***
Serdin overheard the palace maids gossiping that the Empress, believed to be dead, had returned to the palace.
Moreover, he even caught a glimpse of the Emperor, the Empress, and Violyana together in the distance.
It was the image of a picture-perfect family.
“Everything seems flawless.”
There was no place for him there.
Seeing the Empress return and the family now complete, he realized how absurd his plans had been from the start — they were nothing but a futile dream.
There could be no gap in such a perfect family.
From the beginning, no matter how hard Serdin tried, there was never any room for the princess to turn her gaze towards him.
Realizing this, Serdin felt lost.
Once again, he was engulfed by a sense of aimlessness.
Wandering in confusion, he locked himself in his room.
He felt completely alone.
Then, he heard news that the King of Soren had arrived.
But the king’s behavior was the exact opposite of what he expected.
Though he sensed he was up to something, he knew he couldn’t act recklessly.
If anything he said caused trouble in Ilnord.
It would mean betraying his own country.
‘I must pretend to know nothing and remain silent.’
Serdin clenched his fists tightly, holding back his emotions.
When he heard that the King of Soren wanted to take the Empress with him,
“I couldn’t just stay still anymore.”
His body moved before his mind could process it.
Serdin, having run out impulsively, soon lost his way.
He was unsure whom he could confide in about this.
‘Is there anyone here who would believe me…?’
At that moment, he thought of Violyana.
He felt certain that Violyana would believe him, even without evidence.
With that belief, he approached her.
That’s why he came here.
“…What is this?”
As soon as he entered the princess’s bedroom, Serdin mumbled, dumbfounded by the sight before him.
“What do you think? If you even think of harming our princess, this being will bite you first.”
The dog, which had always shown hostility whenever it saw Serdin, had transformed into a human and was glaring at him.
“…A beastman?”
“Yes.”
“You knew?”
“Of course.”
“Then how could you trust it enough to keep it by your side?”
“…What?”
“It’s fine to be fond of a loyal dog, but that’s a person! How can you be sure it’s truly loyal to you and not deceiving you?”
“Look who’s talking!”
Irritated by Serdin’s concerns, Hiel rushed toward him.
“Hiel. Stop.”
“But they’re talking nonsense! And it’s exactly the kind of worry I have!”
“Then stop hovering around the princess if you’re going to keep doing that. It’s annoying!”
“If you two are going to keep arguing, go outside and settle it.”
The conversation was on the verge of turning into a fight.
“Or both of you just stay quiet.”
With her arms crossed and a stern look, Violyana warned the two.
Finally, Hiel backed down after grumbling and returned to his place.
“Serdin, relax.”
“…….”
Serdin, who had been staring daggers at Hiel, averted his gaze.
“There’s something more important right now. Serdin, explain what you said in the hallway in detail.”
Only then did Serdin manage to set aside his recent revelations and continue the conversation seriously.
“I don’t know what the King of Soren’s true purpose is. But I’m certain of one thing.”
It was precisely this certainty that had driven Serdin to act.
“If they’re returning to the kingdom, the Empress will be in danger.”
“……..”
“We need to convince the Empress to say she won’t leave.”
The King of Soren can’t stay here forever. If Blueny says she won’t leave, he’ll have no choice but to return alone.
“But how can we persuade her?”
“Dad has to be the one to hold her back.”
Although Jayren had made his intentions to take Blueny back clear, she hadn’t yet made her decision.
Therefore, it seemed the best course was for Delight to persuade Blueny to stay with him.
***
‘That makes this dinner gathering all the more important.’
I was clutching my fork tightly, observing the people sitting in front of me with a determined gaze.
At the dinner, Delight, Blueny, and Jayren were all present.
It was a gathering meant for open, honest conversation and to mend old ties.
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s consideration, I was able to slowly reconnect with my sister.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Even without memories, it’s still enjoyable to converse with my sister.”
Just like at their first meeting, Jayren was creating a warm, friendly atmosphere with Blueny.
He expressed the joy and closeness of their sibling bond, while Blueny responded with a gentle nod and smile.
‘So it’s all an act.’
Even knowing this, I had to admit it was so natural that it was almost impressive.
Yet, if that display was genuine, and if Delight truly cared for the Empress as I suspected…
Then bringing Blueny here must be a sign of Delight’s sincere feelings.
And I wanted to protect those feelings as well.
But why was the atmosphere between the two so strained?
The only one smiling comfortably was Jayren.
“My sister seems at ease, and it looks like she’s made up her mind.”
Huh? She’s already decided?
She could take more time to think!
Despite my hopes, when Jayren gave her a subtle look, Blueny opened her mouth to speak.
“I’ve decided to go with my brother back to the kingdom.”
I knew something was off about the atmosphere.
This isn’t right. Delight, what are you doing?
Hurry up and tell her you don’t want her to leave!
“Do as you wish.”
Delight simply respected her decision without adding anything further.
What’s going on?
How did things turn out like this?
Why did she decide so quickly, in just a day?
And judging by Delight’s reaction, it seemed he had expected this.
…It’s over. Solving this won’t be easy now.
“We need to have a meeting.”
As soon as dinner was over, Serdin, Hiel, and I gathered closely again to brainstorm.
“At this rate, the Empress will leave for the kingdom.”
“We need to find a way to stop her.”
The problem was that no solution came to mind.
A silence fell over us for a while.
“I’m going to step outside for a bit,”
Hiel spoke first.
“I’ll go find out more about the Kingdom of Soren. Perhaps if I uncover their true motives for being here, we’ll find a way.”
“Also, see if you can learn more about the Empress’s past.”
By investigating the past, they might discover something behind the rumors of the siblings’ close bond.
“Yes, I’ll handle that as well. I’ll head out today and be back by tomorrow night.”
“Okay. I’m counting on you.”
“I’ll try to gauge what the King of Soren is planning.”
Serdin spoke up with determination.
“If I approach him and claim I have a message from the Ilnord imperial family, that might work.”
“…Isn’t that a bit risky?”
“Even if I look like this, I am a prince of Ilnord. It should be fine.”
“Be cautious. Don’t do anything suspicious.”
“I’ll be as careful as you’re worried.”
Serdin made a strange promise, but it seemed he was set on being cautious, so it should be alright.
“I’ll work on convincing my dad. He’s the only one who can stop the Empress from leaving.”
Even though Blueny had made up her mind to leave, there was still room for changes until she actually walked out of the palace gates.
For that shift to happen, Delight’s actions were crucial.
Even if it meant pulling out every strand of hair, she was determined to persuade Delight.
With this resolution, today’s meeting was concluded.
***
Radon was staying at Hiel’s house.
Until recently, he had been bedridden, but he had finally recovered enough to move around a little.
“Now you finally look somewhat human.”
The moment Hiel returned after being away for several days, he couldn’t resist a snide comment.
Radon felt a surge of anger but held it back, remembering he owed Hiel for his kindness.
“Thank you. I won’t need your help anymore, so I’ll be on my way.”
“Of course. If you have any sense of decency, you wouldn’t plan to keep relying on me.”
“I never intended to!”
“But pay back the favor before you go, won’t you? You do have some honor, right?”
Each word from Hiel struck Radon like a sharp knife.
“Of course. As if it’s such a big deal! I’ll repay you double!”
“Remember that.”
Hiel made it clear that he intended to get his full share.
“What… what’s that supposed to mean?”
Radon shivered as Hiel’s sinister smile sent chills down his spine.
“There are quite a few things I want to hear from you.”
Hiel took a step closer.
Sensing danger, Radon instinctively began to step back.
Boom!
A heavy impact sound echoed from outside, and suddenly, Hiel’s house was under attack.
What was happening?
Though he tried to fight back, the unexpected situation left him helpless.
“I knew something would turn up if I searched,”
The person barging into Hiel’s house was none other than Delight.
