Chapter 8: “Keep That Promise, Your Majesty, Emperor of the Enemy Nation”

Escort?

Reneve’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“…Escort, you mean by order of His Majesty, the Emperor of Bashker?”

“Of course. Isn’t that obvious?”

It seemed he didn’t intend to reveal his imperial status. Reneve decided to play along and opened her mouth.

“Then you’re being quite rude. To think that Your Majesty would show me disrespect, even though I’ve been entrusted with your protection.”

When Reneve spoke sharply, Icarus replied casually:

“You may speak freely, my lady.”

…Is that really okay?

Reneve considered a few possible scenarios of what could happen next.

What if the emperor before her was the type whose words didn’t match his actions?

Or, if he had a personality like Lucius, so authoritarian that once his identity was revealed, she wouldn’t be able to handle the fallout.

“By the way, your master must have designated the First Princess for this task,” she said.

“That’s right.”

“But suddenly, I volunteered to go in her place. Does the Emperor of Bashker know about this?”

Reneve’s eyes widened at Icarus’s expression, which seemed to say it was no problem at all.

“…So you already knew everything.”

“Of course. It was amusing, too. That day, it seems the Empress’s side tried to bring up a marriage proposal between you and the Third Prince.”

This indicated he knew the inner workings of the Paradium royal family very well.

Icarus slowly stroked his chin and continued.

“Apparently, the Third Prince was quite unpopular. He bit his lip, after all.”

Could it be…

“So you were here even earlier today?”

Icarus nodded, and Reneve’s eyes grew even wider.

“You saw… everything?”

“That part, I apologize. It wasn’t intentional.”

Icarus offered a brief apology.

Reneve had so much to say that she didn’t even know where to start.

‘Has the situation changed since before…? Why?’

Icarus had officially visited Paradium only twice.

The first time was when he demanded a peace treaty, using the First Princess as a hostage. The second was when Reneve was about to become Empress.

And now he was sneaking into the marquis’s residence?

“It seems the Emperor of Bashker takes a keen interest in the Paradium royal family,” Reneve said, hitting the core of the matter.

Icarus, still stroking his chin, took a step toward her.

Dressed in a slightly unbuttoned black shirt and black pants, he looked less like an emperor and more like a mercenary.

Yet his presence was so commanding that Reneve’s shoulders stiffened and her toes curled instinctively.

“Of course. Knowing each other well can prevent major disputes, don’t you think?”

Though he spoke as if he were a pacifist, Reneve knew the future: he was a warmonger and a killer who would slowly consume neighboring nations.

“By the way… is this your usual way?”

Icarus crossed his arms and stared at Reneve intently.

“…?”

“I was curious whether you treat even a mere bodyguard this way.”

Reneve pressed her lips together tightly.

Since she had introduced herself as a simple bodyguard, it was appropriate to treat her accordingly. Yet, knowing he was the emperor, she couldn’t afford to be disrespectful.

“I cannot neglect a bodyguard appointed personally by His Majesty.”

“Of course, once you cross the border, I suppose I’ll be the only one you can rely on.”

Rely on… the emperor of an enemy nation?

Reneve’s expression shifted slightly, and Icarus noticed.

“…My lady? Why that expression?”

Quickly searching for an excuse, Reneve parted her lips slightly.

She had hoped that after returning the princess safely to her homeland, the emperor might not be such a tyrant—but that assumption had clearly been a mistake.

“It’s getting late. I should return to the residence now.”

Reneve decided to leave and turned her body.

“Judging by the mood, it seems you’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

Her steps froze at Icarus’s words, spoken just as she tried to pass him.

“Did you, by any chance, enter the residence as well?”

Icarus shrugged silently. That alone was answer enough.

Inside, Reneve was internally shocked.

‘He trespassed without permission, and yet he acts so confident?’

Still, she didn’t voice it.

This was a man who had infiltrated the marquis’s residence unnoticed. If she angered him, she might be killed without anyone knowing.

Better to protect herself.

“I plan to leave before sunrise.”

“I see.”

Icarus nodded.

Reneve, walking toward the residence, stopped and asked,

“By the way, where have you been until now?”

Icarus raised his index finger to point upward.

‘You mean… you were up in a tree the whole time? The Emperor of the Empire?’

Reneve defined him as a man both unpretentious for his noble rank and strikingly action-oriented.

As soon as Reneve entered the residence, Marquis Seiren asked:

“Where have you been wandering alone at this late hour, Reneve?”

The marquis, who seemed to have just returned from the palace, was in uniform.

“They say the Prince visited the residence earlier today?”

Patrick, standing beside him, raised his voice as well. Reneve exhaled lightly and spoke:

“Shall we… talk?”

Even as she explained the situation on the way to the reception room, Patrick kept grumbling.

“He tried to force a kiss on you!”

When Patrick added some choice words, Marquis Seiren furrowed his brow, signaling his son. Apparently, Patrick had picked up some bad habits on the battlefield.

“The thought that you almost became my son-in-law without anyone knowing is horrifying.”

“I told you he seemed dangerous, Father.”

After they vented their frustration at length, Reneve was finally able to bring up the important matter.

“I’m worried the royal family might find fault with the Seiren family because of this.”

“Don’t worry. They found nothing other than the thrown stones.”

“That’s true. They barged in without any prior notice. No one was harmed anyway.”

Patrick pouted slightly, clearly disappointed.

“Then that’s a relief. I’ll go inside now. I’m a bit tired today.”

As Reneve rubbed her eyes, both men looked up simultaneously.

“Ah, going to rest?”

“Yes, you must be tired. Go rest inside.”

“Yes, good night.”

Reneve memorized their expressions and turned away.

‘I’ll be careful on the way.’

Before the sun had fully risen, in the early dawn:

Reneve placed a short letter on the desk and wrapped her robe tightly around herself.

She briefly considered taking the maid who had served her before she married Lucius and entered the palace in her previous life.

But she shook her head. One maid needed to care for her sick mother and younger siblings, and the other was about to be proposed to by a blacksmith.

She didn’t want to separate them because of her own circumstances.

And since she didn’t want just anyone accompanying her, Reneve decided to go alone.

She checked the carriage waiting at the back gate through the window and picked up her luggage.

The day Lucius came to the marquis’s residence, Marquis Seiren had apparently tried everything to prevent her from leaving for Bashker.

The Empress, worried that it might go wrong, sent someone late at night.

“If your mind hasn’t changed, prepare to depart immediately.”

Reneve tossed the Empress’s letter into the fireplace and left the bedroom.

Creak.

As she quietly opened the door and slipped out, sensing someone’s presence behind her, she turned.

“…?”

“Shh.”

A large hand suddenly covered her mouth. Reneve recognized the refreshing scent she had smelled before and knew who it was.

Did he suspect she would regret leaving and try to sneak away?

She felt slightly offended at the lack of trust but tapped his hand lightly. Only then did he release it.

“The bodyguard chosen by the Emperor of Bashker seems to have a hobby for breaking and entering,” she remarked.

Icarus’s eyes widened slightly at her glance.

“Not surprised?”

“Twice surprised and I might have ended up in another world,” she muttered, walking ahead and secretly brushing her chest.

‘That was close.’

No children, but she nearly dropped one.

“Is it okay to leave without informing your family? It’ll be three years before you set foot on Empire soil again.”

Reneve stopped and looked back at the residence.

“If… I can return to Paradium alive, I’ll apologize then.”

“Quite the cold-hearted lady,” Icarus said as he opened the carriage door.

“I guarantee it. Three years from now, you’ll safely step on Paradium soil again.”

The same man who had demanded a hostage from Paradium?

Reneve almost sarcastically thought, How considerate of you, Your Majesty, but changed her mind.

“Keep that promise. No matter what.”

The Emperor of an enemy nation.

She swallowed the rest of her words.

When Reneve opened her eyes again, she was still swaying in the carriage.

“This ride can hardly be called comfortable. And yet you slept well.”

Icarus, sitting across and staring blankly out the window, spoke without even looking at her.

Reneve checked her disheveled clothes while asleep, reflecting on how careless she had been in front of the enemy emperor.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t even properly introduced ourselves.”

“The precious Seiren, Reneve. Correct?”

Icarus gestured slightly toward her, as if to say he at least knew her name.

“Thank you for the introduction.”

Now it was her turn, and she gestured the same way at Icarus.

Since he had introduced himself as a bodyguard, she could afford to act informally.

“Call me Dehan,” he said with a chuckle.

Reneve stared at him with narrowed eyes. She had definitely heard that name before—like the man known as the “left hand” of the enemy emperor.

“Ah, Dehan. But I thought His Majesty the Emperor of Bashker is still in Paradium. Won’t you be returning with Lord Dehan?”

Icarus answered casually.

“The Emperor says he still has business in Paradium.”

“Ah…”

Reneve nodded disinterestedly. Icarus leaned slightly toward her and asked,

“Why, my lady, are you interested in a foreign emperor as well?”