Chapter 67

As soon as Edelis arrived at the imperial palace, the palace physician came to apply medicine to her wounds. Sir Frache stayed in the room with a partition between them to guard her.  

“May I ask what happened?”  

“…I was taking a walk when Sir Pasis—no, Berman Pasis—kidnapped me.”  

“Do you remember anything after that?”  

Edelis described the layout and approximate location of the house where she’d been confined. She couldn’t mention the book, and since she wasn’t sure if the saint was truly behind Berman, she left out anything related to her as well.  

“I’d like to ask the Saintess something. Could you summon her?”  

“It’s very late. Wouldn’t it be better to call her tomorrow?”  

Checking the clock, she saw it was well past midnight. Unless the Saintess was definitely the culprit, forcing her to come now would be a national discourtesy.  

“Then just tell her I’d like to meet whenever she’s available.”  

“Yes.”  

“Oh, and… just in case, could you check that the Saintess is safe?”  

“…Are you suggesting the Saintess might be in danger?”  

“Yes.”  

To be exact, Edelis suspected she might be the client. If she was, there was a good chance she’d left her room. The surest way to find out if someone—possibly asleep—was still in the palace was to bring up their safety.  

“Understood.”  

Sir Frache looked as if he wanted to go check himself, but he couldn’t leave under the emperor’s orders. So a maid, escorted by a knight, went to find the Saintess. The maid soon returned saying the Saintess was asleep in her room.  

‘What? So it’s not connected to the Saintess?’  

But Edelis couldn’t think of anyone else interested in the book. She was even the protagonist of the book, wasn’t she? Confused but relieved to be safe, Edelis’s body began to relax. With her strength ebbing away, sleep came naturally. She fell asleep lying face-down on the bed.  

***  

Edelis awoke shivering from the cold. She twisted her body to pull up the blanket, but felt someone’s gaze and opened her eyes wide. Pulling the covers from her face, she saw Lehan sitting before her, his face bright red.  

“Lehan?”  

“Well, that is…”  

“I’m sorry for worrying you.”  

It was the first thing she wanted to say to him. At her apology, Lehan’s eyes brimmed with tears. Was this really the same man who had just threatened to gouge out the knights’ eyes?  

“…I’d prefer never to go through something like this again.”  

“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful from now on.”  

Still tired, Edelis stayed under the blanket and spoke with him. Her eyes were half-closed, but there was much to discuss.  

“What about Berman Pasis?”  

“He’s locked somewhere in the underground prison. To be safe, we’ll check the food for poison before serving it.”  

“Is that necessary?”  

“Yes. I believe he’s connected to those who attacked you when you first entered the palace.”  

“Berman Pasis?”  

Her whole body broke out in goosebumps. All those words about protecting her, caring for her—it was all just a ploy to kill her?  

“Oh, and he admitted to colluding with the anti-emperor faction.”  

“That needs to be recorded during interrogation.”  

Since Lehan had come to her right after capturing Berman, the formal questioning hadn’t started yet. Edelis relayed what Berman had told her, leaving out most of his personal affairs.  

“But Lehan, there’s something else.”  

“Yes?”  

“Berman said someone told him to bring me.”  

“…Wasn’t it because he liked you?”  

“What? If that were true, he wouldn’t have attacked me when I first entered the palace.”  

“If he’d had feelings for you from before, it’s possible.”  

Like me, he muttered under his breath.  

“No, he said there was a client.”  

“That’s stranger still. Not to kill you, but to kidnap you?”  

“Yeah. It seems they had something they wanted to discuss with me.”  

“…Not a noble, then. If they were, they could have just requested an audience.”  

Not the sort of thing one could simply talk about in an audience. Edelis’s suspicion of the Saintess grew again.  

“And one more thing. They wanted to see my book.”  

“Your book?”  

“Yes, the one I carry around.”  

“The one with nothing written in it?”  

Edelis nodded.  

“…That’s the book the Saintess said could show the future.”  

“That book?”  

Lehan couldn’t hide his surprise.  

“Do you believe me?”  

“Is it a lie?”  

“N-no, but…”  

“If it’s from you, what wouldn’t I believe?”  

His absolute trust left her a bit flustered, but that wasn’t the point right now.  

“But as you’ve seen, it doesn’t usually show anything.”  

“That’s true.”  

“The client must be able to see it. Or maybe they wanted me so they could see it.”  

“Then can you see the contents?”  

“Huh? …Yes.”  

“Can you tell me what’s in it?”  

“…”  

Edelis was at a loss for words. She could see it, but she couldn’t tell him. If she mentioned her father’s rebellion, what if Lehan truly suspected him? If she brought up the saintess , what if he began focusing on her? And Berman had said he’d save her—what if that made Lehan suspicious of their relationship?  

“If it’s hard to say, you don’t have to.”  

“I-it’s just that I don’t see everything, only bits and pieces!”  

“I understand. Tell me when you feel ready. It’s probably something difficult to say to anyone else.”  

That was true. When she’d refused to marry him before, she had feared he’d think her insane and lock her away. That he believed her now felt like a miracle. After all, it was a story so absurd no one would believe it. If it had been someone else’s story, Edelis wouldn’t have believed it either.  

“Thanks for saying that.”  

She reached out and took his hand. But oddly, her arm felt cold.  

“…?”  

How thin could her clothing be? She glanced and saw she was sleeveless.  

‘So that’s why my shoulder’s been cold…’  

Cautiously, Edelis lifted the blanket.  

“Kyaa!”  

“I saw nothing!”  

“You had the blanket pulled back earlier!”  

Flustered, Lehan protested, but Edelis remembered exactly what state she’d been in when she woke up.  

“Lehan, I didn’t think you were like that!”  

“I’m not! Edelis, you’re misunderstanding.”  

“I saw it with my own eyes—how is that a misunderstanding?”  

“I only looked because the doctor told me you had wounds on your back.”  

“…”  

“Truly. They said there might be scars…”  

His voice trailed off. Now that she thought about it, he had looked a little sad earlier.  

“And your hair—some of it was cut.”  

“What?!”  

She hadn’t noticed before in the chaos, but her hair must have been nicked by Berman’s sword. As she examined it, Lehan’s face grew even harder.  

“I need to step out for a bit.”  

“Where to?”  

He gave a chilling smile and told her not to worry.  

“…Berman Pasis?”  

“Yes, how did you know?”  

“Well, he was the one who cut my hair, and you’re smiling like you’re about to break his fingers for revenge.”  

“That’s one way…”  

He smiled easily, but what he had in mind was far worse. Not that he’d tell Edelis—he didn’t want her to know what he was capable of.  

“How did you catch him? You weren’t hurt, were you?”  

“I wasn’t. The only way to catch him was with a sword.”  

“Doesn’t he use a sword very well? I saw when he was guarding before.”  

“Edelis, have you already forgotten who won our last match—me or Pasis?”  

He spoke with confidence, and Edelis smiled faintly, though she didn’t seem entirely convinced. That didn’t matter. She was safe beside him, and Berman was locked away in the dungeons.  

‘I should’ve wiped out the Pasis house completely when I destroyed the marquessate.’  

He’d been famous as an abandoned bastard, and since he’d taken the lead in destroying his own house, Lehan had spared him. That had been a mistake.  

“Still, the emperor doesn’t usually get directly involved in arrests.”  

“This was an unusual case. I’d rather catch him myself than risk losing him…”  

“Catch him and?”  

Lehan only smiled. He couldn’t tell her he was thinking of ways to make Berman beg for death.  

“But Lehan…”  

“Yes?”  

“Do you have to go?”  

“…”  

“Of course I’m curious too, but if it’s not urgent… I’d like you to stay with me.”  

Her hand trembled lightly in his. Seeing that, Lehan resolved not to spare Berman later, but for now he stayed. Calming Edelis was more important. He could assign someone else—someone infamous for fabricating charges—to question Berman in his stead. With luck, Berman wouldn’t confess too easily; the crime of trying to take her from him was not a light one.  

“I’ll stay by your side. Don’t worry.”  

“…You’ll still be here when I wake up?”  

“Yes.”  

He shouldn’t think this way, but Lehan enjoyed seeing this side of her. She’d been frightened after past attacks, but she’d never clung to him like this. That she needed him now was enough to satisfy him.  

“What if I wake up and you’re gone?”  

“Do you not trust me?”  

“…I do, but I’m still afraid you’ll be gone.”  

“Shall I hold your hand?”  

He tightened his grip and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Only her face peeked out, and even that he found cute—surely a sign he was hopeless. She hesitated, lips parting. Whatever she wanted to say, he was ready to hear it. If she asked him to execute Berman immediately, he would. It was a lawful act—she had stopped him earlier, or else Berman’s head would already be separated from his body.  

“Lehan…”  

“Speak freely.”  

“…Why aren’t you sleeping?”  

“Pardon?”  

“Dawn’s almost here. Wouldn’t it be better for you to rest?”  

“You… want me to sleep here?”  

What was she even saying right now? But he knew from experience that her thoughts often diverged from his own.  

“If you were lying beside me, I think I’d feel safe.”  

“You really think so?”  

“Yes.”  

Then there was no reason to refuse. She seemed too preoccupied with her unease to realize the situation.  

“Very well.”  

He intended to change into lighter clothes at a leisurely pace, but found his hands hurrying of their own accord. He should wash up, but she’d probably throw him out soon enough; he could wash then.  

“You said yourself you’d feel safe with me here.”  

“Huh?”  

Edelis seemed to sense impending trouble. But Lehan wasn’t going to back down—not while she was still shaken from Berman’s threats. He deliberately lifted the blanket and slipped inside. The rush of cold air made her flinch. Only then did she seem to remember what she was wearing.  

“Am I to take it that you were trying to seduce me?”