Chapter 8

Upon returning to her room, Alice froze in her tracks, nailed to the spot by the shocking news she heard from Ena.

 

“The Duke… is dead?”

 

“I’m telling you! It seems like another assassination attempt following the attack the other day!”

 

Ena trembled, her face pale with fear. She had only just heard the news herself while moving about the Imperial Palace. Added to that was the report that Alois Erdman, who had been standing guard in front of the Duke’s office, was critically injured.

 

Ena began to spew out the story she had heard to Alice like rapid-fire. Alice listened to the news with a dazed expression.

 

‘Don’t tell me, Edwin?’

 

Ena, who had not the slightest clue what conversation Alice had just come from, chattered on with a terrified face.

 

“Just because it’s the Imperial Palace doesn’t mean it’s safe; if anything, it’s even more dangerous!”

 

She stepped closer to Alice and lowered her voice, afraid someone might overhear.

 

“If you stay here, you might be in danger too, My Lady! Can’t we take this opportunity to leave the palace together? Or at least ask the Duke’s family for protection…!”

 

“I can’t. You go, Ena….”

 

Alice replied, waving her hand weakly. Ena grabbed her arm with a desperate look.

 

“My Lady! Even if you are a slave to your appetite, you must distinguish between life and death…! If only Michael were here at a time like this!”

 

If Michael had been here, he would have thought of dragging the young lady out of the palace immediately, just like her.

 

Frustrated, Ena thumped her own chest and called out for Michael. Fearing she might bruise herself, Alice hurriedly grabbed her arm and gave her a rough summary of what had just happened at the banquet.

 

“What?!”

 

Ena, who had been looking at her as if she were joking, let her jaw drop at the young lady’s serious face.

 

“I can’t believe it…. What is going on today?”

 

Ena’s reaction was exactly the same as when she first heard that Alice was a princess, which made a hollow laugh escape Alice’s lips.

 

At the sound of Alice’s laughter, Ena looked at her as if she were being ridiculous.

 

“You can laugh in this situation?”

 

“Yeah, I can.”

 

“Just laugh then….”

 

Ena let out a long sigh, as if expelling a hundred years of worry.

 

“True enough… this wasn’t a place you could leave freely just because you wanted to go. Not here.”

 

“If I could have run away, I would have run away a long time ago….”

 

Alice felt a pang in her stomach every time she thought of Deli Melli, the dessert shop she had built for her future.

 

“They say the assassin hasn’t been caught yet… the world seems so ominous.”

 

At Ena’s muttering, Alice, reminded once again of the news of the Duke’s death, hardened her face.

 

The conversation she just had with Edwin.

 

The expression he wore, his voice, his tone. And the atmosphere.

 

Startled by Edwin’s anger, Alice had fled from him and returned to the Crown Prince’s Palace.

 

‘When he said he wanted to cut off a dead person’s head… what did he mean?’

 

Judging by that conversation alone, didn’t it sound like Edwin was saying he had killed the Duke?

 

She wanted to grab Edwin, whom she had been avoiding until now, and ask him.

 

 

***

 

 

Chester Douglas headed to the infirmary to investigate the attack that had occurred in the palace. It was to interrogate the sole witness.

 

Of course, Chester already knew who the culprit of the attack was.

 

The Duke’s aide, Kaden Bradley, was away on a business trip for other matters, so Sir Erdman was the only one who had seen the scene.

 

However, he had been swept up in the incident and was severely wounded.

 

“Oh my, it feels wrong to even make you speak in this state.”

 

Entering the hospital room, Chester feigned surprise upon seeing Alois, whose entire body was wrapped in bandages.

 

“…I am fine.”

 

Alois spoke while coughing up a hack. It was a painful sight just to look at.

 

‘The Commander should have gone easy on him, tsk.’

 

Chester clicked his tongue inwardly and opened his mouth with an apologetic face.

 

“I’m sorry. Given the gravity of the matter, I couldn’t skip this procedure.”

 

As Alois tried to raise his lying body, Chester reached out to stop him.

 

“Uh-uh, that’s enough. Just speak lying down.”

 

“But….”

 

“I’m not so heartless as to force a patient who requires more than four weeks of recovery to stand up for questioning.”

 

‘Though the Commander would certainly do that and more…’ Chester sympathized with himself inwardly, thinking of his superior who had neither blood nor tears.

 

“…Thank you for your consideration, Sir Douglas.”

 

“Then let’s get straight to the point. What happened there?”

 

At his words, Alois recalled what had just happened.

 

“I was guarding the front of the Duke’s office when suddenly, a strange sound came from inside.”

 

“A strange sound?”

 

“It sounded like hard stone crumbling. I thought it was strange, so I knocked, but there was no response, so I opened the door and entered the office. And then… suddenly, everything went dark.”

 

Chester asked.

 

“Did you lose consciousness?”

 

“No. My mind was awake until then, but as soon as I gripped my sword, I felt chest pain and couldn’t breathe, and I collapsed right there.”

 

“Your ribs must have broken from that. Are you okay? It looks hard for you to even breathe….”

 

“About eight of them are broken, but I’m fine.”

 

One-third of his ribs had been snapped.

 

Chester clicked his tongue, thinking of his merciless superior. ‘He really beat the man to a pulp to erase the witness.’

 

However, the fact that he didn’t lose his life was an exceptionally rare case of Edwin going easy on someone.

 

“It seems like someone who knows the interior of the Imperial Palace well.”

 

Alois speculated.

 

He had been guarding the door, but no one had entered through it.

 

That meant the assassin had come in through the window to do the deed, and to do that, they had to know the interior of the palace well.

 

‘Ah, so that’s why….’

 

Yesterday’s events suddenly came to mind. Chester had given Edwin an internal map when asked for the layout of the palace. He had asked for the purpose, but Edwin hadn’t told him, so he had forgotten about it. To think he would go straight to kill his father without even a hint.

 

‘He is a person whom common sense cannot understand.’

 

Chester sighed and shook his head from side to side. Forgetting, of course, that he himself was also far removed from the category of a normal person.

 

“Then, do you have anyone you suspect as the culprit?”

 

Chester asked in a casual manner. If Alois said he had an idea, and if he pointed to the Little Duke Esteban, Chester intended to handle it on his end.

 

Hiding his cold emotions under a pleasant smile, he waited patiently for Alois’s answer.

 

Alois, narrowing his brow as if retracing the event, finally shook his head.

 

“I apologize. It happened so instantaneously that not even a small clue….”

 

“Ah, it’s fine. It’s fine.”

 

Unaware that his answer had just lengthened his lifespan, Alois wore a guilty and somber face.

 

It was due to the guilt of failing his duty to protect the Duke. Noticing this, Chester comforted him.

 

“It would have been difficult for anyone. If it was an expert capable of putting you in this state in an instant, even I would have found it hard to handle.”

 

“…I’m sorry.”

 

Alois’s face only darkened, perhaps thinking it was merely a conventional word of comfort.

 

But Chester’s consolation was sincere.

 

Someone who could beat the Commander.

 

He could guarantee that such a person did not exist in this world. Surviving alone was a commendable feat.

 

 

***

 

 

Alice was dressed in a black one-piece dress by the hands of the maids. On her head, she wore a black hat decorated with small lilies of the valley and white feathers.

 

‘I’m calmer than I thought.’

 

The news of the Duke’s death wasn’t all that surprising. Was it because the number of times they had faced each other could be counted on one hand?

 

“Wait a moment, could everyone except Ena leave?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

At Alice’s words, the maids who were helping her dress politely left the room.

 

“Do you have something to say?”

 

Ena asked her in a questioning tone.

 

“Today… Edwin will attend too, right?”

 

“Yes… He was his only flesh and blood, after all.”

 

Ena nodded with a somber face. The news that someone she knew had died wasn’t pleasant for her either.

 

“Please comfort him well, My Lady. Even if he looks fine on the outside, he must be feeling terrible on the inside.”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

Alice nodded reluctantly. How would Ena react if she heard that Edwin was the one who killed the Duke?

 

For a moment, she was swept by the urge to share her burden with Ena.

 

She would probably be shocked enough to faint. She would likely urge Alice to stay away from Edwin.

 

And….

 

Knock, knock.

 

Before her thoughts could continue, a knock was heard.

 

“Oh my, he must be here. He came earlier than I thought….”

 

Ena opened the door with a welcoming look. Alice, who hadn’t been told someone was coming, looked at the door with a bewildered expression.

 

“…Edwin?”

 

Alice was startled. Unaware of her face, which looked as if she had seen a ghost, Ena whispered beside her.

 

“I don’t know what you fought about, but please reconcile quickly.”

 

“….”

 

They hadn’t even fought, so how could they reconcile?

 

Alice wanted to say that, but her gaze was stolen again by Edwin approaching.

 

In front of her stood a man devastatingly beautiful and captivating. His neat face made it unbelievable that he was a man who had killed his father just a short while ago.

 

Edwin silently held out his hand to her.

 

‘Maybe it wasn’t Edwin.’

 

Alice tried to think positively as she carefully placed her hand on his.

 

 

***

 

 

Since the Duke’s funeral was being held in the Esteban territory, Alice was riding in a carriage with Edwin, returning to the estate.

 

It had already been a month since she left the territory.

 

However, without a moment to indulge in memories, Alice’s attention was completely focused on the man sitting opposite her.

 

Dressed in a black suit, he was reading a book with his long legs crossed. His demeanor didn’t look like someone going to his father’s funeral at all.

 

And yet, even that appearance looked sensual. Her eyes must have gone completely wrong.

 

‘…Did he really kill him?’

 

On the surface, he acted nonchalant as usual, but her head was filled with conflict.

 

Maybe the Duke had been killed by someone else.

 

If so, she might be treating an innocent person like a murderer right now.

 

“…Edwin, do you happen to know who killed the Duke?”

 

Alice spoke in a roundabout way. But as soon as she asked, she regretted it. It was a voice that sounded suspicious to anyone listening.

 

Edwin, who had been looking out the window, slowly turned to look at her.

 

Alice, unable to even think of wiping her hands damp with nervousness, curled them on her lap and waited for his answer.

 

“Yeah. I know.”

 

“Oh, you k-know….”

 

Alice answered awkwardly. Even though she inwardly hoped he would say he didn’t know, she also wanted him to tell her the truth.

 

What a contradiction this was.

 

Since it had come to this, she had no choice but to ask who killed him. It was a frontal breakthrough.

 

“Then….”

 

Alice opened her mouth. But even as she did, she felt like she knew what he would say. Still, she reminded herself that it was too early to jump to conclusions.

 

“I killed him.”

 

He answered as if he had read her mind.

 

His appearance as he said those words seemed incredibly calm.

 

“Alice ran away last time, so I missed the chance to tell you. I killed him.”

 

As if there were no clearer fact than this. He spoke in a monotone voice.

 

“My father.”

 

Edwin’s smile, which looked somewhat relieved, was beautiful.

 

Alice doubted her ears without realizing it.

 

“I-I see….”

 

At his overly honest answer, Alice blurted out a silly response in her fluster.

 

Is it a joke?

 

But there was no way Edwin would say something like that as a joke.

 

Especially on the day of the funeral.

 

‘Edwin really killed the Duke…?’

 

Alice felt a headache coming on, wondering what answer she should give in this moment.

 

Select the appropriate response to give to a son who killed his father with his own hands.

 

Special Note: Ruthless protagonist of a tragic novel.

 

1. Turn yourself in.

 

— Selection Consequence: You may become the Duke’s companion on his journey to the afterlife as hush money.

 

2. Good job killing him.

 

— Selection Consequence: Confirmed as a bystander or accomplice.

 

3. Can we pretend I didn’t hear that?

 

— Selection Consequence: Must carry the truth to the grave.

 

Alice swallowed a sigh inwardly.

 

No matter how much she thought about it, number 3 was the only answer. If the Emperor had killed the Duke, her dilemma would have been shorter than this.

 

‘Though the Duke wasn’t the type to be killed by the Emperor in the first place.’

 

Unfortunately, the opponent was Edwin.

 

The strongest in the world view, who could seize the throne whenever he wanted.

 

If he killed the Duke… he was following the sequence of the original novel exactly, but—

 

‘What is this feeling that the original plot is twisting even more?’

 

The timing of the Duke’s death was the same as the original, but the surrounding circumstances were completely different.

 

In the original, Edwin killed the Duke while obsessing over Michael.

 

The Duke in the original had also neglected Edwin in the pain of a curse for 10 years, so he deserved it. But….

 

‘This time, he even officially gave him the position of successor.’

 

Alice couldn’t think of any reason for Edwin to kill the Duke.

 

Before she could ask the reason, the carriage stopped. As the carriage door opened, nobles dressed in black mourning clothes came into view.

 

“Little Duke Esteban…. The matter of the Duke is regrettable.”

 

The nobles approached one by one, holding white roses.

 

This was because when a member of the Esteban family died, they offered white roses, the specialty of the territory, instead of chrysanthemums. The nobles bowed to Edwin to show their respects.

 

Edwin also bowed his head to them and expressed his gratitude.

 

“Thank you for coming from afar to see my father off on his final path.”

 

The eyes of the Little Duke saying those words were sunk in darkness. He looked exactly like a son grieving the loss of his father.

 

The nobles each expressed their condolences and offered words of comfort with sighing voices.

 

Alice watched the scene with an anxious gaze, a bitter taste in her mouth.

 

‘Do those people even suspect…?’

 

What a spectacle, comforting the person who killed the Duke. To her, who knew the truth, the scene was truly ironic.

 

Unaware of her inner thoughts, and befitting the family’s high reputation, the footsteps of the nobles visiting the funeral did not cease.

 

Most of them were there to make an impression on the new family head who would succeed the Esteban family.

 

Alice was also frantic due to the nobles greeting her.

 

Under the overcast weather, by the time the lid-covered coffin was piled high with white roses, the priest from the temple began to recite a prayer.

 

“May God’s protection and blessing be with him on his departing path; I pray to the heavens.”

 

While the ceremony was proceeding, Alice bowed her head like the others. But someone tapped her on the shoulder. Turning around, she was surprised.

 

“Michael?”

 

“Let’s talk for a moment… please.”

 

It was formal speech, awkward for anyone to hear. Michael was also wearing black clothes, seemingly having attended the ceremony upon hearing the news of the Duke.

 

His face, seen for the first time in a month, looked a little haggard. However, his gaze looking at her was full of worry.

 

Alice, following Michael’s signal, glanced around and quietly slipped away with him. Strangely, the back of her head pricked, but since there was a sea of people, it wasn’t easy to find the gaze watching her.

 

Stepping out of the ceremony venue for a moment, she approached Michael, who was standing next to a large pine tree.

 

“Michael… long time no s—.”

 

“Do you know? Who killed the Duke.”

 

Interrupting her greeting, he asked abruptly about the person who killed the Duke.

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

“Answer my question first.”

 

Alice, unable to answer readily to Michael who seemed thoroughly on edge, hesitated before opening her mouth.

 

“No….”

 

“Ha, as expected…. You must have ridden the carriage with that bastard because you didn’t know.”

 

Michael looked at her with a gaze that suggested he had realized something.

 

Alice, hiding her lie, found it hard to meet his pure and clear green eyes.

 

Instead, she looked at the pine tree next to him. The tree is huge….

 

“I smelled the thick scent of blood on that guy.”

 

Alice soon recalled the fact that Michael could see the color of people’s souls.

 

It seemed he was phrasing the change in soul color in a different way.

 

She guessed what he was saying, but Alice asked, pretending not to know.

 

“…Who?”

 

“…Edwin Esteban.”

 

He answered with a grim attitude. Alice looked at him with a puzzled face, still pretending ignorance.

 

“I don’t know how I sense this energy! I’ve felt it since I was born. Regardless of when the killing happened, if someone kills another person, a black, dark, and evil aura lingers around them. Like a devil.”

 

Michael made a slightly frustrated expression, knowing there was no way to explain this properly.

 

It was also the reason he hadn’t liked the young master of this house from the beginning. Edwin Esteban.

 

An evil aura had flowed from him since 10 years ago. And that aura only grew stronger; it never diminished.

 

“But… does that prove Edwin killed him? Edwin killed many people on the battlefield too.”

 

Alice hoped Michael would withdraw his suspicion. Given his personality, if he knew the truth of this matter, he wouldn’t just stand by and watch.

 

Then the relationship between Edwin and Michael would fall apart uncontrollably.

 

And she couldn’t guarantee that the current Edwin would be a safe person for Michael.

 

At Alice’s words, Michael narrowed his brows and spoke.

 

“No, that bastard. He killed the Duke. I’m certain. So, Alice.”

 

Michael grabbed her arm and said with a worried face.

 

“Don’t get close to that guy. You’re in danger too.”

 

 

***

 

 

And just like that, all the funeral proceedings came to an end.

 

Alice still couldn’t fully grasp the reality that the Duke was dead.

 

Even if they hadn’t shared any affection, it was impossible not to be shocked by the death of someone she had known.

 

Most of all, the culprit….

 

‘The fact that it was Edwin is even more shocking.’

 

Having been almost certain that he had been reformed, she realized she had been laboring under a massive delusion.

 

Even Michael was convinced that Edwin was the one behind it.

 

Alice couldn’t shake the feeling that things were getting twisted.

 

No… maybe there’s something I don’t know.

 

‘Maybe Edwin had an unavoidable reason.’

 

Alice tried to make a cautious guess: perhaps he had a reason that compelled him to kill the Duke.

 

Since the person who had been trying to tighten a noose around her neck was now gone, it wasn’t exactly bad news for her, but….

 

‘Still, a person has died.’

 

She was just an ordinary human, too ordinary to feel unadulterated joy at someone’s death.

 

So, rather than joy, she felt a lingering unease and a mix of strange emotions.

 

It was a weird feeling—too ambiguous to be sadness, yet impossible to be happiness.

 

Before she knew it, the night had grown deep. Deciding it was too dangerous to travel by carriage, she chose to stay at the ducal castle for the night.

 

Her room, which she hadn’t visited in a while, felt awkward.

 

She had only been away for a month, yet it felt like so much had changed.

 

“Ena… went back home, right.”

 

Alice called out for Ena out of habit, then remembered that Ena had returned to her family’s home since it had been a while since she was back in the territory.

 

She was completely alone. Fiddling with the spirit stone she had brought with her, she rummaged through her diary.

 

There were records she had written down about ten years ago, recalling the future from her past life’s memories.

 

“What is this….”

 

[First. They kiss in the garden on an early autumn morning.

 

Second. Immediately after ascending the throne, Edwin kidnaps Michael, they fight, and then Edwin forces himself on Michael….]

 

Every single entry was related to the romantic front between Edwin and Michael.

 

In other words, these records were utterly useless to her right now.

 

‘You should have kept your fangirling in check back then….’

 

In the past, she would have cherished these notes, but now she felt strangely hollow.

 

She groggily stood up from her seat and left the room.

 

Due to the sudden death of the family head, the atmosphere in the castle was heavy and subdued.

 

She knocked on the door of Edwin’s office. However, even after waiting for a long time, there was no answer. Peeking inside, she found the office empty.

 

“Your Highness, are you looking for someone?”

 

Just then, someone called her from behind. It was Kaden Bradley, the aide to the head of the Esteban family.

 

His complexion was poor. He had been away on a business trip regarding the family’s business but had returned to the territory upon hearing the sudden news.

 

Kaden soon informed her that Edwin had moved to the office used by the family head.

 

“Ah….”

 

It was a surprisingly fast transition of power.

 

It seemed Edwin had no intention of even feigning sadness now that the funeral was over.

 

‘Should we talk tomorrow?’

 

Maybe Edwin was too busy with the handover to have time to meet her right now.

 

After hesitating for a moment, Alice turned her steps. She headed toward the office used by the Duke—where Edwin would be.

 

Pushing it to tomorrow would only make her lose the timing to bring it up.

 

And by then, she might just try to gloss over the whole thing to pretend she didn’t know.

 

Arriving at the office, she swallowed hard once, then knocked.

 

“Edwin… are you there?”

 

There was no immediate answer. Had he gone somewhere else in the meantime? Just as Alice waited with a slightly anxious face, the door burst open.

 

It was Edwin.

 

Dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, he looked down at her. She glanced sideways into the office and spoke.

 

“Ah… do you have a moment?”

 

As Kaden had said, piles of documents were stacked in this office.

 

“Of course.”

 

Edwin turned his body slightly, inviting her in.

 

Though she had come in to meet him, Alice struggled with what to say first.

 

In a normal situation, she would have offered condolences for the loss of his father, but she already knew who had killed him.

 

He was already sitting on the sofa, watching her.

 

He looked slightly surprised, as if he hadn’t expected her to come looking for him.

 

“Alice, aren’t you afraid of me?”

 

“N-no.”

 

As he implied, she was a little—no, very—scared. It would be strange not to feel fear seeing someone calmly sitting in an office working after killing his father.

 

“You can be honest.”

 

At Edwin’s words, Alice debated whether to be truthful or not before opening her mouth.

 

‘Since it seems I’m already caught, let’s be honest….’

 

“A little….”

 

Alice answered timidly. At her response, Edwin elegantly poured tea into a cup on the table and spoke.

 

“Just a little? That’s a relief. I was worried you might run away after hearing what I said.”

 

“W-why would I run away?”

 

It was true that she had momentarily considered fleeing in the carriage, but she spoke as if she hadn’t.

 

Edwin smiled at her clumsy response.

 

“If you aren’t, then that’s a relief too. Your legs must hurt, so sit down.”

 

“Okay….”

 

Alice obediently headed to the seat opposite him. Sitting down, she placed the black hat she wore for the funeral on her lap.

 

Belatedly, she realized that his attire wasn’t the mourning clothes she had seen outside earlier, but everyday clothes. He had changed in that short span of time.

 

Even if Edwin liked being clean, changing clothes immediately on a day like this was far from mourning the dead.

 

In contrast, Alice still hadn’t changed.

 

“Edwin… there’s one thing I’m curious about.”

 

She fidgeted with the feather on the hat resting on her lap.

 

Watching her anxiety-filled behavior quietly, Edwin waited for her words. He had no intention of hiding his true colors anymore.

 

Even when he helped her from the shadows, she only avoided him.

 

If she was going to avoid him no matter what he did, it was more comfortable to reveal his true nature.

 

That way, there would be no need to silence people or clean up messes to keep her from finding out what he had done.

 

And he was curious about how Alice would react to his true self.

 

“Can you answer truthfully to what I ask?”

 

“Anything.”

 

Edwin waited for her question with a relaxed expression. It seemed he already anticipated what she was going to ask.

 

Encouraged by his attitude that he wouldn’t speak a single lie, Alice mustered her courage.

 

“Why… did you kill the Duke?”

 

Asking for a motive in front of a murderer felt a bit surreal. She waited for his answer with a tense face.

 

“There were more than enough reasons to kill him.”

 

He said it with a shrug of his shoulders.

 

“R-really?”

 

He spoke so casually, as if it were obvious, that she felt persuaded by just that one sentence.

 

‘Uh, this isn’t right….’

 

Edwin, who was staring at her, parted his lips.

 

“Do you want to know more?”

 

Alice hesitated a little, then nodded.

 

She had a strong premonition that the reason might be connected to her.

 

If she hadn’t had that thought, she wouldn’t have even stepped foot in here.

 

She would have just pretended to ignore this whole affair.

 

“I didn’t like it. Every single attempt he made to manipulate you in the palm of his hand.”

 

Specifically, there were countless instances. Edwin spoke while recalling everything up to now.

 

“It bothered me, so I killed him.”

 

Alice doubted her ears at his monotonous tone, as if he were simply saying he had eaten a meal.

 

But Edwin’s tone and atmosphere right now were exactly like his appearance in the original novel.

 

Faced with Edwin seemingly revealing his inner thoughts completely, Alice couldn’t even gauge what answer she should give. It was a situation that gave her a sense of déjà vu.

 

‘There was a situation like this in the original, too.’

 

However, the difference was that the person he did it for was Michael, not her.

 

How did Michael answer back then?

 

‘That is not for my sake!’

 

He had criticized Edwin while saying that.

 

But Alice couldn’t muster the courage to do that.

 

Unlike Michael, who valued the lives of others more than himself, she was someone who valued herself more than others.

 

Therefore, she wasn’t someone who grieved over the death of an existence that threatened her life.

 

But one question remained.

 

‘Edwin killed his father for me?’

 

Why on earth would he go that far?

 

Questions bit the tail of other questions, continuing endlessly. But those tails pointed to only one fact.

 

Something the old Alice would never have considered.

 

But other than this case, the motive for Edwin’s actions couldn’t be explained.

 

After agonizing for a long time with a conflicted face, Alice finally spoke.

 

“Edwin… do you like me?”

 

Despite Alice hesitating for so long to bring up this question, Edwin’s mouth opened almost immediately.

 

“If your definition of ‘like’ is an emotion strong enough to do anything for the other person.”

 

He was saying that he liked her.

 

That was what he was saying.

 

Alice’s heart pounded violently against her ribs. Without realizing it, she pulled hard on the feather she was holding on her hat and plucked it out.

 

Snap!

 

A rough sound came from the hat, but Alice had no time to care about that noise.

 

“Wh-what…?!”

 

Alice felt like she was going to faint from shock. At the same time, the actions he had shown her over the years flashed through her mind like a panorama.

 

‘I just thought it was kindness shown to a friend….’

 

In the original work, the way Edwin showed he liked Michael was extremely cruel and destructive.

 

The first thing he did was isolate Michael so he couldn’t form other human relationships.

 

It was about collapsing or destroying psychological supports.

 

Thinking of that, Alice had assumed Edwin liked her as a friend.

 

But to think his actions were because he liked her in that way?

 

“M-me? Not Michael?!”

 

Implicitly, she knew that Edwin’s actions were all for her sake.

 

That was why she asked, just in case. Even risking the embarrassment.

 

But when the affirmation fell from his lips, Alice was so flustered that she blurted out her inner thoughts.

 

“Gasp.”

 

Realizing her slip of the tongue, she covered her mouth, but she couldn’t gather up the spilled water. Edwin’s eyebrows shot up.

 

“Michael Elga…?”

 

Edwin looked as if he couldn’t understand why that name would come up at this moment.

 

Unpleasantness began to seep into his eyes.

 

Of all things to be mentioned, it had to be the existence he found most annoying: Michael Elga. Noticing his emotions, Alice opened her mouth and then closed it.

 

“Well, that is….”

 

She couldn’t exactly tell him that in the future she saw with her ability, the two of them lived together in a chaotic romance. Especially when he had just said he liked her….

 

Alice’s face flushed red again.

 

Right, Edwin had just said he liked her.

 

She didn’t even know why her heart was beating so fast.

 

Just recalling the fact that Edwin liked her made her heart feel like it would burst.

 

‘And he killed the Duke for me….’

 

Her racing heart calmed down a little. For her, harming another person for the sake of someone she liked was impossible.

 

“Did you think I liked Michael Elga?”

 

A sneer appeared on Edwin’s lips. Alice, distracted by the fact that he liked her, noticed his smile belatedly.

 

In that instant, alarm bells rang in Alice’s head.

 

Leaving him to misunderstand like this is dangerous. Technically, it isn’t a misunderstanding though….

 

But she had to escape this situation somehow.

 

Her instincts were telling her so.

 

“So that was why you told me to take Michael Elga as my partner.”

 

His tone was gentle, but his voice and face were icy.

 

Now her strange words and actions seemed to click into place.

 

“That’s….”

 

Since he was right, she had nothing to say.

 

She had tried to act quietly in her own way, but it was visible to Edwin’s eyes what she was moving for.

 

Seeing her try to make excuses, Edwin narrowed his eyes and smiled.

 

“Alice, my eyes aren’t just for decoration.”

 

Could a smiling face be this scary? Even if she had ten mouths, she had nothing to say, but Alice felt a sense of injustice.

 

‘The future said so, so I just acted that way too!’

 

“The future?”

 

“D-did I happen to say that out loud?”

 

Looking at her, Edwin spoke with a smile.

 

“There is no way to speak without making a sound, Alice.”

 

…That is true.

 

Alice affirmed inwardly. It was a stupid question even to herself.

 

Edwin, having derived one fact during the brief silence, spoke slowly.

 

“Can that ability read the future?”

 

Alice hesitated, then nodded. It wasn’t like she could lie now.

 

A chilling smile appeared on Edwin’s lips.

 

“Then in the future, do I… with Michael Elga?”

 

Alice, who was about to say that he was right, felt the atmosphere was unusual and shut her mouth tight.

 

‘This, the vibe feels like it’s screwed.’

 

“….”

 

Silence flowed for a long time. She felt like she had been caught with a forbidden book she had hidden away.

 

And Edwin seemed extremely displeased by that fact.

 

As the silence lengthened, she was the one whose throat went dry.

 

Alice attempted damage control.

 

“But… it’s only a prediction, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

 

That didn’t make Edwin feel any better.

 

Because he realized that the temperature of the gaze they held for each other was different.

 

Alice didn’t realize that point precisely, but she noticed that his mood hadn’t improved in the slightest.

 

“Even if it was a prediction, you tried to move regardless of my thoughts, Alice.”

 

Edwin looked at her with a sunken gaze.

 

“S-sorry about that….”

 

Alice had nothing to say on that point.

 

Why did she always feel like a sinner whenever she was in front of Edwin…?

 

Actually, the sinner wasn’t her, but the one over there who killed his father.

 

“It’s okay, Alice.”

 

Edwin was still smiling. It was the affectionate smile he only showed in front of her.

 

But despite seeing that smile, Alice wasn’t relieved. Because the unpleasantness and ominous feeling still lingered in those red eyes.

 

“You said the future seen through the ability isn’t absolute, right?”

 

Edwin asked.

 

“Yeah, it’s probably not absolute.”

 

‘If so, I just have to change the future.’ Edwin thought.

 

“Because the proof is right here.”

 

Alice pointed to herself confidently.

 

‘Why do I have to explain this?’

 

She questioned it inwardly, but fearing the atmosphere would turn cold again, she moved her lips faithfully.

 

“Alice is?”

 

At Edwin’s question, she nodded. He stared at her as if needing further explanation. Alice smiled brightly and said, “I didn’t die.”

 

The proof that the ability wasn’t absolute—this was the biggest one.

 

Following the Duke, the fact that she didn’t die.

 

As long as he didn’t kill her right now, that is.

 

‘…Since he said he likes me, he wouldn’t kill me.’

 

Killing the Duke was also an act done for her.

 

She was still bewildered by that fact. She couldn’t distinguish if this was a dream or reality.

 

From where did the future go wrong?

 

It wasn’t a difficult guess, but right now her mind had stalled, making even light mental rotation impossible.

 

At her answer, the smile vanished from Edwin’s lips.

 

“Alice dies?”

 

With his words, the room began to cool down again.

 

Alice retraced the story she just told with a bewildered gaze.

 

‘Wh-what?’

 

Alice faltered.

 

She had merely meant to say that there was no compulsory force in the future the ability showed.

 

But a chill of a different dimension than when she brought up Michael filled the room.

 

The room was freezing over uncontrollably, to the point she wondered if she would become a frozen human if she stayed like this.

 

“By whom.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’m asking which bastard kills you, Alice.”

 

Anger was clearly flickering in his red eyes.

 

Alice realized why he was angry.

 

“…Well, um.”

 

Unable to continue speaking completely, she smiled awkwardly.

 

Edwin, thinking she was scared by the emotion he revealed, put on a gentle smile.

 

“Speak comfortably. I’m just asking because I’m curious.”

 

However, his eyes looked ready to go find and kill the person who killed her the moment she spoke.

 

She couldn’t easily bring up the story.

 

‘You kill me.’

 

She couldn’t exactly say that, could she? Edwin urged for an answer, but she couldn’t say who killed her in the end.

 

Edwin seemed not to even suspect that he would be the one to kill her.

 

“I just… died from a natural disaster….”

 

She made up a different excuse. After saying it, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

 

If Edwin decided to kill someone, it was an unavoidable, unfortunate fate for that target. Since no one dared to oppose him.

 

Considering that, it was just like a natural disaster.

 

“A natural disaster?”

 

Tens to hundreds of people had died by Edwin’s hand due to his obsession with Michael and the rebellion to usurp the throne.

 

If one didn’t call this a natural disaster, what would one call it?

 

‘Natural disaster….’

 

At her words, Edwin recalled dozens of natural disasters.

 

About 300 years ago, since the massacre of those possessing holy power, natural disasters had become frequent in the empire.

 

However, the hint of ‘natural disaster’ alone didn’t resolve his doubt.

 

“What kind of natural disaster?”

 

At his question, Alice rolled her eyes and said.

 

“I don’t remember well, but I think it was a landslide.”

 

Alice was incredibly troubled, as she hadn’t expected him to interrogate her about her death so persistently.

 

“Or maybe I was assassinated….”

 

Seeing the suspicion still remaining in his gaze, Alice added timidly. It was a remark brought up recalling the incident where assassins raided the carriage last time.

 

‘Why do I have to explain my death to this extent….’

 

She felt doubtful, but didn’t show it on the outside.

 

“Right, so if those things are gone, Alice won’t die. Then it’s simple.”

 

A refreshing smile appeared on his face as if there were no clearer answer than this.

 

Alice opened her mouth cautiously. She felt like she shouldn’t know, but the desire to know conflicted with it.

 

“How…?”

 

“I just have to cleanly sweep away all the dangerous elements.”

 

She felt like she knew what he was saying, so she didn’t want to ask anymore.

 

Without even a moment to be surprised by his confession that he liked her, Alice’s worry deepened over how to handle him, who was blatantly foreshadowing murder.

 

Then, she mustered up the courage to speak.

 

“Edwin, perhaps….”

 

She needed to know this to figure out how to respond to Edwin in the future.

 

But asking this question required significant courage from her.

 

“What would you do if I revealed what you did to the Duke?”

 

When she asked, Edwin picked up his teacup without batting an eye.

 

Taking a sip of the tea, he said, “I would have to silence the person who heard that story.”

 

“How?”

 

“Do you want to know?”

 

He asked just as he had before. But at the words that followed, she closed her mouth.

 

“It would be better if you didn’t know.”

 

She could plainly guess what method he meant. Alice asked no more, only emptied her teacup and left the room. Her head was spinning.

 

The next day, early in the morning, Ena came to the ducal castle.

 

Entering Alice’s room immediately, she said,

 

“Did you comfort the Young Master well, My Lady?”

 

Alice, who had been absentmindedly eating a piece of bread, stopped abruptly.

 

Comfort?

 

Comfort Edwin…?

 

Though she doubted he needed any comfort, Alice nodded.

 

It was better not to continue talking about this with others, so she just gave a vague response.

 

‘One wrong move and she could become a target for Edwin’s silencing….’

 

If she made even a slight slip of the tongue, Ena could become Edwin’s target.

 

Then she wouldn’t escape death just like the Duke; it would be nothing short of a horror story.

 

She resolved to be even more careful with her words.

 

Opening the door and checking the hallway, Ena said, “My Lady, it feels a bit creepy.”

 

“W-what does?”

 

Alice, feeling guilty for no reason, asked immediately.

 

“Doesn’t the daily routine seem to flow too normally for a house in mourning?”

 

Ena spoke her honest impression without reservation. Alice had also found that strange, but recalling what Edwin had said….

 

‘Actually, it would be creepier if he pretended to be sad after killing someone.’

 

Hiding her inner thoughts, Alice spoke casually.

 

“Since he has a lot to do as the head of the Esteban family, I guess he has no time to be sad.”

 

“I suppose that makes sense.”

 

Ena nodded at her words. Alice felt a prick of conscience for lying.

 

“Have you met Michael?”

 

“Ah, Michael… I should meet him.”

 

She had already met him, but she needed to meet him one more time.

 

When she met him this time, she had to earnestly ask him to keep quiet about what happened to the Esteban family.

 

She had to avoid him becoming a target for Edwin’s silencing at all costs.

 

Edwin probably didn’t know yet that Michael could see other people’s souls.

 

“I should meet Edwin before that.”

 

“Anyway, My Lady, you really care terribly when it comes to the Young Master’s problems.”

 

Ena looked at Alice with an ‘as expected’ expression. Alice tilted her head.

 

It was true that she cared about Edwin, but she didn’t recall it being to that extent.

 

“When did I?”

 

At her question, Ena answered promptly.

 

“You’ve been like that since 10 years ago. Whenever the Young Master was sick or hurt, you were incredibly protective of him. Though it seems to be completely the opposite now.”

 

“Did I…?”

 

Alice couldn’t recall well since it was so far in the past.

 

Yet it was ironic that she knew the future events—limited to Edwin and Michael—very well.

 

Just as she thought of Edwin, a knock was heard.

 

“W-wait a minute.”

 

Alice quickly blocked the front of the door.

 

Ena, who was about to open the door familiarly, looked at her with a puzzled gaze at her restraint.

 

“Isn’t it the Young Master?”

 

The only person who would knock at this time was Edwin, who came to greet her every morning.

 

Alice knew that too. That was why her heart was pounding like a drum.

 

“I know, but…. Wait, I need to prepare myself.”

 

“What is it? Did something happen between you two while I was gone?”

 

She was quick on the uptake.

 

Alice didn’t open her mouth, lacking the energy to make an excuse.

 

Then Ena, letting her imagination run wild, clapped her hands and said, “Ah! Did the Young Master confess to you by any chance?!”

 

“Ena, instead of working under me, how about going out and becoming a fortune teller?”

 

She was too talented to be rotting away here.

 

At Alice’s answer, which was practically an admission, Ena couldn’t hide her excitement, exclaiming, “Oh my, oh my.”

 

Ena’s face turned red.

 

“So, what did you answer, My Lady?”

 

“Uh, um….”

 

Alice glanced at her and told the truth. She didn’t have the energy to beat around the bush anymore.

 

“Roughly… I think I said, didn’t you like Michael, not me, all this time….”

 

Ena looked at Alice with an incredulous gaze, appalled. Since it was an expected reaction, Alice looked at her shamelessly with a nonchalant face.

 

“Are you crazy?! More than that, do you have eyes on the soles of your feet?!”

 

Ena, with a serious face, even brought up the idea of examining the soles of her feet for a moment. No, what on earth are you doing actually lifting my leg!

 

At Ena’s sudden action, Alice groaned as she tried to keep her balance.

 

“No, did you know, Ena?”

 

“Yes, anyone could see that the Young Master liked you, My Lady. Even the flowers in the Duke’s garden would know.”

 

As Ena let go of her leg, Alice spoke as if absurd.

 

“But why didn’t you tell me?!”

 

“Well, even if I told you….”

 

Ena twitched her lips looking at her.

 

“If you gave that kind of answer to the Young Master, I don’t think you would have believed me either, My Lady….”

 

Alice felt a prick, but thumped her chest and said, “No! I feel wronged too!”

 

‘The future said so, so how could I not misunderstand!’

 

While Alice appealed her injustice, the knocking stopped.

 

Edwin, realizing she was in the room by her voice, had left.

 

“Did he go already…?”

 

As Alice looked at the door, Ena let out a deep sigh.

 

“If it were me, I would have at least opened the door to apologize.”

 

“I apologized yesterday.”

 

“Still, you should apologize once more. It’s a big mistake.”

 

“It’s not a mortal sin… Ah, it is a mortal sin.”

 

Thinking carefully about Edwin’s personality, she thought it was a huge relief that he let it pass like this.

 

Actually, asking even an ordinary person if their preference wasn’t the other way wouldn’t be taken lightly.

 

In the end, Alice nodded at Ena’s words.

 

“Yeah, I’ll definitely apologize again….”

 

“Good thinking. By the way, why did the Young Master suddenly confess at a time like this?”

 

Ena asked with a face full of doubt. Common sense dictated that during a mourning period, especially when the deceased was a parent, was not a good time to confess.

 

Alice also knew what Ena was pointing out.

 

‘Why did that result come out again?’

 

She recalled yesterday’s events to see how she ended up knowing Edwin’s feelings. She traced back to when she opened the door of the office where he was.

 

And she figured it out without difficulty.

 

‘I found out because I asked why he killed the Duke.’

 

For a reason that led to a confession, it was truly horrifying.

 

Alice’s face stiffened awkwardly.

 

Even after changing clothes to go out, Ena’s nagging to apologize continued, so Alice had no choice but to leave the room as if pushed. And she walked slowly to the office where Edwin would be.

 

Ah, it’s awkward to see his face.

 

‘What should I say?’

 

Though she thought she should meet him before meeting Michael, the thought of actually seeing Edwin’s face made her feel embarrassed, yet a corner of her chest felt cold.

 

‘As expected… I-I’m scared.’

 

She felt she understood, just a little, why Michael avoided Edwin so much in the original work.

 

When reading the content from a third-party perspective, she just liked Edwin’s obsession….

 

‘He really is a walking Grim Reaper.’

 

A fundamental question arose whether she, a mere human, could stop an existence like a Reaper who easily took human lives.

 

Could she really stop Edwin?

 

 

***

 

 

“If Alice wants, I won’t kill.”

 

To her request not to kill people, Edwin answered more easily than expected.

 

Alice looked at him with a bewildered face.

 

Not killing anyone—that statement was very common sense.

 

But he was a person who had killed his biological father, the Duke, and spoke of that fact calmly. So Alice was convinced her words wouldn’t get through.

 

But that conviction was broken.

 

“Really?”

 

“But there is a condition.”

 

Edwin’s red eyes slowly scanned her condition.

 

“If it seems like even a slight danger to Alice, I want to take a few measures on this end.”

 

What kind of measures would those be?

 

Alice didn’t want to ask, but she had no choice but to ask.

 

“Those measures don’t involve anyone dying, right…?”

 

“Of course.”

 

At Edwin’s simple answer, Alice was relieved. And she felt troubled by her own relief at just that one answer.

 

‘Why did the conversation with Edwin flow like this?’

 

Alice recalled the past with a distant feeling for a moment.

 

Their past, where they conversed like perfectly ordinary friends, came to mind vividly.

 

But looking back, that was nothing more than Edwin’s mask.

 

“Alice, are you going somewhere?”

 

Edwin asked, seeing her attire. It was the outing dress she usually wore when going out.

 

“Yeah, to meet Michael….”

 

Having brought up the story honestly without thinking, she quickly closed her lips at his cold gaze.

 

‘He gets like this whenever Michael is mentioned.’

 

Did they fight while she was gone?

 

Considering how friendly they seemed at the banquet, it was a somewhat incomprehensible reaction.

 

‘Is it because I misunderstood the relationship between the two?’

 

She thought that if someone misunderstood that you liked a person you had no feelings for, you might come to dislike that person.

 

She worried that she might have needlessly driven a wedge between Michael and Edwin.

 

It already weighed on her mind that Michael recognized the color of Edwin’s soul, and if Edwin started hating him on top of that….

 

“Do you want to go meet him together?”

 

Alice spoke cautiously, gauging Edwin’s mood.

 

She reached the conclusion that it would be best to smooth over the relationship between the two somehow.

 

If it was to lengthen Michael’s lifeline.

 

‘Why do I have to worry about Michael’s life too….’

 

She never thought Edwin’s confession would bring such a big ambush. Her energy was drained by this strangely unfolding situation, making her even hungrier.

 

Alice headed to the carriage in front of the ducal castle to go to Michael’s house.

 

“Haha, we meet again, Princess.”

 

Chester, standing in front of the Esteban family carriage, welcomed her with a smile.

 

However, he soon looked around her with a puzzled gaze.

 

“Did the Commander not come?”

 

“No, he said he might want to kill him if he sees El….”

 

Alice said with an awkward smile. At her answer, Chester burst into laughter cheerfully.

 

“Hahaha! He revealed his true colors even in front of the Princess!”

 

In front of him laughing as if truly amused, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she only made an ambiguous expression.

 

“Ah, I apologize. It must be quite an awkward matter for the Princess.”

 

Chester was the only person who knew from the battlefield how obsessed Edwin was with her.

 

Since most of the orders he gave were related to her, he was in a position where he couldn’t not know, but still.

 

So Chester, capable of more normal thinking than Edwin by comparison, spoke as if he understood her.

 

Alice glanced at him and got into the carriage.

 

“Uh, are you angry with me?”

 

“Not really….”

 

“Ay, between us. Please tell me honestly.”

 

Were we in a relationship to say ‘between us’? Instead of asking that, Alice spoke honestly.

 

“I just feel like I’m being treated like an animal in a zoo… no, a circus.”

 

Rather than a zoo, an animal in a circus performing precariously day by day suited her situation better.

 

Chester looked at her as if hearing something truly absurd.

 

“The Princess is? Haha…. It seems the Princess hasn’t grasped her own position well.”

 

“Is there any other position for me besides this?”

 

“If I had to say, wouldn’t it be the tamer? The role of a mediator, disciplining the carnivore in the circus not to eat the herbivore, for instance.”

 

“Me…?”

 

His slightly arrogant attitude was annoying, but Alice tried to understand those words.

 

Herbivore seemed to mean ordinary people, and carnivore was… too obvious.

 

“Isn’t my position too swayed to be called a tamer?”

 

“Originally, carnivores don’t follow the tamer’s words from the beginning. Still, isn’t the Commander quite obedient?”

 

Strangely, Alice couldn’t affirm or deny his words.

 

“Is it okay to use such a metaphor for your superior?”

 

“Since he isn’t here anyway, what would I be afraid of?”

 

“What if I tell on you?”

 

“You should come to my funeral tomorrow. Please bring a generous condolence money.”

 

Chester said jokingly. Alice wanted to ask if he was really joking, but held back.

 

If he said it wasn’t a joke here again, she felt she would become distressed.

 

“We have arrived. Since the Princess is probably the only one who can employ the Imperial Knight Commander as a sole escort, you can be happy.”

 

“I’m honored.”

 

She was too lazy to rebuke his show of authority, so she answered half-heartedly.

 

The carriage stopped in front of Elga’s house, which she hadn’t seen in a long time. However, the light brown wooden house was empty.

 

‘It must be an outpatient clinic day.’

 

Since she hadn’t had the mind to send word to Michael that she was visiting separately, Alice realized her mistake belatedly.

 

“Should I go back like this….”

 

As she muttered in trouble, Chester spoke beside her.

 

“Shall I drag him here?”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

He wasn’t some criminal; dragging him here?

 

And given Michael’s personality, if he were dragged here like that, there would be a huge uproar.

 

Also, Michael was receiving interest and goodwill from the territory’s people as Evan’s younger brother, who had deep trust from them.

 

“Without knowing the fear of public sentiment, we could die if we make a wrong move.”

 

“You mean the Princess would die over just this much?”

 

Chester looked like he didn’t understand. Alice nodded firmly.

 

“Yes.”

 

Did he say that knowing how many people in the territory cherish Michael?

 

In the future shown by the ability, when Edwin forcibly kidnapped Michael to the Imperial Palace, the territory’s people took the initiative to save Michael and were all killed.

 

Of course, the person who killed them was Edwin.

 

“Haha, what a scary neighborhood.”

 

Chester shrugged and laughed. His attitude showed he wasn’t scared at all. Alice got back into the carriage.

 

“Then will you go back like this?”

 

“I’ll just take the criticism.”

 

Alice decided to meet Michael. She didn’t know yet how much time she had left to stay in the Duke’s territory.

 

If an order came from the Imperial Family to return even now, she would have to pack her bags and go up to the capital immediately.

 

 

***

 

 

She looked at the line of patients standing in front of the clinic and said, “Will I be able to break through this many people to enter….”

 

“Why not just chase them away?”

 

“There’s no need to make trouble out of nothing. I want to avoid making enemies over trivial matters.”

 

“That is true, but even if there are tens of thousands of people like this on their side, if they turn one Commander into an enemy….”

 

Chester smiled crookedly. Alice met his smile with an awkward one.

 

His words weren’t wrong. If anything, they were practically a truth that penetrated this world.

 

“Still, there’s no need to buy resentment uselessly.”

 

“If so, whichever makes you comfortable.”

 

Chester pretended to be a gentleman and raised his palm to point forward.

 

“Then please wait here a bit.”

 

At her words telling him not to enter the clinic but wait, Chester looked a little dissatisfied, but answered that he understood. And Alice went to the very front of the line where patients were standing in a row.

 

“Excuse me for a moment, may I?”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

The territory resident standing in the front row hurriedly stepped back at the lady asking for understanding. Seeing the noble young lady who looked noble just by glancing, they looked cautious, fearing they might step on the hem of her skirt.

 

‘Even if I let Michael know it’s me right now….’

 

Since it was consultation hours, she would only be turned away at the door.

 

Standing in front of the door, Alice knocked once, then burst the door open.

 

The patients standing in line behind her gasped.

 

They weren’t scolding her rude behavior, but were worried about what kind of words that foul-tempered doctor would use to hurt the young lady.

 

“Haa….”

 

Michael, who had a stethoscope on a patient’s body, crumpled his face fiercely at the sound of the door opening and let out a sigh.

 

“Who is the impatient bastard opening the door while I’m still examining? Unless you’re on the verge of death, know that I might kill you.”

 

At his reaction spewing profanities, Alice spoke with a nonchalant face.

 

“If you’re busy, should I come back later?”

 

“Wh-what. Why are you here?”

 

Belatedly hearing her voice and turning his gaze, surprise spread across Michael’s face.

 

“I wanted to talk for a moment….”

 

He stood up from his chair.

 

“Then… wait just a moment.”

 

And Michael took Alice to the inner part of the clinic. She looked at him with fascination.

 

‘I thought he would chase me out immediately.’

 

Inside the place Michael took her, there were rows of cots for patients.

 

“Just stay here until this examination is over. You like lying down.”

 

“That is true, but when will it finish?”

 

“It’ll be done in a bit.”

 

Alice lay down on the cot immediately. Michael looked at that sight as if astounded.

 

After he left, Alice, lying like a patient, only turned her head to look around inside.

 

‘I wasn’t alone.’

 

There were several other patients too. Most were fracture patients who couldn’t move.

 

But among them, there was also a person who looked relatively fine.

 

‘Where is that person hurt?’

 

Alice felt a little curious but soon turned off her interest.

 

Just as she was about to turn her gaze away, she saw the tattoo on the man’s back of the hand and turned her head back to that side.

 

She hadn’t seen it wrong. That was the symbol of a Holy Knight.

 

‘Why is a Holy Knight lying here?’

 

Sitting up on the bed, she approached him quietly. The man with ash-gray hair had copper-colored skin.

 

It didn’t look like his natural skin tone, but rather tanned from being under the sun for a long time.

 

At that moment, the eyes of the man who seemed to be sleeping snapped open. She was flustered by the gaze tinged with wariness.

 

“Ah….”

 

“What is the matter?”

 

“I apologize. You were handsome, so I just wanted to take a look.”

 

Why was this the only excuse that came to mind at this moment?

 

Alice lamented her own eloquence greatly.

 

However, thanks to him sitting up halfway, she could examine his appearance more. The man had a solid body like a highly trained knight.

 

“A person is not a spectacle.”

 

He shot a glare at her as if displeased by her words, then covered himself with the blanket and lay down again.

 

Watching him, Alice recalled a memory.

 

‘Evan said he had assigned a guard to Michael.’

 

Perhaps that person was this person….

 

Why is he here?

 

She returned to her bed without taking her eyes off him. Then the door burst open.

 

“Come out.”

 

It was Michael’s voice. She glanced at the side where the Holy Knight was lying, then got up from her seat.

 

When she returned to the examination room, the patient from earlier was gone, perhaps having finished the consultation.

 

“What brings you here?”

 

Michael asked. Alice hurriedly brought up the main topic, fearing she might disturb his medical practice.

 

“The Duke, Edwin didn’t kill him.”

 

“You came all the way here just to say that?”

 

A blunt reaction returned, but Michael’s eyes looking at her were full of worry.

 

He checked the window near the examination room and closed it.

 

“You aren’t being threatened or anything, are you?”

 

“It’s not like that.”

 

Alice hurriedly denied his words. Threatened? Did Edwin threaten her?

 

‘I feel somewhat threatened, though.’

 

The problem was that the threat wasn’t aimed at her, but at the person who heard her story. Of course, it was also a problem if it was aimed at herself, but….

 

In conclusion, she had never been directly threatened by Edwin.

 

However, Michael, reading the ambiguous look on Alice’s face, crumpled his face viciously.

 

“Isn’t he completely crazy?”

 

“N-no, I’m telling you.”

 

Alice, feeling she knew what kind of misunderstanding Michael was having, tried to clear it up.

 

But Michael’s misunderstanding didn’t clear up easily, so she changed the topic.

 

“By the way, did you see the man in the inpatient room?”

 

“Who?”

 

“The person with a white flower pattern on the back of his hand.”

 

Michael was silent as if searching his memory, then looked at her as if recalling who it was.

 

“The, lily pattern?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Then, his gaze looking at her cooled down rapidly.

 

Feeling bad at his gaze, she also wrinkled her nose.

 

What is that look, as if looking at a pathetic person?

 

“Really, you… have a lot of problems.”

 

“What?”

 

She twisted a lock of hair and lifted her chin shamelessly. No matter how you looked at it, she wasn’t the problem at all. It was everyone around her that was the problem.

 

“Did you fall for him again?”

 

But Michael already had a knowing look on his face. Alice stared back at him with an incredulous gaze.

 

“No, of course, I admit he’s handsome, but do you think I fall for everyone just because they have a pretty face? Though, since I’m going to have someone by my side anyway, it would be nice if they were pretty….”

 

As she spoke, Alice, revealing her true feelings, realized her slip of the tongue and shut her mouth. Michael sighed and said, “That guy is a nuisance.”

 

“Why?”

 

“He’s not even sick, yet he feigns illness every day and occupies a hospital bed.”

 

“Ah, somehow he did look perfectly fine….”

 

She nodded at his words. Did Michael know that the patient (?) was a Holy Knight?

 

“But why haven’t you kicked him out?”

 

“Um….”

 

It was the first time seeing Michael troubled to answer, so Alice made a judgment inwardly.

 

‘It seems Michael already knows he’s a Holy Knight.’

 

Michael hesitated for a long time before opening his mouth.

 

“Don’t misunderstand and listen. A hospital is run by people too, so funds are needed for operation. But nobles or merchants who have money rarely donate to the hospital, like beans sprouting in a drought.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“But I don’t know what that guy has in his back pocket, but every time I treat him, he hands over a large sum of money. Keeping at least one person as a source of funds is beneficial for the hospital facilities and welfare in many ways, so that is….”

 

To summarize, it means he turns a blind eye to the nuisance because of money.

 

Alice nodded at his words. Money is important, indeed.

 

Michael’s explanation grew long, perhaps a little ashamed of that aspect of himself.

 

Alice intervened in his behavior.

 

“Why try to hide something like that? It happens.”

 

Alice felt a little bad because she hadn’t known about the hospital’s circumstances. Before returning to the Imperial Palace, she should talk to Lucia, who was running Deli Melli in the territory on her behalf, to make a donation to the hospital.

 

“Then, you don’t know who that person is?”

 

Alice asked. Michael nodded.

 

“I don’t know. Judging by his physique and physical condition, it seems he does physical work. If you’re interested, ask him yourself.”

 

“It’s not that kind of interest….”

 

Although Michael had a quirky personality, his thoughts tended to show entirely on his face.

 

Because of that, on Michael’s face, which couldn’t tell a lie, not a shred of falsehood could be seen at this moment.

 

It meant Michael still didn’t know his identity.

 

Alice contemplated whether she should also keep it a secret regarding him.

 

‘…And the fact that a Holy Knight is still guarding his side.’

 

The person who made Michael’s life most dangerous was the Duke. Does this mean that even though he died, the dangerous elements around Michael haven’t been completely eliminated?

 

She carefully went over who Michael needed to be wary of.

 

First was the Duke, but now not applicable.

 

Second was the Emperor, still looking for the possessor of holy power.

 

Third was….

 

Alice opened her mouth. At this moment, the Emperor wasn’t very important. First, it was important to silence Michael.

 

“Edwin really didn’t kill him. He was with me when that incident happened.”

 

“…With you?”

 

“Yeah, as my escort.”

 

Michael looked at her with a face that couldn’t understand.

 

“Why would he escort you? There are plenty of knights in the Imperial Palace.”

 

“Ah, there was a reason for that….”

 

Alice inevitably brought up the story about the carriage attack incident that happened to her.

 

As her words continued, Michael’s expression also began to harden rapidly.

 

His emerald eyes were trembling with anger and worry.

 

Alice was flustered because she had never seen him this angry.

 

“Why are you telling me that now?”

 

“Because I didn’t want to worry you….”

 

Her answer only fueled Michael’s anger further.

 

“You’re saying this funeral could have been your funeral!”

 

“Isn’t that too extreme of an assumption?”

 

“You said the Duke was attacked in the Imperial Palace. If a skilled magic swordsman was attacked, you think you’re safe?”

 

Michael’s words had a point. When Alice, having nothing to say, kept her mouth shut, he looked at her with an anxious face, like looking at a child put by the water.

 

“Is there no way to leave the Imperial Palace?”

 

It was a question that gave a sense of déjà vu.

 

When the Duke died, Ena had said something similar. Alice gave the same answer as back then.

 

“If I go back now, there will be a Crown Princess investiture ceremony.”

 

“What…? Don’t tell me.”

 

Michael looked at her with a face of disbelief at her words.

 

“You aren’t saying you’re becoming the Crown Princess, are you?”

 

She affirmed his words with a reluctant face. Hearing the news without even a hint, let alone consultation, couldn’t be pleasing to her either.

 

Michael guessed the situation roughly by looking at her expression.

 

His face darkened in an instant.

 

Alice’s heart looking at him wasn’t light either.

 

“And El….”

 

She hesitated to open her mouth about Michael. Seeing him right in front of her, she wanted to tell him that Evan was alive.

 

However, the temple was guarding Michael while hiding even the existence of the Holy Knight.

 

But if she stepped up and said it, it seemed Michael might suffer harm for no reason.

 

Michael, interpreting her hesitation differently, said, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that he killed the Duke. I know very well what kind of person the opponent is.”

 

Michael made a fed-up expression thinking of Edwin. Instead of saying Evan was alive, Alice nodded and left the examination room.

 

No, she tried to leave.

 

If only the spirit stone in her bosom hadn’t heated up.

 

“Ouch, hot!”

 

Alice quickly took out the spirit stone and placed it on the desk. The spirit stone twinkled with a faint light.

 

Michael looked at the glowing stone with a bewildered face.

 

“What is this?”

 

“Ah, what this is, is.”

 

Alice’s mouth stopped at the words ringing from the spirit stone.

 

[Sa, save me.]

 

At the voice ringing in her head, Alice asked Michael with an urgent face.

 

“El. Can you put your hand on this stone for a moment?”

 

“Wh-what is it.”

 

When Michael hesitated, Alice grabbed his wrist and pulled it onto the stone.

 

Then, the stone emitted a bright light as if burning. Michael was flustered by the sudden situation.

 

“Hey, this suddenly drains energy from my body? What on earth is this?”

 

[Phew, I lived.]

 

At that moment, the voice of an innocent child rang clearly in Alice’s ears.

 

Alice was startled by that voice. It was the clearest voice she had heard so far.

 

“You don’t hear this voice?”

 

“What sound are you saying you hear.”

 

Michael glared at her with an absurd face. He just felt his energy disappearing and sleepiness rushing in as soon as he put his hand on the stone.

 

Belatedly checking his condition, Alice was startled.

 

“Are you okay? Wasn’t it hot?”

 

Alice checked his hand. When it was with her, the stone was hot enough to burn her hand, but his hand that held the stone wasn’t even red and was perfectly fine.

 

“You’re asking awfully late.”

 

“Seems you’re fine.”

 

Noticing his mood had become uncomfortable, Alice continued to check Michael’s condition.

 

Fed up with her persistent questions, Michael chased her out, saying he was fine so she should leave quickly.

 

“What was that….”

 

Standing in front of the clinic door, Alice looked at the spirit stone in her hand for a moment, then put it in her bosom.

 

When she came out of the hospital, Chester was waiting in front of the carriage.

 

He was smiling meaningfully looking at her. Why is he looking like that.

 

“Did you enjoy your secret rendezvous?”

 

“S-secret rendezvous?”

 

Alice approached Chester closely at the scary words, afraid someone might hear. He shrugged, lifting both hands above his shoulders.

 

“Didn’t you have an intimate conversation while even closing the clinic curtains?”

 

“Me?”

 

“I know better than anyone that my Commander’s personality is formidable. Today, I will pretend not to know with my ocean-like generosity, haha.”

 

“No, I told you it’s not like that….”

 

Alice gave up persuading Chester, who seemed to have already reached a conclusion.

 

He looks like a serious knight, but the moment he opens his mouth, the mood breaks.

 

Is this why the inside is important?

 

However, a moment later, at a sudden thought, Alice hurriedly grabbed Chester who was about to mount his horse.

 

“By chance, that story. You aren’t saying you tell everyone except Edwin, right?”

 

“Hmm, was I caught?”

 

“Who are you trying to get killed right now…!”

 

“The Commander won’t lay a hand on the Princess, so do not worry.”

 

Chester reassured her with a gentlemanly handsome smile. The person involved, however, wasn’t reassured at all by his words.

 

“If I don’t die, who dies?”

 

“Well, wouldn’t the doctor inside there die?”

 

Alice’s lips twitched seeing Chester speak with a nonchalant attitude as if it were obvious.

 

‘Ah, I want to hit him.’

 

For this moment only, Alice felt frustration rising that she didn’t have monstrous strength like Edwin.

 

[Shall I help?]

 

Huh?

 

Alice didn’t even have time to answer.

 

Suddenly, the spirit stone in her bosom caused a strange vibration and emitted light.

 

—Whoosh!

 

A gust of wind like at the banquet raged from the stone in her bosom.

 

“…Ugh!”

 

Chester, hit directly by wind strong enough to blow away a lion, jumped off his horse and landed precariously.

 

Even he looked surprised by the sudden wind.

 

Soon he discovered the spirit stone in her bosom.

 

“Cough, is this the power of the spirit stone? It’s fascinating that such a small stone has such power.”

 

If an ordinary human had been hit, they would have ended up in the inpatient room of the hospital right next door.

 

Chester, coughing once, approached the stone as if fascinated, disregarding the threatening power of the spirit stone.

 

But at the stone emitting light again, he quickly hid behind her.

 

“Haha, the power is incredible. I think a few ribs are broken.”

 

“What…?”

 

Seeing her shaking pupils, Chester burst into cheerful laughter.

 

“It’s a joke.”

 

Chester mounted his horse. Then he urged her to get into the carriage, saying the sun seemed to be setting soon.

 

She got into the carriage in a daze at his words. But opening the window, she spoke to Chester who was driving his horse side by side.

 

“Sir Douglas, if you go around saying I had a secret rendezvous today….”

 

Alice looked at Chester quietly and said.

 

“I will confess that the partner of that secret rendezvous was Sir Chester Douglas.”

 

“Haha, would the Commander believe that?”

 

Chester showed an appearance of dismissing her words as a joke with a relaxed smile.

 

But it was visible to Alice’s eyes.

 

A hint of tension flashing in his gaze looking at her.

 

“I will explain what happened with Sir Douglas logically and in every detail.”

 

She looked him up and down and said.

 

“My imagination is on the strong side; are you confident you can handle it?”

 

“…I am curious about what kind of imagination it is, but I am also a guy who values his life.”

 

Alice, having obtained a promise regarding confidentiality from him, said,

 

“There’s nothing to keep secret in the first place. I’m making a perfectly reasonable request not to spread false facts.”

 

Ending her business with those words, Alice closed the carriage window without hesitation. And recalling the earlier event, she took out the spirit stone from her bosom.

 

‘The wind blew just now too. Did the spirit stone respond?’

 

Just in case, she had tried talking to the stone like a crazy person several times since earlier, but there was no response back.

 

In the meantime, the carriage arrived at the ducal castle.

 

Ena approached her as she got down from the carriage with Chester’s help.

 

Having nothing to do in the ducal castle, Ena had been bored and waiting early for the young lady to come.

 

“Phew, I’m tired….”

 

Alice wanted to return to her room and lie down quickly. On the way back to the room, Ena spoke to Alice.

 

“Did Michael look healthy?”

 

Ena had also attended the funeral, but because the crowd was so large, she hadn’t been able to spot Michael, let alone Alice.

 

To Ena asking about his well-being, Alice nodded.

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

“What about Edwin?”

 

“Yes?”

 

Ena tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand her question.

 

“Do you know what Edwin is doing?”

 

“The Young Master would be taking charge of the backlog of family head duties, wouldn’t he…?”

 

Ena, answering faithfully, looked at Alice meaningfully with a face that seemed to realize something.

 

“If you are curious, how about meeting him yourself?”

 

“Mmm.”

 

Alice couldn’t agree rashly. What on earth should she say meeting Edwin now?

 

Just imagining it was an awkward and difficult situation.

 

Seeing her hesitate, Ena grabbed Alice’s arm, hurriedly entered the room, and closed the door.

 

Her face was full of intriguing excitement.

 

“Don’t tell me, did the Young Master get rejected?”

 

At her out-of-the-blue guess, Alice looked at her as if absurd.

 

“You’re asking if Edwin got rejected by me?”

 

Alice felt Ena’s question was strange.

 

Thinking about why it felt strange, the conclusion came quickly.

 

Am I even an existence that can reject Edwin….

 

Really, it was a question where a problem arose from the very fundamental premise setting.

 

Alice tried to ignore it without answering but gave in to Ena sending burdensome gazes.

 

“It’s probably not like that….”

 

“Then it means you like him?”

 

“Umm, that is….”

 

Suddenly, such a thought also occurred.

 

Even if she could reject him, what reaction would she have shown?

 

Alice pondered.

 

Anyway, the current Edwin was an existence like a helper to her, more than anything.

 

Then as a romantic interest…?

 

When she recalled the time she was alone with Edwin in the temple, a bitter taste filled her mouth.

 

Generally, a person should be with someone with a healthy mind. For that, Edwin was too dangerous and… captivating.

 

‘I must be crazy.’

 

Alice grabbed her hair and banged her head against the door.

 

Then Ena stopped her behavior, saying, “You’ll become a fool if you do that!”

 

In the future seen by the ability, didn’t a religion worshipping Edwin even emerge?

 

And now she’d been confessed to?

 

If circumstances were different, she might have swallowed that bait without hesitation.

 

 

***

 

 

The next day, early morning.

 

Alice received a letter from Ena.

 

In the center of the white envelope, a sealing wax with the Imperial seal was embedded.

 

Alice read the letter slowly.

 

‘This is.’

 

It was the Imperial order to return to the capital, which she had been concerned about.