Chapter 104
Bernian was the first to leave.
He left with the promise that within a week he would find trustworthy and skilled magicians.
The next to leave was Leon.
“Are you going?”
Kyuuut—.
Answering Riana’s question with a small cry, Leon brushed his soft tail against her ankle.
Then, after casting a sharp glance at Ianheart, he opened the window and disappeared.
In the end, only Riana and Ianheart remained in the reception room.
After a moment of silence—
“Are you busy today?”
Riana slowly turned her body and asked in a quiet voice.
There was something she wanted to talk about with Ianheart.
Not only did she need to hear the explanation about the founding anniversary that Bernian had entrusted to him, but she also had something personal to discuss.
The reason Ianheart had avoided her for the past four days.
“…No. It’s fine.”
“Then, after you explain about the founding anniversary, let’s have a talk.”
As her words ended—
A faint smile appeared on Ianheart’s face, mixed with a hint of warmth, and beneath it, an odd tension that didn’t suit him.
His reply came out neither too quickly nor too slowly.
“Alright.”
At last, it was an answer that marked the end of four days of distance.
“…But I’d like to change the place.”
“I don’t mind.”
Riana nodded right away.
As long as he didn’t avoid the conversation today, she wouldn’t care even if she had to walk an hour to another place.
Her unwavering response made Ianheart chuckle softly to himself.
If he dared laugh out loud, she would probably glare at him with dagger eyes.
“What are you laughing at? You avoided me for four days and now you’re smiling?”
And he would have no words to defend himself, only able to stifle his laughter and lower his gaze.
Because right now, this was no lighthearted chat—it was more like a trial.
He was the one who had to confess his mistake and feelings. And Riana would be the judge, deciding how to accept it.
Four days of wandering and avoidance had been more than enough.
Even if he wanted to keep running, the pain of not seeing her face was too heavy.
Ianheart rose first and cautiously extended his hand to her.
“Then, will you come with me? It’s a bit far from here.”
“…How far?”
Riana looked at his hand blankly and asked bluntly.
But before even waiting for an answer, she stood up in one smooth motion and placed her hand on his.
“Not avoiding me this time, huh?”
“…I’m sorry about earlier.”
“As long as you know. You almost hurt me, you know.”
Riana, who admitted her hurt feelings honestly, was much stronger than the man who had been too afraid and avoided her.
And because of that strength, Ianheart found the courage to confess everything.
“Shall we go then? Since it’s far, tell me about the founding anniversary on the way.”
“…Alright.”
Their conversation paused there.
As he matched her steps and guided her forward, Ianheart glanced back at Lora Giselle, who had silently followed them all the way to the Emerald Palace’s front gate.
“There’s no need to follow. We’ll dine at Ruby Palace this evening, so don’t prepare anything separately.”
At his order, Lora lowered her head slightly and then looked toward Riana.
As if asking for her approval.
“Do as His Majesty said.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Please take care on your way.”
Only after Riana’s words fell did Lora fully bow and see them off properly.
In a way, it looked like she placed Riana’s words above the emperor’s. Yet Ianheart said nothing.
If anything, he secretly approved of Lora Giselle’s attitude.
He didn’t say it aloud, since the atmosphere wasn’t light enough for such words, but he was pleased.
After leaving the palace, they walked for about five minutes.
“I should start by telling you about the founding anniversary.”
“…Go ahead.”
Riana’s voice was still a little sulky, but she allowed him to explain.
Ianheart thought her kindness showed even in this—answering him properly despite her displeasure.
She really was kind.
“The Empire celebrates a week-long festival around the founding day. We call it the Founding Festival.”
“Oh, I know about that.”
“Good. On the day itself, and for three days before and after, banquets are held at the Imperial Palace. As you know, foreign delegations attend those banquets.”
“Ah…”
Back when she still lived in the Roan palace, whenever the Empire’s founding day came around, Roan would send a lavish delegation with grand gifts.
The delegation always included high nobles of count rank and above, along with royals.
It was probably from the time Raindel grew older that he was consistently sent as part of it.
‘…Ugh. I hate even thinking about him.’
The moment Raindel came to mind, irritation spread across Riana’s face.
The last memory she had of him was spewing nonsense.
She could tolerate him while she held it in—his fake friendliness, his attempts to use her to build his own power.
But once it broke, just hearing his name made her sick.
Ianheart quickly noticed her mood souring.
And he knew exactly why.
“Should I stop them from coming?”
“…”
At his sudden words, Riana stared at him blankly.
Then he gave her a smile she seemed to like and spoke gently.
“The Roan royals, I mean. You don’t want to see them, right? If I don’t send an invitation, they can’t come.”
It was a tempting offer.
Roan was a vassal state of Erkal.
Unlike other great empires of the eastern continent, Roan’s delegation could not enter the imperial palace without an invitation.
But after a moment of thought, Riana shook her head.
‘…You’re too soft-hearted for your own good.’ Ianheart thought.
Then she smiled brightly.
“No, let them come. Wouldn’t it be more humiliating to show up and be ignored?”
Her face was smiling, yet it carried a cold edge.
“…So you want to disgrace them directly?”
“Yes. Knowing their shameless nature, they’ll definitely strut in, claiming to be my family. But if they’re ignored, that’ll be quite the sight, don’t you think?”
Ianheart was momentarily at a loss for words.
…Wasn’t she supposed to be soft-hearted?
No.
Considering all she had suffered at the hands of those bastards, to settle for mere humiliation instead of revenge was the true sign of her tender heart.
“Raindel hides it, but he’s very prideful.”
“Is that so?”
“You have no idea. Back in Roan, whenever his pride was wounded, he’d blush and laugh in front of others but then return to his palace and smash everything in sight.”
At those words, Riana flashed a bright—though in truth chilling—smile.
“Anyway, that’s why there’s no need to skip sending them an invitation.”
Faced with her decision, Ianheart considered what to say but simply nodded.
He disliked that Roan crown prince, Raindel, as much as she did.
But making any special move wouldn’t please her.
So he just nodded in agreement.
“So, does this mean my role is to oversee the banquets?”
After a moment of silence, Riana pulled them back to the original topic.
If Bernian had wanted to speak with her separately, then it was probably about her taking responsibility for the banquets.
In Roan, palace banquets were always managed by the queen. The Empire was likely the same.
“I’d like you to be the final decision-maker. That doesn’t mean you have to handle every detail of the banquets.”
“Mm, then what?”
“Just give the final approval. The palace has plenty of capable people.”
If you permit it, they’ll come to you soon.
What Ianheart explained was much easier than Riana had expected.
It simply meant she had to review plans prepared by others and choose the one she liked.
“That’s no problem. …But you’ll have to assign me capable people. I’ve never hosted a banquet before.”
She nodded willingly, then added two more words.
She wasn’t lacking in sense or aesthetics, but there was a big difference between having experience and not.
“Don’t worry. You already have someone by your side who’s knowledgeable in that field.”
At his words, one face came to her mind.
Lora Giselle, who had just seen them off.
Thinking of her reliable aide, relief washed over her.
That took care of her worries about the Founding Festival.
In truth, Roan hadn’t been able to celebrate its founding day ever since it became the Empire’s vassal state.
That hadn’t been because of the Empire’s orders, but because of Roan’s own foolish king—Riana’s father.
He had abolished the event, claiming that the cost of hosting a founding celebration and palace banquet was a waste of money.
What kind of madness was that? To erase such an important national event, a founding celebration, for such a pathetic reason?
“That madman…”
Riana muttered coldly.
The one who flinched was Ianheart, walking beside her.
“…I suppose I was a little mad. Sorry.”
At his genuine apology, Riana, who had been inwardly cursing her father, widened her eyes.
Looking at him, Ianheart turned his gaze away with a strangely sullen expression.
“Ah… Right. You were acting a little crazy… for those four days.”
She had been about to say she wasn’t talking about him, but then changed her mind and nodded.
Because even though her words weren’t aimed at him, she had been irritated by his four days of avoidance as well.
