The emperor leaned back lazily in his chair with a faint smile. After glancing at me once, he looked at Edmund standing beside me and leaned back even deeper, his expression softening into a gentle smile.
Ah, he has been completely influenced.
I knew he would be colored in such a beautiful shade.
Muttering vague words to himself, the emperor closed his eyes in satisfaction before opening them again.
Soon, his empty gaze wandered somewhere in the air.
“When it’s time to die, there are many things one regrets.”
His eyes shifted toward Edmund.
“I regret not believing your words years ago. Can you forgive me?”
I gasped slightly, my mouth parting in surprise.
That statement meant…
“Do you know?”
“Know what?”
The emperor tilted his lips into a playful smirk and raised an eyebrow.
…Oh no.
I pressed my fingers against my forehead and shut my eyes tightly.
He definitely knew about Lunox.
Well, considering the situation had shifted from a rebellion to a monster outbreak, he was bound to have suspicions.
Maybe he had a personal order of knights acting as his ears and shadows. Or perhaps he had planted spies within the subjugation forces. Either way, no one could deceive a battle-hardened emperor like him.
At that moment, unlike me, who was shocked, Edmund seemed to have already expected it. He gave a respectful bow.
“Do not dwell on it. It was not a matter of trust; the truth itself was not easy to believe.”
“Hmm, hearing that puts my heart at ease.”
As the emperor nodded with a warm smile, I tightened my grip on my intertwined hands and whispered.
“Didn’t Jake cover for us?”
“I never expected the emperor wouldn’t see through it.”
“You could have told me.”
“Your face was already pale as a ghost.”
Edmund chuckled, and despite myself, I let out a weak laugh.
Hmm. At the sound of the emperor’s heavy sigh, I shot a half-hearted glare at Edmund and straightened my posture again.
The emperor, looking somewhat uncomfortable, adjusted his position, frowning. A servant rushed toward him, but the emperor, finding it annoying, waved them away.
Then, meeting my worried gaze, he winked as if to reassure me. Taking a deep breath, he looked around at us.
“In truth, I have a favor to ask of you both.”
“A favor?”
“Since the prince took over state affairs, there have been endless rumors. Some say he is suffering from an illness, others claim he is bald, or even that his nose is twisted. Tsk. That rascal hides himself so much that his handsome face, inherited from me, goes to waste. So, I plan to have him attend the upcoming ball for his birthday and find a suitable partner there. What do you think, Duke?”
The emperor’s chin lifted slightly toward Edmund.
Edmund, who had been quietly looking down, raised an eyebrow slightly.
“…I lack the insight to answer. Perhaps you should ask the administrator instead.”
The emperor stroked his chin lazily.
“Hmm, is that so? Oh, right. Duke, you have a sister, don’t you? She’s close with Etricia too. Wouldn’t it be nice for the three of you to attend together?”
There was a subtle probing tone in his voice, and Edmund slowly lifted his head. His narrowed golden eyes felt as sharp as needles.
My pupils trembled as I glanced between them.
‘No way… do they both know about Lillian and Jake’s relationship?’
My heart pounded.
Did they also realize that I was the one who brought them together?
“Etricia, what do you think?”
“Huh? W-what?”
Caught off guard, I flinched as if a ticking bomb had been handed to me.
Seeing the emperor’s teasing eyes curve mischievously, I became certain.
Ah… they know.
A cold sweat ran down my spine. Trapped between the two, I could only open and close my mouth helplessly.
“Come now, answer me.”
Under the emperor’s mock-serious prodding, I rolled my eyes around.
“Uh… I mean, it sounds like a good idea… maybe?”
Suddenly feeling a burning gaze on my cheek, I glanced sideways at Edmund.
His eyebrow was raised high in utter disbelief as he stared at me. I quickly looked down.
“…Or maybe not?”
“Hah… I was the one who suggested it, you know?”
“But then again, it does seem like a good idea…”
“Etricia.”
I shut my eyes tightly.
Cornered with no way out, I finally answered in a trembling voice.
“…I don’t know.”
Silence hung for a few seconds.
Ha!
The emperor suddenly burst into laughter, slapping the armrest of his chair.
After laughing heartily, he wiped his eyes and met my teary, resentful gaze.
“Alright, alright. I’ll stop teasing you now. Look at her, acting all prim but still adorable.”
The emperor gestured toward me, and Edmund glanced at me before chuckling.
“I already know.”
Blinking, I looked back and forth between them.
Wait a minute… these two…
While I sat there, stunned, the two of them were struggling to hold back their laughter.
Unable to resist, I was swept up in the atmosphere and laughed along with them.
As our conversation continued, it was eventually time to leave.
Before exiting the dining hall, I let go of Edmund’s hand, slightly lifted my dress, and gave a respectful bow.
“Until we meet again, please stay well.”
Edmund, bowing beside me, spoke dryly.
“If not, the Mipedian Duchy won’t prosper under the empire’s rule.”
But within his indifferent words, the emperor saw his subtle concern and smiled heartily. ‘Ah, he’s finally learned how to say things he doesn’t mean,’ he thought, feeling a rare warmth in his heart.
“What brings you here?”
“I heard you two were coming, so I stepped out for some fresh air during work.”
Hmm. The way he cleared his throat and glanced at me felt suspicious.
“Count, if you’re okay with it, could we talk in private? Do you have time?”
“…What is it about?”
Jake glanced nervously at Edmund’s scary-looking face next to me and scratched his forehead awkwardly.
“Well… it’s about what you said when you threatened me last time. It’s still not resolved.”
No way… I lowered my head and whispered to Jake.
“You still haven’t made up with Lilien?”
“It’s not really about making up… It’s more like she just doesn’t seem to care about me at all.”
Now that I think about it, Lilien did look a bit different when I saw her for the first time in about a month.
‘What could have happened during that time?’
It was then that Edmund pulled me away from Jake and sighed in displeasure.
“I’ll formally invite you to the mansion. Please come.”
“What?”
Jake looked shocked and repeated the question. And he wasn’t the only one surprised.
“Edmund, are you serious?”
Hmm… Seeing him sigh and close his eyes with a furrowed brow, it seemed he wasn’t very happy about it.
“Since it seems Your Highness is the reason my sister shut herself in and changed like this, shouldn’t you take responsibility and resolve it?”
Jake’s eyes slowly widened, and then he smiled brightly. With that pure white face smiling like that, I had to admit he really was handsome.
“Ah, alright. Right away—no, I mean, I’ll come by tomorrow.”
Edmund gave a slight nod without expression, then turned me around by the shoulders.
Are we leaving just like that? As I thought that, Edmund turned back to Jake.
“And one more thing.”
At his heavy tone, Jake gulped nervously.
“Please don’t be alone with my lover. It bothers me.”
“…What?”
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
Jake froze for a second, then smacked his lips in frustration.
“…Fine. But let me be clear—I’m not even the slightest bit—”
“That’s enough. Let’s go, Etricia.”
“Shall we?”
Ha! As we turned and walked away, Jake chuckled bitterly behind us.
“Hey, are you two seriously leaving without hearing me out? I told you, I’m not interested!”
Even with Jake’s grumbling behind us, we didn’t look back and just kept walking.
“Damn it!”
Finally, when I heard Jake messing up his hair in frustration, I looked up, trying to hold in my laughter—only to see the playful smile forming on Edmund’s lips. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“When did you find out?”
A dimly lit room by lantern light.
Lying down, I looked up at Edmund who was sitting at the edge of the bed, massaging my calf, and asked.
Edmund glanced at me and smiled with a lowered chin. In that moment, the downward gaze in his eyes looked as lovely as a lantern flame.
“You’d be shocked if I told you.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
When he finally looked up at me and spoke, I couldn’t help but gape in surprise.
“Jake—no, His Highness the Crown Prince—was hanging around the front of the duke’s residence every day while I was asleep? And Lilien…”
She’s been ignoring him completely without blinking an eye? That wasn’t like the Lilien I knew—she had a soft heart and wouldn’t do something like that.
“Could she be keeping herself busy on purpose to forget Jake?”
Edmund was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
“She changed after you collapsed, so I don’t think that’s the reason.”
“Do you think it’s because of me?”
‘Maybe she was really shocked that I collapsed…’
Nervously, I asked. Then Edmund, who had been massaging my leg, gently pulled down the nightdress that had ridden up above my knees.
“It’s a mix of many things, not just your fault. But what’s clear is that my sister is definitely pushing herself too hard.”
“That’s why you called Jake.”
Because he seemed like the only one who could fix it.
Edmund nodded simply and pulled the blanket over me.
“Then I’ll try talking to Lilien tomorrow too.”
As I lightly tapped the back of his hand holding the blanket, he reached up and pinched the tip of my nose.
