CHAPTER 117
Chelsea flinched slightly but quickly composed herself and turned her gaze toward Liana.
“My lord, I have carried out your orders and returned.”
“Did you bring them all back safely?”
“Yes. Just now, even the last team that Captain Kyle was in charge of has returned.”
“Good work. Stop training for today and rest. Everyone must have helped with catching the Kalti.”
At the mention of rest, a faint spark of excitement flickered across Chelsea’s face before quickly vanishing.
“No, training is the duty of a knight. I cannot neglect it…”
Oh, come on.
I just saw how happy you looked.
Liana smirked mischievously and waved her right hand.
“It’s fine. Go on a date with Roy today. Lately, I’ve been hearing that Roy is withering away because you’ve been so busy.”
“…”
“Hurry along.”
“…Understood.”
Chelsea turned and disappeared at a pace that was perhaps a little too quick.
“Let’s go too.”
Liana gently shook Ianheart’s hand, who had been staring absentmindedly at where Chelsea had disappeared.
“…Alright.”
They had taken about ten steps when—
“That knight just now, is she in a relationship with that gentle-looking magician?”
At Ianheart’s sudden question, Liana looked surprised.
“You remember that? I thought it was just something I mentioned in passing.”
It must’ve been back when the guards in Rowen recklessly challenged him to a duel.
“You have such a good memory.”
Normally, he would have said something teasing like, Of course I’d remember, since it’s you, but this time no answer came.
Liana turned her head to look at him.
“Your Majesty?”
“…”
“Why are you staring like that?”
Ianheart’s gaze was still fixed in the direction where Chelsea had disappeared.
Then he muttered quietly—
“I’m jealous.”
Jealous?
It was a word Liana never thought she’d hear coming from Ianheart.
“Of what…? Don’t tell me, of Chelsea?”
What was there for Ianheart to be jealous about Chelsea?
As Liana gave him a puzzled look, Ianheart tightened his grip on her hand and lowered his eyes.
Why… why is he acting like this?
Though he always denied it, Liana could never hide how weak she was against his downcast face. She struggled to conceal her own fluster.
“Jealous of what? There’s nothing for Your Majesty to be jealous about…”
Her voice carried both awkwardness and embarrassment. Slowly, Ianheart rested his face on her shoulder.
Liana instinctively wrapped her arms around him and stroked his back.
…So there really was something he was jealous of.
But what on earth could make him look so gloomy like this?
“Hmm? Tell me. What are you jealous of?”
“…It’s nothing. Forget it.”
Liar.
Anyone could see from his expression that he was sulking.
“Really? You expect me to believe that when it’s so obvious?”
Gently coaxing and comforting the man who stood a head taller than her, Liana tried again.
Finally, Ianheart whispered softly.
“Can’t you call me by my name too?”
“…Your name?”
Liana felt that probably wasn’t what he meant to say at first, but when Ianheart straightened his posture, her attention shifted back to him.
“You called me by my name yesterday.”
At those words, the memory of yesterday came rushing back to her.
When had she called his name…?
Ah.
It was when she had desperately called out his name to stop him from hurting himself with those cruel words.
“Yesterday… well, that was because…”
“The only person who can call me by my name, the only one I want to hear it from… is you.”
Liana fell silent.
The emperor—there truly was no one around him who could freely call his name.
Slowly, Ianheart lifted her hand.
Soft, warm lips brushed the back of it.
“My name belongs to you alone.”
…What a sly fox.
After kissing her hand, he tilted his head, gazing up at her with pleading eyes that no one could ever resist.
In the end, Liana half-heartedly gave in, saying she would think about it.
“…Pathetic.”
While hastily scrawling a signature with his fountain pen, Ianheart let out a sigh.
“…Me, sir?”
It was Keon, standing beside him, who reacted to the mutter.
He looked wronged and quickly tried to defend himself.
“What did I even do…”
“Not you. Talking to myself.”
“Oh.”
His attempt to protest ended in less than five seconds. Chuckling awkwardly, Keon glanced at Ianheart.
If it wasn’t directed at him, then…
“…Don’t tell me, you were criticizing yourself for being pathetic?”
Without replying, Ianheart tossed his pen onto the desk with a sharp flick.
Goodness. So it really was that.
Keon’s eyes shook at the thought of his master making such a strange remark of self-reflection.
Did something happen? Could it be that he said something wrong to the princess? No way… If that’s true, my peaceful work life is over…
Recently, it was no exaggeration to say that Ianheart’s mood rose and fell entirely depending on the princess.
For example, in the past four days when he was avoiding her, his mood had been utterly dreadful.
Even though he was the one avoiding her, he made sure everyone knew he was in a bad mood—what a terrible master.
Still, last night, after whatever happened between them, he suddenly seemed cheerful again—enough for Bernian and Keon to throw a drinking party in celebration.
And just earlier, after sharing lunch with the princess, he had looked positively glowing.
“You should just apologize. If you beg sincerely, Her Highness will surely—”
“Leave.”
Keon froze at the cold dismissal.
“…Pardon?”
“You’re annoying.”
“…But I…”
Keon gave him a pitiful look but knew better than to stay. Shoulders slumped, he trudged out of the office.
After all, if he stayed, all he would earn was more scolding.
And so, once the office grew quiet again—
“…Ha.”
Ianheart sighed, leaning back in his chair.
The truth was, what he had felt jealous of earlier wasn’t anything complicated.
He was simply envious of the relationship between that knight and the magician—two people openly bound as lovers.
But just yesterday, he had said he was willing to wait a month, or even a year.
In such a situation, admitting out loud that he was jealous of them felt unbearably pathetic.
Still, hearing Liana say she would consider calling him by his name made him happy.
Pathetic for one reason, happy for another.
“Is this what happens to everyone in love…? Do they all turn into fools like this?”
He let out a sigh that melted into a laugh, eyes closing.
Since the day he embraced these feelings for Liana, his world had turned upside down, and he often found himself doing things that were unlike him.
And yet, if someone asked whether he wanted to return to the time before he fell in love—his answer would be only one.
“…No. I prefer this.”
Because this world, brightened by Liana’s smile, was something he cherished more than anything.
Two days later, in the afternoon—
“Is this the contract?”
“Yes. Please read it through, and if you find anything lacking, feel free to tell me.”
The contract was three pages long. Liana carefully read it over.
It was about the magic power test they had discussed earlier, written in clear and simple terms.
Truthfully, Liana didn’t think a contract was necessary, but Bernian had insisted that for something so important, a contract was essential.
Well, seeing it laid out like this, it isn’t so bad.
Her violet eyes scanned the final page.
To summarize, the key points were:
All authority over the magic power test belonged to Liana Lovellin, and every use of it must be approved beforehand.
Anyone involved with the test would be required to sign a confidentiality oath.
Of course, there were other detailed clauses, but these two were the main ones.
“How will the confidentiality oath be carried out?”
From the empire’s perspective, it was only natural to protect the test’s methods and the magic circle involved from leaking.
Liana, too, had no intention of sharing it with foreign nations.
“For that part, I plan to ask for Lord Torca’s help.”
A familiar name.
Pheches Torca—the emperor’s half-brother and a brilliant alchemist.
“Lord Pheches’ help?”
“…Have you met him before?”
Bernian’s voice carried a hint of surprise. Liana gave a sheepish smile and nodded.
“Yes, I met him with His Majesty last time.”
“But there was no record of you entering the palace…”
“Oh, we went straight to Lord Pheches’ house.”
“…And did His Majesty tell you who he really is?”
The respectful tone that person.
Liana nodded again.
“Yes, he told me that day.”
“…That day…”
Bernian barely managed to keep his composure, though his thoughts churned beneath the surface.
Even among Ianheart’s closest aides, fewer than five people knew Pheches’ true identity.
The rest only knew him as a skilled alchemist favored by the emperor.
So… His Majesty must truly trust the princess, to tell her something like that.
Bernian felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Liana.
Love and trust could coexist—but sometimes they did not.
There were those one could love but never trust.
Especially for the emperor, surrounded by people who were drawn to him for power, most were never to be trusted.
“…In any case, I think the contract looks fine. By the way, is everything alright in the Forest of Death?”
As Bernian looked at the kind-hearted princess before him, he felt relief that she stood firmly by his master’s side.
