[CHAPTER 68]
The cold night air brushing against her face did not feel unpleasant.
Dianu Ortensa drew in a deep breath.
The chilly wind carried the mixed scents of fallen leaves and damp earth.
Because it was already so late at night, the group decided to stay one night at the Grand Duke’s residence and return to the Imperial Palace the next morning.
The head butler guided Dianu to the guest room where she had stayed for over a year.
As if it had been waiting only for its owner to return, the room looked exactly as it had when she left.
It felt as though the only thing that had changed was Dianu herself.
A maid who had once attended her during her stay at the residence helped her change clothes.
Although she had finished preparing for bed, Dianu opened the balcony door instead of lying down.
She wanted to savor the sensations of this moment to the fullest.
…It’s over.
It was a subtle feeling, refreshing yet tinged with regret.
She had presented a way to prove the collusion between the Belua Duke and Nixandor, the Arasas Ambassador.
Of course, the problem of how to retrieve the ledger, which might or might not exist, from the embassy residence remained, but that matter was far beyond Dianu’s hands now.
Rision, who surely understood this well, stopped Dianu before they parted for their respective rooms and spoke to her.
“If the ledger exists, finding it will be Ravelan’s responsibility.
Among those gathered here, he is the only one who can openly walk into the Arasas Embassy Residence.”
He met Dianu’s gaze as she silently nodded.
Then he spoke with emphasis.
“Without you, we would not have come this far.
You did well.”
It was heartfelt gratitude and praise, but it was also a clear boundary.
The role Dianu had been reluctantly allowed to play ended there.
And unlike the time they had argued over whether she should help him or not, this time he was right.
There truly was nothing more she could do now.
Dianu Ortensa had been hired as the Imperial Princess’s tutor.
Her ultimate goal had always been to have Elpenlira accept the state marriage with Ravelan Arasas.
And she had accomplished even more than that.
All that remained was to leave the rest to Rision and return to her original routine.
Until he dealt with the Belua Duke and Elpenlira safely held her wedding ceremony with Ravelan, Dianu only needed to go back and forth between Oak Palace and the Imperial Palace, spending pleasant days with Rision.
Then why do I feel so lonely?
Kneeling on the cold balcony floor with both arms resting on the railing, Dianu let out a sigh.
She had enjoyed visiting the Imperial Secretariat, reading and analyzing documents.
The thrill she felt when estimating the scale of the Belua Duke’s unofficial assets, and when she concluded that the ledger recording the transactions between the two men must be in the Arasas Embassy Residence, was still vivid in her mind.
I know it can’t be helped.
From the beginning, Rision had not wanted her to involve herself in the Belua Duke’s affairs.
Allowing her this much of a role had already been a significant concession on his part.
It was disappointing.
The sense of accomplishment she might never achieve again, and the fulfillment of moving toward a shared goal with him, weighed heavily on her heart.
After letting her stray thoughts drift away into the night air for quite some time, Dianu finally sighed and rose to her feet.
She thought she should get some sleep, if only to prepare for tomorrow.
That was when voices drifted up from below the balcony.
“What are you doing out here?”
It was Ravelan Arasas’s voice.
Dianu instinctively lowered herself beneath the balcony railing.
It was a reflexive action to avoid showing him her nightclothes.
But she soon realized that Ravelan’s words were not directed at her.
“It’s dangerous to come out alone this late at night.”
“There’s nothing here that could threaten me.”
The voice coming from the opposite direction was unmistakably Elpenlira’s.
Dianu hesitated slightly.
Unintentionally, she had ended up eavesdropping on their conversation.
Yet she could not simply pretend she had heard nothing and return to her room.
Still, they’re an unmarried man and woman, and leaving them alone together so late is a bit…
It was not that she thought they would behave improperly, but Dianu was, after all, the Imperial Princess’s tutor.
Right.
Someone has to play the role of chaperone.
Even if the people involved were unaware that the chaperone was hiding behind the balcony railing.
While Dianu wrestled with her conflict and rationalization, the man and woman below continued their conversation.
“Even if someone were to threaten me, I can protect myself.”
“Have you learned martial arts?”
It was an oddly phrased question to ask a noble lady of the Catalos Empire.
Elpenlira seemed just as flustered, and her reply came a little slowly.
“I like archery.”
“That would be useful if the threat were far away.”
Perhaps she interpreted Ravelan’s response as meaning that it was not enough to protect herself, because indignation crept into Elpenlira’s voice.
“It can’t be helped, can it?
Women aren’t taught how to use swords or spears.”
“That may be the case in Catalos, but in Arasas, women also learn martial arts.”
Because of the darkness and the distance, Dianu could not see Elpenlira’s expression.
But she could easily imagine her pupil’s face.
She must have been wearing a cold, indifferent expression while failing to completely hide her growing interest.
It was one of those rare moments when the fiery-tempered Imperial Princess became endearingly cute.
Ravelan was clearly having similar thoughts.
He spoke in a voice tinged with laughter.
Later that morning, it was Ravelan who explained the situation with a face barely suppressing his smile.
Rision Catalos, the sun of the Catalos Empire, had drunk far too much the night before and was suffering from a severe hangover.
Elpenlira stared at Ravelan as if she could not believe him.
“Just how much did you make my brother drink?”
“Why do you assume I made him drink?”
“Because unless someone forced him, my brother would never overdrink.”
“I merely let him taste some Arasas golden liquor…”
The Erbinjel Grand Duchess could not hide her astonishment at how naturally the two were conversing after just one night.
Before a dish could even be set in front of her, Dianu stood up from her seat.
I’m not hungry, so I’ll go see His Majesty.
No one tried to stop her.
Only Ravelan sent her a meaningful smile.
When Dianu hurried straight to Rision’s bedroom, he opened the door himself.
With slumped shoulders and deep wrinkles on his brow, he looked nothing like an emperor.
He suggested that she dine with the others, but Dianu ignored him and guided him to the bed.
He looked as though he might collapse at any moment.
Torn between propriety, dignity, and his hangover, Rision eventually groaned and lay down on the bed.
Dianu pulled over a chair and sat beside him.
“I’ve heard that strong black tea helps.”
She offered it out of concern, but Rision only covered his ashen face with the back of his hand.
“I don’t wish to show you an even uglier sight.”
It sounded like anything he put in his mouth would only come right back up.
Lowering his hand slightly, he looked at Dianu and spoke.
“I’m truly sorry.
I don’t even enjoy drinking normally, but when I’m with Ravelan, I somehow end up drinking too much.”
“…I can imagine.”
Just last night, had Dianu not been swept up by Ravelan’s momentum and ended up playing card games she would never normally touch?
There was something about him that pushed others into acting out of character.
“You two hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so it’s natural you’d want to reminisce.
You don’t need to apologize.”
Dianu pulled the blanket up to Rision’s chin as he murmured something that sounded like either thanks or a groan.
“Still, at this rate, it seems returning to the Imperial Palace today will be difficult.”
“…Please grant me just one more day.”
The way he shut his eyes in embarrassment was so endearing that Dianu finally burst into laughter.
Caring for the man who always seemed so unshakable, like a feverish child, did not feel unpleasant at all.
She pressed a kiss to his neat forehead and spoke softly.
“Don’t worry.
I’ll stay with you.”
