Chapter 23
The more I went over the situation piece by piece, the deeper the frown lines between my brows grew. Why? Because right now, Sepina wasn’t here. Which meant? If a terror attack happened during the imperial banquet, there would be no one to stop it.
“Damn it!”
Of course, I could tell Licht, “Don’t accept that gift—it might be part of a terrorist attack!” But if he asked me how I knew that, what would I say? And if things somehow turned out differently from what I remembered, I’d be branded a liar. Worse—what if they accused me of slandering a noble and had me arrested!
“There might even be a defamation law here, who knows.”
And on top of that, I don’t even have the money to hire a lawyer right now! My brain, which had been enjoying a nice, long vacation, suddenly started rolling around frantically like a runaway wheel. Maybe it had been resting too long, because trying to use it again now made me feel like I was getting a cramp. But still, I had to think of something.
“Letting an innocent person die would weigh on my conscience too much.”
Lady Bastille had been found dead, apparently by suicide, even before her trial. But that, too, had been the Empress’s doing—because she feared the young lady might spill some clue. Honestly, wasn’t the girl’s only crime being born into that family?
“Wow, the more I think about it, the more pitiful she seems. Guess I should be grateful I was reborn as just an extra.”
Really, being reincarnated as Edel was divine grace! Sure, ending up in the imperial palace was an unexpected twist, but still—just being in a role without a scheduled death was something I should be enormously grateful for.
“The Empress must have already started pulling strings by now.”
I didn’t know exactly how much time was left until the banquet, but at most a month? Relia had said that the celebration would be held while the empire was still basking in the joyful mood of Licht’s return.
“Ugh, my head.”
After doodling countless meaningless squiggles, I finally came to my senses and realized evening was almost upon me. In the end, without finding any brilliant solution, I had no choice but to let Relia drag me out of my room for dinner.
“Don’t have much of an appetite? Or perhaps tonight’s food isn’t to your taste?”
Licht’s pleasant, low voice jolted me back to reality.
“Huh? Oh, no! Not at all—it’s delicious!”
I hurriedly shoved a big bite of perfectly cooked fish into my mouth.
Some habits never change, huh.
Even in my previous life, whenever I had a problem, I would lose myself in thought until I sorted it out—sometimes in the middle of a meal, sometimes in the middle of sleep, suddenly sitting up with a jolt. And now, here I was zoning out in front of Licht of all people.
Maybe I’m more adaptable than I thought?
“As long as you’re satisfied.”
That face, though.
Licht gave me a doubtful glance before resuming his meal. Maybe my nibbling seemed like I had no appetite, especially since I’d stuffed myself so greedily on the first day.
I watched as Licht slowly lifted food to his mouth, his movements unhurried. Even that simple act revealed the muscles of his firm forearm beneath his tight shirt. And if my gaze traveled upward—broad shoulders, then a face so beautiful it blurred the line between sculpture and man.
“Wow, today’s meal is incredible too.”
Honestly, anyone would stutter a little in front of such looks. The fact that I’d actually dared to zone out in his presence—I had to applaud myself.
“Mm. I rewarded the chef who pleased you yesterday with a generous gift, so today’s meal should be no less satisfying.”
He replied in a pleased tone. Whatever reward it was, today’s dishes were indeed more lavish than yesterday’s, with delicate decorations of flowers and herbs here and there.
“Haha, I see.”
“After dinner, shall we take a walk around the prince’s palace together?”
“You mean, with you personally guiding me…?”
“Of course.”
I had asked half-ironically, “Do you really have to?” But Licht answered as if it was only natural he would. Was his life as a prince actually so leisurely? Relia and I could’ve toured the palace just fine on our own.
Oh, wait—
Right, Licht takes a lot of pride in the palace, doesn’t he?
Good grief, had it really been so long since I’d worked that I’d already lost my social instincts? That was it. From the moment we arrived, he had been asking for my thoughts about the palace. We’d toured the gardens, entered the grand hall where even the terrifying Empress had been present…
So now he wants to properly show off the prince’s palace too, huh?
Since I’d gone straight to my room after arriving, he probably wanted to demonstrate how splendid it was. Finally, his behavior made sense.
“Thank you!”
Well, if that was all, then no problem. I could play the part of a reaction-bot! Understanding his intentions put me at ease, and I smiled brightly in response.
“It’s no trouble. Since we’re done eating, let me show you around right away.”
“Yes!”
“Just so you know, the prince’s palace is far too large to explore in a single evening stroll. So today, let’s just tour the gardens.”
As his voice sounded above my head, I followed Licht’s steady stride. He led me out behind the palace to the central garden. Though it was evening, bright artifacts lit the paths, keeping the grounds aglow.
The walking path stretched endlessly into the distance, branching off into multiple routes. Thankfully, no tall hedge walls made it maze-like, so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost.
“This garden’s almost the size of the Oly*pic Park.”
“Hm?”
“Ah, nothing.”
Even with just a glance, I could tell this was no ordinary garden. What was the empire’s concept of a garden, anyway?
I followed Licht along the main path toward the center. So today’s showcase is the garden, I thought. He walked silently, while I trailed behind awkwardly.
This is… really awkward.
The silence stretched on. Moonlight bathed Licht in a pale glow, making the stillness almost unbearable—until finally, we arrived at the garden entrance.
There, neatly arranged flowerbeds burst with blossoms. Not the brilliant Angresia flowers I’d seen at the Magic Tower, but simple, charming white flowers blooming in clusters.
I’ve never seen these before.
Trying to mask the awkwardness, I pretended to be absorbed in the flowers, turning my face away. After a moment, Licht murmured:
“They’re from the Kingdom of Mendern. More precisely, the national flower of that kingdom—Ludalia.”
“Ludalia? I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s not common in the empire, so I’m not surprised. They came from my late mother’s homeland, Mendern. In fact, this may be the only garden in the empire where you’ll find them.”
“Oh…”
I almost cursed aloud. Damn—had I just triggered a painful topic about his deceased mother? Sweat pricked my skin. Thankfully, he didn’t dwell on her, instead smoothly shifting the conversation.
“You seemed to like the Procia flowers, so I thought about planting some here in the palace gardens.”
“Huh?”
I stammered in surprise. When had I ever told him I liked Procia flowers? I had no memory of saying that. And now he wanted to plant them here because of me? I stared at him, caught off guard.
“The palace must feel unfamiliar to you. After all, in a way, you’re here because of me.”
“Uh…”
Oh my god. Author, why didn’t you warn me? You said the male lead was cold and rude to everyone but the heroine. But this—this was tenderness beyond belief!
From this moment on, any criticism of Licht shall be taken as a personal attack on me!
He was basically worried I’d get homesick after leaving the Magic Tower, and wanted to ease that by planting flowers for me. Such kindness—something I’d never received in either my past or present life—left me speechless with awe.
“Of course, if there’s another flower you prefer, just say so. The garden has plenty of space.”
“I love Procia flowers more than anything in the world!”
Honestly, I’d love any flower if it came with that much thoughtfulness! Struggling to steady my trembling, emotional heart, I answered firmly.
In that moment, I felt ashamed for having mistaken his intentions as mere palace pride.
And at the same time, a fierce fire ignited within me.
I’ll stop the terror attack. No matter what.
Clenching my fists tight, I swore it to myself.
