“If Lord Sigress is to be punished, Princess Shryden must also be punished. I don’t want to do that.”
It was the same for both of them, who tried to take off their clothes because of something that seemed like witchcraft.
“That’s not allowed.”
Lescal furrowed his brows. He took Lasilia’s hand and shook his head.
“He pointed a knife at you. This is unacceptable.”
“It wasn’t done out of will, was it? They were just struck by a force unknown to both of us.”
“What if it happens again?”
“Then wouldn’t it be better for someone who has experienced it once?”
“…”
Lescal’s eyebrows narrowed further. Lasilia took her hand away from him. The blue moon has passed, but the Emperor still tried to hold her hand whenever he got the chance. He might have considered it natural for himself, but not for Lasilia. She was still worried. The Emperor’s Hand, that being.
“Besides, those two people probably didn’t have the intention to harm me, so the power similar to witchcraft may not have worked until the end.”
She couldn’t put it into words, but it felt that way for some reason. Both of them seemed to believe that they were doing it for their own benefit. He thought that only by measuring his measurements could he make the right clothes, and that he would like them only if he made the right clothes. In particular, Yvette was released from the witchcraft-like spell when she said she no longer needed my attention. The reason Serven dropped his sword may be similar. Believing that Serven would not harm him, he strengthened his voice and it returned to normal.
“If you don’t know who might do the same thing in the future, it’s better to have people you already know around.”
Lescal looked at his hand that Lasilia had placed. The veins on the back of her hand bulged.
“You would forgive them so easily?”
“There is nothing to forgive. Neither of them harbored any ill will.”
“…I can’t do that.”
Lescal spoke as if chewing something and spitting it out.
“I cannot accept this. That something like that happened to you, and that it was Serven and no one else who made it happen. That’s mine.”
“It’s okay, Your Majesty.”
Lasilia placed her hand on the back of Lescal’s hand with a light sigh. She tried to avoid contact with the Emperor, but she found that easier said than done. When that expressionless face was crumpled, it looked very painful.
‘I was such a soft person… Dell’Arta had no idea.’
Lescal raised his gaze and looked at Lasilia. The expression on his face at this moment was painful. She wondered what he was thinking because it seemed like he could get his hands on it.
“It was okay because they were the two of us who were together while this happened, and that will continue to be the case. There is no need for punishment.”
“I am… What do you want me to do?”
“Please forgive them both. I believe you will take care of everything else without me having to tell you.”
It had to be revealed who did this. That was something the Emperor had to do.
“What if it’s hard to forgive?”
“Please forgive them for my sake.”
“…Strange.”
Lescal let out a silent sigh and leaned his forehead against Lasilia’s shoulder. For some reason, she felt like he would do something like this. When emotional agitation occurred, the Emperor seemed to instinctively seek a companion.
“I know you are right. But I really hate admitting that now. I don’t know what this feeling is.”
“Well… I don’t know either.”
“Can I treat this as a favor too? Because I have to force myself to do something I don’t like.”
“…”
Did he know that the one he was asking for forgiveness from was the Emperor’s shadow knight?
“…Then do it.”
Still, Lasilia decided to give in. Because it seemed too superficial to not do even this much. Looking over her Emperor’s shoulder, she saw Ryan exhaling heavily in relief. Lescal still rested his forehead on Lasilia’s shoulder and touched her hand, which Lasilia had taken first.
“This is not the price of a favor. Because you asked fir it first. I can hold your hand one more time next time.”
“I know.”
If he didn’t say things like this, the Emperor might look more like an Emperor. But somewhere in her heart she knew. Every time he behaved this outrageously, she found herself retreating a little further.
“Now,”
It was the moment she was about to ask him to let go of her hand.
“Beep!”
Pop!
The closed door opened and Pipi flew in.
* * *
“Beep! This person!”
Pipi was some distance away when news came that something bad had happened to Lasilia.
“Beep! beep!”
Pipi had been following Deccan for the past few days to get revenge on him, but to do so, he had no choice but to move away from the imperial palace.
“Beep. Hey.”
Pipi kept rubbing Lasilia’s cheek with his little head.
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt.”
Lasilia picked her words carefully, making sure not to give any indication that she understood what Pipi was saying.
“You’re worried. So nice.”
“Beep!”
Pipi suddenly turned his head, flew in front of Lescal, and pecked the back of his hand. What he meant was, unlike himself, what on earth did he do while he was in the imperial palace?
“That’s what I’m going to say.”
Lescal grabbed Pipi by the scruff of the neck. Pipi lifted his body and flapped his wings.
“There is only one thing for you to do. Protecting my companion. What were you doing?”
“Beep!”
An excuse was heard that there was no choice in order to take revenge on Deccan.
“Ha. Even if you grew up less, you should have known what’s important.”
“Beep!”
His temper was telling her not to say she knew everything.
Lescal dropped the squealing Pipi on the bed.
“If you’re going to act like a stupid pet bird, go back to your egg and go to sleep. I trust you won’t let down your guard.”
“Beep! beep!”
Pipi stood up and said, “Isn’t it the same as you who didn’t stay by her side?”
Even Lescal had nothing to say there. Lescal, who had turned his head for a moment, said this.
“I guess I’ll have to move back to the next room. No matter how angry you are with me, I have to stay by your side.”
“Beep!”
Pipi said that he would protect her from now on and there would be no need for him, but Lescal did not even listen to what he said.
“Go and tell Persson. From now on, I will be using the room next to the Empress.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ryan suddenly disappeared. An order was an order, but he probably wanted to tell Serven that he had avoided punishment.
“Beep.”
Pipi grunted and rubbed his head against Lasilia. He said she would never be apart again.
“Beep? Beep!”
But he said he forgot to avenge less. Deccan also asked to be brought to the imperial palace. Lescal glared at the bird, which was smaller than the palm of his hand, as if he were astonished.
“Deccan has work to do.”
“Beep!”
“We have to find out who is behind today’s events.”
“Beep!”
He said it was up to you to figure it out. He sarcastically asked, “What is the use of the emperor’s coffin if you rely on just one person?”
“Don’t pretend to know what a coffin is when you’re new. Because it’s not funny.”
Between the two, La Cilia was straining her jaw muscles trying to hold back her laughter.
The two of them fighting was very similar to the one in the dream, but since there was no typhoon or sparks flying or anything like that, she tried to make herself laugh.
‘They both do the same thing.’
Since she cut out her heart and made it, it would have to be the same. Suddenly a thought occurred to her.
‘Ah, then… Is that person the same as Pipi?’
Were the feelings of liking, worrying, caring, and foolishly begging for someone to like you more actually be the same? Just because the blue moon disappears, isn’t this an instinct that will disappear along with it?
“…”
A sense of guilt mingled with his gaze as he looked at the emperor who was chatting with Pipi.
‘Then that person is focusing on the wrong person right now.’
Why was that so sorry and heartbreaking? A day later, Deccan arrived at the imperial palace.
* * *
Deccan’s face had scars all over it. Lasilia unconsciously looked at Pipi. Pipi nodded smugly, and then she suddenly flew over and pecked the top of Deccan’s head.
“Pipi!”
As Rassilia shouted, Pipi turned around and cried sharply.
“Beep!”
It meant not to stop him. Deccan seemed to have given up and answered with a sigh, wiping the blood flowing down his forehead.
“It’s okay. I can endure this much.”
Deccan has already been punished. Since he was the only shaman in the empire, he could not completely give up his Silver Shield job, but he was given a six-month pay cut and demoted one rank. Still, he was generous. Serven received a one-year pay cut. Of course, he became the lowest knight of the Royal Guard. Therefore, Ryan was in the position of having to feed Serven for a year, and surprisingly, he seemed happy. According to Ryan, he could pass on all the household chores and chores to Serven in return. So, three employees working at the mansion were also fired.
“I think it was enough for me to suffer that much. Pipi, come back. Stop bothering him.”
“Beep…”
Pipi returned with a grunt and sat on Lasilia’s shoulder. When she viciously pecked someone else’s face, Lasilia pretended to be cute by rubbing her head.
“Is your cold getting better?”
Deccan asked, lowering his head. He looked very sorry.
“Beep!”
The person who gave Pipi the bottle scolded him not to pretend to give him medicine.
“Pipi.”
Lasilia, who was worried that Pipi would fly away to harass Deccan again, hugged Pipi and stroked it.
“It has improved a lot. I heard you had something to say to me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Deccan visited Lasilia before reporting to Lescal. As he investigated the imperial tailor, he noticed something strange, and he wanted to hear about Lasilia’s experience.
“What exact symptoms did the first maid of the empress’ palace and Lord Sigress exhibit?”
“Her eyes were bloodshot. But she didn’t lose Izzy. She seemed to have lost her way of thinking. As if she couldn’t do anything else.”
“That sounds like what those two people said. She said that the moment the imperial tailor told her that she must take measurements to make Her Majesty’s clothes, she knew she had to.”
“I kept saying the same thing over and over again. Like people whose only goal is that.”
“Okay… I think he used the power to control thoughts. However, the imperial tailor was an ordinary human being. Seeing as my body couldn’t withstand the reaction, I think someone must have temporarily injected that power into the tailor.”
“It’s that kind of power, but it’s not witchcraft?”
“Yes. No trace of witchcraft was ever found. And as far as I know, there is no magic that has that kind of power.”
“If it’s not witchcraft… What about divine power?”
“Holy power is simpler than magic. It’s all about healing, restoration, and conveying the word of God. You can’t control people’s thoughts.”
“If it weren’t for divine power, there would be nothing but magic… ”
But that couldn’t be the answer either. In order to use magic, a magic circle was needed. A harness was needed to draw the magic circle, and there had to be a wizard who had been handling them for a long time. An ordinary person who had lived steadily as an imperial tailor for decades could not suddenly use magic.
“Yes. First of all, magic works on things. There is no magic that can penetrate directly into the human mind. The only thing that has a similar effect is hallucination magic, but neither of them had any hallucinations.”
“Then it’s a power we don’t know about.”
Deccan nodded.
“Yes. So there was only one conclusion.”
“What is that?”
“I think it might be ancient magic. It doesn’t exist now.”
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on December, 3.
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