“Episode 5”
Last night, as I opened the carriage window, the evening air, tinged with the onset of darkness, brushed against my face. I had been traveling by carriage from the Shato’nil Kingdom to the Lapion Empire for several days and nights. The landscape outside stretched endlessly, signaling our proximity to the Lapion Empire’s citadel. Emperor Lionel’s Guardian, Edpha, I wondered what kind of man he was. Was he as handsome as the Prince of Shato’nil Kingdom, where I used to live? What if I got caught? I hoped no one was too observant. Lost in such thoughts, I suddenly noticed the pointed towers of the Lapion Palace towering in the distance.
“I might be in trouble.”
I swallowed nervously, hands gripping my throat. After a solemn moment of prayer, beseeching protection from any curse the Prince might cast upon me, I closed the carriage window. On the day of departure to the Lapion Empire, despite feeling pressed for time, I carefully retrieved a bag from under the carriage seat. Pulling out a mirror from the bag, I inspected my face and lightly touched the burn scar on my right cheek.
“Is there really a magic potion that can make this disappear?”
According to Martin, the Duke accompanying me, we were to spend the night at a hotel in the Lapion Empire and then head to the palace early the next day. Before going to the hotel tonight, the Prince had decided to visit a clinic run by a magician he had mentioned. I couldn’t easily contain my excitement. About an hour later, the carriage came to a stop. With the sound of knocking, Martin’s voice reached me.
“We’ve arrived. Please disembark.”
Wearing a veil that covered my nose to the tip of my nose, I got off the carriage. But as soon as I stepped out, I was taken aback. I hadn’t expected the clinic building to be so… shabby. But then again, I hadn’t imagined it would be located in such a dingy alley either. The name of the clinic on the signboard was quite puzzling: “Confident Night.” Moreover, there was a rather peculiar illustration on the signboard—a man standing confidently with his legs apart, hands on his waist.
“Is this the right place?”
I pointed to the clinic signboard with my finger, looking at Martin’s sharp face.
“Yes, this is the place mentioned by Prince Tesler.”
“Oh… I see.”
My feet didn’t move readily. As I hesitated in front of the clinic door, Martin added:
“The magician Big is known among the Lapion nobility for his expertise in treating vigor.”
“Vigor?”
Ah, so that’s why the clinic’s name is ‘Confident Night’? I looked up at the signboard again.
“On the surface, yes, but very few people know his true abilities. For example, making a magic potion to remove scars like yours.”
“Then, do most nobles who come here have problems with their vigor?”
“Well, probably. But not everyone buys vigor potions due to functional issues. I’ve heard that people of all ages and genders come here.”
“But most likely, they come because they lack confidence at night, right?”
“Well, statistically speaking, yes. Except for special cases like Lady Zelda.”
Martin nodded in agreement with my words and handed me a small pouch from his pocket.
“What’s this?”
“Show this when you go in, and Big will give you the potion.”
I checked the contents of the small pouch. Inside was a pink diamond, a gem highly valued even in the Shato’nil Kingdom, the largest producer of diamonds.
“Are you not coming in, Your Grace?”
“No, I’ll wait here.”
Martin replied wearily, his whole face expressing exhaustion.
“Why don’t you come in and buy a vigor potion too?”
“…No, I have no issues at all!”
Martin snapped unnecessarily. Didn’t he just say earlier that Big’s vigor potions weren’t only bought by those with functional issues? Leaving Martin behind, I opened the clinic door with a trembling heart. The interior of the clinic was dimly lit, akin to a salon frequented by noble gentlemen, creating an atmosphere of secrecy to protect the privacy of guests who came to purchase vigor potions.
”Looks like we have a visitor? Oh, surprise.”
A man in a black robe with a hood pulled tightly over his head sat in a corner of the waiting room like a ghost.
“How did you come here?”
At that moment, a woman who seemed to be Big’s assistant approached me and asked.
“I came like this.”
I quickly opened the pouch I was holding and showed her the pink diamond.
“Oh, please follow me.”
Whether she had been informed beforehand or not, the assistant promptly led me to the examination room. As soon as I entered the examination room and sat down, it was as if Big, the magician, had been waiting for me, as he immediately handed me the magic potion.
“Go ahead and drink this first.”
I gulped it down in one go. I could feel the potion passing down my throat. A few seconds later, something unbelievable happened.
”Oh, there’s nobody here? Oh, surprise.”
A man in a black robe with a hood pulled tightly over his head sat in a corner of the waiting room like a ghost.
“How did you come here?”
At that moment, a woman who seemed to be Big’s assistant approached me and asked.
“I came like this.”
I quickly opened the pouch I was holding and showed her the pink diamond.
“Oh, please follow me.”
Whether she had been informed beforehand or not, the assistant promptly led me to the examination room. As soon as I entered the examination room and sat down, it was as if Big, the magician, had been waiting for me, as he immediately handed me the magic potion.
“Go ahead and drink this first.”
I gulped it down in one go. I could feel the potion passing down my throat. A few seconds later, something unbelievable happened.
“There, do you also make a cure that can completely heal this scar instead of a potion that temporarily disappears it? I heard there’s such a cure available here.”
“Well, that’s beyond my abilities.”
“I see… Alright then.”
It seemed that the cure for the burn scar mentioned by the Tecler Prince was not something I could request from him. I comforted myself with a sense of disappointment and stepped out of the examination room, taking a seat on the waiting room sofa. But wait, something feels missing?
“Oh, I forgot.”
I put on the veil-adorned hat that I brought out of the examination room without much thought. Although the burn scar had disappeared, I still didn’t want to expose my face to the public eye, especially in a place like the ‘Dignified Night’ clinic. While waiting for the magic potion to take, I noticed a La’Pion Empire newspaper lying on the table. I reached out and picked it up, absentmindedly reading.
“All the empire’s women are curious about the Emperor’s ideal type as he prepares for his marriage. What kind of woman is the Emperor’s ideal type? Will the soon-to-be Empress from the Shartoneel Kingdom match the Emperor’s ideal type?”
How juvenile. If I had a pen, I would have wanted to write a direct response under this article. The likelihood of me marrying the Emperor and being his ideal type is 100%! I continued reading the newspaper article.
“According to a close aide, Secretary-General Linel prefers…”
I read the front page article, but as I turned the page, I grumbled and flipped to the back.
“Why, there’s no next page. Ugh, it’s torn?”
I threw the newspaper onto the table.
“Ugh.”
I felt slightly annoyed as the flow of the article I was reading got interrupted. It’s not like I’m curious about the Emperor’s ideal type.
“Why is a journalist so concerned about the Emperor’s ideal type? There must have been plenty of articles like this already. It would be fresher to write about the ideal type of the future Empress, wouldn’t it?”
“It seems like you already know a lot about the Emperor?”
Somewhere, a voice mixed with laughter could be heard. There was no one in front of me, so where did that sound come from?
“Oh, surprise!”
As I rolled my eyes to the right, a black figure appeared in the diagonally opposite corner. Upon closer inspection, it was the man in the black robe that I saw when I first entered the clinic. Still here? Waiting like me for something to take away?
“Generally, men’s ideal types are obvious. Pretty, good figure, kind. Isn’t it the same for the Emperor? But why are you speaking informally to someone you don’t know?”
“!”
How dare such a grand nobleman speak informally?
“Aren’t you too quick to judge the Emperor’s ideal type? The Emperor probably isn’t an ordinary man, is he?”
The man continued to speak casually.
“It seems like you know a lot about the Emperor?”
“I’m quite close to him. But… did I just speak informally to you?”
The man asked with a tone of disbelief as he looked around.
“Why would I? I don’t know you either. It seems customary to speak informally to strangers in the palace, so I followed suit, but why?”
“Oh, I see. You’re not from around here? Well, it’s understandable. After all, this clinic is famous for its potency treatments even in other regions.”
“I’m not here to purchase a potency treatment, though.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Why do I have to tell you that?”
”….Ridiculous.”
The man retorted, constantly sniffing.
“Isn’t it more believable for me to say that I’m close to the Emperor than to lie about it?”
“…I am actually close.”
The man’s voice sounded growly.
“Oh, really? You’re close? Then what’s the Emperor’s ideal type?”
“That’s not you.”
“…
Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Wow, I’m soon to be engaged to the Emperor of this country, and I can’t even speak up! Fuming with anger, I abruptly stood up from the sofa. How arrogant must he be to not only use informal speech but also make snide remarks? Should I rip off his hood, or…?
“It’s the reserved treatment you booked.”
At that moment, Big’s assistant brought me a pouch made of deer skin.
“Thank you.”
Yeah, let’s just leave. There’s no point in further engaging with such a rude person who uses informal speech from the first meeting. Still feeling unjust, I muttered softly as I walked towards the clinic door, glaring at the man.
“The Emperor should be different from such rude men. Otherwise, it’s just pitiful for the Empress who came from afar. I really hate rudeness…”
“Heh, you speak as if you’re quite close to the Empress. You seem to know the Empress’s ideal type quite well?”
The man, who somehow overheard my soliloquy, asked sarcastically.
“I know. I know it very well.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s not you.”
“!”
“Absolutely not you.”
I shot back with the same words the man had said earlier. It felt satisfying. As I opened the clinic door, I caught a glimpse of the man taking off his robe. I quickly glanced back to check his face. Whoa, what did I just see! Under the hood was a face beyond imagination. I was so shocked that I hastily closed the clinic door and ran out. Even though he… committed the rudeness of using informal speech from the first meeting, he was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. Oh my, my ideal type was right in front of me, and I didn’t even know it!
***
“Do you remember now?” Emperor Rinel asked, crossing his arms as if interrogating.
“Y-Yes… Yesterday, I didn’t recognize you and caused a great offense…”
‘I spoke informally because the Emperor did first.’ Although these words lingered on the tip of my tongue, I couldn’t bring myself to say them.
“Even if I’m not the Emperor’s ideal type, let me ask again. Wasn’t today the first night for the Empress?”
I quickly shook my head.
“No! Your Majesty is exactly my ideal type, and I’m also…”
I cut off my words intentionally, raising a blush to my face. I could easily control this level of blushing, one of the phenomena that arose after receiving burns on my right cheek. Emperor Rinel’s expression softened slightly.
“But let me ask you. I heard before that in the Empress’s country, people freely engage in relationships from the age of 20. Is that true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. They have splendid encounters. Oh, I had a miserable life though. Ahaha.”
I responded with laughter. Even after my debut as a debutante, I remained out of the attention of nobles due to the burn scars. While the speaker was laughing heartily, the Emperor’s expression gradually darkened. He fidgeted intermittently, as if struggling to make a certain expression, but there was no hint of a smile.
“Hmm, whether to consider that fortunate or not…”
His hand moved towards my right cheek. Even though the burn scars wouldn’t be visible to him, I reflexively avoided his hand. Despite my action being clearly presumptuous, he said nothing. A moment of silence passed. Wanting to change this uncomfortable atmosphere, I blurted out whatever came to mind.
“I heard there’s a Duke with a significant age difference from Your Majesty.”
Seeing Emperor Rinel’s complexion darken rapidly, it seemed like not a great choice.
“Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I talked to that guy.”
“Is the Duke far away?”
I didn’t remember seeing anyone resembling a Duke at the wedding.
“He’s in a cold place. Probably won’t even see the Empress. It’d be nice not to meet the troublesome younger brother.”
He was smiling, but his eyes looked sad.
“Even if he’s close, he’s in a place I can’t reach. If I approach, he’ll freeze even more, so I can’t… go to him.”
“Where exactly is he…”
I asked him with astonished eyes.
“Joseph suffered the same curse as me. I can use magic, so I didn’t completely lose my body heat due to the curse sent by the magician, but Joseph was different.”
I wanted to ask what happened to the Duke, but I couldn’t ask so rashly. As I looked at him tentatively, he added another unbelievable statement to me.
“Joseph is now trapped in ice.”
Oh my goodness.
“Are you, by any chance, inside the palace?”
As I cautiously asked, he neither confirmed nor denied it, simply lying back on the bed.
“That’s enough for now. The Empress will have a lot to do from tomorrow.”
It meant not to ask further.
“Yes, Your Majesty…”
Well, what would I do even if I knew the details? I’ll be in the Empress’s place for a while. Despite thinking so, seeing his face tinged with sadness made me feel uneasy.
“And yesterday. I went to the clinic.”
“Oh, yes.”
“I went to buy a magic potion to raise body temperature. Only the close attendants know about the low body temperature curse, so as the Empress suggested, I had no choice but to turn my robe inside out like a criminal.”
As I was about to lie down, he chuckled and spoke.
“Fortunate in misfortune, I suppose.”
I glanced down secretly and replied.
“The Empress already knows, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“The fact that there’s no problem in the place you just glanced at.”
“!”
“Not completely clueless, are you?”
