Chapter 107
As soon as the Emperor left the room, Niyan came to see me.
His face was set in firm anger.
The moment he arrived, he looked me over anxiously from head to toe, then suddenly shouted,
“Why on earth didn’t you resist? Did you just sit there and let it happen?!”
“They’ll hear you. Lower your voice.”
I pressed a finger to my lips, trying to calm the agitated Niyan.
“I barely let it slide when he stole a kiss to ‘check my healing ability,’ but then he actually grabbed my throat. Do you know how hard it was for me to hold back?”
“I know, I know. You did well.”
I soothed him as best as I could. As I’d asked, Niyan hadn’t rushed at the Emperor. The moment he reacted emotionally, the entire situation would become complicated. If the next Tower Master of the Mage Tower threatened the Emperor, the Empire’s future would be thrown into complete chaos.
What helped him endure, at least, was knowing how strong I really was. After several deep breaths, the fuming Niyan finally regained his composure. Looking embarrassed, he lowered his head.
“I’m sorry. I got carried away.”
“It’s okay.”
“Still, I’ll take you to Rus right away. I can’t leave you by that mad Emperor’s side any longer. I mean it.”
“No, Niyan. Don’t do that until the Grand Duke’s side makes the first move.”
“But—!”
“I didn’t come here to be protected. I came to help. What matters isn’t me, but the success of the revolution. We have work to do. We just have to endure until then.”
I did my best to stop him.
He neither said he understood nor nodded.
But he seemed to be trying to accept the fact that once the revolution succeeded, the entire balance of power could be overturned.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is very worried about Lady Aileen.”
“I’m sure he is.”
“He told me to take good care of you.”
“I see.”
“He also scolded you for leaving without telling him.”
“I figured… he would. Haha.”
Embarrassed, I rubbed the back of my head. If I’d told him, he definitely wouldn’t have let me come—but it was true that the leader should know everything.
Niyan, who had been teasing me playfully, suddenly grew serious.
“But he didn’t tell me to drag you back by force. I honestly can’t understand that. How could he be so calm?”
“…”
“He asked me to pass along a message.”
“What is it?”
“He said he’ll come soon, so please wait just a little longer.”
The moment I heard that, I covered my mouth with my hand. Something surged up inside me, and warm tears welled in my eyes.
Raymond trusts me.
That fact made my chest ache.
As I tried to keep the tears from spilling over, Niyan grumbled,
“You two are exactly the same.”
He clicked his tongue, but he didn’t look very upset. If anything, he was wearing a faint smile.
“Anyway, what’s wrong with the Emperor?”
“He’s probably just venting his frustration. Things aren’t going his way.”
“But why on Lady Aileen? When would he ever have a reason to take his anger out on such a frail body?”
Niyan examined my neck again with a distressed look.
“I think it’s because I refused the Empress’s seat.”
“You refused him outright?”
“Yes. Twice.”
“Hah. That’s impressive.”
He scolded me once for being bold while captured in enemy territory, then let out a deep, puzzled sigh.
“…Though, I guess it would make his insides burn up.”
“…?”
He muttered to himself in a small voice about how he could understand the Emperor’s obsession.
Huh? Since when did his stance change? When was he hating him, and now he suddenly understands him?
I tilted my head, puzzled by his unreadable thoughts.
What kind of change of heart had happened inside Niyan after talking with me?
The next day, he made an unexpected move. Deep into the night, he appeared—bringing Raymond with him.
“Ray…mond?”
The strength drained from my hands. The book I’d taken from the shelf tumbled carelessly onto the carpet.
Eyes that held the sea, jet-black hair, a noble figure, and the gentle smile he gave me—it was exactly the man I loved.
This isn’t an illusion I created because I missed Raymond too much, right?
Did I fall asleep without realizing?
I dream about Raymond every day—is this another dream?
Waves of doubt swept through my mind. Even as I looked at him, I couldn’t believe it, and I stood frozen. Then Raymond strode toward me and stopped right in front of me. I reached out and touched his face. If he were an illusion, my hand would’ve passed through him like a ghost—but warmth met my fingertips.
“Aileen.”
At the same time, Raymond’s low voice flowed from his lips, thick with longing and sorrow. In that instant, I threw my arms around him and buried myself deep in his embrace.
“Raymond!!”
His scent filled my lungs and spread through my whole body, and only then did it truly sink in.
It’s not a dream. It’s real.
He really came to see me.
“I’ll come back later. You two spend some time together.”
“Thank you.”
With those words, Niyan teleported away.
We sat side by side on the sofa under the moonlight, holding each other’s hands tightly as if even a little distance would be a disaster.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes.”
“No trouble? Kyle didn’t give you a hard time?”
“Of course not.”
Something awful had happened just today, but I wasn’t going to tell Raymond. If I did, he’d surely draw his sword and storm straight to the Emperor.
Right now, I didn’t want any interruptions. In this space, and in our hearts, heavy with longing, we just wanted to fill each other.
Raymond’s gaze as he looked at me was deep. He leaned closer and pressed his lips to my forehead with enough force to make my head tilt back.
“You left without even telling me. This is your punishment.”
“But the punishment is too sweet.”
“Then I’ll have to punish you more.”
Each time his lips touched me, my forehead trembled three more times. Smiling into each other’s eyes, we embraced and kissed without either of us needing to make the first move.
At that same time.
Despite the late hour, the Emperor summoned Niyan to his office. He needed to contact the Tower Master to prepare for war.
“Can we receive the potions in advance?”
“I will ask the Tower Master.”
“If possible, I’d like to get three months’ worth up front.”
Everything was under the Tower Master’s authority, so Niyan merely relayed messages. Rather than saying what was or wasn’t possible on his own authority, he simply passed things along. With the ongoing power struggle between the Tower Master and the next Tower Master within the Mage Tower, he believed it was best to conduct himself cautiously until he officially took the position.
The Emperor flipped through several documents, then suddenly stopped.
“Show me the orb.”
“Pardon?”
“Aileen’s orb.”
What instinct had pierced Kyle’s mind?
Normally, he would’ve rushed off to see for himself, but Niyan was right in front of him now. There was a way to check without going, and it would save time.
‘Why of all times…?’
Since Aileen had been taken into the Imperial Palace, the orb had hardly been used. Life inside the palace was predictable anyway, so there was no reason for the Emperor to demand it or for Niyan to operate it.
But today was an exception.
Right now, Raymond was in Aileen’s room.
Caught off guard by the sudden demand, Niyan hesitated. Casting the spell required at least a brief moment.
Did Kyle sense something from his unusually sluggish behavior?
Kyle, who had been holding out his hand, suddenly shot to his feet and bolted out of the office, slamming the door behind him. It wasn’t behavior befitting an emperor of high status, but he sprinted through the palace corridors.
Before long, Aileen’s room came into view. He flung the door open so hard it nearly banged. The Emperor’s urgency echoed loudly in the middle of the night.
“Your Majesty…?”
Aileen lifted her head. She was alone, leaning against the bed.
Kyle looked around the room.
There was no sign or trace of anyone else. He searched every corner thoroughly, but not even an ant could be found.
Only then did the tension that had dyed his heart tight begin to ease. He started to think it had all been a misunderstanding born of anxiety.
“What is it?”
Startled, Aileen rose from the bed. Her wide eyes blinked innocently. Kyle strode over and grabbed her arm.
“Who were you with?”
“What? What do you mean? Who else would be here besides me?”
She answered immediately, her eyes full of bewilderment as she looked up at him.
‘Right. Who could possibly come here.’
Having checked with his own eyes, he had no grounds left to press her. It was only a bad feeling, and he had no evidence to support it.
He had to admit his instincts had been wrong.
“It’s nothing. Then rest.”
After giving Aileen one last look, Kyle turned and left the room. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
‘I must be overwhelmed lately. I need to rest.’
He retraced his steps back the way he came.
“I’ll come again soon, Aileen.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Our intertwined fingertips parted with reluctance.
After filling ourselves with each other’s warmth and scent, it was time to part again. Though our bodies separated, we confirmed that our hearts were the same, strengthening our trust in one another.
This short meeting would give us the strength to endure the time that remained. That was enough.
Raymond climbed down along a tree and moved to the location he had arranged with Niyan. Just in case, they had agreed to wait somewhere else.
And about five minutes after Raymond left—
Kyle suddenly burst through the door. He arrived just a step too late, and thanks to that, Raymond escaped safely.
How could someone have such sharp instincts?
Having lived his whole life under the pressure of the former Emperor, it seemed his senses had developed unusually keenly.
“Phew…”
Only after he left could I finally let out a sigh of relief.
