“You said there wasn’t one?”
Jeremy became angry after hearing what the knight said.
“Your Highness, it was a tone of confidence that there really wasn’t anything. When we searched the mansion earlier, we didn't see anything..."
“Is that an excuse now?”
Jeremy roughly grabbed the collar of the knight who posted the report.
The knight furrowed his eyebrows reflexively when he saw Jeremy's face from the front.
“Look straight at me. Who is your Master? This is me! It’s not that kind of bird that’s as bad as a dog!”
"Your Highness...”
“You just listened to that guy and didn’t even search the mansion! How dare!"
At first glance, the knight noticed that Jeremy's mental state seemed unstable.
It wasn't like this before his face was ruined.
Unlike before, when he felt relaxed, he felt a sense of urgency from Jeremy.
At that time, Jeremy pulled out the knight's sword, which the knight was wearing at his waist.
And then, he struck the knight's neck.
Sigh.
The blood spurted out in all directions, even splashing onto the armor of the knights around him.
“Ugh!”
The knight grabbed his neck and looked up at Jeremy with a resentful face.
The result of a long period of help was such a vain death.
Soon the knight's body went limp.
The workers who were watching this from the side were shocked.
“Now, if the rest of you have mouths, come up with a proper excuse.”
"Your Highness!"
At that time, the aide grabbed Jeremy's wrist with an urgent hand.
“Your Highness, in times like these, you need to hold on tighter to your spirit. Asking for help from Her Majesty... ”
At those words, Jeremy's crazy eyes turned to the aide.
“There is no such thing as a mother to me.”
“...”
“What happened to the knight named Ben? Why is there no news yet!”
Jeremy shook off his aide's hand and threw the sword he was holding on the floor.
Cheonggang!
A sharp sound echoed through the hallway.
Just today, two people died at the hands of Jeremy.
The backlash against Jeremy was growing among the knights and within the imperial palace.
If what happened within the imperial palace spread outside the imperial palace, his position as Crown Prince would be further diminished.
Unlike his father, they thought he was smart, but now they see he's completely crazy.
The aide was conflicted as to whether Jeremy should be replaced by someone else right now.
However, Jeremy was the only one who inherited the royal blood, and the Empress had strong support in the Duke Gregrick family.
While he was seriously contemplating what to do, several of the knights who had gone out from the other side of the hallway were coming back.
"Your Highness! I found a knight named Ben. We found him in a deserted alley near the port.”
Jeremy's purple eyes flashed through the melted skin.
“Were he captured alive?”
“When we found it, he was already dead. He was attacked and killed by someone... And, we found this in the hand of the corpse.”
The knight took out a bright, lustrous red ruby from his chest.
“Anything else?”
“I searched the inside of the sleeve carefully, but found nothing except this ruby.”
Jeremy looked at the red ruby.
Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Erphia's favorite gemstone was also ruby.
Jeremy felt like his blood was boiling, but Jeremy tried to control his anger and spoke calmly.
“Thoroughly investigate the source of this ruby.”
"Yes."
Tak.
Dietrich put the basket of food down on the table.
The basket was filled with red cherries and fruits, freshly baked egg tarts, and fresh milk.
Seliya, who was watching this, asked Dietrich.
“How are you going to take care of everything?”
“...”
“If the Crown Prince finds out that I lied about you, he won’t leave you alone.”
Dietrich silently placed the cherry in Seliya's mouth.
Seliya, who had taken the cherry from him, chewed and looked at Dietrich.
“Are you worried about me now?”
Seliya answered immediately.
"Yes."
Dietrich's hand, which had been picking the cherry stems one by one and handing them over, suddenly stopped.
“...Take care of yourself first. Because I have everything on my mind.”
Perhaps in an attempt to silence Seliya, he shoved several of cherries into Seliya's mouth.
Instead of asking him what he was thinking, Seliya put down the cherry that was shoved in her mouth.
The red, smooth cherry melted and disappeared in Seliya's mouth.
“It’s like eating birdsong.”
Dietrich chuckled. Yet his hands were busy picking cherries.
Seliya asked him, as she was a bit fed up by him.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I don’t have to eat.”
Seliya took out an egg tart from the basket and brought it to her mouth.
Dietrich said, slowly closing and opening his eyes.
“I don’t really like sweets.”
“Then, how about starting to like it from now on?”
“People can survive with just the minimum amount of food. So, whether it’s sweet or bitter, they are just foods that are there for me.”
Seliya thought that what Dietrich was saying might not only refer to food but also to his outlook on life.
Seliya did not offer any further advice. He even forced her to eat even though she said she didn't like it.
Seliya said as she took a bite of the egg tart she brought to Dietrich's mouth.
“You look just like a monk. If you suddenly open your eyes, won’t it disappear?”
“No, rather you are probably too carefree.”
“Being anxious in this situation won’t make it any better.”
“...”
“And why should I be anxious when you’re here?”
At those words, Dietrich stopped what he was doing and quietly looked down at Seliya.
Her reflection was reflected in his calm red eyes.
"You."
Dietrich, calling her, stretched out his hand towards Seliya.
His large hand rubbed her lips. To be exact, the crumbs on her lips.
“In this imperial palace, don’t trust anyone, including me, okay?"
Dietrich's words were strange. Doesn't it seem like he truly cares about her?
“No, I decided to trust you.”
To be exact, she decided to only half believe him.
When he tells her everything, only then will she be able to fully trust him.
Dietrich's eyes became cloudy. He leaned his body towards Seliya sitting in the chair.
"Why? Because I accepted the test you gave me so casually?”
“Don’t say it’s a test. It was just a simple kiss.”
Dietrich seemed a little angry at Seliya’s words.
Dietrich, with his eyebrows furrowed, continued.
"Simple? Do you usually kiss just anyone like that? To test a person, the method chosen is a kiss.”
Seliya couldn't understand why Dietrich was angry.
Seliya, losing her appetite, asked back as she put down the egg tart on the table.
“Why are you so angry?”
Dietrich didn't answer. A dark shadow was cast over his frowning face.
“You are no one.”
“...”
“I am your master. You said it yourself that you gave me the leash.”
Even though he could have killed her, he did not kill her and appeared and saved her every time she was in danger.
Since he was the only man who didn't have lust after looking at her, she had no choice but to test it in that way.
“Did kissing me make you feel that bad? You tried to test me first.”
He was the one who gave her the dagger and told her to stab himself.
“You say you will give up your special abilities if necessary, so what’s the complaint? It’s not a losing deal for you.”
For a moment, a faint sadness flashed across Dietrich's face.
Seliya couldn't figure out why Dietrich was sad.
Even though he was the one who tried to take advantage of her first, he looked at her with a face that looked like he was hurt.
The sadness on his face disappeared so fleetingly, in the blink of an eye, that Seliya had no way of knowing whether she had seen something wrong or not.
Dietrich, who soon returned with a dry expression, spoke in a bitterly cold voice.
"Yes. You are right.”
“...”
“Deal, nothing more, nothing less. But...”
Dietrich trailed off as he smoothed the hair from Seliya's cheek.
“No matter how limited your life is, cherish your life. Don’t make me run away from my desire to protect you.”
With those last words, Dietrich turned and left the room.
Seliya thought as she looked at the closed door.
Dietrich is by no means a bad man.
He is an angel compared to Illeon, who ruined people's faces for nothing.
She doesn't know if there are any circumstances that prevent him from saying anything, but he probably has complicated circumstances just as much as herself.
'Except for my kingdom, the only country with this ability was our ally, the Principality of Inata.'
Even though she tries not to be curious, she becomes curious.
She feels reassured by his casual actions and by the touch that does not reveal a single trace of desire.
- In this imperial palace, don’t trust anyone, including me.
Even though she knows she shouldn't do that.
Strangely, she ends up wanting to believe it.
Seliya sat halfway on the chair and closed her eyes.
She picked up a cherry on the table and tried it, but she couldn't taste it anymore.
The palace where Illeon stays.
“Your Majesty, why are you doing this? With that urgent look on your face.”
"Duke!"
Erphia grasped Illeon's sleeve tightly as if it were a lifeline.
“Things went terribly wrong. Ben betrayed me and fed Jeremy the poison, not that girl!”
"Ah...”
Illeon made up a sad look in his eyes.
“Still, I came to see you earlier, but your face was speechless.”
“Ben, why did Ben do that? Jeremy said, 'Why does someone who followed you for over 20 years betray you?' Jeremy is clearly under the impression that I ruined his porcelain face! All the circumstances are pointing to me. Doesn’t the Duke think it’s strange too?”
Illeon offered tea to Erphia, who spoke without even breathing.
“Your Majesty, calm down first. Would you like to talk over a cup of chamomile tea? There is no tea like this to calm the mind.”
Erphia nodded her head and took a seat.
Illeon personally poured the tea and handed it to Erphia.
“It’s clear that someone was trying to slander me! I'm asking just in case...”
Erphia's suspicious gaze turned to Illeon.
“I’m sure the Duke isn’t the culprit...”
“Your Majesty the Empress.”
Illeon interrupted Erphia.
“How long have I been working for Her Majesty, and now you are accusing me of betrayal by a man named Ben? It’s quite unpleasant.”
Illeon stood up with a sarcastic look on his face.
Erphia grabbed the hem of his clothes with her urgent hands.
“I’m really confused right now. Duke, please forgive my rudeness just now.”
“...”
Ileon reluctantly sat down. Relieved, Erphia continued her words while taking a sip of chamomile tea.
“I don’t think Ben could have done this on his own. I have no idea who the culprit is.”
“...I think I know the culprit.”
Erphia's eyes became big as if urging him to answer.
"Who?"
“Your Highness, it was a tone of confidence that there really wasn’t anything. When we searched the mansion earlier, we didn't see anything..."
“Is that an excuse now?”
Jeremy roughly grabbed the collar of the knight who posted the report.
The knight furrowed his eyebrows reflexively when he saw Jeremy's face from the front.
“Look straight at me. Who is your Master? This is me! It’s not that kind of bird that’s as bad as a dog!”
"Your Highness...”
“You just listened to that guy and didn’t even search the mansion! How dare!"
At first glance, the knight noticed that Jeremy's mental state seemed unstable.
It wasn't like this before his face was ruined.
Unlike before, when he felt relaxed, he felt a sense of urgency from Jeremy.
At that time, Jeremy pulled out the knight's sword, which the knight was wearing at his waist.
And then, he struck the knight's neck.
Sigh.
The blood spurted out in all directions, even splashing onto the armor of the knights around him.
“Ugh!”
The knight grabbed his neck and looked up at Jeremy with a resentful face.
The result of a long period of help was such a vain death.
Soon the knight's body went limp.
The workers who were watching this from the side were shocked.
“Now, if the rest of you have mouths, come up with a proper excuse.”
"Your Highness!"
At that time, the aide grabbed Jeremy's wrist with an urgent hand.
“Your Highness, in times like these, you need to hold on tighter to your spirit. Asking for help from Her Majesty... ”
At those words, Jeremy's crazy eyes turned to the aide.
“There is no such thing as a mother to me.”
“...”
“What happened to the knight named Ben? Why is there no news yet!”
Jeremy shook off his aide's hand and threw the sword he was holding on the floor.
Cheonggang!
A sharp sound echoed through the hallway.
Just today, two people died at the hands of Jeremy.
The backlash against Jeremy was growing among the knights and within the imperial palace.
If what happened within the imperial palace spread outside the imperial palace, his position as Crown Prince would be further diminished.
Unlike his father, they thought he was smart, but now they see he's completely crazy.
The aide was conflicted as to whether Jeremy should be replaced by someone else right now.
However, Jeremy was the only one who inherited the royal blood, and the Empress had strong support in the Duke Gregrick family.
While he was seriously contemplating what to do, several of the knights who had gone out from the other side of the hallway were coming back.
"Your Highness! I found a knight named Ben. We found him in a deserted alley near the port.”
Jeremy's purple eyes flashed through the melted skin.
“Were he captured alive?”
“When we found it, he was already dead. He was attacked and killed by someone... And, we found this in the hand of the corpse.”
The knight took out a bright, lustrous red ruby from his chest.
“Anything else?”
“I searched the inside of the sleeve carefully, but found nothing except this ruby.”
Jeremy looked at the red ruby.
Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Erphia's favorite gemstone was also ruby.
Jeremy felt like his blood was boiling, but Jeremy tried to control his anger and spoke calmly.
“Thoroughly investigate the source of this ruby.”
"Yes."
***
Tak.
Dietrich put the basket of food down on the table.
The basket was filled with red cherries and fruits, freshly baked egg tarts, and fresh milk.
Seliya, who was watching this, asked Dietrich.
“How are you going to take care of everything?”
“...”
“If the Crown Prince finds out that I lied about you, he won’t leave you alone.”
Dietrich silently placed the cherry in Seliya's mouth.
Seliya, who had taken the cherry from him, chewed and looked at Dietrich.
“Are you worried about me now?”
Seliya answered immediately.
"Yes."
Dietrich's hand, which had been picking the cherry stems one by one and handing them over, suddenly stopped.
“...Take care of yourself first. Because I have everything on my mind.”
Perhaps in an attempt to silence Seliya, he shoved several of cherries into Seliya's mouth.
Instead of asking him what he was thinking, Seliya put down the cherry that was shoved in her mouth.
The red, smooth cherry melted and disappeared in Seliya's mouth.
“It’s like eating birdsong.”
Dietrich chuckled. Yet his hands were busy picking cherries.
Seliya asked him, as she was a bit fed up by him.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I don’t have to eat.”
Seliya took out an egg tart from the basket and brought it to her mouth.
Dietrich said, slowly closing and opening his eyes.
“I don’t really like sweets.”
“Then, how about starting to like it from now on?”
“People can survive with just the minimum amount of food. So, whether it’s sweet or bitter, they are just foods that are there for me.”
Seliya thought that what Dietrich was saying might not only refer to food but also to his outlook on life.
Seliya did not offer any further advice. He even forced her to eat even though she said she didn't like it.
Seliya said as she took a bite of the egg tart she brought to Dietrich's mouth.
“You look just like a monk. If you suddenly open your eyes, won’t it disappear?”
“No, rather you are probably too carefree.”
“Being anxious in this situation won’t make it any better.”
“...”
“And why should I be anxious when you’re here?”
At those words, Dietrich stopped what he was doing and quietly looked down at Seliya.
Her reflection was reflected in his calm red eyes.
"You."
Dietrich, calling her, stretched out his hand towards Seliya.
His large hand rubbed her lips. To be exact, the crumbs on her lips.
“In this imperial palace, don’t trust anyone, including me, okay?"
Dietrich's words were strange. Doesn't it seem like he truly cares about her?
“No, I decided to trust you.”
To be exact, she decided to only half believe him.
When he tells her everything, only then will she be able to fully trust him.
Dietrich's eyes became cloudy. He leaned his body towards Seliya sitting in the chair.
"Why? Because I accepted the test you gave me so casually?”
“Don’t say it’s a test. It was just a simple kiss.”
Dietrich seemed a little angry at Seliya’s words.
Dietrich, with his eyebrows furrowed, continued.
"Simple? Do you usually kiss just anyone like that? To test a person, the method chosen is a kiss.”
Seliya couldn't understand why Dietrich was angry.
Seliya, losing her appetite, asked back as she put down the egg tart on the table.
“Why are you so angry?”
Dietrich didn't answer. A dark shadow was cast over his frowning face.
“You are no one.”
“...”
“I am your master. You said it yourself that you gave me the leash.”
Even though he could have killed her, he did not kill her and appeared and saved her every time she was in danger.
Since he was the only man who didn't have lust after looking at her, she had no choice but to test it in that way.
“Did kissing me make you feel that bad? You tried to test me first.”
He was the one who gave her the dagger and told her to stab himself.
“You say you will give up your special abilities if necessary, so what’s the complaint? It’s not a losing deal for you.”
For a moment, a faint sadness flashed across Dietrich's face.
Seliya couldn't figure out why Dietrich was sad.
Even though he was the one who tried to take advantage of her first, he looked at her with a face that looked like he was hurt.
The sadness on his face disappeared so fleetingly, in the blink of an eye, that Seliya had no way of knowing whether she had seen something wrong or not.
Dietrich, who soon returned with a dry expression, spoke in a bitterly cold voice.
"Yes. You are right.”
“...”
“Deal, nothing more, nothing less. But...”
Dietrich trailed off as he smoothed the hair from Seliya's cheek.
“No matter how limited your life is, cherish your life. Don’t make me run away from my desire to protect you.”
With those last words, Dietrich turned and left the room.
Seliya thought as she looked at the closed door.
Dietrich is by no means a bad man.
He is an angel compared to Illeon, who ruined people's faces for nothing.
She doesn't know if there are any circumstances that prevent him from saying anything, but he probably has complicated circumstances just as much as herself.
'Except for my kingdom, the only country with this ability was our ally, the Principality of Inata.'
Even though she tries not to be curious, she becomes curious.
She feels reassured by his casual actions and by the touch that does not reveal a single trace of desire.
- In this imperial palace, don’t trust anyone, including me.
Even though she knows she shouldn't do that.
Strangely, she ends up wanting to believe it.
Seliya sat halfway on the chair and closed her eyes.
She picked up a cherry on the table and tried it, but she couldn't taste it anymore.
***
The palace where Illeon stays.
“Your Majesty, why are you doing this? With that urgent look on your face.”
"Duke!"
Erphia grasped Illeon's sleeve tightly as if it were a lifeline.
“Things went terribly wrong. Ben betrayed me and fed Jeremy the poison, not that girl!”
"Ah...”
Illeon made up a sad look in his eyes.
“Still, I came to see you earlier, but your face was speechless.”
“Ben, why did Ben do that? Jeremy said, 'Why does someone who followed you for over 20 years betray you?' Jeremy is clearly under the impression that I ruined his porcelain face! All the circumstances are pointing to me. Doesn’t the Duke think it’s strange too?”
Illeon offered tea to Erphia, who spoke without even breathing.
“Your Majesty, calm down first. Would you like to talk over a cup of chamomile tea? There is no tea like this to calm the mind.”
Erphia nodded her head and took a seat.
Illeon personally poured the tea and handed it to Erphia.
“It’s clear that someone was trying to slander me! I'm asking just in case...”
Erphia's suspicious gaze turned to Illeon.
“I’m sure the Duke isn’t the culprit...”
“Your Majesty the Empress.”
Illeon interrupted Erphia.
“How long have I been working for Her Majesty, and now you are accusing me of betrayal by a man named Ben? It’s quite unpleasant.”
Illeon stood up with a sarcastic look on his face.
Erphia grabbed the hem of his clothes with her urgent hands.
“I’m really confused right now. Duke, please forgive my rudeness just now.”
“...”
Ileon reluctantly sat down. Relieved, Erphia continued her words while taking a sip of chamomile tea.
“I don’t think Ben could have done this on his own. I have no idea who the culprit is.”
“...I think I know the culprit.”
Erphia's eyes became big as if urging him to answer.
"Who?"
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