’t know he would remember something she muttered to herself. Roabellin quickly rolled her brain to create an excuse.

 

“Ah, I tried it a little at the noble house I worked at before… so I got to know it.”

 

She also knew that Aventador Earl Grey was precious. However, it was something she encountered when she was young and could taste occasionally at the ducal residence. Therefore, she didn’t know that it was a supreme specialty product that only the royalty of Aventador, the direct line of the quasi-royal Hertenes family, and the Emperor of Prahenfelt could eat.

 

‘There’s no way they would give something that precious to a mere maid.’

 

Thanks to that, Kaisertern became certain she was lying. He thought about asking which noble family she worked for but decided against it.

 

‘It would be better to investigate a bit more and then corner her all at once.’*

 

In the meantime, Roabellin quickly asked a question to change the subject.

 

“Have you ever been to Aventador, Your Majesty?”

 

At her question, a slight shadow cast over Kaisertern’s face. For him, it was a painful memory he didn’t really want to talk about. But the one beside him now was the living Yulli, not the Roabellin from a distant memory. Not wanting to ignore her question, Kaisertern hesitated briefly before answering.

 

“…I went there as a diplomatic envoy.”

 

Not even imagining that he was picturing his childhood self, Roabellin continued her questions.

 

“When… was that?”

 

“When I was 15. That’s 8 years ago.”

 

With the evidence narrowing down specifically, Roabellin swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.

 

“Ah, so you were dispatched as a diplomatic envoy even at a young age. What was the occasion?”

 

“It was the King of Aventador’s birthday banquet.”

 

At his words, Roabellin went blank. 8 years ago, he came to the Royal Palace for the King of Aventador’s birthday banquet. And at that time, she had met a boy with black hair and golden eyes named ‘Kai’…

 

‘It was me. That first love Kai liked so much… was me. The two of us who endured a night together in that small cabin have met again after 8 years.’

 

The more she thought about it, the more bizarre the connection seemed.

 

‘I thought I was only destined to be the Queen of Aventador… But before my family disappeared, I had already formed a connection, however brief, with the Emperor of Prahenfelt.’

 

Then, something suddenly occurred to her. It was what the head maid had told her at the Imperial Palace the day before yesterday. That the first love who caused Kaisertern to ‘explode’ had died.

 

‘Right. Roabellin Hertenes is officially considered dead. The fact that a mere head maid knows this means Kai knew it too, and if Kai knew I was dead… did he inquire about my news again after returning to the Empire?’

 

After organizing her thoughts for a moment, she asked Kaisertern a slightly more direct question.

 

“Um, I heard that you ‘exploded’ when you were 15, Your Majesty. The explosion and the visit to Aventador were in the same year; did you perhaps meet your first love in Aventador?”

 

Since Kaisertern believed she was dead, this question was actually rude to him. But Roabellin pretended not to know the detail that ‘she died’ and deliberately brought it up. As expected, Kaisertern’s expression darkened noticeably at her question.

 

Just as the worry that she shouldn’t have asked raised its head, Kaisertern, who seemed to hesitate a little, fortunately opened his mouth.

 

“…Yes. I went to find her at her home as soon as the explosion was over, but I could never meet her again.”

 

“What, why…?”

 

“I was told that the entire family was massacred overnight by a raid. That child was the first person I gave my heart to after my mother, the former Empress, passed away. So I was heartbroken for quite a long time. …To be honest, I thought of that child when I first met you in the alley during the Vicent Festival. It’s been a long time now so her face is hazy, but I remember she had platinum blonde hair and purple eyes.”

 

Listening to her own story from his lips, Roabellin pressed down on her violently pounding chest and continued asking.

 

“Since you mention a mansion, she must have been a noble lady.”

 

“Yes, she was a Duke’s daughter. I didn’t know when I met her at the palace, but I had people investigate after returning to the country. They said it was a family that had produced the Queens of Aventador for generations.”

 

“……”

 

Leaving the slightly dazed Roabellin be, Kaisertern continued.

 

“However, I didn’t fall in love with you because you look similar to that child. And just as I didn’t fall for her family background back then, the fact that your status is a commoner doesn’t matter to me either. I will definitely find a way to seat you beside me.”

 

Seeing Kaisertern cherishing the memories with his dead first love, Roabellin finally saw the small boy from back then overlapping with him. Her heart felt so heavy she couldn’t say anything. Afraid she might blurt out that his first love was alive, she turned her gaze away and bit her lip slightly.

 

 

***

 

 

A few days later, Estina secretly entered the Royal Palace Archives again. It was difficult to find a time when all her colleagues were away, so she had to watch for an opportunity for a long time.

 

‘This really isn’t easy.’

 

After checking her surroundings several times, Estina entered Archive Room 32, which was off-limits. Since she had been inside once before, she was able to quickly find the materials from the desired time period among the documents on the shelves.

 

‘Up to here are records of the current King. From here on are the records of the former King, meaning Prince Iskal’s father.’

 

Estina soon found the records of the former King, Ierik, and opened them from the very back.

 

‘Here is the funeral. And if I go further forward… Oh, found it.’

 

Estina’s eyes and fingertips quickly scanned the records of that day.

 

「Visual inspection of His Majesty’s body was performed. The fingertips and toes had turned black, and dark green veins were visible through the skin more than usual. Not only the thick veins but even the fine veins had darkened in color and were clearly visible.」

 

‘Ugh, scary.’

 

Estina pictured the described appearance of the corpse in her mind and shuddered slightly.

 

‘If I look for the records from the day before he passed away… Ah, here. His skin suddenly turned bluish and he lost consciousness… The royal physician came immediately, but he breathed his last before any measures could be taken… I think I know what this is. Let’s look a little more.’

 

Going back a little further in time, she found this content.

 

「Suddenly, a foul odor like rotting fish began to emanate from His Majesty, and it persisted throughout the day. The odor was strong enough for everyone attending His Majesty at close range to smell it. However, His Majesty himself could not smell it.」

 

Narrowing her brow, Estina moved to the records a bit earlier. Soon finding what she wanted, she nodded slightly. She quickly arranged the materials back to their original state and carefully slipped out of the archives.

 

“Phew…”

 

Only after entering her office with quick steps could Estina breathe a sigh of relief. Her heart pounded belatedly. Perhaps because he was someone Estina herself had met in person when she entered the palace as a child, his death felt vividly real again and weighed heavily on her heart.

 

‘I really didn’t know. I didn’t know the former King closed his eyes so unjustly…’

 

Estina, who had been diligent in developing and manufacturing potions for years, also had extensive knowledge of medicinal herbs and poisonous plants.

 

‘Mages who wield magic freely aren’t very interested in potions, but I dug into them because potions were the only thing I could rely on. I didn’t know it would be helpful like this.’

 

Estina took out a short-range communication device and attempted to connect to Iskal. It was a simple device that allowed free communication within a few kilometers, which Iskal had made and given to her a few days ago. Iskal connected immediately as if he had been waiting for her call.

 

“Estina?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll speak quickly. The investigation went well, and please get me just one book.”

 

Estina lowered her voice as much as possible and spoke quickly, fearing someone might overhear.

 

“Alright, what is the title of the book?”

 

“<Research on Rare Poisonous Herbs>, authored by Campiella. It’s a bit of an old book, but it should be in the Royal Library. Probably in the restricted section… or, it’s in our Magic School library.”

 

“I understand for now. I’ll get it somehow. Let’s meet outside the main gate of the palace later.”

 

It wasn’t an easy request, but Iskal agreed without a second thought and disconnected quickly. It seemed he was going to find that book immediately.

 

That evening, the two left work and headed home quickly. As soon as they closed the door at home, Estina asked.

 

“You got the book, right?”

 

At her impatient question, Iskal smiled slightly and took the book out of his bosom and handed it to her. Even Estina, who had believed he would get it, couldn’t help but be a little surprised to see he had actually brought it.

 

“My goodness, how did you get this?”

 

“It was a bit tricky. Since my status is a professor who quit after working for a short while, borrowing a somewhat sensitive book from the Magic School would attract too much attention. And the restricted section of the Royal Library is protected by magic, so even if I managed to sneak the book out, traces of magic would eventually remain.”

 

“Then where is this from…?”

 

“The Prahenfelt Imperial Library. I made an emergency cooperation request.”

 

“Pardon? You have connections there too?”

 

“Because I’m the Master of the Magic Tower.”

 

It was a simple answer, but Estina immediately understood the meaning behind it.

 

‘True, the Magic Tower itself is on the same level as a nation. And every country wants to join hands with the Magic Tower.’

 

This time it was Iskal’s turn to ask.

 

“But why this book?”

 

“Ah, I think I know what happened to the former King. I asked for it because I remembered reading about it in that book a long time ago.”

 

Estina took the book, sat right at the dining table, and scanned the table of contents. Soon finding the section she wanted, her eyes flashed.

 

“Found it. As expected… I know what happened.”

 

Iskal swallowed dry saliva while watching only her lips.

 

“It’s Nefarity. The poison extracted and refined from the poisonous herb ‘Nefaritas’ is called ‘Nefarity.’ It’s a very rare and unique poison.”

 

Estina first explained to Iskal the final records of the former King she had seen in the archives earlier. Hearing the details of the symptoms his father suffered, Iskal’s face distorted slightly.

 

“These are typical symptoms that appear when Nefarity is ingested. The most important characteristic of this poison is that the effects appear about 24 hours after ingestion.”

 

“That symptoms don’t appear immediately after eating the poison means…”

 

“Yes, the culprit uses that to buy time to escape. Since typical poisons show effects within an hour or two at most, Nefarity is perfect for causing confusion in the investigation.”

 

Iskal nodded.

 

“Because usually, they suspect the food eaten just before the symptoms appear.”

 

“Exactly. The culprit would have already been far away from the crime scene before symptoms appeared, but even if they stayed at the scene, they could escape suspicion as long as there was proof they didn’t touch the food just eaten.”

 

“Then, they must have used the poison in my father’s meal?”

 

“Most likely. This poison smells fishy, so it can’t be used in salads or meat dishes. Usually, it’s put in seafood dishes. That’s why I looked up the records for the lunch menu the day before he passed away, and as expected, unusually, there was no meat at all and it consisted only of dishes containing seafood. So that he couldn’t avoid eating seafood.”

 

“That means, rather than someone sneaking it in alone while cooking…”

 

At Iskal’s words, Estina nodded.

 

“Yes. The cooperation of the person planning the menu for that day would have been essential. Given that the culprit used the rare Nefarity, they must have planned to put it in a seafood dish from the beginning. We need to investigate everyone: the head chef who planned the King’s meal menu at the time, the cook who prepared it directly, and even the servants who served the food to the King.”

 

Iskal answered while looking with admiration at her, who organized and presented the direction of the investigation in an instant.

 

“Then I’ll have people investigate the whereabouts of those who served my father in the palace at that time.”

 

“Yes. And we will investigate Nefarity and the current King.”

 

“Right. Cultivation of Nefaritas was banned, so where could they have obtained it?”

 

Even back then, Nefaritas was treated as a highly dangerous plant. For that reason, since the reign of the King before the last, orders had been given to burn all Nefaritas nationwide and ban its cultivation.

 

“Although it was banned, there is exactly one place where it can be grown. Because the flower is so beautiful.”

 

Estina turned the book toward Iskal and showed him an illustration of the flower.

 

“You must have seen it too, Your Highness.”

 

Seeing the flower she pointed to, Iskal’s eyes soon widened.

 

“That is… from the King’s greenhouse…!”

 

The King’s greenhouse was, quite literally, a greenhouse owned personally by the King of Aventador. Aside from the King, only the minimum personnel required to tend the greenhouse were allowed entry. However, since the greenhouse was filled with rare plants procured from various regions, the Kings of the past would occasionally take family members or important guests inside for a tour.

 

The former King, Ierik, also used to take young Iskal to see the greenhouse from time to time. Since the Nefaritas flower was exceptionally beautiful even within that greenhouse, he remembered it vividly.

 

‘The vibrant colors and delicate petals were truly beautiful. To think that is what killed Father…’

 

A shadow cast over Iskal’s face as he recalled that flower and his father showing it to him.

 

“Then, did Uncle steal that poisonous herb from Father’s greenhouse back then?”

 

“We’ll have to investigate, but based on current conjectures, it’s highly unlikely they got the poisonous herb from anywhere else. Also, there are probably very few pharmacists capable of extracting poison from this herb. It’s a poisonous plant that practically disappeared two generations ago.”

 

“Right. Then I will find the pharmacist who can create that poison.”

 

“Yes, that might be the most crucial part. If you find them, you must bring them back alive. We need to collect their testimony.”

 

At Estina’s request mixed with a bit of worry, Iskal smiled brightly.

 

“I understand. Considering whose command it is.”

 

“Oh my, ‘command’? What would people say if they heard that?”

 

They were alone, but he was still a Grand Duke. Estina, surprised by his choice of words, glared at him playfully, but Iskal’s expression turned slightly mischievous.

 

“What does it matter between us?”

 

“What?! What about us…”

 

While the flustered Estina couldn’t find the right words, Iskal stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and headed to the kitchen.

 

“Us? We’re not just an ordinary relationship. Come on, I’ll make dinner. Go wash up and come out.”

 

His voice, as he casually changed the subject, was tinged with laughter. Having missed the timing to refute him, Estina could only answer, “Ah, um, okay…”

 

After dinner, Iskal went into his study and fell into thought. His thoughts on the ongoing investigation were brief; his mind quickly drifted toward Estina.

 

‘Once the investigation is over, Estina will return to Avery.’

 

Iskal felt a sense of urgency, thinking that there needed to be definite progress in his relationship with her before the investigation concluded.

 

‘What must I do to make Estina say she will stay with me instead of going to Avery?’

 

He considered various scenarios.

 

‘Even if I drive out my uncle and sit on the throne, as long as Roabellin, the direct descendant of the Ducal House, exists, we cannot marry.’

 

He sighed deeply and decided to change his line of thinking entirely.

 

‘Then, what if I don’t sit on the throne of Aventador? If I decide to live as a Grand Duke for the rest of my life, could I become the partner of Estina, a collateral descendant of the Ducal House?’

 

After thinking about it for a moment, Iskal shook his head slightly.

 

‘For Estina to officially become my companion, the restoration of the honor of the Hertenes family, currently framed for treason, must come first. But if someone other than me ascends to the throne, there is no knowing if they will reinstate Hertenes, or if they will try to root out the family completely by eliminating even the surviving Estina and Roabellin.’

 

Currently, the successors to the throne in line after Iskal and Skark were all quite distant from the direct royal lineage. Therefore, whoever became King would likely lack confidence in the legitimacy of their throne. In the history of Aventador, such Kings always tried to avoid marriage with daughters of the Ducal House at all costs.

 

‘I never want Estina to live in fear and hiding again. I want to let her live with her head held high, being treated with dignity. To do that, the only way left is for me to become King.’

 

Actually, for Estina, a collateral descendant, to become Queen, theoretically, the direct descendant Roabellin just had to disappear. Whether she truly died, or lived in hiding disguised as dead. But Iskal knew well that Estina loved and cherished Roabellin, her only remaining family, like a biological sister.

 

‘A way for everyone to be happy without touching Roabellin’s safety. I must find it. I will definitely find it.’

 

Iskal resolved to find a way somehow. And he had a more important task at hand.

 

‘For now, I must win Estina’s heart while we are together. Ideally, we should deepen our relationship as quickly as possible.’

 

 

***

 

 

The next day, Iskal left for the region that had been Euraxiz’s territory when he was a Grand Duke. It was to find the pharmacist who could create the Nefarity poison. While Iskal was away, Estina scoured the archives and royal records to gain additional information.

 

Several days passed like that. As Estina was leaving work and coming out of the palace, she spotted Iskal waiting for her in front of the main gate. Delighted, she immediately ran and threw herself into Iskal’s arms.

 

“Your Highness! I’m so glad you returned safely. You came back sooner than I thought!”

 

She quickly checked Iskal’s face and body to see if he was hurt anywhere.

 

“I had a successful trip! You still seem to have too little faith in me.”

 

Speaking brightly, Iskal held both her cheeks and pressed his forehead against hers.

 

“I really missed you.”

 

Although she had run and hugged him first, the skinship he initiated felt somewhat embarrassing, so Estina turned her gaze aside.

 

“M-me too. Ah, um, did you find them?”

 

Since they were outside, she couldn’t say the subject explicitly, but Iskal understood what she meant.

 

“Of course.”

 

He showed a lovely eye smile, grabbed Estina’s wrist, and led her.

 

“Let’s talk at home.”

 

It had only been a few days since she last saw him, yet Iskal’s smiling eyes tickled her heart, and the wrist he held felt electric.

 

Arriving home, the two immediately went into Iskal’s study and sat facing each other.

 

“How did you find them? What happened?”

 

As soon as she sat down, Estina poured out questions. Seeing her acting impatiently, Iskal smiled broadly and began his story.

 

When he went to the former territory of Grand Duke Cobarde, he received information about the pharmacists in that region through informants he had released in advance. It was about the pharmacists active at the time of the former King’s poisoning. There were three pharmacists capable of manufacturing poison in that region at the time, and fortunately, they were all still alive.

 

“I grilled those pharmacists with the background information my informants investigated. Eventually, one guy confessed. He said he learned how to extract poison from Nefaritas and increase its purity from his grandfather a long time ago. And 19 years ago, a man sent by a ‘high-ranking person’ came looking for that poison.”

 

“It was Nefarity after all. Ah, but at that time, Nefaritas flowers were already unavailable in the market…”

 

“Right. They said the client brought the Nefaritas himself.”

 

“Aha… But how do we prove that this was the current King’s doing?”

 

“We need to find evidence that Uncle stole that flower from the King’s greenhouse. And I discovered one more interesting point.”

 

Estina’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

 

“What is it?”

 

“It seems that the ‘client sent on an errand by a high-ranking person’ was Uncle himself.”

 

“What? He went there personally?”

 

“Actually, the client seemed suspicious, so I used hypnosis on the pharmacist. I made him describe the client’s appearance from his memory in detail, and it was exactly Uncle. He has a personality that doesn’t trust people easily, and he must have thought he couldn’t send someone else for such a secretive task.”

 

“My goodness. Will the fact that he commissioned it personally not serve as any evidence?”

 

“Because there is still no proof that Uncle used it on Father.”

 

Estina, who had slightly hoped they could corner the King immediately, couldn’t hide her disappointment.

 

“Then we need to find a more definite link.”

 

“Yes. As you said, there was a suspicious servant. I have people tracking his movements.”

 

“Understood. And I don’t know if it will help, but I found some information through additional investigation in the archives while you were away.”

 

While Iskal was finding and interrogating the pharmacist, Estina was also diligently chasing traces of the crime.

 

“It was the greenhouse entry log. From two months before the poisoning, the current King, then Grand Duke Cobarde, entered the greenhouse three times. I don’t know what excuse he used, but he received special permission from the former King.

 

“To a place even his royal father visited only very occasionally, he went three times in two months.”

 

“Perhaps he went knowing from the start that Nefaritas was only in the King’s greenhouse. On the last of the three visits, he probably harvested and removed it himself.”

 

Iskal nodded at her conjecture.

 

“That must be it.”

 

Lost in thought, Iskal’s brow furrowed.

 

A few days later, Iskal received word that they had found the servant whose whereabouts had been unknown.

 

He instructed his butler to confine the man in the basement and immediately created a gate to travel there. The place Iskal arrived at was none other than Prahenfelt.

 

Since Prahenfelt was one of his bases of operation, Iskal had prepared a residence in Vicentium as well. When he arrived at the house, the butler who was already there opened the door.

 

“You have arrived, Your Highness. We have locked him in the basement.”

 

As Iskal entered the house, he asked immediately.

 

“Was he living here in Vicentium?”

 

The seasoned butler summarized and reported the facts investigated about the servant.

 

“Yes, he suddenly appeared 19 years ago and settled in Vicentium. He has money and a title, but he is famous for his indecent behavior.”

 

“Indecent behavior?”

 

“He always drinks until he’s dead drunk, picks fights here and there, and causes disturbances. They say he frequents brothel salons too. Recently, he caused such a scene hitting a woman there that the police even came.”

 

Iskal shook his head in pathetic disbelief, as if there was nothing more to hear.

 

The place the two went down to was an unused underground warehouse. The man, bound to a chair with his eyes blindfolded, trembled in fear as the door opened and new footsteps approached.

 

After looking down at him with contemptuous eyes for a moment, Iskal dismissed the butler and all the subordinates guarding the underground warehouse.

 

“I will take over from here. You all leave for a moment.”

 

Before coming here, Iskal had investigated this man’s family and relatives to use as weaknesses. However, he was practically an outcast from his family and had no close friends to speak of. There was no one more suitable for this kind of job than him.

 

‘My aunt’s eye for people is truly admirable.’

 

Sneering internally, he soon hardened his expression.

 

‘If there are no weaknesses to exploit, I have no choice but to be cruel.’

 

Iskal took a step toward the man. The blindfolded man flinched as the presence drew near.

 

“Hans Conley.”

 

Hans’s fear doubled at the fact that an unknown man knew his real name exactly.

 

“Wh-who are you! Who the h-hell are you to c-call a Baron’s name so c-carelessly!”

 

He tried to shout loudly to muster some courage, but ironically, it resulted in expressing his fear without a filter. Seeing that, Iskal couldn’t help but smirk. Hearing the sound of a scoff, Hans realized it wasn’t the time to be loud and immediately changed his stance.

 

“Th-state your b-business.”

 

But in the next moment.

 

“Aaaagh!!!”

 

Intense pain pierced through Hans’s oily bald head. It felt like his head had been put in an iron vise and tightened with immense force. But the pain vanished in just a few seconds.

 

“Haa, haa, what is, this…”

 

To Hans, who was gasping for breath after escaping the pain, Iskal spoke leisurely.

 

“You, you were a distant relative of Queen Aklis, weren’t you?”

 

“……!!!”

 

At Iskal’s single sentence, Hans realized what he was trying to say. His entire body began to tremble like an aspen tree.

 

Accepting Hans’s gaping mouth and trembling as an affirmative answer, Iskal asked the next question.

 

“19 years ago, you entered the palace as a servant on the recommendation of the then Grand Duchess. Tell me everything from then until the time you caused the incident and fled the palace.”

 

Cold sweat poured from Hans’s entire body. If he knew how he entered the palace and even that he secretly fled, he had virtually found out almost everything.

 

‘But, maybe.’

 

Hans foolishly harbored a sliver of hope until the end.

 

‘He might not know everything. It might be a situation where he has suspicions but no physical evidence.’

 

Just as he rolled his brain quickly in a short time and was about to open his mouth, a tremendous pain struck the tip of his left foot this time.

 

“Uaaaargh!!!”

 

He felt the pain of his big toe, which was perfectly attached to his left foot, being cut off. Of course, this wasn’t real but a hallucination created by Iskal.

 

“Urgh… Why on earth…”

 

To Hans, who was sweating profusely in agony, Iskal spoke calmly.

 

“You’d better answer properly. Or else I’ll make other parts of you feel like that one by one.”

 

Hans, whose thoughts became simple due to this incomprehensible situation, was immediately seized by immense terror.

 

“O-okay, okay. Please… If you promise to s-spare me, I’ll t-tell you everything.”

 

With sweat and tears streaming down his thick cheeks, Hans begged Iskal. Honestly, Iskal wanted to make his father’s enemy suffer as much as possible.

 

‘But collecting testimony comes first.’

 

Sighing soundlessly, he cast a light spell on Hans. It was a spell to heighten emotions slightly. This would help him spill the truth much more fluently than his usual eloquence. Soon, forgetting the pain in his toe, Hans opened his mouth in a strangely excited state.

 

“The Queen, no, the Grand Duchess at the time and I were distant relatives and… lovers.”

 

Iskal’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected development.

 

“Like any children of noble families, the marriage between Aklis and the Grand Duke was naturally just a political marriage arranged by their families. Actually, she was secretly dating me before the marriage.”

 

It was true that nobles generally had loveless political marriages, and thus many kept mistresses or lovers separately. Since nobles sometimes even married cousins to maintain blood purity, it wasn’t particularly strange in high society for distant relatives to date.

 

“But because of Aklis’s marriage, we ended our relationship. Well, since Aklis was destined to marry the Grand Duke from before, I accepted it as a regrettable but natural procedure. How many years passed after that? One day, Aklis quietly summoned me.”

 

Hidden behind the blindfold, Hans’s eyes were groping through the distant past. In his memory, the young Grand Duchess Aklis spoke.

 

“We had a good time. Those were beautiful days. …Hans, do you still love me?”

 

Hans was flustered by the sudden words, but he still gave the answer she wanted immediately.

 

“Of course… Your Grace.”

 

At the satisfactory answer, a charming smile hung on Aklis’s lips. She looked into Hans’s eyes and lowered her voice as much as possible.

 

“Then, can you make me a Queen?”

 

“……”

 

When the surprised Hans couldn’t answer the unexpected words, Aklis said something even more shocking.

 

“Is it a bit sudden? Then let’s put it this way. If your son becomes the next King… how would that be?”

 

Hans’s beady eyes opened wider than they ever had in his life. Hans, who blinked blankly for a moment, barely opened his mouth.

 

“Th-then the Young Lord, Skark is…”

 

At his words, Aklis simply showed a captivating smile without a word.

 

“So there is something you need to help me with. It’s a simple task, but you must do it perfectly. Once successful, I will reward you very certainly.”

 

Swallowing hard, Hans nodded as if possessed.

 

“Not long after, I entered the palace on Aklis’s recommendation and became a servant to the King. About a month into the job, Aklis called me and handed me that poison. She told me to slip it in when serving the King’s meal the next day. She said to just verify that he ate the food with the poison, and then leave the palace immediately.”

 

That evening, Hans walked out of the palace main gate pretending to be calm, trying hard to hide his trembling hands.

 

“I went straight to Vicentium and settled down. Aklis had prepared a new name and enough money for me. I lived cutting off interest in Aventador after hearing the news that Aklis became Queen and Skark became a Prince. I only drank every day. Because I wanted to forget the terrible thing I committed.”

 

Iskal let out a deep sigh.

 

“Good, everything you’ve said up to now has been recorded on video. It will be used as evidence later.”

 

Iskal spoke as he turned off the magic tool that recorded and stored video.

 

“What, does that mean… Aaaaargh!!!”

 

Iskal spread his hand, making him see and feel the hallucination of his whole body burning.

 

“If it were up to me, I’d want to kill you right here. Since I can’t do that yet, just feel what it’s like to fall into hell for the time being.”

 

Hans was screaming in agony, twisting his whole body, unable to even speak properly.

 

“Consider it a part of the price for your sins. Pay the rest when you go to real hell.”

 

Spitting out the words, Iskal left the basement, leaving the writhing Hans behind. When he went up to the first floor and closed the door leading to the basement, the sound of his screaming became faint.

 

“Did the interrogation go well, Your Highness?”

 

The waiting butler asked calmly, as if he couldn’t hear the screams.

 

“I got the confession. I made him see hallucinations, so leave him like that for a while. He won’t die.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

“And plant a few people in the nobles’ social gatherings. Now, it’s time to spread rumors.”

 

After giving detailed instructions on the subsequent plan to the butler, Iskal immediately returned to his home in Aventador.

 

 

***

 

 

“Your Highness!!”

 

It had only been a day, so why was he so happy to see her? Iskal tightly hugged Estina’s shoulders as she ran to him.

 

“Estina, I really missed you.”

 

It was a low voice as usual, but Estina noticed a minute tremor. She quickly pulled away from him and examined his face carefully.

 

“What’s wrong, Your Highness. Did something happen? Did you perhaps… kill that man?”

 

At her worry, Iskal smiled slightly.

 

“I’m someone who has even been to war. I don’t get dispirited by something like that. Also, I didn’t kill him.”

 

Estina’s eyes went round, and relief filled her pretty purple eyes.

 

“Then…”

 

“It’s just, after hearing the poisoner’s testimony, I pictured those moments and didn’t feel good. I’m okay now. It’s in the past anyway, revenge is right before my eyes, and you are by my side.”

 

Iskal hugged Estina again. His troubled mind calmed down, and a nameless hope bloomed.

 

Having dinner together at home, Iskal told her the content of Hans’s confession. Of course, leaving out the part about torturing him. Estina, having heard Iskal’s story, nodded while organizing her thoughts.

 

“As expected. My guess was right. But, could it be true? If Prince Skark is Hans’s son…”

 

She trailed off because she was cautious, but Iskal answered as if it didn’t matter.

 

“It doesn’t matter either way, but probably not. There’s no way my ambitious aunt would carelessly carry Hans’s child. He was merely the third son of a Baron family. Even if she did get pregnant, I don’t think she would have carried it to term. It seems Hans cooperated in such a deed with the hope that his son would become King. He was completely deceived. It’s possible he dreamed of sitting on the throne himself by doing the same thing one more time after his old lover became Queen. Either way, he lived off the rewards for nineteen years. Whatever punishment awaits him now is his own doing.”

 

Iskal spoke coldly. It felt awkward to see a chill on his handsome face unlike usual, so Estina spoke deliberately brightly.

 

“Since we caught the decisive witness, we are almost at our goal now.”

 

At her words, Iskal’s face immediately relaxed back to his usual self.

 

“It’s all thanks to you. Don’t go anywhere and please stay by my side.”

 

Iskal’s gaze, looking at her with warm eyes, deepened, and he slowly approached her face. As Estina closed her eyes naturally, their lips soon overlapped. The silhouette of the two, completely becoming one, did not separate for a long time.