Today, dark clouds were hanging over the capital. The sky was ominous as if lightning would strike at any moment. The dangerous sky, which made it hard to tell whether it was morning or afternoon, was just like Rhodnes's own mind.
'Why do you like Adrienne?'
A headache came over him as he thought of Blie, who had the same eyes as Adrienne but spoke in a completely different voice. There were many reasons for the headache.
Since coming to the capital, Rhodnes had not had a single day without drinking, and if he didn’t fall asleep like a swooning owl, he would lie awake most of the day in a dazed state. Rhodnes swept the only neatly laid out letter papers on his messy office desk with a trembling hand.
“Thanks to you, I managed to avoid failing my Elacon exam for the first time, Ann.”
“I tried the medicine you told me about last time, and it helped me breathe a lot. Thanks, Ann.”
“Bianca said that my father wants to set me up with His Highness the Crown Prince. You go to the Royal Academy, so you must have met him. You might not know him because everyone wears masks. It’s hard to make friends at the Royal Academy because of the risk of assassination. Taking classes and talking to people you don’t even know... Oh, of course, we’re different. I really think of you as a good friend."
"I almost fainted during class today, so I spent a few hours in the recovery room. I think my health has gotten worse lately. Sophia said no one would take a weakling like me. Is that really true?"
"I'm sorry for saying stupid things. I don't want to hear people say that I can't do anything by myself. I really worked hard on the assignments you gave me this time, so I really want to show you that I got an A+. Wouldn't that make your Academy life more enjoyable? You said you don't have a dream, right? I think you'd be good at being a teacher. What do you think?"
'Adrienne was someone who couldn't do anything. She couldn't even graduate from the academy she had finally entered. She made an excuse that she was sick and just lay at home, taking medicine... '
That woman is not Adrienne. Rhodnes thought, trying hard to ignore Blie Acacia's handwriting.
'Adrienne was someone who couldn't do anything. She couldn't even graduate from the academy she had finally entered. She made an excuse that she was sick and just lay at home, taking medicine... '
That woman is not Adrienne. Rhodnes thought, trying hard to ignore Blie Acacia's handwriting.
Adrienne does not belittle others, especially herself. She is someone who acknowledges her own shortcomings and tries to learn from them. It is nonsense in the first place. Whenever he saw Adrienne from time to time in Noevian's government, he fell into a deep sense of self-loathing.
If Adrienne really was dead...
If she really did not exist in this world, he should not be mistaken even more. It would not be courtesy to Adrienne, nor courtesy to the government.
'A courtesy to the government of Noevian.'
At the word courtesy that came to mind, Rhodnes laughed self-deprecatingly. And then he took out a navy quill pen from his bosom. It was slightly worn from being handled so much, but it still looked new. The quill pen that Adrienne had left behind when he first met her in the library between the Royal Academy and the Academy. A trivial yet precious thing that he had held onto without being able to return it or throw it away. Wasn’t it just like his own heart? Something that Adrienne had thrown away and never looked for again.
'A courtesy to the government of Noevian.'
At the word courtesy that came to mind, Rhodnes laughed self-deprecatingly. And then he took out a navy quill pen from his bosom. It was slightly worn from being handled so much, but it still looked new. The quill pen that Adrienne had left behind when he first met her in the library between the Royal Academy and the Academy. A trivial yet precious thing that he had held onto without being able to return it or throw it away. Wasn’t it just like his own heart? Something that Adrienne had thrown away and never looked for again.
Exactly...
Knock knock-.
"Your Highness!"
“...”
Neil, accustomed to Rhodnes's silence, entered the office, which smelled of alcohol and cigars, carrying a stack of documents. Rhodnes's distorted expression softened. Neil approached, pretending not to see, and carefully placed the stack of documents.
“His Majesty the Emperor has sent another message to come to the palace.”
“...I think I said I didn’t want to take on any missions for the time being.”
“Your Highness, you can just say it to me out loud, but I have to submit the reason in writing to His Majesty the Emperor according to the Six Harmonies Principle.”
“...Neil, since when did your tongue get so long?”
In the dark office on a cloudy day, the red eyes that flashed slowly blinked like warning lights. It seemed as if Rhodnes would order him to jump up, kick his shins, and bang his head. Neil looked away from the gaze and sent his eyes somewhere in the air.
“My tongue was originally long, but Your Highness kept telling me to shut up, so I just pretended it was short.”
“You’ve been losing your mind lately, you know, even though this isn’t a battlefield.”
Hap.
"Your Highness!"
“...”
Neil, accustomed to Rhodnes's silence, entered the office, which smelled of alcohol and cigars, carrying a stack of documents. Rhodnes's distorted expression softened. Neil approached, pretending not to see, and carefully placed the stack of documents.
“His Majesty the Emperor has sent another message to come to the palace.”
“...I think I said I didn’t want to take on any missions for the time being.”
“Your Highness, you can just say it to me out loud, but I have to submit the reason in writing to His Majesty the Emperor according to the Six Harmonies Principle.”
“...Neil, since when did your tongue get so long?”
In the dark office on a cloudy day, the red eyes that flashed slowly blinked like warning lights. It seemed as if Rhodnes would order him to jump up, kick his shins, and bang his head. Neil looked away from the gaze and sent his eyes somewhere in the air.
“My tongue was originally long, but Your Highness kept telling me to shut up, so I just pretended it was short.”
“You’ve been losing your mind lately, you know, even though this isn’t a battlefield.”
Hap.
Neil bit his lip and forced a smile. However, he couldn't pretend not to hear the Emperor's orders forever. If it weren't for his previous achievements, it would have been a miracle that Rhodnes was able to reach out to the Emperor this much.
“It is the Emperor’s command.”
Then Neil placed a piece of paper on top of Adrienne's letterhead. Rhodnes picked it up and slowly scanned the paper. His eyes scanned it roughly, and they were incredibly numb.
“I think His Majesty called you this time because of that incident.”
“Speak clearly so I can understand.”
“I’m talking about the disappearance of Baroness Kuroseda.”
“Who is it?”
Neil is silent for a moment. Then he approaches the indifferent Rhodnes and lowers his body.
“...Don’t get too close.”
“His Majesty the Emperor’s government.”
“!”
Neil's expression was calm as he whispered softly and retreated, but Rhodnes's face looked slightly shocked. And soon, the distorted expression that had been suppressed rose and the brow furrowed.
“...What a disgrace to the royal family.”
"Your Highness!"
“My mother has passed away and a new Empress has been appointed, so why are you coveting another man’s wife? There is something very wrong with this country.”
These were the right words flowing from the sensual lips of the Prince known as the troublemaker. Neil, who had been staring at the pale face of Rhodnes with unfamiliarity, immediately came to his senses and opened his mouth.
“That’s not important right now, that lady is missing in the middle of the capital!”
“...”
Rhodnes picked up the piece of paper as if he were picking up dirty filth and threw it in front of Neil. As the paper, fluttering through the heavy air, fell to his feet, Neil opened his mouth heavily.
“It was a very long time ago. His Highness has no interest in it and has been turning a deaf ear in the remote regions, so it is only because of this that you have found out about it so late.”
“I don’t know what the people around me were doing without stopping me.”
“Who is around His Majesty the Emperor? Don’t say His Highness the Crown Prince.”
He is the one who recommends the new Empress, and if the Emperor wishes, he will bring the newlywed bride to the government whether he likes it or not. Neil muttered, recalling the kind face of the Crown Prince, who was called the saint of Ronta and obeyed the Emperor. He could not imagine the Crown Prince arguing with the Emperor with that meek face.
“The Emperor said he did not want to blush at His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday party this time, so please do not show any sign of displeasure.”
Rhodnes' face darkened.
“Anyway, Your Highness, since you are the only person His Majesty the Emperor can trust in this matter, you will be called in no matter what, even if you don’t want to.”
“...”
“...Hmm, hmm! Isn’t that the quill pen you always took out and looked at when you were alone? Was it given to you by a woman? I thought it would be a bit creepy if you looked at something given to you by a man like that on the battlefield.”
Neil noticed the darkening expression on Rhodnes's face and started to tease him.
“...Stop talking nonsense and get out.”
“I’m going out anyway.”
Neil muttered bravely but soon dashed out of his office. He didn’t want to get his shins kicked. As soon as the office door closed, Rhodnes nervously pushed away the stack of papers Neil had brought. Rhodnes gritted his teeth as he glared at the pile of papers that fell down with a clatter.
"Government?"
'I am the government of Noevian Trovica.'
Again. The woman’s words came to mind again. If she were Adrienne, she wouldn’t have said so confidently. She wouldn’t have been so ashamed that she would say she was the one who broke Adrienne’s heart. She wouldn’t have said so calmly that she was going to the ball with Noevian Trovica.
“It is the Emperor’s command.”
Then Neil placed a piece of paper on top of Adrienne's letterhead. Rhodnes picked it up and slowly scanned the paper. His eyes scanned it roughly, and they were incredibly numb.
“I think His Majesty called you this time because of that incident.”
“Speak clearly so I can understand.”
“I’m talking about the disappearance of Baroness Kuroseda.”
“Who is it?”
Neil is silent for a moment. Then he approaches the indifferent Rhodnes and lowers his body.
“...Don’t get too close.”
“His Majesty the Emperor’s government.”
“!”
Neil's expression was calm as he whispered softly and retreated, but Rhodnes's face looked slightly shocked. And soon, the distorted expression that had been suppressed rose and the brow furrowed.
“...What a disgrace to the royal family.”
"Your Highness!"
“My mother has passed away and a new Empress has been appointed, so why are you coveting another man’s wife? There is something very wrong with this country.”
These were the right words flowing from the sensual lips of the Prince known as the troublemaker. Neil, who had been staring at the pale face of Rhodnes with unfamiliarity, immediately came to his senses and opened his mouth.
“That’s not important right now, that lady is missing in the middle of the capital!”
“...”
Rhodnes picked up the piece of paper as if he were picking up dirty filth and threw it in front of Neil. As the paper, fluttering through the heavy air, fell to his feet, Neil opened his mouth heavily.
“It was a very long time ago. His Highness has no interest in it and has been turning a deaf ear in the remote regions, so it is only because of this that you have found out about it so late.”
“I don’t know what the people around me were doing without stopping me.”
“Who is around His Majesty the Emperor? Don’t say His Highness the Crown Prince.”
He is the one who recommends the new Empress, and if the Emperor wishes, he will bring the newlywed bride to the government whether he likes it or not. Neil muttered, recalling the kind face of the Crown Prince, who was called the saint of Ronta and obeyed the Emperor. He could not imagine the Crown Prince arguing with the Emperor with that meek face.
“The Emperor said he did not want to blush at His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday party this time, so please do not show any sign of displeasure.”
Rhodnes' face darkened.
“Anyway, Your Highness, since you are the only person His Majesty the Emperor can trust in this matter, you will be called in no matter what, even if you don’t want to.”
“...”
“...Hmm, hmm! Isn’t that the quill pen you always took out and looked at when you were alone? Was it given to you by a woman? I thought it would be a bit creepy if you looked at something given to you by a man like that on the battlefield.”
Neil noticed the darkening expression on Rhodnes's face and started to tease him.
“...Stop talking nonsense and get out.”
“I’m going out anyway.”
Neil muttered bravely but soon dashed out of his office. He didn’t want to get his shins kicked. As soon as the office door closed, Rhodnes nervously pushed away the stack of papers Neil had brought. Rhodnes gritted his teeth as he glared at the pile of papers that fell down with a clatter.
"Government?"
'I am the government of Noevian Trovica.'
Again. The woman’s words came to mind again. If she were Adrienne, she wouldn’t have said so confidently. She wouldn’t have been so ashamed that she would say she was the one who broke Adrienne’s heart. She wouldn’t have said so calmly that she was going to the ball with Noevian Trovica.
Their faces were so similar. Why shouldn’t their handwriting be similar?
If they wanted to be, they could do it on purpose. With eyes suddenly filled with anger, Rhodnes looked down at the quill Adrienne still held in his hand.
Blie Acacia. Did Adrienne know about that mistress?
If that woman had any part in Adrienne’s death, he would cut off her head without a moment’s hesitation. Rhodnes’s long, well-slender neck tightened and thick veins stood out.
Her father’s mistress. Noevian’s mistress. Government. Government. Damn government.
He can neither understand nor want to understand either the government-controlled Boehringer or the Noevian Trovica.
‘...Then, Your Highness, would you like to go to the birthday party together?’
A brazen thing. A suspicious and brazen woman who he would not have met if it weren't for checking Adrienne's body. He will keep her by his side and watch over her so that she never insults Adrienne again.
***
The birthday party of Crown Prince Bardenaldo was held grandly. Doris looked around the wide Atilchad Hall in search of Rhodnes. He was her first love. She prayed so much to marry the beautiful Rhodnes, but her father, the Duke of Castana, would not budge.
'The sinister Prince.'
Unlike Crown Prince Bardenaldo, who was called a saint even though they were born from the same womb, Rhodnes was called that. He was a somewhat 'special' case. Instead of the 'sapphire blue' eyes that all royals had, he had red eyes like the blood of an animal.
Of course, when she was young, Doris didn't know what to do with that. The color of blood, similar to that of a savage, was the most beautiful and sensual in the world when it was in Rhodnes' eyes. It was a beauty that she wanted to have more because it was dangerous.
“Uncle, I heard that the Emperor has entrusted an important task to Rhodnes this time.”
Bardenaldo, who had been acting as Doris's faithful arm-rest, arrived early and asked Noevian, who was standing behind him.
“Uncle, I heard that the Emperor has entrusted an important task to Rhodnes this time.”
Bardenaldo, who had been acting as Doris's faithful arm-rest, arrived early and asked Noevian, who was standing behind him.
"Yes."
“I thought he would finally come to the capital after being away on the battlefield and going to nice places with his older brother, but now he has been given this troublesome task... I should go speak to His Majesty.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Please, spare me from that troublesome task. Rhodnes has already accumulated countless achievements, so why should he be called up for such trivial matters?”
Bardenaldo spoke worriedly, not forgetting to smile and answer each of the nobles who were politely greeting him from afar.
This was already the third case of a missing woman in the capital. At first, it was a nameless lowly woman living in a back alley, then a commoner who lived a good life, and now it was a noble lady. The entire noble society came forward to urge the Emperor to resolve the situation after the noble lady disappeared, and in the end, the Emperor ordered the second Prince, Rhodnes, who had returned this time, to investigate the case.
He was once again showing his trust in Rhodnes on behalf of the capital guard who was functioning normally.
“Whether it is a minor matter or not, we will have to wait and see, but His Majesty the Emperor wishes it so.”
“Your Highness, it is necessary to use Rhodnes for more important matters."
After looking at Bardenaldo's worried face for a moment, the bell announcing the entrance rang and the servant's voice echoed, causing Noevian to feel the back of his neck stiffen.
“His Highness the Second Prince of Rhodnes... Ah, Countess Acacia, please enter!”
As Noevian's eyes widened as he quietly watched whoever entered, the Crown Prince and Doris, who had been focusing on him, also turned their gazes toward the entrance. For a moment, a small commotion arose in the area.
Everyone was looking up at them with their mouths open at the appearance of the beautiful imperial troublemaker and the gorgeous beauty.
“Your Highness, it is necessary to use Rhodnes for more important matters."
After looking at Bardenaldo's worried face for a moment, the bell announcing the entrance rang and the servant's voice echoed, causing Noevian to feel the back of his neck stiffen.
“His Highness the Second Prince of Rhodnes... Ah, Countess Acacia, please enter!”
As Noevian's eyes widened as he quietly watched whoever entered, the Crown Prince and Doris, who had been focusing on him, also turned their gazes toward the entrance. For a moment, a small commotion arose in the area.
Everyone was looking up at them with their mouths open at the appearance of the beautiful imperial troublemaker and the gorgeous beauty.
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