Episode 86
“…What?”
The Damiani family’s striking golden eyes wavered with unease. The Empress couldn’t comprehend at all how the sparks from today’s events could possibly reach her son lying on his sickbed.
“Your Majesty, what on earth do you mean by that…?”
“Must you act so foolishly, Empress? Did you use the pretext of caring for a child sustained only by magic to endanger his sister?”
A jolt ran through her. The Empress’s eyes widened, and she immediately protested.
“I—I have no idea what you are talking about! I have spent the entire day praying for Hart…!”
The Emperor sighed as if exasperated.
“After over thirty years of life in the Imperial Palace, are you still unaware that even the walls have ears? Or do you now take me for a fool?”
As the Empress pressed her lips tightly together, her body trembling, the Emperor declared firmly.
“By pretending to believe your brother, Duke Damiani’s pathetic excuse in front of the Second Prince and the Tower Master, I have repaid any debt I owed to the Damiani family.”
Unable to contain her fury, the Empress shouted.
“You stripped my brother of his title!”
“It is not about the title!”
The Emperor also raised his voice sharply.
“He committed a crime so grave that he would have had no right to complain even if he had lost his life! He dared to cast a sleep spell and kidnap my daughter! My daughter who is ill and convalescing!”
Thick tears dripped one by one from the Empress’s wrinkled eyes.
“Your Majesty deposed my son! My living son! You know how much that wretch Rurik hates me! If he becomes Crown Prince, he will be desperate to drive me and my family out immediately…!”
“That would be fortunate,” the Emperor said coldly.
“There will be no Damiani family left for him to drive out.”
The Empress’s lips twisted unbecomingly.
“Your Majesty, surely you don’t mean…?”
“Having committed the crime of insulting the Imperial family in front of foreign royalty, the Duke’s title and assets will be rightfully confiscated. However, for the Empress’s sake, I will spare his life.”
The Empress staggered as if she might collapse.
“W-what did you say…?”
“The same goes for you, Empress. Fortunately, I am the only one who knows that you directly masterminded this affair, so I will guarantee your life. But that is where it ends.”
“Y-Your Majesty…!”
The Empress belatedly fell to her knees, but the Emperor had already turned away. He threw one last, mocking remark over his shoulder.
“Haven’t you constantly disparaged the Tower Master, who cares for Hart, daily, calling his magic useless? I didn’t know you would be so saddened by the removal of that very magic.”
Left alone in the room after the Emperor’s departure were only the ailing son and the Empress.
“How could you do this to me…?” the Empress muttered blankly.
“How could you do this to me!”
Her heart-wrenching sobs mingled with Hart’s moans, but no one came in to console her. Because, in truth, everyone knew who the sole master of this Imperial Palace was.
Knock, knock, knock.
The next morning, after an insistent knocking sound, the door swung open. I was sitting at the vanity dresser and jumped up, startled by Ren’s sudden appearance.
“Ren.”
Without even a greeting, he strode over, rubbing my shoulders and arms. Even through his gloves, warmth remained in his palms. The scent of flame and ash emanating from him seemed to jolt my peacefully drowsy mind awake.
“Ren…?”
Finally catching his breath, Ren pulled me into a hug.
“You’re alright?”
I asked, my voice laced with anxiety, as I hugged him back. Ren let his head drop onto my shoulder.
“Seeing the fake exhausted me so much. I used an excessive, almost unnecessary amount of magic on something so trivial.”
I patted him cautiously and asked again.
“What fake?”
“Something like that happened.”
While Ren was holding me like that, another knock was heard.
Knock, knock.
I poked my head out from Len’s embrace to look towards the door. Calisteon appeared in the open doorway and approached leisurely, reaching out his hand towards me. Before I knew it, I was caught, and as if by magic, I was instantly freed from Ren’s hold.
Calisteon led me directly to the bed and sat me down.
“Sit and listen. You shouldn’t stand for too long.”
As if I had been standing that long. Ren’s aura was so menacing that I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, but Calisteon added, pretending to be serious.
“Lately, perhaps because her belly is showing, Ru often complains of discomfort. I even examined her yesterday.”
Ren sighed and asked.
“And with that, can she participate in something like an ice festival? How could you, without even telling me… Ru, just for whom did I…?”
“While she was suffering back at the Imperial Palace,” Calisteon swiftly cut in, completing the sentence, and immediately added,
“I’ll memorize that, Tower Master. I understand your hardship, but keep the self-pity in check.”
“…Is that what the Grand Duke should be saying to me right now?”
Watching the two men’s sparks-flying gazes, I realized:
‘Ah, I really don’t like being with both of them at the same time…’
Soon, a very effective excuse came to mind.
“Eugh.”
I let out a slight moan and held my stomach. Instantly, both their faces turned pale simultaneously.
“Ru?”
“Are you uncomfortable?”
I feigned pain, furrowing my brow as I answered.
“Mhmm, a little. I think the babies must have realized they were about to fight.”
The excuse, as expected, came quicker from Calisteon.
“Fight, my foot. As I said before, the Grand Duke of Babenberg can’t possibly fight the Tower Master…”
But instead of answering me, Ren spoke bluntly to Calisteon.
“Could you give us some space, Grand Duke?”
“…And if I refuse?”
“If you refuse, then I suppose I won’t return to the Imperial Palace. I’ll have to stay here. Of course, you wouldn’t offer me a guest room, but fortunately, this room is spacious. Ru won’t be able to kick me out, you see.”
After a brief silence, Calisteon bent down towards me and gently kissed my forehead.
“We finished our talk anyway. Early this morning, while you were sleeping.”
“…You did?”
His thick hand affectionately brushed my cheek.
“Will an hour suffice with that eccentric fellow?”
I nodded quickly before Calisteon could change his mind.
“Thank you, Carl.”
The moment he left, Ren grumbled.
“So much to be thankful for. Our Ru has become quite the angel lately.”
“Re-En…”
But when I called his name and reached out my hand, he reluctantly approached and sat on the stool. As he rested his chin on the bed, our gazes met from very close up.
“…I’m hurt.”
Ren truly had the right to say such a thing.
“I’m sorry.”
“If you’re sorry, can’t you let me kiss you just once?”
My heart sank at that question. Pretending nonchalance, I leaned forward and gently kissed Ren’s pouting cheek.
‘While this level could pass as a greeting here, for me, coming from South Korea, it required significant resolve.’
He still looked full of discontent, but he quietly accepted the kiss.
“Mean Ru…”
Ren muttered one last phrase, then withdrew the hand propping his chin as if doing me a favor. Instead, he grabbed one of my hands with his large one and launched into an unexpected story.
“Last night, Damiani family soldiers broke into the Edessa hotel, set off sleep bombs, and kidnapped the sleeping youngest Princess.”
I tilted my head and asked.
“…Me?”
The corner of Ren’s mouth twisted crookedly.
“A maid volunteered for your role. She said you treated her well while you stayed there. She said if it was for your safety, she’d help as long as her life was guaranteed.”
My eyes widened in surprise.
“My god, wasn’t that dangerous?”
“Who do you take me for?”
The great mage Len Daphte asked, and before I could even answer, he continued himself.
“I cast a confusion spell on the maid to make her look like you for about half a day. It was my magic, and even I was confused because it was so identical.”
Ren added with a bitter smile.
“When I saw the strand of pink hair spilling from the sack, I saw red for a moment. If that had been the real you, that mansion would have become the grave for all those Damiani soldiers.
