Chapter 83
“I don’t have anyone I like.”
Once again, I guessed completely wrong.
“Then, you haven’t had any change of heart?”
“Change?”
“You seemed different all of a sudden today. I wondered if something had happened.”
“Nothing special, just…”
His Majesty paused briefly, then ruffled his hair slightly.
“You said if you treated the Saintess kindly, she wouldn’t be able to pull herself together.”
So… he pretended to be a bad-tempered ruler because he was worried I might fumble over his charm?
Hehe… really, such thoughtful consideration brings tears to my eyes.
“That’s… quite considerate of you.”
As I trembled with emotion, I noticed His Majesty’s lips twitching slightly.
Yes, as long as His Majesty is pleased…
After a while, he finally mentioned the purpose of his visit.
“I’ll be away for about three days.”
“Eh? Why?”
“I have a provincial inspection.”
Is this because of Derarchi?
It’s unfortunate I won’t see His Majesty during that time, but it can’t be helped.
I pointed at the brooch on His Majesty’s collar with my index finger.
“Your Majesty, make sure to wear the brooch.”
“And you, Saintess. Don’t take off the ring.”
“My ring? It’s said it won’t come off until I die.”
That was what Siana had read in the royal history books.
It said the ring never leaves the body of the person it chooses as its master.
Empress Isabella, the previous owner, also wore it all her life.
Finally, Siana’s eyes looked a little frightening as she said, “I want to live like a ring too someday.”
“Well, that’s good.”
His Majesty seemed satisfied that the ring wouldn’t come off, smiling slightly.
Then, with a tone mixed with concern, he said:
“Don’t wander around secretly while the bodyguards aren’t watching.”
“Yes.”
“Eat properly.”
“Yes? Yes.”
“And don’t follow strangers just because they’re handsome.”
“……How handsome are they?”
“…Shinari.”
“That’s a joke, a joke! There’s only Your Majesty’s face for me. I’ll never follow anyone else.”
At the moment His Majesty’s voice lowered, I quickly tried to smooth over the atmosphere.
One joke and I almost got to see the bad-tempered ruler again.
At this rate, he’ll probably tell me to be careful of carriages and streets next.
“It’s best not to go outside the palace, but if you must, be careful with carriages too.”
“Your Majesty.”
Instead of answering, I held out my palm.
“Please issue me an ID.”
“Why?”
“I want to check if ‘Leodius’ is attached after my name. I think I might have been adopted.”
It was like parents leaving their child behind while going on a business trip.
I thought His Majesty would dismiss me for speaking nonsense, but surprisingly, I hit his laughter point.
He laughed lightly out loud—it felt like a cool summer breeze.
This refreshing feeling… if I do this right… maybe I can fulfill the wish I’ve buried in my heart!
‘That laugh I didn’t see on the carriage to the Nisephorel Temple…!’
I gripped my pounding heart and spun my head in anticipation.
I’ve found the laughter point.
“Your Majesty, you’ve just been reported.”
“Reported?”
“It’s a marriage declaration from my heart.”
“….”
Gah. I really should have stopped joking around before.
All I could think of was this line.
That refreshing laugh… gone, replaced by His Majesty’s silence.
And this reaction—he clearly doesn’t think what I said was a joke.
‘If His Majesty doesn’t know it’s a joke, it’s basically a proposal—!’
A scream of despair rose from inside, but the water’s spilled; the cow is already out of the barn.
His Majesty, stay here alone. I want to step out…
“…Next, is it going to be a fake marriage after a fake relationship?”
“Ah, no. I was joking.”
“Joking?”
“Well—”
There’s nothing more humiliating than explaining a failed joke in detail.
I quickly blurted out something that could be justified reasonably:
“So, I thought… if Your Majesty, who has no family, and I, could become each other’s family for life…”
Ahhhh! Is this a real proposal—Shinari…!!
“….”
Silence returned.
I decided: today, I put a zipper on my mouth. The only way to stop myself from saying everything that comes to mind.
His Majesty spoke with an expressionless face:
“Nonsense.”
“Haha, right?”
And that night.
I put Puu on the bed and began a serious consultation.
“Puu, what should I do?”
“Puuu?”
This is serious.
Really serious.
“This might sound weird.”
I know… I know!
Ugh. I still can’t calm down.
I hugged the cushion tightly, then put it down once I calmed a little.
“You know, Puu.”
“Puu?”
“I think His Majesty likes me.”
Zendal’s small village, Kuka.
‘A necklace?’
Charles, brought here by the children, picked up a necklace in the room.
It was a simple locket necklace, the kind you can buy at any general store.
‘Someone must have dropped it.’
Click.
Charles opened the locket. There was a glass panel, and inside were a few strands of hair.
‘This is…’
Charles’s eyes sharpened.
It was familiar hair. Hair of someone she knew…
“Ah, here it is. Did the lady have it?”
Rex burst into the room and saw the necklace in Charles’s hand, pretending to recognize it.
Charles looked up at Rex.
“Is this yours?”
“No. It’s Poin’s.”
Rex walked boldly up and held out his hand to Charles.
“Give it. Why are you holding someone else’s? Poin was crying, thinking he lost it.”
This little brat…
She had picked it up in the room she was staying in, so technically, the fault wasn’t hers.
Suppressing the urge to punch the small green head, Charles handed over the necklace.
Then she asked kindly:
“……The hair inside, it’s black?”
“It’s navy. Maybe you’re colorblind.”
“…….”
Mwah.
Rex stuck his tongue out and left the room, teasing Charles.
Treated like a thief and colorblind at the same time.
Charles’s fists trembled.
Before recovering the blueprint and leaving here, she felt she might need to hit that head once to feel satisfied.
The door opened again.
Charles loosened her knuckles and waited for the green head to appear.
“Excuse me.”
But instead of Rex, a statue-like man appeared with a pleasing mid-low voice.
Tall, commanding, and handsome.
His silver hair looked like untouched dawn snow, and his blue eyes seemed to hold a clear spring.
If winter were personified, it would be him.
‘…He looks even better than Delcan.’
Charles wouldn’t admit it, but her standard for a handsome man was her half-brother Delcan.
And only two men in her life had ever seemed more handsome than Delcan:
One was the Emperor of Zendal, and the other was this man before her.
That level of beauty.
She wasn’t someone who had a hobby of liking brunettes, so it made sense she might feel attracted to his appearance.
“Who are you?”
She was strangely irritated.
No answer to her question.
“Can’t recognize me, huh?” he muttered to himself, but why did she feel like she had lost?
“I asked who you are.”
“I’m Allend.”
Charles examined his face closely.
No way…
There are many people with the same name, but someone this beautiful? Rare.
Hair color, eye color, even features looked different, but that’s nothing for the man she imagined.
“Captain of Daydern Ho?”
“He didn’t respond to the interview request.”
That’s right. The Emperor of Zendal.
His blunt tone and expressionless face felt like frost sweeping across the eyes.
The once friendly-looking Emperor? Could he really be this man?
Thinking of the warning he had given her…
‘Is this his real personality?’
Charles snorted lightly.
No need to be polite to an Emperor hiding his identity.
Even if they knew each other’s true identity.
“Allend doesn’t suit the name.”
“It was a name given by the Saintess.”
“…….”
She had planned to tease the Emperor for using a fake name, but all she got was a display of authority.
Charles thought to repay him later.
“So, are you the leader here? The village only has kids. Are you hiding your identity and acting like the alley boss?”
Charles had been in Kuka for two days.
The village looked like any small rural town, but the residents were all teenagers.
The first adult to appear in this village—this man. Suspicious.
But Allend didn’t answer her question and asked something else.
“Why did you infiltrate the factory?”
“Curious?”
“Not really. Since Derarchi teamed up with Hilis Ettinger, the first prince of Bonia, it must be connected.”
“…You know that? Your intelligence network is scary.”
The Zendal Emperor was right.
Hilis, sidelined in the succession due to illness, had been secretly aligned with Zendal’s Derarchi for quite some time.
Hilis’s goal: seize the throne.
Two factions plotting rebellion in their own countries had joined forces.
When Marquis Landette came looking for Charles, she had already obtained this information.
They clearly knew she would betray them—asking for help in a coup? They must think people are fools.
But it was a good opportunity.
If used well, she could gain the throne and the Saintess, and eliminate obstacles at once.
She had acted greedily, but there was the variable of a traitor.
Delcan being taken hostage was because of that.
“With such an intelligence network, I can see the ambition of your Empire’s Duke. Seems the Emperor isn’t very imposing?”
“Apparently. Even a foreign princess joined his ambition.”
Allend’s words made Charles flinch.
He even knew she had joined Derarchi’s rebellion.
She muttered a small excuse:
“…I had my reasons.”
“Not interested.”
Charles narrowed her eyes.
“Is this your usual personality? Does the Saintess know?”
At this, the Emperor’s gaze grew sharp.
That possessive look, warning her not to covet what is his.
Feeling that dangerous aura after so long, Charles’s spine chilled.
Allend, staring at her as if warning her, held up two fingers.
