Chapter SS 04 ….
Side Story: Words That Were Never Easy
“W-wait… please.”
Just before Yurik’s foot could come crashing down on Cadil, Linea’s tiny voice—squeezed out as if wrung dry—stopped him.
Only then did Yurik realize how rash and emotional he had been, and he flinched.
No matter how much of a villain he was, to Linea he had been, until moments ago, the man she loved more than anyone—her fiancé. Even if Linea had accepted Yurik’s persuasion so far, sorting out one’s heart was not something that could be done so easily—
“Just… give me a moment. There’s something I need to say to him.”
Linea’s complexion was pale, like that of a corpse. Yurik hesitated briefly, then stepped back far enough that he could immediately rush in if Cadil tried anything.
Linea brought her trembling hands together at her chest, then slowly lowered them.
As she took several deep breaths, Cadil braced himself against the floor with one hand and struggled upright, sitting as he wiped away his nosebleed. But the more he wiped, the more the blood spread across his face.
“Is everything His Majesty said… true?”
Linea’s voice wasn’t trembling—not because she was calm, but because it had sunk into despair.
She had believed him, only to be betrayed. She had been deceived from the very first meeting.
She had loved him, believing he was the only person in the world who truly loved her. But none of it was real.
Without even thinking about what that meant, or what answer he should give her, Cadil opened his mouth.
“That—”
“Then why would His Majesty summon you and say something like that if it weren’t true?!”
At Linea’s desperate cry, Cadil closed his mouth. Seeing that, Linea’s fists clenched tightly, and her voice began to shake.
“After I took off the necklace you gave me, the dizziness stopped. How do you explain that?”
“……”
“And those children you said were evil spirits… they weren’t evil spirits at all. They were spirits. Everything turned out exactly as His Majesty said it would. But if you really are a terrible person and—”
“Linea.”
Cadil calmly cut her off. As he looked up at her, his eyes were filled with contemptuous pity, resignation—and mockery.
“You already know everything. Why ask?”
The casual way Cadil spoke those words utterly denied the ten years of Linea’s life.
Thud!
In an instant, Linea’s kick slammed into the bridge of Cadil’s nose.
Yurik froze in shock, unable to react. Even Linea recoiled, startled by her own action.
Cadil, struck by Linea, grimaced in pain—then looked up at her with an incredulous expression.
As if an ant had dared to bite a cow.
As if a slave had struck their master.
He seemed less angry than stunned by the sheer impossibility of what had happened.
And that shattered the last dam of Linea’s patience.
Before Yurik could stop her, Linea roughly shoved Cadil in the chest and slapped him across the face. Smack! His head snapped violently to the side.
“You already know everything—why ask?”
Muttering that, Linea slapped him again. Smack, smack, smack. With each blow, Cadil’s cheeks grew redder and redder.
Still unsatisfied, Linea grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the floor again and again.
“You already know everything—why ask?! What?! You think that’s something you can say?! Huh?!”
“Linea!”
Only then did Yurik come to his senses. He rushed forward, grabbing Linea and pulling her away from Cadil.
Linea struggled desperately, refusing to let go of Cadil’s hair, and when she finally lost her grip, she kicked wildly as if to strike him again.
Yurik wasn’t stopping Linea because it was unacceptable for her to hit Cadil.
He was worried that Linea—who had never properly beaten anyone in her life—might end up hurting herself while attacking someone less than a bug.
“You bastard! You think that counts as words?! I’ll kill you—!”
“Calm down, Linea. Please, calm down.”
No matter how Yurik pleaded, it was useless.
In the end, servants who had rushed in after hearing the commotion practically dragged Linea away to calm her down. Only after Cadil—his hair in disarray, cheeks swollen, blood running down his face—was also hauled away did the situation finally come to an end.
Yurik went to see Linea the day after the incident.
She had injured her ankle while kicking and beating Cadil and was staying temporarily in the imperial palace.
“Your Majesty.”
“Stay seated. There’s no need to force yourself to stand when your leg isn’t well.”
As soon as Yurik entered the room, he gently pressed Linea back into her chair as she tried to greet him.
Linea watched Yurik closely, looking anxious and subdued. Yurik spoke as gently as he could to help her relax.
“I heard you injured your ankle. Are you all right?”
“Yes. It’s nothing serious.”
“Is that so? That’s not what I heard from the court physician.”
Linea looked at him with startled, troubled eyes. Yurik sat across from her and deliberately changed the subject.
“I wanted to come yesterday, but I had to deal with the matter of Marquis Lamben. Would you like to know how he will be dealt with?”
After thinking for a moment, Linea shook her head—contrary to Yurik’s expectations.
“You don’t want to know?”
“No. Since you used the word ‘dealt with,’ I assume I will never see… that man again. I don’t wish to know anything more about his fate.”
As she said that, Linea looked conflicted and pained—but also, in some way, relieved.
Yurik’s month-long persuasion had not been in vain. Though Linea had maintained a stubborn attitude, she had ultimately accepted everything Yurik said and sorted out her feelings.
Had Yurik not told her the truth and persuaded her in advance, learning of Cadil’s betrayal again might have shocked Linea enough to drive her to suicide.
“…Very well. You will never meet him again, nor speak with him again.”
After hesitating briefly, Yurik added one more sentence.
“You are free now.”
“……”
However, Linea’s expression darkened. Yurik understood why.
Even if Cadil was gone, the reason Linea had wanted to marry him had not disappeared. The home that tormented her so badly she wanted to flee was still where she was expected to return.
Normally, that is.
“About what we were talking about earlier.”
When Yurik suddenly brought up another topic, Linea looked at him in confusion.
“Your ankle. The physician said the situation is serious. At this rate, not only might you never walk properly again—amputation may even be necessary.”
“…What? Your Majesty, my ankle is perfectly—”
“And so. One cannot very well force someone in poor health to return home, can one? I would like to suggest that you remain in the imperial palace until your ankle has fully healed.”
Linea’s eyes widened.
Simply dealing with Cadil did not truly make Linea free.
The Linea Yurik once knew became independent by studying pharmacology relentlessly—but the present Linea had already achieved independence from Cadil, the very motivation that once drove her.
Even so, given some time, Linea would surely find her own path. But Yurik could not imagine the people of House Shuhebbers being generous enough to give her that time.
With her marriage prospects gone and her age advancing, they would marry her off anywhere, as if selling her off.
“B-but, Your Majesty, how could I impose so much—”
“Please don’t think of it as ‘how could I.’ I love you, and I do not want you to be unhappy. Returning to a suffocating home—is that not misery? …And if we part like that, I would never be able to see you again. I dislike that as well.”
Linea looked flustered, then fell silent.
In a softer voice, Yurik asked her,
“If you need time to consult with the spirits, I can step outside.”
“No, it’s all right. …Your Majesty, is it truly acceptable for me to impose for such a long time?”
“It is no imposition at all. I want you to stay comfortably.”
Still looking uneasy, Linea’s expression told Yurik everything.
Linea would starve before ever accepting a free meal. She insisted on paying a price for everything and did not trust kindness without compensation.
She was scrupulously fair—and to someone like her, being told to stay here for free would never sound convincing.
“Oh, right. There was that. I happen to have a favor to ask.”
As Yurik quickly produced an excuse, Linea’s expression finally brightened.
“I will do whatever I can.”
“That alone is enough. Well, recently there’s been talk among the palace staff and retainers about the palace landscaping. They say the design and facilities are far too outdated. So we need someone to prepare a new project plan to completely renovate the imperial grounds. Normally, the mistress of the palace would oversee such matters—but as there is none at present…”
Linea looked startled and placed a hand over her chest.
“Are you saying… you wish me to take charge of this?”
“Yes. Of course, you will be paid.”
“But I have no connection to landscaping at all. I’ve never studied it, and I don’t know what would be good. The imperial palace is the face of the empire—entrusting it to someone like me—”
“This is not a project that will be completed in a day or two. As you said, it is the face of the empire, so the timeline is generous. Ten years, twenty years—it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to design everything yourself or decide what to plant where. You only need the discernment to review plans and decide whether to approve or reject them. That kind of knowledge can be learned starting now.”
“But—”
“And in fact,”
Thinking she still wouldn’t accept it, Yurik paused before adding,
“I once told you that the imperial family is the guardian of the spirits. As such, the palace gardens still contain many places and sculptures blessed by ancient spirits. I would like you to identify and organize those as well. That is something only you can do.”
“…I see. That is indeed something only I could manage.”
Linea finally seemed to accept it.
Yurik added one more thing.
“Since this is an important project, it would be best for you to remain in the palace to receive approvals.”
“…Understood. It may take a long time, but I will ensure the results are worthy of your satisfaction.”
Linea answered solemnly, and Yurik sighed inwardly at her stiff demeanor.
Truly someone who never treats anything lightly.
He briefly blamed himself for perhaps placing an even greater burden on her in his attempt to let her stay comfortably—but it was too late to take his words back.
Then, he would ease Linea’s heart in another way.
Looking at her, Yurik steeled his resolve.
