Chapter 93
For a moment, Liana looked at Ianheart with an utterly dumbfounded face, then let out a sigh of air and followed with a small laugh.
Then, tapping her heel lightly against the ground, she stepped back about three paces before springing forward, propelling herself up onto the wall in one smooth motion.
“Hurry up and come.”
From her stable perch atop the wall, she waved her hand playfully, and with those words, her figure disappeared beyond the wall.
“…Ha.”
Left behind alone, Ianheart exhaled an awkward sigh, overwhelmed by the wave of affection that rushed through him.
Never before had he found someone so lovable. The fact that even the smallest action from Liana could make him stumble like this was unsettling and unfamiliar.
If she were to hear it, she would probably ask in disbelief, Since when has Your Majesty been swayed by my actions? But the truth was, Ianheart was already being helplessly swept away by her.
Even now, that simple hand gesture of hers was unbearably adorable.
“If you don’t come soon, I might just have to carry you over.”
Just as Ianheart raked his hair back with an impatient hand, her voice called out from the other side, urging him on.
Though muffled by the barrier of the wall, her voice carried an unmistakable playfulness.
Letting out yet another sigh, Ianheart pushed off the ground lightly before she could nag him again.
They walked for another five minutes after crossing the wall.
Soon, another wall loomed before them—similar to the previous one, but a little thicker and taller, blocking their path.
“Once we cross here, we’ll be at the outskirts of the Lofel shopping district.”
At Ianheart’s simple explanation, Liana’s eyes went wide.
“Right behind here? We don’t need to walk farther after crossing?”
Her voice carried a hint of doubt, and Ianheart let out a short laugh.
“Right behind it. Though it’s mostly residential around the edges.”
He answered smoothly, but at the same time, Ianheart wondered briefly why Liana seemed to hold such a persistent air of distrust toward him.
…No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure it out.
Usually unbothered by most things, Ianheart couldn’t help but find it irksome that the only person he harbored feelings of affection for looked at him with such skepticism.
And even more so because it wasn’t a distrust of him—she was only doubting the situation.
“The reason you can’t hear any noise or sense people is because of the protective barrier surrounding the palace. The reason you can’t feel the magic is because it’s combined with alchemy.”
“Ah…”
Liana nodded in understanding at Ianheart’s explanation.
Alchemy.
Even across the entire continent, alchemists were exceedingly rare.
Liana, who had always enjoyed learning about the unknown, had been curious about alchemy ever since she first heard of it.
And after learning that it could even be fused with magic, her curiosity had only grown stronger.
Petchess’s house wasn’t far from the palace wall they had just crossed.
On both sides of a broad street stood spacious houses, scattered with plenty of room between them.
Not quite manors, but certainly homes that nobles could easily live in.
It was safe to call it an upscale residential area.
“Is this part of Lofel District too?”
“In a broad sense, yes.”
“And in a narrow sense?”
“A residential area bordering Lofel. It doesn’t have its own name.”
“Ah, I see.”
So, simply a high-end neighborhood.
As they chatted idly while walking, Liana’s gaze caught sight of a man in short-sleeved clothes. In his arms was a little girl—likely his daughter—wearing a summer dress.
It was still spring, and the air was cool.
“…People are already wearing short sleeves. Even children.”
Following her gaze, Ianheart’s expression shifted as though in understanding.
“The Empire is colder on average than Rown. For this season, it’s already quite warm.”
“In Rown, this feels like winter weather… The Empire’s winter must be freezing.”
Liana said it casually, without much thought.
But Ianheart paused for a moment, then added quietly, “Instead, we get a lot of snow.”
His change of subject was effective.
“Snow?”
Her voice rose slightly in excitement.
“…I’ve never seen snow before.”
Feeling her own eagerness show, Liana let out a sheepish laugh and explained.
Because Rown never saw snow.
Even though the Forest of Death, where she had lived, bordered Rown’s northern edge, the country itself lay far to the south. Thus, she had never witnessed falling snow.
“Then you’ll see plenty this winter. There’s a villa where the snow piles especially high. If we have the time, we’ll go together.”
“That sounds amazing.”
Liana nodded eagerly, unable to hide her excitement.
Talking about the still-distant Imperial winter, they soon reached their destination.
Ianheart stopped in front of a massive estate.
“…Here?”
Liana’s voice betrayed her surprise, her composure slipping away.
The mansion looming beyond the tall walls wasn’t just big—it was enormous.
Through the barred gates, she could glimpse a vast, manicured garden, and beyond that, a separate annex.
‘…This is basically a grand estate.’
She had been told he was an alchemist. But this looked like the home of a wealthy magnate, or at least a noble of viscount rank or higher.
“Yes. This is his property.”
Her train of thought derailed at Ianheart’s answer.
His property?
The word he used was surprisingly familiar, not what you’d expect for someone speaking of a subordinate.
Just who was this Petchess Torca—an alchemist who lived in such a mansion, and whom Ianheart referred to so casually?
During her Empress training, Liana had memorized the names of Imperial nobles and influential figures, but there had been no one with the surname Torca.
Yet Ianheart, who could have cleared her doubts, seemed oblivious to her confusion as he moved ahead.
“Wait.”
He strode confidently toward a small bird-shaped ornament beside the gate, turned it once, and tapped it three times.
Realizing what he was doing, Liana simply watched him return to her side.
“You can’t enter otherwise.”
“…There’s some kind of mechanism?”
“Mm, something like that.”
That was all the explanation he gave, nothing more.
…Why does he keep glossing over things like that?
Narrowing her eyes, Liana looked at him suspiciously.
Her suspicion was justified.
Feeling her wary gaze, Ianheart chuckled lowly.
Cute.
As he stared stubbornly forward, her eyes sharpened even more.
Sensing someone approaching from within, Ianheart deliberately avoided meeting her eyes.
He could have promised to explain once they met Petchess, but the truth was, he found her pouting face far too endearing to spoil.
After a short while, a voice rang out, curt and irritable.
“Your Majesty.”
“What?”
“You’re deliberately not telling me, aren’t you?”
She had guessed right. Of course, he had no intention of admitting it.
“Not sure what you mean.”
Smiling as he feigned ignorance, Ianheart turned toward her just as—
Clunk.
The tightly shut gates swung open with a low sound.
“Let’s go inside. I’ll tell you what you want to know once we’re in.”
Ianheart whispered gently as he naturally reached for her hand.
Though Liana flinched for a moment, she soon relented, offering her hand with a look that seemed to say I’ll let it slide this time.
“Do we just go in?”
“Yes.”
With her hand in his, Ianheart led her through the gates as though escorting her inside.
The mansion itself carried a peculiar atmosphere.
Despite the vast grounds, there wasn’t a single presence to be felt.
And the moment they stepped through the gates, it was as though the outside world had been cut off—silence replaced the noise beyond.
Those two factors alone gave the place an eerie air.
“…This is a strange place.”
“Petchess doesn’t like the outside world. Nor people, for that matter.”
From his words, he sounded extremely introverted. Or perhaps reclusive.
Was this going to be an awkward encounter after all?
As she worried, Ianheart’s voice cut in gently, almost coaxing, “But he’s not antisocial. Don’t worry too much.”
…Did I make it that obvious?
Liana prided herself on keeping her expression neutral—but that, sadly, was only her own misconception.
Watching her awkward face, Ianheart chuckled as he opened the front door with practiced ease.
“Petchess has been wanting to meet you. He’ll treat you well. Don’t be nervous.”
“…I’m not that nervous.”
Creaaak—
Her protest mixed with the groaning sound of the heavy, unoiled door as it swung open.
She meant it, too.
It wasn’t nervousness that unsettled her—it was the fact that Ianheart spoke of Petchess with such familiarity, more like a comrade than just a subordinate.
But she wasn’t the type to be shy around strangers. After all, she’d spent years living outside the palace.
Still, in the very next moment—
“I heard Your Majesty would be coming. I am Petchess Torca, Princess.”
“Ah…”
The instant she saw Petchess Torca face-to-face, Liana froze solid.
Because she had just come face to face with an utterly unexpected truth.
