Linel greeted the morning with wide eyes.
Nothing had changed yet.
Zelda, as always, was asleep next to him.
He couldn't fall asleep. If he fell asleep, everything would be over.
He had to take in her appearance a little more.
'Forgetting this appearance? Is it possible?'
Linel held onto that question all night.
If it had been his life on the line, he would have rejected Roxana's offer without even thinking about it.
However, Zelda's life was on the line.
Joseph's life too.
If you hung the two on a scale and measured their value, it would be the same.
"You crazy b*tch.""
No, that's a lie.
He felt really sorry for his younger brother, but Linel was slightly biased toward Zelda without realizing it.
Yes, that's what it meant if you measured it down to the decimal point.
If he hadn't drunk the potion Roxana gave him, Joseph might have already died.
And Zelda would eventually be infected with the devil's energy and be controlled by fear and terror for a while before eventually dying.
At first, he was angry.
But if he sacrificed himself, he could save the two.
What good would it be to have a cold body, let alone the status of Emperor?
Linel couldn't understand Roxana.
He didn't want to understand her. He decided to just think about the fact that he could save Zelda and Joseph.
If he thought too much, he might go crazy.
Even if he went crazy, he had to go crazy after Zelda was completely cured of the evil energy. Even if he didn't remember her, if she just stayed alive, if he just did that, he might be able to meet her again in the future. He left that one hope.
'Just like Joseph, who was trapped in the cursed ice and came out, you never know what happens to people.'
Linel consoled himself.
Zelda would be completely cured on the day he remarries Roxana.
Let's leave the past behind and only think about the future.
In fact, Linel had thought about running away with Zelda.
If that happens, Joseph will die, and Raphael, Stiane, and Commander Macrom will certainly not be safe.
Furthermore, the Lapion Empire that he had abandoned might be ruled by Hetor, who had swallowed up the Principality of Aklatto.
Zelda, who had not fully recovered, eventually...
It didn’t take long for them to conclude that running away was a choice that would not help anyone.
With Galacos everywhere in the Elanji Forest, it was dangerous, so it was difficult to send a knight to the palace to ask for help.
Furthermore, according to Roxana, the pirates led by Hetor and the army of the Principality of Aklatto would soon take control of the Elanji Forest and the imperial palace of the Lapion Empire...
They would all die before the reinforcements arrived.
He couldn’t reveal this fact because they had drunk the secrecy potion.
Even if he could tell the dignitaries of each country, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
Even if he sent a messenger to his country, they would be attacked and eaten by Galacos before that, or captured by the pirates led by Hetor.
It was already too late. It was too late.
If he showed any signs of moving his army, Joseph and the ministers who remained in the Lapion Empire could immediately become the first victims.
Roxana told him that if he made up his mind, everything would be peaceful.
Linel didn’t want to care about other people.
He wasn’t that righteous or altruistic.
But if the peace of his wife, Zelda, was at stake, it was different.
“I love you.”
Linel whispered, caressing Zelda’s sleeping face.
Even though she was infected with evil energy, her sleeping figure was still angelic, and her body was still warm.
‘You are my sun, how am I supposed to live if you disappear from my life?’
He would just die.
It didn’t matter if he slowly froze to death.
He just wished that he could see Zelda’s face, smell her scent, and touch her skin just once before he died.
If that were the case, he thought he could take all this anger and the situation with him.
Time kept passing.
Although he couldn’t stop the flow of time, he quickly wiped away the flowing tears.
He took a deep breath of Zelda’s scent and kissed her here and there on her face.
Zelda moved around and wiggled her hands, then groped his body.
Her hands, which groped here and there, always reached the part that was waiting for her.
“Ahem, Zelda...?”
Unlike Linel, who was startled, his other existence reacted to her in the same way as always.
“Why are you waking me up? When I wake up, my instincts come back to life... Hehe.”
Zelda laughed with a sinister laugh.
It was a smile that could have seemed evil, but Linel found even that look lovable.
There was something good about her being infected with evil energy.
If he tried to find joy even in misfortune, he would find it.
“Did you startle me when I suddenly touched you?”
“No, I’m so happy.”
“You’re so passionate, I miss you.”
“...Yeah, that’s all.”
Linel began to rustle under the blanket.
“What are you doing?”
“I wanted to see how happy you were.”
“You meant to see your passion? Ha, I’m sleepy. I should sleep a little more.”
Zelda closed her eyes again.
Leaving only Linel’s passion, which was about to be happy.
Roxana had moved to the main palace of the Lapion royal family using teleportation.
As expected, the magic tower lord was different from a mere witch.
His teleportation technique allowed her to move while wearing clothes.
Unlike the witch Kaline, he did not cut his fingernails or ask for her hair.
The only thing they had in common was that she had to use an amethyst necklace to return to her original location.
The place Roxana chose was Grand Duke Joseph’s room.
The room was quiet after the morning consultation, with the ministers, priests, and servants all gone.
She sat in the chair in front of the bed.
“Hello, nice to meet you. I am the Grand Duke's sister-in-law.”
It was not a prepared greeting.
Roxana smiled softly, mulling over what she had just said.
Then she looked down at Joseph’s pale face, and her expression hardened.
Although she had seen it through the crystal sphere, it was even more pitiful to see it in person.
“Just hold on a little longer, you will recover soon.”
Roxana raised her hand and placed it on Grand Duke Joseph’s young cheek.
She could not feel his body temperature.
There was not even a hint of warmth, and his skin was cold. She felt a little sorry for using such a young and sick child as a blackmail card.
Melanie couldn't answer this question easily.
What was the reason for the fight?
I looked at the rest of the people in the room one by one.
Sharon, Bonis, and Pecilini also seemed to avoid my gaze.
Knock knock.
Unwelcome faces suddenly came in with a knock.
“How are you?”
Princess Resilia came in first.
“Are you here to see how I am?”
If evil energy could be measured in numbers, it seemed to be at its peak right now.
“Oh my, they say that when you are infected with evil energy, your speech becomes harsh. Is that true? I think Her Majesty is not sincere.”
“I am sincere.”
“Yes?”
“Since the Princess asked so cheerfully, I thought you were really here to see me.”
“I apologize if it sounded that way.”
Princess Resilia nodded and apologized dryly.
“I was worried.”
Catherine said cautiously.
Her words surprisingly sounded sincere.
“You had a fight yesterday?”
Since Rosie and Melanie were keeping their mouths shut, I had no choice but to ask the person who had fought them.
“Oh, that’s what you were talking about? I feel wronged.”
Princess Resilia glared at Rosie and Melanie and told me.
“You don’t seem to feel that wronged?”
I asked, looking closely at the Princess’s face.
Compared to Rosie and Melanie, Princess Resilia’s face was clean without a single scratch.
Princess Resilia, who took my words in a different light, immediately exploded.
“I’m not the only one who went to pick poisoned strawberries, so I don’t understand why she's accusing me of putting poisoned strawberries in Your Majesty’s fruit salad, really!”
What?
“Rosie. Explain.”
I turned my gaze to Rosie and ordered.
“Yes... Your Majesty.”
I heard Rosie, Sharon, and Bonis talking about what happened in the kitchen yesterday.
“The conclusion is that the Princess put poisoned strawberries in?”
“Your Majesty, I told you it wasn’t me. I'm saying that Her Highness Rosie is framing me without any evidence!”
Proof?
The proof is my eyes, which saw you return to the poisoned strawberry forest that day and pick a handful of poisoned strawberries on a handkerchief.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
The laughter that made me shiver had a rather creepy effect.
Everyone was tense at the sight of me suddenly laughing.
They looked even more scared because I was already infected with evil energy.
I suddenly wondered how Rosie knew about the poisoned strawberries mixed into the fruit salad, and then I thought about it,
'I told her to watch over Moiya for a while, but he couldn't stand it and went out again.'
I remembered what Linel said as he closed the window last night.
Moiya had come by while I was sleeping for a while.
So it was highly likely that Moiya had found the poisoned strawberries and told Rosie.
'What a wonderful guy.'
I got up from the bed with Sharon's support.
Although my body was shaking, I had no trouble walking.
And I had no trouble throwing a punch at her at all.
With a thud! sound, Princess Resilia, who had been hit in the face by my fist, fell to the floor with an aah!
"Ah, Your Majesty! What the heck!!"
Princess Resilia covered the area where I had hit her with her hand in shock.
"This isn't it..."
I muttered, looking down at my clenched fist.
Then Princess Resilia shouted, interpreting my words in her own way.
“Even if you're infected with evil spirits and are out of your mind, you would never have made such a mistake!”
“Oh, I am sorry, Princess.”
I apologized meekly.
“That is true, that is why I made a mistake...”
When I sincerely apologized, Princess Resilia’s anger subsided slightly, but she was still furious.
So I just spoke honestly.
“I originally planned to slap you, but I ended up punching you without realizing it.”
“...What, what did you say?!”
“I heard from the Magic Tower Lord that being infected with evil energy is like having a disease that you can’t hold back? On top of that, all your negative desires multiply.”
I whispered as if telling a secret, then added with a hehe, laughing.
“So I hope you understand.”
Nothing had changed yet.
Zelda, as always, was asleep next to him.
He couldn't fall asleep. If he fell asleep, everything would be over.
He had to take in her appearance a little more.
'Forgetting this appearance? Is it possible?'
Linel held onto that question all night.
If it had been his life on the line, he would have rejected Roxana's offer without even thinking about it.
However, Zelda's life was on the line.
Joseph's life too.
If you hung the two on a scale and measured their value, it would be the same.
"You crazy b*tch.""
No, that's a lie.
He felt really sorry for his younger brother, but Linel was slightly biased toward Zelda without realizing it.
Yes, that's what it meant if you measured it down to the decimal point.
If he hadn't drunk the potion Roxana gave him, Joseph might have already died.
And Zelda would eventually be infected with the devil's energy and be controlled by fear and terror for a while before eventually dying.
At first, he was angry.
But if he sacrificed himself, he could save the two.
What good would it be to have a cold body, let alone the status of Emperor?
Linel couldn't understand Roxana.
He didn't want to understand her. He decided to just think about the fact that he could save Zelda and Joseph.
If he thought too much, he might go crazy.
Even if he went crazy, he had to go crazy after Zelda was completely cured of the evil energy. Even if he didn't remember her, if she just stayed alive, if he just did that, he might be able to meet her again in the future. He left that one hope.
'Just like Joseph, who was trapped in the cursed ice and came out, you never know what happens to people.'
Linel consoled himself.
Zelda would be completely cured on the day he remarries Roxana.
Let's leave the past behind and only think about the future.
In fact, Linel had thought about running away with Zelda.
If that happens, Joseph will die, and Raphael, Stiane, and Commander Macrom will certainly not be safe.
Furthermore, the Lapion Empire that he had abandoned might be ruled by Hetor, who had swallowed up the Principality of Aklatto.
Zelda, who had not fully recovered, eventually...
It didn’t take long for them to conclude that running away was a choice that would not help anyone.
With Galacos everywhere in the Elanji Forest, it was dangerous, so it was difficult to send a knight to the palace to ask for help.
Furthermore, according to Roxana, the pirates led by Hetor and the army of the Principality of Aklatto would soon take control of the Elanji Forest and the imperial palace of the Lapion Empire...
They would all die before the reinforcements arrived.
He couldn’t reveal this fact because they had drunk the secrecy potion.
Even if he could tell the dignitaries of each country, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
Even if he sent a messenger to his country, they would be attacked and eaten by Galacos before that, or captured by the pirates led by Hetor.
It was already too late. It was too late.
If he showed any signs of moving his army, Joseph and the ministers who remained in the Lapion Empire could immediately become the first victims.
Roxana told him that if he made up his mind, everything would be peaceful.
Linel didn’t want to care about other people.
He wasn’t that righteous or altruistic.
But if the peace of his wife, Zelda, was at stake, it was different.
“I love you.”
Linel whispered, caressing Zelda’s sleeping face.
Even though she was infected with evil energy, her sleeping figure was still angelic, and her body was still warm.
‘You are my sun, how am I supposed to live if you disappear from my life?’
He would just die.
It didn’t matter if he slowly froze to death.
He just wished that he could see Zelda’s face, smell her scent, and touch her skin just once before he died.
If that were the case, he thought he could take all this anger and the situation with him.
Time kept passing.
Although he couldn’t stop the flow of time, he quickly wiped away the flowing tears.
He took a deep breath of Zelda’s scent and kissed her here and there on her face.
Zelda moved around and wiggled her hands, then groped his body.
Her hands, which groped here and there, always reached the part that was waiting for her.
“Ahem, Zelda...?”
Unlike Linel, who was startled, his other existence reacted to her in the same way as always.
“Why are you waking me up? When I wake up, my instincts come back to life... Hehe.”
Zelda laughed with a sinister laugh.
It was a smile that could have seemed evil, but Linel found even that look lovable.
There was something good about her being infected with evil energy.
If he tried to find joy even in misfortune, he would find it.
“Did you startle me when I suddenly touched you?”
“No, I’m so happy.”
“You’re so passionate, I miss you.”
“...Yeah, that’s all.”
Linel began to rustle under the blanket.
“What are you doing?”
“I wanted to see how happy you were.”
“You meant to see your passion? Ha, I’m sleepy. I should sleep a little more.”
Zelda closed her eyes again.
Leaving only Linel’s passion, which was about to be happy.
***
Roxana had moved to the main palace of the Lapion royal family using teleportation.
As expected, the magic tower lord was different from a mere witch.
His teleportation technique allowed her to move while wearing clothes.
Unlike the witch Kaline, he did not cut his fingernails or ask for her hair.
The only thing they had in common was that she had to use an amethyst necklace to return to her original location.
The place Roxana chose was Grand Duke Joseph’s room.
The room was quiet after the morning consultation, with the ministers, priests, and servants all gone.
She sat in the chair in front of the bed.
“Hello, nice to meet you. I am the Grand Duke's sister-in-law.”
It was not a prepared greeting.
Roxana smiled softly, mulling over what she had just said.
Then she looked down at Joseph’s pale face, and her expression hardened.
Although she had seen it through the crystal sphere, it was even more pitiful to see it in person.
“Just hold on a little longer, you will recover soon.”
Roxana raised her hand and placed it on Grand Duke Joseph’s young cheek.
She could not feel his body temperature.
There was not even a hint of warmth, and his skin was cold. She felt a little sorry for using such a young and sick child as a blackmail card.
“I will treat you well when I become the Empress.”
Roxana stroked Grand Duke Joseph’s black hair.
“I remember being sick in bed a lot when I was around your age. It wasn’t because of the curse, it was because of the whip.”
Duke Haymitch whipped her and made her drink the healing water right away, but before she turned ten, she had to stay in bed for a day or two even after drinking the healing water.
“The Grand Duke will now live happily, without pain, appropriately for your age. So take care of yourself.”
That was the message she had come to deliver. Roxana stood up from her chair, holding the amethyst around her neck in her hand.
“Empress... Your Majesty?”
Joseph said, looking up at Roxana with half-closed eyes. Roxana was taken aback for a moment, but then looked down into the blue eyes that resembled Emperor Linel and smiled kindly.
“...No. Who are you?”
Joseph called Roxana, thinking she was Zelda. But when he looked closely again, it was a face he had never seen before.
“I am the Empress.”
“No, our Empress is definitely...”
“She is.”
Roxana cut Joseph off and spoke as if trying to persuade him.
“She was the acting Empress, Grand Duke.”
***
Just like yesterday, the rain poured down today. If the rain didn’t stop by the afternoon, they would have no choice but to stay another night at the monastery.
“Even if the rain stops, wouldn’t it be better to stay here for a few more days?”
Rosie said to Zelda, looking out the window at the rain. Before lunch, the concubines gathered in Zelda’s room, worried about her still-shivering symptoms.
“We should leave when the rain stops. I don’t want the schedule to be disrupted because of me. How much trouble, no, how many complaints, will there be behind you?”
She tried to rephrase the words that came out of her mouth.
“How can you say that? How many lives have been saved thanks to Your Majesty, the Empress?”
Melanie agreed with Rosie.
“That’s right. I wish we could just stay here and go our separate ways when the weather gets better.”
Everyone agreed with Melanie. But I couldn't do that.
Because I had to collect 'Yakante', the main ingredient of a magic potion that temporarily removes burn scars, from the Tebelo Empire, the destination of the Continental Hunting Competition.
Now that I think about it, it seems like the fever has subsided since I was infected with the evil aura.
Or maybe I just didn't notice because I was shivering so much, even though I was feeling feverish.
"But, what's wrong with Rosie and Melanie's faces? Did you fight?"
I asked, looking at the bruises that were starting to turn purple on their cheeks and the scratch marks around their necks.
"We're on the same side."
Melanie answered for Rosie, who was hesitating.
"Who's on the other side?"
I could guess.
"Princess Resilia and Her Highness Catherine."
"Why did you fight?"
Now that I think about it, it seems like the fever has subsided since I was infected with the evil aura.
Or maybe I just didn't notice because I was shivering so much, even though I was feeling feverish.
"But, what's wrong with Rosie and Melanie's faces? Did you fight?"
I asked, looking at the bruises that were starting to turn purple on their cheeks and the scratch marks around their necks.
"We're on the same side."
Melanie answered for Rosie, who was hesitating.
"Who's on the other side?"
I could guess.
"Princess Resilia and Her Highness Catherine."
"Why did you fight?"
Melanie couldn't answer this question easily.
What was the reason for the fight?
I looked at the rest of the people in the room one by one.
Sharon, Bonis, and Pecilini also seemed to avoid my gaze.
Knock knock.
Unwelcome faces suddenly came in with a knock.
“How are you?”
Princess Resilia came in first.
“Are you here to see how I am?”
If evil energy could be measured in numbers, it seemed to be at its peak right now.
“Oh my, they say that when you are infected with evil energy, your speech becomes harsh. Is that true? I think Her Majesty is not sincere.”
“I am sincere.”
“Yes?”
“Since the Princess asked so cheerfully, I thought you were really here to see me.”
“I apologize if it sounded that way.”
Princess Resilia nodded and apologized dryly.
“I was worried.”
Catherine said cautiously.
Her words surprisingly sounded sincere.
“You had a fight yesterday?”
Since Rosie and Melanie were keeping their mouths shut, I had no choice but to ask the person who had fought them.
“Oh, that’s what you were talking about? I feel wronged.”
Princess Resilia glared at Rosie and Melanie and told me.
“You don’t seem to feel that wronged?”
I asked, looking closely at the Princess’s face.
Compared to Rosie and Melanie, Princess Resilia’s face was clean without a single scratch.
Princess Resilia, who took my words in a different light, immediately exploded.
“I’m not the only one who went to pick poisoned strawberries, so I don’t understand why she's accusing me of putting poisoned strawberries in Your Majesty’s fruit salad, really!”
What?
“Rosie. Explain.”
I turned my gaze to Rosie and ordered.
“Yes... Your Majesty.”
I heard Rosie, Sharon, and Bonis talking about what happened in the kitchen yesterday.
“The conclusion is that the Princess put poisoned strawberries in?”
“Your Majesty, I told you it wasn’t me. I'm saying that Her Highness Rosie is framing me without any evidence!”
Proof?
The proof is my eyes, which saw you return to the poisoned strawberry forest that day and pick a handful of poisoned strawberries on a handkerchief.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
The laughter that made me shiver had a rather creepy effect.
Everyone was tense at the sight of me suddenly laughing.
They looked even more scared because I was already infected with evil energy.
I suddenly wondered how Rosie knew about the poisoned strawberries mixed into the fruit salad, and then I thought about it,
'I told her to watch over Moiya for a while, but he couldn't stand it and went out again.'
I remembered what Linel said as he closed the window last night.
Moiya had come by while I was sleeping for a while.
So it was highly likely that Moiya had found the poisoned strawberries and told Rosie.
'What a wonderful guy.'
I got up from the bed with Sharon's support.
Although my body was shaking, I had no trouble walking.
And I had no trouble throwing a punch at her at all.
With a thud! sound, Princess Resilia, who had been hit in the face by my fist, fell to the floor with an aah!
"Ah, Your Majesty! What the heck!!"
Princess Resilia covered the area where I had hit her with her hand in shock.
"This isn't it..."
I muttered, looking down at my clenched fist.
Then Princess Resilia shouted, interpreting my words in her own way.
“Even if you're infected with evil spirits and are out of your mind, you would never have made such a mistake!”
“Oh, I am sorry, Princess.”
I apologized meekly.
“That is true, that is why I made a mistake...”
When I sincerely apologized, Princess Resilia’s anger subsided slightly, but she was still furious.
So I just spoke honestly.
“I originally planned to slap you, but I ended up punching you without realizing it.”
“...What, what did you say?!”
“I heard from the Magic Tower Lord that being infected with evil energy is like having a disease that you can’t hold back? On top of that, all your negative desires multiply.”
I whispered as if telling a secret, then added with a hehe, laughing.
“So I hope you understand.”
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