《I Sacrificed My Life, But He Was A Tyrant》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 21 years. It¡¯s not smooth but it was a pretty normal life. Many people said that I was indifferent. I didn¡¯t usually feel it, but when I looked back, it seemed to be correct. I was contemplating even though I couldn¡¯t move my body in the dark. Actually, I don¡¯t know. This is the first time I died, too. I, Lerine Duke Milion, the vice-general of the Knights of Dojino, died while protecting the third prince of the empire, Signus D. Avita. I didn¡¯t regret my death. I had my own reason to save him. However, I wondered how long I had to lie down like this. When you die, your life passes like a flash. I lived that kind of life as if I ran out of time every day. I always run forward, so I was longing for a short break. I needed time to catch my breath. It can¡¯t be helped even if it was irresponsible. What else could I do when I¡¯m already dead? I¡¯ve finished my work. Now I wanted to fall asleep. ¡°¡­.Miss¡­.¡± At that time, I heard people crying. ¡°How can you leave us behind¡­.!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve spent most of your life in the bed because of your weak body, so how could you go like this¡­..¡± ¡°If I had known this, I would¡¯ve taken you for a walk often¡­¡± Those mournful voices were distant. ¡°What kind of doctor are you! Medical genius, my foot! You couldn¡¯t even save my sister!¡± The grief-stricken outcry of a young man was distant, too. ¡°I send-off my wife that way, and even my daughter¡­¡± The sad voice of a middle-aged man was cut off. ¡°Oh no! Master!¡± ¡°Get a hold of yourself, master!¡± How did it feel to have your child die? When I was young, my parents disowned me, so it was an emotion that I couldn¡¯t expect. ¡®But why do I hear such things?¡¯ Like I said before, I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m not only dead, but my whole body completely ceased to exist. Because I had to protect Signus from the intruders who attacked the Imperial Palace. Why did I do that? Why did I sacrifice my life for the third prince, who wasn¡¯t even the Emperor or the Crown Prince and was the weakest among the princes? There was only one reason. Because Signus had to live. *** I used to have premonition dreams ever since I was a child. The accuracy of the dream was very high. I couldn¡¯t explain it in words, but what I saw, whether it was a small thing or a big thing, came true. There was one dream that I had steadily. It was a dream where the first prince, Demian, became the Crown Prince, and the empire was destroyed. There were demons next to the princes. There was darkness that hovered around the first and second princes, but nobody was aware of that. Eventually, the princes were brainwashed by the power of demons. The moment when the first prince, Demian, whose mind was devoured, becomes the crown prince¡­ The barrier that sealed the demons was opened. The third prince Signus D. Avita and his fiancee, Ayaran Leo Cyben. The two were my friends who had been together since childhood. The day the sky turned gray. Signus and Ayaran were coldly turned into corpses under the feet of the princes. At first, I thought it was just a nightmare. The intelligent Demian, and gentle second prince, Aslan. They all cared so much about Signus, their youngest brother, so I thought it was impossible, and the empire would be just fine. But from the time I became an adult, my dream really tormented me. Signus and Ayaran die every day. I had to watch my precious friends die without doing anything. While suffering from repeated dreams, a group of people who serve the demons attacked the palace. The Imperial palace was turned upside down, and people were dying. Only then did I realize. It¡¯s time to make up my mind. There was neither the first nor the second prince. The Crown Prince must be Signus. Otherwise, this empire would be ruined. That was the future and the truth I¡¯ve seen. As a knight, I and the other knights used the pledge of guardianship with the intention of dying, and I succeeded. Only the best knights were capable of forming the pledge of guardianship by putting their lives as a mortgage to borrow god¡¯s power. I died on behalf of Signus, so there was no chance that I would live. I¡¯m sure it was. ¡®But I can hear people talking.¡¯ My consciousness faded and I couldn¡¯t feel any sense of reality. Was it the afterlife? As if I was listening to the sound outside the closed door. ¡®It¡¯s either a dream or a ghost.¡¯ I just stayed there, feeling at ease. It¡¯s been a long time since I had a break like this. Soon, there was the sound of thumping footsteps was heard as if someone was climbing the stairs from a distance. ¡°Master! Master! Oh no¡­¡± A faint scent of grass spread around when the man¡¯s voice was heard. ¡®I can smell it.¡¯ Indeed. I could think, I could feel the touch, and even I could smell? The man sounded embarrassed when he spoke. ¡°I understand how you feel, but you have to get up now. A man came from the palace.¡± Crank-! Something heavy was thrown, and a loud cracking sound was heard. ¡°My daughter is in that mess, what do you want me to do! Tell them to wait!¡± At the fierce cry of the middle-aged man, the man with a grass scent started to lower his voice. ¡°The butler is dealing with the aide, but we can¡¯t buy more time. I¡¯m sure you know about that.¡± ¡°What do I need to know! They don¡¯t have circumstances like us.¡± The voice of a middle-aged man contained sorrow. ¡°On the day I was asked to come to the palace, I clearly told the aide that my daughter was in critical condition. I said today she was in critical condition, too! But do they have to come find me?¡± The sound was small, but I couldn¡¯t rest from the constant conversation. ¡®Do I need to know about what they were saying?¡¯¡¯ I was slightly scared because I muttered so much. ¡°But they¡¯ve been waiting for a long time already.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wait and die!¡± ¡°Please lower your voice, what if they hear it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great then.¡± The middle-aged man shouted out loud. ¡°Hey! If you can¡¯t even wait, why did you come? Get lost!¡± ¡°Master! Augh, really!¡± I heard the thumping of something. When the faint smell of grass got a little stronger, the man must have hit his chest. ¡°Young Master Ulysse, don¡¯t just cry over there and please come here.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± The voice of the young man who was responding was hoarse. ¡°Hurry up and persuade the master. It¡¯s been a while since the aide arrived. He said he wouldn¡¯t go, maybe, the young master, too¡­¡± After a brief silence, the young man answered. ¡°I¡¯m not going either.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Who am I going to meet when my sister has become like that?¡± His voice trembled. ¡°Just kill me instead!¡± Thud-! Sobbing was heard along with a slamming sound. ¡®He¡¯s crying.¡¯ I could hear the crying sound again. ¡°¡­what should I do? At this rate, we will get exterminated.¡± ¡°Exterminated?¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s voice became dark. ¡°They are the one who have business with us, so they should be the one who should think about our situation.¡± His voice gradually raised. ¡°But there¡¯s a thing called respect in work! Do you really have to come at a time like this, and that¡¯s when my daughter closes her eyes? How could you do this!¡± I could hear the voice of an old woman from another direction. ¡°Master is right.¡± ¡°¡­Anna.¡± ¡°Our miss comes first. We need to send her somewhere nice before she gets lost in the way!¡± Voices burst from all sides. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a good idea to focus on the funeral.¡± It was even more distracting when people spoke at once. Soon, the man with the grass scent spoke in a more subdued voice. ¡°Therefore, I¡¯m asking you to meet him first for now. He says he won¡¯t go back until he sees you, master.¡± The man¡¯s voice got smaller. There was only one sound that stuck in my ears. ¡°The Crown Prince, Signus, will definitely understand your situation once he hears about it.¡± Signus. My eyes opened without my awareness. ¡°At this rate, we won¡¯t be able to do anything, and it¡¯ll be dark soon.¡± The confused mind cleared up. The voice of the man, who sounded far away as if there was a curtain in the middle, gradually became clear. ¡°¡­.¡± High ceiling and sparkling chandelier entered my blurry vision. ¡®It looks like a noble lady¡¯s room¡­¡¯ I just rolled my eyes and remembered what I just heard. ¡®He definitely said Signus.¡¯ I tried to turn my head to confirm, but a tremendous pain came. ¡®¡­What the hell!¡¯ My whole body ached as if I was beaten. My arms and legs were numb, my head was buzzing, and my eyes were very dry. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this body?¡¯ I held back my groan and turned my eyes. Next to the gruesomely cracked table, I opened my eyes widely at the sight of a bright blond middle-aged man. ¡®Marquis of Elaine!¡¯ *** This place where I live was the Holy Empire of Avita. The Avita Empire was an empire. Why is it holy? It was thanks to Creavo D. Avita, who founded this empire. Creavo, who miraculously appeared in the human world dominated by the demons, joined forces with the dragons and fairies to subdue and seal the demon king into the sacred ground. He used his own blood to put the barrier on the gate leading to the sacred ground, and established an empire called ¡®Avita¡¯. The first emperor¡¯s aide was Ophian Lu Yeronimo. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I need to explain the situation first.¡± I swerved my gaze at the sound of his voice. A middle-aged man who spoke with a sad face. His name was Elaine Lu Yeronimo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too agitated.¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The marquis¡¯ eyes turned towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, but can I ask you a favor?¡± ¡°Please go ahead.¡± Marquis of Elaine struggled to smile. ¡°In the meantime, please find a place where the sun is good and the scenery is good. My daughter, Navian, liked the sun.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You are the only person who can do this since you¡¯ve been a gardener of this house for a long time.¡± The man with the smell of grass burst into tears, and the maids cried again. Marquis¡¯ mouth trembled when he saw it. ¡°Then¡­I guess I should greet my daughter first. Ulysse, you come too.¡± Another bright blonde-haired man who was half blocked by the wall, grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Are you going to send her off without saying goodbye?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At his words, the bright blonde man rose from his seat and staggered. Soon, I could clearly see the neat face of the young man, who was hidden behind the wall. His eyes were red because he cried a lot. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The young man and marquis moved to my direction. He bowed his head as if unable to bear the sight. ¡°My dear daughter¡­¡± Then, Marquis Elaine raised his head with determined look. ¡°Navian.¡± The Marquis¡¯s green eyes met with my gaze. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¡°¡­¡± Marquis Elaine¡¯s mouth, which had been shut all the time, opened wide. ¡°¡­Am I dreaming?¡± The Marquis pinched the cheek of the young man beside him. ¡°Aghh! What¡¯s wrong with you!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a dream.¡± His eyes were watery. ¡°My daughter wakes up!¡± The Marquis flew to where I was. ¡°My daughter, my daughter! Let me see!¡± Why were you looking at me when you were looking at your daughter? The Marquis even held my hand and rubbed it on his cheek. The young man beside him hurriedly asked. ¡°Do you recognize who I am?¡± Absolutely. Ulysse Lu Yeronimo. Marquis Elaine¡¯s son and a medical genius who could recite celestial energy. He was originally famous, but he became even more famous after becoming the disciple of Verus, the greatest medical scientist of the empire. He was particularly popular among the young ladies because of his fair-white skin, compared to the other young masters of the noble family. I never thought I¡¯d see the infamous young master here. ¡®For now, should I show courtesy first? Or should I speak first?¡¯ I was extremely flustered. As I tried to get up in a hurry, The Marquis gently pushed my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t get up!¡± No, so why are you pushing me? ¡°Wait a minute, father. I will examine her first.¡± Ulysse touched my forehead with a trembling hand. ¡°No fever.¡± He grabbed my wrist this time. ¡°Her pulse is fine¡­¡± Ulysse, who put his fingers somewhere below my neck, cried out. ¡°No way, even her blocked breathing is normal!¡± He raised his head. ¡°Father, not only Navian survived. Her illness is gone! She¡¯s gotten healthier!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on me. The faces filled with despair turned into great happiness. I finally understood something that had been uncertain so far. They called me Navian. As soon I recognized the name, the feeling of being a spectator watching from a distance completely disappeared, and a creepy sense of reality came. ¡®No way.¡¯ At the unbelievable fact, I looked at my arm. ¡®There¡¯s no scar.¡¯ The arm, which had a small scar, was clean. ¡®Have I entered someone else¡¯s body?¡¯ Was this possible? I looked around with puzzled eyes. Then a broad chest came before me. ¡°How admirable, my daughter.¡± The Marquis hugged me. After that, Ulysse wrapped his arms around The Marquis and me. ¡°Thank you for living. Thank you so much for coming back.¡± My shoulders were wet with the two men¡¯s tears. ¡°Huaah¡­¡± A young servant in a maid uniform burst into tears and I could hear people crying from all directions. Pat-! Pat-! I patted their back with a clumsy hand gesture. They cried louder because of my awkward consolation. ¡®I¡¯m at loss.¡¯ At that time, a young man dressed like a butler came into the room. ¡°Master, have you calmed down?¡± My gaze met the butler¡¯s eyes. Then he opened his eyes wide. ¡°Miss!¡± ¡°Butler! Navian is¡­!¡± The Marquis abruptly stopped talking and jumped up. ¡°That¡¯s right! You said an aide came from the Imperial Palace!¡± The Marquis asked hastily. ¡°What should I do? Was he very angry?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like it, but I think you¡¯d better go. Because he¡¯s a person sent by The Crown Prince.¡± The Crown Prince? I vaguely remembered the conversation about someone from the imperial palace coming here. ¡®There was no crown prince in the empire until I died.¡¯ I was about to ask who the crown prince was, but The Marquis spoke with a nervous face. ¡°Butler, lead the way. My daughter just comes back to life, we can¡¯t be exterminated.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The Marquis looked back at me with a kind face. ¡°Take a rest. I¡¯m going to see the guest. Ulysse, keep an eye on Navian.¡± After finishing his word, The Marquis soon left. As I looked at his fleeing back, I heard a wailing sound. ¡°¡­Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Ulysse¡¯s crying face made me feel uneasy. Eventually, I opened my mouth, which had been shut all this time. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Ulysse¡¯s eyes opened wide, but I paid no heed to it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you. Please stop crying.¡± Looking at the stuff that I had been eyeing for a while, I continued. ¡°Please bring me a mirror.¡± *** It¡¯s a colorful combination. A lemon-colored blonde hair with a slightly curved tip and jewel-like pink eyes that glowed like a star. ¡®It¡¯s not me, indeed.¡¯ While looking at the mirror in Ulysse¡¯s hand, I asked him. ¡°What year is it now?¡± Ulysse¡¯s finger trembled. Soon, I heard a stupefied answer. ¡°Avita calendar¡­year 1217.¡± It¡¯s one year since I died. After I heard what I¡¯m curious about, I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Thank you.¡± Kung-! The mirror slipped from Ulysse¡¯s weak hand. He had a dazed expression as if he just heard something shocking. It wasn¡¯t just Ulysse. Everyone had their jaw dropped since I asked them to bring me a mirror. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with them?¡¯ Soon, Ulysse murmured. ¡°¡­Anna.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, young master.¡± ¡°Do you remember when the last time Navian spoke?¡± What are you saying? ¡°Perhaps, was it the day when she collapsed on her way back to bed after eating?¡± A servant named Anna shook her head. ¡°Then..was it when she dropped a cup of water and fell on the broken glass, caught tetanus, almost died and survived?¡± She shook her head again. ¡°Ah. It was the day when I prepared healthy food, but because of the allergy, her airway was swollen.¡± She shook her head and spoke. ¡°It was the next day. When she saw the fish and told me to clean it up.¡± ¡®¡­what could have killed you?¡¯ It was no surprise to me that this noble lady, Navian, was silent. I was a knight, and it was my daily routine to hear about the detailed rumors of noble families. ¡®The problem is that I came into this body.¡¯ This body was weak enough to fall on her way back to bed after eating. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t help it. Let¡¯s double-check.¡± But I¡¯m not the only one who was surprised by this situation. It must have been a great shock to these people because their young miss suddenly spoke. ¡°Can you take a slow breath?¡± I had no choice but to inhale. My bosom went up and down. ¡°That¡¯s right! You did a great job.¡± I was praised for breathing. ¡°Now shall we move lightly?¡± I let out a sigh. ¡®This is not the time for this.¡¯ It was also important to ask about the crown prince, but I need to tell them that the owner of this body was dead. This excessive affection wasn¡¯t mine. ¡®Before it¡¯s too late, let¡¯s just say it.¡¯ I made up my mind and made eye contact with Ulysse. Just as I was about to open my mouth, he spoke first. ¡°Thank you, Navian. For living and keeping eye contact with me,¡± Ulysse¡¯s eyes sank sadly. ¡°I treated others from afar without knowing you were in critical condition. Because of my duty as a bastard who could recite the celestial energy.¡± He smiled faintly. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t opened your eyes, father and I would have followed you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave you again. I don¡¯t want to go through that again.¡± From the look of it, I was convinced that they were going to follow her to death. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s postpone saying it for now.¡¯ A young servant in a maid uniform who stood beside Ulysse rebuked him. ¡°Young Master! Why would you say such a scary thing? There are so many things to show to the miss.¡± The young servant spoke while folding her fingers one by one. ¡°We can walk around to see the flowers in the garden, and we can have an outing to a nice scenic area. We can roam around the local streets, too.¡± The young servant held her hands together. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll be making her debut in the social world and attend the banquet in the palace. It¡¯s the beginning of our miss¡¯ life.¡± ¡°What? Walk? Palace?¡± Ulysse interrupted in a bleak voice. ¡°We can¡¯t do that. You know the empire¡¯s situation.¡± ¡°The palace may be too much, but at least we can take a walk. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to hunt-¡± ¡°No walking, either. I need to make sure that the ground in the garden was even and there were no protruding branches and stones.¡± ¡°¡­The miss has eyes, though.¡± ¡°How can a child who¡¯s having a hard time walking avoid a stone?¡± The young servant answered in a dissatisfied voice. ¡°That¡¯s too much. The miss finally in good health, and you won¡¯t let her do anything. I want to play with the miss, too!¡± ¡°Still, she can¡¯t go outside, ¡± Anna, who silently listened to the conversation, suddenly spoke. ¡°I feel the same way as Mary.¡± ¡°Anna!¡± ¡°The fact that his aide is here means that the miss and His Highness may encounter someday. We can¡¯t put it off any longer. Now is the time to build up her stamina.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°So we can be prepared for whatever may occur.¡± Then I asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ulysse answered with a disturbed face. ¡°It¡¯s about the Crown Prince of this empire.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s The Crown Prince¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s His Highness Signus.¡± I opened my mouth wide. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Understandable. It¡¯s because you¡¯ve been sick and unconscious all this time.¡± I barely tried to open my mouth. ¡°When did he¡­become the crown prince?¡± ¡°Exactly today, one year ago.¡± ¡°Is that so..¡± I lowered my gaze. My heart was crammed with happiness. ¡®That¡¯s great.¡¯ I smiled in excitement. It was worthwhile to save him by sacrificing my life. Signus lived and became the Crown Prince. I¡¯ve finished my job. ¡®Now he¡¯ll become a wise emperor and rule the empire well.¡¯ I quietly rejoiced and turned my eyes. Because there was a heavy silence in the room. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± There was no answer. I felt like there was something wrong in everyone¡¯s expression. ¡®I don¡¯t understand what Anna just said.¡¯ She said we need to ¡®prepare¡¯. It sounded like Signus was going to do something. ¡®The Crown Prince of Avita is Signus. He¡¯s not the first prince. Then the empire should be peaceful, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Something must have been wrong. ¡®It¡¯s strange that I¡¯m alive.¡¯ Although I¡¯m in somebody else¡¯s body, my mind was still intact. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me, there¡¯s something wrong?¡¯ But the future was certainly changed. Then why? ¡°His Highness Signus has changed.¡± Ulysse¡¯s green eyes became dark. ¡°He became a tyrant that endangered the empire.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Ulysse¡¯s outrageous remark went on. ¡°From the day he seized the crown prince¡¯s seat, the Empire turned into a bloodbath.¡± At his own words, Ulysse¡¯s eyes were sunken low. ¡°Those who dared to go against him wind up dead. His hands are always stained with blood.¡± That couldn¡¯t be true. It was too unthinkable, so I pulled up all my strength and got up from my seat. ¡°You can¡¯t get up yet!¡± I pushed myself to stand up despite his dissuasion. ¡°Navian!¡± ¡°Miss!¡± The wrists that grazed the floor were sore. I only got up for a split second, but my legs trembled and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. ¡°Lie down, quick!¡± Ulysse came in an instant and hugged me. In a blink of an eye, my body was already returned to the bed. ¡°No, but¡­.¡± ¡°Miss, uhuuh¡­please don¡¯t die!¡± My urgent words were completely hushed up among the cries of young maids whilst Ulysse delicately massaged my wrists with tears in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Your muscles are only startled. Trust me and put yourself at ease.¡± ¡®Yes, but why are you looking at me like I¡¯m about to die?¡¯ ¡°Oh Great Avita, please protect and take care of our miss¡­¡± Eerily, Anna¡¯s prayer sounded somewhat similar to an exorcism ritual now. ¡®I only wanted to walk, that¡¯s all.¡¯ As the vice-general of the Knights, there was no way I was clueless of this body¡¯s state. Her stamina was nearly depleted, her muscles were non-existent, and her strength was poor. No matter how much I took a stroll or went on an outing, I highly doubt it was possible. ¡®I¡¯m not even exaggerating now.¡¯ My head was tangled in a chaotic mess, so I laid down and closed my eyes. I bet my whole life on Signus. I swore to God that I would protect him. It¡¯s true, death was my own choice. But the fact that I lived right now was neither my will nor my fault. Truth be told, I wanted to live. I wanted to avoid death. Signus and Ayaran, my teacher, and the knight¡¯s order. I wanted to live alongside my precious people. I sacrificed my life for a great cause and believed in Signus. I thought I could leave the rest to him. ¡®But what have you become? A Tyrant?¡¯ Such an amazing role, wasn¡¯t it? ¡®This is ridiculous.¡¯ I shared 10 years of my life with him. I shouldn¡¯t judge others by their words. Did they say an aide sent by The Crown Prince was waiting? ¡®Let¡¯s see if I can ask the aide.¡¯ Then I saw Ulysse and the maids were anxiously looking at me. ¡®Same goes for these people.¡¯ I wanted to confirm it myself, but my main obstacle was this weak body that couldn¡¯t even walk. So I could only sigh at my helpless future. ¡°Are you surprised? Don¡¯t worry, as long as you don¡¯t go outside, you won¡¯t bump into him.¡± He wanted to prevent me from bumping into Signus at all cost. ¡®Just how much has he changed?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t fully trust what they had said, nor could I imagine such a thing. Because the Signus in my memory¡­. -Flashback- ¡°Li.¡± Signus ran to me after my patrol duty. ¡°Did you return safely? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± He frowned as I shook my head. ¡°Let me see. You look tired. You look pale, and you have wrinkles on your white forehead.¡± He said, with a worried expression on his face. ¡°Just pick someone else to do the patrol.¡± ¡°Then what else should I do?¡± At my word, Signus¡¯ golden eyes bent to half a moon. ¡°You have to stay by my side and protect me.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re strong enough by yourself.¡± ¡°No way, I¡¯m just the third prince.¡± ¡°Rather than that,¡± the gloomy-faced Signus grabbed my arm and murmured, ¡°Can¡¯t you just stay here?¡± -End of flashback- Thus, I closed my eyes quietly. ¡®What am I going to do if I think of this? I can¡¯t do anything right now.¡¯ Not long after, I heard a kind voice from the bedside. ¡°Are you tired? Of course, you are. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± Then Ulysee opened his bag. ¡°Please wait. You need to take the medicine before you sleep¡­¡± ¡°Should I prepare the rice gruel?¡± How timely! ¡°No, not rice gruel. I would like something that I can chew properly.¡± My body has been troubling me, so I might collapse if I eat rice gruel. *** ¡°I¡¯ve prepared your favorites as well today. Please eat a lot.¡± I opened the lid, thinking it would be soft bread. And I¡¯m at loss for words. ¡®Is this grass?¡¯ It was a dish full of grass. ¡®Red grass, yellow grass, white grass, green grass¡­¡¯ The color was different, but it was all grass. Furthermore, there was a small dish filled with clear honey, which made me even more wordless. Anna, who saw me staring blankly at the dish, said. ¡°I want to give you something else, but I can¡¯t help it. Except for vegetables, you¡¯re allergic to fruits and raw food.¡± My mouth dropped open. You¡¯re weak, and you¡¯re allergic to something? Come to think of it, Ulysse said something about it before. Her airways were swollen because of allergy, and she was put between life and death. ¡®This isn¡¯t right. It will take a lifetime to recover if you¡¯re being picky with your food despite your impaired body.¡¯ So I lifted my head while clasping my fork. ¡°Ulysse,¡± ¡°Just now¡­did you just call me?¡± He replied with a shocked face. Of course. You were the only Ulysse here. ¡°Yes, tell me. I¡¯ll listen to everything.¡± Why did you have to make it as if I¡¯m about to bequeath my final words? I was a little upset, but I forgave him as I had a request. ¡°Can you come up with a diet that suits me?¡± ¡°A diet?¡± ¡°Yes, please include everything that¡¯s good for my body and remove everything that didn¡¯t fit my body. You know my body better than I do, after all.¡± At my resolute words, Ulysse looked puzzled. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem but¡­there are a lot of things you hate. You hate the texture of bread or meat, and you hate the fishy smell coming from an egg or dairy products.¡± Only now I finally understood about this body¡¯s state. ¡®It¡¯s only natural to get sick when you refuse to eat anything.¡¯ I quickly regained my distorted face and asked sternly. ¡°I¡¯m okay now. I don¡¯t want to be picky about my food anymore.¡± I opened my mouth, looking at my slender forearms. ¡°Now that I¡¯m alive, I want to be healthy.¡± The room fell into deep silence at my resolute voice. ¡°Yes, trust me. I¡¯ll discuss it with the chef and prepare the best meal.¡± Ulysse, whose eyes had turned moist, jumped up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Rest well!¡± I made up my mind as I watched his disappearing back. ¡®Let¡¯s be healthy enough to walk.¡¯ An average person who could take a walk, That was my current goal. *** Elaine ran down the stairs from the room on the second floor. ¡®Just how did you hold out running back and forth like this?¡¯ Elaine, who was unable to fathom the butler¡¯s mind, asked with a nervous look. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s not upset?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± ¡°You never know. What if he pretends to be okay and rat on us later?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be alright.¡± Elaine, who went down like a madman, raised his head. There was someone standing at the end of the stairs. The dragon insignia, the symbol of the empire, was stuck in his chest. He was the Crown Prince¡¯s aide. At the sight, Elaine and the butler only looked at each other before whispering in low voices. ¡°Why is he waiting in here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, either. I¡¯m certain I¡¯ve led him to the parlor.¡± Elaine quickly arranged his disheveled clothes and greeted the guest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± Despite his lip service apology, the aide calmly responded. ¡°Pardon my discourtesy. It¡¯s an urgent matter.¡± How urgent it must be for him to wait on the stairs instead of the parlor. Then the aide spoke, as if he read Elaine¡¯s mind. ¡°His Highness was looking for the Marquis, but you didn¡¯t come, so I have come to find you in person. I beg your understanding.¡± There was a subtlety in his word, which put the blame on the Marquis for making him come all this way. ¡®Where do you want me to go when my daughter is in trouble? Anyway, I have to hear what urgent matter that you want to deliver since you came all the way here.¡¯ ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the parlor and have a talk.¡± Elaine¡¯s attitude was very relaxed. Solely because his precious daughter was alive. Even if he was dealing with an aide of the Crown Prince who set this empire ablaze and turned it into a bloodbath, there was nothing to be afraid of. ¡°Please don¡¯t trouble yourself .¡± The aide put his hand on the Marquis¡¯ arms. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver The Crown Prince¡¯s edict to the Marquis.¡± The splendid parchment paper with a brilliant golden seal. ¡°The head family of house Yeronimo, stand upright and listen to His Highness¡¯ words with sincerity and fervency.¡± Elaine hurriedly kneeled down at his words. ¡°I see The Sun of the Empire.¡± Not only the butler, but also all the servants who were hiding in the mansion to witness the scene, bowed down. Because the handwritten letter of the ruler of Avita, was the same as facing him directly. ¡°Elaine Lu Yeronimo. I¡¯m ready to hear His Highness¡¯ words.¡± The aide opened the parchment wide and read it out loud. ¡°By the order of Signus D. Avita, The Crown Prince of The Empire. The royal family will accept the esteemed daughter of Yeronimo as the Crown Princess.¡± The servants were shocked. And Elaine¡¯s head slowly rose. ¡°This is to return to the family who supported the Empire¡¯s founder and my forefather, Creavo D. Avita, and a stepping stone to return the glory of the past.¡± The aide lowered the parchment with an expressionless face. The aide¡¯s voice swept the whole mansion like a typhoon and rendered everyone speechless. ¡°What does that mean¡­.!¡± Elaine¡¯s vision became blurred before he was able to spit out a harsh curse. Instead of Elaine, the butler went closer to the aide and said, ¡°Pardon me, but right now, miss¡­¡± The aide who was looking at the watch, cut him off. ¡°I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s awake.¡± The butler¡¯s level-headed face crumbled away in an instant. ¡°We¡¯ll proceed with the engagement first. Marquis, please visit the palace and follow the procedure.¡± The aide, still holding the parchment, looked at Elaine. His warning gaze made Elaine¡¯s face distorted. ¡°I believe you¡¯ll make a wise choice.¡± Then the aide left the mansion. Elaine only looked up at the tightly closed room on the second floor. ¡°Navian¡­¡± His voice trembled anxiously. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Hey! Did you hear the rumor? I heard this Empire¡¯s Crown Prince was crazy about slaughter. The white snowfield in the northern part of the empire where His Highness headed was dyed red and the air was crammed with blood scent. He participated in war just to see the blood. The civilians are all dead. He poisoned the well, blocked off the escape route, and set it on fire. I heard he eliminated the people who ran away to survive with his own hands. The total number of casualties was about two small countries combined. Can you imagine how many people died? Of course, nobody can discredit His Highness¡¯s countless achievements. Someone might rebuke me for making a huge fuss without knowing anything. However, it¡¯s hard to believe that a noble figure was able to commit such mischief. If the first emperor finds out, I can¡¯t imagine how miserable he would be. They must be very troubled about Avita¡¯s future¡­ Anguished voices were circulating through the empire. Even today, the people of Avita wanted a peaceful world in unison. *** An officer guarding the entrance of the palace talked to his comrade. ¡°An alchemist died a few days ago.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Then the officer lowered his voice. ¡°He went to the palace to offer an incantation potion, but he must get on His Highness¡¯s nerve.¡± ¡°Not long ago, a nobleman also died.¡± ¡°Which nobleman?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the count from the province who boasted of having a large landmass.¡± He recalled the count who walked through the palace with a haughty attitude. ¡°What about the count?¡± ¡°He said, now that you¡¯ve become the Crown Prince, you should start thinking about your future. There¡¯s a nice young lady among my relatives, so why don¡¯t you meet her for once?¡± The comrade nodded his head and said, ¡°The count was greedy.¡± ¡°In the end, even his entire property was confiscated.¡± Another officer, who was eyeing them from a distance, broke into the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± He continued as he gained the attention of two officers. ¡°You know the royalty from another country that visited last time?¡± They recalled the fat king of the neighborhood country who visited three months ago. The king, who was constantly wiping away the sweat from his greasy face, brought a lot of specialties and precious treasures from his country. ¡°At that time, I was there to help carry his stuff,¡± Said the officer who broke into the conversation, as he recalled that day. ¡°Just in time, His Highness Signus wasn¡¯t there so Lord Aslan, the second prince, greeted them instead.¡± ¡°That ¡®Lord Aslan¡¯?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he sick?¡± The officer only shook his shoulder as his comrades reacted with a grim look. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. He¡¯s the king from another country, after all.¡± Everyone was happy with the king¡¯s visit. Because in that country there was a famous salt mountain. Every time the king visited the Empire, he offered high-quality salt, and Avita¡¯s royal family rewarded him with minerals and military support. ¡°He said he had a hard time coming all the way here and wished to replenish his fatigue after the journey. The problem is, the king kept holding onto Lord Aslan.¡± Aslan, the second prince was kind and gentle, but he was also overly foolish. On the day the Imperial Palace was attacked, even if he was captured and tormented by the demons, he refused to reveal the other princes¡¯ location. ¡°He had to rest, but the king didn¡¯t let him go. He asked how old he was and if there was a woman he currently met, and other frivolous questions.¡± ¡°Crazy guy.¡± The officer dropped his voice low as he went on talking. ¡°Then, His Highness Signus came.¡± The officer and his comrades, who were listening in tension, gulped. ¡°As you know, His Highness is extremely handsome. The king was very surprised to see him so that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth and the princess, who had been aloof all the time, opened her eyes wide.¡± They nodded their heads in agreement. The appearance of all the princes was stunning, but Signus was simply different. ¡°He fawned over him and completely ignored Lord Aslan, but then he moved toward His Highness, saying that he wished to give a blessing kiss to His Highness¡¯s hand.¡± The officer¡¯s comrades gasped, swallowing their breath, and asked. ¡°Is he dead?¡± ¡°Yes. All, except for the king.¡± The officer clicked his tongue with a gaunt expression. Anybody would know once they saw Signus. There was a sense of oppression around him. He had the charisma of a ruler with noble blood. How senseless of the king to realize that only after everyone was dead. ¡°How is he still alive?¡± At his question, the officer shook his head. ¡°When His Highness went to the north, he also struck his country.¡± His reason was Aslan. Aslan, who maintained the situation in his stead, fell down. ¡°Then they waged a war to save the king.¡± Even the salt mountain burned into ashes along with the country and vanished. A country with its history was destroyed in Signus¡¯ hands. ¡°He¡¯s such an incompetent king.¡± ¡°Even if the king is senseless and dumb, what about his people?¡± The officer, who brought this up first, answered. ¡°The Emperor was absent and His Highness is still young so they must think it¡¯ll be easy to gain a victory.¡± ¡°It sounds easy, indeed. Someone couldn¡¯t even go out for a drink after work because of that.¡± The other officers felt sorry for their big appetite in front of their comrade¡¯s misery. At that time, the fairly crowded palace suddenly became quiet. The officer and his comrades knew very well what it meant and quickly shut up. ¡°Your Highness, welcome back!¡± As soon as the strained voice burst out from the inside, the soldier and his comrades quickly bowed deeply. A man passed by among the soldiers who lined up and bowed their heads at the front gate. The people who were walking on the street stopped. His unruly dark as night hair that was hanging down his neck, combined with his white skin, stole people¡¯s attention. His features were as beautiful as god¡¯s masterpiece. How about his body? His broad shoulders and tall height, his amazing proportion was out of this world. Besides, his golden eyes shone dazzlingly, as if it was stolen from the sun. ¡°¡­Oh my god.¡± Originally, people were agitated by the appearance of Signus, the Crown Prince of the Empire. Before they knew it, the officers looked at his back in a daze. Dressed in a cape made of high-quality materials, he walked away. His cape fluttered roughly as he stepped away. He was just walking, but anyone could feel his heavy charisma. To the point, it was unbelievable that he was named a slaughter-crazed tyrant. ¡°¡­those dead people must have done something wrong.¡± ¡°¡­.I suppose so.¡± As expected, people were blinded with a good appearance. *** High-ranking nobles gathered in a small assembly room. ¡°I can¡¯t stand His Highness¡¯s tyranny anymore.¡± The young Viscount spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you feel the same way. I called for this meeting to find the solution.¡± At his words, the nobles expressed their frustration one by one. ¡°It¡¯s already been a year since the first prince, Demian, went missing along with the general of the Dojino Knights. It¡¯s still unknown whether they¡¯re alive or not¡­.¡± ¡°How about the second prince, Lord Aslan?¡± At someone¡¯s question, a middle-aged nobleman answered. ¡°It¡¯s difficult. Lord Aslan still suffers from the aftermath of the attack,¡± the nobleman murmured bitterly. ¡°Even Sir Lerine, the vice-general of Dojino Knights who stood by His Highness¡¯s side, sacrificed her life. To think he became a tyrant instead¡­.¡± The silence fell on the assembly room. The fat nobleman, who looked bitterly at the already turned-cold tea, broke the silence. ¡°But¡­there¡¯s no other way.¡± The eyes of the other nobles were focused on one nobleman who was sweating profusely. ¡°His Highness was born with the power of a ruler. As the direct successor of Avita, he was protected by the dragon who defended the Empire.¡± He continued, as he clasped his hands that trembled in fear, ¡°How can a mere human being like us be able to stop him?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a matter of Avita¡¯s future!¡± The Viscount, who hosted the meeting, cried out. ¡°His Highness was driven to madness. Don¡¯t you know that precious salt mountain had been burned into ashes? We must find a way to save the country from His Highness whose judgment was sullied.¡± At his words, the fat nobleman only rolled his eyes. ¡°Well, I get it. I¡¯m willing to lend you my voice if you want.¡± The faces of the viscount and several other nobles were filled with anticipation. It¡¯s because that fat nobleman was the highest-ranking noble in the room. But they all went silent at his following words. ¡°But the appeal must be passed on by someone else. I refuse to do it.¡± Only stillness flowed in the room. His action was justified, as he valued his one and only life. The Viscount, who had been thinking for a while, raised his head. ¡°But we still have Duke Cyben, this Empire¡¯s leading figure.¡± Even when Signus left the palace empty for quite a long time, no trouble ensued thanks to Duke Cyben¡¯s capability. The Dukedom of Cyben was a family that almost became in-laws with Signus. ¡°¡­.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes reached the empty chair. It was the chair of Duke Cyben. ¡°Would someone who hasn¡¯t come willing to deliver the appeal?¡± At that time, the tightly closed door opened, and a black haired man appeared. ¡°I was wondering why you¡¯re hiding like a rat, turns out you were talking about me.¡± The golden eyes that shone like a sun, bend into a half moon. ¡°You-Your Highness¡­..!¡± Everyone jumped out from their seats, and tension filled the room. Then the knight next to Signus, spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Leo Paul Nergal, the 1st division general of Dojino Knights.¡± At the figure of Leo, who stood by the door like a rock, the nobles opened their mouth wide. You read our movement! It¡¯s frustrating enough to have a knight following him, and the escape route was blocked everywhere. ¡°Are you going to put forward an appeal?¡± Crash-! A teacup fell from the hand of a nobleman. Everyone¡¯s complexion turned white. Signus spoke as he stroked his chin playfully. ¡°What¡¯s the substance?¡± The faces of the nobles were horrified. ¡°¡­Your Highness!¡± The nobles rose from their seats and bowed. They lay face down on the floor and shouted in unison. ¡°We¡¯re concerned about Your Highness and the Empire¡¯s state¡­.!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve committed a grave sin!¡± ¡°Your Highness, I will dedicate my whole fortune to the royal family if you wish!¡± We¡¯re going to die, they thought. The bodies of the frightened nobles were greatly shaken. Then the beautiful fingers that were tapping his chin since before, stopped. ¡°I should spare you.¡± The nobles who thought they heard it wrong, raised their heads. Their gaze directly met with Signus¡¯ dazzling smile. Hope sprang out in the hearts of the nobles. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± ¡°I will be forever grateful for your grace.¡± ¡°You can send someone to take my assets right away ¡­¡± Signus¡¯ smile grew profound, ¡°Forget about assets, ¡± Signus looked at each of the nobles¡¯ eyes, and continued, ¡°Instead, give me your family.¡± The face of the nobles crumbled instantly. ¡°If you refuse, I¡¯ll destroy everything down to your administered area.¡± After Signus¡¯ words, the knights rushed in. Sobs burst out along with the voices of the knight who checked the identity of each noble. His pompous golden eyes captured their poor figure. The corners of his mouth went up. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you crawl like an insect.¡± And so, Avita¡¯s respectable ruler turned his body away. His wide back looked imposing, but it also looked like his cape was about to slip down. The nobles thought so as they looked at his disappearing back in despair. If only Sir Lerine was here. I wish she¡¯d been by His Highness¡¯ side. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 I was listening to people¡¯s conversations in order to gather more information. The target of this investigation was Signus, and the location of this investigation, without a doubt; My bed. I couldn¡¯t walk around with this body just yet. ¡°His Highness? Are you serious?¡± ¡°I told you so.¡± ¡°How could this happen¡­¡± A young maid could be heard sobbing along with the sighs of the other maids. ¡°What to do with our miss¡­.¡± There was one more thing to find out. What about me? *** ¡°Have a good night.¡± A sigh surged as I watched Anna walking out of my room. ¡®I can¡¯t hear a damn thing.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help it. They were always whispering or crying when I¡¯m not looking, but when I woke up, they pretended to be cheerful as if nothing happened. ¡®What is it this time?¡¯ I clicked my tongue as I tried to pull myself up. This very stiff body cried out, but I endured it and lay both of my legs on the floor. I turned my head and saw the dark blue night sky stretched out of the window. ¡®Nobody¡¯s coming.¡¯ I¡¯ve been stuck in bed for days. Every time I looked out the window, I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened it, it¡¯s already morning. At this rate, it won¡¯t be strange to say that I possessed this body just to sleep. I didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of the sunlight, the soft bed, or it¡¯s simply an ideal place to settle, but I kept on falling asleep so I grew impatient. I turned around with my feet spread shoulder-width apart. I was going to practice walking from now on. It was a waste of time to clung to the inevitable. I had a lot of work to do. ¡®I am the vice-general of the greatest Dojino Knights of the Empire! I¡¯ve been on active duty for over six years!¡¯ How many steps did I take? My legs trembled. It was so frustrating and ridiculous that it drove me crazy. ¡®The yellow butterfly that brings victory? That nickname itself is so ridiculous.¡¯ My vision turned yellow. Not gonna lie, I¡¯m about to die. ¡°Huuu, ugh¡­goddammit¡­¡± Eventually, I dragged my heavy legs and fell on the bed. Soon, I heard a small knock. ¡°Navian, are you sleeping?¡± I breathed loudly and quickly as I listened to the Marquis¡¯ whisper. I had to fill up the insufficient air into my lungs that were shocked by the strenuous exercise. As soon as my loud breathing calmed down, the door quietly opened. ¡°You must have fallen asleep.¡± Two men were seen through the open door. The Marquis had to bend his large body to enter the room, followed by Ulysee behind. I looked at them through my narrowed eyes and hurriedly closed my eyes when they got closer. Then, a warm hand patted my head. ¡°It¡¯s a little hot.¡± My warm body temperature went away when the cold hand gently smoothed my forehead. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a fever yet, but I¡¯ll have to check just in case.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± I could hear someone fetching something from under the bed. Perhaps he sat on the chair, but not long after, my clothes slipped off. The noise was very small and his action was very careful. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Navian, so you should go to sleep, father.¡± ¡°No, you must sleep. I heard you have to go to the north again.¡± The northern part of the empire was famous for its constant blizzard throughout the year. Many soldiers would have been lost in the blizzard. ¡°Can anyone fall asleep after hearing that story?¡± The silence ensued and I could feel two pairs of eyes pointed on me. This must be the result of endlessly honing and polishing my skills while I was a knight. I was curious about the story that Ulysse lamented earlier. ¡°Navian is going to be The Crown Princess.¡± What did you just say? I almost jumped up reflexively. ¡®But Signus has a fianc¨¨e.¡¯ I was reminded of her charming crimson hair. Ayaran, my dear friend who cried, laughed and got angry instead of me, who didn¡¯t express much emotion. Although I didn¡¯t really get along well with Signus, I would always get caught up between them. ¡®She¡¯s my knight.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s my friend.¡¯ ¡®I met her first.¡¯ ¡®No, I met her first.¡¯ They would always bicker like that, however, we were always together. Signus was cold and Ayaran was like a fire. These polar opposites individuals would always fight fiercely whenever they met each other, and it was always me who mediated them. Thanks to Ayaran¡¯s father or Duke Cyben¡¯s suggestion, the two archenemies became engaged. Because there were three princes, the faction was formed. However, the most powerful major player of the Empire, Duke of Cyben, swore allegiance to Signus and the faction almost disappeared. ¡®So you broke your engagement.¡¯ Engagement is a political affair. The higher the status, the more they do so. Now that Signus has become the Crown Prince, there was no reason to proceed with his engagement. Now that I¡¯m dead, there was no one to stop them. I could easily foresee what had happened, but it didn¡¯t make me feel better. It was saddening to think that these two had changed for a reason that I didn¡¯t know while I was away. So I sighed quietly. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s say they broke up.¡¯ Then there was only one major problem left. ¡®Suddenly, taking the esteemed daughter of Yeronimo as the Crown Princess? How does Signus know about Navian? I doubt he knows her face.¡¯ Although I lived in a palace, I didn¡¯t know that Navian existed. The Marquis of Elaine had an official position, but he kept his neutrality by not joining any factions. Unless there was a special day, it was difficult to see his face. No different with Ulysse, who worked as the Palace¡¯s doctor. Those people did not attend any social gatherings and even small parties held in high society. There was no way that these two men, who treasured her more than anything, would brag about Navian. ¡®Do I need to go to the palace then?¡¯ But entering the palace requires permission. The palace was only possible to enter if there was a justification, unless there were big parties or festivals held there. Even if I had to go, there was something hindering my path. ¡®I¡¯ve been struggling to leave my bed, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll die before I arrive at the capital. I¡¯m not even kidding.¡¯ In the past, I would have asked if it makes sense to die while walking, but when I experienced it, I¡¯m really convinced that I could die. It¡¯s a good thing that Yeronimo residence was located in the south east part of the empire, which was quite close to the capital. ¡®What am I supposed to do? Just how¡­¡¯ Two pairs of eyes still touched my face, quietly organizing their thoughts. It was Ulysse¡¯s voice that broke the silence. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s rather confusing. Marriage without any discussion. What the hell is he thinking?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask,¡± The Marquis spoke in a worried voice. ¡°It was strange that they kept telling me to come to the palace. We had no business whatsoever, but he kept calling me so I wondered if something happened.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s because of this.¡± There was a moment of silence, and the Marquis opened his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re going to start with the engagement.¡± The royal edict came down. It was a serious felony to reject an order issued by the Crown Prince himself. This was way too serious compared to Signus being a tyrant himself. ¡®What are they going to do? What should I do?¡¯ *** My head hurts. My throat was dry and my whole body was throbbing. I was lost in thought while looking at the dark ceiling and the little furniture. ¡®It¡¯s a dream.¡¯ This was the mansion of the Million family that I used to live in when I was young. The hard mattress touched my small hand. I didn¡¯t know if it was because of the fever, but the air that touched my flesh was very cold. I sat on the bed and looked around. My high fever distorted my vision. My legs couldn¡¯t touch the floor, so I knew that I had a small body. This was a memory when I was just five years old. I went down from the bed since my throat was dry. I walked to the door and opened the tightly closed door. Because I knew there was no water on the table. ¡®Let¡¯s drink water and come back quickly.¡¯ My parents were the kind of people who hated commotion. I could feel people¡¯s presence in the center of the mansion. The brightly lit place looked very warm. My thirst deepened at the sound of people¡¯s laughter. Was it water that I needed? Or was it human warmth? At that time, I couldn¡¯t be sure. I walked through the dark hallway and arrived at the table where the water was placed. My fever kept deterring my vision. I forced my eyes to open and poured the water into the glass. As soon as the hot little hand touched the glass, it slipped. Crash-! I felt a sharp pain in my foot. This was because I had no idea that the glass containing water would be this cold. ¡®Why did you come out?¡¯ I turned back to the cold voice. I could see my father sitting on the top seat and my mother sitting next to him. ¡®I was thirsty¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Then my father spoke with his icy voice. ¡®Get rid of those things.¡¯ I was stunned at his word. Because I was included in the things that he wanted to get rid of. ¡®What are you doing? Ugh, seriously.¡¯ As I stepped back at the nervous tone of the nearby servants, I fell in a dark corridor. Light and darkness were just one step apart. ¡®Go to your room. I¡¯ll get you some water. Sorry.¡¯ He turned his back as he murmured to me. I couldn¡¯t drink any water that day. Because I lost my consciousness in front of the door. My cold had worsened to pneumonia. The doctor came, but I didn¡¯t see my parents¡¯ faces. They had already left the mansion. The so-called god of war, my father, went to his public office. Along with my mother who happily supports him. They were disappointed when I was born. It was because I couldn¡¯t become the successor. ¡®My master and madam couldn¡¯t come to the mansion. So, miss, you shouldn¡¯t catch a cold.¡¯ I only nodded. I thought it was fortunate that the face of the servant who just delivered the message looked very bright. I waited for my parents and kept on inconveniencing the servants, but they didn¡¯t come. Eventually, I went to the academy and learned swordsmanship. This was because I thought I should succeed my family. I didn¡¯t even know that my younger brother was in my mother¡¯s stomach. Like a fool. The life of wielding the sword was more enjoyable than I thought. I was talented and capable enough. I was the youngest vice-general of Dojino Knights, the most prestigious Knight Order of the Empire. However, I always dreamed about the day when I was in a terrible state. I was just like the broken glass that they need to get rid of. I¡¯m as broken as a shattering piece of debris. However, I had no choice but to open the door. I was scared to open my eyes. If I saw that cold and dark room once more, I feel like I wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it anymore. ¡®Lerine.¡¯ When that happened, Signus always came. I didn¡¯t know how. I didn¡¯t know how he climbed over my window¡¯s room, an accommodation which was heavily guarded by knights, on the third floor at that. ¡®It¡¯s okay. Nothing happened.¡¯ When I opened my eyes at the touch of someone¡¯s hand stroking my head, I saw Signus. I was always saved by those friendly golden eyes. ¡®That was not possible anymore.¡¯ Heated breath came out of my small open mouth. I was aware I was dreaming, but I was afraid to open my eyes. I thought I would never get up like this. Then, someone touched my forehead. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡°What do we do? Her fever isn¡¯t going down.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t eaten yet, but I¡¯d rather give her some medicine.¡± Soon, a big hand reached my back and hoisted my body. A soft pillow rubbed against my back. I opened my eyes when someone constantly swept my forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to wake you up.¡± I saw Marquis Elaine and Ulysse with a worried look on their faces. ¡°You may collapse. You have a high fever.¡± A faint smell of medicinal herbs oozed out as Ulysse rolled his sleeves up. Ulysse wiped his wet arm with a towel and brought a small cup to my mouth. ¡°You can drink a little.¡± The glass, which I thought would be cold, was unexpectedly lukewarm. ¡®Did they prepare it in advance?¡¯ A sweet liquid flowed into my open mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± The Marquis¡¯s big hand touched my face. ¡°You get a fever every time you strain or stress yourself. I should have cared more.¡± I wanted to say no, but I couldn¡¯t. I felt like my neck was choked by something. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much and get some sleep.¡± The Marquis arranged the pillow and patted me on the shoulder. I looked at my surroundings as I lay still. The bluish dawn sky. Ulysse¡¯s lemon-colored blond hair shone softly in the moonlight. The butler helped Ulysse put down the ingredient for the medicine on the table, while Anna and a young servant in a maid uniform prepared clean water and towels. It was a very natural scene as if it was something I did often. The memories crossed. The sound of parents¡¯ conversation and the small noise of pounded herbs. A nice scent of perfume and a light scent of herbs. A bright living room and a dark room filled with moonlight. Am I too selfish to be relieved that this was different from back then? Pat-! Pat-! When I turned my gaze to the warm touch, the Marquis smiled affectionately. Ulysse, Anna, the butler, and the maids, who put herbs in a small glass bowl, smiled as if they were relieved. I looked at them for a long time. *** Elaine asked Ulysse, who was pounding the herbs. ¡°When will it be ready?¡± ¡°A little longer.¡± ¡°Hurry up. The child hasn¡¯t woken up.¡± The hand that patted his daughter remained. ¡°Actually, time is the best medicine. A human¡¯s body has natural healing power.¡± Ulysse went to visit Navian with Elaine. It was to say good night, but his sister was already asleep. While sitting next to her and having a conversation, there was a huffing sound. At first, it was only his speculation, but his sister was quietly suffering from a fever. His younger sister took after his mother. Even if the respiratory illness that had long plagued the mother and daughter had improved, the body was still weak. It was easy to rely on medicine, but it won¡¯t do any good for her body. Ideally, it would be good for her to overcome it on her own, but Ulysse had no choice but to interfere since Navian wasn¡¯t healthy enough. Naturally, he would have to keep looking at his younger sister, who was 20.000 times weaker than a normal person. He was happy the way it was now, but it was also upsetting that she was suffering without even rolling over in her sleep. Ulysse carefully trimmed the herbs. Ulysse was extremely happy that he decided to become a doctor for his sister. This dried-up herb from Mt. Nagi was a medicinal herb and had the antipyretic ability. This herb was equal to a natural fever reducer, so it would reduce Navian¡¯s fever. At that time, Elaine shouted. ¡°Navian!¡± Ulysse jumped up and ran to Navian. The maids and butler also flocked to the bed. ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Navian shook her head small. On the contrary, she looked at Ulysse with a confused face. ¡°But why are you crying?¡± Navian¡¯s pink eyes grew bigger. As if she didn¡¯t recognize that she cried. Ulysse held out his hand to wipe his sister¡¯s tears but stopped himself. He was worried that she might not like the scent of herbs in his hands. ¡°¡­.It¡¯s nothing.¡± Navian muttered in a low voice as she wiped away her tears with her sleeves. Her movement was so energetic that Ulysse and Elaine trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t rub it! You can cry if you¡¯re sick!¡± ¡°Your eyes will turn red!¡± Despite their dissuasion, Navian wiped away her tears. For her, it seemed as though tears were unacceptable. Ulysse, who was looking at her nervously, ran to the table. ¡°Wait a minute, please. I¡¯ll make it quick.¡± Ulysse picked up the glass mortar, while the butler trimmed the root of the herb again. Anna and Mary looked anxiously at Navian on the side of the bed. Elaine spoke as he fixed the pillow that Navian leaned on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and get more sleep.¡± The soft pillow was well adjusted. It must be because it was touched countless times by Elaine¡¯s hands. ¡°Sweet dreams,¡± Navian closed her eyes as she heard Elaine¡¯s voice. There was a certain determination on her face. *** My body felt alright. In fact, a high fever was nothing for me. I used to be sliced and stabbed by a sword daily, but now, it was only a fever. So I swerved my eyes to the left. I could see Marquis¡¯s body crumpled on a long sofa and Ulysse sleeping in a big chair. ¡°¡­.I¡¯m at a loss.¡± I was extremely dull about forming human relationships. I was so stubborn that I would be scolded every day, saying that I should set up an example for my childhood friends, Signus and Ayaran. ¡®I wanted to distance myself from Marquis and Ulysse.¡¯ I know they¡¯re good people, but if I make a mistake when answering this or that, I might be caught. Honestly, it was true that I no longer intended to have precious people on my side. ¡®What¡¯s coming to me was already hard enough, so I don¡¯t have time to mind others.¡¯ But this morning, Marquis and Ulysse shook that idea. ¡°¡­.It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Throughout this endless sickness, I agonized a lot and finally made up my mind. Now all I had to do was to bring it into action. Knock-! Knock-! With a knock, a young servant opened the door and came in. ¡°Are you up? How¡¯s your body?¡± I was glad that she came. She smiled brightly when I nodded my head. She must have been tired all morning, but she acted professionally. A young servant, who came into the room without a sound, saw the Marquis and Ulysse, then giggled quietly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± I shook my head. Now, there was something more important than a meal. ¡°Get me a paper and a pen.¡± * * * ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the writing desk.¡± The paper on the small table smelled like fragrant flowers. ¡°It smells good, right? I dried the flower that I found at Young Master Ulysse¡¯s workroom.¡± She said as she brought Ulysse¡¯s paper and pen. I laughed at her words and grabbed the pen. I put it in the ink bottle and gently turned it around to clear my mind once again. ¡°But¡­who are you writing a letter to?¡± She opened her mouth as she was looking at Marquis and Ulysse, who slept in an uncomfortable position. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know later,¡± I grinned at the servant whose face I didn¡¯t know. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± I emphasized the last word as I finished my letter, and then my face fell on my writing desk. The flimsy pen rolled down on the bed. It took a total of three days to write. I slept, ate, worked out secretly, and even went down in my spare time occasionally, but it¡¯s still a ridiculously hard task. ¡®I¡¯m about to get cramps again.¡¯ I frowned at my trembling hand. I really didn¡¯t know that writing down a letter would be this hard. It was so hard to the point that I started to resent the feather decoration at the end of the pen. I wanted to pluck out all those abominably flying feathers right now, but I saw the letter and thought I should endure it since it wasn¡¯t mine. [To the Sun of the Empire, Your Highness Signus D. Avita. Although it was late, I want to sincerely congratulate you on your ascension to be the Crown Prince of the Empire. My name is Navian Lu Yeronimo. You must have been surprised by the sudden letter. I know it¡¯s more appropriate to visit and talk to you in person, but please understand that I¡¯m too weak to move. I¡¯ve heard that Your Highness has ordered an engagement. I will sincerely honor that order. However, I¡¯d like you to give me some time. Please wait until I¡¯m healthy enough to go to the capital. I will be grateful for Your Highness¡¯ generosity. Then, I wish you will always be healthy and calm until I meet you.] When the wind dried up the ink, I raised my trembling hand and put the letter in an envelope. ¡®If you decline the Crown Prince¡¯s orders, it¡¯s only obvious what will happen.¡¯ Instead of getting married right away, I wanted to buy some time. Enough time for me to go to Signus myself. ¡®I get to see how much you¡¯ve changed, as well as saving this family. How nice.¡¯ It was to pave the way for me to rationalize as to why I¡¯m alive. I went to the hallway and looked around. The busy servants were seen moving on the first floor. I put an envelope in the mailbox that was hung on the stairs and went back right away. I thought I should laze around now that I¡¯ve done a great job. *** The capital¡¯s temple was magnificent and glamorous. The white building sparkled even more under the light. ¡°Did you say His Highness is here?¡± ¡°Psst, be quiet.¡± It was in front of the entrance of the temple¡¯s parlor, where high-ranking priests gathered. They looked through the parlor while holding their breath. There were three people in the temple¡¯s parlor. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have you come all the way here.¡± The high priest with brown eyes sitting opposite Signus laughed, then opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve changed beyond recognition. Now you¡¯re really the ruler of Avita.¡± There was no answer. But the face of the knight behind Signus, Leo, became embarrassed. As if he knew it would happen, the high priest held out something from his arms. ¡°The repairment of the necklace is done.¡± Signus¡¯ eyes grazed the necklace that he held out. The two round water drop shaped necklace that was laid out before his eyes were very beautiful. ¡°It took a lot of time to repair the damage, but I¡¯ve managed to restore it, so please take a look at it.¡± Signus¡¯ beautiful fingers brushed the necklace. Pats-! Suddenly, the lights filled the parlor. Leo¡¯s eyes grew bigger at the mysterious sight. Then, the light faded and Signus¡¯ low voice rang. ¡°Lerine is back.¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Those who were born with divine power. All of them were known as priests. The rank of priests was divided into divine power and foresight, and the greater their ability, the more qualified they were to become high priests. Sometimes there was a small probability that a priest was able to exhibit both divine power and foresight. They were called the High Priest. Ginnon, who became a high priest at a young age with his powerful foresight and divine power, looked at the face of Signus. His indifferent golden eyes and a firmly closed mouth made it difficult to read his mind. In the midst of that, Leo, who stood there with an appalled expression, was reminded of what happened that day, one year ago. ¡®Vice-General!¡¯ The sword that broke through Lerine¡¯s back shone eerily. Lerine¡¯s gaze made Leo and the knights who were trying to run to her stopped. Leo gnawed his lips at the sight of her frosty eyes. At that time, the General of Dojino Knights was away. It had been a little over a year since the general of Theo Knights, who guarded the empire¡¯s border retired. Thus, the General of Dojino Knights and First Prince Demian went there to provide reinforcement. No one knew that the Imperial Palace would be attacked. ¡®Why are we so weak?¡¯ The faces of Leo and the knights were contorted in bitterness. At that time, a voice filled with determination echoed in the Imperial Palace. ¡®The Knights of Dojino.¡¯ Lerine grabbed the necklace on her chest and said, ¡®I have my faith in you.¡¯ Then the light burst out. What was left after the blinding light vanished was the body of Lerine among the corpse of intruders. The funeral was overflowed with sad tears, and without being able to heal their wounds, they were dispatched to find the General of Dojino and First Prince Demian. But they only found traces of fierce battles, and could not find any person. Thus, the Knights of Dojino had lost both their General and Vice-General at once. ¡®But the vice-general is back, you say?¡¯ Then, Ginnon¡¯s poised voice was caught by Leo¡¯s ears. ¡°The Dragon promised one thing to protect the First Emperor of Avita. If he sacrifices his life, it¡¯ll make his wish come true.¡± Ginnon¡¯s eyes were filled with the necklace in Signus¡¯s hand. ¡°When you make a pledge, two necklaces will emerge and the pledger will have to share each of them.¡± Ginnon¡¯s voice was serious. ¡°That¡¯s the pledge of guardianship.¡± Leo¡¯s eyes shook. Lerine had saved Signus in exchange for her life. If that was the case, then¡­ ¡°For your information, the necklace can¡¯t shine without a partner.¡± It meant that Signus made a wish for Lerine to return. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Leo¡¯s tightly closed lips slightly trembled. His thick eyebrows were twisted and water was formed around his eyes. No matter how much he suppressed it, tears kept filling up. ¡°Oh my god.¡± The knight who looked like wood and stone shed tears in the end. Ginnon raised the teacup, waiting for Leo to clear up his feelings. He wanted to let that simple-minded knight know that Lerine was alive. Because Leo was the one she cared about and the only one who showed loyalty to the current Signus, who changed a lot. Both used the pledge of guardianship, so he wondered why Signus lived. Ginnon also wondered about it, but soon he understood. Signus seemed to have already known that Lerine was going to sacrifice her life. ¡®Before Lerine made a wish, right at that moment he wished for her return.¡¯ Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t make any sense. Looking at Signus¡¯s indifferent face, Ginnon asked. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Signus¡¯s hand tightly clasped the necklace. ¡°I have to find her.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t overdo it. Right now by Your Highness¡¯ side¡­¡± Crash-! A glass hit the wall right next to Ginnon¡¯s face. Broken fragments scraped Ginnon¡¯s cheek and made a small wound. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Signus rose from his seat in the midst of silence. The sacred light that illuminated the interior of the parlor touches Signus¡¯ face as his red lips let out a low voice. ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± Signus turned around. A cloak roughly hung over his shoulder and fluttered violently. Leo bowed to Ginnon and followed Signus as he walked out of the parlor. Outside, it was crammed with the noises of high-ranking priests blundering about and delivering words of blessing to Signus. Ginnon, who had been hardened for a long time, laughed a little. ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t even allow me to worry.¡± With that nasty temper. With a deep sigh, Ginnon raised his hand and stirred it in the air. Then the darkness in the parlor faded a little. ¡°How can I tell you not to worry? You¡¯re too much.¡± He said while exuding the energy of such an enormous demon. *** I was lying in bed and looking at the clear sky. ¡®I must be blessed with good luck.¡¯ After training, I went on patrol. When I returned, I escorted Signus and if there was a banquet I would be tasked to guard the nobles. ¡®It seems like every day I have a heap of work to do. But can I lie down here?¡¯ Still, my current life wasn¡¯t that bad. The duty of a vice-general was enough to drive a man crazy. ¡®I lost my temper a lot.¡¯ I was reminded of the faces of those who had made me lose my temper, and I heard a knock on the door. ¡°Navian, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Ulysse, Anna, and the butler came in. His fair face looked tired, but he was full of bright smiles. ¡°I have something to tell you. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Ulysse, who came to my bedside, put his hand on my arm and said, ¡°You know the Pilter family, right? The baron was close with our father for a long time. He sent you a letter when he heard that you have recovered.¡± I, who did not know the baron personally but knew him as a knight, nodded and received the letter. [Dear esteemed daughter of Marquis Yeronimo, Hello, Lady Navian. You must have been surprised to have received this letter without a casual acquaintance. I often heard about you from my father and he told me to build a friendship with you. Are you feeling okay? I wanted to visit your manor when I heard you woke up, but I was afraid it¡¯ll be impolite for me to do so. I kept thinking about it and finally found courage. I¡¯m going to hold a tea party during the day, the third week of this month. Would you like to come if you¡¯re feeling well? Other young ladies will also attend, so I want us to converse and build a friendship. I am sending this letter hoping that we can be close just like our fathers. Then I will wait for your reply with much anticipation. -From the one who wants to be your friend, yours truly, Julia.] ¡°Tea party?¡± Ulysse smiled at my murmur. ¡°It seems like she arranged a seat just for you. Because you¡¯ve been sick and haven¡¯t had a chance to make friends.¡± God, so you did really exist. I thought I finally knew why Anna prayed so earnestly. I couldn¡¯t believe this family had a connection with a big family such as the Pilter. Many people have always gathered at the meetings they hosted, so if I attend, I would be able to grasp the current situation of the Empire the most. Then, I heard a dreary voice. ¡°¡­What party?¡± The Marquis stood there, shaking. Then Ulysse replied, ¡°Baron Pilter¡¯s esteemed daughter sent a tea party invitation to Navian.¡± The Marquis, who strode closer, said to me with a forced smile. ¡°Navian, I¡¯m sorry, but can you cover your ears for a moment?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand him, but when I covered my ears, the Marquis screamed loudly. ¡°I can¡¯t let my daughter go!¡± I knew it. I sighed and lowered my hand, but this time, Ulysse shouted with blood in his neck. ¡°Why are you yelling?! The child is shocked!¡± The Marquis tried to smile at me with his angry face and said, ¡°Navian, don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m only yelling at that crazy doctor.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± The Marquis raised his eyes at the words of Ulysse, the ¡®crazy doctor¡¯. ¡°Then, are you out of your mind? How can you tell that to Navian?¡± ¡°It was in the letter, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°You should have just taken care of it yourself! Don¡¯t you know how much the child wants to go!¡± I wanted to go. The Marquis shouted when he saw my earnest face. ¡°Look at those glistening eyes! What are you going to do now that she wants to go?!¡± ¡°Then you should have told the Baron!¡± ¡°Tell him not to send a letter?¡± ¡°Who said that? Just tell him that you only send him your regard since she¡¯s still weak!¡± They¡¯d still fought heatedly even if the servants tried to stop them. Suddenly, I felt like they were a pain in the ass. I organized my thoughts for a moment. ¡®I have to go. It¡¯s my chance to hear about Signus. And it gives me a reason to move.¡¯ ¡°Do whatever you want! Do as you wish!¡± ¡°Fine, father, you do it! ¡°No, you do it!¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°You!¡± But I wasn¡¯t confident to break through those loud voices. So I chose the best method. ¡°Uh, uh? Miss! Don¡¯t get up!¡± At the young maid¡¯s scream, the Marquis and Ulysse eyes went in my direction. As expected, they rushed to me in a hurry. ¡°So, sorry. You¡¯re surprised that we fought, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s our fault. Come on, lie down.¡± They must have thought I was being rebellious. I looked at them and said quietly. ¡°I want to go.¡± The Marquis¡¯ and Ulysse¡¯s fierce eyes met. Despite the invisible tension in the air, they spoke to me in a soft tone. ¡°Well, I see. Um, of course you do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your chance to meet your friend, how can you not go? But¡­¡± The end of his words was blurred, but it was obvious even if he didn¡¯t say it. Just where are you going when you can¡¯t even move? Do you want to die that badly? That was what they wanted to say. But I opened my mouth casually. ¡°I can go,¡± I said as I looked at the eyes that seemed to say, ¡®what kind of nonsense are you talking about?¡¯ ¡°I will make this body walk until the third week of the day.¡± Three weeks. It¡¯s a tough journey, but it wasn¡¯t impossible. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, shall we make a bet?¡± I smiled confidently at their faces. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Pilter family residence. Now I was enjoying tea surrounded by four ladies. ¡®It was three weeks long.¡¯ Tears slipped down my face every time I thought about how hard it was, but I was the final winner of the bet. The requirement was for me to take a walk through the garden safely. So I had been crawling around that large garden by myself. And today was the promised day. When I went out to the front gate of the mansion, a carriage was already waiting for me. The Marquis had bought a new carriage. That wasn¡¯t enough, he made gifts for the ladies, and Ulysse even gave me motion sickness medicine. They really were something else. ¡®Why do you buy a carriage when you always scream that loud and disagree with me?¡¯ Truth be told, I was going to ride a horse even if they were against it. And I thought they couldn¡¯t rebuke me even if I fell down since I won the bet regardless. ¡®But you¡¯ve bought me a new carriage, gave me motion sickness medicine, gifts, even escort guards.¡¯ Marquis and Ulysse soon shed tears and smiled as they wished me a safe trip. Their expression went back and forth between crying and smiling, and I almost said, ¡®Isn¡¯t it you and the marquis who need treatment more than the injured soldiers in the north?¡¯ Either way, I was confident that they couldn¡¯t stop me, but then someone talked to me. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re coming, Lady Navian. I thought the Marquis would oppose it.¡± Lady Julia Pilter, who sent me a letter, wiggled her finger with a bashful expression. ¡°Your complexion doesn¡¯t look very good. I suppose I was being too greedy.¡± In fact, I had a hard time coming here.It had been a hell of three weeks, and I almost died countless times just to walk. However, it was due to my own greed to learn about Signus, so it wasn¡¯t her fault. ¡°I pleaded with him to let me go. I wanted to meet with young ladies, too.¡± I said politely, ¡°Thank you for inviting me.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The faces of the young ladies blushed. Actually, this situation was familiar to me. Even when I was a knight, these young ladies blushed like that when I blurted out something. ¡°Navian is like a knight,¡± at the cry of a young lady who sat next to me, a short haired girl rebuked her. ¡°Claire, it¡¯s impolite to speak casually without permission.¡± The girl named Claire had a sour look on her face.However, she crossed her arms as if denying having done that and said to me. ¡°You¡¯ll give me permission, right?¡± Her smiling face was warm and lovely enough to melt even the ice snow in the far north. When I nodded my head, the short-haired woman sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she¡¯s not a bad child, but she lacks manners because she¡¯s still young. I sincerely apologize on her behalf.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± She smiled. Her name came to mind as I saw her refreshing smile. ¡®Elizabeth Rombagram.¡¯ She was the Marquis esteemed daughter whom I often saw at social parties in the Imperial Palace. ¡°Oh, have you heard the news?¡± Julia whispered quietly, ¡°His highness has raised his sword.¡± ¡°Who is it this time?¡± ¡°Some aristocrats and viscount families who govern the provinces.¡± Elizabeth clicked her tongue and said, ¡°I think I know who it is. I also heard that they had a suspicious gathering,¡± Julia asked Elizabeth with a worried look, ¡°No way, did they get in touch with the Ellin family, too?¡± ¡°Yes, I can confirm since my father helps with palace financial affairs.¡± Claire asked Elizabeth as she watched quietly, ¡°Then it¡¯s treason, right?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Treason was a very heavy sin. Not only would the name of that family vanish from history forever, if even one drop of blood was mixed in, they would also be chased until the end and completely annihilated. ¡°It must have been very dangerous. Too bad, I want to go to the capital¡¯s night market,¡± Elizabeth shouted with a terrified look at Claire¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of it!¡± ¡°Hic.¡± Seeing the tearful Claire, I felt like I had to admit that Signus had really changed. Claire, who had been pouting her lips, asked me. ¡°That¡¯s right, Navian was lying in bed the whole time, right? You don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on outside.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll let you know,¡± Vivi whispered, leaned her upper body to the table. ¡°Actually, the empire is going crazy right now. The Crown Prince is a very famous tyrant.¡± ¡°Can you tell me in detail?¡± At my request, Vivi¡¯s voice went lower. ¡°The person I¡¯m currently seeing applied to be a knight, so I heard a lot of stories about His Highness from him.¡± Vivi tried hard to remember something. ¡°What did he say again? Did he say his eyes changed? He looks like someone obsessed with madness. Killing people if they offended him even a little bit,¡± Then Julia responded, ¡°If His Highness shows up, you must lie face down because if your eyes meet his, you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°No, from what I hear, just passing by in front of him will get you killed.¡± Listening to the conversation, I clenched my fist as hard as I could. ¡®You damned bastard!¡¯ A harsh curse word almost went up my throat, violently struggling to get out. ¡®I saved your life, and you¡¯ve become a crazy tyrant who kills people indiscriminately?¡¯ If I heard it right, he was crazy about killing living beings which meant my sacrifice was useless. Worthless death. That was me. While I was engulfed in anger, Elizabeth quietly spoke to me. ¡°What¡¯s certain is His Highness changed since he became the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°You mean from one year ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Thanks to him, the capital became very dangerous. You should never go outside.¡± I could only sigh at this frustrating situation. ¡®I can¡¯t just hold onto someone and ask them,¡¯ a silence ensued and Julia murmured gloomily. ¡°I hope the empire will be peaceful soon,¡± Vivi also put her hands on her face and said bluntly, ¡°Right, too bad there are many fun things in the capital!¡± Elizabeth smiled softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is a holy empire. Avita¡¯s guardian deity will take care of him and he will get better soon.¡± Claire, who was eating cookies next to her, opened her mouth. ¡°Who knows, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll get better soon.¡± Elizabeth asked, frowning. ¡°Did you hear something?¡± Claire put her eyes down on the plate and said, ¡°These days, His Highness calls women into the palace, ¡± Claire continued, pulling out the chocolate stuck in the cookies. ¡°Every day, every night, regardless of day or night, the woman changes.¡± Puk-! The cookies broke. *** Inside a spacious room in the innermost palace. There was the man who was rumored to have a woman in and out his chamber. His outstanding appearance was revealed when the light shone around him. A long shadow formed below his eyes as he closed his lengthy eyelashes. The black hair that was a symbol of Avita was roughly hanging down on his white neck. A wide chest was revealed between the clothes that were roughly worn. There were two water drop shaped necklaces glistening under the light. Signus, the ruler of Avita and the very person named tyrant who endangered the empire, was sitting on a chair and looking at a noble woman. Signus, who looked at the noble woman indifferently, opened his mouth. ¡°Take it off.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± After a moment of hesitation, she put her hand behind her back. Zigg-! Her shoulders were exposed. Her eyes closed tightly at the cool air that touched her skin. Then, an order was heard. ¡°Turn around.¡± The woman turned around. His indifferent golden eyes touched the woman shoulder-blade, then there was a silence in the room. In the eyes of a noblewoman who turned her head slightly, Signus was seen waving his hands with an annoyed face. It was a gesture to get out. After blinking for a while, the noble woman quickly fixed her clothes. ¡°Then, may the peace be yours.¡± A beautiful hand poured alcohol into a glass. Signus¡¯s red lips opened without answering her greeting. ¡°Next.¡± *** Leo, the knight of Dojino, spoke to a noble woman who was leaving the room with a puzzled expression. ¡°Please keep today¡¯s occurrence a secret.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± the noble woman answered, quickly leaving the palace. Then another woman entered the dark hallway. ¡°Please get in,¡± The nervous woman disappeared into the room. Leo, who closed the door, stood upright in the hallway where the silence was hovering. Despite countless repetitions, he remained unwavering in front of the door. Then someone spoke to Leo. ¡°Are you guarding?¡± It was Droop, the general of the third division of Dojino Knight. ¡°What brought you here?¡± ¡°I have something to report to His Highness.¡± Droop opened his mouth as if there was no rush. ¡°Let¡¯s wait, she¡¯ll come out soon anyway.¡± Just as Droop said, the door opened and a woman came out with a puzzled expression. ¡°The way out is that way,¡± looking at the woman walking quickly to where Droop was pointing, Leo spoke disapprovingly. ¡°I have to tell her to stay silent.¡± ¡°Everyone knows. You¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t know.¡± Droop grinned as he knocked on the door. ¡°Your Highness, this is General Droop of Dojino third division.¡± There was no answer, but Droop opened the door. It was equal to a permission if there was no word such as ¡®get lost¡¯. The eyes of the two knights who entered the room turned to the window. The Crown Prince of Avita was sitting by a large window and pouring alcohol into a glass. The moonlight permeated the golden eyes and black hair. ¡®Truly an amazing combination of colors.¡¯ Leo and Droop, who were impressed by the picturesque scene, bowed politely. ¡°I have something to report.¡± A beautiful finger picked up a glass of wine. When his attention turned to him, Droop opened his mouth. ¡°Monsters appeared in the forest of Yeronimo territory,¡± Leo¡¯s thick eyebrows frowned. It was rare for monsters from the border to reach where the civilians live. ¡°According to the temple, there was a strange wave on the border of the empire,¡± Droop said in a cautious voice. ¡°The territory guards took care of it quickly, but the monsters swarmed the place again. If you give permission, I¡¯ll send reinforcement.¡± Signus put the glass down. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± The tip of the red mouth that was wet with alcohol went up. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 In the back alley of the capital, there was a hideout for a vicious gangster. It was a lawless zone where people lived by stealing and killing other people who just passed by. A man wearing a dark gray robe entered the back alley which everyone was reluctant to do without hesitation. He stopped walking until he reached the door with a dark gray shade. Clank-! The door opened when the man touched the snake pattern engraved on the black iron door. The man¡¯s body disappeared in the darkness. The man walked in through the dark passageway and took off his robe. Vivid colored platinum blond hair shone in the dark. The cold sky blue eyes touched another man who was standing in front of the stone. ¡°Welcome, Belial.¡± When the man threw off his robe recklessly, the blue symbol shone on his chest. It was the symbol of Theo Knights, the corps who guarded Avita along with the Knights of Dojino. ¡°Long time no see, Modeus.¡± Modeus, the man in front of the stone statue, said in a voice mixed with laughter. ¡°So you¡¯re not afraid to come all the way here wearing that. Are you not afraid someone might recognize the vice-general of Theo Knights?¡± ¡°To plot an uprising, one needs a status. That¡¯s why I wore it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The platinum blond man named Belial, moved his steps to watch Demian, the first prince, who was lying down on a large stone. Demian, who was doused in the opaque waters, looked very pale. ¡°How¡¯s his condition?¡± ¡°As you can see,¡± Belial¡¯s cold eyes scoured Demian¡¯s naked upper body. The same snake pattern carved on the iron door was also faintly engraved on his upper body. ¡°It¡¯s faint.¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s resisting.¡± Belial¡¯s face became bitter. ¡°Not yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be soon. Since the vessel is also Avita¡¯s bloodline.¡± Belial looked displeased at Damian who was lying down on the stone. Looking at him, Modeus said in an anguished voice. ¡°Avita¡¯s blood is the medium to summon the demon king into this world. Blame the first emperor who set the barrier.¡± If Avita¡¯s descendants open the barrier on their own will, the gate of the sacred ground where the demon was sealed would open. Thanks to that, it became such a cumbersome and annoying work. However, months after using magic, that disgusting Avita¡¯s blood was persistent in protecting its descendants. Even protecting the incompetent first prince who lost his crown Prince status to his brother. Even when he was such a weak and powerless descendant. Modeus clicked his tongue and asked Belial. ¡°What happened to the monster summoning?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t last very long.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in your body is the leader of the demon. If you let your guard down, it¡¯ll devour your soul. Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Modeus looked at the black pattern carved on his hand and said, ¡°Even if you are the contractor of those entities, we are only human.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, at least monsters are able to catch the Crown Prince¡¯s attention, right?¡± Modeus, who smiled satisfactorily, asked again. ¡°But where did you send the monsters?¡± Belial answered casually. ¡°Yeronimo territory.¡± *** ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner, too?¡± I looked out the window at the Baroness¡¯ words. It was already dark. ¡°Thanks for your invitation, but I need to go back before sunset.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to chat with you a little more¡­¡± The ladies said regretfully. Their heads were glittering with butterfly-shaped pins that were given as gifts by the Marquis. ¡°Navian, go back a little later, can you?¡± ¡°Claire, she wasn¡¯t feeling well until recently. It¡¯s already amazing that she¡¯s here.¡± Claire was sobbing at Elizabeth¡¯s word. ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°Next time, we shall visit her.¡± ¡°Can we do that?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on me. ¡°I¡¯d be glad if you could come,¡± At my word, the faces of young ladies brightened. Then, a faint voice was heard outside, and the servant approached us. ¡°The captain of Yeronimo Knights has arrived.¡± ¡°Please come in.¡± At the Baron¡¯s word, the captain came in. His bright blond hair was messy, perhaps he rushed here on a horse. ¡°Pardon my rudeness, It¡¯s an urgent matter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The captain bowed his upper body to the Baron. I couldn¡¯t hear the conversation because he lowered his voice. ¡°What! Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, so please refrain from going out for a while.¡± ¡°I understand. How could this happen¡­¡± Baron¡¯s sigh spread in the air. ¡°I¡¯ll send my guard with you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but¡­¡± The knight whispered again. ¡°Huh, is he directly¡­?¡± The captain spoke in a low voice at the pale-faced baron. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll have to go back before we run into him.¡± ¡°Then hurry up! You need to be careful. Go and make sure to contact us.¡± ¡°I will do that.¡± When I rose from my seat, Claire held my hand as if she was disappointed. After I capsized her hand with all my might, I left the mansion. I asked the captain when I saw the knight waiting next to the carriage waved his hands. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Monsters have appeared in the forest.¡± I opened my eyes wide. How could monsters reach civilian territory? ¡°It¡¯s not that many and we¡¯ve managed to subdue it quickly. However, there¡¯s more of them coming.¡± So it was an emergency. ¡°What about father?¡± ¡°He received a call and left in haste. He should be in the middle of the meeting by now.¡± I had to hurry. ¡®There¡¯s no one in the mansion right now. Ulysse already left for the north.¡¯ I heard a voice as I got closer to the carriage. ¡°Excuse me, Navian.¡± They were the ladies who came out to see me off. ¡°I¡¯m having a great time. Lady Julia.¡± ¡°Have a safe trip home. I hope to see you again soon.¡± I embraced the ladies one by one, and by the time Claire¡¯s turn came. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised.¡± She leaned down and kissed the back of my hand. Warm energy spread from the back of my hand. My headache cleared up, my muscle pain disappeared, and the aftereffect of the motion sickness medicine was also gone. ¡°It¡¯s a gift. Since you don¡¯t look too well.¡± Elizabeth, who was next to me, smiled and said. ¡°Claire was born a little different. She took after her mother.¡± Born different meant she was a different species. To be specific, she wasn¡¯t human. After Avita was established, marriage between different species was rare, but not impossible. ¡®Is she a half-mixed fairy?¡¯ The fairies had the power to heal others. But still, to say this in front of people she just met? ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I was allowed to hear that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! Navian is my friend now.¡± I was worried that she was getting attached to the person she just met. I looked at Claire¡¯s eyes that were contained with belief and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my lips sealed. Please take care of yourself.¡± Elizabeth held my hand with a small smile. ¡°Can I talk casually to you next time we see each other? I like you, too.¡± ¡°Shall we do that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Elizabeth smiled happily. After bidding goodbye to them, I got on the carriage. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The captain, who got on the carriage with me, looked out the window. The knights sat on the horseman¡¯s seat and took the reins. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the detailed explanation as we go. We need to hurry, so hold on tight.¡± Then the captain knocked on the window and shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The wheels moved with a rattling sound. *** ¡°You mean the monsters came up because of the strange climate?¡± ¡°Yes, the empire¡¯s border was shaken.¡± The situation was far worse than I thought. Since the empire¡¯s border was the habitat of the monsters. ¡®But there is Theo Knights.¡¯ If Dojino Knights defended the capital, then Theo Knights were in charge of monsters outside and observed the enemy¡¯s movement. To put it simply, it was Theo Knight¡¯s duty to prevent the monsters from coming into the civilian territory. ¡®Elon, that bastard, what the hell is he doing? Why is the monster here?¡¯ Elon de Lark. With platinum blond hair and cold sky blue eyes, he had an ill-fated relationship with me ever since our academy days. Although I didn¡¯t like his snobbish and haughty noble attitude, I acknowledged his ability. Even though we fought frequently, I could endure it for the sake of the empire. It was a little annoying each time we argued under the guise of reporting whether it was about the barrier¡¯s security or situation in the border area. But the day before I died, I lost contact with Theo Knights. I hadn¡¯t heard from him all morning, so I contacted him first, but he was absent. ¡®How strange. No matter how shitty Elon¡¯s temper was, he wasn¡¯t a guy who wouldn¡¯t accept the call, so it was strange.¡¯ -Flashback- ¡®Then I¡¯ll go.¡¯ At the word of Walson, the General of Dojino Knights, the first prince Demian also intervened. ¡®I¡¯m coming with you.¡¯ Prince Demian smiled quietly at me. ¡®Sir Lerine, please take care of the Imperial Palace. I entrust it to you until I come back.¡¯ -End of flashback- People called Demian, ¡®the first prince who was more incompetent than the third prince¡¯, but he was not. He was just a compassionate person who didn¡¯t want a faction between the brothers to happen. That was why I couldn¡¯t believe my premonition dream. ¡®The Imperial Palace is in a crisis, so the imperial barrier wouldn¡¯t be safe either. Because we¡¯re lacking manpower.¡¯ Then I understood why the monster came up. It was to call out the knights who guarded the imperial barrier. There were suspicious details left, but I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t the only reason. At that time, the carriage stopped urgently. I grabbed the window frame to prevent my light body from falling over. The captain, who was looking outside through the window asked the knight sitting in the horseman¡¯s seat. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about 50 of them.¡± ¡°Strange, how are they coming so fast?¡± That was what I¡¯m saying. Monsters had low intelligence and very slow movement. It would take approximately 3 days for them to get here since they just killed a group. ¡°Stay alert.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The eyes of the monster began to be seen in the dark forest. The captain said as he closed the window curtain. ¡°Please wait here, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± His voice came out low as if he wanted to assert me. ¡°You must never come out.¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10 I checked the outside through a crack in the curtain. The swords and monsters¡¯ claws clashed with each other, sparking flames in the dark forest. At that time, a shadow fell outside of the curtain. Creak-! Creak-! Something sharp scratched the window. The strong smell of sulfur prickled my nose. ¡°Damn it, this isn¡¯t a monster!¡± I realized when the knights shouted. The demon that shook the carriage was influenced by the sacred ground, and had no intelligence but driven by instinct. It was a demon that had a quick leaping ability. ¡®I need to escape. It¡¯s night and there are knights outside.¡¯ The demon was a creature whose vision was terrible in the dark. If I stayed like this, either I¡¯ll die on those sharp claws or get smashed along with the carriage. ¡°Protect the carriage!¡± The knight¡¯s scream stimulated the demon to trample on the carriage as if it was a toy. Holding my breath, I gestured to Anna to step back. At that time, the long arm of the demon poked through the carriage. Bang-! The limb that pierced through the carriage passed right next to my face. An array of sliced lemon-colored hair fluttered in the air, and I felt a burning pain in my cheek. In front of me, the other limb of the demon approached me. ¡°Miss!¡± Crash-! The glass shattered. A blood-soaked strong arm broke through the window and grabbed the demon¡¯s wrist. A thick tendon sprang up in the arm of a man who grabbed the furry demon. The demon stuck its claw in the man¡¯s forearm and his white skin was torn long. ¡°Ha.¡± My heart sank at the familiar small laugh. No way. Without any time to confirm, the man grabbed the demon and pulled it out of the carriage. The carriage shook violently as the demon burst out screaming. I quickly lifted myself up. The scratch from the claw ached, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡®I¡¯m sure I heard that laugh clearly¡­.¡¯ I rolled up the curtains to look outside. Only the knights struggled to fight the demon, but I didn¡¯t see that familiar figure anywhere. I nibbled my lips out of nervousness. A lukewarm blood flowed from the scratch. Bang-! The carriage shook. As the body of the demon slipped down from the window cracked by the collision, I could see someone drew his sword midair. Green fluid splattered on the ground and he lifted his sword high. Then, the familiar figure grabbed Anna and pushed her to the wall. Then someone swung the sword downward. With a loud noise, the carriage split into two and my body fell back. When I closed my eyes tightly, a strong arm wrapped around my waist. Along with the roar and billowing cloud of dust, I let out a small cough. As the dust settled down, I could see the golden eyes shone like the sun. It was Signus. *** I stared at him blankly. I finally realized that he truly changed now. I almost failed to recognize him. His eyes, which were always kind and sweet, turned cold. His long, neat black hair was also sloppily cut under his neck. Even if his brilliant appearance did not change a bit, I couldn¡¯t feel his kind and warm air that he used to have. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Suddenly I was choked by something unknown. I was choked by the frustration. I looked at the shimmering golden eyes for a long time. He also looked at me with immersed eyes. He glanced over me from head to toe persistently. As if he was looking for something. Then Signus raised his blood-soaked hand. White hands and red blood shone brilliantly in the dark. Touching my cut hair lightly, he swept the cut on my cheek with his thumb. His handsome face showed signs of discomfort. Signus¡¯ hand, which caught my face, went down to my chin. He held my face with one hand and turned it from side to side. It was not an act to check on my wound, but rather an unpleasant action. His eyes, which had been bounced up and down like waves, become colder and colder. As the coldness clearly permeated his face, his red lips opened. ¡°Yes. It can¡¯t be this easy to find.¡± I could feel pain in my cheek as he spat out his self-deprecating remark. Unlike just now, a rough touch penetrated the wound on my cheek. ¡°My fiance is already good at running around.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were too weak to walk?¡± I silently received his obvious ridicule. Signus¡¯ smile deepened. After digging into the wound a few more times, he grabbed my arms and turned my body. His cold gaze touched my back. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ My mind became blank at his action. What did he want to do? But it was true that he changed. When I glanced sideways, I could see the knights who helped Anna, and few other Dojino Knights came closer to me. ¡®Leo, Droop.¡¯ Droop was looking at me with a pitiful look. Leo, who was standing there with a shocked look on his face, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. ¡®You guys were fine.¡¯ Looking at them with longing faces, I felt someone¡¯s body heat on my neck. Signus was grabbing the collar of my shirt. In a panic, I grabbed him by the wrist and asked. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see?¡± Ha, I burst out laughing at the ridiculous situation. ¡®Are you trying to undress me without asking my consent here?¡¯ I heard you like to change out women, but you turned into an absolute trash. ¡°Have you gone crazy?¡± I glared at him with a surge of anger. The tail of his red lips went up. He seemed to be laughing at me as if saying ¡®do you know the truth now?¡¯ Then the first button popped out at his touch. ¡®You pervert!¡¯ I was about to lift my fist, but I felt the vibration from the ground. ¡°There¡¯s another wave of demons coming.¡± The knights clicked their tongues and held the sword, they became wary of their surroundings. Signus¡¯ gaze touched my exposed collarbone. After a brief contemplation, he pushed my back lightly and I could see the captain¡¯s chest in front of me. ¡°Take her and get lost.¡± I turned my head because I was irritated by the way he talked as if he was passing over a suitcase. But Signus was already on his way. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re fine. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Did the captain mean he was glad that I was alive from the demon¡¯s attack, or that I was able to escape from Signus? The captain, who lifted my body and put me on the horse, climbed behind me and held the reins. ¡°Hiya!¡± I wasn¡¯t hurt that he told me to get lost. I could put up with him treating me like luggage and when he messed up with my wound. But his cold gaze pierced my heart like a thorn. I¡¯ve never seen Signus eyes like that. So I closed my eyes while enduring my boiling anger. * * * The Marquis screamed as he ran toward me. ¡°Navian! How is this possible¡­¡± I only listened to him silently. My appearance at first glance through the mirror attached in the mansion was very beggarly. My clothes were all covered with blood, and the bundle of hair on the side of my cheek was cut straight. Blood was still dripping from the wound from the monster¡¯s claw. ¡°Hurry, hurry call the doctor¡­!¡± The Marquis fell to one knee. He seemed to be greatly shocked. Then the captain said as he supported the Marquis. ¡°We ran into monsters. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The Marquis¡¯ face was distorted. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I tried to bring you home before the constraint was lifted.¡± It was understandable since monsters moved slowly. ¡®The problem is that it was a demon.¡¯ The Marquis reached out to me. He was looking at the wounds on my wrist and cheek that were dusted by the tree debris. The captain continued his report. ¡°His Highness Signus saved us.¡± Everyone around us gasped. Then the frightened Marquis asked me. ¡°Have you met His Highness?¡± I nodded silently. The captain shook his head when the Marquis glanced at him. Maybe he wanted to know if Signus had harmed me. The Marquis, who breathed a sigh of relief, said to me. ¡°You must have been scared. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I couldn¡¯t answer. Because it was true that I was scared. Not because of the demon, but Signus. To be exact, his changed behavior. I came into the bathroom with the intention of washing my dirty body before my treatment. I didn¡¯t forget to lock the door. I didn¡¯t want to be seen by anyone right now. When I raised my hand to undo the button, I felt the white exposed neck. Taking off my clothes, I gritted my teeth and approached the big mirror. A strange woman was looking like a bum. The lemon-colored hair cut in a straight line just above the chin glowed even when it was dirty. After I tucked the cut hair behind my ear, I looked at the throbbing wound on my cheeks. ¡°You just pressed this, huh?¡± I was angry no matter how much I thought about it. ¡®I learned the truth when he roughly tried to undress me. I would¡¯ve skewered him to death if it wasn¡¯t for my weak body.¡¯ I gritted my teeth and examined my neck area. Every time I found a wound, my murderous intent toward Signus grew rapidly. ¡®I¡¯m the crazy one for saving that bastard. What kind of fortune and glory can I get from that anyway?¡¯ Judging from his action, he seemed to destroy the empire soon. ¡®If I knew this would happen, I should¡¯ve just lived.¡¯ I used to have a personality that didn¡¯t easily hold regret, but now I had so much regret that I wanted to turn back the time. The golden eyes that were first examining me thoroughly, and the man who tilted his head and sneered at me, crossed my mind. In the end, I couldn¡¯t overcome my temper and did what I should never do. I hit the mirror with my fist. ¡°Gah!¡± Kuung-! Tears welled up as the pain was felt in my arm. I must¡¯ve broken my wrist! ¡°Damn¡­¡± I held my wrist and leaned my forehead against the mirror. Everything was annoying. Even this weak body that couldn¡¯t even hit the mirror. Even my current situation. Even Signus who had changed. How could you do that? Why did I save you? You should have become a benevolent ruler. You should have lived well. You turned into everything that I didn¡¯t want. What the hell changed you? I stayed there for a long time while the servants knocked on the door and called me frantically. *** Lemon-colored long straight hair leaning against the mirror shook finely. When her hair fell, Navian¡¯s shoulder blades were exposed. There was a mysterious yellow butterfly pattern engraved on it. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°I¡¯m glad the wound on your cheek wasn¡¯t deep.¡± At the doctor¡¯s words, the Marquis asked. ¡°But she was hit by the monster¡¯s claw. What if the scar remains?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as you take good care of her, she¡¯ll heal soon.¡± The Marquis and his servants sighed in relief. ¡°But the problem is her hand. Her bones are broken. I think she hit something, so I need to put a splint on it. It may be uncomfortable for you to move for a while.¡± Bluish bruises emerged on my swollen wrist. I really broke my own wrist. ¡®I¡¯ve done something stupid.¡¯ The Marquis, who had been looking at me with a worried face, spoke. ¡°I¡¯m glad you came quickly, sir. Ulysse is not here right now.¡± The doctor replied as he applied medicine to my wound. ¡°I heard about it. I was on my way home when I got a letter asking me to come quickly. My colleagues who work with me are also coming.¡± It took two days at the earliest for a letter from the north to arrive in the capital. Looking at the time, it must have been sent right after Ulysse arrived in the north. (T/N: Ulysse was able to read celestial energy, so he knew right away Navian was injured.) I secretly thought Ulysse was a quack. It seemed like I needed to reflect a little. ¡®He must be a genius.¡¯ I was suddenly curious. How far can he read the celestial energy? ¡®Does he know why Signus has changed?¡¯ I laughed inwardly. ¡®What¡¯s the use to know about that now? The situation is already bad enough.¡¯ Seeing what Signus had done so far, it was clear that words alone wouldn¡¯t be able to reach him. A bastard who tore my clothes all of a sudden would never hear me out. Whatever the reason, he changed. Signus, whom I served as my lord, no longer exists. Even if I still had a desire to trust him, I had to admit the reality. ¡®Since we¡¯re engaged, I have to go to the palace soon. Not to mention, he already saw me walking around.¡¯ However, this disgusting feeling did not disappear. ¡®Should I run away?¡¯ I could just escape to the countryside and live leisurely. Perhaps, this weak body would get better. I was in the middle of imagining something ridiculous, but someone shouted. ¡°Master! Please come out for a moment!¡± As I heard the chaos in the mansion, I thought another doctor had arrived. ¡°I told them to wait, didn¡¯t I?!¡± But the Marquis¡¯ angry scream rang in the mansion. ¡®Seems like the aide is here.¡¯ My room was on the second floor, so I couldn¡¯t see who was coming in on the first floor. But it was obvious from the way Marquis reacted. ¡°You even brought a knight now!¡± I guess the knight came, too. He must have been very angry that he was dropping the honorifics. ¡°You¡¯re going to take her after her treatment, right? Do you think I¡¯m stupid? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± His opponent¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound very small. I could hear it if I raised my sensitivity a little, but I just let it go. It was a predictable conversation anyway, and it was a bit annoying. But the Marquis¡¯ next response was slightly off. ¡°¡­What?¡± Wait. That reaction¡­ As expected, the servants were chattering. Soon after, the servant who climbed up the stairs spread the news. ¡°Someone sent a letter to accept the engagement.¡± ¡°Who?¡± All the attention turned to me, and Mary, who was next to me, covered her mouth. ¡®I got caught.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t embarrassed. It wasn¡¯t something I could hide for a long time anyway. However, I was just worried about the Marquis. Then, the Marquis shouted. ¡°That letter, I¡¯m the one who sent it!¡± Huh? ¡°Why not? I¡¯m going to marry him!¡± ¡°¡­.Pardon?¡± I could hear the bewildered voice of the aide. I understood how he felt. I couldn¡¯t grasp what that old man was saying either. But the Marquis shouted proudly. ¡°Would you rather choose a weak child over a marquis? Now, go tell him! I¡¯ll change my name to Navian and come to see him.¡± He was crazy. Even if Signus was a saint, he would have slashed the Marquis¡¯ throat with his sword right away. ¡®No matter how much you don¡¯t want to marry your daughter to a tyrant¡­¡¯ It was a headache to hear the Marquis one-sided outcry. Hearing the mess outside, I suddenly thought of something. This whole situation was strange. Before I went to the tea party, I overheard the conversations of the servants when I finished exercising and laid in my bed. After the aide came and delivered the edict¡­ ¡°Oh, come on! You want to reward us for the glory of the past, right? Whoever gets it will get it! So give it to me!¡± ¡­.I should stop the Marquis from talking nonsense first. ¡°Mary. Can you tell him to come up?¡± ¡°You mean, master?¡± I glanced at the stairs and opened my mouth. ¡°The Aide and the knight.¡± * * * The aide and Dojino knight were puzzled. I guess they hadn¡¯t come to their senses thanks to the Marquis¡¯ shocking remark. ¡°Thank you for coming all the way here. I have something to tell you.¡± I raised my gaze while organizing my words. I could see the Marquis¡¯ shoulders hiding behind the door, but I ignored him and opened my mouth. First, it was the basic one. ¡°Please send my words to His Highness Signus. We will charge all the damage our family acquired due to the demon¡¯s attack.¡± The aide frowned. Looking at his face, he seemed to think about the ruined forest, smashed carriage, and the treatment cost for my injury as well as the guards. ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult. Ethically speaking, we can cover for your treatment as His Highness¡¯ fiance, but¡­.¡± The aide continued his words as if asking for understanding. ¡°And it was an accident. I¡¯m also worried that I may offend His Highness by bringing up the money.¡± I was expecting his response, so I turned to Leo. ¡°What¡¯s the duties of a knight?¡± Leo, who stood silently, replied to me. ¡°Patrolling the capital, guarding the palace, and protecting the empire barrier.¡± ¡°Then what did the knights do until the monster came up to the civilian area?¡± The aide chewed on his lower lips. He seemed to have noticed why I was targeting Leo. ¡°I have nothing to say. It¡¯s entirely our fault that the damage to the area has been done.¡± In fact, Leo was not to be blamed. The demon attack was inevitable, and it was too much to criticize the knights for it. But the knight¡¯s master was Signus. ¡°Tell me about your next measure to resolve this. There¡¯s no guarantee that this won¡¯t happen again, right?¡± Leo answered me with a sincere voice. ¡°I am ashamed to say that we have received the help from the temple. The empire¡¯s barriers are now being watched by the Holy Knights and the High Priests.¡± ¡°Who will replace our wounded guards?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve sent troops to every part of this area. It¡¯s safe here.¡± Still, I didn¡¯t know who taught him but I was very proud of Leo. ¡®As expected, Leo.¡¯ When I suppressed the rising corners of my mouth and tried hard to express my displeasure, the aide muttered as if it was unfair. ¡°But, it occurred before the engagement¡­¡± I smiled small. I knew this would happen. Because ever since long ago the aide was famous for being a cheapskate. Since he was a cheapskate who cared not only for his own money but for other people¡¯s money, such a reaction was not something I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, I¡¯ll write a letter.¡± ¡°Oh, will you do that?¡± The aide smiled as if thinking I was naive. But it was him who was naive. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll write it down right now, so you can deliver it to His Highness.¡± ¡°¡­Are you saying I should deliver it?¡± Looking at the aide¡¯s pale face, I replied. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s see if we all die.¡± Then the aide made a groan. ¡°¡­.I understand. Please make a list of what you need.¡± He still hated spending money. This damned cheapskate. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± However, I didn¡¯t intend to quit here. ¡°I¡¯m going to postpone going to the palace.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The aide¡¯s expression crumpled like paper. He even put on an expression as if asking if I was out of my mind. ¡°His Highness tried to take off my clothes. Thanks to him, my clothes became a rag.¡± ¡°¡­..What did you say?!¡± Along with a scream, the Marquis broke the door. As I watched the specks of the broken door fall down the floor and the pale faced Marquis, I pointed at the wounds in my cheek. ¡°It¡¯s a cut from the demon¡¯s claw. His Highness poked it with his fingers. The scar might remain forever.¡± The doctor flinched. He had a face saying, ¡®I¡¯m sure I told you the scar is going to heal¡¯. He made a face like that but I ignored it lightly. ¡°As the aide said, the engagement hasn¡¯t begun yet, but he shouldn¡¯t do this to me already. Do you think we can live together when I¡¯m scared?¡± The aide, who had been silent for a while, said in a friendly voice as much as possible. ¡°But then your family may be exterminated.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think so?¡± ¡°Because you need my family, right?¡± The aide blinked when I said what I had thought earlier. The fact that I felt a sense of incompatibility. ¡°So you knew that I¡¯d come back alive.¡± People were clattering. So he knows she¡¯s going to survive? Who told him that? Such a murmur filled the room. The panicked aide shouted urgently. ¡°What are you talking about? No, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Really? Then let me ask you. Where did you run into the butler and my father?¡± Replied the aide, who thought for a moment. ¡°It was in front of the stairs on the first floor. Because I couldn¡¯t wait any longer.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Nodding, I asked the butler who was standing in silence. ¡°What did the aide say after he delivered the edict?¡± ¡°I heard she woke up, he said.¡± When I got the answer I wanted, I saw the aide and he answered. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± That¡¯s right, you say? He put on a confused face as if he didn¡¯t understand what the problem was. So I decided to explain it kindly. ¡°The servants outside were crying and preparing for the funeral. It¡¯s the same for those who¡¯ve been walking around the hall.¡± There was one fact I could obtain from the conversation between the servants while I was lying in bed. Normal people couldn¡¯t hear a conversation from that distance. Just like how I and my servants in the room couldn¡¯t hear the aide¡¯s voice a while ago. ¡°Did you hear that I was alive from the noise?¡± My face was reflected in the aide¡¯s big eyes. It was unfamiliar to me, but I was already used to that cold, smiling face. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°¡­.Now that I heard it, she¡¯s right.¡± The servants, who were confused by Navian¡¯s words, whispered among themselves. ¡°I¡¯ve been walking around the hallway on the second floor, but I haven¡¯t heard that our young miss is awake.¡± ¡°True. I heard a crying sound, but I thought it was because people are sad.¡± ¡°And the aide was still in the parlor until then.¡± Amid the chattering, Navian asked. ¡°What do you think, butler? You came to pick my father up that day.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know about that even when I went upstairs. I didn¡¯t know until I saw you wake up.¡± The butler¡¯s expression became serious. The reason why I didn¡¯t notice anything odd was because I wasn¡¯t in my right mind at that time, but now that I think about it, so many things were strange. ¡°If you¡¯re a keen knight, you might hear it. But sir aide, do you have a knight title?¡± When Navian asked, the aide bit his lips. Everyone knew he had no aptitude for anything. The butler murmured as if he understood the situation now. ¡°¡­.And somehow you looked at your pocket watch.¡± As if he was trying to confirm that I was alive at that specific time. Elaine, who was standing behind the door, also spoke. ¡°It¡¯s also strange that he was here all of a sudden. I¡¯ve refused the palace¡¯s call several times, and I kept sending letters, so why did you come?¡± The aide replied urgently. ¡°Because you won¡¯t come even if I call you!¡± ¡°So why did you come that day? It¡¯s too strange to be a coincidence.¡± The aide rolled his eyes away. Then Navian spoke. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to feel wronged. If it were me, I¡¯d tell you to go to His Highness and check the facts right now.¡± ¡°You-you¡¯re mistaken, I feel wronged! But¡­¡± But Navian¡¯s calm voice blocked him from opening his mouth more. ¡°Well, I understand if you don¡¯t do that, His Highness might kill you. Let¡¯s say it was a coincidence that you came.¡± The aide, who was secretly relieved, hardened himself by the words of Navian. ¡°But I can¡¯t understand how you knew.¡± Her calm pink eyes pierced through the aide. ¡°Even Ulysse, who can read the celestial energy, didn¡¯t know that I¡¯m going to survive. So tell me how someone who was waiting under the stairs in such a chaotic situation can know?¡± Everyone looked at the aide. There was an easy way to deny everything. He could just insist that he heard it from the first floor just like what he said before. Everyone looked at him suspiciously and thought the aide was going to insist. However, the aide was silent for a long time, said something completely different. ¡°¡­.Please let me know what you want to say to His Highness.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes opened wide. It was as if he was saying: I¡¯ll admit it as the truth, but I beg you to keep silent. ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m going to postpone going to the palace.¡± ¡°Can you ask for something else? That way, my life¡­.¡± ¡°Will he spare your life if he knows you¡¯ve been caught?¡± The fact that he knew I was alive was supposed to be a secret. Navian whispered to the aide who tried to open his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to bet your chances of living a little longer.¡± Two crossroads came to the aide¡¯s mind. Either you make excuses that I couldn¡¯t go, or you get caught and die. ¡°Postpone it, no matter what. Blame it on the demon or His Highness. Take care of it yourself.¡± The aide trembled. With a face as if saying, ¡®how can you say that?¡¯ Navian was calmly threatening him right on his ear. ¡°I¡¯ll assume the aide has an unusually sharp hearing and accidentally hear that I¡¯m alive.¡± * * * I leaned on the bed and looked out the window. An aide with a drooping shoulder and the Marquis who was seen shoving him with a very angry look. I found the aide¡¯s behavior was strange after hearing the occasional conversations of the servants. ¡®It was definitely suspicious, but I¡¯m going to let it go.¡¯ If everything was really a coincidence, we wouldn¡¯t be able to defend ourselves, and we might end up being exterminated. ¡®It¡¯s not even that much of money, it¡¯s disgusting to be stingy about it.¡¯ The Imperial Palace was overflowed with money anyway. So I should grab whatever I could grab. Even the cost of the door that Marquis Elaine broke. But I didn¡¯t feel good. ¡®It worked because the aide looked down at me.¡¯ ¡®Just how fragile this body looks that this is happening?¡¯ Besides, there was one more thing that bothered me. How did they know that I was going to come back to life? ¡®How did you know? Did you torture the High Priest who has the ability to foresee the future?¡¯ What are you going to do with that information, anyway? At that time, the face that I tried hard to erase returned to my mind. I put the image of black hair and glowing golden eyes away. Actually, the reason for postponing going to the palace was simple. ¡®I don¡¯t want to see Signus.¡¯ I hate to see his eyes that rolled back like a madman, and I hate to see him slaughtering people. I just didn¡¯t want to see him. I didn¡¯t want to hear anything. ¡®Bastard.¡¯ I felt a stinging gaze as I was cursing inwardly in my bed. The remaining servants in the room were looking at me. ¡®Whatever, I don¡¯t care.¡¯ I thought I should sleep, but I heard May¡¯s anxious voice. ¡°Will His Highness really overlook it? What if he comes with a sword?¡± I laughed. ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°If he did, he wouldn¡¯t have saved me.¡± If he wanted me to die, he wouldn¡¯t tell me to get lost and send me away. Or just left me to die in a forest full of monsters. ¡°Oh my god, our miss must be a genius!¡± All geniuses were dead. I closed my eyes. I really wanted to rest now. As the sight became dark, I thought of Signus¡¯s strong arm that hindered the hand of the monster. ¡®He must have saved me because I¡¯m on the verge of dying.¡¯ He even stroked my cheek for a while. He seemed gentle at first, but then he poked at my wound. ¡®But why do you need the esteemed daughter of Yeronimo?¡¯ Was it because it¡¯s a family who supported the empire back then? I thought about a lot of things, but then I heard footsteps. ¡°This way.¡± At the guidance of the servant, a man entered my room. The man who was looking at me was wearing a white cloak, the symbol of a doctor. The man whose appearance was similar to Ulysse looked at me with an arrogant face and said. ¡°Are you Ulysse¡¯s sister?¡± What¡¯s wrong with this guy? The arrogant man came to the bedside and observed me. ¡°Well, it¡¯s worth seeing.¡± Suddenly he came and evaluated my face? Another madman? I thought I was done seeing all the ridiculous things for today, so I sighed. The urgent treatment was over anyway, so I wanted to tell him to go, but the man walked toward the table. ¡°He still uses old stuff.¡± He frowned as he carelessly picked up Ulysse¡¯s medical tools. What was this bastard doing? ¡°I heard that your body was weak. If you didn¡¯t feel the need to answer, just stay still, okay?¡± No, I was just holding it in. According to the doctor¡¯s words, that arrogant man was Ulysse¡¯s colleague. ¡°Ah, is that it? Strip off?¡± ¡°Sir¡­.¡± When the servant who was watching intervened, contempt rose on the arrogant man¡¯s face. ¡°How dare you intervene. You lowly subject.¡± He beckoned the servant to stay still. The arrogant man laughed as he twirling Ulysse¡¯s glass mortar with his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m asking you. Are you sick?¡± It would have been humiliating if I really couldn¡¯t talk. As such, there wasn¡¯t any consideration in that man¡¯s question. ¡®How can that bastard be a doctor?¡¯ As I looked at him quietly, the arrogant man approached me and sat down on the chair next to the bed. ¡°Now that I see you, the brother and sister are similar. Your brother is a medical genius, and he¡¯s good at cleaning up others¡¯ mess. The only thing worthy of him is his face. Just like you.¡± The arrogant man shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t stare like that. It¡¯s a compliment.¡± Only fools thought it was a compliment. I looked at his face and asked. ¡°Is that what you want to say?¡± ¡°What? So you can talk?¡± Said the arrogant man, leaning against the chair. ¡°Why do you think your brother crawled all the way to the north? It¡¯s obvious that he¡¯s trying to attract the royal family and save a seat for himself. Just tell him to live quietly as it is now. Your family¡¯s glory is something in the past anyway.¡± An arrogant man gently stroked my wrist with his thumb. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about you. You may have a chance to tempt the crown prince with your good look.¡± I gestured to the servant who was angry to stay still. In this situation, it was better for others to remain still. If there were a knight around, they would have restrained him, but the knights went out of the mansion for a while. I was wondering what to do with him, but a small voice was heard from below. ¡°The guards have finished their treatment. Where is the Lady¡¯s room?¡± ¡°It¡¯s on the second floor.¡± Then the doctors who were guided by the knights came in with fluttering white cloaks. ¡°Your pulse is weak. Are you eating well?¡± As I nodded, the chubby doctor said kindly. ¡°The more your body condition is in this state, the more nutrients you need to fill with food. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard it from Ulysse.¡± She laughed shyly. ¡®I was wondering why you were so kind to me. You must have feelings for Ulysse.¡¯ Seeing the arrogant man standing behind him frowned unpleasantly, I asked back. ¡°What kind of person is Ulysse as a doctor?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a cool guy! Because he has both his looks and skills.¡± ¡°Is he really excellent at his field?¡± ¡°Ah, what are you saying. Are you using the word ¡®excellent¡¯ on purpose to hurt me?¡± The arrogant man¡¯s face was even more distorted. Soon, the skinny man next to him helped him. ¡°We are the disciples of Verus, the best medical doctor in the Empire. That¡¯s something to be proud of. It¡¯s every doctor¡¯s dream.¡± ¡°Among us, Ulysse is by far the best!¡± The skinny man laughed bitterly at the words of the chubby doctor. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s excellent at surgery.¡± Then the arrogant man muttered bluntly. ¡°Yeah, right. Excellent my ass.¡± The other doctors standing behind reprimanded him. ¡°Bernard. Stop being jealous.¡± ¡°Jealous of what?! Just wait. I¡¯ll read the celestial energy soon.¡± A feeling of inferiority spread to the arrogant man¡¯s face. Looking at his reaction, his fellow doctors spoke simultaneously. ¡°You make it sound so easy. There¡¯s no guarantee that you can do it even if you work hard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Ulysse also reads medical books in his spare time.¡± ¡°I can study too!¡± The gentle doctor replied to the haughty man¡¯s cry. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you¡¯re staying in the palace? To study?¡± ¡°You must have finally come to your senses.¡± ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± So you stayed in the Imperial Palace? I laughed quietly because I finally heard the story that I was waiting for. You¡¯re dead meat, bastard. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Then, I asked the nice chubby doctor. ¡°Have you all been to the north?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve taken turns. Until Ulysse, who went home after he heard about your news, returns.¡± At her words, my gaze turned to the arrogant man. ¡°So why didn¡¯t that guy go there?¡± ¡°Wha- Hey! How dare you talk down to-¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. Can¡¯t you see this?¡± When he fluttered his white cape, I opened my mouth. ¡°Is that so? I have no idea. I thought you¡¯re just a pervert when you stroked my wrist as you pleased.¡± At my words, the doctors scowled and the knights¡¯ hand headed toward the sword in their waists. The arrogant man who noticed it urgently made an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­examining you!¡± ¡°Then change your method. That was very off-putting. Don¡¯t you see that none of your colleagues are doing that?¡± When the arrogant man muttered inaudibly, the other doctor came to support me. ¡°Bernard. It¡¯s true that you¡¯re being discourteous. Apologize now.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make your patient feel uncomfortable.¡± Having endured his rising anger, he opened his mouth with a distorted face. ¡°¡­I was just trying to check your condition. Let¡¯s say that you just don¡¯t know about it. Now that it comes to this, let¡¯s try to understand each other and move on.¡± ¡°Fine. I understand.¡± ¡°No, but why are you still talking down to me!¡± ¡°You. You don¡¯t know the meaning of ¡®understand¡¯, do you?¡± I spoke firmly to the angry man. ¡°As if I don¡¯t understand you enough. You judge me as if I¡¯m a product. You talk down to me first! I even let you touch my hand.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t ask for courtesy, either.¡± The man burst out laughing as if he was amazed. ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°Just answer me. I asked why you didn¡¯t go to the north, didn¡¯t I?¡± The arrogant man answered with a tone as he was looking down at me for being stupid. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? The Dojino Knights trained intensively. Besides, there was a war recently. If I leave, the knights and soldiers will be left unattended.¡± You even went as far as lying, huh? It¡¯s true that the knights had a high training intensity. ¡®Because I¡¯m the one who initiated that training.¡¯ It meant that it was very rare for the knights to get hurt unless they were beaten by me. ¡°Do the knights and soldiers of the palace often get hurt?¡± When asked to confirm the truth, the knights shook their heads. ¡°No, we were already adjusted to the training and the palace has His Highness.¡± It was the same as before. When Signus held his sword, nobody would ever be injured or died. Let alone that now he was a tyrant. Furthermore, the knights kept nourishing their bodies to prepare for the upcoming attack from the enemy country. ¡°¡­It was just a minor factor. There were so many things that kept me busy.¡± I chuckled at the arrogant man¡¯s lame excuses. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Now I understand.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The one who wants to attract the royal family in order to get himself a seat. I know that it¡¯s you.¡± The bastard returned what I said with a scream. ¡°What do you know? I have my reasons to stay in the palace!¡± ¡°Seems like you have zero comprehension. You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± I give a piece of information to the bastard who was putting on a face as if I was talking nonsense. ¡°We received a letter from the north while Ulysse was at home. Asking him to return immediately. I mean, even a skilled doctor doesn¡¯t have enough hands to do everything at once, right?¡± I kept looking at the mailbox for fear of letters from the palace. The letters for Ulysse were so many that it was enough to fill the mailbox twice. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that we¡¯re lacking manpower, but why are you staying here? I¡¯m very curious, you know.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t leave my spot in case something happens!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not the only doctors here. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t such an unsteady system where it will collapse if one person leaves the spot. It¡¯s the palace medical department, after all.¡± I turned to the doctors when I saw the arrogant man shaking. They stood there whilst blinking their eyes. ¡°Have you heard the news? I heard there was a big fuss in the nearby town.¡± When I talked about Ulysse¡¯s urgent inspection not too long ago, the chubby doctor replied. ¡°That¡¯s right. Some madman smuggling the hallucinogen out of town. But how did you know that?¡¯ ¡°Because Ulysse took care of it.¡± I looked at the arrogant man and said. ¡°He had a hard time alone because he had to handle all the rampage caused by intoxicated people.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the arrogant man. ¡°Bernard, didn¡¯t you go to support him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What the hell did Ulysse do in the nearby town alone when his sister needed him the most!¡± ¡°Tell me what happened!¡± I watched his reddening face and said. ¡°He must be really busy. It¡¯s a great opportunity for him to get noticed by the royal family while Ulysse and all of you are gone, after all¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°So how did it go? Did you succeed?¡± My smiling face and question shook the arrogant man¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­Is what my lady says true?¡± The other doctor¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Did you really try to get rid of us and took all the credit for yourself?¡± ¡°¡­How disappointing.¡± ¡°I knew you were greedy. Still, we trusted you.¡± The arrogant man¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°No! I¡­Damn it! What do you know!¡± I retorted the man¡¯s words right away. ¡°Why are you angry at someone else if it isn¡¯t true?¡± Of course, I had no intention to hide my laughter. He shouted harshly with a flushed face. ¡°Stop spouting nonsense!¡± At his scream, I gestured to Leo. Leo, who was restless, flew in like a wind and dragged the arrogant man. ¡°What the-! Why are you dragging me out?¡± ¡°This is my house. If anyone must go, it¡¯s you.¡± I even waved my hand and spoke provocatively. ¡°If you have time to chase after the royal family¡¯s tail, at least let the knights have some nutritional supplements.¡± *** There were two doctors left. The rest of the doctors followed the arrogant man. ¡°I was surprised that you¡¯ll be this frightening when you¡¯re angry. As expected of Ulysse¡¯s younger sister.¡± My eyes widened at the words of the skinny doctor. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong. It was because I got too carried away.¡± Still, I shouldn¡¯t draw a lot of attention. Especially, since I didn¡¯t say anything nice at all because of that arrogant bastard. ¡°Bernard wasn¡¯t like that at first. He was moderately arrogant just like an ordinary aristocrat. In fact, he was not bad. But he became more twisted after meeting Ulysse. How dare he act like that, that idiot. I¡¯m ashamed as a fellow doctor.¡± The chubby doctor also agreed with him. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t think of us the same way as him.¡± I lowered my eyes when she spoke as if she was disappointed. ¡®Because of that bastard, I looked down at the wrong person for no reason.¡¯ Seemed like I needed to reflect on myself, so I tried to ask about what had been bothering me. ¡°Does Ulysse¡­has no friends?¡± ¡°No way. Everyone admires him.¡± An admiration, is that it? It was no different from admitting that he had no close friends to talk about his feelings. I understood the doctors¡¯ mind a little bit. If I hadn¡¯t poured my anger about my parents on the sword, I might have acted like that Bernard guy. There were only good people by my side. Although my most reliable friend became a tyrant. ¡®I wish Ulysse had a friend like that.¡¯ Being a genius was a lonely path, but it was going to be even more lonely if he was alone. ¡°In fact, there are only a few people who can approach Ulysse without hesitation.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s sensitive and cheeky.¡± I looked at her with wide eyes. The Ulysse who was always hard-working and never lost his smile was sensitive? Cheeky? ¡°But Ulysse is the coolest when he works. It¡¯s always cool to see his neat face turned sharp. To be honest, he¡¯s inferior in terms of his physical appearance when compared to His Highness Signus, but you know, there¡¯s a thing called preference, right?¡± She smiled awkwardly. As expected, nobody could beat Signus when it comes to face. ¡°Your brother is Ulysse, your fiance is His Highness Signus. The captain of the security guard I saw earlier was also handsome. I¡¯m jealous of you.¡± You could just take them. Please. ¡°Ah, right. The engagement talks are supposed to be secret, right? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep silent,¡± I let out a loud sigh. A moment later the doctor exclaimed. ¡°Ah, right. There was a message from Ulysse! I almost forgot because of that foolish Bernard!¡± After cursing at the arrogant man, she spoke quietly. ¡°Someone who left is coming back. It¡¯s within three days, or tomorrow morning, at the earliest. So please get ready to leave the palace.¡± I frowned when I was told to leave. Ah, crap. I even threatened the aide to postpone my departure, but who the hell was coming? *** Signus sat by the window and looked at the night sky. Looking at the beautiful sight of countless twinkling stars, he picked up the glass again. Knock-! Knock-! The aide came to the room. As if he had gone through a very hard time, the old aide approached Signus¡¯ feet and kneeled down. ¡°I went to Yeronimo residence as I was told.¡± His hoarse voice trembled. What was in the aide¡¯s arms was a bill of expenses handed by the esteemed daughter of Yeronimo, who had threatened him calmly with a smile on her face. He was thinking about how to tell His Highness, but then he heard a low voice. ¡°How is she?¡± The aide who was thinking for a while about who he was talking about, answered quickly. ¡°The Young Lady looked very sick.¡± Signus¡¯ beautiful forehead frowned a little. ¡°Is she dying?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s not dying¡­.¡± ¡°I told you to bring her in, didn¡¯t I?¡± In fact, he was threatened. The aide, who was crying inside, said in an earnest voice. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. She was unable to move, and her whole body looked like she was going to die.¡± The aide, who desperately tried to find a way to live, glanced at Signus. He looked as if he was thinking of something. The aide, who was stammering, held out the paper in his hands. ¡°An-and I¡¯m terribly sorry¡­.but Yeronimo¡¯s family asked for¡­¡± The moment the aide clenched the paper with his trembling hands, it became noisy outside. ¡°Signus!¡± Clank-! The door opened and a weak-faced man came in. The man¡¯s gentle eyes touched the aide. Then the aide, who saw him, greeted him with a nod. ¡°Lord Aslan.¡± ¡°Ah, you were in the middle of talking. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Aslan, the second prince of the empire, who was gasping as if he had been running, grabbed Signus¡¯ hand and pulled him. ¡°If you¡¯re not busy, come on out. Hurry!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Aslan shouted in a delighted voice. ¡°Our brother has returned! Damian is here!¡± Damian, the missing first prince, returned to the palace. It was a darker dawn than other days. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°¡­Master! Master!¡± I opened my eyes to the gardener¡¯s voice. ¡°Master, please wake up. It¡¯s not time for you to sleep in peace!¡± It was still early dawn so the surroundings were still dark. I raised my body, wondering why they were making a fuss at this hour already. The servants walking around the hall were also looking downstairs. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ I dragged my heavy legs into the hallway. I could see the pale face of the gardener. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where¡¯s the butler?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at the front door! We¡¯re in big trouble!¡± ¡°Who?¡± The gardener, who was about to speak, saw the Marquis¡¯ appearance and closed his mouth. His hair was a mess and his pajamas were all wrinkled. ¡°¡­Damn it, you should wash up first! Come on!¡± The gardener pushed the Marquis into the bathroom. His hands that pushed Marquis¡¯ trembled like a person who was dealing with his drinking addiction. What is wrong with him? ¡°Good morning.¡± When I looked back, I saw Ulysse, who seemed tired. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± ¡°Two hours ago.¡± He must have been traveling all night. Of course he was tired. ¡°How are you feeling? I checked your condition while you¡¯re asleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Thank goodness.¡± I heard the gardener¡¯s voice when I was about to tell him to sleep more. ¡°Listen to me while you wash up! Lord Demian is back!¡± What did he just say? ¡°Is that true? When?¡± ¡°He came at dawn yesterday, and he¡¯s not in a good condition, but he¡¯s safe!¡± ¡°No wonder Ulysse told me to be prepared to leave! It must because the welcoming ceremony is going to be held.¡± I glanced at Ulysse in amazement. He was smiling awkwardly. He had such an amazing ability. ¡°I¡¯m done washing up. Let¡¯s listen to what the aide is going to say!¡± The gardener freaked out and stopped the Marquis. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re dealing with? Do you intend to tarnish your family¡¯s name!?¡± ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t the aide come?¡± I rolled my eyes as I listened to the Marquis. ¡®Whatever. Everything tires me out.¡¯ He yawned as he scratched his disheveled hair, and the gardener shouted out of anger. ¡°His Highness is coming!¡± Thud-! A servant dropped her laundry basket. Ulysse¡¯s hand that grabbed the railing of the stairs, slipped. And I opened my eyes wide. ¡°Who¡¯s coming? His Highness? Why is he coming?¡± ¡°How can I know that! Shall I go and ask?!¡± The distressed gardener caught the Marquis and pushed him. ¡°The butler is now dealing with the knights. I heard he¡¯s coming to pick us up¡­ Oh, I don¡¯t know anymore! Get ready for now!¡± ¡°Ahh, I get it.¡± The sleepy Marquis rushed into the bathroom. I was stunned despite hearing all the clattering from inside the bathroom. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me this damn aide is unable to make up an excuse?¡¯ Is he coming to exterminate this family?! ¡®No, the butler said he¡¯d come to pick us up.¡¯ The official letter for the welcoming ceremony would be delivered anyway, so why would he come personally? While I was trying to untangle each question that filled my head, I heard someone gritting his teeth from my side. ¡°¡­Indeed, it will be like this. As expected.¡± What¡¯s wrong with him? Ulysse flew down the long stairs after uttered a dreary murmur. I was watching him disappear out of the mansion in an instant, and then the servant spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°Miss, you should get ready¡­¡± I might die soon, so what should I get ready for? I sighed in frustration, but a moment later the gardener shouted. ¡°Ah, right! There¡¯s a letter from the aide, miss!¡± *** The butler looked at the familiar knight, Leo. The knights behind him seemed to be the people who were protecting the empire because they were tall and sturdy. He wondered why Leo, who went back yesterday, returned here with a carriage. Leo¡¯s lips, which always closed firmly, opened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for troubling you this early morning.¡± ¡°What do you mean by troubling? Please be at ease.¡± Behind Leo, he could see the sky just dawned. ¡®It¡¯s indeed early.¡¯ Everyone except the guards was half asleep, so they didn¡¯t know about what happened just now. However, he slowly came to his senses when he saw the large object lined up behind Leo and the knights. The butler tried to smile and asked the knight. ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡± Watching the butler¡¯s lips twitching, Leo answered. ¡°It¡¯s the highest grade horse. It was selected as the best horse.¡± The horses lined up behind the knight seemed agile, it seemed like they could run to the capital in a flash, but that was not the problem. ¡°¡­But it¡¯s not just one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s seven. The carriage interior was specially built to make a smooth journey.¡± All eyes were turned to the carriage that was as big as a house. There was no unnecessary fancy decoration, but the appearance was highly sophisticated even from the outside. ¡°It¡¯s not just one carriage, but seven¡­¡± When he saw the butler mumbled blankly, Leo spoke. ¡°Is the number too small? Then I¡¯ll ask them to send more carriage¡­¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s enough.¡± The butler raised his voice urgently. The butler, who was looking at the horse¡¯s lean stature and the flashing carriage, raised his hand and swept his cramp mouth. ¡°Excuse me, but was His Highness the one who sent it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Was it because our young lady asked for it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. This carriage is here to move everyone to the capital.¡± But why? While everyone was wondering, there was a loud noise coming from one side of the mansion. ¡°Butler!¡± Out of nowhere, Ulysse, who was still in pajamas, popped out. The bright lemon-colored hair was so tangled that birds might mistook it for its nests, and his pajamas were all crumpled up. Ulysse, who ran through the garden at once, shouted with his eyes wide open. ¡°¡­tard, where is he!¡± A vein sprang up in the butler¡¯s smiling face. Although he couldn¡¯t hear it very well, he was sure that Ulysse said , ¡®That bastard, where is he!¡¯ ¡°That thug-like young master¡­¡± It was fortunate that the knights didn¡¯t understand, but the butler wanted to kick him in the butt. ¡°Where are you!¡± The butler, who couldn¡¯t bear with him anymore, spoke to Leo. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please excuse me for a moment.¡± Leo nodded almost immediately. The butler, who quickly dragged Ulysse into the corner, and shouting as quietly as possible. ¡°How could you call the Crown Prince of this empire a bastard! Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°No wonder, the star¡¯s movement was weird. So this is what happened.¡± The butler urged Ulysse with a look of telling him to shut up. ¡°Stop talking nonsense and go tidy up your clothes. His Highness is coming!¡± ¡°Clothes, my ass. Why must I care about my clothes in this urgent situation?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about!¡± Ulysse burst into laughter. ¡°Butler, you still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°His Highness has his heart for Navian since the start.¡± The butler, who was speechless for a while, refuted. ¡°¡­.Stop being delusional. His Highness has never seen our young lady.¡± ¡°There are many ways to get her portraits or listen to stories about her. I¡¯m sure he must have seen her somehow. And fell in love at first sight.¡± Everyone couldn¡¯t comprehend what kind of nonsense he spouted. But Ulysse, who was blinded by anger, kept talking nonsense. ¡°What else would it be? Why does anyone want to be engaged with a stranger? Look at him now! He came all the way here because he can¡¯t hold it anymore!¡± Rosin, the knights¡¯ captain, who watched the butler become speechless again, grabbed Ulysse¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°Young Master, please.¡± ¡°Captain, please tell me. Am I wrong? His Highness wouldn¡¯t be coming all the way here unless he missed our Navian.¡± Ulysse rolled up his sleeve with a bright red face and shouted. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s talk about how great he is! Where are you! Where are you!¡± Ulysse swung around his head, looking for the noble thief who tried to take away his precious sister. ¡°¡­.Should I just knock him out?¡± The butler was about to nod at Rosin¡¯s words, but then Ulysse stopped moving. It was because his eyes caught the horse that was stationed a few steps away. ¡°¡­..What is that?¡± The Butler gave a cold answer to Ulysse¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s a carriage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a regular carriage, though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Imperial carriage.¡± ¡°But why are there so many?¡± Ulysse raised his voice again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me His Highness wants to pack up everything?¡± That makes no sense! At the moment when the butler tried to refute, the hooves of horses were heard from the distance. ¡°Welcome.¡± At the sight of the distinguished black hair, the symbol of Avita, the knights bowed their heads in a modest gesture. ¡°¡­Dear God.¡± The butler and Rosin watched Signus come off the horse with the expression as if the world had ended. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Ulysse, who shouted loudly, strode closer with glistening eyes. But Ulysse¡¯s feet stopped in an instant. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ulysse¡¯s eyes were drawn to the black hair that was darker yet glossier than the night sky in the north, which he always looked at. The tousled black hair and white neck created a beautiful combination. Ulysse mumbled blankly at the picturesque sight. ¡°¡­Crazy.¡± Ulysse didn¡¯t even have time to think about his messy hair and crumpled pajamas. That was how dazzling his looks were. They had left for the north together, but since Signus never got injured, it was almost the first time Ulysse saw him up close. He looked good from afar, but he looked even more crazier up close. ¡°Have you come out yet?¡± Everyone gasped to the strangely alluring voice. ¡°Tell them to get out quickly.¡± What are you talking about? Everyone was confused, but no one dared to ask. Signus had an atmosphere that made people feel intimidated. Then the door of the mansion opened in silence. Everyone¡¯s eyes were wide open when Navian, who was surrounded by the neatly-dressed marquis and servants, appeared. Only one person, Signus, laughed as if it was fun. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 When I saw Signus from afar, the sigh escaped my mouth. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the dampness I felt because of my clothes. Why? Because I didn¡¯t look so good right now. ¡°He¡¯s watching. Please relax.¡± At Anna¡¯s whispers, I loosened my body. My weakly dangling legs were bandaged, just like my face.No, in fact, my entire body except my eyes was bandaged. So now I was carried by the Marquis with bandages all over my body. As we got closer to the main gate, I could see everyone staring at me with their eyes wide open. I could clearly see Signus¡¯s cold smile as well. ¡®Because of that stupid aide¡­¡¯ This was the content of the letter from the aide. [His Highness will soon pick up the people in the Yeronimo family. I told him that the Lady is wearing a bandage all over her body. I said that the Lady is too frail to move, so please act accordingly. You¡¯re a clever person, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well. If possible, I beg you to clearly show your pain. Your original complexion is not good anyway. And Sir Ulysse is back, so I don¡¯t see any problem with it.] It was so irresponsible that it pissed me off. If I was healthy, I would sprint to the Imperial Palace and smack his head with my hairpins. ¡®The best thing he can come up with is wrapping bandages all over my body?¡¯ Thanks to him, I went to Ulysse¡¯s workroom to search for anything that looked like bandages and wrapped it around my body. Of course, all by myself. The servants were busy packing, and Ulysse was gone somewhere. I was fast because I always wore bandages when I was a knight. Fortunately, my body was small. ¡®If he has a working brain, he could¡¯ve just said that I¡¯m in a coma. That way I could pretend to sleep instead. What¡¯s with these bandages?¡¯ I furtively rolled my eyes to see Signus. ¡®Look at his expression. I¡¯m ruined.¡¯ I wanted to get up and escape, but before I knew it, the front door was getting nearer. A low voice was heard as soon as we arrived at the gate ¡°I¡¯m not here to pick up a corpse, though.¡± Damn it. ¡°I heard that Lord Damian is back. I sincerely congratulate you, Your Highness.¡± The Marquis, who bowed his head, asked carefully. ¡°But why did you come all the way here?¡± Signus¡¯s cold eyes touched me. ¡°There¡¯s something to check.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± The Marquis held me tighter in his arms. Ulysse, who stood blankly with a beggarly appearance next to us, opened his mouth wide as if he just came to his senses. No, he was going to open his mouth. ¡°Tha- argh!!¡± Thud-! Ulysse closed his mouth with a groan when the Marquis stepped on his foot. Ulysse, who grabbed his foot, noticed the bag brought by the servants and looked at the butler. He must be very angry that all the clothes were packed very sloppily. ¡®You don¡¯t have to worry about clothes.¡¯ Signus wasn¡¯t interested in the royal court etiquette. ¡®Just look at him now. He doesn¡¯t say anything even if you wear a sleeping dress.¡¯ The problem was the bandage. Soon the Marquis¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°I am deeply ashamed to present ourselves like this.¡± ¡°Then get on.¡± The horseman opened the carriage door at Signus¡¯s order. It was so wide and luminous inside, but in my eyes, it looked like the entrance to the demon¡¯s lair. ¡®No! I don¡¯t want to get on!¡¯ Of course, The Marquis couldn¡¯t hear my internal scream and eventually got on the carriage. The butler and Ulysse, who was struggling with the servants to carry the luggage, also got on the carriage. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°Yes. The other thing is in our mansion in the capital.¡± Even when the Marquis was talking to the knight, he was still carrying me. Even the guards who guarded the front door got on the carriage, and the Marquis walked to the second carriage. ¡°Put it there.¡± The Marquis¡¯s stride stopped by Signus¡¯s voice. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°The one that you hold.¡± The Marquis was holding me. Both the Marquis and Signus were staring at each other in silence After the long silence, Signus pointed to the first carriage. Then the Marquis gently moved my body to the carriage and I could only grind my teeth. ¡®I¡¯m so pissed that he treats me like a product, but I can¡¯t do anything.¡¯ I closed my eyes as he put me down on a fluffy mattress. I thought I should lock the door and sleep, but then I heard Signus¡¯s voice. ¡°Leave the horse.¡± The handsome face popped in and the carriage door closed. *** The inside of the carriage was very wide. I looked around at the interior that was wide enough for 20 people and the high ceiling. ¡®Why do I even need to wrap myself with bandages if I would ride the carriage with him in the end?¡¯ I kept looking at the ceiling, ignoring his stinging gaze. Judging from the texture, it seemed that it was made from the western tree. ¡®Seems like you spent some money.¡¯ I was trying to escape reality with a useless thought, but then Signus spoke to me. ¡°You¡¯re all wrapped up.¡± Signus laughed when I didn¡¯t respond.His laughter made me feel strange again. At that time, Signus turned my body sideways. I suddenly faced the window where the coachman was sitting and felt a cold hand brushing my hair away. When the hand touched the wingbone over my thin dress, I eventually opened my mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± He caught my hand when I tried to shake him off. His hand, which was big enough to grab my arms, turned over my body, and my face sank into a soft mattress instantly. I gritted my teeth when he touched my back. ¡°I said don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please.¡± Then Signus spoke as if he was enjoying it. ¡°If I don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡®What are you going to do?¡¯ was painted on his face, so I glared at him. ¡°Then just kill me.¡± His long fingers halted clasping my dress at my words. ¡°You¡¯ll do whatever you want anyway.¡± I knew that he needed the esteemed daughter of Yeronimo for some unknown reason. But when I saw those cold eyes, I knew for sure. Even if he needed me, he¡¯d kill me right away if he wanted to. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re checking, but I truly hope it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me. So if you want to do something, do it.¡± I said with a determined expression. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s only possible after I die.¡± The silence fell. My body was screaming due to the uncomfortable position, and I kept glaring at him even though I was suffocated by his force. After a while, the hand that pressed my back withdrew. That brief confrontation made my forehead sweaty. As his big hand turned over my body, my vision caught the blurry ceiling. When I dealt with my throbbing head, I heard his muttering. ¡°How did you know that I can¡¯t kill you yet.¡± Not yet? Is that only a matter of time? He smiled as he saw me blinked with a blank expression. ¡°Seems like the aide made a mistake. No wonder someone like him suddenly paying for the expenses.¡± The aide was forced to confess and swallowed his urge to curse. ¡°Even a child knows that one can¡¯t hear the conversation from far away.¡± ¡°Still, that¡¯s clever. You¡¯ve got some tact.¡± Unlike his words, Signus laughed at me. ¡°You seem like someone who¡¯s quick to learn, that¡¯s why it must be easy to imitate that person¡¯s behavior.¡± ¡°What do you mean by imitating?¡± Signus sneered as if it was ridiculous. ¡°You¡¯re imitating that person, aren¡¯t you?¡± That person? ¡°You didn¡¯t beg me to spare your life and told me to kill you instead. You were asking if I was crazy back then.¡± Signus¡¯s fingers lowered the bandage around my face. Those already loose bandages flowed down helplessly because of his touch. ¡°How can you pretend to be clueless when your expression and speech were this similar? I¡¯m not a fool.¡± Tuk-! Signus, who slightly lowered the bandage, said. ¡°You¡¯d better give up. There¡¯s only one person who¡¯s allowed to say those words to me. Your impudent words were dumb and annoying.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± To be honest, he looked bored. ¡°How many people do you think have approached me in a year?¡± His following words were strange. ¡°People with similar appearance. People who spoke in a dry manner. People who showed remarkably good swordsmanship. Those people who copied that person¡¯s name, habit, height, and voice were all over the palace.¡± Signus tilted his head and laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of people like you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve tried so hard this time, but you¡¯re just wasting your breath. You can¡¯t fool my eyes.¡± His beautiful fingers gripped my face. ¡°So, who is it this time? Did you bribe the high priests? Or your brother? He¡¯s the student of Verus, so he might know.¡± I wanted to ask him what he was talking about, but he didn¡¯t give me a chance. ¡°That expression and gaze. Who informed you about that so you can imitate her?¡± ¡®What are you saying? This is my mannerism.¡¯ Hearing him made me so angry, so I opened my mouth. ¡°Let go of this.¡± ¡°Answer me. If you don¡¯t want to die.¡± He didn¡¯t listen to me at all. Eventually, I got angry and grabbed his arm. ¡°I told you to let me go.¡± (T/N: She spoke informally.) The cold golden eyes shook for a moment. ¡°Is that what you want to hear? What are you looking for? You don¡¯t even tell me who I¡¯m imitating, but you kept demanding an answer.¡± The grip on my face strengthened, and I felt my jaw throbbing. ¡°Why do you have to come and do this to someone whom you can¡¯t even kill and despise so much? You shouldn¡¯t have come if you hated me so much.¡± I was so angry. The anger directed at myself was greater than the anger directed at him. Towards myself who was looking for the old Signus. I should¡¯ve given up after I confirmed that he had changed, but I was angrier that I couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°Get rid of your hands right away.¡± I held his hand and spat out sharply. ¡°And don¡¯t treat me recklessly again.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 If anyone learned about my situation, they would be wondering why I didn¡¯t reveal my identity. ¡®If only we met under normal circumstances, I might have said it first.¡¯ Signus would¡¯ve recognized me even in a different body. Of course, if he was the good Signus that I knew. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t opened my eyes, the marquis would¡¯ve gone after me .¡¯ I couldn¡¯t let the marquis and Ulysse die. Even if he was the original Signus, I would still think about whether to tell him or not. To the man who dug my wound, took off my clothes, rolled me up like an object, and turned a deaf ear to anything I said. Would he believe me when I told him that I lived and entered someone else¡¯s body? Nope. He would slit my throat for talking nonsense. His eyes were filled with killing intent. I wonder if it was genuine? ¡®But still, how dare you to treat me like this.¡¯ With an annoyed gesture, I removed the already loose bandage from my face. Next time I see the aide, I would wrap him up in a bandage to return the favor. Then a question came to me. ¡°Don¡¯t you know me?¡± ¡°Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t know Your Highness?¡± Signus tilted his head when I answered straightforwardly. ¡°You said you don¡¯t know who you¡¯re imitating.¡± ¡°Like I said, who is it?¡± ¡°If you recognize me even if I don¡¯t tell you my name, then you must remember her. Normally it¡¯s like that.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Because that person is more famous than I am.¡± Someone more famous than the Crown Prince Signus? ¡°Even an antling in the countryside knows her.¡± Suddenly I became worse than the countryside antling. He crossed his legs as he looked at me. His slightly exposed white ankle fascinated my eyes. ¡°From what I see, you¡¯re not completely ignorant. You have been confined in the mansion all your life, yet you were able to send a properly written letter. I don¡¯t think it was ghostwritten either, so does it make sense for you not to know?¡± When I felt his cynical gaze, I answered. ¡°Are you talking about Lady Ayaran?¡± ¡°Why are you bringing her up?¡± It wasn¡¯t her? ¡®But Ayaran is famous. She¡¯s the daughter of Duke Cyben.¡¯ I thought it over again when I saw Signus frowning his brows. ¡®So there¡¯s a woman who is more famous than Signus. And I¡¯m supposed to imitate that woman.¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t think of anyone. I¡¯ve never heard of a woman like that. ¡°Give me a hint.¡± Signus looked dumbfounded at what I said. It was his first humane expression. ¡°You really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Listen when people talk¡­!¡± I took a deep breath instead of continuing my words. I felt like I was going to collapse if I go on. How many times have I told you that I don¡¯t know?! ¡°I knew about big events, but I don¡¯t know much about anything else. I know that you¡¯ve become the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Do you think that makes sense?¡± ¡°Try to ask the servants or whoever you like.¡± Signus, who had been silent for a while, asked. ¡°How far do you know?¡± I¡¯m not sure, how far do I know again? ¡°Do you know about the demon¡¯s invasion of the Imperial palace?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then try to explain.¡± After hesitating, I answered with a sigh. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been through a lot. A lot of people died.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± ¡°Of course. One year ago, Your Highness was a kind and good-natured man.¡± While hiding my complicated feelings, I continued. ¡°So I couldn¡¯t easily believe you had changed, but now I know for sure.¡± I shouldn¡¯t associate myself with him anymore. After a moment of silence, I heard a murmur. ¡°You couldn¡¯t believe it?¡± I didn¡¯t answer him. If I opened my mouth, I felt like a curse would burst out. How could I not be angry when my caring and friendly friend became like this? ¡®That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s just an old story.¡¯ What should I do to stop reminiscing about the past? ¡°Do you want to know why?¡± I opened my eyes wide. Did he really want to tell me why he had changed? The corners of his lips went up smoothly. ¡°It¡¯s all crap.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I am this kind of bastard from the start. So stop judging people however you like and listen carefully. I¡¯ll get to the point.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Signus looked out the window. I heard the sound of people bustling, perhaps we had arrived at the capital. ¡°I¡¯ll take your words for it. The engagement is in two days, I¡¯ll check on that day.¡± Only two days? ¡°If you¡¯re busy, you can put it off¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think to betray me by going to Damian.¡± It¡¯s not surprising. No matter how much he changed, his ghost-like perception never went away. So after giving up, I finally asked what I wanted to ask. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering, but is there any reason to be engaged with me?¡± ¡°There is.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡± I frowned at his word. Be clear, were you going to give me a hint or not? ¡°If you stay calm, I won¡¯t touch you in the meantime.¡± I was quite dumbfounded with him and responded. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be like that, just do it now.¡± ¡°You said you didn¡¯t like it now.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t like it later on, either.¡± You crazy womanizer! When I internally insulted him, he laughed as if he found it ridiculous. ¡°You should be thankful to me for giving you two days. I don¡¯t know what you are scheming, but I never put up with anyone this much.¡± The golden eyes touched my shoulders. I felt like I was left alone in a dark maze when I saw him. It was even more so when I saw his glistening golden eyes. ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if you touched me. You did everything you wanted to do, anyway. ¡°About what you¡¯re checking. You can¡¯t tell me about it, can you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You have no faith in me, don¡¯t you?¡± Signus showed his feelings for the first time in my words. ¡°The limit is here. There are other reasons, but not more than this.¡± His face was filled with a self-deprecating smile that I had never seen before. ¡°I¡¯ll bear with you. I¡¯ll wait for you. But that¡¯s it.¡± In a flash, the golden eyes turned cold. ¡°So stay calm for two days. Stay in the mansion until I call you.¡± Look at how bratty he spoke. Signus, who crumpled his face like a paper, sat next to my head. ¡°If you do something useless.¡± He smiled and reached his hand to me. I wanted to ask what else he was going to do, but my voice didn¡¯t come out. Because I saw the old Signus among his completely different appearances. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you right away.¡± That blinding smile was a smile that only Signus could make. *** A green-haired man mumbled as he looked at the scenery outside the window. ¡°How peaceful.¡± In the room where the man was sitting, Damian, the first prince of the empire, was laying on the bed like a corpse. Soon the man, who was looking outside, slumped to the chair. ¡°It¡¯s not fun and I¡¯m free. How boring!¡± The knight, who was looking at Damian from the side of the bed, opened his mouth. ¡°If you¡¯re bored, then work.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to do.¡± ¡°Then find something else to do. Don¡¯t just take the hallucinogens out of town.¡± The green-haired man grinned at the knight. ¡°I¡¯ve shown you the fantasy that could never be attained by a humble subject like us, didn¡¯t I? So don¡¯t blame me too much.¡± ¡°Just take care of Damian. Signus entrusted him to you after all.¡± Next to Damian, there were several alchemists covered in robes reciting spells. The green-haired man pointed toward the bed and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s the duty of Count Mori who sponsored the alchemist guild. Count Mori wants to rest now. I¡¯m just Modeus now.¡± Contractor Modeus was one of the people who signed the contract with the leader to serve the demon. Then the knight warned him that his public name was Count Mori. ¡°This is the palace, not our hideout. Watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Such an unwavering loyalty. As expected, you¡¯re a knight to the bone.¡± The knight¡¯s vice general, Elon, looked down at the pale-faced Damian. The dark energy that was invisible to ordinary people was squashing into Damian¡¯s body. ¡°If you have time to talk nonsense, take a look at the prince. We brought Damian to the palace, but he¡¯s still not strong enough.¡± Only those with Avita¡¯s blood could completely open the sacred ground that was protecting the empire. In other words, if Signus, who inherited the strongest Avita¡¯s blood was in the palace, the power became stronger. ¡°Then let¡¯s run a test.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s shake the empire¡¯s barrier again.¡± Elon had an unpleasant look on his face. ¡°Are you enjoying this?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to see how much power we¡¯ve got. The knights are back, and the temple is watching the barrier. So what¡¯s wrong with it?¡± Elon took off his gloves without saying a word. The snake pattern on his hand glistened. ¡°Do it moderately. Don¡¯t forget to control your strength.¡± Ignoring his friend¡¯s worried voice, Elon put his hand on Damian¡¯s head. As Damian opened his eyes wide, quiet waves spread throughout the empire. The birds flew up into the sky at the invisible sinister force. Damian closed his eyes when Elon withdrew his hand. Avita¡¯s blood was sucked dry from him, so his complexion was as white as paper. Modeus, who was feeling the wave, said with grimace. ¡°Ah, shoot. He¡¯s a terrible medium. Do it moderately, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What is your standard of being moderate?¡± ¡°Of course, as long as the prince does not die. Do I need to explain it to you?¡± ¡°Did he die? No, right?¡± Elon, who answered back irritably, said again. ¡°This is not enough. I thought it would be possible if I brought him to the palace, but I was mistaken.¡± Damian couldn¡¯t even open the barrier. It meant they needed a stronger Avita¡¯s blood. ¡°What a nasty temper.¡± Modeus clicked his tongue. Elon had just signed a contract with the leader for a year. He was ordered to practice power control, but he made a wrong choice. ¡°This much wave must have caused the monsters to emerge.¡± ¡°I heard the temple went to the barrier.¡± Modeus cried out in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any ideas? If they need support, they¡¯ll call the military troops again. Then we¡¯ll have to put off the uprising for a little longer.¡± Elon answered back coldly. ¡°The one year we spent on brainwashing the prince has been a blunder. Uprising? You must be kidding me.¡± ¡°I mean, what do we do if the Crown Prince leaves for the barrier. Only when Signus is in the Imperial Palace will Avita¡¯s power be strengthened¡­¡± Wait a minute. The talking Modeus raised his eyes as if he realized something. ¡°¡­Why did Signus go there?¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°To where?¡± ¡°He went to Yeronimo territory where the demon appeared.¡± ¡°He must have been hungry for blood again.¡± ¡°This is the Imperial Palace. People are all over the place.¡± If he wanted to wield his sword, he could just find fault in someone and cut them into shred. Why did he do such a nuisance? Mori looked at the window and organized his thoughts. What caught his eyes was Dojino Knights training at the Imperial Palace drill hall. ¡°¡­¡± Mori¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched the knights. If he looked closely, the number of knights was higher than usual. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t see those dense knights who never left Signus¡¯ side. They might have gone to the area where the monsters appeared, but it was strange. ¡®Was Signus that generous toward his people?¡¯ To the point, he was willing to send his knights to that area. Mori, who was lost in thought with a suspicious face, raised his hand. Gray swarms came down from the ceiling. ¡°Your order.¡± Mori said to the gray swarms who knelt and bowed their heads. ¡°Follow the knights who left the palace.¡± The light green eyes looking down at the knights shone eerily. ¡°Report their every move.¡± Then the gray swarms disappeared. Elon, who was looking at the shadowy residual image, opened his mouth. ¡°The knights only followed orders. Leave them alone.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t kill them. I just want to look.¡± It was understandable. They were Lerine¡¯s knights, so it must have bothered Elon. So Mori smiled from ear to ear. ¡°You still have a weak heart as ever. Why do you even care about those stupid knights who were saved by their vice-general? How could you ever be useful to the leader when you¡¯re this soft-hearted?¡± Elon was silent. ¡°I understand how you feel. But I still need to know what they were doing. I won¡¯t hurt the knights, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried.¡± ¡°Well, whatever.¡± Mori, who was shrugging his shoulders, spoke as an idea occurred to him. ¡°Then would you like to come back?¡± ¡°To where?¡± It was time for the people to gather for the festival. ¡°The main gate of the capital.¡± If he was lucky, he might get a lot of information. *** The main gate of the capital was crowded with a myriad of people. The noble priests and gatekeepers were on a lookout and scoured through people with eagle eyes. They couldn¡¯t let the Imperial Palace get attacked again. Especially now that Lerine was gone. The eyes of noble priests, who were looking through the lines of carriages, all turned to the black carriage. ¡°What¡¯s that carriage? It doesn¡¯t have a pattern.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Imperial Palace¡¯s carriage?¡± People who saw the knights next to the carriage shouted. ¡°Look at that! It¡¯s Dojino Knights!¡± ¡°Not only do they send out the Imperial carriage, but they also have the knights to escort.¡± ¡°It must be an influential figure.¡± In the midst of glances and chatterings, the knights silently guarded the carriage. But the gatekeepers had the hardest time. Because they were busy checking the list already, but they were bombarded with questions. ¡°Excuse me. Who¡¯s the nobleman in that carriage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not confirmed yet.¡± ¡°Who else knows besides the gatekeepers? Hurry and tell me.¡± After confirming the identity, the gatekeeper beckoned the nobleman. ¡°It¡¯s over, so you can go in now¡­¡± ¡°Who is it? I¡¯ll keep it a secret, so just tell me.¡± The gatekeeper sighed. He wasn¡¯t god, so how would he know that? Yet he couldn¡¯t yell at the nobles especially when the lines were this long. At that time, a voice was heard to save the gatekeeper. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The cold sky blue eyes looked at the crowds. The platinum blonde fluttered like a sun. ¡°Sir Elon!¡± At the gatekeeper¡¯s call, Elon¡¯s eyes swept around the vicinity. Elon, who identified the familiar face among the crowds, took a step forward. But when he walked through the crowds, Leo was ahead of him. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been to the area where monsters appeared.¡± ¡°By yourself?¡± ¡°Yes. We escorted the local nobles because the barrier was still unstable.¡± Elon¡¯s gaze touched the carriage. ¡°Hurry up and continue with the identification. Thanks to this, the entrance is slowed down.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for an order from His Highness.¡± ¡°His Highness?¡± Elon looked around, but Signus was nowhere to be seen. Then the third carriage door opened. ¡°¡­Butler. Stop nagging me.¡± Bright lemon-colored blond hair popped out. When his handsome face was revealed, people around him murmured. ¡°Mr. Ulysse¡­¡± Ulysse looked pale as if he had suffered from something. His voice also showed signs of exhaustion. ¡°I was wrong. How many hours has it been already?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be reckless.¡± ¡°I get it. Let¡¯s talk about the rest later.¡± Ulysee took his bag and walked out, waving his hand. ¡°Where are you going!¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for medication. We have to feed it while the carriage stops.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an excuse!¡± Ulysse, who abruptly screamed, raised his eyes. It was because he met with Elon¡¯s eyes. Ulysse was a renowned medical genius, so Elon recognized him instantly. People who saw them greeted each other politely finally realized that the noblemen in the wagon were Yeronimo family. ¡°It¡¯s Marquis Elaine and Mr. Ulysse.¡± ¡°But why did they send out those carriages?¡± Regardless of what anyone said, Ulysse approached the first carriage and knocked on the door. Then Elon, who was watching, turned around. If it was people from the Yeronimo family, then they didn¡¯t need to be identified. He was going to check the people who entered the front gate again. He thought Signus must be wandering somewhere else, but Elon¡¯s foot stopped at Ulysse¡¯s words. ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness. It¡¯s time for medication.¡± The tumultuous surroundings quickly calmed down. ¡°Your Highness?¡± At someone¡¯s murmur, people began chattering. ¡°No way. You must have heard it wrong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised that they sent a carriage, but why would he personally come to pick them up?¡± Soon the window of the carriage opened and a low voice came out. ¡°Why can¡¯t you shut up?¡± The noisy entrance to the capital was shrouded in silence. Signus¡¯ cold golden eyes touched Ulysse. ¡°You. Come in.¡± The restless Ulysse entered the carriage. ¡°Navian!¡± Soon, a crying voice was heard. ¡°Navian! Navian! What¡¯s wrong with her?!¡± ¡°I just played with her hair and it¡¯s already like this.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­huh?¡± ¡°Why. Is she dead?¡± His indifferent voice made people think that Signus must have killed someone again. ¡°What do you mean by dead! She just fell asleep! You¡¯re too much!¡± ¡°Her breathing is weak.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how she usually is. Even when she¡¯s healthy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± People who didn¡¯t dare to look inside just listened to the conversation between Signus and Ulysse. After exchanging a few more words, Signus ordered as he got off the carriage. ¡°Let them in.¡± The gatekeepers moved. With a heavy sound, the main gate opened and people started to spread out. Soon, the window of the second carriage opened and Elaine showed his face. ¡°Thank you for letting us in. Please take care.¡± Signus, who was escorted by the Dojino Knights and watched the seven carriages disappear, walked away. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. His Highness directly picked up the Yeronimo family.¡± ¡°Who was in the carriage with His Highness?¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s Navian¡­is it a woman?¡± People¡¯s whispers subsided and the front gate was crowded again. Even when many nobles and people passed by, Elon was motionless. ¡°¡­A woman?¡± His sky blue eyes froze cold. *** The capital temple was noisy. Instead, the High Priest Ginnon listened to the sound and examined the drawing-room. It was a confirmation that someone would come in soon. Shortly after, Signus came in with his fluttering black cape. ¡°Welcome, Your Highness.¡± The door slammed shut and Signus sat across Ginnon. ¡°Release the divine power.¡± ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°All of it.¡± Ginnon smiled, and a light came from the cross symbol on his wrist. Ginnon¡¯s power was released in the temple drawing-room. No one could hear or peek at this place unless they have more divine power than Ginnon, who had the highest divine power among the priests. It worked for anything other than human beings. Signus, who felt the power reaching the ceiling and the corner of the window frame, opened his mouth. ¡°Failed to confirm.¡± ¡°But you seem alright.¡± Just like Ginnon said, Signus¡¯ face didn¡¯t look that annoyed, rather, he looked happy. Signus put his arms over the chair and spoke in a tender voice. ¡°Long time ago¡­¡± In the past, when the palace lacked supplies. It was a time when knights had to sharpen their wooden swords to practice. Instead of handing over the wooden sword cheaply, they received the goods directly from the carpenters. However, the palace carpenters even assigned their job to cut the woods for construction to the knights, and the knights followed without saying anything. Except for Lerine. ¡®What were you doing when I told you to practice?¡¯ The knights made an excuse when Lerine asked them questions. ¡®Well, we were just making wooden swords¡­¡¯ Just in time, the carpenters pulled a cart. Dururu-! One of the carpenters, who poured out all the woods, spoke bluntly. ¡®Do this all over again. Will you take any responsibility for the poor construction?¡¯ The knights gave a troubled look on their faces. Lerine, who was looking at the situation, walked to a group of carpenters. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ The carpenter winced. It was because they were also aware of Lerine¡¯s skill and personality. But the arrogant carpenter raised his chin. ¡®I entrust them with the work, but there are 3cm differences.¡¯ Those carpenters were craftsmen from Cecil, a country of iron and timber. They came to the palace to make money, but the downside was that they were very snobbish. ¡®If you handle it like this, it¡¯ll be difficult for me.¡¯ ¡®How long is it roughly?¡¯ The carpenter picked up a rolling wood and spread his fingers. ¡®About this long¡­?¡¯ Lerine, who touched her waist, stepped forward, and a light flashed from her eyes. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¡®My hand! My hand¡­!¡¯ The carpenter holding the wood freaked out and looked at his hand. ¡®¡­You¡¯re fine.¡¯ But the carpenter panicked for another reason. The wood he was holding was split into four pieces. ¡®Even the gap was exactly 3cm. Indeed, such incredible swordsmanship¡­¡¯ The carpenter murmured blankly, coughed, and blurted out unintelligibly. ¡®B-but still, it won¡¯t do if you cut the piece like this.¡¯ ¡®You didn¡¯t tell me whether to cut it horizontally or vertically.¡¯ ¡®¡­.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t even know which way to cut nor how short 3cm is supposed to be.¡¯ So Lerine held out her sword. The target was the woods in the cart. ¡®That¡¯s why, don¡¯t leave the work to the guys who were clueless.¡¯ Tuduk-! Tuuk-! ¡®They, only, know, to do, this much.¡¯ Tuk-! Tuduk-! Tuk-! ¡®I get it! Gah, put it down.¡¯ Tuk-! Tuduk-! ¡®Do you understand now?¡¯ The carpenters gazed at the four pieces of wood in bewilderment. The gap was exactly 3cm. As the carpenters who exchanged glances slowly retreated, Lerine¡¯s calm voice rang. ¡®Where are you going? We are not done with the payment. ¡¯ ¡®What do you mean by payment?¡¯ ¡®The price of wood is a separate matter. You should also know that the guys here are working overtime. Of course, everything they¡¯ve done so far should be compensated as overtime pay.¡¯ Huh? The carpenters rolled up their sleeves to argue. ¡®No, we haven¡¯t talked about this at all¡­!¡¯ ¡®You should be clear about that. Which one of us brought up about 3cm first?¡¯ The carpenters, who had been speechless for a moment, refuted. ¡®What if I can¡¯t accept it?!¡¯ Lerine smiled coldly. ¡®Then let¡¯s make a bet.¡¯ Ginnon, who was interested in hearing the story, asked. ¡°What was the bet?¡± ¡°How fast and consistent can you cut the wood.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s the result?¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re knights.¡± It was a fight that they had no choice but to win. ¡°If Lerine is determined, she¡¯ll accomplish it no matter what.¡± ¡®You should be ready for it. I¡¯ll make sure the guys who worked for a price cut will get their pay.¡¯ Signus laughed as he recalled Lerine, who asked him to give the carpenters¡¯ salaries to the knights. ¡°The Marquis says she is too weak to walk.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Lady Yeronimo?¡± Signus, who confirmed with his eyes, continued to speak. ¡°Can you believe it? Someone who was so weak that she fainted after a few steps, managed to walk in a matter of three weeks? She even threatened my aide to delay her trip to the palace.¡± ¡°If it was a threat, he must¡¯ve been caught.¡± The fact that he sent people to Yeronimo residence right when she came back alive. ¡°I heard you can tell that much by being tactful.¡± ¡°¡­Normally, people just let it go.¡± Even more if it was someone who just came back to life. Ginnon¡¯s brown eyes reached the smiling Signus. His smile did not seem cynical. Without a doubt he was in a good mood, so Ginnon asked, ¡°Is she the right one?¡± Signus¡¯ eyes are bent to half-moon. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± *** ¡°Do you understand? Don¡¯t answer when strangers talk to you. No, don¡¯t even look at them.¡± Not long after I woke up, I was lying in the carriage listening to Ulysse¡¯s nagging. I didn¡¯t remember when I fell asleep. I was just looking at Signus, who was playing with my hair, saying that his hands were bored. When I woke up, there was no sign of Signus. Instead, Anna and Ulysse were in the carriage. ¡°If someone gives you something to eat, you must say no. Even if they give you a gift, reject all of them.¡± I looked at Ulysse with a serious face. All I¡¯ve heard so far was ¡®to not do this and that¡¯. ¡°What else is there?¡± Anna answered Ulysse¡¯s question, ¡°You can¡¯t follow strangers.¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right!¡± Ulysse exclaimed with menacing looks. ¡°Scream when someone asks you to go somewhere. Don¡¯t allow anyone to talk to you for a second, it¡¯s all a trick.¡± I listened to the obvious nagging with a grain of salt, but then I had to doubt my ears. ¡°If he gives you a letter, tear it up, and if he comes to see you, splash tea on his face.¡± Let¡¯s say tearing up a letter was tolerable. But splashing tea on a person¡¯s face? When I was looking at him like he was crazy, Ulysse said, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s going to be hard for you to do that.¡± No. It¡¯s hard to accept that a guy who came up with such an idea is a good doctor. ¡°But the capital is a very dangerous place. There are a lot of people approaching us with impure intentions. It¡¯s not bad to be overly suspicious here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t really see Ulysse while I was in the palace back then. I heard he was too busy treating people or confining himself in the library so he didn¡¯t really care about socializing. When a workaholic guy like him said something like that¡­I guess he had experience of tearing up a letter and splashing tea on someone. There would be countless people who envied him, who was smart and had a bright future. Just like the guy I saw at our mansion. ¡®It¡¯s really concerning.¡¯ It was even more so because I didn¡¯t know what kind of people were around Ulysse. I couldn¡¯t afford to care about anything else in this situation, but he was this body¡¯s brother after all. ¡®Let¡¯s take a look at Ulysse¡¯s connections.¡¯ I¡¯ll stay here during the festival. There¡¯s nothing to do anyway. Ulysse, who kept explaining the danger without knowing what I was thinking, said with a serious face. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, Navian. You must steel yourself to face it. When someone approaches, scream at the top of your lungs or splash the tea, just do whatever you want.¡± I was dumbfounded and mumbled. ¡°Do whatever I want?¡± ¡°Just do it first and you¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°What if they yell at me?¡± What if I get caught and spend the rest of my life in prison? Besides, why would anyone scream and throw away a precious tea? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the aftermath. I¡¯m confident I can fix it.¡± His smiling face was uselessly bright. Then I asked because he was so suspicious. ¡°Have you tried it?¡± ¡°¡­That can¡¯t be true.¡± He quickly backed away. Those were the words and actions of the guilty. Ulysse must have had a history of swearing at someone who came for him, tearing up the letters, splashing tea, and cleaning up the aftermath. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Seeing his pure and innocent smile made me even more convinced. I was about to scream so people could confiscate this dangerous man¡¯s medical license right away, but then I heard the coach¡¯s voice. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the palace.¡± We stopped by the Imperial Palace before going to the capital¡¯s mansion because of my request. Because I wanted to see the palace with my own eyes. I saw an ivory colored palace bathed in the sun. It¡¯s been more than a year, but it feels like it¡¯s just been a few months. ¡®I miss this place.¡¯ I feel like I was dreaming because there was no trace of it being attacked. I thought I¡¯d swing my sword at the training ground right now. Patrolling the capital, escorting nobles, running around looking for my knight commander, who had gone to fool around. A walk around the streets at dawn with Signus and Ayaran who came to visit. I didn¡¯t doubt I¡¯d live like that for the rest of my life. Ulysse approached me, who was looking at the Imperial Palace with a complicated feeling. ¡°Can you come here for a second? There¡¯s a place I want to show you.¡± I know this place inside out, but I leaned my upper body to show my sincerity. ¡°Do you see the building right next to the garden? The white building on the left was connected to the Imperial Palace.¡± Ah. I see what he¡¯s trying to say. ¡°That¡¯s the castle of the Imperial Palace. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll be staying soon.¡± The missing first prince had returned. It meant the empire festival was going to be held. The Imperial Palace Castle would be open for two months during the festival. The castle, where only the invited nobles could stay, was a place for socialization for young nobles. ¡°It¡¯s nice to be invited to the castle, so you can be proud. It¡¯s an honorable place. It¡¯s a valuable opportunity for nobles to get acquainted with people and expand their connections.¡± He smiled pleasantly. ¡°You¡¯ll be there in a few days.¡± Soon after, Anna¡¯s voice was heard, ¡°It¡¯s like a dream to be here with my lady.¡± ¡°So do I. I always imagined what to do if Navian was healthy. I wanted to show her the Imperial Palace but then riding the carriage was too much to handle for her.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s already been achieved, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked after listening to their conversation. ¡°Do you two like this place?¡± Anna nodded and Ulysse replied with a smile. ¡°In the Imperial Palace, various incidents happen every day. So I like it. It is a place where countless people¡¯s history lives.¡± I opened my mouth when I saw the white palace bathed in the sun. ¡°Me, too.¡± The Imperial Palace. Avita. I loved this empire where people I care about lived. So I wanted to protect it. Even if I was worried about the people I left behind, or if it was a reckless decision. I feel like I would be forever missing this place. If I go back to one year ago, I¡¯ll make the same choice. ¡°I like this place.¡± *** [Li.] I opened my eyes to the familiar voice, then I saw a familiar handsome face. I immediately realized that the golden eyes were bent into a half-moon. I must be dreaming again. That dazzling face was familiar, but there was no glint of coldness, nor the eyes that forsaken courtesy. Moreover, if I looked at the black hair that is long enough to reach that shoulder, I must be right. He was the old Signus. [Are you tired? Take a good rest today.] That¡¯s right. This is my friend. While I was deeply touched by the friendly golden eyes that meet my eyes, a cool voice passed through my head. It¡¯s all crap. You¡¯re mistaken. I am this kind of bastard from the start. I came to my senses as if I had been hit by cold water. If I had to choose between Signus who said nasty things or Signus in the dream, I would choose Signus in the dream without a hitch. ¡®¡­By the way.¡¯ I rolled my eyes and saw Signus. It was just like before, but something was off. Should I say that it feels a little out of place? Even if it was a dream, I looked at Signus with a slightly distrustful look. His smile was so blinding. Was it just my feeling? I looked at him and wondered, but then I heard a low voice. [What¡¯s wrong? Are you sick?] I shook my head. It must be just my feeling. [Really?] Signus smiled brightly. [Then take it off.] Chapter 19 Chapter 19 He urged me more while I was doubting my ears. [I told you to take it off.] Signus raised the corner of his mouth when he saw me speechless. [You must be sick, huh? You can¡¯t even understand my words.] His dazzling smile didn¡¯t match his words. [My fianc¨¦e is so naive.] Fianc¨¦e? Didn¡¯t you just call me by name earlier? But the friendly Signus that I saw a little while ago had disappeared. Before I knew it, the cold-faced Signus smiled grimly at me. [This engagement is just a process of identifying you. Even if nothing is confirmed yet, you¡¯d better throw away the idea that I¡¯m not going to kill you.] A beautiful hand grabbed my collar. [Show me your back if you want to live. Show me the proof that you¡¯re her.] I was dumbfounded. Who the hell is she? [What¡¯s with you? Are you deaf?] Suddenly, my clothes were torn by a strong force, ¡°You bastard!¡± So I kicked him with all my might. But it was weird. I was trying to kick that smug face, but suddenly my vision filled with stars. ¡°Miss!¡± My eyes were forced to open due to the excruciating pain. Meanwhile, Mary looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Oh my god, are you okay?¡± I tried to say I was okay, but only a small groan came out of my mouth. ¡°What¡¯s going on, miss? What kind of dream did you have that made you fall out of bed? And you even cursed! I was so surprised.¡± No wonder it hurt. ¡°It hurts right? Hold on, let me see.¡± Mary, who wrapped her hands around my face, suddenly shouted. ¡°Oh my god! Your lips are chapped!¡± I know that already. It smelled like iron from earlier. But there was another problem. ¡°What should we do? You have to go to the temple today!¡± It was as Mary said. Today was my second day in the capital as well as the day of my engagement to Signus. *** I¡¯m sure everyone has experienced it at least once. On those days when your shoulders are awfully heavy, your body is weak and your mood is ruined from the start. If that happens, I will be more careful with my actions. On a day like this, usually, I had a precognitive dream. ¡®It¡¯s like that before I died¡¯ The servant who was walking with me said carefully. ¡°Are you feeling unwell? You¡¯re staggering¡­¡± I let out a tired sigh. Of course I¡¯d look weird. The shock from falling out of the bed and my poor physical condition played a part, but the main cause was the dress I wore. Since I walked while kicking the hem of the long dress that draped my legs. ¡®I¡¯m used to wearing a uniform, so I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ There was nothing to be done even if I looked stupid walking step by step like a toddler. ¡°Because my body is weak. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t had a precognitive dream since I became Navian. This morning, I had a dream where Signus ordered me to take off my clothes, and that was clearly a shitty dream. ¡®I don¡¯t usually consider that as a precognitive dream.¡¯ But I felt strange. I feel like I shouldn¡¯t go outside. I had a feeling that something would happen, so I asked. ¡°What about father and Ulysse?¡± ¡°Young master is on his way from the palace, and master is going to the temple to take care of the engagement process.¡± So Ulysse is busy, too? He went to work right after he arrived here. ¡®Then what the hell is this ominous feeling?¡¯ I looked around with meticulous eyes. The servants were busy moving stuff and cleaning the mansion. As a matter of fact, this building wasn¡¯t exactly a mansion, which explained why it was barely taken care of, but it will be worth the trouble since I got engaged now. But¡­ ¡°Who are those people? Why did I never see them before?¡± When I asked her about the people who cleaned the cluttered mansion in a brusque manner, Mary answered. ¡°They¡¯re here to clean up. We came all of a sudden, so we didn¡¯t have time to clean up.¡± They weren¡¯t my servants. No wonder, I saw them for the first time. I already memorized the servants¡¯ faces even while I was bedridden. So I looked carefully at the passing servants and shook my head soon after. Anybody would look suspicious when you start to doubt them. ¡®It¡¯s just my feeling.¡¯ So I came out of the mansion and looked around. Yet I still can¡¯t find familiar faces. ¡°What about the guards?¡± ¡°They¡¯re patrolling the street. The capital is also not in a good situation these days. But you don¡¯t have to worry. Dojino Knights are on their way.¡± Then I guess I didn¡¯t have to worry about my trip to the temple. I just need to be careful until they come. ¡°First of all¡­¡± I was going to call the guards, but a rough voice was creeping behind me. ¡°You¡¯re pretty quick, huh?¡± Thud-! My body collapsed at the strike on my neck. *** I felt dizzy and nauseous, so I couldn¡¯t come to my senses. ¡®How stupid.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe I let my guard down just because I¡¯ve been living comfortably for a month. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have let my guard down.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t have been much of a difference if I knew it faster due to this weak body, but still, I could¡¯ve done something to prevent this. Clack-! The sound of the door opening pushed my heavy eyes away. I saw several guys playing cards at a round table. The window on the wall was barricaded by iron bars. The darkness made it difficult to see whether there was another way out. The only source of light was three half-melted candles on the table. The men¡¯s voices were muffled. What the hell have they done to my body? So I closed my eyes and concentrated on listening to their conversation. ¡°¡­First, let¡¯s wait for the order and think about it.¡± I could hear the men¡¯s conversation properly once I sharpened my senses. ¡°Where are you going to sell her? Auction house?¡± ¡°No, the security is tight these days.¡± ¡°How about black market?¡± ¡°The usual merchant was captured.¡± ¡°What? Who dares to?!¡± ¡°Who else? It¡¯s Yellow Butterfly.¡± Yellow Butterfly was my nickname. I sneakily opened my eyes to see which guy was talking about me. ¡°When did it happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already been two years, idiot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when I went sailing!¡± ¡°Is that my business?¡± The men with ugly and intimidating faces all burst into laughter. ¡°Then should we hand her over?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. How could precious nobles come to this back alley?¡± ¡°No. Didn¡¯t we already mark our target customer?¡± I could get two things from their conversation. I was in the capital¡¯s back alley and they¡¯re going to sell me out soon. ¡°Are you going to threaten them?¡± ¡°Yeah, wouldn¡¯t it be troublesome if the big fishes¡¯ entertainments from each country were revealed to the world?¡± Big fishes¡¯ entertainments? I was going to be sold to people with high positions. It was worthwhile holding back my capsized stomach, but things did not look so good. ¡°Look at her. Isn¡¯t she the best? Also, she¡¯s a noble. Those snobs wouldn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity.¡± Gulp, gulp-! The man chugged down liquor and said. ¡°And I just found out. There is a mixed race among the nobles. Maybe she¡¯s one of them.¡± I recalled Claire who made quite an impression during the tea party. Then I looked around my surroundings. ¡®Am I the only one captured? How about the servants?¡¯ I looked around every corner of the warehouse, but I couldn¡¯t see anyone. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Anyone can tell she¡¯s precious.¡± But I was stunned by their next conversation. ¡°My eyes as a human hunter cannot be fooled.¡± A human hunter. Those people, who dwelled in the back alleys, did all kinds of crimes from kidnapping, brainwashing, and selling people. When I was a knight, I remembered infiltrating the back alley to catch them, so I gritted my teeth. ¡®I should¡¯ve slaughtered them all.¡¯ I regret being lenient to them, but that left me wondering. The back alley outlaws that I know were very rubbish, but they weren¡¯t the ones to kidnap this openly. I didn¡¯t say they were good. They just don¡¯t do anything reckless enough to get caught. I¡¯ve been through hardships just to catch them. No matter how much I hunted them down and raided their bases, they were slick enough that I couldn¡¯t even see a strand of their hair. That¡¯s when I knew I was being careless. I had no physical evidence to support my suspicion. That¡¯s a human hunter for you. ¡®Such meticulous and sly men kidnapped a noble in broad daylight, and in the capital flocked by knights?¡¯ No. If that¡¯s the case, they would¡¯ve been caught much earlier. That means they had no choice but to take the risk. My eyes shone coldly. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ The damn bastard who instigated my kidnapping. ¡°How long has it been?¡± A man dragged his chair and checked his pocket watch. ¡°It¡¯s dinner time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for the imperial dogs to patrol.¡± The men burst into laughter, throwing insults at the knights. But that did not make me angry since I already heard that a million times. ¡°We¡¯ll have to look around.¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying. Let the newbie do it.¡± Newbie? I rolled my eyes thinking what crazy newbie will come in. Then the shadow in the dark moved slowly. ¡°Hiik!¡± The sight of vicious men jumping up from their chairs was hilarious, but I honestly understood. I didn¡¯t know there was a person standing there either. ¡°Y-you scared me! Go take a look outside.¡± The man muttered as they saw the newbie leaving. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with him? Is he human?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± ¡°Why did you accept such a scary bastard?¡± ¡°We¡¯re short of people. I need to reshuffle because of that Yellow Butterfly.¡± I flinched when they brought up my story again. I put up with it once, but I couldn¡¯t stand to hear it anymore. The Yellow Butterfly that calls for victory. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing, but they said my tied-up high blonde hair looked like a butterfly¡¯s wings when I swung a sword. ¡°Most of the time, it was hard to escape. Once Yellow Butterfly appeared, they scattered all over the place.¡± ¡°But I heard she¡¯s dead. How did she do that?¡± ¡°How did a guy who lives in another country know that?¡± That¡¯s right. I mean, he said he was sailing two years ago, so he must know everything. ¡°Don¡¯t get me started. In the place I was in, they even built Yellow Butterfly¡¯s statue.¡± What? Are you building statues without my permission? It was ridiculous. I was about to ask what kind of crazy bastard built my statue recklessly, but then I heard something strange. ¡°Even though it¡¯s a different country?¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s how famous she is.¡± Huh? Suddenly, the men¡¯s conversation overlapped with someone¡¯s voice. [If you recognize me even if I don¡¯t tell you my name, then you must remember her. Normally, that¡¯s the case.] ¡°Maybe she¡¯s more famous than the crown prince?¡± [Because that person is more famous than I am.] Someone more famous than Signus. Was that me? Chapter 20 Chapter 20 I could feel my heart sink. Even if I tried to think little of this matter, my mind became heavy with speculation. ¡®So¡­was Signus the one who ordered my kidnapping?¡¯ Among all the uncertainty, I was sure of one thing. That Signus despised me. That has always been the case since the first time we met, and the way he treated me so far proved it to be true. Besides, didn¡¯t he say this? [How many people do you think approached me in a year?] [I¡¯ve had enough of people like you.] Signus was approached by people who pretended to be me. ¡®¡­It¡¯s a little unfair.¡¯ You know¡­being mistaken for imitating myself. What kind of crazies are they? They¡¯ll just die for nothing. Why would anyone do that to a crazy tyrant who kills people heartlessly? And then my anger soared again. ¡®Why did so many people imitate me anyway?¡¯ Didn¡¯t they know that Signus would kill them at sight? Was it because I¡¯m his old friend? Or for some other reason? ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you wake her up?¡± ¡°Go check her out.¡± Dururu-! The sound of an iron chair getting dragged and footsteps were heard simultaneously. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get caught. My body was too weak. ¡°How much medicine have you used to make her still unconscious?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s going to be annoying if she wakes up and screams.¡± That annoyed voice made me realize. I was drugged. No wonder my stomach was turning upside down. ¡°But you should have used it moderately. Look, she¡¯s totally passed out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird. I only put a little bit. Hey, you!¡± Someone tapped my cheek. Soon, hot liquid that tastes like blood flowed out of my mouth. My lips were shedding blood again because of the accident that happened this morning, but those guys had no idea about it. He was perplexed and roughly wiped my mouth, but the taste of blood got stronger and my lips swelled even more. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Stop it, you crazy bastard! She¡¯s bleeding even more!¡± ¡°Wh-What¡¯s wrong with this woman?¡± Of course, because I¡¯m weak. ¡°Do whatever it takes. At this rate, who¡¯s going to buy a damaged product?¡± ¡°Hey! Turn on the lights!¡± After the light was turned on, a long silence ensued. ¡°It¡¯s¡­a bruise, isn¡¯t it?¡± I think they saw the bruise I got from falling down this morning. I covered it, but they must be able to see it. ¡°Did you do it?¡± ¡°No way! Our client is a man of high rank.¡± Hmm. The men, who made a small noise, spoke again. ¡°Look. Her whole body is injured. She even has a splint in her hand.¡± ¡°Ah, so that must be it.¡± What do you mean? When I wondered, I heard voices filled with sympathy. ¡°What¡¯s the use of having a good reputation when you¡¯re abusing your daughter like this?¡± They quickly turned the Marquis into a nasty man who abused his daughter to death. ¡°What an awful family. Look how small her body is, and yet he¡¯s still hitting her.¡± The marquis and Ulysse would feel so wronged if they heard these made-up stories. Then the man spoke to me as if they were sorry. ¡°Hey. I don¡¯t know if that person will like you, but if he doesn¡¯t, I will sell you to a good place.¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been abused, but if you behave well, you¡¯ll be able to receive love.¡± Why did I have to listen to this crap? This made me so angry. ¡°Yes. Go and live well.¡± It was so absurd. But the moment I laughed inwardly, it suddenly became noisy outside. ¡°What happened? There¡¯s a lot of knights outside.¡± I was put on edge as I listened to their murmur. I could also hear footsteps in the distance. ¡°Go contact our client.¡± The naive-looking man scratched his head and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to contact that person.¡± ¡°What? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Bu-but it was commissioned from the alchemy guild. So I thought there¡¯ll be no trouble¡­¡± Alchemy guild? So it wasn¡¯t Signus. Figures, if it¡¯s him, he would have killed me himself. That¡¯s a relief. As I suppressed the corner of my mouth that went up, I heard the men sighed. ¡°Darn it. This is getting messy.¡± Perhaps they were tricked by someone. I feel like that person was trying to cut off the tail. ¡°Idiot. That¡¯s your fault for believing that!¡± I know right? In the meantime, I was able to move my fingers. I tried before, but my body didn¡¯t listen. ¡°We¡¯re screwed. I think we¡¯re messing with the wrong person. The capital is turned upside down now.¡± ¡°Who the hell is this woman?¡± Of course, the yellow butterfly you were talking about earlier. ¡°Shall we throw her away and run away?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get caught later. It¡¯s better to just kill her.¡± ¡°But to buy time¡­¡± I checked my physical condition while listening to their conversation. My drugged body couldn¡¯t move, but I had to get out of here no matter what. In case Signus, who thought I had run away, annihilated the whole Yeronimo family. Besides, no one could ever find the human hunters¡¯ hideout. If they abandon me here, I¡¯ll die in vain. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here for now¡­¡± ¡°¡­Take¡­me¡­¡± The men winced and turned around. ¡°Take me with you.¡± I painfully squeezed out my voice, but the men burst into laughter. ¡°Here comes the princess.¡± ¡°Leave her alone. She has no idea what¡¯s going on.¡± I waved my hand and opened my mouth again. ¡°Your hideout¡­.isn¡¯t here¡­¡± I saw a man with a long scar from his forehead to his chin. That scar-faced person seemed to be their leader. ¡°It¡¯s the capital¡­and the road is blocked¡­if you run away¡­you¡¯ll get caught.¡± I knew they built their hideout outside the capital. I capsized it several times. ¡°Will you be able to go through the knights¡­and get there?¡± The leader¡¯s eyebrows went up. It wasn¡¯t just an exaggeration. It may be possible for a few people to escape, but bringing everyone along was impossible. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be ridiculous. There must be a way. We can make it somehow.¡± ¡°Are you¡­going to use your friends as bait?¡± The man with a scar was a little puzzled, perhaps because he really intended to do so. ¡°Take me instead. If there¡¯s a hostage¡­you can negotiate.¡± The men exchanged looks at my words. A moment later, the scar-faced man smiled and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you know our hideout, but I could kill you after escaping the capital. Don¡¯t even think that I¡¯ll just let you go.¡± I was halfway through. Smiling inwardly, I softened my voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­go back.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Why?¡± I lowered my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be hit anymore.¡± Feeling that the men¡¯s eyes were directed to my burst lips, I was feeling sorry for the marquis and Ulysse. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t help it. Let¡¯s see if I can survive using this trick. ¡°Listen up. We¡¯ll move in disguise. I¡¯m an aristocrat from another country and you¡¯re a runaway slave. Of course, you¡¯re not allowed to talk and see. Do you understand?¡± The man put a veil over my head. My weak body was dragged on the floor, with both of my hands tied, and my mouth gagged. But I didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d go this far. I mean, those people said they wanted to save me. I tried to peek, and there were quite a few people passing by. If only I could make a little noise. If only I could move this weak body. But the man chuckled as he watched me looking around. ¡°Why? Have you changed your mind now?¡± I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t answer because I was gagged. ¡°We¡¯ll get on the carriage soon. Don¡¯t try to attempt anything useless and cooperate as you are now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You never know, right? If you get out of here, you might be free.¡± I¡¯m not a fool. I could tell that I was screwed the moment they dragged me like this. But I didn¡¯t have any strength left in my body. The alley through my vision was distorted and the smell of blood was pungent. But I could sense there were five people on the back and four people on the front. The movements of the men who cleverly covered my appearance were very natural. From behind, people would see me as a slave being dragged away. I opened my eyes because of his strong grip. Before I knew it, I was already getting out of the alley. ¡®I just need to get out of the carriage.¡¯ I should look for a chance to escape the carriage. Let¡¯s open the door and jump if necessary. The carriage got closer. But it was a low voice that stopped the men from moving. ¡°You there. The scum in front of me.¡± *** Paul, the leader of human hunters, turned around instantly. In the distance, a silhouette of a tall person was seen. ¡°Who is that bastard?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see because it¡¯s dark.¡± Paul frowned at his colleague¡¯s words, and exclaimed. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a passerby.¡± That low voice was strangely familiar, but Paul just shrugged it off since the carriage was just around the corner. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just pass by?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Said the tall shadow. ¡°I need to know what you¡¯re doing,¡± He continued. Clomp-! Clomp-! As Paul listened to the approaching footsteps, he clicked his tongue as if he was annoyed and covered Navian. When human hunters were gathering like that, Navian was completely hidden. Paul, who was making sure she was well-hidden, gracefully stroked his hair upwards. ¡°I¡¯m from another country to catch a runaway slave. We have to cross the border, so don¡¯t worry and just go on your way.¡± A low laugh came out from the mysterious man. And so, Paul got irritated from that obvious mockery. ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t annoy me and leave! Will you take responsibility for the delay?¡± ¡°What a coincidence.¡± The tall silhouette tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯m annoyed, too.¡± So Paul, who was about to snap back, hurriedly closed his mouth. ¡°As I was running around the capital for hours, I got increasingly irritated.¡± He didn¡¯t stop walking and continued to speak. ¡°I turned the capital upside down. I had to search from the main entrance to the unknown road, from every nobles¡¯ residences to the shacks in the alley.¡± Paul started to be wary of this unusual man. He was wondering if that man was looking for this woman. But at least, he was alone. ¡°I was going to give it up because it was so infuriating. I might as well just destroy this empire.¡± The human hunters laughed as if it was absurd. You? Destroy the empire? Are you the crown prince or what? ¡°But I¡¯m so glad I found you.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about¡­¡± The laughing human hunters gradually shut their mouths. Mainly because they could feel an unusual atmosphere as he approached. A languid, arrogant way of speaking and intimidating force. Don¡¯t tell me¡­it¡¯s Signus? Despite the denial, my speculation had become more apparent due to the familiar voice and stifling pressure I felt. Paul, who was silent for a while, asked. ¡°¡­Who are you looking for?¡± He, who came closer to Paul, replied. ¡°The woman next to you.¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°What are you talking about? This is my slave!¡± Shit, since when did he see her? Paul, who quickly got rid of his surprise, ordered the human hunters. ¡°Hey! Take care of him. We need to get through the main gate quickly and secure the escape route.¡± ¡°Bu-but, the way he talks¡­he sounds like the crown prince¡­¡± Paul burst into laughter at his comrade¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled. He¡¯s just a copycat of the crown prince.¡± ¡°A Copycat?¡± ¡°Think about it. He said he¡¯s been running around the capital for her. Do you believe a tyrant would do that? All because of a woman? Why would someone who calls women into his chamber day and night willing to do that?¡± The other human hunters nodded their heads. It was not a secret that the Crown Prince loves to change women everyday. ¡°Th-then, why are the knights running around the capital?¡± ¡°This woman is a noble. Her family probably asked for help!¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°He may have a similar appearance, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just a bluffer. Get rid of him immediately.¡± Paul turned around as his comrades ran past him to get rid of the mysterious shadow. ¡°Keuk!¡± A moment later, an eerie scream made Paul and other human hunters, who were about to leave, turn around. Paul, who watched his two comrades collapse to the floor, looked up. Clomp, clomp-! As soon as the shadow approached and the moonlight shone over it, the human hunters hardened. Because Signus was smiling eerily with a sword in his hand. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± The human hunters gasped and their eyes shook violently. Standing in front of Paul, Signus said. ¡°Give her to me.¡± Paul¡¯s forehead was distorted. At first, he was still unsure of his motive, but now the circumstances were as clear as day. Signus was looking for this woman. ¡®That¡¯s more of the reason I can¡¯t let go of this woman.¡¯ All of them will die if they get caught. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m sorry, but this woman is my¡­¡± When Paul began to talk, Signus¡¯ sword sliced through the air. Thud-! Paul¡¯s eyes shook as he watched the scream of his comrades. ¡°What about her?¡± The sword was swung once again. Thud-! ¡°Tell me, what about her?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Did you lose your mouth?¡± Thud-! Paul turned pale when his comrades fell down one by one. ¡°Hey! Just let her go! We¡¯ll die at this rate!¡± A comrade screamed at Paul. But Signus¡¯ hand went up again. ¡°Yo-your Highness, please spare me!¡± ¡°We are¡­ugh!¡± The human hunters fell down in an instant. All that was left was Paul and one of his comrades. ¡°Lady!¡± Paul bit his lips as he saw the knights and guards coming. Paul¡¯s face was clouded with despair instantly. Because even if he could overcome this situation, it was impossible for him to escape now. ¡°¡­Yo-Your Highness?¡± ¡°How did you get here first¡­¡± Paul, who looked at the knights and guards, opened his eyes wide. ¡°You¡­!¡± Paul¡¯s scream made the man next to Rosin raise his head. He was the newbie who was asked to look at the situation outside the human hunter¡¯s hideout. ¡°You must be a spy! Bastard!¡± The mysterious newbie was now dressed in Yeromimo¡¯s guard uniform. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Paul chewed his lips. The guards might have already figured out about the escape route outside the capital. They were meant to be caught in the first place. Looking at Paul, who was hit by despair, Signus threw out his sword. Tang, clang. A strong arm stole Navian from Paul. When the cumbersome veil was removed, a pale face with a gagged mouth and eyes tightly shut was revealed. ¡°¡­Oh my god.¡± ¡°How cruel.¡± Navian¡¯s physical condition was so bad that it angered the knights. The big bruise on her forehead and her torn lips looked so awful. ¡°You bastard! What have you done to my lady!¡± ¡°You devil¡­!¡± The guards also shouted in an angry voice. Tying up the hands and gagging the mouth of someone who is as weak as Navian¡­ Those cruel behaviors caused the knights¡¯ and guards¡¯ faces to turn red. Of course, Paul and his comrade, who only tapped Navian¡¯s cheek but had never hit her, felt very wronged. But at this point, making excuses would only do harm to him, so he only put on an anguished look, hoping for Signus to understand his heart. Suuk-! Signus, who tore the gag lightly, wiped her wounded lips. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay still?¡± Red blood was staining his beautiful fingers. ¡°You didn¡¯t listen to me.¡± The golden eyes shone dangerously between his disheveled black hair. Paul and his companion turned pale at his sharp eyes. Realizing that his escape plan had failed miserably, Paul and his colleagues vehemently told the truth. ¡°I-It¡¯s not our fault! You may not believe it, but the wound was there from the beginning!¡± ¡°We only take her here. I swear!¡± At his words, the knights and guards wielded their swords. ¡°You bastards! Are you guys proud of kidnapping!¡± ¡°Your Highness, give me your orders. We¡¯ll get rid of them.¡± Rosin¡¯s eyes were glaring in anger. He grabbed Paul and his colleague by the back of their neck with a disgruntled look. Paul felt like he¡¯d die out of unfairness. It had been five years since he made a living from this business, but he had never seen anything so ridiculous before. The immense stress due to the unfairness would drive anyone crazy no matter how good-natured a person was. He should never have done this in the first place. Had he known beforehand that she was a woman associated with the crown prince, he would¡¯ve left her alone immediately. Had he known that the crazy tyrant was looking for her to the point of turning the capital upside down, he would never have gone near her. Had he known that he would be responsible for an assault that he didn¡¯t even commit, he would have left the empire and become a farmer. Signus asked Paul and his comrade, who were immersed in useless regrets. ¡°Did you touch her?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you touched even a single strand of her hair.¡± Signus¡¯ eyes glistened as if he just caught his prey. The frightened Paul told him the truth. ¡°Oh, no! I touched her when I kidnapped her, but I swear I never touched her other than that!¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Look at her busted face.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± The truth was Navian fell out of bed and hurt herself, but none of them knew about that. ¡°How dare you touch something that I haven¡¯t touched.¡± His golden eyes flashed. The alley was filled with Paul and his colleague¡¯s ragged breathing and restless movements. ¡°Your Highness! Please listen to us just once!¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead,¡± Signus lowered his hand and grabbed Rosin¡¯s sword. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can talk with a decapitated head.¡± The sword went up. The sword flashed horribly under the moonlight. Paul and his colleague¡¯s minds went blank as they looked at the face of the crown prince. It was an irritatingly beautiful smile. At that time, at Yeronimo mansion. The butler watched people lie on the floor with a troubled face. ¡°Sobs..Sobs..my daughter¡­my daug..!¡± Elaine scraped the floor, with tears spilling over his face and a runny nose. The butler sighed and turned to Ulysse. ¡°Young master¡­¡± The butler, who was about to tell him to stop wasting time, paused. Because the young man with bright green eyes was sitting helplessly like a feeble old man. He was having a severe mental breakdown, but the sight of his skin and bones was so chilling that he unwittingly stepped back. At that time, Ulysse suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Butler, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°To where?¡± ¡°To die.¡± What kind of nonsense are you spouting this time? The butler thought, and asked. ¡°Suddenly?¡± ¡°What do you mean suddenly, butler!¡± Mary and Anna, who were sobbing, rebuked the butler for having reckless words that did not help with the situation at all. At times like this, Ulysse¡¯s emotions fluctuate sharply and he was easily overwhelmed with crazy ideas. ¡°I woke up today and I was so angry. No, I was already angry for a long time. Isn¡¯t it natural for anyone in this situation to be angry? My poor sister is about to marry a tyrant after all.¡± Ulysse¡¯s eyes were moist with tears. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that a noble thief fell in love with my sister and forced her to get engaged with him, and now she was put into this horrible situation.¡± Ulysse, who wiped his tears, shouted again. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to accept the engagement! But Navian was the one who accepted it!¡±. ¡°But it¡¯s not my sister¡¯s fault. I¡¯m sure that noble thief seduced her with his face. It¡¯s so obvious.¡± ¡°So I went to the palace to fight Bernard and beat him up. I had to get rid of this anger somehow. But then!¡± Ulysse slammed the table. ¡°Some bastards kidnapped my sister! Do you think I have a will to live any longer, huh!?¡± The butler, with a crumpled face, calmly said. ¡°Very well. Then please get out and die.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I die?¡± The vein popped up on the butler¡¯s forehead. ¡°Isn¡¯t it young master who is crazy? You just said you were going to die!¡± ¡°The captain found Navian! I¡¯m barely able to get a hold of myself! What nonsense are you spouting!¡± But then the sobbing Elaine screamed. ¡°Shut up! Shut up and go to hell! All of you!¡± Elaine, who laid face down in despair, cried again. Ulysse also crawled on the floor with him. ¡°¡­I¡¯m totally screwed.¡± The butler, who watched the ridiculous sight, thumped his stuffy chest. Not long after, the door of the mansion opened, and Rosin entered. ¡°Captain!¡± Elaine and Ulysse crawled to Rosin with their heads up. ¡°Is she okay? Is she hurt anywhere? What¡¯s her condition?¡± ¡°She¡¯s hurt, but she¡¯s safe now.¡± Ulysse hastily shouted. ¡°Let me take care of her! Bring her in!¡± As he saw the guards¡¯ expression turned dark, Ulysse asked again. ¡°What about Navian? Where is she?¡± Rosin bit his lips. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Captain!¡± Rosin, who had been silent, opened his heavy mouth. ¡°She won¡¯t be able to return today.¡± ¡°No, but why¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s His Highness Signus who saved our lady.¡± Looking at Elaine and Ulysse¡¯s pale faces, Rosin opened his mouth once more. ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t send her back.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Someone walked through the capital street. The shadow standing in front of the bar lifted his long legs and burst through the door. Kwang! The man standing at the counter sighed as he watched the thick pieces of wood scatter on the clean floor. ¡°You broke it again.¡± The staff, who were coming out of the kitchen, were also whispering among themselves. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to get rid of the door?¡± ¡°Right! What kind of door is so fragile? Even though I¡¯ve requested it from the artisan from Cecil¡­¡± The murmuring staff stopped talking and opened their eyes wide. They already knew that someone who broke the door was Signus as usual. Because only Signus could break a door as thick as two adult men¡¯s thighs as easily as breaking a rod. However, Signus was carrying someone with lemon-colored hair. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Crank! The counter was cut in half. ¡°Oops!¡± The staff protected their heads immediately from the shard of the broken counter. Clank! Signus threw out his sword and walked up to the second floor. ¡°Yo-your Highness!¡± ¡°Shut up and get lost.¡± Despite the cold words, the man at the counter still decided to follow Signus. Just as he was going up the stairs, he heard a buzzing noise on the second floor, and something almost hitting him. Clang, clang! The man¡¯s jaw dropped when the luxurious door rolled on the floor. ¡°Try to follow me. Your head will be next.¡± Signus warned him and entered the dark room. For some reason, the big decoration at the entrance shook and made a loud sound. ¡°¡­What are you so angry about?¡± Signus walked relentlessly through the pitch-black room. The red carpet was stomped with ferocious steps. Signus put Navian on the bed and slammed the wall. The marble wall cracked and the bed rocked at his merciless punch. Signus gnashed his teeth as he looked at the fluttering lemon-colored hair. Suddenly, he was reminded of that day. When he rushed to find somebody in a ruined palace. It was because he couldn¡¯t see a familiar figure. So he ran over the people who fell on the ground to find her. After running for a long time, he saw someone confronting the intruder. And dashed toward the blonde in a high ponytail. ¡®Lerine!¡¯ He screwed up his hand when he reached out to her. It was because he broke the protective gear he got from the temple by using it to keep the target safe instead of subduing its power. Red blood flowed from the dangling protective gear. The bone on his wrist was exposed, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. Not when he knew what was going to happen. At that time, ¡®I hope.¡¯ Lerine, who held the necklace, said. ¡®I hope you will be the Emperor of Avita.¡¯ And then, the holy light poured into the palace. Bam-! Signus raised his hand again and slammed the wall. His chest was plainly visible through his disheveled clothes. A dragon pattern was carved on his chest that was moving up and down due to his ragged breathing. Even if his crushed hand was covered with blood, the anger that occupied his whole body did not subside. His cool golden eyes now contained Navian, who was breathing weakly. ¡°You sleep well.¡± While Signus couldn¡¯t sleep properly ever since that day. Because he always had a dream about that day if he closed his eyes. The memory of him watching Lerine die right before his eyes like a fool was traumatic enough. And feeling helpless was a strange and miserable experience for him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of people imitating Lerine.¡± None of them was able to revive Signus¡¯ dead heart. ¡°Why are you so annoying?¡± She was almost killed by the monster, yet she wasn¡¯t shaken. She didn¡¯t tremble even when he was digging through her wound. She looked somewhat shocked, but she didn¡¯t take her eyes off Signus¡¯. A body tiny enough that he could cup his hand on her whole face. A thin arm that could be broken without much effort. She was so small and weak, yet she had those eyes. ¡°I thought you¡¯re the real one this time.¡± Why not? The day he met her, Signus had a good sleep for the first time. It was a sweet break after a year. As soon as the effects of alcohol and hallucinogens in his head cleared up, he was overwhelmed with unpleasant feelings. What the hell is that woman? There must be an explanation as to why her gaze and action resembled Lerine so much. Signus was out of his mind, but he was normal enough not to let Lerine¡¯s copycat live another day. His golden eyes, which imbued red like a sunset, only seeking for Navian. As he turned the capital upside down, he decided to kill her as soon as he found her. He couldn¡¯t allow himself to be a fool. But he was also angry that he couldn¡¯t stop himself from looking for her. It was the same as now. There was no time nor mental capacity left for him to go to the Imperial Palace or the temple. The moment he came to the thief guild hideout, he knew he screwed up. It was something that he would never do if he was in his right mind. Because The Ominus, the group who served the devil, could be watching him. He would never have walked around the streets like a madman. But why? Why is he so angry at the fact that she got hurt? It doesn¡¯t matter if she runs away or gets hit by somebody and gets sold somewhere, does it? ¡°Uh¡­.¡± Navian made a small groan. Her pale face was so miserable. Her eyelids were trembling, making her pinkish eyes slightly exposed. That¡¯s right. Those eyes. It¡¯s because of those eyes. When he first met her, he was going to check the sign of poison from the monster attack. The visit to her mansion was to check if there was a pattern on her back. Once he was certain that she was just another copycat, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill her then. However, Signus, who always got what he wanted, couldn¡¯t check Navian¡¯s back because of those eyes. Those mellow and calm eyes made Signus hesitate and eventually retreated. It was hard to restrain himself when he was agitated, yet he was willing to withdraw his hand. ¡°¡­.Ugh.¡± Signus bent his upper body and grabbed his head. The brain that was already spoiled by the devil¡¯s energy was throbbing. It felt like a bug was crawling in his head. Suddenly, he was reminded of blood. The red color that could quell his pain. In the midst of it, Ginnon¡¯s voice penetrated into his head where darkness was eating him away. ¡®You¡¯re already caught looking for Miss Lerine, Your Highness.¡± ¡°They¡¯re trying to find your weak spot. Because Your Highness would be the best host for them as for now.¡± ¡°They¡¯re after Miss Lerine, aren¡¯t they?¡± His vision was completely blurred. ¡®There¡¯s only one way for you not to kill Miss Lerine with your own hand.¡¯ ¡®When the dark energy was strong, do not check the sign of a pact on Miss Lerine¡¯s body.¡¯ ¡®It was like putting a blindfold on yourself, but that¡¯s not all. Your Highness needs to confirm Miss Lerine¡¯s identity by using the facts that only Your Highness knew.¡¯ ¡°¡­No. I need to check.¡± Signus raised his head. The red energy spread on his golden eyes as he exhaled a languid breath. ¡°You can¡¯t be Lerine.¡± It¡¯s only been a year. He might have to wait a few more years for such an opportunity to present itself again, but he had no intention of being swayed like this. It looked plausible, but there¡¯s no way such a weak and stupid woman was Lerine. So he wanted to check it. Check and kill her. It should have been done earlier. He kept wondering if she was the one, and didn¡¯t want to be hated by her, so he hesitated like a fool and brought her all the way here. Ginnon is wrong. He gradually lost every bit of his reason, to the point he couldn¡¯t trust himself to make a rational decision. So proper physical evidence was needed. All the feelings he had so far became meaningless if that woman wasn¡¯t Lerine. Signus took a staggering step. His surroundings were filled with dark energy. A moment later, his shaky arm hit the table next to the bed, and the bottle of water dropped. Crank! The bottle fell helplessly on the cold ground and shattered. At that moment, Navian¡¯s body flinched. Her head was buzzing and it felt like her whole body was torn into pieces. She knew very well that she would have a certain dream whenever she was sick. However, just for today, she wanted to be spared from that nightmare. Nevertheless, a little girl was seen opening the door. ¡®Don¡¯t go. You can¡¯t drink water anyway. You know it too, right?¡¯ Lerine tried to persuade her younger self, but then the little girl answered. ¡®I know. But I have to go.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask the reason. Because she knew exactly the answer. Walking through the dark hallway, she could hear the laughter of her father and mother. Yeah, that¡¯s what she always hoped to see. The face of her parents smiled brightly. She thought she would figure out why her parents disliked her once she became an adult. But it was only her illusion. Only then did she realize that blood ties were not enough to be part of the family. Why didn¡¯t you just kill me? Why didn¡¯t you throw me away? It¡¯s not my fault that I wasn¡¯t born a man. Why did you hate me when you gave birth to me? Her heart pounded when the little girl reached out for the glass cup. She wanted to die like this and disappear without a trace. And the cup broke. Clank! ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ Navian¡¯s pink eyes trembled and her rosy lips opened. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.thirsty¡­¡± The pink eyes closed slowly. ¡°I¡¯m¡­..sorry¡­¡± She was apologizing to someone, and paused as if waiting for an answer. Just like a child waiting for a punishment. Her stiff body and pale face. As if she was waiting for someone to wake her up from her nightmare. ¡°You¡­¡± Signus knew what she was dreaming about. It was up to Signus to wake her up from her childhood nightmare. ¡°You really¡­¡± He held himself back from reaching out to her. It was because of distrust. She could just be thirsty. Maybe she was acting, or having a different trauma. ¡°¡­..¡± Nevertheless, Signus was still reaching out to Navian¡¯s wet face. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 A beautiful hand wiped her cheek, An unknown liquid, whether it was tears or sweat, dripped onto his palm. At that time, Navian¡¯s eyelids twitched lightly. So Signus extended his hand to cover her eyes when she tried to open them. ¡°Uh¡­.¡± Navian was panting for breath and unintentionally grabbed his hand. The golden eyes shook when he felt the weak force on his hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Signus leaned closer and placed his mouth on the back of Navian¡¯s hand. Once again, he spat out familiar words. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Nothing happened.¡± Navian stopped struggling when she heard the reassuring words that he always said to her in the past. He himself was quite surprised that he was able to speak in such a gentle voice. ¡°Sleep more. I¡¯ll be with you.¡± Only then did Navian release the strength on her hand. Her wet face was wiped by his cool hands. It was a very patient and affectionate touch. *** My whole body was paralyzed. At the same time, I heard a cold voice in my hazy mind. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to bring it properly?¡± A moment later, a man shouted as if he was feeling wronged. ¡°Lemon tree roots, fragrant oil, and Hakan¡¯s horns! I brought them all, didn¡¯t I?!¡± ¡°Then why is she still unconscious?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know!¡± I could hear something breaking from where I laid down. ¡°Hiik!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t avoid it. Your brain might work if I smashed your head.¡± His cold voice forced me to push up my heavy eyelids. A man that I never saw before was screaming frantically as he avoided something heavy thrown at him. ¡°Help me! I¡¯m dying here!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Huh? Your Highness! She¡¯s up!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying! It¡¯s real. Look! She opened her eyes wide!¡± His lustrous black hair was streaming from above as he looked down at me. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± I tried to lift my body reflectively when I saw his handsome face. But his big hand pressed me down. ¡°Don¡¯t exert yourself and just stay still. You can¡¯t move anyway.¡± The gentle pat on my shoulder reminded me of what happened before. Right. I was kidnapped. ¡°You¡¯re paralyzed.¡± So I opened my mouth to ask about what happened. ¡°You¡¯d better not talk. Your throat is swollen because of the fever. It¡¯s gonna hurt.¡± He was telling the truth, because I ended up coughing when I tried to open my mouth. I really had a sore throat after all. ¡®This is bad. I¡¯ve got a lot to ask you.¡¯ So I tried to rack my brain to recall what happened. First, I was kidnapped by the human hunters and entered the alley. Then Signus appeared and said something. I was relieved by his voice, and I lost my memory from that point on. ¡®But how did you find me?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know whether he was looking for me to kill me or not, but at least, I¡¯m alive for now. I swerved my gaze to see the luxurious interior. ¡®This is not the imperial palace¡­.¡¯ Soon, I made eye contact with a man who looked at me with fascinated eyes. ¡°Where are you looking?¡± At Signus¡¯ sharp voice, the man flinched and looked away. I kept looking at the man, who was grumbling quietly as he picked up the broken pieces, and then a long finger brushed my cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t look at him. Before I dig up your cheek again.¡± At his word, I quietly averted my gaze. I was just curious about that man, so is there a need to threaten me like that? ¡°Bring it.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes.¡± The man hurried out at Signus¡¯ command. So where are we really? ¡°The hideout of the thief guild.¡± Somehow he answered the question I had in my mind. ¡°The fool who left just now is the guild master. The scoundrels who peeked at us right now are members of the guild.¡± At his words, the black shadows lurked in the hallway scurried away. ¡°Rest assured. This place is safer than anywhere else, even if it looks shabby.¡± Safe, you say? Thief guilds are the ones who steal information. ¡°There¡¯s information I¡¯m supposed to give them, so they wouldn¡¯t betray me. They¡¯re crazy when it comes to information. I will also throw some money on them just in case.¡± What is the information? ¡°You don¡¯t have to know.¡± I just blinked in a daze. How can you read my mind so precisely? So I decided to do an experiment. What happened all this time? Then the answer came back right away. ¡°It¡¯s been three days since then. Now it¡¯s noon and I¡¯ve kidnapped you.¡± Signus continued as he twirls my hair around his fingers. ¡°Even though there¡¯s an antidote, you have paralysis because of the aftereffects of the drug. You also got a fever because your body is ridiculously weak.¡± A cool finger touched my eye. ¡°Your eyes are swollen and your head hurts because you kept crying.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Anything else you¡¯re curious about?¡± He asked when he saw my puzzled face. ¡°Did you ask how do I know what you¡¯re trying to say?¡± I nodded my head. For sure, it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence. There must be another reason. ¡°I can tell from your expression.¡± That can¡¯t be true. Signus smiled satisfactorily when I frowned in disbelief. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a bad idea to find evidence one by one.¡± After rubbing my swollen eyelids a few times, he withdrew his hand and said. ¡°So I need your cooperation.¡± I only blinked my eyes at his remark. What evidence? What is there for me to cooperate? I wanted to ask what he meant by that, but I couldn¡¯t do that. Because his face was ridiculously close that I couldn¡¯t think of anything. ¡®He smiles like that whenever he wants to seduce someone.¡¯ So I lowered my gaze because his face was too burdensome to look at, but this time, I was going crazy because I saw his wide chest instead. ¡®Wait- why don¡¯t you button up your clothes! I have no place to look.¡¯ I became restless and tried to swerve my gaze to the hem of his clothes. However¡­ ¡®What is that?¡¯ There was a certain shape on his left chest that caught my eyes. So I tilted my head to see if it was a scar, but then I heard a voice. ¡°Should I take it off?¡± He said, grabbing the hem of his clothes. ¡°You look like you want to see it.¡± At his absurd remark, I earnestly shook my head. ¡°Why are you so embarrassed? You¡¯ve seen it already.¡± His beautiful finger pointed at his chest. ¡°And I¡¯ve been hugging you the whole time.¡± ¡°¡­.What?¡± A hoarse and cracked voice came out. I couldn¡¯t endure asking even if my throat felt like it was torn apart. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± ¡°I told you not to speak.¡± I shook my head because I didn¡¯t remember anything. ¡°It¡¯s good that I saved you from being dragged further by them, but your condition gradually worsened. I¡¯ve done everything to treat you, but you¡¯ve never come to consciousness. Yesterday night was your critical point.¡± So I tried twitching my cheeks. I could feel many pieces of cloth attached to my face moving together. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be better as long as you take the antidote. It was normally like that.¡± I must be in a really bad state after all. ¡°Yeah. I was mistaken. I never thought you¡¯d be 20.000 times weaker than an ant.¡± Excuse me? Aren¡¯t you being too harsh right now? ¡°The fever reducer didn¡¯t work on you. You couldn¡¯t sleep at all and kept crying, so I put you in my arms to soothe you, and you said you¡¯d hate it if I didn¡¯t give you my arm as your pillow.¡± What did he say? So I tried to lift my upper body. Of course, my paralyzed body could only flinch at best. ¡°I can¡¯t help it since you kept crying. So I have to do it.¡± ¡°¡­.Lie.¡± ¡°Why do I lie to you?¡± His voice had sunk low as if to show that he was telling the truth. ¡®¡­.I must be crazy.¡¯ So I closed my eyes tightly. I vowed to build up my physical strength when I can move my body. Meanwhile, Signus was looking down at me and laughed.I could feel the warmth radiating from his playful smile. While I stared blankly at him, the sound of footsteps approaching. ¡°I brought it.¡± Signus stood up at the man¡¯s words. ¡°Think about it later and wake up first.¡± A strong arm lifted my waist and held me. ¡°You have to eat something.¡± My whole body trembled when he lifted me and put me on a fluffy cushion. ¡°Stay still. Stop flailing like a fish.¡± Signus was already next to me with a bowl in his hand. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± Cough, cough! I coughed and nodded my head. I couldn¡¯t help it because he kept bothering me. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just tell him to leave me alone and mind his own business. At that time, Signus pushed his face closer to me. ¡°If you babble one more time, I¡¯ll force you to shut up.¡± And how do you do that, I wonder? ¡°If you¡¯re curious, try it.¡± When I held my tears from coming out and quietly closed my mouth, he chuckled. I just looked at him with baffled eyes. Slightly relaxed tone, a gaze that lost its sharpness, and even his behavior of taking care of me. ¡®What has gotten into you so suddenly?¡¯ I wanted to ask if he was out of his mind or something, but I held back and stared at the rice gruel in front of me instead. At that moment, something ridiculous happened. ¡°Say ah.¡± I was staring blankly at the spoon that Signus held out to me. ¡®Isn¡¯t it you who have to take medicine?¡¯ As expected, he was out of his mind. Why else would he feed me that? He tilted his head. I could see the sharpness returned to his eyes once again, so I had no choice but to squeeze my voice again. ¡°That.¡± I looked down at his hand which was holding a spoon. His wounded hand had been bothering me for a long time. It was a mess because he didn¡¯t treat it even when it was soaked in red. ¡®Did you purposely not treat it to make me concerned?¡¯ What else could it be? How can you have time to give me an antidote but not the time to treat your own hand? Signus followed my gaze. Soon, he smiled and quietly mumbled. ¡°Uselessly worried about me¡­.¡± His voice was so small that I couldn¡¯t hear the rest of his words. What? Did you say ¡®as always¡¯? In any case, it sounded like he was cursing at me. ¡°So because my hand is in this state, do you want to eat it yourself?¡± Nod nod. Signus put down the bowl and grabbed my wrist. Then he put the spoon on my hand, but I was barely able to lift it. ¡°Your hands are stiff due to the paralysis. You can¡¯t hold the spoon, can you?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You are very stubborn.¡± Signus grumbled and took the spoon from me. ¡°Hurry, you¡¯ll get better if you eat.¡± With a bitter expression, I opened my mouth reluctantly. I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but I had no strength to hold a spoon. I heard a gentle voice as I was busy chewing the rice gruel. ¡°Can you eat it?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you can swallow it.¡± Honestly, I couldn¡¯t really tell because I kept on chewing it on my mouth, but I just nodded. Then he swept my lips with his thumb and said. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± I was stiffened by his gentle touch when he wiped off the rice from my mouth. At that moment, the rice gruel flowed down because I couldn¡¯t close my mouth due to the shock. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Seeing as the man had his mouth wide open as he watched the scene unfold before him, it seemed that I was not the only one who found it strange. ¡°¡­Your Highness.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand it and called him. The fact that such a nasty tempered man has become so gentle. ¡°Please go see a doctor.¡± Before he died from overworking. Signus raised his eyebrow. I was very serious, even if his face looked like I was talking nonsense. ¡°You have to rest. If you keep doing this, it¡¯ll be bad for you.¡± It must be very serious since he did not usually look this bad. He needs to call the doctor quickly. He said I woke up in three days. I don¡¯t remember anything, but he said he comforted me when I cried. Which meant he barely had time to rest. No matter how much he changed, the kindness he gave me did not disappear. No matter how much I hate him as my enemy, he¡¯s still my friend. ¡°Ha. Nothing has started yet, but I¡¯m already in trouble.¡± Signus only smiled faintly as if he already expected this. ¡°Just give in already. I can¡¯t afford to wait for you until you¡¯re ready.¡± Then he held out the spoon again. What do you mean by nothing has started yet? I have no idea, but I got scared for some reason. It feels like something I don¡¯t know storming in. I clasped the bowl with my stiff hand because I got the feeling that I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle what was going to happen. Whatever it is, let¡¯s get out of this embarrassing situation first. ¡®Let¡¯s just eat and get this over with.¡¯ So I gobbled up a spoonful of rice gruel. I hunched down and covered my mouth almost immediately. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± The man who had been watching us silently said as if he felt sorry for me. ¡°I guess your body can¡¯t consume the food yet. You need stamina to digest it¡­¡± I closed my eyes tightly. It felt like my stomach was turned upside down. I couldn¡¯t swallow or spit it out, so I just resorted to covering my mouth. Soon I felt the warmth remove my hand, and touched my chin. ¡°Spit it out.¡± I stuck my tongue out at Signus¡¯ words. When the rice gruel disappeared, I felt so much better. ¡°Oh my..¡± I opened my eyes at the sound of the man gasping, and I was instantly petrified by what I saw. The place where I spit out the rice was right above Signus¡¯ hand. ¡°Oh god.¡± I was so surprised and quickly held his hand. It wasn¡¯t a plate? It wasn¡¯t a tissue?! Signus was the only calm person among the three of us. He stood up and asked the man. ¡°Where is Leo?¡± ¡°He¡¯s always waiting downstairs¡­¡± ¡°Tell him to prepare a carriage.¡± ¡°Not a horse?¡± Signus looked at me while I was busy wiping his hand with a tissue. ¡°We¡¯re going to the Yeronimo residence.¡± A relaxing smile was plastered on his handsome face. ¡°I need to find out exactly how that body works.¡± The door to the mansion of the Yeronimo family opened. Elaine, who was processing the documents with a pale face, told Rosin to come in. ¡°Ah, captain. Come in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being late.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. What¡¯s the state of the capital city?¡± ¡°The capital is currently busy preparing for the festival. And¡­.¡± Rosin handed over a letter. The outer surface of the letter was stamped in red. ¡°It¡¯s from the Duke of Cyben.¡± Elaine took off his glasses and read the letter. ¡°You issued a lot of funds as always.¡± ¡°Is the Duke still in charge of the finances of the Imperial Palace?¡± Elaine rubbed his neck at the question of the butler who helped him organize the documents. ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s asking for our help. Since they have to prepare to treat the nobles from various countries, the Duke must have had a lot on his hand as well.¡± The butler spoke in a cautious tone. ¡°But, master. Why don¡¯t you prioritize yourself first this time? Don¡¯t you see that other marquisate are trying to keep us in check?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Because that marquis was jealous.¡± ¡°Jealous?¡± ¡°Yes. He completely failed to educate their child. So don¡¯t mind them and let¡¯s just do our job.¡± ¡°Well, if the master says so¡­I understand.¡± Because the people of the Yeronimo family also had a lot of work to do. Soon, the Imperial Palace will be open, so they need to get ready to go. Elaine, the butler, and Rosin¡¯s eyes went to Ulysse¡¯s room. ¡°Our young master needs to come to his senses quickly.¡± The day when Signus notified that he would not send Navian back, Elaine and Ulysse visited the Imperial Palace. They said Signus had found her, but he didn¡¯t return to the Imperial Palace. After that, Ulysse stayed in his room. ¡°I understand how he feels, but¡­¡± At the butler¡¯s words, Elaine sighed and pulled his hair out of frustration. Elaine was barely able to pull himself together and get back to work, so there was no strength left to handle his son. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see if he¡¯s okay.¡± Elaine pulled out a strained smile at Rosin¡¯s words. ¡°Will you do that? Thank you, captain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Looking at Rosin¡¯s retreating back, the butler also said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later, so please take a rest.¡±¡¯ Elaine, who laid down at the table, waved his hand. Knock, knock- ¡°Young master, this is Rosin.¡± Rosin approached Ulysse who was looking out the window and asked carefully. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Captain.¡± Ulysse turned around and continued his words. ¡°You said you were acquainted with His Highness Signus in the past.¡± ¡°For a short time, yes.¡± ¡°Please answer me. What kind of man is His Highness?¡± Rosin was looking at him with questioning eyes. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the young master who stayed with him in the north know better than I do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much I know since His Highness has never been hurt.¡± Then Ulysse added. ¡°I want to know what you think of him.¡± Ulysse was staring at Rosin with fierce eyes, so the butler tried to interfere. ¡°The captain only knew His Highness for a short time, too.¡± ¡°I know. I know that I can¡¯t stop whatever His Highness is trying to do. But what can I do if I¡¯m worried?¡± Ulysse said, sweeping his hair up irritatedly. ¡°I need to find out about His Highness since Navian chose to get engaged with him to save us.¡± His intelligent green eyes only contained Rosin. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the rumors about him, I just want definite information from a reliable person.¡± ¡°But I only knew about His Highness before he changed, is that alright?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Rosin walked to the door and looked outside to see if anyone was listening. A moment later, Rosin opened his mouth after closing the door. ¡°His Highness was a very outstanding and strong man. He had achieved so many things as the third prince.¡± Rosin, who recalled an old memory, added. ¡°Ah, of course, he always speaks so rudely¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ahem, his way of talking is the same as now, but he was a reliable person.¡± Ulysse asked a question. ¡°I know His Highness is outstanding. But he wasn¡¯t a kind person, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s colder than ice.¡± The corner of Ulysse¡¯ mouth trembled. If Signus ever treated his sister badly, nothing could hold him back anymore. Rosin, who saw his grim expression, added. ¡°But I¡¯m sure he¡¯s someone who takes care of his people.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything. There are only a limited number of people that he opens up to. It was obvious that he has a small circle of friends.¡± ¡°¡­Of course, he has an old friend.¡± ¡°Who?¡± An awkward smile rose on Rosin¡¯s handsome face. ¡°The esteemed daughter of Duke Cyben.¡± ¡®God, please forgive me.¡¯ When Rosin apologized to God inside, Ulysse crossed his legs with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°Come to think of it, they were engaged, right?¡± ¡°Yes. But it was a political engagement. I¡¯m sure young master knows it well, too.¡± ¡°I know, but breaking up with an old friend means there¡¯s a problem. Did His Highness do something wrong?¡± ¡°Well, actually¡­.¡± Rosin sighed and eventually revealed the truth. ¡°His Highness and the esteemed daughter of Duke Cyben were not on good terms.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more serious than it looks. To the point, they wanted to become enemies to each other. That¡¯s how much they fight¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ahem- Rosin cleared his throat again. ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t sound right to call them friends at that point, but after the breakup, the Duke of Cyben continues to support His Highness. If there was a problem, he wouldn¡¯t have helped the imperial palace.¡± Ulysse asked with a doubtful tone. ¡°Why are they engaged if they hate each other so much?¡± ¡°As far as I know, His Highness and the esteemed daughter of Duke Cyben were willing to put up with each other because of one person.¡± Ulysse asked in a low voice. ¡°Are you talking about Dame Lerine?¡± (T/N: There¡¯s no female equivalent term for knighthood in Korean, but from now on, we will use Dame/Damehood for Lerine¡¯s honorific title.) A nostalgic smile appeared on Rosin¡¯s face. ¡°Yes.¡± A blonde hair tied up high appeared on his mind. Rosin, who was reminded of how her hair scattered like butterfly wings on her imposing back, opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s all I know.¡± Ulysse, who clicked his tongue, looked out the window. His eyes were tangled with complex emotion. Rosin and the butler watched his back silently. Ulysse, who kept looking up at the sky, moved his feet and picked up a bag in a corner. The butler asked as he rummaged through all kinds of medical tools, medicines and medical books in his bag. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been fine.¡± ¡°May I ask what you¡¯re doing right now?¡± ¡°Packing up my stuff. I¡¯ll go to the imperial palace.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± The butler was going to ask if Ulysse was going to murder Signus with medicine, but Ulysse turned around. ¡°Butler, do you know?¡± When Ulysse suddenly asked him, the butler looked at Ulysse with suspicious eyes. Maybe he had already calmed down because his green eyes were as bright as usual. ¡°The sky doesn¡¯t lie. It will always tell us the exact truth. But sometimes, I couldn¡¯t understand anything.¡± His bright green eyes captured the sky. ¡°It was the same on the day when Navian came back alive. I really didn¡¯t know that she was in critical condition. Because I didn¡¯t sense the energy of death.¡± Ulysse sneered at himself. ¡°I was arrogant.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°If I was truly a genius, I wouldn¡¯t have left Navian¡¯s side. I realized it only then. I¡¯ve only read useless things so far, and I still have a long way to go.¡± The butler and Rosin stayed still and listened to him. ¡°My teacher told me to read the celestial energy and prohibited me to talk about it. So I couldn¡¯t say this to anyone. But I can¡¯t do that anymore.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Yes. There is an ominous energy in the imperial palace.¡± Ulysse said, recalling the star constellation that he saw right before leaving the north. ¡°There is black energy around Prince Damian right now.¡± A snake was next to Damian, and a watchman from hell in the form of black cat was hovering around him. That day, Ulysse saw a threatening darkness that covered half of the sky with its large wings. The appearance that wrapped all the ominous beings was frighteningly huge. ¡°But the problem is not Lord Damian.¡± The darkness that engulfed the sky resided in one person. ¡°His Highness Signus.¡± It was Signus, the Crown Prince of Avita. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Looking at Rosin and Butler¡¯s shocked face, Ulysse added. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want Navian to meet His Highness Signus. Even if he used to be a good person, I can¡¯t trust him right now.¡± Ulysse swept his hair up with a distressed look. ¡°I should have taken her and ran away.¡± Since a much bigger danger might await Navian. Then the butler asked as if he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you just run away? We will follow you no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s a bigger problem.¡± ¡°What is it¡­¡± ¡°Navian¡­seems to care about His Highness.¡± The butler and Rosin looked very surprised. ¡°Does my lady care about His Highness?¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Ulysse said in a subdued voice. ¡°That child, who only spent time in her room, suddenly woke up when she heard that His Highness had become the Crown Prince, and she didn¡¯t seem to be bothered about her engagement. She didn¡¯t cry or whine about it. That¡¯s enough proof.¡± And then the butler asked in a cautious tone. ¡°Do you mean that my lady has her heart for His Highness?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but¡­¡± Ulysse countenance became dark. ¡°Based on the truth¡­¡± The sky showed the truth. It was an absolute truth. The interpretation of star arrangement depends on people who read it. And Ulysse was one of the only two people who could read the star constellation precisely and infer what would happen correctly. So he was always proud and confident in his ability to read the sky. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ulysse closed his somber eyes. However, unexpected situations could always occur at any time. Navian engagement to Signus was really unexpected. The same was true before that. He was busy treating others without knowing that his younger sister was on her deathbed. ¡°No.¡± I can¡¯t let you go through that again. I have to look at the sky movement, figure out the star arrangement, and separate you from Signus no matter what it takes. ¡°Because I¡¯m your brother.¡± I can¡¯t lose my precious sister. Even if I¡¯m punished for reading the sky movement for my own interest. ¡°¡­..¡± The silence enveloped them. The butler, who was silently looking at Ulysse¡¯s grim expression, opened his mouth first. ¡°Then, let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s break them up.¡± Break them up? Looking at the two at loss, the butler explained further. ¡°My lady has been leading a peaceful life. A magnificent and provocative existence called a tyrant suddenly appeared in her calm life, how could she not be blinded by it?¡± That¡¯s right. Ulysse and Rosin nodded. ¡°You just have let her know that it¡¯s not good at all. That it¡¯s just a temporary illusion.¡± Ulysse¡¯s eyes shone at his words. ¡°Do you mean we should reveal how much of a psycho His Highness is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our young master is a genius!¡± The butler expressed his admiration. Meanwhile, Rosin, who stood at a distance, asked with a doubtful face. ¡°But how are we going to break them up?¡± ¡°By showing His Highness¡¯ ugly side to my lady.¡± Rosin tilted his head. ¡°But we know that she has been through all of that.¡± Signus dug through her wound, grabbed her and almost took off her clothes. Not to mention, he did that on their first meeting. ¡°His Highness must have some weaknesses.¡± ¡°Weaknesses?¡± The butler lowered his voice. ¡°There is no one in the world who is perfect. Who knows? There may be something that makes her lose interest in His Highness.¡± So Rosin asked with a skeptical face. ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Well¡­maybe he¡¯s scared of bugs? Or maybe he exaggerates a lot? Or he¡¯s actually very ignorant?¡± The butler shrugged casually. ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll wake up if she sees that kind of side from him.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ulysse quickly agreed with him, while Rosin stood there with an expression as if he had enough of their nonsense. How can he come up with that nonsense? Rosin would rather believe that Ulysse went to the war than Signus scared of bugs. The butler, who did not know Rosin¡¯s mind, did not stop talking nonsense. ¡°Young master is a genius in medicine. His Majesty is excellent, but since he can¡¯t read the celestial energy, I can¡¯t help but think that both are in the same league.¡± The butler continued to praise him. ¡°If his ugly sides get revealed slowly and she loses affection¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Ulysse¡¯s face brightened with hope. ¡°We need to gather more opinions. Let¡¯s find out His Highness¡¯ weaknesses!¡± Looking at the naive and silly figure, Rosin scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­.¡± When he was about to say that it¡¯ll be better to get rid of that terrible plan if they wanted to live longer, the outside was becoming noisy. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Navian! You¡¯re safe!¡± ¡°My lady!¡± The three of them glanced at each other before rushing out of the room. A man with long legs stepped into the mansion. Signus, whose grand appearance caught everyone¡¯s attention, looked around the mansion with haughty eyes. Nevertheless, the marquis was unfazed by it. Because the marquis¡¯s eyes only contained me, who were held by Signus. ¡°Oh my god.¡± ¡°My lady¡¯s condition¡­¡± The servant covered their mouth in shock upon seeing my bandaged face. Watching the marquis¡¯ expression become as pale as a ghost, I repeated what I had been saying since earlier. ¡°Please put me down.¡± ¡°I told you to stay still.¡± ¡°I told you to put me down.¡± ¡°Why? Do you want to fall again?¡± Signus twisted his mouth. ¡°You kept insisting that you can walk on your own, but you fell down after one step,¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Tell me if you want to break your neck so bad. I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± At that time, there was a thudding sound. Ulysse, the butler and the captain came running. ¡°My lady!¡± ¡°Navian!¡± But the three abruptly stopped. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± As expected, Ulysse¡¯s face extremely distorted upon seeing my face. His hands, which only used to treat people, were clenched fiercely. ¡°By the way,¡± A languid voice broke the suffocating atmosphere. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a noble? But why is this mansion so shabby?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you short of money to be living in such a place?¡± After glancing at the marquis¡¯ expression, I thought to myself. ¡®Shamelessly made that comment when you were the one who broke into someone¡¯s house¡­.¡¯ ¡°Well, I¡¯ll ask that later.¡± When Signus gestured his head, Ulysse turned his body to guide him to the room. ¡°¡­This way,¡± Ulysse, who guided us to his medical office, looked very angry. ¡®I guess you¡¯re angry because he said we don¡¯t have money.¡¯ ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Ulysse examined the inside of my mouth and frowned. ¡°Your throat is really swollen. Drink a lot of warm water, and don¡¯t talk for the time being.¡± Nod, nod. ¡°Avoid spicy food, too. Or your inner cheek will be hurt.¡± Then Ulysse murmured quietly as if he forgot that he was a doctor. ¡°¡­lips chapped and bruised everywhere. The child really turned into a porridge.¡± I averted my gaze instantly. I was the one who hurt my face after all. Then, I made eye contact with Mary, who was looking anxiously outside the room. ¡®Don¡¯t tell them I fell out of bed! If I get caught, I¡¯ll die!¡¯ When I prayed earnestly hoping that my message would be conveyed to her, she connected her thumb and index finger into a circle, making an okay sign. I felt relieved. When I get healthier and make money later, I should treat her to a delicious meal. But Ulysse murmured. ¡°Who are those bastards? They all die if they get caught.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Signus, who was watching with his arm folded. ¡°They all died.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tsk. Ulysse clicked his tongue. Tsk? Did he just show that attitude to Signus? Suddenly, I remembered our conversation in the carriage. ¡®Don¡¯t hesitate, Navian. When someone approaches you, scream on top of your lungs, pour hot tea into their face or do whatever you want.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry about the aftermath. I¡¯m confident I can take care of it.¡¯ I got chills down my spine. Even surgical knives and sharp scissors on a silver tray looked like weapons. Ulysse examined my arms, not knowing I was terrified of him. ¡°It seems they used drugs. I can see the signs of injection here. The paralysis hasn¡¯t gone away completely, so it must be a terrible drug.¡± Ulysse glanced furtively at Signus and asked. ¡°How did you know the ingredients for detoxification?¡± ¡°Only an idiot doesn¡¯t know it.¡± Signus answered nonchalantly. ¡°Yes, obviously.¡± Ulysse also replied nonchalantly. And they were indirectly saying that everyone in the room except both of them were a bunch of idiots, including me. ¡°How much did you feed her?¡± ¡°Two spoonfuls.¡± Ulysse, who was trimming herbs, clicked his tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you know the ingredients as well as the proper dosage. You¡¯re uselessly smart.¡± Signus probably couldn¡¯t hear his ramble, but I looked at his reaction just in case. If he knew that Ulysse had been talking ill about him, he might cut Ulysse¡¯ neck. But Signus only looked at me expressionlessly. ¡°Let¡¯s feed you some medicine while waiting for the herbs to boil.¡± When Ulysse picked the pill with a tweezer, I closed my mouth shut. I felt like that tweezer was going to prick the inside of my mouth. My trust in Ulysse had vanished ever since he told me to pour tea on someone¡¯s face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Yeah. I can¡¯t trust you at all. It¡¯ll be better if you just leave it be. Just put it away! Obviously, nobody could hear my mind, and that tweezer slowly approached my mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s safe to swallow.¡± While I just stared at the tweezer and refused to open my mouth, Signus stretched out his arm. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Beautiful fingers took away the pill and put it on his own tongue. After chewing it several times, he swallowed the pill. At his calm appearance, Ulysse looked like he wanted to ask Signus if he was crazy. ¡°Wait- why are you¡­¡± ¡°Because I have a lot of doubts.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Continue.¡± Signus crossed his arms, and the room was enshrouded in silence once again. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ The way he kept looking at me made me embarrassed, so I turned my gaze away. Soon, Ulysse mumbled again. ¡°¡­.Gosh. Do you think that was cool?¡± ¡®Why does he have so many complaints?¡± Ulysse, who rambled so much to the point it couldn¡¯t be heard by anyone, picked up the tweezer again. ¡°Ah.¡± This time, my mouth opened easily. Either because I saw Signus ate the medicine, or because of his unfaltering gaze. After feeding the medicine, Ulysse treated the wounds on my face and said. ¡°Well, at least you did well by feeding the antidote quickly. Good job.¡± My heart throbbed when he acted like he was generous enough to compliment Signus. Does Ulysse have two lives or something? Does he want to go to the afterlife so bad? What are you scheming right now? At that time, a voice filled with laughter rang in the room. ¡°How fun.¡± Ulysse lifted his gaze at his words. ¡°Ask me anything. How cute of you to act up in my presence like this. But.¡± Signus tilted his head. ¡°You have to be skilled enough to challenge me.¡± It might be just my imagination, but I saw a crackle between Signus and Ulysse who were staring at each other. ¡®It¡¯ll turn into a big problem at this rate.¡¯ I seriously wondered why it suddenly turned into a staring contest. My stomach felt awful, my wounds hurt, and my body ached. I was about to die from exhaustion, but the two men were busy making a scene, so it drove me crazy. Ulysse¡¯s eyes were burned with determination, while Signus responded with a cold smirk. I couldn¡¯t care less about them, and just wanted to kick them out, but the confrontation already broke. Ulysse smiled small. Since it wasn¡¯t a spiteful smile, the tight air quickly loosened. Ulysse moved his hand again. Even when Ulysse moved on so casually, Signus did not bother to rebuke him for it. ¡°I¡¯m boiling herbs that are good for paralysis. I want to feed it to her, but does Navian have an empty stomach?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I suppose she couldn¡¯t eat yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So tell me.¡± Signus motioned his chin toward me. ¡°How could that child keep throwing up when she didn¡¯t eat anything in the first place?¡± Hearing him muttered displeasedly, Ulysse calmly answered. ¡°It¡¯s because her digestive system is weak. It¡¯s not too long ago that she ate meat.¡± Signus frowned at him. ¡°Are you saying she ate meat for the first time not too long ago?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then what did she eat to live?¡± ¡°Vegetarian food.¡± ¡°Why?¡± His golden eyes scoured the medical office for a moment. ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t have money?¡± ¡­.Excuse me? Aren¡¯t you being too harsh right now? ¡°Come to think of it, you sent a bill to me not too long ago.¡± My lips trembled in response to Signus¡¯ words. That¡¯s because I¡¯m angry and I want to screw you up¡­ Signus turned to the marquis this time. His gaze demanded an answer, so the marquis opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re short of money. Because Navian has a weak constitution.¡± ¡°Weak constitution?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s allergic to various foods except for vegetables.¡± A cool gaze came back to me. ¡°Is that true?¡± When I nodded, Signus clicked his tongue. ¡°It could¡¯ve been a big trouble if I fed you anything.¡± I expected to hear a snarky remark from him, but the gaze that touched me was genuine. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me about it sooner.¡± I lowered my gaze at his reproachful words. Did you even allow me to talk? ¡°Tell me exactly what she can¡¯t eat.¡± ¡°The most dangerous thing is fresh fruit. But she has been eating other foods little by little starting a month ago.¡± ¡°A month ago¡­¡± Signus chuckled small. With a face that seemed to know something, he asked. ¡°How about alcohol?¡± ¡°Alcohol? I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve never given it to her.¡± Signus glanced at me. ¡°It must be frustrating for you.¡± I raised my head at once. In fact, I was a crazy drinker. For a royal family¡¯s dog who took on all kinds of chores like me, drinking while looking up at the night sky was the only motivation of my life. ¡®How did he know that?¡¯ Perhaps he also felt it was strange, the marquis asked. ¡°Did my daughter say she wanted to drink?¡± Signus paused for a moment. His face looked like he just made a mistake, so I stared intently at him. A moment later I heard an answer. ¡°¡­You look like you enjoy drinking.¡± Do I look like an alcoholic? While I was pondering about what this face looked like, Signus grabbed my shoulders. ¡°Well, I already know that there is a flaw in this child¡¯s body.¡± He just changed the subject. Completely disregarding my doubtful gaze, Signus continued to talk. ¡°I need to find out more.¡± ¡°Find out more¡­¡± Even before the marquis finished talking, Signus¡¯s eyes scoured all the people in the medical office, and then he said. ¡°Call all the people who work in this family.¡± His golden eyes bent into a half-moon. ¡°We¡¯ll have a one-on-one interview.¡± The mansion was crowded. Guards, gardeners, stableboys, and servants were all on standby for the interview. When I saw the captain leaving for an interview, I opened my mouth. ¡°What the hell did he ask?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but he is asking about personal information.¡± Personal information? For example? Ulysse, who was stirring herbs next to me, elaborated further. ¡°For example, my age and when I become a doctor. Also, the name of my maternal family.¡± I froze at once. It was fine until the age part, but the name of my maternal family? There¡¯s no way I know that. ¡°And he asked about your habits. Your usual behavior and the way you talk.¡± ¡°So what happened?¡± ¡°I told him the truth. I almost forgot your voice because you rarely talked back then. But you suddenly started talking and making bets all the time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wrong, am I? You¡¯re always making a bet out of everything.¡± I couldn¡¯t refute it since it is undoubtedly my habit. ¡°I guess he wanted to take a census. Okay, it¡¯s all done.¡± He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and put the bowl close to my mouth. ¡°This herb is good for blood circulation. Be careful, it¡¯s a little hot.¡± The warmth filled my whole body as soon as the brown liquid entered my mouth. ¡°¡­Listen while you¡¯re eating. I¡¯m just going to ask you.¡± I glanced at him, chugging down the liquid. ¡°Did you see His Highness at the place where you were kidnapped?¡± I think I knew why he asked that question. He suspected Signus to be the one behind my kidnapping. ¡°It¡¯s a little strange that he found you faster than our knights. And he even knew the ingredients for detoxification.¡± I shook my head quickly. ¡°¡­Really? That¡¯s great then.¡± Ulysse mumbled with an iffy face. ¡°I know that we shouldn¡¯t be suspicious of him, but you can¡¯t believe him too easily either. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside his heart.¡± I agreed with him. I had a lot of doubts, too. He was incredibly observant that he completely figured out what I wanted to say. If Signus knew who I was, he would figure it out immediately, but he didn¡¯t. If he had the slightest idea, he would¡¯ve asked if I was Lerine. Ha. A small laugh escaped my lips. ¡®How strange. I even suspected Signus to be the one behind my kidnapping.¡¯ Why is it so upsetting that he didn¡¯t recognize me? ¡°So.¡± Inside the room of the first prince Damian. When Elon asked, the swarm of grey shadows desperately explained the situation. ¡°The guards of that family were stricter than expected, but it was easy to kidnap her because those disguised as workers were professionals. But¡­¡± The grey shadow stuttered. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know that His Highness would come¡­.¡± Elon¡¯s sky blue eyes gleamed coldly. ¡°So you failed.¡± ¡°¡­I have no excuse to say.¡± The grey shadow bowed its head. Count Mori was watching the situation on the side, and asked. ¡°What kind of girl was she?¡¯ ¡°She¡¯s very weak, and except for her good looks, she is just a normal girl.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her personality like?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure since I didn¡¯t really interact with her.¡± Elon uttered coldly. ¡°Why do you ask such useless things?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? The crown prince, who slaughters people as a hobby, rushed after a woman like a madman.¡± Mori cupped his chin. ¡°He¡¯s totally crazy. We trained people to imitate that woman, and all of them ended up dead on his hand.¡± Tuk, tuk. His fingers tapped on the table. ¡°I¡¯m curious. He¡¯s doing so well on keeping his head together all this time, but what¡¯s gotten into him now?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mori glanced at Elon. ¡°That guy is crazy.¡± His sky blue eyes were freezing. ¡°And so do I.¡± Elon closed his eyes. The imperial palace reminded him of the blonde hair tied up high. Her familiar back view was ingrained deep in his mind. Her confident back and flowing blond hair were more familiar than her face. Since Lerine always looked forward. During their apprenticeship, they often quarrelled a lot due to their equal skill. Because of her stubborn personality, she didn¡¯t want to lose to anyone, even in a quarrel. But she would never upset anyone. She was that kind of person. Even an unruly subordinate became calm when he was with Lerine. That¡¯s how much Lerine could blend with anyone. The Knight General recognized her talent, and Lerine became the first among the apprentices who entered the Order. He thought it was just a childhood zest. He thought it was just friendship, jealousy, and admiration. But it wasn¡¯t. Even though he knew that Lerine only smiled sincerely when she was next to Signus. His heart toward Lerine, he was unable to stop it. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to put his back against hers. Even if they didn¡¯t get along well and fought every day, he wanted to stick close to her. That didn¡¯t change until a year ago. ¡®Until she died for Signus!¡¯ Elon¡¯s face was distorted. He wasn¡¯t even aware that he poured out his hatred on the wrong man. And he had no intention of stopping his seething anger toward Signus. Because, Signus failed to protect her. He should be able to stop it. He could have done that much. Signus was an excellent man with incredible strength and skills. There was no excuse for him. He must stop her from using that power. He was right next to her, so he should have protected her at all costs. But he let her die. Elon recalled Signus¡¯ golden eyes. An arrogant person who got everything handed to him. A heartless man with noble blood. Elon had lived his life only looking at Lerine, but even that was taken away from him. The flames soared in Elon¡¯s eyes. [Do you need power?] The snake sign engraved on his hand turned red. Elen looked up, ignoring the ridicule of the demon who tried to swallow him up. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Sitting in the bed, I blinked my tired eyes. Unable to fight back my drowsiness. ¡°By the way, captain is a little late. It shouldn¡¯t take that long.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± I replied curtly. But soon, the parlor door opened, revealing the captain¡¯s dispirited figure and reddish eyes. ¡°Captain, captain!¡± Ulysse called the captain who had a bit of a sniffle. Ulysse, followed by the butler behind, walked up to him as he swept his face roughly. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you get scolded by His Highness?¡± ¡°Oh, this is quite personal¡­yes, I got scolded.¡± The captain scratched his head. Then the butler asked. ¡°What did he scold you for?¡± ¡°He said, if this is how you do your job, you¡¯d better quit and die. How can a mere captain guard like you have the nerve to let your guard down.¡± Oh my god. Ulysse and the butler felt sorry for him. Looking at their sympathetic expressions, the captain lifted the corner of his lips. ¡°His Highness is right. It¡¯s entirely my fault that my lady was kidnapped. I shouldn¡¯t have let my guard down¡­¡± The captain bowed his head. ¡°I apologize, my lady.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± To be fair, I also did the same. ¡°Still, considering that both of you are well-acquainted, isn¡¯t he being too harsh?¡± ¡°I think so, too. He¡¯s being so inconsiderate.¡± Listening to Ulysse and the butler, I directed my gaze on the captain. He somehow looked embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s only for a short while.¡± Does this person know Signus? How? ¡°What¡¯s there to scold him for? Navian was found thanks to the captain who disguised as a member of the crew.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Telling a savior to quit and die is too much.¡± The captain responded as if he was relieved to hear Ulysse and the butler¡¯s exaggerated reproach. ¡°I must say, the fact that my lady was right in the place where I hid is truly-¡± ¡°A relief, isn¡¯t it?¡± Everyone was struck frozen by the cool voice heard from behind. ¡°If that child died, everyone¡¯s heads would¡¯ve been rolling by now.¡± All of a sudden, Signus came out of the parlor and approached us. Having felt their hearts drop, Ulysse tidying up the herbs as if nothing happened, and the butler pretended to wipe the dust off the table. Of course, neither of them could hide their trembling hands. Amid the suffocating atmosphere, Signus approached me and asked. ¡°What about your medicine?¡± ¡°I ate it.¡± ¡°Then get ready. You¡¯re the last one to interview.¡± My anxiety went through the roof at his words. Personal information, educational background, and family status passed through my mind, but I couldn¡¯t squeeze any answer out of my mouth. Ah, whatever. I shot my gaze up after reassuring myself that everything would work out just fine. Then his red lips opened. ¡°What is your opinion of the people in this house?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± ¡°What kind of people are they?¡± Such an unexpected question. I thought he was teasing me, but his eyes were so serious that I adjusted myself to answer seriously. ¡°They¡¯re very warm and nice people.¡± When they stayed up all night for me, not a single complaint escaped their mouths. When I insisted on walking around the garden for three weeks, they tirelessly helped me without a hint of irritation. They sincerely expressed their worries everyday. Whether if I was eating well, felt like collapsing, or feeling sick anywhere. In the absence of Signus, the touch that woke me up from my nightmares was warm enough for me to shed tears. ¡°To the point I feel as though their warmness and kindness are more than what I deserve.¡± His sharp eyes bent to half a moon. ¡°That¡¯s all I need to hear.¡± I blinked vacantly, and asked. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Do you even know anything? You said you¡¯ve been lying in bed all your life.¡± I clamped my hand over my mouth instantly. He was right. ¡°I got what I wanted to know already. It¡¯ll take some time, but when I arrange¡­the¡­¡± He slurred the end of his words. ¡°Damn it. Why now of all times¡­¡± Wobble-! his body stumbled. ¡°Your Highness!¡± I jolted up from my bed. I moved my stiff hands, reaching out to his arm and shouted. ¡°What¡¯s going on?! What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± His body was stiff. As expected, he overexerted himself. He took care of me for three days straight without a rest, and for some unknown reason, he came all the way here to interview dozens of people. ¡°Back off.¡± Signus knocked my hand off and blinked slowly. His reddish eyes slightly trembled. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± I bit my lips at his words. He looked in pain, so was the wound in the hand that pushed me away. He clenched his fist. My heart sank whenever his injured hand trembled. He stayed like that for quite a long time. ¡°Lie down, Navian.¡± I turned my head. Disinfectants, needles and threads were lined on the silver tray that Ulysse brought. ¡°Let me look after him. I was going to treat him after the interview anyway.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Calm down for now.¡± I nibbled my lips anxiously. I couldn¡¯t control my expression. I was worried about his exhausted face and his body that was skinnier than before. ¡°Let me take a look, Your Highness.¡± Ulysse looked at Signus. ¡°This energy¡­.¡± Ulysse briefly clicked his tongue as he looked at Signus¡¯ hand. His face gradually became serious the more he examined the wound. ¡°It¡¯s worse than I thought.¡± Not only was his hand torn here and there, the spots where the glass pieces stuck turned black. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a minor wound, your bones are damaged. And your wrist¡­¡± There were countless deep scars engraved on his white wrist. ¡°Did you get stabbed by a sword?¡± ¡°Yeah. I had to break the protective gear made by the temple.¡± His low-pitched voice made me frozen. ¡°Your nerves are cut in half. Didn¡¯t you get proper treatment? You must have paralysis from time to time.¡± ¡°I was out of my mind.¡± A small smirk spread over Signus¡¯ face. ¡°Somebody sacrificed her life as she pleased.¡± It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all because of me. I closed my eyes tightly and chewed my lips as the agony soared in my heart. ¡°I get it.¡± I raised my head at his soothing voice. Before I knew it, Signus was looking at me. ¡°I get it. So stop making that face.¡± What¡¯s wrong with my face? ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to cry.¡± Signus turned his back on me and held out his wounded hand to Ulysse. ¡°Just do it fast.¡± Ulysse and the butler exchanged glances. Then they smirked as if they had waited for this moment. ¡°Then I¡¯ll start disinfecting it.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a jug of disinfectants poured out into his beautiful hand. Drip, drip-! As the liquid dripped onto the floor, the foam was bubbling on his hand. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I couldn¡¯t watch anymore, so I opened my mouth. ¡°At this rate, you¡¯re going to melt his hand.¡± ¡°People¡¯s hands don¡¯t melt so easily.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say nonsense so calmly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth. Had he received treatment on time, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Is that so? I was convinced by his words, but I still couldn¡¯t shake off my uneasiness. ¡°Some places need to be stitched. Will you be okay? Of course you will. Then I¡¯ll start right away.¡± Ulysse, who didn¡¯t give Signus a chance to answer, already wore his gloves before I knew it. Looking at the needle and thread in his hands, I instinctively chimed in. ¡°Hold on.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°You need to anesthetize it first.¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot.¡± Wow, if I didn¡¯t tell him, he would¡¯ve just stitched it up. As expected, there¡¯s no way Ulysse wasn¡¯t a quack. I thought I should report him to the Imperial Palace for malpractice and get his medical license removed. But Ulysse, who didn¡¯t know what I was thinking, smirked. ¡°But what can I do? There¡¯s no anaesthetic.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°While I was away in the North, my colleagues who came here to help me used it all.¡± Ulysse turned his head to Signus. ¡°So I will have to stitch your hand without anaesthesia. Will that be okay?¡± As if it¡¯ll be okay! ¡°I¡¯d prefer that.¡± I turned my head to someone¡¯s voice that was mixed with laughter. What do you mean you prefer that? Are you a pervert or what? ¡°Ahh. I see.¡± Ulysse, who sounded a little angry, pricked the needle into his hand without any warning. ¡°If it hurts a lot, you can scream.¡± A chain of gasping resounded in the room every time the needle got into his flesh. Ulysse stitched his hand slowly and skillfully. As if he deliberately wanted to make Signus cry out in pain. However, Signus didn¡¯t even change his expression, and it was me who was restless. ¡°Is there any herb that reduces pain? How can you stitch up his flesh just like that?¡± ¡°But he¡¯s holding it in pretty well.¡± When Ulysse answered curtly, I quickly turned to the butler. ¡°Butler, go to the herb field-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look away.¡± He cut me off. His golden eyes that were tinged with red energy tied me up. ¡°That¡¯s right. Just look at me like that.¡± Everyone held their breath. Silence lingered in the medical room, and even time seemed to have stopped. The red energy still lingered around his golden eyes. The red color, which moved as if to devour his sun-like golden eyes, shook violently as if fighting to conquer space. ¡°Blood.¡± Signus mumbled, closing his eyes slowly. ¡°Your Highness, if you move¡­.!¡± He grabbed the needle even before Ulysse could react. Snap-! The needle broke. Blood flowed from the wound that had been pierced by the needle. ¡°See.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it¡¯ll be over soon?¡± As he said, the red energy inside his golden eyes had disappeared. ¡°¡­.By any chance.¡± His gaze was telling me to continue speaking, so I moved my mouth stiffly. ¡°Are you feeling bored? Or are you feeling unmotivated in life¡­.¡± ¡°Are you asking if I¡¯m depressed?¡± I gave him a positive look. Otherwise, why would he hurt himself all of a sudden? ¡°I lived because I couldn¡¯t die.¡± His golden eyes sank. There were emotions that could not be expressed by words. ¡°All the good people¡­¡± As I was wondering what he meant by that, he lifted his gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of all the expenses. Your territory and mansion are already under construction.¡± Huh? You mean Yeronimo¡¯s mansion in the southeast? ¡°People from the imperial palace will be coming here too. I¡¯ll give you everything you¡¯ve asked for, so take it. Ask for more if it¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°But, we¡¯ve already repaired all the broken parts¡­.¡± The marquis asked why it was a construction instead, and Signus replied. ¡°The problem is the mansion itself.¡± ¡°No, what¡¯s wrong with our mansion¡­.¡± Signus asked sternly. ¡°Have you gone senile already?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Otherwise there¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know that the state of your mansion is worrying.¡± The marquis¡¯ face was horribly crumpled. ¡°You know that there are people who threaten and keep your family in check. Looking at their deranged mental state, it is possible that they would storm your mansion and wreak havoc. Then what do you expect me to do? Of course I have to be more prepared than ever.¡± Signus raised his finger. ¡°First of all, get rid of that wretched, broken-down mansion at once. That one must be a priority, but there¡¯s something that bothers me the most.¡± What Signus pointed at was the window. ¡°It¡¯s unnecessarily big.¡± ¡°Navian is a homebody, it was set up like that so the sunlight could-¡± ¡°Then you should¡¯ve put bars on it. One can easily climb up if they set their mind to it.¡± The marquis was a little embarrassed as if he hadn¡¯t thought of such a thing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. Who would come up here?¡± ¡°There is.¡± ¡°Who?¡± The golden eyes were bent into half-moon. ¡°Me.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 28 Chapter 28 As the Marquis tensed up, Signus gravely asked. ¡°Do I need to say this first for you to put the bars up on your window?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. You have to be prepared for all possibilities. The most important thing is her safety.¡± Hearing Signus¡¯ reproachful remark, Ulysse asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why do you care about Navian so much?¡¯ Watching Ulysse who sounded angry for some reason, Signus answered nonchalantly. ¡°She¡¯s my fiance, after all.¡± Ulysse made a weirded-out expression at his words. ¡°But¡­.¡± ¡°What else could it be?¡± I know, right? I already accepted the engagement. But Ulysse was still making a strange expression. The marquis who had been silent chimed in as if he just had remembered something. ¡°Your Highness, the engagement ceremony¡­.¡± Ahh, that? Signus mumbled, and then said with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ve processed the documents, you don¡¯t need to worry. Let¡¯s set the date later.¡± The way he answered so casually made me puzzled. Didn¡¯t you say you were in a hurry so you can¡¯t wait any longer? But Signus swiftly changed the subject as if he had read my mind. ¡°Anyways, just know that I¡¯m gonna send everything you need. You just need to use it well. Don¡¯t be stubborn, unless you want to see this girl in a dangerous situation again.¡± ¡°What do you mean, dangerous?¡± ¡°Did you forget already? I went to pick you up, didn¡¯t I?¡± Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped upon remembering that fact. I reckoned there were few people that saw us at the main gate. ¡°I have a lot of enemies. I will provide everything for your family, but it¡¯ll be dangerous if you just rely on that and lower your guard.¡± I was bothered by something and voiced my concern. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a dangerous situation as well, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s dangerous. The whole empire will turn into a sea of fire.¡± Unlike his bizarre remark, his golden eyes gleamed briskly. ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this dangerous situation.¡± Signus mumbled something ambiguously and stood up. Everyone quickly adjusted their postures as soon as they saw Signus getting ready to leave, and instinctively, I tried to sit up with my back straight. But a big hand pressed my shoulder lightly. Soon, a dangerously low voice was heard. ¡°You should be careful, too.¡± About what? ¡°If you disappear, you¡¯ll see me run rampant again.¡± At that time, there was a loud thudding sound from something falling. Everyone turned their head to the door. Claire, Julia, Elizabeth and Vivi stood there with their mouths wide open. Flower bouquets and gift boxes that the girls brought rolled on the floor. Despite the noise that interrupted him, Signus continued without a care in the world. ¡°So don¡¯t think about going outside and just stay still. If you¡¯re lonely, call your friends over to play with you.¡± The women he inferred were still frozen in place. ¡°Do you understand? You just need to lay in bed and squander away my wealth until the engagement ceremony.¡± The corner of his rosy lips went up. ¡°If you get up one more time, you¡¯d die for real this time.¡± Signus smirked arrogantly at me and turned around without a hitch. ¡°Doctor.¡± Ulysse, who had been frozen, raised his eyes. ¡°Get what I said earlier immediately.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡± What did you say earlier? I was curious, but this time, Signus¡¯ eyes went to the captain. ¡°Protect her well.¡± The captain bowed silently as Signus passed by him. The end of his cape fluttered around his long legs. It was such a spectacular exit. ¡°A Crown Princess?¡± The ladies were surprised when I replied to Julia¡¯s question positively. Claire, who was channeling her healing energy into me, broke into tears and buried her face on my lap. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please stop crying.¡± Elizabeth, who had a gloomy complexion, tapped Claire¡¯s thin shoulder to rebuke her. ¡°Keep your voice down, Claire. She¡¯s a patient.¡± ¡°Elly is an idiot! How can you be so calm? Don¡¯t you know what that tyrant is famous for?¡± Claire raised her tearful face. ¡°Do you even know the meaning of an engagement? It¡¯s a promise to share your future! Navian is going to live her whole life with a womanizer!¡± Claire buried her face on my lap again. ¡°How can you live with such a person¡­huu¡­¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°How can I calm down! Navian¡¯s brand new life is completely over!¡± Claire, who spoke about my life as it was her own, cried her eyes out. ¡°But¡­.¡± When I raised my eyes, Julia and Vivi exchanged glances with each other. ¡°His Highness¡¯ attitude was a bit different from the rumor, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah. The way he treats Navian is a bit ¡­.¡± Claire refuted their words at lightning speed. ¡°Hmph! He must be pretending to be sweet.¡± Sweet? That guy is sweet, you say? I laughed a little, perhaps because I never really saw him treating me sweetly. The bawling Claire refuted again. ¡°He¡¯s been living a promiscuous life. Who¡¯s to say that he won¡¯t bring in a mistress after the marriage? Huh?!¡± I was of the same mind as her, but I brushed it off and said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± Claire turned her head to me. ¡°Whether he brings in a mistress or dating another woman, I¡¯m already prepared for that. That¡¯s what a noble marriage is.¡± I had witnessed such a thing a lot when I was a knight. A nobleman left his sick wife and children at home, while he spent a steamy night with his mistress outside. At the tea party, what surprised me the most was the fact that Signus had changed for the worse, not because he was a womanizer. It wasn¡¯t that surprising to get married and to meet another lover. ¡°Really?¡± Claire blinked vacantly. ¡°Are you fine with His Highness meeting another woman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I blurted it out so casually. ¡°I¡¯m just one of them anyway.¡± It was a normal routine for aristocrats to have mistresses, change partners, and kill people. I personally hated that part of aristocratic customs very much, but that was simply my opinion. And it would be easier to assume that Signus had turned into one of those rotten noblemen. Crash! I heard something breaking somewhere, but I brushed it off, thinking that the marquis had caused another accident, and continued. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. I can¡¯t possibly reject the royal decree, anyway.¡± I just need to do one thing. ¡°His Highness said he needed me. So I¡¯m going to help.¡± To be exact, he needed someone with Yeronimo¡¯s last name. ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t need you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just leave.¡± Claire suddenly raised her head. ¡°Then run away now! You¡¯re going to leave anyway!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll seriously die if I get caught.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can just disappear without a trace! I¡¯ll help you!¡± Looking at the flames in her blue eyes, I shook my head firmly. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I chuckled small. ¡°I made a promise.¡± I made a vow to dedicate my whole life to Signus. I had sworn on my life and took it as my life principle. Even if my body had changed, my will to protect my friend and my only master didn¡¯t change. ¡°I will try to help him as much as I can. Whether getting engaged or getting married to him, or becoming a crown princess in name only.¡± Except for taking off my clothes however he wanted, of course. Claire pouted when she saw my unwavering expression. ¡°What if he gives you a hard time? What if he abuses you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stay still. I will curse at him, torment him, and hit him too.¡± The young ladies were looking at me with eyes wide open, and I continued talking. ¡°What I mean by helping him is to share my power. I¡¯m not saying that he can treat me carelessly.¡± Silence ensued. Elizabeth, who had been silent, burst into laughter. ¡°That¡¯s so like you, Navian.¡± What? I threw a confused gaze at her, and she continued. ¡°I knew that you wouldn¡¯t bend so easily no matter who¡¯s your partner.¡± Elizabeth put her hand underneath her chin. ¡°Well, at least His Highness is treating you differently.¡± Does he treat me differently? I was blown away because even Elizabeth, who looked a bit indifferent, was saying the same thing. ¡°But I¡¯m glad that you look brave. I was worried after hearing the rumor, but I feel relieved now.¡± ¡°What rumor?¡± ¡°His Highness sent a carriage to your residence.¡± Julian and Vivi responded. ¡°I heard you both even rode a carriage together.¡± ¡°I knew that he did that because of the recent monster attack, but how can I stay still when I hear that?¡± Claire muttered with a worried expression too. ¡°I was worried, so I came to see you right away, and they said you were kidnapped. Even His Highness is here today. I can¡¯t believe such an incident happened.¡± Elizabeth held my hand tightly. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s a good thing that we came. It¡¯ll be better with more people than alone.¡± Julia nodded eagerly, and said. ¡°If you have any difficulty or concern, tell me anything. I¡¯ll be by your side.¡± Vivi also added. ¡°More than that, your body needs to get better first. Your complexion and voice aren¡¯t good, you¡¯re going to faint again at this rate.¡± Their faces were seriously filled with concern. I couldn¡¯t understand why they were acting this way, so I asked. ¡°Why?¡± As I was still confused, Claire¡¯s voice rang clearly in my ears. ¡°Because we¡¯re friends.¡± I was puzzled by her immediate answer. We only spent half a day together, not even one day. We didn¡¯t have time to build a strong bond. We only chatted and drank tea. Why are you so worried about me? The capital was said to be dangerous. Despite countless warnings not to come out, they still visited me. Even those who had a blood relation did not go this far. Even when I lived in the same house as my parents, the walls in our hearts did not crumble. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t understand why these people were closing their distance so easily. ¡°Don¡¯t keep it all to yourself. We are here with you.¡± I clenched my fist upon hearing Julia¡¯s sweet voice. I wanted to say that I didn¡¯t deserve to get such treatment from them, and that I have nothing to repay them no matter how well they treat me, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that. I felt like I was going to tear up for unknown reasons. ¡°Listen carefully.¡± A serious atmosphere lingered in the medical office where the young ladies and I stayed. Mainly because the young ladies who sat in a circle around the bed on which I was lying started the meeting. ¡°The Yeronimo family has long been famous. There were many people who were jealous of the marquis¡¯ achievements and Doctor Ulysse¡¯s abilities. But if Navian gets engaged with the crown prince¡­¡± Julia, who blurred the end of her words, continued with a serious expression. ¡°In other words, Navian is currently in a very dangerous position. For now, I will tell you the information I know about the Imperial Palace.¡± It was a matter that I knew so well. But since everyone looked too tense, I decided to open my mouth. ¡°Please speak comfortably. You can just take it easy.¡± Talking formally was like an occupational disease. It was the same for Anna and Ulysse. It was a bit scary to have a habit that couldn¡¯t be fixed even after death. ¡°Can I do that?¡± ¡°Yes. We promised to do that last time, didn¡¯t we?¡± Julia looked delighted by what I said. ¡°Yes, I remember that¡­.¡± The young ladies¡¯ faces brightened in an instant. Vivi chuckled and raised her fist up. ¡°Yeay! We are inseparable buddies now!¡± Are we buddies just because we speak casually now? I chuckled inside because it was cute. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, kay?¡± Vivi cleared her throat. ¡°It is said that His Highness likes to change his woman so easily, right? Veramin said women had been going in and out of the Imperial Palace for two weeks.¡± Who¡¯s Veramin? Ah, it must be the knight apprentice that Vivi has been seeing. ¡°Navian. Isn¡¯t it a month ago when the royal decree went down?¡± Nod, nod. ¡°Was it a week ago when you first met His Highness?¡± That¡¯s right. ¡°He said that the women came to the Imperial Palace in the first week of the month. Meanwhile, His Highness met Navian in the third week. Then¡­.¡± Then what? ¡°His Highness has not called women in since he met Navian.¡± Elizabeth calmly refuted Vivi¡¯s words. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he still met another woman even after sending the royal decree.¡± Soon, Julia and Vivi also agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s so mean.¡± ¡°Right. He still did that even if he had a fiance. It¡¯s unforgivable.¡± Claire crumpled her face. ¡°Oh gosh, I told you I have a good eye for men.¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 What¡¯s wrong with everyone? ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± I spilled out the information only I knew with much hesitation. ¡°He has a reason to be engaged with me. That¡¯s probably why he acted differently.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± Come to think of it, I couldn¡¯t really hear the answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He told me to discover the reason on my own.¡± The young ladies¡¯ faces were crumpled hearing my words. ¡°I heard His Highness visited the temple a lot these days. Is it because of that?¡± Temple? ¡°From what I heard from my father, he has frequented the temple since a month ago. There are many high-ranking priests in the capital temple, you see.¡± Julia continued, ¡°Maybe he received some sort of oracle?¡± What would the oracle be if it were true? If you take the esteemed daughter of Yeronimo as the Crown Princess, you will receive enormous wealth and honor. Is that it? For such a dull person like me, that was the only thing that came to mind. ¡°Should I ask my grandfather?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Claire. ¡°My grandfather is an expert at this matter. He¡¯s ridiculously good at analyzing the future, too.¡± Who¡¯s her grandfather? While I was puzzled, Elizabeth shouted out of frustration. ¡°It¡¯s Lord Verus, Claire! You should mention the best medical scientist in the empire with his honorable name!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true that he¡¯s my grandfather.¡± ¡°Claire!¡± I was a little surprised to hear a familiar name. ¡°You were his granddaughter?¡± ¡°Yeah. My grandfather is also the teacher of Navian¡¯s brother.¡± As I listened more, it suddenly occurred to me that Claire was a mixed child of the fairy family. It was such an exceptional family. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask my grandfather for information!¡± ¡°Nevermind. Don¡¯t do that.¡± When Claire was about to rise, I hurriedly grabbed her wrist to stop her. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He must be busy with his work in the imperial palace. Lord Damian is not in a good condition either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d spare some time for a brief talk with me.¡± ¡°Actually, Ulysse didn¡¯t even know that the royal decree would arrive. It¡¯s highly likely that Lord Venus doesn¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°¡­Still!¡± ¡°Claire.¡± I gazed at her pure blue eyes and spoke firmly. ¡°Being able to read celestial energy is an exclusive talent. Obviously, possessing such ability will come with a responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I am grateful that you are thinking about me. However, please don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Elizabeth sided with me. ¡°Navian is right. Lord Aslan also suffered from the aftereffects of the incident. Lord Verus won¡¯t have that much free time.¡± Claire became sullen. Julia and Vivi looked gloomy as well. ¡°Please keep your head up. The heart you gave me is enough. I will be more careful from now on.¡± I was grateful that they helped me, but I must deal with this on my own. ¡°Allow me to help you.¡± Everyone turned their eyes to Elizabeth. She beckoned the servant with a smile on her face. ¡°Bring me a piece of paper and a quill pen to write a letter on.¡± As soon as the servant went out, Claire asked. ¡°Who are you going to send a letter to?¡± ¡°His Highness Signus¡¯ ex-fiance.¡± I raised my head at once. ¡°Do you mean Lady Ayaran of the ducal family?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Elizabeth chuckled small when she saw me tense up. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s the only one who can help Navian.¡± After the young ladies left, I leaned on the bed as I looked at the sky. The sight of the golden sunset turning red was very beautiful. Signus¡¯ eyes turned red, too. He didn¡¯t seem to be in good health. So I looked down at my white hands. My hands barely moved because the paralysis had gone. I can talk to Aya? I never thought about that before. Because I didn¡¯t mean to approach her. If not for the royal decree, I wouldn¡¯t have met Signus. Fortunately, I was able to enter the Imperial Palace, and I thought about how nice it¡¯d be if I could watch her from afar. How can I be this lucky? Starting from knowing Lady Julia of the Philter family, who was good at socializing. Claire, the granddaughter of Lord Verus, a living legend in the medical world. Vivi, the lover of an aspiring knight who was well aware of the situation inside of the Imperial Palace. Even Elizabeth, who was acquainted with the ducal family. All of them helped me. How can I pay back their kindness? I sighed deeply at the thought of me becoming greatly indebted to them. But soon, I heard a knock. Knock. Knock. ¡°Come on in.¡± And then the marquis and Ulysse came in. ¡°Why are you still knocking when this is not my room, but your office?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to disturb you when you¡¯re resting. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling better. I¡¯ll go to my room now so you can work.¡± I was about to get up, Ulysse and the marquis stopped me. ¡°Just lie down!¡± I lay back on the bed as they seemed to have something to say. ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­ahem. Do you want to go to the palace with father?¡± What? ¡°I have something to tend to in the Imperial Palace. Well, that is, the duke asked for my help to prepare for the festival.¡± So what does that have to do with me? At my inquiring gaze, the marquis scratched his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you send a letter to the duchy? I think it¡¯s better to get their help. Since there are two weeks left until the festival¡­.¡± I squinted my eyes cynically. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were eavesdropping on our conversation?¡± The marquis and Ulysse¡¯s faces twitched before stammered an answer. ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be! I-I just thought that you probably miss the Imperial Palace¡­¡± What an obvious lie. I would go to the Imperial Palace once they opened the castle anyway. ¡°D-Don¡¯t get me wrong! T-The door was open! Plus the mansion is especially quiet¡­¡± So I quietly asked. ¡°The one who was shocked by what the young ladies said earlier¡­it¡¯s you two, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You broke something this time.¡± The marquis noticed my serious expression and muttered. ¡°¡­Plant.¡± Hearing that, I sighed deeply and asked them. ¡°Since when did you hear the conversation?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. From the middle, I guess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, father. We only heard the last part.¡± Ulysse said. That means you heard it from the beginning. Who are you fooling? ¡°Anyway! That¡¯s not important, so let¡¯s move on.¡± The marquis, who tried to change the topic, continued speaking. ¡°This is a good thing. It¡¯s a little embarrassing, but I was going to ask the duke for help.¡± The Duchy of Cyben was indeed a noble family known to be difficult to have an audience with. One shouldn¡¯t waste a chance to meet them. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the daughters connect with each other like this.¡± The marquis laughed and asked me one more time. ¡°What do you say? Do you want to go to the Imperial Palace?¡± I laughed at his words, too. ¡°Yes.¡± It worked pretty well for me, too. At first, I was worried about how to bring up this matter to them. ¡°Then, next week¡­.¡± ¡°No. Tomorrow is fine with me¡± The marquis was startled. ¡°B-But you haven¡¯t recovered yet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can go, father.¡± Ulysse also tried to persuade me. ¡°You need to rest more.¡± ¡°I said I can move.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t overdo it¡­¡± So I asked them with a serious look. ¡°Then, do you want to bet?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The marquis and Ulysse made tearful faces. I thought their silence meant that they gave me permission. They¡¯re given up so fast now. As expected, my effort to join the tea party wasn¡¯t all for naught. But then Ulysse asked me. ¡°Can you postpone it until next week?¡± ¡°Do you agree to do the bet?¡± ¡°¡­can¡¯t you go 6 days later? No, 5 days later?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ulysse looked depressed. ¡°I have to give a report to His Highness.¡± I remembered that Signus told Ulysse to give him something before. That was a report? ¡°It¡¯s impossible to write a report in just one day. It¡¯ll take another 5 days for me to finish it.¡± ¡°What does that have anything to do with postponing my visit to the Imperial Palace?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a report about you.¡± Huh? Me? ¡°His Highness asked me to write down everything about Navian and sent it to him. From her food allergies, lifestyle, place and time of birth, and even family relationships!¡± The marquis asked as if he was dumbfounded. ¡°What¡¯s the point of knowing that?¡± ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know?! Of course, he¡¯s interested in Navian!¡± ¡°Gosh, he has a good eye for women.¡± ¡°I know right. That sly bastard.¡± I really couldn¡¯t understand why the ladies and these two were acting like this. In addition, there was something else that I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°But why does it take you 5 days to write about me?¡± ¡°5 days are not enough. There are so many things to write.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with father, so please write well.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go with you to watch your back.¡± Watch my back? What do you mean? ¡°Did you forget already? You¡¯ll be in trouble if you run into His Highness.¡± I was spaced out for a moment. -So don¡¯t think about going outside and just stay still. If you¡¯re lonely, call your friends over to play with you. -Do you understand? You just need to lay in bed and squander away my wealth until the engagement ceremony.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I felt so stupid for forgetting that. Signus lived in the Imperial Palace. How could I forget such a thing? I almost got in trouble. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go in five days.¡± The gaze directed to me was filled with worries, so I opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being stubborn, but I can¡¯t postpone it any longer.¡± There were two things to check. One is related to the prophetic dream about the fall of the empire, and the other one is¡­. ¡®Li!¡¯ The gorgeous red hair fluttered in front of my eyes. Recalling Ayaran¡¯s bright smile, I murmured unknowingly. ¡°I miss you, lady.¡± To the point, I couldn¡¯t wait to meet her. ¡°¡­I should stay up all night from now on.¡± Ulysse sighed and swept his hair up. Early in the morning. Leo and Droop went to Signus¡¯ room to report on the monster¡¯s subjugation result. ¡°Your Highness. It¡¯s Leo and Droop.¡± When there was no answer from inside, Leo opened the door and entered as usual. ¡°Your Hi-¡± The two knights stopped their stride because they saw an unbelievable sight right in front of them. Signus was sleeping peacefully. Avita¡¯s symbolic black hair is scattered over the white sheet. The dark energy was nowhere to be found. Leo and Droop were silently astonished by Signus¡¯ rare appearance. ¡°¡­.¡± So the two quietly left the room. Droop, who closed the door with a dazed face, muttered to Leo. ¡°How long has he been suffering from insomnia?¡± ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s been a year.¡± The two knights were frozen to the spot. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Clack. ¡°Signus.¡± The servants who were cleaning Signus¡¯ room turned their heads at once. ¡°Lord Aslan.¡± The servants greeted the man with a sickly complexion named Aslan. He then asked. ¡°You¡¯ve worked so hard. Where¡¯s Signus?¡± ¡°He went to the parlor.¡± ¡°Parlor? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s at it again¡­.¡± Aslan was about to warn the servants to run for their lives, but the servant answered. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed since he has a lot of work to do.¡± As if he couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard, Aslan asked. ¡°¡­Work?¡± ¡°The Kingdom of Clan has started the invasion of Cecil in the east.¡± A middle-aged nobleman in charge of the eastern region began to talk. ¡°A country that lacks iron will naturally aim for a region that is rich in minerals like Cecil.¡± The nobleman humbly bowed his head. ¡°Please give me an order to launch the first attack, Your Highness.¡± Droop, who stood behind Signus, was busy speculating about what Signus was going to say. [It¡¯s your area. Deal with it yourself. If you¡¯re this useless, you¡¯d better off die.] [Why can¡¯t you move without an order? How do you keep your family afloat with that stupid head of yours?] [No, just gather the troops. If they came to invade, join forces with the east and kill those useless bastards all at once.] After listing all the possible answers, Droop slowly nodded. ¡®The last one is the most plausible.¡¯ The middle-aged nobleman had been communicating with the royal family through letters, so he never saw Signus in person before. When Droop was worried about the nobleman¡¯s safety, suddenly he heard a low voice. ¡°If you lose, I will destroy the east.¡± The nobleman raised his head. ¡°Does that mean¡­.¡± The corner of Signus¡¯ rosy lips went up. His smile looked even more dazzling today. His unusual bright face caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Bring me news of victory.¡± The middle-aged nobleman exclaimed with a bright face. ¡°I will surely bring you news of victory!¡± Leo and Droop exchanged gaze. The two knights were frozen in place even though the next nobleman came in. Droop and Leo were patrolling around the Imperial Palace. The two, who were greeted by servants as they walked by, stopped by at the ministry of finance department. It was a complete mess. ¡°What happened to the cost of goods that you handed over last week?¡± When asked by a messy-haired nobleman, a nobleman who loosened his clothes answered. ¡°Be patient. I still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°What? Then what about the materials acquired through the trade?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m still doing it now?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me now? I told you I need to get approval by today.¡± Thump! The nobleman who loosened his clothes slammed the table. His fierce gesture sent the piled-up papers in a flurry. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m so busy right now? If you¡¯re in such a hurry, then you should do it instead!¡± ¡°What kind of bullshit are you spouting? You must organize it quickly and hand it over to me so I can get His Highness¡¯ autograph!¡± Their voices became louder and louder. ¡°Hey, It was five days ago that the work started to pile up so suddenly, even before that I still have a heap of unfinished work to do. What do you even know!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. Are you the only one who is busy here? I stayed up all night for a whole 3 days!¡± People from the Ministry of Finance, who had been working like crazy, shouted on top of their lungs. ¡°Only 3 days? It¡¯s been 4 days for me!¡± ¡°I was on duty 5 days ago! I haven¡¯t even gone home yet!¡± ¡°So what? Do you wanna brag about it?¡± ¡°Yeah! I want to brag so bad!¡± The two knights stood still watching their never ending bickering. ¡°Hey! Move out the way!¡± The nobleman shoved Leo and Droop with his shoulders and muttered. ¡°Why are you blocking the door when I¡¯m so busy?¡± Looking at his staggering steps and how he treats the knights like luggage, he seemed to be so dead tired. ¡°Here, a present for you.¡± Meanwhile, another nobleman put down a bunch of documents on the table. ¡°¡­What the hell is all this¡­¡± ¡°¡­.Don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s a new document.¡± This crazy bastard. The bickering nobles let out a curse at the same time. The same was true of other people who flocked around them. ¡°When¡¯s the deadline?¡± The nobleman who put down the document smiled brightly. ¡°2 hours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Silence occupied the previously boisterous office of the Ministry of Finance. The messy-haired nobleman started to pull out his hair in frustration. ¡°Your Highnessssssssss!¡± ¡°The Imperial Palace is in a mess today.¡± The marquis muttered inside the moving carriage. Ulysse, who stayed up all night writing the report, had gone to the Imperial Palace before us. ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± I got permission from the captain to come out, but the situation seemed a little bit strange. At that time, I heard the guards in the main gate whispering to each other. ¡°Did you hear the news? His Highness has been working for the past few days.¡± ¡°He stopped drinking and slept.¡± I was surprised to hear that. I didn¡¯t know that Signus enjoyed drinking alcohol now. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me started. A few days ago, he encouraged a noble who wanted to attack the enemy country and gave him support!¡± The guard snorted in disbelief. ¡°Who are you trying to fool? His Highness working is the biggest joke I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not joking. Ask the knights!¡± ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll ask right away¡­!¡± The guards who were about to look for the knight, flinched when they saw us and bowed their heads in haste. ¡°It¡¯s the rumored Young Lady, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hearing the guards whispering among themselves, the marquis and the captain looked at each other. I could guess what they were thinking, but I don¡¯t care about that now. I just wanted to meet Ayaran as soon as possible. ¡°Elaine.¡± I raised my gaze to a familiar voice. A dignified man with red hair was approaching us. ¡°Duke!¡± ¡°Welcome.¡± The two hugged each other lightly, and then the Duke asked. ¡°I thought you¡¯d come next week. Why did you come so early?¡± ¡°I want to introduce my daughter.¡± Old man. You should¡¯ve said that you are here for work! ¡°Say hello to the Duke of Cyben, Navian.¡± ¡°I greet Your Grace the Duke of Cyben.¡± I bowed with my hands on my chest like a habit. I just realized a moment later that I greeted him like a knight. ¡®¡­.Maybe because I haven¡¯t seen him in a long time that I¡¯m doing this unconsciously.¡¯ I guess I was getting carried away by the situation, especially since I was in the Imperial Palace right now. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t say my name by accident. Hahaha! When I raised my head at the duke¡¯s laughter. ¡°I heard you rarely talk much, but you seem different. You have a disciplined way of greeting just like a knight.¡± When the marquis saw my stiff face, he chimed in. ¡°It¡¯s because she has been escorted by the knights these days, stop making fun of her. My daughter did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Then the duke came closer and smiled. ¡°Yeah, I always wonder who it was, so it¡¯s you. I¡¯m¡­.¡± The duke¡¯s icy eyes went somewhere in the Imperial Palace. Then he grinned and beckoned me. ¡°Someone is waiting for you, so let¡¯s save the greeting for later. Let¡¯s go inside first.¡± ¡°No, but why? I was going to take her on a tour around the imperial palace¡­.¡± ¡°Nope, you can¡¯t. It¡¯s dangerous. And didn¡¯t I tell you that someone is waiting?¡± The Marquis, who was being pushed by his back, asked in a confused tone. ¡°Who?¡± The duke¡¯s laughter rang again. ¡°My daughter.¡± Aslan asked as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°¡­.Only one person?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aslan was speechless at Leo¡¯s answer. Droop, who was also frozen in place, asked Leo again. ¡°Did you hear the question right? Lord Aslan is asking how many people die in His Highness¡¯ hand today, not the opposite.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m telling the truth. I heard from the capital defense unit that the person he killed was a drunk womanizer. His neck flew away when he was getting in His Highness¡¯ way.¡± The Droop mumbled in bewilderment. ¡°¡­Really? I¡¯ve been surprised many times in the last few days.¡± ¡°My little brother is finally¡­.¡± Aslan shed tears. His white arm was revealed as he was busy wiping away his tears. The arm that was filled with countless scars looked very fragile. ¡°At first, I thought the reason why Signus changed was his severe insomnia. Sleep is important for humans, after all.¡± ¡°Right, even a saint would lose his mind if he didn¡¯t sleep for a year.¡± As if agreeing with Droop, Aslan smiled softly and said. ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought we had to find a cure for Signus¡¯ addiction to alcohol and his sleeping problem. But as you all know, I couldn¡¯t do that.¡± Because the cure was no longer in this world.*** I thought as I was carried by the captain. ¡®The Imperial Palace is indeed so big.¡¯ We had to ride a carriage from the main gate to the main building. However, my weak body wouldn¡¯t allow me to walk to Ayaran¡¯s study. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me to visit you instead? If I had known you were having such a hard time walking, I would have paid you a visit.¡± The marquis sighed at the duke¡¯s words. ¡°My daughter is quite impatient, you see. I guess there¡¯s no parent who can win over their children.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡± I was feeling guilty that I caused everyone trouble, so I quietly whispered an apology to the captain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, captain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, my lady.¡± After walking for quite a while, we were stopped by the appearance of someone who stood right in front of the study. ¡°Welcome to the palace. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Unexpectedly enough, many people were waiting for me today. I wanted to praise the marquis for doing a good job for me. ¡°Put me down, please.¡± The captain kneeled down. After finally landing my feet on the floor, I politely greeted the man in front of me. ¡°I greet the Second Prince of the Empire.¡± The water welled up in his gentle eyes. He quickly held my hand and said. ¡°My lady. Thank you so much.¡± I wanted to ask what he was so thankful for, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask. Because my heart sank at the sight of his wounded arms. ¡®He was said to be tortured, right?¡¯ I was going to sacrifice my life anyway, so I regretted that I didn¡¯t do it sooner so he won¡¯t have to suffer. At that time, the door opened and a fluttering red hair came into the scene. ¡°Why is it so noisy?¡± The duke burst into laughter. ¡°Aya, this child is the one you¡¯ve been waiting for¡­¡± Ayaran held my hand and dragged me in without hesitation. Thud! And shut the door of the study. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 31 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 31 Ayaran dragged me until we arrived in front of the sofa. She didn¡¯t change a bit. Her table was packed with books and papers as always. ¡®Aya. It¡¯s me.¡¯ I recited the name of the person that I missed so much inwardly. ¡®I¡¯m sure you cried a lot after my death.¡¯ She looked tough on the outside, but it pained me knowing how vulnerable she was inside. ¡®I¡¯m glad you seem healthy.¡¯ I watched her moving busily. Perhaps sensing my steady gaze, Ayaran muttered. ¡°Wait a minute. My heart is not ready yet.¡± I had no idea what she was talking about, but she was still as eccentric as before. Looking at her moving busily from the back, I mumbled quietly. ¡°I wanted to see you.¡± Ayaran¡¯s movement stopped at once. ¡°¡­.Seems like it¡¯s not working yet.¡± I could hear her voice trembling, so I asked her. ¡°Are you having some problem?¡± Scarlet hair fluttered from side to side. I couldn¡¯t help but worry, so I checked to see if she was alright. She held a bunch of crumpled paper in her hands. I was told that she was helping Duke Cyben with his work. Ayaran was perfect for the job since she was very competent. ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve disturbed your work.¡± ¡°I¡­I have to hold back. It¡¯s not the time yet.¡± What¡¯s really going on? I was worried because she looked troubled. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡®You must¡¯ve seen my name in the letter, so why are you asking? Plus you¡¯re talking informally already.¡¯ I replied to such bold behavior with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Navian Lu Yeronimo.¡± Navian. Navian. Ayaran, who recited my name, muttered firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s change clothes first.¡± ¡°Yes. Then I will be waiting.¡± I didn¡¯t mind waiting for her, but she looked at me with a weirded-out expression. ¡°Not me.¡± Huh? Then who? Don¡¯t tell me, it¡¯s me? ¡°Give it to me and leave. No one can enter without my permission.¡± Ayaran dismissed the maid who brought the dress and urged me. ¡°Go ahead and try it on.¡± ¡°¡­Here?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s just the two of us here. What¡¯s the problem?¡± I had no trouble taking my clothes off, but the situation was a bit strange. ¡°Take it off, hurry.¡± Ayaran was so excited for some reason. Looking at her sparkling eyes, I heaved a sigh and started to unbutton my dress. ¡°Do you perhaps find my outfit weird?¡± But Ayaran quickly shook her head with a wide grin on her face. ¡°It¡¯s my hobby to give clothes as gifts.¡± She didn¡¯t change a bit. I smiled quietly and started moving my hands. In fact, I sort of understand why she was doing this. Just as she said, one of Ayaran¡¯s hobbies was to dress me up. She used to laugh whenever I stepped on my dress. But I couldn¡¯t understand what she was so excited about. She had been acting so urgently even though it was our first encounter. ¡®I can¡¯t believe these two friends told me to take off my clothes.¡¯ I must¡¯ve been possessed by a ghost who died while undressing. ¡°Why are you so slow? Do you need help?¡± Alright, alright. Turning my back on Ayaran, I put my shirt down on the sofa and picked up a dress. ¡®Where¡¯s the front? What should I do with this dress?¡¯ The atmosphere was so quiet while I was busy looking for the zipper. ¡°Lady Ayaran?¡± There was no answer. I was about to turn around, but then I felt a touch around my wingbone. ¡°Navian, do you know that?¡± Her voice was shaking. ¡°It¡¯s spring now. It¡¯s the season when trees and flowers that endured the harsh winter bloom into a new life.¡± The hand that touched my wingbone also trembled slightly. ¡°I thought if we had a chance to meet, how nice it¡¯d be if it was after the festival took place. People from all over the world will flock here, and the festival is just around the corner, so it was truly a time full of excitement.¡± ¡®Spring is the beginning of the season, after all.¡¯ Ayaran whispered softly. ¡°I thought it¡¯d be nice if she returned during the season when everything started, so it really took me by surprise. Actually, I thought it¡¯ll be much later. It¡¯s only been a year, after all.¡± I quietly listened, and asked. ¡°Who were you waiting for?¡± ¡°The first person I approached.¡± Ayaran¡¯s voice was wet. ¡°I was someone who always looked down on others due to my high position, but that person was able to make me move. That person was able to make me run so hard even though I had never run in my entire life.¡± Who the hell dares to make her run? What kind of jerk is he? I turned around with a serious expression and asked her. ¡°So did you meet him?¡± ¡°Of course. I recognized that person at once. Unlike Signus, I¡¯m normal and I have a trick up my sleeve too.¡± I honestly couldn¡¯t care less whether Signus was abnormal or not. I was just curious about the bastard who dared to make my friend run and wait. When I was about to ask who the hell he was, Ayaran spoke first with a firm tone. ¡°Signus, that crazy bastard has been leaving his work to me, but I¡¯ll let him slide this time. Thanks to him, I found that person without any difficulty.¡± Ayaran stammered out something I couldn¡¯t grasp and lifted the corners of her mouth. ¡°But, this is a different matter. I won¡¯t tell him no matter what. It¡¯s not my fault if that tactless guy doesn¡¯t realize it.¡± A smile of victory spread across Ayaran¡¯s face. ¡°This time, I found you first.¡± Count Mori approached Signus who was seated on a chair and greeted him. ¡°Mori greeted His Highness the Crown Prince. I heard you were looking for me.¡± However, there was no response from Signus, so Mori opened his mouth again. ¡°Are you asking about how Lord Damian¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been sponsoring the Alchemy Guild?¡± Despite Signus¡¯ random question, Mori was able to answer calmly. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What does that guild do?¡± Mori answered, still with his smile on his face. ¡°Alchemists heal people, but they are also persecuted. It¡¯s probably because of the magic they use. It was an unproven power, after all.¡± ¡°Are you treating Damian with that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Signus¡¯ long fingers tapped his chin. ¡°He was barely breathing. Verus said it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he died soon. There¡¯s no way to save him with human power only.¡± His golden eyes turned cold. Soon, an order was heard. ¡°Tell them to continue taking care of Damian.¡± Mori raised his eyebrows. ¡°The guild you sponsored will receive funds instead of potions and magic books. It means they have to work as much as I invested.¡± Mori, who hid his joy with an awkward smile, replied. ¡°As I said earlier, we have to be careful because it¡¯s an unproven power. How about getting a diagnosis from Verus again?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t.¡± ¡°May I ask why?¡± ¡°All of you are better than an old fart.¡± A vulgar way of speaking coming from the crown prince¡¯s mouth. However, as always, Mori skillfully hid his emotion. ¡°There are also disciples of Verus.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe any of them.¡± ¡°How about the temple-¡± ¡°Not the temple. They¡¯re nagging a lot.¡± Who dares nag at Signus? ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Your ears must be clogged up.¡± Signus tossed the documents containing the finances of the imperial palace to Mori. ¡°When did I ask for your advice?¡± Mori picked up the documents scattered under his feet. He smiled quietly after confirming that the report was different from the amount of money withdrawn. ¡®Those fools. How did they handle their work?¡¯ While brainwashing Damian with the power of a demon, he shook the empire¡¯s barrier to distract the crown prince¡¯s eyes. In the meantime, there was no time to get involved in the imperial palace¡¯s affairs, so Mori left everything to the alchemists. He didn¡¯t expect for things to turn this way. At that moment, Signus got up from his seat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if all the goods imported from other countries go to the alchemists.¡± His long legs stepped on the stairs. ¡°It means I will let it slide even if rare materials were used.¡± Signus, who faced Mori, tilted his head. ¡°So make sure to put life into Damian.¡± A moment of silence lingered, and Mori said. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll deliver the message. When is the deadline?¡± ¡°Until the welcoming ceremony is over.¡± The first prince of the empire returned. Soon, a grand welcoming ceremony will be held accordingly. ¡®That¡¯s why you looked into the budget.¡¯ No wonder, there was no way that tyrant actually worked. Mori, who was inwardly feeling relieved, said. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to deliver it.¡± ¡°Tell them this, too.¡± You really do talk a lot. Mori, who hid his annoyance with a smile, raised his eyes. ¡°You¡¯d better quit doing things like disturbing the empire¡¯s barrier.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I have no intention of going easy on you anymore.¡± At that moment, Mori burst into laughter. Signus only smiled cynically looking at him. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Ayaran held up a fork and pushed it toward me. ¡°Say ah.¡± I opened my mouth without protesting. Juicy meat melts in my mouth when I chew on the tender meat. And gulped it down. ¡°Can you chew it well?¡± Nod nod. ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief. Now, eat the vegetables.¡± I sighed small and chewed the vegetables. ¡®Why am I eating in the Imperial Palace all of a sudden?¡¯ After changing my dress, we moved to the nobles lounge. Ayaran, who noticed my staggering steps, stopped walking. I wondered how funny I must have looked when she buried her face in her hands and shook her shoulders like that. But I remained silent as I watched her. That was until the sobbing sound burst out. I had no idea what made her be this sad and soothed her by patting her back. ¡®I¡¯m sure you thought of me.¡¯ Somehow, I felt sorry for her and kept comforting her. I even apologized for walking like a fool. I was so puzzled when she cried louder upon hearing my words. Please stop crying. When I said I would do anything for her, Ayaran quickly opened her mouth as if she had been waiting for this chance. Then let me take care of you And that¡¯s how I¡¯m eating meat now. ¡°This is called Hakan, which was transported here after a trade deal with Royal Burn. It¡¯s perfect for someone who can¡¯t digest well like Navian.¡± Ayaran, who pressured me with words, held out a fork and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s really expensive. It¡¯s so good for your health, so you have to eat it all.¡± I ate it silently when I heard it. ¡®I have to get healthy.¡¯ When I was swallowing the tender meat, someone approached our table. ¡°You were here.¡± It was Ulysse wearing his white medical attire and the captain guard. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to give a report?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fruitless. I haven¡¯t seen him since this morning.¡± Ulysse, who held a thick report while sweeping his hair back, looked very tired. ¡°He had been working while waiting for the report, and he kept going away from his office. I heard he was busy all week¡­.huh? The Duke¡¯s lady?¡± Ulysse, who just realized Ayaran¡¯s presence, hurriedly greeted her. ¡°Pardon my late greeting. Have you been well, My Lady?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Lord Ulysse.¡± Ayaran also waved at the Captain Guard. ¡°Long time no see.¡± The Captain Guard smiled softly and bowed his head. ¡®Do you know Aya, too?¡¯ At this point, I was curious about how they met. While I was wondering if she knew him after I died, Ulysse asked. ¡°But isn¡¯t that¡­.Hakan?¡± ¡°Hakan?¡± Ulysse explained to the clueless Captain Guard. ¡°It¡¯s a rare animal that lives in the southwest. It is also used as a medicinal ingredient because it is effective to relieve illness. Even a 100 year old grandma jumps up after eating Hakan¡¯s meat.¡± ¡°It seems very expensive.¡± Come to think of it, didn¡¯t they mention something about Hakan¡¯s horn in the thieves¡¯ guild hideout? ¡°It¡¯s really Hakan. Do you have any problem with it?¡± At Ayaran¡¯s question, Ulysse asked again as if he truly couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°But why are you feeding it to Navian¡­.¡± ¡°Because Navian has to get healthy soon. Here, Navian, say ah..¡± Ulysse and the Captain Guard looked even more puzzled. Did you get this close during this short time? I could feel from their gazes what they were thinking. I don¡¯t know. I just want to give her, do you have a problem with that? Ayaran replied with that kind of gaze. Even when this unspoken conversation took place, Ayaran kept shoving meat into my mouth and said. ¡°The festival will begin in two weeks. When are you going to enter the palace?¡± I didn¡¯t know that it had already been that long. I was about to answer that I didn¡¯t know, but I heard a loud cry. ¡°No!¡¯ Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Ulysse. ¡°I-It hasn¡¯t been long since her health started to get better. She will need at least a few weeks to stabilize her condition.¡± Ayaran asked as if she found it strange. ¡°She¡¯ll have to attend this week to build a connection. As you can see, Navian doesn¡¯t have any connection as of now.¡± Ulysse only mumbled while clenching his fists. ¡°She¡¯s not ready yet.¡± Not ready for what? ¡°Ah! Is it because you¡¯re worried about your younger sister meeting another noble? If that¡¯s what you are concerned about, I have heard from the young ladies who attended the tea party that they liked Navian. Ulysse¡¯s expression became gloomy. ¡°¡­Did you say they liked Navian?¡± ¡°Claire, who was very shy, did not leave Navian¡¯s side. She kept hugging Navian-¡± ¡°What! Hugging?!¡± Ulysse shouted until veins were visible on his neck. Then the Captain Guard grabbed Ulysse¡¯s shoulder and whispered. ¡°Young Master, pull yourself together. It¡¯s the young ladies, not His Highness who hugged our lady.¡± His Highness? Why would you bring up his name all of sudden? ¡°¡­Gosh. That¡¯s right.¡± However, Ulysse took a deep breath as if he was relieved by the Captain¡¯s words. Ulysse, who became a little calm, asked Ayaran again. ¡°Is what you said true? A young lady, who was really shy and didn¡¯t have many friends, liked Navian as soon as they met?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°H-Hugging her too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. She even linked her arms and kissed her cheeks.¡± When I heard it, I asked Ayaran. ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Elizabeth told me.¡± I see. They must be really close then. But I was surprised when I saw Ulysse¡¯s expression. His face was red as if about to explode. The Captain Guard once again grabbed Ulysse¡¯s trembling shoulders and whispered. ¡°Young Master, pull yourself together. It¡¯s not His Highness who did that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it at all! Even someone who didn¡¯t have friends hugged and kissed Navian as soon as she saw her!¡± Ulysse shouted and pointed to Ayaran. ¡°Look at the Duke¡¯s lady! See how much she likes Navian to the point she feeds her on the first day they meet! Do you think His Highness would be any different!¡± Then Ulysse muttered grimly. ¡°I knew I was right. As expected, His Highness fell in love with Navian at first sight. After showing off his knowledge, he ate Navian¡¯s medicine and acted tough by breaking the needle.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± I could see that the Captain Guard was speechless, and I glanced at Ayaran to see her reaction. ¡®What if Ulysse was caught being a quack?¡¯ I thought about how to cover up that crazy guy to save the family, but Ayaran opened her mouth. ¡°You have good eyes. As expected, you¡¯re truly a genius who reads celestial energy.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but drop my jaw. My friend Ayaran was talking nonsense with a serious face. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me My Lady feels the same way?¡± ¡°Of course. Anyone can tell if they heard what that crazy guy has been doing. The rumors have already spread, after all¡± Ayaran put down the fork. ¡°I know what Lord Ulysse is worried about. I¡¯ve seen countless times where someone was betrayed by a trusted friend, and where parents abandon their children for their own interest.¡± ¡°Pardon? Parents and children?¡± Ayaran¡¯s eyes turned cold when Ulysse asked her as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he heard. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not me, but I saw it happen to someone.¡± And here I was listening to her talking about my parents so casually. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Navian. I and the young ladies who attended the tea party will stay by her side.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that, but may I know why are you going this far for my sister?¡± ¡°As Lord Ulysse said earlier, I fell in love with your sister at first sight, too.¡± Ayaran laughed at Ulysse. ¡°In fact, what I was worried about was Navian¡¯s family¡­.but I was relieved to see Lord Ulysse. Because overprotectiveness is better than indifference.¡± When Ulysse tilted his head in a daze, Ayaran added an explanation. ¡°I¡¯m saying that you¡¯re a good brother.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Ulysse was looking so pleased by her words. At that time, Ayaran held my hand. ¡°I¡¯m so relieved.¡± About what? ¡°Those people weren¡¯t your family.¡± And at that time, I heard footsteps behind me. ¡°Is that you, Lord Ulysse?¡± ¡°Ah, Sir Elon. Are you on patrol? You¡¯ve worked so hard every time.¡± Upon hearing the familiar name, I focused my attention to hear the rest of the conversation. ¡°Lord Ulysse, why are you here instead of the medical office?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here with my father. I have something to take care of.¡± I felt someone¡¯s gaze directed at my back, and a cold voice resounded a moment later. ¡°But that person¡­¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s my¡­¡± I turned my head to the sound that was asking about me. But Ayaran grabbed my hand and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t look back. He¡¯s angry.¡± Who is he? ¡°What a nice atmosphere.¡± I was hardened to the cool voice from my side. ¡°Even though I¡¯m in a bad mood.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 33 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 33 Everyone was frozen. ¡°I¡¯m in a bad mood.¡± I raised my head amid the stifling silence. As expected, Signus was smiling behind me. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± I heard Ulysse sighed heavily, meanwhile I couldn¡¯t hear Elon¡¯s voice anymore. ¡°Are you done with your greeting?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°Then get lost. Everyone¡¯s ears seem to be clogged these days.¡± Signus sneered and spit out coldly. ¡°I said go back to your own way.¡± As the silence lingered over us, the gaze that looked at my back disappeared. Soon, I heard the sound of footsteps and saw Elon¡¯s back as he was walking away. ¡®You¡¯re a knight but you don¡¯t even say your greeting. You¡¯re still behaving the same as before.¡¯ My eyes caught the familiar platinum blonde hair. It was just a meaningless stare. But at that time, a big hand grabbed my face and turned it around. Signus, who turned my gaze away from Elon, muttered through his gritted teeth. ¡°Where are you looking? I told you not to look at other guys.¡± Ayaran, who sat next to me, clicked her tongue as if irritated. ¡°Look. I told you he¡¯s angry.¡± His grip on my face did not hurt at all. However, I was speechless by this absurd situation. ¡®I just saw him as he was passing by. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡¯ While I was busy lamenting inside, Ayaran stood up from her seat. ¡°Let her go. Don¡¯t you see she¡¯s uncomfortable?¡± Signus and Ayaran¡¯s eyes met. ¡°I knew this would happen.¡± Soon, a familiar sharp remark emerged. ¡°Go straighten your face first. Your emotions are all over your face. You were impatient because you couldn¡¯t tell, right? Can¡¯t you read the room at all?¡± ¡°How about you? You can¡¯t hold back your dirty temper and stay up all night killing people off. I heard you fell asleep only recently, too. So tell me, am I making it obvious or you were too impatient?¡± Signus twisted his mouth. ¡°I was impatient for a long time and made it obvious.¡± ¡°Then act with discretion. Stop being jealous over trivial things.¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m being jealous?¡± Signus tilted his head. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. You took the seat next to her very easily, so what do you know?¡± Signus lifted up my face. ¡°It¡¯s still the same now. I can tell by looking at her trusting gaze. I don¡¯t know why such a trivial thing makes me so upset.¡± Signus twisted his expression with an exasperated voice. ¡°You, that damn knight that just passed by, and even the branches that her eyes touched make me feel nauseous. I want to crush all the ants passing by her feet and kill them! Are you saying this is just jealousy?¡± That¡¯s right! Ayaran, who affirmed his words, responded with a ghastly expression. ¡°That¡¯s why you have to hold on to her! Don¡¯t whine like a baby and deal with your twisted emotions somehow. Whatever the case, you have to keep her by your side! If she flies away again because you were playing coy or hesitating just like in the past, I¡¯ll kill you and run away!¡± She tightened the grip on my hand. ¡°Keep that in mind. After all, that¡¯s what you¡¯ve worked so hard for, right?¡± Ayaran raised our interlocked hands and said, ¡°You have to hold on to her tight this time.¡± Lifting the corner of his mouth, Signus snarled. ¡°Let go. Do you want me to break your wrist?¡± ¡°You let go of her first. Before I cut your hand off.¡± Ayaran snatched her dining knife. The bloody conversation was cut off but the situation escalated quickly. Ulysse and the captain also held their breath watching the cut-throat atmosphere. Meanwhile, Signus and Ayaran sneered at the same time. Amid the bloody showdown, I opened my mouth after a long time. ¡°Please let go of me.¡± They glared at each other upon hearing my plea. ¡°Are you deaf? She asks you to let go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s funny. Navian was talking to you.¡± So I made it clear this time. ¡°I was talking to both of you.¡± Feeling their gazes drawn to me, I opened my mouth again. ¡°I heard something that I couldn¡¯t even understand. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re jealous of, but you¡¯re an adult, so please act like one. One more thing,¡± I took turns looking at the two. ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into your fight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you understand, please let go of me. I feel like my jawbone is going to break and my wrist is going to fall out.¡± They immediately loosened the strength in the hands that held my face and wrist. But the two did not let go of me. ¡°Please put your hands away.¡± The two let go of their hands without saying a word at my stern request. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Navian. Does it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I briefly responded to Ayaran as I smoothed my wrist and face. I was wondering if I had broken bones somewhere. ¡®Aya, your grip is getting stronger. Did you do any muscle exercise while I was gone?¡¯ I often told her to exercise, but she never listened to me, so it seemed like she changed her mind during my absence. While I was thinking how relieved I was to know that, I felt someone gaze at me. Signus was looking at me with his usual cool gaze. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Your Highness. I¡¯m the one who brought Navian here. I apologize.¡± Signus smiled coldly at Ulysse¡¯s sudden remark. ¡°You don¡¯t have to shield her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I want to show her the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.¡± Signus approached Ulysse. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ve already got caught.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Those bastards have already seen us. They¡¯re probably still watching us now.¡± Signus, who snatched the report from Ulysse¡¯s hand, and skimmed through the paper. Ulysse became teary-eyed as he watched Signus flip through the report that he had worked so hard all night long. Signus, who looked through the last two pages, asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read celestial energy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Moreover, you were the student of that meticulous Verus and the genius of the medical world.¡± ¡°Why are you complimenting me all of a sudden¡­.¡± Signus responded nonchalantly to Ulysse¡¯s embarrassing remarks. ¡°The report written by the said genius is a mess.¡± Huh? ¡°If you have eyes, look at this. Why is a report that is supposed to contain only facts have the words ¡®cute and pure¡¯ in it? Why did you write that?¡± I was shocked by the ridiculous words. ¡®You wrote that nonsense for the last 5 days?¡¯ But Ulysse tilted his head and uttered. ¡°But it¡¯s true that Navian is cute and pure.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When everyone was speechless, a more ridiculous answer came out. ¡°Of course, she¡¯s cute.¡± What? Signus, who looked at me with smiling eyes, even disregarded that ridiculous report. ¡®Why are you scaring me like this?¡¯ If those words meant to kill a person, then it was a success. Because I got goosebumps just by hearing that. ¡°But why did you tell me to write about my mother¡¯s family?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I need to find out.¡± Signus, who was looking at the photographs in the report, smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you have this family.¡± What are you talking about? Whose family? Signus¡¯ gaze traveled to me this time. ¡°You look like you¡¯re dying of curiosity.¡± I didn¡¯t know how he could read my mind so perfectly every time. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot of things you¡¯re curious about. About how I picked you as my fiance, and how I knew you would survive and sent an aide.¡± ¡°If I said I¡¯m curious, would you tell me?¡± ¡°If you answer my question honestly first.¡± ¡°Yes. Please ask me.¡± Signus tilted his head and asked. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Feeling Ulysse¡¯s worried gaze toward me, I responded roughly. ¡°I came here because I want to see it.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to answer honestly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°Answer me right away. Don¡¯t make me angry.¡± Looking at the golden eyes full of anger, I answered firmly. ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± He turned his head and burst into laughter. ¡°¡­You really like to drive people crazy. Do you want to see me go crazy so badly?¡± A spark of flame soared in Signus¡¯ eyes. ¡°I know. You won¡¯t listen to me no matter what I say. If there¡¯s something you want to do, you have to do it until you are satisfied. Am I right?¡± A smile disappeared from Signus¡¯ face. ¡°If you were tied up, you would try to break free, and if your limbs were broken, you would try to crawl. That¡¯s you.¡± ¡°¡­Hey.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± After cutting off Ayaran¡¯s words sharply, he continued. ¡°Did you say you want to see the Imperial Palace? You stopped by the Imperial Palace as soon as you came to the capital. You will come here when the festival is held anyway, but you can¡¯t stand it and come here, huh?¡± His voice became more and more intense. ¡°I was trying to buy time. Even if I couldn¡¯t get rid of everything that bothered me, I want to sort it out to some extent.¡± Signus poured out words without stopping. ¡°You don¡¯t even know how evil people are, but you decide to roam around to your heart¡¯s content? Didn¡¯t I ask you to be patient? Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait? Why is it so hard for you to listen?¡± Ayaran tried to defend me. ¡°I invited her, so enough already.¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind, too? Is it really the time to feed her meat?¡± ¡°Wake up already. Are you trying to spill out everything?¡± ¡°Even if I spill it out, she won¡¯t understand.¡± Signus said as if he was frustrated. However, Ayaran also looked annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s being clueless only once or twice. Why are you losing your temper when you know that she¡¯s particularly slow if it¡¯s regarding herself?¡± I had no clue of what they were talking about, but it made me feel so bad. ¡°So calm down. There¡¯s a lot of eyes here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I can get rid of them.¡± Signus¡¯ eyes turned cold. But at that time, Ulysse¡¯s calm voice was heard. ¡°¡­As expected. You both knew about it.¡± Signus turned his head. ¡°What?¡± His eyes were filled with a murderous aura when he saw Ulysse. ¡°Knew about it? You mean, us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At that moment, Ayaran¡¯s eyes shook nervously. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 34 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 34 ¡°You know? About us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ayaran looked nervous at that time. With slightly widened eyes, Signus asked. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The fact that anyone will fall in love with Navian at first sight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Anyone who has seen my sister always likes her after seeing her once.¡± Ulysse, who was talking nonsense with a serious face, said to me, ¡°Did you hear that, Navian? That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t allow you to go out.¡± ¡°¡­.This idiot.¡± Signus couldn¡¯t bear to swear and continued in a spiteful tone, ¡°You. Don¡¯t even think about getting a higher position and continue healing people for the rest of your life.¡± Ayaran also muttered quietly. ¡°I think you have a disease, too¡­¡± The Captain Guard patted Ulysse¡¯s shoulder while sniffling as if he felt sorry for Ulysse. Thanks to this, the atmosphere had calmed down a little, but I couldn¡¯t relax my mind at all. Because I was bothered by Signus¡¯ outburst. But I couldn¡¯t help it either. ¡®You said you have enemies, right?¡¯ So I naturally remembered the precognitive dream I had before I died. ¡®Aslan, the second prince, looked healthy. Damian was said to be in a coma.¡¯ The princes in my dream were controlled by the devil after becoming the crown prince. However, neither of them became the crown prince. ¡®Then the devils will aim for Signus.¡¯ I came to the Imperial Palace to confirm that, and now I have confirmed it. I looked at the golden eyes which shook in anger. ¡°Your Highness is right.¡± I opened my mouth quietly, looking straight at the burning golden eyes. ¡°I will come to the Imperial Palace whenever I want. If there¡¯s anyone I want to see, I will meet them. I don¡¯t even know how Your Highness feels, and I will continue to do so.¡± Because I realized after I died. That time doesn¡¯t come back. I have to do my best to live in this moment. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep and eat well. I¡¯m going to work out so that I can be healthy. If I lack something, I will make up for it somehow.¡± His golden eyes fluttered. ¡°The same goes regarding your question about what can I do with such a weak body. You said I acted too rashly without knowing who was targeting me. You asked me to grasp the weight of reality. I know everything.¡± Someone was malicious enough to kidnap me. I also know that it¡¯d be better to stay still just like what he said. ¡°But I¡¯d still cross the line.¡± I couldn¡¯t throw away this precious opportunity that came to me. ¡°If I don¡¯t have an arm, I¡¯ll run with my feet. If I don¡¯t have feet, I¡¯ll crawl. If I can¡¯t crawl, I will use my mouth to fight back.¡± Watching as his golden eyes sunk deep, I continued. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡± I never knew until when this miracle was going to last. Suddenly, I felt anxious that I might disappear at some point, just as how I suddenly came into this body. After enduring that anxiety, I came to believe that there was a mission given to me. Something that only I could do. I had faith that I entered this body to serve a purpose in the distant future. ¡°Do you still not understand?¡± Signus tilted his head. ¡°It¡¯s your attitude that is willing to risk everything just for a trivial reason that pisses me off so much.¡± Looking at his disapproving face, I told him my honest feelings. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter for me whether you have enemies or not.¡± No matter how much he twisted his face, I didn¡¯t stop speaking my mind. ¡°Because I¡¯m not going to take it lightly no matter what.¡± It was after coming to the Imperial Palace that I felt various gazes. Questioning. Curiosity. Enemy. And killing intent. For example, the gazes of the aristocrats who were trying to keep the Yeronimo family in check seem to have another energy mixed in them. The humid and evil energy belonged to the devil. ¡°It¡¯s a little awkward to say this, but actually I was looking forward to this festival. I was worried that the festival was boring.¡± The festival was held for two weeks, and the festival period was two months. There was plenty of time. Didn¡¯t I walk in three weeks with this shitty body? What you experience without knowing anything and what you experience after sufficiently preparing for it. I know better than anyone how big of a difference that is. ¡°So I¡¯ll go through it first.¡± Looking at the expressionless Signus, I continued to say. ¡°Next to Your Highness.¡± I won¡¯t let him get influenced by the devils. I will never hand over my friend and my crown prince. Feeling the evil gazes lurking at every corner of the Imperial Palace, he smiled irritably. ¡°Navian¡­¡± Despite Ulysse¡¯s trembling voice, I didn¡¯t avert my gaze from Signus. I didn¡¯t even take off my gaze when Duke Cyben and Marquis Elaine were approaching us. ¡°You¡¯d still not listen to me.¡± Because Signus was smiling brightly just like in the past. ¡°That was a pretty good answer. I can¡¯t retort anymore. But don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, in case you don¡¯t know, you¡¯re a fool.¡± His golden eyes sank. ¡°Well, you¡¯re probably gotten this angry because you know that well.¡± ¡­What¡¯s wrong with you? Looking at my confused face, Signus continued. ¡°So I¡¯ll tell you half of what you¡¯re curious about.¡± ¡°Huh, why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not the palace that you came to see, right?¡± Signus pointed to Ayaran. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± That¡¯s true, but I also came to see the Imperial Palace. ¡°You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t tell the truth. So you must be satisfied with only hearing the reason for our engagement.¡± I swallowed my saliva. It¡¯s finally here! The Marquis and Ulysse, who were behind me, also pricked up their ears. ¡°The temple passed down an oracle.¡± Signus¡¯ gaze reached mine. ¡°They said your family would give something to me.¡± Now that I thought about it, Julia said from a month ago Signus has been frequenting the temple. ¡®What is that something?¡¯ While I was so immersed in thought, I heard Ayaran¡¯s scream. ¡°Wow, you mean bastard! Are you keeping that to yourself?¡± ¡°What have you been doing in your study anyway?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Why wouldn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Just shut up.¡± The surroundings cooled down when they were fighting. ¡®Gosh, they were so tense that I can¡¯t think of anything.¡¯ Perhaps they were thinking the same thing, everybody except me had already moved a little further. ¡°If you¡¯re this crazy, just go and kill someone as you¡¯ve always done.¡± ¡°Why would I go? The one I need to kill is right in front of me.¡± I was trapped in the middle of this bloody conversation. ¡®¡­I want to leave too.¡¯ I kept on wiggling my toes and fingers anxiously, but I was scared to leave. Then Signus noticed me. ¡°Try it.¡± Startled, I asked him. ¡°¡­Are you going to break my arms and legs?¡± Signus furrowed his forehead. ¡°What are you talking about out of nowhere?¡± ¡°So what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d do anything.¡± The golden eyes that looked at me fluttered softly. ¡°I¡¯ll bear with you. So do whatever you want to do. Whether it is to fight back with your mouth or anything.¡± Signus widened his eyes and continued. ¡°Instead, do it next to me. I¡¯ll gladly be swayed by you.¡± He whispered as if to warn me. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to stay still if you involve yourself with any bastards.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 35 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 35 On the way home, I looked out the carriage window. ¡®So many things happened.¡¯ I met Ayaran whom I wanted to see and also looked around the Imperial Palace. I heard the reason for our engagement, and roughly surmised that Signus was targeted by his enemies. ¡®Is Lord Damian okay?¡¯ I was worried that Lord Damian might lose his mind due to the devil¡¯s energy, but there was nothing I could do for now. In fact, there was something that bothered me more. It was the conversation I had with Signus before getting into the carriage. ¡®He came too late, too.¡¯ ¡®Pardon?¡¯ ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell them to be prepared?¡¯ I recalled the words he spouted before I left. ¡®I¡¯m a guy who has enemies everywhere. I did say that I¡¯ll support your family, but it¡¯ll be difficult if they just rely on me and put their guard down.¡¯ ¡®Who are you talking about?¡¯ ¡®Your family and someone I need to surpass.¡¯ If it¡¯s my family, does he refer to the people on the report? Signus whispered low. ¡®Don¡¯t like them too much. It really makes me upset.¡¯ ¡®Family, huh?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t come to an answer no matter how much I thought about it. I couldn¡¯t help it as it¡¯s not something that I know. ¡®What the hell do you mean by don¡¯t like them too much?¡¯ There were a lot of questions in my mind, but I quickly brushed off my thoughts. ¡®I¡¯ll know when I see them, anyway.¡¯ Thinking that way, I leaned on the cushion in the carriage and flinched when I raised my gaze. Mainly because the Marquis and Ulysse were looking at me with cheerful expressions. ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter?¡± I was quite surprised that I even stammered, but the two shook their heads. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Contrary to their answers, their expressions looked like they were eager to talk. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± I didn¡¯t want to know at first, but now I became curious. The Marquis then answered my question with a flushed face. ¡°Didn¡¯t His Highness mention that someone would come earlier?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Is this person coming to protect us?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± The Marquis and Ulysse shouted in excitement. ¡°I knew it!¡± ¡°No wonder His Highness asked me about my mother¡¯s family!¡± Looking at the two who seemed to have similar thoughts, I asked. ¡°Do you know who it is?¡± Ulysse, whose cheeks were flushed red for some reason, shouted. ¡°My proud uncle!¡± If it¡¯s my uncle, is he the younger brother of Navian¡¯s mother? Marquis and Ulysse were very excited, but that troubled me even more. ¡®Why did my uncle have to come in this already complicated situation?¡¯ As I had a lot of work to do, I couldn¡¯t welcome the emergence of a new person. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see my brother-in-law after a long time. In fact, I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to see him because he was a very private person.¡± He must be someone whose job required him to travel from place to place. Judging by how he came to protect us, he seemed like someone who wielded a sword as well. ¡®A knight? Or mercenary?¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t ask. I shouldn¡¯t reveal that I didn¡¯t know who my uncle is. ¡°Come to think of it, uncle cares about you more than anyone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. When you were born, he suddenly ran off somewhere and came back with medicine for you.¡± I was frozen listening to them. ¡°It was your uncle who went to retrieve the medicinal herbs that bloomed only in the western cliff.¡± ¡°Yeah. When you were in a critical condition, he came to us like a ghost, bringing a rare medicinal herb for you.¡± Shit. I couldn¡¯t help but curse being in this difficult situation. ¡®I¡¯d be caught easily if Navian was really his beloved niece.¡¯ There¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t notice, especially when Navian changed so much. And if he went to the western cliff¡­ ¡®It must be Nagi Mountain.¡¯ Knowing very well how dangerous Nagi Mountain was, it drove me even more crazy. ¡®If he obtained herbs from there, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a very skillful person. He¡¯ll suspect me in no time.¡¯ My head was spinning. ¡®Signus is really messing with me.¡¯ As he looked at me and heaved a sigh while staring at the ceiling, Ulysse said to me. ¡°But you didn¡¯t respond well to your sweet uncle. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s hurt inside.¡± Did you say that I didn¡¯t respond well? I saw a glimmer of hope in Ulysse¡¯s words. ¡®I might be able to keep hiding myself!¡¯ Let¡¯s just check what kind of person he is. I just need to stay in the room as usual. ¡®I¡¯ll have to stop moving around for a while.¡¯ The carriage stopped right when I vowed to pay attention to my actions. The Marquis said that I may get off once I was ready. ¡°But aren¡¯t you different from before? I wanted him to see how confident you are now.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Strangely, those words were very disturbing to me. ¡°So I want you to call your Uncle by his name this time around.¡± ¡­What? What do I call him? ¡°Yeah, Navian. Uncle will be very happy.¡± ¡°¡­.No, wait a minute.¡± My bewildered voice was completely buried by the Marquis¡¯ scream. ¡°My lovely daughter, Navian! Your father believes in you! I¡¯ll go first, so take your time!¡± ¡°Wait¡­.¡± ¡°Butler! Butler! Where¡¯s my brother-in-law?¡± The Marquis, who didn¡¯t bother to listen to me, jumped off the carriage. ¡®You don¡¯t even tell me what I should call him. What am I supposed to do if you just leave me like this!¡¯ However, the Marquis quickly disappeared. ¡°¡­This is driving me crazy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does your head hurt?¡± Ah, right! There¡¯s this guy too! I looked at Ulysse with eyes full of hope and muttered inwardly. ¡®Tell me Uncle¡¯s name right now! Please!¡¯ Ulysse, who only blinked for a while, tilted his head. ¡°Are you angry?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Then are you scared?¡± This guy is really tactless¡­ I smiled bitterly and said out loud. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± Didn¡¯t I just desperately beg you to tell me my Uncle¡¯s name?! ¡°Aha. Is it difficult for you to call his name?¡± No! ¡®Signus knows what I¡¯m thinking even if I don¡¯t say it. What¡¯s wrong with you? You said you can read celestial energy!¡¯ But he hit the nail on my head with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s nothing difficult about it. Just take it easy. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know Uncle¡¯s name.¡± I felt like the sky had collapsed. If he said that, I couldn¡¯t ask him secretly. In the end, I resorted to the last option. ¡°About the document that you need to report to His Highness. Do you bring some of it with you?¡± ¡°No.¡± I gritted my teeth and asked again. ¡°¡­Then do you have any documents in your library? For example, books about family genealogy¡­¡± I stared at the big door of the mansion with a serious face. ¡®You fool. If you want to go to the library, you have to enter the mansion first.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe I forgot the most obvious thing. For a long time, I kept staring at the door even when Ulysse entered the mansion. ¡°My Lady, is there anything wrong?¡± I looked at the source of the voice. It was the Captain Guard. I murmured gloomily as I saw his worried face. ¡°My uncle is here.¡± ¡°You must be scared.¡± I told you that¡¯s not it! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Unlike his appearance, he¡¯s a really good person. I can ensure it.¡± ¡°Do you know him well?¡± ¡°Of course. He¡¯s the one who brought me here.¡± I looked at his handsome face with amazement. ¡®There¡¯s nothing he doesn¡¯t know.¡¯ He knew Signus and Ayaran know each other, and the uncle of this family brought him here personally. ¡°In fact, I and some of the guards here were private mercenaries once. I was recommended by him and joined the local security guard.¡± I was even more surprised by his words. ¡®You look young¡­¡¯ Private mercenaries were a job that was filled with the most skilled people. ¡°And he¡¯s also my benefactor. It wasn¡¯t until I met him that I realized how to live like a human being.¡± I murmured slowly as I saw the guard captain¡¯s bright smile. ¡°¡­And now he¡¯s here.¡± A great man who was skilled enough to turn a private mercenary into a security guard. ¡°Then, you should enter too, Captain Guard.¡± He laughed awkwardly at my suggestion. ¡°I don¡¯t mind seeing him later.¡± ¡°Go in. You were here because you wanted to see him, too.¡± ¡°But, what about the family members¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You said he was your savior.¡± I grabbed the arm of the hesitating captain and turned the doorknob. ¡®Let¡¯s run away while he¡¯s too happy to see the captain guard.¡¯ Thinking that I made a great plan, I entered the mansion. Someone was already sitting on the sofa in the center of the living room. Strangely enough, I approached him, thinking that he has familiar blond hair. ¡°Sorry for being late.¡± The man turned his head to my greeting. As soon as I checked his face, I remembered Signus¡¯s words in my head. ¡®Your family and the person I need to surpass.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t like it too much. That¡¯ll really make me upset.¡¯ I looked at his familiar face in surprise. ¡°Mas¡­! Master!!! At my words that flowed out like a groan, Signus¡¯ self-deprecating remark seemed to ring in the air. ¡®Well, it¡¯s something that I have to deal with. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 36 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 36 8 years ago. ¡°Li!¡¯ Upon hearing my name, I turned around only to see a pretty boy with a pair of beady eyes. ¡°Lord Signus.¡± ¡°Congratulations, Li! I heard you passed the promotion test!¡± You already knew. I was a little surprised because I just passed the test and was returning to my accommodation. ¡°Do you know Dojino Knights Commander who¡¯s been watching you for a long time? The one who wanted to scout you when you got older? He complimented you a lot, you know.¡± Signus¡¯ clear golden eyes sparkled beautifully. ¡°He had never seen such a fast and excellent swordplay before! He said you were the best among all the apprentice knights, and he was happy that his eyes weren¡¯t wrong!¡± Signus¡¯ asked with a beaming smile. ¡°So how do you feel about climbing to the top with your own ability?¡± At Signus¡¯ friendly question, the recollection of my life flashed by. As soon as I turned 8, I left home and entered the Imperial Knight Academy to become a knight. How many years have I been locked up in a training center and wielded a sword every day? ¡°I am beyond happy.¡± Hearing me summarize my feelings in a few words, Signus beamed again. ¡°You can be happier. Because this is only the start for you.¡± The golden eyes were bent amicably. ¡°You¡¯re coming of age and everyone recognizes your incredible skills, so you¡¯re going to receive love calls from all places. Have you decided where to go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Dojino, right?¡± I replied with a nod. ¡°The Knight Commander liked you at first sight, after all. Not to mention, Dojino Knight Order is one of the two best knight orders in the empire.¡± If one can enlist in the Dojino Knight Order, they would be able to succeed their family. ¡®Then, wouldn¡¯t my parents acknowledge me?¡¯ Although I haven¡¯t seen them since the day I broke the cup. ¡°You¡¯re really amazing, Li. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± An affectionate gaze colored his face. ¡°When you become a knight, everyone in the empire will know your true value. You¡¯ll go up higher and farther away.¡± Signus muttered as if he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a bit unfortunate, but what can I do? I have to be equal to you.¡± I blinked vacantly as I couldn¡¯t process what he meant. ¡®You want to be equal to me, who is just a knight?¡¯ Signus laughed as I was absentmindedly staring at him. ¡°As you already know, I¡¯m the youngest prince. A third prince who has zero influence and weak power. If I don¡¯t level up myself, I¡¯ll be torn apart by the faction and not even rats or birds will know about my death.¡± My heart sank at his words. ¡°I know. If you become a knight, you will be busy without time to care about me. That was the case even now, too. I¡¯ve been asking you for years to drop formalities when we are alone, haven¡¯t I?¡± Signus dropped his long eyelashes, and I couldn¡¯t bear to see that pitiful appearance. ¡®How can I talk down to the prince?¡¯ Signus tried so hard to lift a smile at my dazzled face. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have a wonderful life just by meeting Li.¡± I stared at Signus with a firm face. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect Lord Signus.¡± His golden pupils trembled quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise, Li.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Looking at his dazzlingly bright smile, I vowed with all my life to protect this beautiful boy who approached me first. A few hours later, I never thought I¡¯d forget about that promise. I ran and ran across the street. Even though I was out of breath, I couldn¡¯t stop running. No wonder she used an amazing sword technique. Turns out she¡¯s Marquis Million¡¯s daughter. I heard the Marquis and his wife, who had been living in the countryside, had returned to their mansion. They must have come to congratulate their daughter for becoming a knight. How happy are her parents? Even though she lived apart from her family at such a young age, she grew up so proudly. It¡¯s a pity that your younger sibling is sick, so I¡¯m sure he loves to see you. Ever since I passed the promotion test, people have been talking about me. ¡°Your parents are back.¡± Moreover, something even more surprising happened. ¡®I have a younger sibling!¡¯ Gender wasn¡¯t important. All that matters is that I have a younger sibling. You don¡¯t know how envious I was of those who were taking lessons from their brothers. ¡°How sick is he?¡± When I asked how sick my younger sibling was, the nobleman who delivered the message shook his head regretfully. My heart sank and I immediately rummaged through my lodging. I used all my money and checked out all the pharmacies down the street. And I was running crazy after sweeping all the medicines I could grab. Hosh, hosh. I entered the mansion with a rough breathing. ¡°Oh my god!¡± Ignoring the shout of the surprised servants, I stepped on a familiar garden. I grabbed the doorknob and turned it around in a rush. Clack. My parents were surprised to see me running in. ¡°You¡­!¡± I looked down, ignoring my mother¡¯s scream. The boy in her arms was very thin. Blonde hair soaked in sweat and plump cheeks that are red with fever. The boy who is years younger than me was very small and pretty. ¡°My brother¡­.¡± At that time, my focus returned to my younger sibling¡¯s eyes, which looked frenzied due to the fever. When I met his round eyes, he smiled. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± I let out a small groan without realizing it, and my sibling stretched out his arms toward me, as if wanted to be held by me. As soon as I took a step closer, a sharp voice burst out. ¡°Don¡¯t come closer!¡± My steps halted. ¡°Why did you come here? What¡¯s that ugly sword?¡± She shouted with a face full of contempt. ¡°You¡¯ve always been like that. You must be looking down at me with those haughty eyes of yours! But I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d humiliate my family like this.¡± Her cold and sharp remark didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Instead of marrying into a good family, you¡¯d rather wield a sword that adds nothing to your brother¡¯s power. If you were born as a girl, you should have gotten married.¡± My mother buried her cheek on my younger brother¡¯s forehead. ¡°If I knew this would happen, I would have taken care of you earlier.¡± Listening to her regretful words, I asked quietly. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you kill me?¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve known better about your nature as a girl.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve killed me as soon as you gave birth.¡± ¡°What are you talking about! Is there any reason to commit something illegal?¡± My mother stroked my younger brother with a loving touch. ¡°When I had you, my doctor said, my first child will become the successor of the family and a sword that protects the empire.¡± Her voice contained hope. ¡°My doctor must be someone who can read celestial energy. Such an important person gave me his blessing, so I thought of how my child will grow up into a wonderful man.¡± My mother¡¯s smile trembled. ¡°That prophesied child can¡¯t be a girl.¡± She looked at my brother lovingly. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for so long, so just watch and see.¡± It was something that I didn¡¯t need to hear to know. So that¡¯s how it is. They wanted a ¡®male¡¯ child to succeed the family. Even if I wield a sword, even if I was promoted as a knight, no matter how much achievement and reputation I have¡­.. I will never be their ¡®first¡¯ child. Even if I carry their blood, I, who is a woman, will never be their child. ¡°He has to enroll in the academy once he comes of age. There are many excellent doctors in the Imperial Palace, so his disease will be cured soon.¡± Hearing the real reason why my family came back to the capital, I quietly clenched my fist. An envelope containing medicine was crumpled in my hand. ¡°What¡¯s your expression? Are you saying it¡¯s unfair?¡± I didn¡¯t answer. My mother crumpled her face. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re the ones who feel unfair here. Who told you to be born? You¡¯re the one who came to the people who didn¡¯t want you. It¡¯s because you were born as a girl!¡± My mother shouted with a tearful face. ¡°But why is my child sick? Why?!¡± The sobbing lasted for a while. Soon, I heard my father¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Calm down. Now you have a real successor of the Million family.¡± My father stood as if protecting my mother and younger brother. It was a gesture to protect his family from me. ¡°I am ashamed that you were born in my family. My son got an unknown disease and was diagnosed that he won¡¯t last longer because we gave birth to you first.¡± His cold voice seemed to pierce my ear. ¡°So you must be grateful that at least we decided to keep you, so get out of here.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you always act as you pleased? Whether you become a knight or a fool, I want to live without your presence, so go pursue the life you want.¡± My father saw a sword on my waist. ¡°If you¡¯re going to seek revenge on my son by killing him, I won¡¯t let you go.¡± I quietly took a step back and dropped the medicine from my hands. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± My father, who picked up the envelope and looked inside it, laughed as if it was ridiculous. ¡°I don¡¯t need a medicine that I don¡¯t even know where it came from.¡± The medicine bag was thrown into the trash can. That badly crumpled medicine envelope was like my heart. I loosened the strength in my fist and turned around just like that. ¡°Huaa..¡± ¡°My baby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hic, hic..¡± My mother¡¯s voice became urgent. ¡°Honey! Honey!¡± My father¡¯s voice, which previously only spits poison, also became very tender. ¡°My baby, you were scared, weren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright now. Your mom and dad will continue to be by your side.¡± He walked up to the bed anxiously in a heart-breaking voice. ¡°Sis¡­huu¡­sis! Sister¡­I¡¯m¡­.¡± I stormed out, ignoring the very small voice that called out to me. ¡°Lerine.¡± I didn¡¯t even recognize someone calling my name. My ears and eyes were unable to capture anything. At that time, someone grabbed my arm. ¡°Lerine! Can¡¯t you hear me? I¡¯m Elon.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to follow you. I was just wondering what was wrong with you since you ran around the drugstore like a madman.¡± I belatedly responded to his serious voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine, so you should go back now.¡± ¡°Fine, my ass. You¡¯re acting weird right now.¡± ¡°Go. You have a promotion test soon.¡± ¡°What does that matter now?¡± When I raised my gaze, I saw Elon with a serious face. I couldn¡¯t understand why he looked at me like that when we were always arguing. I didn¡¯t even know why he followed me or blocked my way. I said with my utmost sincerity as I watched Elon¡¯s anxious face. ¡°Elon. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do well.¡± But it was hard for me to smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡± I took a step ahead. It was quite surprising that Elon followed me, but I was glad it wasn¡¯t Signus. I wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it if it was him. On the other hand, I also thought how nice it would be if he was the one who came. It didn¡¯t matter that I couldn¡¯t say goodbye. I just wanted to apologize. ¡®I¡¯ll protect you, Lord Signus.¡¯ The promise that would never be kept. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 37 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 37 A mysterious forest whose existence was unknown to all. Mount Nagi in the west. It was an isolated place with very few people ever stepping foot in there, and so far, only its name was written on the map. It was only recently that a journal was discovered, which revealed that Mt. Nagi had an abundance of rare herbs of high value. Thanks to the hunter¡¯s testimony, the forest became very famous and the number of travelers rose significantly. Residents of a small village near the forest called Leorio began to sell fruits and fermented drinks found at the mountain entrance, and now they achieved great success as it turned into a tourism attraction. And a woman appeared in Leorio Village. ¡°Hey you.¡± ¡°Hoo. She¡¯s just a girl, right?¡± ¡°She must be here for sightseeing with her family.¡± ¡°She was alone, though.¡± Even if there were many outsiders and travelers, it was strange for a young woman to walk around the village alone. ¡°She¡¯s bringing a sword, and her clothes must be expensive.¡± ¡°I guess she¡¯s not an ordinary person.¡± Knowing the gazes that fell over her, Lerine sped up her pace right away. Her straight posture and confident steps were especially striking. The pickpockets followed the woman with greedy eyes, but soon they flinched and retreated. All she had was an old sword hung on her waist. But Lerine kept walking. The blonde hair tied up high fluttered softly each time she moved. Lerine¡¯s determined steps stopped right in front of a fabric store. Her eyes were caught by the beautiful fabrics in different colors. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± Lerine nodded at the seller¡¯s question. ¡°I colored it myself. There¡¯s nothing more beautiful than the color of nature. The material quality isn¡¯t bad either. I¡¯m only using high-quality thread, you see.¡± It looked delicate and shiny since it was made of a natural color. A long yellow ribbon caught Lerine¡¯s eyes after looking around the shop. ¡°Do you like it? Do you want to try it?¡± The fabric store owner offered a yellow ribbon, but Lerine took a step back and shook her head. ¡°My hands are dirty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can put it on. It¡¯ll look good on you.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m really fine.¡± As Lerine and the store owner were busy talking, people nearby gathered around them. ¡°Zig! Don¡¯t you see your ugly face scares her?!¡± ¡°Yeah! If I were her, I¡¯d run away in fear of getting rip-off.¡± ¡°No way. If I were her, I¡¯d spit on him as soon as I saw his face.¡± At their mockery, the store owner shouted his head off. ¡°What are you talking about? What¡¯s wrong with my face? Why are you looking at me like that!¡± ¡°HAHAHAHA!¡± Everyone around him burst into laughter. Only Lerine stood there awkwardly. The store owner softened his tone when he spoke to Lerine. ¡°If it¡¯s because you don¡¯t have money, don¡¯t worry, I can just give you for free.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to.¡± ¡°No need to refuse. You came all the way here, so you need to at least take one! Zig¡¯s fabrics are the best, you know!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± The store owner pushed the yellow fabric on Lerine¡¯s hand. It was so soft that Lerine just received it without realizing. ¡°As expected! My eyes are not wrong.¡± Lerina, who was looking at the subtle yellow color as if possessed, raised her head. The store owner was seen smiling warmly at her. ¡°It¡¯ll go very well with your hair color. Get rid of your worn-out hair tie right away. When you come back to this village later, make sure to stop by my store, alright! Bring a lot of friends with you!¡± Lerine bit her lips. The yellow fabric crumpled helplessly on her tight grip. ¡°Thank you.¡± Lerine bowed deeply, turned around and walked away. ¡°Have a great trip!¡± The store owner sent her off with a cheerful expression. ¡°¡­Thank you. Thank you.¡± Lerine, who murmured several times, raised her eyes. She could see an endless dense forest ahead. The vast forest that was said to be hard to approach was just around the corner. The trees that soared high into the sky were bigger than expected, and she was amazed by how majestic it was. The soft yellow fabric she held in her hand fluttered in the wind. As she took a step ahead without hesitation, the atmosphere around her rapidly changed. People¡¯s chatter began to disappear and the chilling energy lingered around her body. Nevertheless, Lerine did not stop her steps. ¡°Huh?¡± People who watched her going in the forest direction began to shout. ¡°Hey! Where are you going! That is Mount Nagi!¡± But Lerine continued her steps. People¡¯s blood ran cold when they watched the black entrance swallow up all of Lerine¡¯s slender body. Soon, the yellow-haired woman completely disappeared. The forest was very quiet and mysterious. The darkness lingered in the space because of the branches that covered the sky, but she could navigate her way just fine even without sufficient light. ¡°¡­..¡± After walking endlessly, she slowed down as the tears blurred her vision. I worked my way up to become a knight. I¡¯d be able to overcome anything now that I have enough skills and confidence. It¡¯s true that anyone can become a knight in this day and age, but there¡¯s nothing I cannot be. But what should I do with my heart that has nowhere to return to now? What¡¯s the use of being a knight when my own parent denied me? My parents always dreamed of a child who can wield a sword, yet their gazes at me were cold. I didn¡¯t expect getting rejected by my parents would be this hurtful. I just went to see my younger brother, but the eyes that looked at me like a stranger were unbearably painful. She recalled her younger brother in her mother¡¯s arms. When was the last time her mother held her dearly like that? As far as she can remember, there was not a single moment when that happened. But I wonder how warm it is being embraced by my mother? My brother looked very comfortable, too. My father, who was always cold to me, also looked at my younger brother with affectionate eyes. Well, of course, my brother was very lovely. Their lives will be perfect as they have a boy who will succeed the family and reclaim my family¡¯s honor. ¡­.I just wanted to be by their side. I just wanted to stand next to my brother and my parents. I just wanted a hug, warm gazes, and even a little smile from them. Is it so wrong of me to wish something like that? If you¡¯re going to kill my son for revenge, I won¡¯t let you go. ¡°Haha¡­¡± She let out a bitter laugh. I wonder if I was hateful enough to do that. How can I kill my brother? How can I do that unless I was crazy?1> She clenched her fist with tears rolled down her cheeks. My younger brother who I didn¡¯t know existed was terminally ill and didn¡¯t have any time left. Did you hate me so much that I had to hear it from others? She was worried about her younger brother whom she never met, so she ran around the street to look for medicines. She didn¡¯t know what kind of illness he was having, so she bought every medicine with all her money and ran like crazy. But what she encountered at home was only scornful gazes and gestures that treated her like a dangerous outsider. I don¡¯t care if I was kicked out from my own home. I don¡¯t care if you throw the medicine in the trash. However, I couldn¡¯t stand it when you told me to live my own life as I pleased. I felt so disappointed in myself for holding onto that thin bond so foolishly. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 38 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 38 So I looked around with tears on my face. I ran to the only place that crossed my mind, which was Mount Nagi. Yeah, I was looking for a place to die. I didn¡¯t mean to blame them. Nobody was at fault here. It¡¯s because I wanted an affection that was never meant for me. It¡¯s because I wanted something I shouldn¡¯t wish for. There was nothing worth living for. I just remembered Signus and Ayaran who were good to me. ¡®How can I protect them when I can¡¯t control my own feelings?¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if I was known as a foolish rookie who tried to challenge something beyond my ability. Whether you become a knight or a fool, I want to live without your presence, so go pursue the life you want. Since my father told me to live as I pleased, I will do what I want for the last time. Thud! I fell on my knees. My feet quickly got sucked into the damp ground, and soon, my lower body was swallowed by the mud. It seemed like I entered the swamp area without realizing it, but it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be so bad to disappear without a trace like this.¡¯ I chewed on my lips. I just want to¡­ I wanted to know my younger brother¡¯s name. I wanted to say it out loud. I wanted to play with him as much as I could. I wanted to hug him. Even if my parents glared at me, I wanted to hold his small hand. ¡°Hic¡­¡± Those gentle eyes that didn¡¯t know how the world works. My younger brother burst into tears when he saw me. My lower body was completely drowned. Moreover, the beautiful yellow fabric wrapped around my hand was now stained with dirt. Looking at it, I couldn¡¯t control my overwhelming feelings any longer, so I just dropped my head and closed my eyes helplessly. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t hear the footsteps behind me. ¡°Damn it.¡± Somebody clicked their tongue annoyedly before reaching his hand to my side. Swoosh. My half-drowned body was suddenly raised by his muscular arms. ¡°Wait here.¡± The man wrapped me in a large cloak. He was a young man who looked like he just turned 20. Thump. The man jumped before the tree he was stepping on was completely submerged and moved to a safe place. Looking at the calm swamp, he reached out to me as I was covered in a large cloak. ¡°Do you even know where this place is to be here alone like this?¡± I lowered my gaze as I received his hand. The yellow cloth was still hanging on my hand. ¡°¡­.¡± The ribbon given by the store owner was stained by mud. However, the beautiful yellow color still shone elegantly. ¡°¡­.Uh¡­¡± When I reached out to take his hand, I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears again. ¡°You were scared, right? You¡¯re safe now.¡± The hand that was stroking my head was big and warm. Just like that, I cried for a long time. He was a very strange man. Instead of asking anything, he just followed me behind. ¡°Be careful of the grass.¡± He often warned me about dangerous things and sometimes got rid of something that might endanger me. He just followed me silently without telling me to leave this place or asking me about where I was going. I raised my hand and touched my face. I could feel my swollen eyes. On top of crying, I looked just like a complete beggar after falling into the swamp. ¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯ I was hungry and tired after walking for a long time. How ridiculous. I came all the way here to die, but my body shamelessly wanted to rest. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a break?¡± Looking back, I met his deep gray eyes. He leaned his body against a tree in a relaxed manner. ¡°It¡¯s because I feel tired.¡± I just stood there without answering him. I felt like he¡¯d follow me if I said I¡¯d go first. While I was ruminating about what to do, he handed me his water bottle. He didn¡¯t forget to clean the bottle before giving it to me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you think it¡¯s poisoned? Relax. I don¡¯t have a hobby of killing the person that I saved.¡± I think I owe him too much. And I felt even more guilty when he said that, so I took the water bottle. ¡°¡­.Thank you.¡± ¡°I see that you know how to speak.¡± He laughed. His smiling face looked harmless. Then I heard a murmur as I was quenching my throat with cold water. ¡°Come to think of it¡­.¡± he said, trying to remember something. ¡°It¡¯s blooming time. You¡¯re lucky.¡± He began to walk ahead of me. ¡°Follow me. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll show you something amazing.¡± My feet moved on their own and I ended up following him. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous from here on. Be careful and don¡¯t touch anything.¡± He took off his coat and put it on me. ¡°The way up will not be smooth. Brace yourself.¡± So I looked up and saw an ice cliff with no end in sight. It seemed difficult to climb up a high and steep cliff. ¡®If you slip, you¡¯ll die right away.¡¯ Still, I followed him without a word. I would have died if it weren¡¯t for him anyway. From then on, our rough journey continued. It was a valuable experience that I couldn¡¯t experience in the academy. When the old branch swung to our direction due to the blizzard, he jumped over that branch with ease. When the monster slid down the cliff to attack us, he put me in a safe place before slaughtering them. On several occasions, a large bird flew over a cliff to steal the cloak and nearly dragged me away. He saved me again and again. It was a dangerous place where I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive by myself. I couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed. I continued to climb the cliff even when the sun was about to set. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± As I was feeling exhausted, he pulled my hand and pushed my back. ¡°Cheer up.¡± It was as if he was telling me not to give up. ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Standing on the edge of the cliff, I exclaimed in amazement. What spread before my eyes was an amazing scenery. It made me feel thankful for being alive at this moment. While I was looking at the scenery, he looked around carefully. ¡°Come here, come on!¡± I rushed to him as he urged me. A pink flower was blooming in the middle of the white cliff. ¡®What kind of flower is that? There¡¯s silver dust falling from it.¡¯ Then I heard the answer immediately. ¡°It¡¯s eastern prickly pear.¡± ¡°Eastern prickly pear?¡± ¡°Mt. Nagi is full of unknown herbs, but that¡¯s not all. On a steep ice cliff located in the deepest part of the forest, there¡¯s eastern prickly pear which blooms every thousand years. It is a legendary medicine that brings out the souls of the dead.¡± Surprised, I looked at the beautiful flower again. ¡°No one ever saw it except for you and me.¡± Unbelievable¡­.how can someone like me be able to witness such an amazing thing? ¡°You are the second person to see the eastern prickly pear bloom. I can assure you of that.¡± My mind went blank. I came all the way here purely with the help of that person, but do I really deserve to see this? ¡°So now wipe your tears and think about who you¡¯re going to give it to.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There must be someone you want to give it to. You came all the way up here and survived against the danger of death.¡± He said it rather so lightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anyone to give it to, you can sell it.¡± I shook my head at his nonsense. ¡°Don¡¯t you want it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just seeing it is enough.¡± I meant it. It was a miracle to come all the way here, and I have no regret left after seeing this flower. I feel happy enough that I might be able to fully embrace death. After contemplating for a while, he said. ¡°Then should I throw that away?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 39 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 39 ¡®Throw it away? What kind of nonsense is that!¡¯ I looked at him in disbelief. By any chance, did you get hit on the head or something? ¡°Why? Do you think I¡¯m crazy?¡± I only looked at him silently. ¡®Maybe you got hit by the branch earlier?¡¯ Or maybe you got hurt after falling into a thorny path? Did the monster injure you badly? Was there poison in the fruit that you picked up when you were hungry? ¡°¡­.I can tell what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯m not hurt or crazy, so get rid of those useless thoughts.¡± I looked away instantly. I¡¯m glad he was fine, but I couldn¡¯t stop worrying. We were hurt and bruised everywhere after a rough journey, so it¡¯d be natural if we lose our minds in this kind of situation. ¡°I know your purpose for coming here. That¡¯s why you followed me all the way here, right? I can see that you have a strong occupational disease.¡± Occupational disease? ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, so just answer me. Didn¡¯t I ask you who you were going to give it to? Or are you really going to throw it away. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the one who finds it take it instead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± But you told me to sell it if I don¡¯t need it! ¡°And it doesn¡¯t bloom long. It¡¯s either leave it behind or throw it away.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have anyone to give it to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie. Don¡¯t try to fool my eyes.¡± I was speechless for a moment. No. Get a hold of yourself. After making up my mind, I refused once again. ¡°I really don¡¯t have anyone to give it to.¡± ¡°But your expression said otherwise.¡± I bit my lip. Hurry up and refuse! ¡°It¡¯s a legendary medicine that heals people with any kind of disease. Think again. Do you really don¡¯t have anyone to give it to?¡± What a strange man. He suddenly came to my rescue, gave me food and even protected me. Even though he found a thousand years old flower, he made me worry by saying that he would throw it away after going all the way here to find it. He even managed to gauge my mind perfectly. ¡°I¡¯m the only one here. What are you afraid of?¡± He was right. I was scared. Until it became a habit to keep my mouth shut due to fear of revealing my heart. I shouldn¡¯t say anything or even think about it. I¡¯m not allowed to have this kind of feeling. I cut all ties with my family now. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one last question. If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll pull it out and throw it to the cliff.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Who do you want to give it to?¡± Tears began to fall down. I sobbed, feeling the lump in my throat. He was right. When he asked if there was anyone I wanted to give it to, someone came to my mind. Still, I loathed myself for having that thought. I was so sick and tired. ¡°My¡­.¡± Tears rolled over my distorted face. He only looked at me silently and waited patiently. ¡°¡­.My brother, my¡­.!¡± I choked up, so I ended up dropping my head. I meant to say that my younger brother is sick. I didn¡¯t know what he was suffering from, but my brother smiled even when his face became so red from fever. I ran away from home, leaving my brother behind. I ran away because I thought I was going to die if I stayed there. It was more painful now than when I left home because I recalled how my brother smiled at me. I¡¯d be better if my brother didn¡¯t know me. But I don¡¯t want him to get sick. I hope he won¡¯t die and live. I hope he lives happily without knowing me. I don¡¯t even ask his name, and I can¡¯t even return to my house now. There¡¯s no way I can know his name. He was so fragile and weak, but I wanted him to live long. I let my repressed heart flow out along with bitter tears. So I went down the cliff and picked up the thousand year old plant. ¡°Eastern prickly pear melt like water as soon as they are pulled out. Therefore, only experts can keep it. It can only survive with the energy of the ice cliff.¡± He grinned. ¡°This is the second time I¡¯ve pulled it out, thanks to you.¡± Second time? ¡°So you¡¯ve lived for two thousand years?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. How can a person live so long?¡± He chuckled as if I was saying nonsense. ¡°It was for a mission. I have committed a heavy crime thanks to that.¡± I thought I shouldn¡¯t ask more questions. A heavy silence lingered in the air. Soon, I saw him tear the cloth to tie his legs, and I finally decided. ¡°Pardon my late introduction.¡± I walked in front of him and bowed my head. ¡°I will never forget your kindness for saving my life and bringing me all the way here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. How can I repay you?¡± How can I repay you? I really have no idea on how to repay him. ¡°If you don¡¯t know what to do, sit here and tell me about yourself. Don¡¯t just stand there.¡± Leaning against the tree, he gestured to the spot next to him. ¡®Am I doing you a favor by talking about myself?¡¯ But I should sit next to him for now. I wonder what I should tell him? ¡°Why are you alone? You look so young, though.¡± He began questioning me. After the sluice gate opened, everything flowed out like water. He, who seemed to be indifferent on our first meeting, stood up and listened seriously. When I told him why I came here, he punched the tree behind me. No matter how thick the tree trunk was, a large hole was drilled in the tree, and soon fell on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve seen such terrible people!¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 40 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 40 He shouted, furiously pointing his finger to the air. ¡°What kind of idiot neglected a child who wasn¡¯t even ten years old?! Hiding your little brother from you, huh? And now they told you to live as you pleased?!¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°Who are your parents? I¡¯m in the mood to kill those dogs right now!¡± After swearing at the top of his lungs, he looked back at me. ¡°No wonder you seemed off to me. You fell into a swamp, but you didn¡¯t even struggle. So I went there to check and saw you crying silently. Now I totally understand why you did that!¡± His earnest gray eyes touched me. ¡°No one asks to be born. You have a right to live and they robbed that right from you. They have never been on your side from the start,¡± His gray eyes were burning with intense anger. ¡°Tell me. Were you born because you wanted to be born? Did you ask them to not have a second child? What kind of parents ask their child why they were born?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if you lived like a rascal and murder people, they should have been on your side!¡± A tree with a hole in its trunk eventually collapsed with a loud noise. ¡°Who dares kick up a fuss about your life?! Your life is precious!¡± His roar echoed across the ice cliff. ¡°Don¡¯t give up your life for those useless pricks. Do they think giving birth to you is everything? No! They are strangers. A complete stranger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be swayed by other people¡¯s words. Laugh at them as if you were listening to a dog barking. Focus on people close to you and listen to them. You can just ignore the rest.¡± He said sternly. ¡°If it¡¯s hard, say that it¡¯s hard. Let it out to your heart¡¯s content. No matter what you do, there¡¯ll always be someone for you.¡± At his words, I murmured quietly. ¡°There¡¯ll always be someone for me¡­.?¡± ¡°Yes! The one that stays next to you!¡± ¡°¡­.Is there anyone like that?¡¯¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Is there really anyone who will stay with me no matter what I do? Even if I¡¯m a jerk or a murderer? He answered every question I asked him. ¡°Of course, of course!¡± ¡°Are you really going to give this to your little brother?¡± ¡°Yes. I really want to cure his illness. We¡¯ll never see each other again, after all.¡± His expression turned sour. ¡°I don¡¯t really feel like doing this because of your stupid parents. If I could, I¡¯d throw it in front of them and crush it.¡± ¡°You may do that.¡± He looked at me in a daze, but I really meant it. This flower wasn¡¯t mine anyway. ¡°¡­Never mind. I¡¯m just joking, so stop making that face.¡± Bloody hell! At last, he swore loudly as if trying to let out all his frustration. ¡°Let¡¯s go down slowly.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± When I raised my body, he clicked his tongue upon looking at a distant cliff. ¡°Looks like someone else has entered Mt. Nagi. If that person keeps screaming like that, he¡¯ll be killed by the owner of this forest.¡± Even when I listened carefully, I could only hear the sound of the wind. ¡°Is your name Li?¡± I looked up at him in daze. How did he know that? ¡°Somebody is coming to find you.¡± But I was confined to my dormitory and spent all my time training. I¡¯m not even close to my peers, I only had my eyes set on the sword. I did meet Elon before coming here, but he wouldn¡¯t have the slightest idea that I went here. No one knows that I¡¯m here¡­. ¡®But it¡¯s Li, not Lerine?¡¯ For a moment, I was reminded of Signus¡¯ golden eyes. I met the precious third prince of this country by chance and we talked to each other a lot. But it is unlikely that he would come. Why would he come to this dangerous place? ¡°What do we do? If he keeps going like that, he¡¯ll die soon.¡± My heart sank at his terrifying words. Just as he said, there was an ominous darkness swirling over the trees. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a shortcut that gets you there. But it¡¯s very dangerous.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! I have to go!¡± He nodded lightly and walked up to a tree. After tying a black rope on the base of the tree, he reached out to me. ¡°Hold on tight so you won¡¯t fall.¡± He pulled the rope as hard as he could to check the strength and jumped off the cliff with me. Signus looked at the quiet forest. Sweat dripped from his forehead and stained the ground with darker color. Lerine went home, didn¡¯t she? I told her that her family was here. He scoffed as he listened to the knight¡¯s words. ¡°Anyway, his mouth is the problem here. I¡¯ll have to give him a good beating when I get back.¡± Of course, Lerine mustn¡¯t know about this. His golden eyes gleamed coldly. It was only after meeting Lerine that Signus started pretending to be nice. He pretended to be nice with all his might. It didn¡¯t matter if his brothers and Ayaran laughed at him for being two-faced. Thud. Signus put his sword to the ground. ¡°This way. I won¡¯t be too vigilant.¡± Damian continued to give advice to Signus. Don¡¯t hold it in. One day you¡¯ll explode. ¡°I know. I know.¡± His golden eyes flamed up. ¡°I¡¯ve endured it, too. That¡¯s why I came up with a few tricks to deal with it.¡±¡¯ However, there was a limit to patience. Signus, who had loosen up his strength, took a deep breath. ¡°Liiii!¡± A loud noise shook the forest, and the trees around it swayed. A living branch flew toward Signus. ¡°Lilii!¡± Signus knew that a second child was born in the Million family a long time ago. But Lerine, a family member, didn¡¯t even know about that. Does that make sense? It was very strange, so he decided to run some background checks. ¡°Liii!¡± Signus already knew how trashy her parents were, how they hurt and tore her heart apart, and how they drove her out of the house. So he vowed to kill the beloved Million¡¯s son in front of his parents. But he didn¡¯t expect her to disappear. He really didn¡¯t know she would decide to die without coming to see him once. Thud! He staggered due to the branch that penetrated his thigh and shoulders. His whole body was stained with blood, but it was the least of his concern. There was only one thing that Signus wanted to know. What kind of person he was to Lerine? ¡°I¡¯m going to risk my life.¡± Signus laughed at the branch flying toward his head. I stepped on a tree and leaped through the air. My legs tremble after jumping so far, but nothing could stop me now. The yellow fabric tied to my arm fluttered wildly. ¡°Keep running.¡± He drew the sword diagonally as he shouted. A large tree fell over the swamp. I stepped on the trunk of a tree and jumped. ¡°Liii!¡± A black hair is clearly visible from a distance. I sped up my movement upon hearing Signus¡¯ voice that was getting clearer. Soon, I could see that a branch of a tree was going to hit Signus. So I reached out my hand and screamed. ¡°Noo!¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤