Although Kishian spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if he were reporting that he had just gone out for a walk, the content of his speech was quite shocking.
I retraced his words with slightly trembling lips.
"...An assassin?"
"There were three."
"..."
"An arrow was lodged in the back of my neck, but thanks to this unique body, I survived this time too."
When I heard that, someone came to mind.
Albrecht. When I met him on the day of the competition, he clearly said this.
"If you find out anything, please let me know. I've also prepared to cut that guy's throat... but there may be variables."
He clearly said so. That he too had prepared to kill Kishian.
It seemed as if he had sent the assassin without telling me.
Stupid kid. Fear welled up in me as my rage surged up.
Maybe Kishian was suspecting me of being behind this incident.
No, I'm sure he was suspicious.
Even if I were in Kishian's position, I would have been suspicious.
That was when I was frozen in place, unable to even hide my trembling fingertips.
"I know it wasn't you."
It was as if he had read right through me.
As I slowly raised my head, I saw his golden eyes staring at me.
The two pieces of eye pupils were sunken with a comfortable expression.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't suspect anything. But when I came back from the hunt, I saw your reaction and I thought I knew. You're not the culprit."
"..."
"If it was you who planned it, you would have been more shocked when I came back. The guy you tried to kill came back alive and well."
As he said, I didn't show any sign of panic when Kishian returned safely.
Rather, I was relieved that he returned safely.
I was secretly worried when I heard reports of screams coming from the forest.
I was about to ask Rodrick for a favor, but I was so relieved to hear that Kishian had returned safe and sound.
It seemed like Kishian also felt my feelings.
"I was sure you weren't."
"So where are those assassins now? Are you going to interrogate them?"
He shook his head.
"I shot two of them on the spot and tied up the remaining one for later interrogation. At the time, winning the competition was more important. So I tied him up for now, and after the competition was over, I led soldiers to find him, but he was already dead."
Maybe Albrecht had a hand in it.
He may have personally killed the failed assassin to avoid being caught as the mastermind behind the assassination.
It didn't matter.
Interrogation became impossible, but we already knew who was behind it.
"There are those who guess."
My father. And his henchman, Albrecht.
There seemed to be no need to mention their names.
Kishian also let out a long sigh as If he had already guessed.
But I guess he's just worried. Is this time really the time he has to cut off my father's head?
If he kept my father alive, something like this would happen again, so Kishian would definitely want to get rid of him.
But if he did that, too much blood would be shed.
If the imperial family and the Grand Duke's family clashed, thousands... no, if other families were involved, tens of thousands of people's blood could be shed on the land of the empire.
"You said you believed I didn't do it."
His gaze, which had been focused on the empty space as if lost in thought, returned to me again.
I grabbed his face gently, made him look at me, and asked.
"How much more can you trust me?"
"What does it mean?"
"I want to step forward myself. To bring down the mastermind and punish him."
"Do you have any plans?"
He looked at me with sharp eyes, as if judging the truth.
I didn't avoid eye contact.
So that he can look inside me as much as he wants.
In a silence that was as long as my worries, I made my point again.
"I'll take care of it. If you trust me and leave it to me."
I thought that even if he refused, there was nothing I could do.
Anyway, I am the daughter of the person who tried to kill him.
Rather, it would have been stranger to simply believe it.
As I thought that, when Kishian nodded shallowly, and then when his lips touched mine, I became even more lost in thought.
***
The day dawned while I was having a deep conversation with Kishian.
Duke Herssen announced that he would return immediately for some reason.
I thought he would be going soon since he had been away for so long, but his attitude was much more impatient than I expected.
As if he was running away from something, he got ready early in the morning and left for the Duchy of Herssen.
And that too, alone, leaving Letie behind.
I tried to ask Letie what happened between them, but even that was unsuccessful.
It was around early afternoon that a letter arrived from my father to Letie.
Perhaps it was a message to hurry and return, as Letie also came to me and expressed her intention to go back.
"Yes, let's go. Is your father calling you?"
"That's right. I wanted to stay a little longer, but my father told me to hurry up and come. There was a little problem."
"Problem?"
"There have been more monsters appearing in the capital recently. I think that's why they want me by their side."
"Yes?"
"Yes, Father thinks it was thanks to me that no monsters had appeared in the capital until now."
I knew that was what my father thought, but it was the first time I heard of such a sudden increase in the number of monsters appearing in the capital.
Because the capital where the palace was located was geographically far from this northern region, it took quite some time for the rumor to reach us.
The number of monsters that were previously invisible has suddenly increased.
"When did they start appearing?"
"Just from before. It'll be temporary, so don't worry about it."
For some reason, Letie didn't respond clearly.
Seeing that she was trying to brush it off, it didn't seem like the situation was that serious, so I also withdrew my interest.
"Anyway, I'll go. And let Albrecht stay here for a while. He's the person my father sent for my sister."
"...Yeah. He should stay."
Even if Letie tried to take him away, I planned to stop him from my side.
Because he still had a sin to pay here.
I hugged Letie one last time and whispered in her ear.
"Tell my father I'm doing well. And tell him to expect a present from me soon."
Letie tilted her head for a moment at the mention of sending a gift, but she didn't seem very interested and didn't ask any further questions.
She just hugged me and replied like this.
See you again, she said.
***
"Is that kid here yet?"
The imperial chamberlain stopped moving at the question the Emperor had been asking since early in the morning.
His hands began to tremble slightly as he poured tea into the cup.
It was because he could clearly predict what would happen if he answered truthfully.
The attendant, who had just finished pouring the tea with trembling hands, barely opened his mouth.
"Yes, she hasn't come back yet..."
Clang!
Before the attendant could finish speaking, the teacup he had just filled was thrown to the floor.
The Emperor swept the teacups off the table with a swing of his arm and glared at the chamberlain with a sharp gaze.
"It's been a while since I sent her a letter asking her to come back, and she still hasn't come!"
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Given the distance, the letter would have only just arrived by now, and even if Letie received the letter and returned immediately, it would have taken several more days.
It couldn't be the fault of the chief steward, since it was inevitable, but he still bowed his head.
It was because he knew that the Emperor was on edge due to the monsters that had recently begun to run wild.
Even though the attendant bowed his head, the Emperor did not stop and continued to growl like an angry beast.
"Even now, the monsters are swarming into the capital, what are you doing! Didn't I tell you to bring that child in right away!"
"Forgive me, Your Majesty! She will be arriving shortly, so please wait a moment-"
"Shut up!"
Even though the chamberlain kept begging him, the Emperor continued to verbally abuse him for a long time.
It was not the fault of the chief steward, but it was like that.
After enduring the verbal abuse for a long time, he finally managed to get out of the Emperor's office, and the head maid, who had felt sorry for him, hurried over to offer comfort.
"His Majesty. I see he is not in a good mood today."
"It's all the monsters' fault. He's not the type of person to show his emotions that much."
Until just a few months ago, he wasn't one to show such excitement.
The Emperor he had been watching from the side was the most cold-blooded of all.
He was so cold-hearted that he sacrificed his daughter, whom he cared less about, to protect his beloved daughter.
But now he was showing an irrational side that was difficult to understand.
As if possessed by something.
The chief maid, who was wiping the messy hands of the chief chamberlain who had been cleaning up the teacup the Emperor had thrown, hesitated for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.
"Perhaps His Majesty, like His Majesty the Grand Emperor, is mad."
"Shh! What if someone hears you?"
The chief chamberlain, who had been hastily interrupting the head maid's words, looked around repeatedly before quietly lowering his voice and whispering.
"You must not tell anyone about 'that disease' that has been passed down through the royal bloodline. You know that, right?"
"...I made a mistake."
"You must be careful. If you carelessly mention that disease, you may be accused of insulting the imperial family..."
The head maid nodded with a stern face.
After that, the two of them went back to their respective work with blank expressions on their faces as if nothing had been said.
The Emperor suddenly became emotional. And the illness that had been passed down through the imperial family for generations.
They remained silent about it to the end.
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