Chapter 96

“Hmm.”  

As one of the emperor’s eyebrows lifted, the chamberlain immediately realized His Majesty was displeased.  

“I shall investigate and handle it, Your Majesty. Please rest easy.”  

“Very well. You should go rest too.”  

But what awaited the chamberlain as he opened the door was the sight of the corpses of the attendants who had been standing guard outside.  

A sword burst through his back, and the emperor leapt to his feet at the sight of its bloodied tip.  

“Quinton!”  

He hadn’t spoken that name in years, not since the chamberlain had grown old, but now the lifeless man collapsed, unable even to turn his head.  

Whoosh.

Quinton’s body was cast aside like trash. And when the face behind him emerged, even the emperor—who had lived through all manner of trials and tribulations in his youth—clutched at his chest in shock.  

“I believed you had repented. Just what do you think you’re doing… son?”  

To a question they both knew the answer to, Austin merely gave a wry smile. His blond hair, inherited from the emperor, and green eyes, like the empress’s, flickered like torches in the dim light.  

“I’m succeeding the throne, Father.”  

Behind Austin, the royal guards who had sided with him stood in formation.  

At some point, the palace gates had been thrown open, welcoming the factions that had fallen under his influence.  

And once the final soldier entered, the gates shut tight.

***

I stepped into Mother’s office and hesitated in front of the small door.  

“Mmmmmm.”  

I really did need to meet with Esadien at some point, but it felt like it had been far too long to just suddenly show up now.  

“If I were the one who’d been locked up… I’d have thrown my bread right at their face the moment they walked in.”  

Ugh. But surely Esadien wouldn’t go that far. He’s not like me, born to play the villain.  

“…Or would he?”  

No, no. The reason he’s here in the first place is because he pretended to be an animal to deceive me. He wouldn’t dare act up.  

…Not that I’m even sure “pretend” is the right word.

“Agh, I don’t even know anymore!”  

I kept grabbing and releasing the doorknob in frustration, until finally I took a deep breath and threw the door open.  

I knew I’d just agonize over this for days if I turned back now. And besides, something told me I wouldn’t get another chance like this.  

I flung the door open so hard it felt like I was pushed inside by the momentum.  

‘Ah, I was supposed to knock first.’  

That thought hit me just as I locked eyes with Esadien.  

He had been leaning against the bed, reading a book, but stood up, looking surprised.  

“Minuelle.”  

“Oh, you’re still awake.”  

“It’s hard to tell time after sunset. I’ve found myself sleeping only when the outside grows bright.”  

He spoke nonchalantly, but his words made my shoulders twitch.  

‘Is he… complaining that being locked up has messed up his sleep schedule?’  

What was the right reaction in a moment like this?  

Suddenly, it felt like a pop quiz flashed through my mind.

[Question] Choose the correct response from the options below. (300 points)  

1. People should sleep and wake at regular hours, no matter what.  
2. Wow, you’ve become a full-fledged owl now. Want to try life as a turtle next and go for the land-sea-air trifecta?  
3. I HAVE SINNED. HAVE MERCY ON ME, YOUR HHHHHHIGHNESS!

But no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t pick one.  

Unable to withstand Esadien’s steady gaze, I finally opened my mouth.

“…Ah, um, yes.”  

What I said wasn’t any of the options. I lost 300 points just like that.  

‘Wait, who’s even giving out these points? Esadien?’  

I couldn’t calm down. My mind kept spiraling into nonsense.  

I looked around the room like a malfunctioning robot.  

It looked very different from when Esadien had first been confined.  

There was a partition across the room that probably hid a bathtub, a newly brought-in table and chairs, a thick carpet under the bed, and books piled beside it.  

Noticing where my eyes had landed, Esadien explained, as if making excuses.  

“Most of the books were brought by Theodore. The butler’s also been fairly accommodating to my requests.”  

I felt a strange sensation.  

He was speaking as if I’d been worried about him.

“…I knew Theo had visited.”  

Esadien’s confinement was politically delicate.  

As a royal, he couldn’t be treated too harshly, and though I could report him to the emperor and see him punished, with Austin in the way, I couldn’t do that just yet.  

That was why I had turned a blind eye to Theodore’s unofficial visits.  

‘Of course, I trust they’re not conspiring to escape or anything.’  

As I answered and looked him in the eye, Esadien cleared his throat and gestured to the chair.  

“Perhaps you should sit.”  

And then he himself sat down—not on the bed, but on the floor with a thud!  

‘What is this, the Joseon Dynasty?’  

Flustered, I jumped up and awkwardly grabbed his arm.  

“You should be the one sitting in the chair, Your Highness.”  

“Ah.”  

Esadien’s face gradually turned red.  

I was puzzled by his behavior until he spoke again.  

“It’s just… I’ve gotten used to the floor.”  

So that’s why all the books were there.  

Suddenly, I remembered El.

El as a small creature, sleeping belly-up like a person.  

El, when fully grown, sprawled out across the entire bed length.  

El, when I stepped on him in my half-asleep stupor, never once growling at me.  

El, who didn’t mind when I ruffled his fur or kissed his paws.

Those memories rushed in, and my eyes welled up.  

Worse still, my heart turned unbearably soft.

‘This is bad. At this rate, I’ll forgive Esadien no matter what he says or does.’  

I should’ve run away.  

But I couldn’t move, because Esadien’s face kept overlapping with El’s.

Watching me quietly, Esadien seemed to read me like a book and promptly acted.

“Come to think of it… this isn’t the time to be idle.”  

He murmured, sat me down again, then knelt before me.  

I was stunned.  

When Austin had knelt, it felt disgusting.  

But Esadien—he looked like a tragic saint, bathed in the light of the divine Plendena.

‘Maybe he should just devote his life to the Plendena temple for the good of the world…’  

As I was spiraling with such thoughts, Esadien bowed his head solemnly.  

“I’m sorry. No…”  

He trailed off, gently took my hand, and pressed a kiss to my fingers.  

“I was deeply in the wrong.”  

His breath tingled where it touched my skin, running up my arm to my head.  

It jolted me back to reality.  

I pulled my hand back sharply and asked in a cold voice,  

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth? I get it if you were hurt and disoriented at first. But even then, if you’d told Gabbie or Ramande, I would’ve believed them.”  

“……”  

“What—did you think I’d just kick you out if I found out?”  

He still said nothing, but the way his eyes trembled told me everything.  

I might’ve gotten annoyed, but I would’ve taken care of him—patched him up and sent him off all fluffed and fresh!

Even now I was keeping calm and talking like a civilized person!

“Let’s be honest: taking you to His Majesty isn’t the same as ‘kicking you out.’”  

“It is not.”  

“What do you mean, not?”  

“The truth is… I wanted to stay as El. If I could.”  

“Pardon?”  

What did that even mean?  

He wanted to live as a pet?  

No talking, no hands, no seasoning, just lying around all day?

…Okay, that last part did sound appealing, but still.  

And yet he wasn’t done.

“When I was El, you didn’t push me away. No—more than that, you loved me.”  

“T-That’s because you were a small, cute, fluffy friend—”  

That soft fur, the long tail, the tufted ears with snowy tips, the rounded snout and nose…  

How could anyone not love that?

While I was once again lost in my fluffy memories, Esadien leaned his forehead on my knee, just like El used to.

“Even now… if you would treat me that way again, I would gladly live as El, not Esadien.”  

He then rubbed his cheek against my knee just like El did.

“W-What are you doing? Why are you wiping your face on my clothes?”

And then I realized something—too late.  

“Wait, why are you suddenly speaking in honorifics?”  

At that, Esadien looked genuinely heartbroken.  

I had a sinking feeling a huge bomb was about to drop.

I tried to push his forehead away, but he dodged expertly and rubbed his head against my palm instead.  

Just like I used to pet El.  

‘This is the first time I’ve ever touched Esadien’s hair…’

It was a bit finer and longer than El’s, but still soft.  

As I blankly stared at my hand wondering if I’d picked up stardust, Esadien rubbed his cheek against my knee again and said: “I’m being affectionate.”  

Then, after a brief hesitation, he added: “…Master.”  

“……!”  

My jaw dropped. I could almost hear cartoon bluebirds circling my head, singing a choir in triple harmony.  

Master.  

Master.  

Master!

“Ex… Excuse me?”  

“Master.”  

He repeated it now with complete ease, even seeming relieved.

‘I have no plans to be anyone’s master!’  

I sobered up and asked seriously, “Do you have any blurred vision? Dizziness?”  

“…I’m not insane.”  

Esadien denied it flatly, but I wasn’t questioning his sanity this time.  

‘I’m worried it’s a brain tumor or something.’

But of course, he had no way of knowing that. He just gave a calm and sweet smile.  

“I’m not insane. I just want you badly enough that I might go mad.”  

Wow. That sounded like something someone would say right before turning into a villain.  

Barely stifling a groan, I pressed a hand to my forehead.  

If he wasn’t crazy, then I was on the verge.

‘Why are all the characters going off-script?! Are they made of bouncy balls or something?!’  

Lapheche had ignored Theodore and taken off to the cheat route.  

Theodore looked ready to marry no one and become the guardian god of the border.  

And Esadien…

He smiled again when our eyes met.  

“Master.”  

“Ah, would you please stop calling me that?!”

Just as I shouted, someone knocked on the door and called my name.