THND 30

Chapter : 30

Everything having been exposed, I now found myself riding in a carriage bound for the Imperial Palace with Duke Cassiar.

Of all things, why did it have to be the other ankle?
If it hadn’t been for that, I could have hidden everything perfectly.

At least there was one bit of good news — it seemed that the Dark Dragon’s Blood that Soo gave me had worked. My ankle was completely fine now.
If it had only half healed, that would’ve been even worse.

Thinking back, it’s actually pretty amazing.
Soo turned out to be an incredible person, didn’t he?
He was never someone I could challenge with the meager skill of splitting an apple in half.

Looking back, to Soo I must’ve seemed like a chick just learning to walk, puffing out its chest because it thought it had reached the finish line.

It was a meaningful experience — a reminder not to overestimate myself.

Anyway… is it really okay to go see the Emperor empty-handed?

There’s nothing like a good bribe to win someone’s favor.

Who knows?
Maybe, like the tiger that spared the person who offered it a rice cake, giving him something tasty might let me come back in one piece.

“Your Grace, since we’re going to see His Majesty, wouldn’t it be better to bring a small token of sincerity? Perhaps you know something His Majesty particularly likes…?”

I was about to try bribing the Emperor to win his favor when, instead of replying, Duke Cassiar simply leaned his head against my shoulder.

This feeling… it wasn’t unfamiliar.

Just like the first day we met — Duke Cassiar fell asleep with his head resting on my shoulder.

How did he end up falling asleep again?

I retraced what had just happened, wondering if we’d had any physical contact that could have caused it.
I remembered our shoulders brushing a few times as the carriage swayed.

Could it really be from just that much?
Yesterday, he seemed immune — even hugging him didn’t make him fall asleep.
Then… is he pretending this time?

I poked his cheek with a finger. He didn’t move.

Maybe I didn’t poke hard enough?
Well, if he were pretending, he could easily endure that.

So I grabbed both his cheeks and shook them firmly.
He should’ve woken up from that, but his face just reddened slightly as he slept soundly.

…Is he really asleep?

He’d looked like he was asleep this morning too.
What kind of on-and-off immunity is this supposed to be?

I couldn’t figure out when or how my ability worked on him anymore.

Since he was sleeping so peacefully, I couldn’t bring myself to wake him — which meant, so much for my bribery plan.

Maybe I was worrying for nothing anyway.
The Duke often called the Emperor an “old man,” so they probably weren’t that strictly bound by hierarchy.

And it’s not like he’d drag a fake wife — one bound to him only by contract — into deep political matters, right?

From what I’d seen so far, he wasn’t that kind of person.

That was the only reason I didn’t wake him.
It absolutely wasn’t because the feel of his soft hair brushing my shoulder or his faint scent was… pleasant.
Definitely not that.

It was my first time visiting the Imperial Palace — and it was far larger than I’d imagined.

Even after passing the guards at the entrance, the carriage kept rolling for quite a while before finally stopping.

Just as it began to slow, Duke Cassiar stirred awake.

“Did I doze off?”

“You were fast asleep, Your Grace. You didn’t look like someone who got much rest last night.”

“Seems yesterday wasn’t enough to make up for three days’ worth of lost sleep.”

I gave him a skeptical look. He glanced away and pretended not to notice.

“We’ve arrived at the palace,” he said.

I was about to press him for answers when the carriage stopped.

So this was where the Emperor resided?

My attention was immediately drawn to the grand palace visible through the window.

Cassiar stepped out first, then extended his hand to me.
I accepted his escort and stepped down.

The Emperor’s palace towered above me, so high and magnificent that its peak seemed to vanish into the sky.

So this was the place where the Emperor — the man who treated the Duke like a dog — lived.

The heavy security stationed everywhere reminded me of something my father once told me when I was young — about the Imperial Palace.

He said it was a place where, if you said one wrong word or showed one wrong look, people could disappear without a trace.

Remembering that, I suddenly felt a chill of fear.

Was it too late to turn back to the Marquis’ estate?
Maybe I should’ve insisted that both ankles were still injured.

“Thank you for your long journey. Welcome to the Imperial Palace.”

While I was fretting, someone came out to greet us — a man with almond-colored eyes and hair, who adjusted his round glasses as he approached.

“Your Grace, and Your Grace’s lady,” he greeted with a smile. “It’s an honor to meet you for the first time, Duchess. My name is Roan, and I serve as His Majesty’s aide.”

Though his bright smile and glasses gave off a mild impression, the sharp gleam in his eyes felt as if he could see straight through me.

That smile… was unsettling.
Like he was hiding something.

Still, the best response to a smile is another smile.
It lets you keep your own thoughts hidden.

So I returned his greeting with a polite smile of my own, saying nothing.

“I’ll guide you to the dining hall for luncheon.”

Was I really about to eat with the Emperor?
As long as I didn’t choke mid-meal, I’d call that a win.

Maybe it was nerves, but I didn’t feel hungry at all.

“Only I will go before His Majesty,” Cassiar said firmly. “You’ll stay here with Soo.”

He stepped between me and Roan, blocking the aide’s path.

Taking advantage of that moment, I leaned in and whispered,
“Is that all right? His Majesty specifically asked me to attend. If that causes trouble for the estate—”

“The old man’s intentions are obvious,” Cassiar interrupted. “I’ll handle it in a way that keeps you out of harm’s way. I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position.”

Suddenly, he looked like a hero to me.
He must have noticed that I was reluctant to meet the Emperor.

I mean, I had pretended to be writhing in pain over an uninjured ankle — how could he not?

“If it doesn’t trouble you, I’d rather stay,” I admitted.

“I agree,” he said. “It’s better if you and His Majesty don’t meet. Consider your presence here alone as enough sincerity.”

What does that even mean — sincerity satisfied?

Cassiar looked up toward the massive palace window.
My gaze followed his.

“Shall I guide you now?” Roan said smoothly. “It’s nearly time for luncheon.”

At his words, Cassiar looked back at me.

“You may explore the grounds with Soo in the meantime. I won’t be long.”

“All right.”

He left with Roan, disappearing toward the banquet hall.

But… where was Soo?

Being alone in this unfamiliar place felt a bit frightening.

Just as I turned to call for him, he appeared — his usual calm, unreadable face somehow comforting today.

“I don’t see your sword,” I said. “Did you leave it behind?”

I remembered the ribbon tied to his hilt last time and glanced at his now-bare shoulder.

“Within the Imperial Palace, outsiders are forbidden from carrying weapons unless they’re part of the Imperial Knights,” he explained.

“Ah, makes sense. Who knows what might happen if outsiders had weapons here.”

“By the way, that potion you brought yesterday worked perfectly,” I said, showing him my ankle. “It’s completely fine now — doesn’t hurt at all. Thank you, Soo.”

To prove it, I moved around lightly in my shoes.

“It was nothing compared to what I’ve received from you,” he replied.

Despite his modest words, there was a quiet satisfaction in his eyes.

When I first met him, his expression always seemed distant and detached.
Now I could finally see the small, subtle changes in his face.

“All I ever gave you was dessert,” I said with a laugh.

And yet, in return, I’d received the blood of a Dark Dragon.
Something I could never have imagined.

“But what should I do until the Duke returns? I don’t know my way around here.”

“I’m familiar with the layout,” Soo said calmly. “If there’s anywhere you’d like to visit, I’ll guide you.”

His quiet assurance made me feel steadier.
It seemed the Duke had left him behind for good reason.

“I’d like to see the Imperial Garden,” I said. “They say it’s filled with rare flowers you can’t find anywhere else.”

The noble ladies who’d been invited to the palace always boasted about it —
I’d always wanted to see it for myself.

“It isn’t far from here,” Soo said, taking the lead.

He walked ahead, keeping just enough distance that his hand wouldn’t reach me — and then, suddenly—

Figures in white priest robes appeared, surrounding me in a circle.

“Soo!”

Sensing danger instinctively, I called out his name.

The robed figures began chanting in an incomprehensibly fast rhythm, and in an instant, a violet magic circle formed beneath my feet.

“My Lady!”

Soo leapt high into the air, reaching toward me —
but before his hand could touch mine, the circle flared with light, and his image vanished from my sight.

Kisen’s steps halted on his way to the luncheon chamber.

“What’s wrong, Your Grace?” Roan asked, turning back in confusion.

“…Didn’t you hear Liel’s voice just now, outside?”

“I can’t say that I did,” Roan replied with an easy smile. “Stray cats sometimes sneak into the Imperial Gardens. Perhaps you heard one of them?”

‘Maybe I imagined it,’ Kisen thought. ‘The palace security is airtight — there’s no way for an outside attack. And I left Soo with her just in case.’

It was a situation he could have easily brushed aside —
and yet, his feet wouldn’t move.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve felt strangely uneasy since we got out of the carriage… Did I miss something?’

He looked up, recalling the large window he’d noticed before entering the palace.

“Was this… a trap to lure me here?”

“What do you mean, Your Grace?” Roan asked, tilting his head slightly.

That large window belonged to the floor where the Emperor resided —
his office, bedroom, and audience chamber all located together.

Magicians who shared blood ties could sense each other’s mana to some degree.