Chapter 35
Leto couldn’t hide his surprise.
“How long have you been standing there?”
“From the beginning. Since you said, ‘Damn it.’”
He dragged a hand down his face as if the situation were unbearable.
“If I’d known you were there, I wouldn’t have said it.”
“Did something happen with the Guild Master?”
“He’s asking an outrageously high fee to use the Forest of Mages. That’s why the discussion dragged on.”
“Oh dear. Did you manage to negotiate?”
“Barely. It felt like he wanted to grab me by the collar halfway through.”
So there’d been yet another meeting after the state council. No wonder he looked tired. I didn’t even know where he’d held it.
He asked, still clearly puzzled,
“But why are you here at this hour? And by yourself, no less.”
“It may be hard to believe, but I was out for a walk.”
“A walk that ended with you drifting out here? That’s a first.”
He took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders. It carried a cool, clean scent.
“Why are you always dressed so lightly whenever it rains?”
“I don’t know myself. Thank you.”
I pulled the lapels together. It really had been cold.
Our eyes met.
“……”
“……”
Silence and awkwardness settled between us. I quietly looked away.
Of course, last night came to mind—the feeling of his lips, his touch.
…This is embarrassing. That’s why I was avoiding him.
I glanced at him. He didn’t seem much different.
For now, I should say what I needed to say.
“Ah—well. I heard the meeting went very well. The palace is buzzing about it.”
“Calling in Parham made a big difference. And the proposal was excellent. It’s all thanks to you.”
“You’re going to be very busy from now on.”
“Then tell me whatever you need. That way, I’ll be less busy.”
And again, silence.
Was I really supposed to just stand here until Yuton arrived? It wasn’t as though I had nothing to say.
Watching the rain fall, I finally spoke.
“Um… I happened to overhear something last time.”
“What was it?”
“That you wanted me to think of the imperial palace as my home.”
“…Have you taken up eavesdropping as a hobby? You did it just now too.”
He turned his head away awkwardly. The tips of his ears seemed pink.
“Thank you.”
“……”
“I know you’ve been looking out for me a lot, Your Majesty.”
He stared at me quietly. His face was still slightly flushed.
“So you noticed?”
I nodded.
“I’ve never really lived feeling like I had a home. But knowing that someone is making an effort for my sake… it makes this place feel like home.”
“……”
“Of course, I still intend to get a divorce. Please don’t misunderstand.”
He simply looked at me. There was no sign of disappointment at the word divorce.
“It’s not that I have no feelings toward you, Your Majesty. Something like camaraderie… I do feel that.”
I knew. Saying this after having kissed him sounded ridiculous. But it was the truth.
“So I wanted to say thank you. If I didn’t say it now, I felt like I never would.”
“Camaraderie?”
He repeated the word, as if he’d heard something fascinating.
“Yes. Camaraderie.”
A strange smile spread across his lips. Why was he smiling?
Just then, a stream of water fell onto Leto’s shoulder—rain that had pooled on the leaves above. His shoulder and neck were soaked.
“Oh. Your handkerchief should be in your coat, right? Just a moment.”
I took it from the inner pocket and gently pressed it to his wet neck.
“You get soaked whenever it rains too, Your Majesty.”
I meant it as a joke.
He didn’t smile.
“You did the same thing yesterday in front of the chapel.”
“…Pardon?”
“Touching me first like this, without knowing a thing. It’s incredibly irritating.”
That didn’t sound good. I was just about to pull my hand away when he caught it.
“If you knew what I was thinking every time this happens, you’d never say something like ‘camaraderie.’”
He leaned in again. In the past, I would’ve panicked—but now, I was strangely curious.
“What are you thinking about?”
“First, that I want to return what I received in front of the chapel.”
So… he meant a kiss.
“And that since it’s raining, you won’t be able to run away today.”
“You’re terrible.”
“I think I told you. I’m not a good man.”
“……”
“Let me be more honest. I founded the Medical Bureau for my own sake.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. When you’re happy, it puts me in a good mood.”
So in the end, it was for me. My emotions affected him too.
Romantic, yet blunt—very much like Leto.
“How can you be so sure I’d be happy?”
“You’re happiest when you talk about medicine.”
Honestly, I was surprised. Because it was true.
“How did you know?”
“How wouldn’t I? It’s written all over your face.”
“People usually say I’m expressionless. That they can’t read me.”
Leto gave a small chuckle.
“Then I guess it only shows to me.”
Footsteps echoed in the distance. When I turned around, Yuton was running toward us.
His eyes widened when he saw me.
“Your Majesty the Empress? How did you end up here…?”
“Well… I drifted.”
“Drifted?”
He looked utterly confused, then troubled.
“Oh no… I only brought one umbrella.”
“We can share. Hand it over.”
At Leto’s words, Yuton passed him the umbrella. Leto opened it wide.
“Let’s go.”
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me under the umbrella. He glanced down at me.
“You’re already shivering. Weak to the cold?”
“Yes. I am.”
In truth, it wasn’t just the cold. The tension and trembling were finally catching up to me.
We entered the imperial palace. He walked me all the way to my bedroom.
“I’ll tell the attendants to bring you something warm. Drink it and get some rest.”
“Thank you. Please get back safely.”
Just as I was seeing him off, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Haven’t I been staying in the imperial palace for over a month now?
“Your Majesty.”
“Yes?”
Leto turned back.
“I think it’s time I returned to the Empress’s Palace.”
“Oh. Right.”
“I should start moving back.”
“No.”
He said it firmly.
“…What?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Just because.”
“At least give me a reason—”
“It’s under construction.”
“What construction?”
“I can’t tell you. Anyway, no.”
What kind of stubbornness was this?
“It’s not like I’ll never see you again if I move back.”
“I know. Still, stay in the imperial palace for now. You can move once it’s finished.”
Finished what, exactly? Were they rebuilding the entire place? It was baffling.
Leto stated decisively,
“Access to the Empress’s Palace is prohibited.”
* * *
“What in the world is this?!”
The High Priest flung the document aside. The imperial seal spun through the air.
Dante swiftly caught it.
The contents were simple: Report on the Ministers’ Approval of the Medical Bureau Establishment Proposal.
Impressive. How did the imperial family persuade the ministers?
Dante’s gaze stopped on one passage.
“It seems they secretly developed a skin disease remedy.”
“Yes. And to think the herbs taken from the Forest of Mages were used as ingredients.”
They had planted spies in the imperial palace to investigate the herbs. At some point, the plants vanished—and then Parham appeared.
“Hoo… Dante. This is no small matter.”
“Is that so?”
“Don’t play dumb. Once medicine exists, people stop relying on gods and start relying on drugs. And then everything we enjoy disappears.”
“But if people live longer, won’t they donate for longer too?”
“Foolish.”
The High Priest sneered.
“A healthy person begrudges a single coin. A sick one won’t begrudge ten.”
“Ah. Of course.”
Dante smiled faintly.
So in the end, they’re using people’s bodies as collateral to collect money.
It was greed to the point of nausea.
The High Priest poured himself a drink and drained it in one gulp.
“The real problem is Livia. She made the medicine and wrote the proposal.”
“She must have done a fine job, judging by how easily the ministers were swayed.”
“The emperor’s current course is impossible without the empress. We must separate them as soon as possible.”
Dante tilted his head.
“How?”
“The emperor’s birthday banquet is coming up. Contact the Este family. An invitation will be sent—make sure they attend, no matter what.”
The emperor’s birthday banquet was a major event. Every noble in the capital would gather.
“Send the finest salon dressmaker to the Este household.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“You may go now.”
“Yes. I should get started.”
Just as Dante turned to leave—
“Dante.”
“Yes?”
“Have you heard the goddess’s voice lately?”
“…No. She’s been silent.”
“I see. If you hear it, report to me at once.”
“Of course.”
Dante left the High Priest’s office. He looked around—and gagged.
“Ugh.”
Even that didn’t ease his stomach.
“That crazy old man. He gets harder to tolerate by the day. Hah…”
Dante sank down in the corridor.
“…I’m getting tired of this life too.”
It had been ten years since Dante entered the Holy Temple.
He’d been a vagrant. His innate divine power was nothing but a nuisance—after all, it didn’t produce bread or soup.
That was when the High Priest found him, having heard of his power. He rescued Dante from the streets and gave him the surname Hamelson.
Given Dante’s nature, a debt had to be repaid.
He relayed the goddess’s voice to the High Priest, who then proclaimed it to the world—floods, monster outbreaks in the north, and so on.
In return, Dante became the Chief Priest. He had no interest in power; being able to loaf around like a wastrel was enough.
But now, it was his limit. The High Priest’s fraud and greed disgusted him.
Ten years is more than enough to repay a debt. I should leave the temple soon.
He was confident he could disappear without a trace. Only one thing bothered him.
The goddess’s voice—and Livia’s existence.
Elisana is forbidden? Then am I supposed to stop Meryl? And why did that voice reach Empress Livia too?
No matter how much he thought about it, it made no sense.
“Whatever. The imperial family is none of my business.”
Dante stood up and strode down the corridor.
Then he suddenly froze.
That evening—when he’d heard the goddess’s scream and rushed to the imperial palace…
I nearly died at the emperor’s hands.
The emperor, known only through rumors, was truly terrifying.
Dante was shameless by nature—but not in front of him. All he could do was bow his head.
When the blade reached his chin, he knew—
He wasn’t trying to scare me. He truly meant to kill me.
The one who saved him was Empress Livia, offering excuses that shouldn’t have worked.
Even though it could have earned her his hatred.
The emperor didn’t sheath his sword because he believed her.
—Please.
It must have been those words, that look, that shook him.
“…Hmph.”
Either way, he owed Empress Livia a debt.
Dante sighed.
“Hah… I’m weak when someone treats me well.”
Annoying as it was, his decision was made.
I suppose a debt still has to be repaid.
