Chapter 21
“Is that so? I’ve known that child for a long time, but it’s still hard to understand his thoughts. He suddenly headed to the Imperial Palace…”
“Are you just going to leave him be?”
“What can I do with his nature? Let him do as he pleases. You know well enough that even if we wanted to do something, we can’t.”
“That’s true.”
Latryne had always been obedient and considerate, never causing trouble for others.
Because of that, there was no reason to think Latryne had some ulterior motive for heading to the Imperial Palace.
He probably just didn’t want to stay at home, where the memory of losing Erias lingered, and chose to go to the capital instead.
“But still, there’s no harm in keeping an eye on things. Ivan, would you mind keeping watch over what my grandson is doing in the Imperial Palace?”
Though the order came unexpectedly, Ivan replied without hesitation.
“Understood.”
“Oh, and could you also look into that commander? Something about it has been bothering me.”
“Leave it to me.”
As soon as the conversation ended, Ivan left the room.
Left alone in the study, Cater smiled faintly.
Meanwhile, on the same day Litya had punished Karen, Latryne was getting dressed to head to the Imperial Palace.
The doctor had told him to rest for a while, but he had too much to do and couldn’t afford it.
Leaving the sleeping Sertien in the care of a nanny he had hired from the capital, Latryne headed straight for the palace.
“Grand Duke…? I heard you were badly injured… Is it alright for you to be moving around like this?”
As soon as Latryne arrived at the Imperial Palace, a bureaucrat approached and spoke to him.
Latryne had expected that someone would come up to him like this.
He answered smoothly.
“The doctor did recommend rest… But with foreign relations coming up soon and so much work left, I couldn’t just sit idle.”
“I’m worried you might worsen your condition.”
“…”
Latryne replied briefly and continued on his way to his office.
There was indeed a lot of work, and his body wasn’t in good condition, so he didn’t have the energy to deal with people.
But the official kept following him, trying to get on the good side of Latryne, who held significant power in the palace.
‘Even though I’m nothing but an empty shell…’
Unaware of Latryne’s thoughts, the official continued speaking.
“You left the palace suddenly without a word… How long has it been now?”
“…Four years.”
“Ah, yes, that’s right. It’s been a long time. We were quite surprised when you returned so suddenly. But of course, it’s always a pleasure to have the Grand Duke back in the palace.”
“Thank you for your warm welcome.”
Latryne, looking slightly troubled at the mention of four years ago, gave a polite response.
The official, oblivious to the fact that he was annoying Latryne, kept talking.
“I also heard that you were isolated in the mountains with Commander Litya recently. So, did you two get to talk? After all, she’s been recommended as a potential marriage partner.”
“…”
Already feeling unwell, Latryne’s patience was wearing thin.
Even though Latryne was known for being calm, this constant irritation was pushing him to the edge.
Just as Latryne was about to say something, a third person appeared, interrupting their conversation.
“Latryne? What are you doing here when you should be resting?”
“Your Majesty.”
“Oh… Your Majesty…”
It was Phaedris, who had just returned from sword training, slightly sweaty and still in his training uniform.
Surprised by Phaedris’ sudden appearance, both Latryne and the official hurriedly bowed.
Phaedris glanced at both of them and seemed to understand the situation right away.
“I can already guess what’s going on. Latryne, you’ve ignored the doctor’s advice and come to work at the palace, and you’ve been bothered by this official, right?”
Flustered, the official stammered.
“N-no, Your Majesty. I was just worried about the Grand Duke…”
“Is that how you show your concern, by pestering him? If that’s what you call caring, I don’t know what to say… But since Latryne looks exhausted, I suggest you leave him alone now.”
Embarrassed, the young official quickly stepped back.
Latryne, feeling relieved, was about to thank Phaedris.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll be on my way now…”
“What are you talking about? I came looking for you because I have business with you. You’re coming with me.”
Latryne looked at Phaedris, trying to read his expression, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
Phaedris gave Latryne nothing but a warm, sunshine-like smile.
After sending the maid away, I carefully checked that no one was around before sneaking back to the room where I had been resting.
I was trying to avoid running into anyone, knowing they would make a fuss about why I wasn’t resting as I should be.
Fortunately, the place was mostly empty, and I was eager to get back to my room quickly. But just after a little movement, I could feel my body aching slightly.
‘I really need to rest soon… Wait, who’s that…’
As I was almost at my room, I noticed someone coming out of the room I had been staying in.
Recognizing the familiar figure, I thought to myself.
It seemed like they had come to visit out of concern for me. I wondered if I should make a run for it.
But before I could do anything, our eyes met.
“Litya!”
“P-Princess…”
The person I had called ‘Princess’ smiled brightly upon seeing me and ran straight towards me.
‘Wait, if you run at me like that, I won’t be able to catch you…’
But the princess didn’t stop, and she threw herself into my arms, causing us both to fall over.
“I’m sorry, Litya. When I saw you, I was just so relieved that you were safe.”
“It’s fine.”
I answered from where I was lying in bed.
Princess Ailin had scolded me for being outside, telling me to lie down and rest immediately.
The beautiful woman in front of me was the original protagonist of this novel, Ailin Lan.
As expected of a protagonist, she was strikingly beautiful.
She had a kind and gentle appearance, with soft, light brown hair and warm eyes.
She had the vibe of someone who could be called a ‘sunshine character,’ with an appearance that made anyone think she was royalty.
However, Ailin wasn’t technically a princess of this kingdom.
Ailin was the princess of a kingdom that had fallen long ago.
Before her homeland was destroyed, Ailin had been sent to this empire as a hostage when she was very young.
Her country eventually collapsed and was absorbed by this empire, leaving Ailin with nowhere to go, forcing her to live in the imperial palace under difficult circumstances.
Later, she and the male lead of the story, Emperor Phaedris, fell in love, eventually getting married and going through various trials together. That was the plot of the original novel.
Sometimes, when I looked at Ailin, I wondered what it would have been like if I had been reincarnated as her instead of Litya.
I preferred being Litya, but since Ailin was the main character and her life eventually turned out well, I couldn’t help but think that being her wouldn’t have been so bad either.
“Do you know how worried I was when I heard what happened? I was terrified that something bad had happened to you. I was relieved to hear you were safe, but then I found out you were still going out and moving around while sick.”
Ailin genuinely seemed to have been concerned that I might have been seriously hurt.
Like Phaedris, Ailin cared for me deeply.
Just a year ago, Ailin hadn’t been treated well in the palace.
Although she had fallen in love with Phaedris, there was a noblewoman, one of the story’s minor antagonists, who wanted the Empress’s seat and had caused Ailin quite a bit of trouble.
Back then, I had helped Ailin out without much thought, and ever since, Ailin has shown me immense trust and gratitude.
After that incident, Ailin became Phaedris’s official fiancée, and by now, she had secured her position in the palace with a relatively high status.
She was also set to marry Phaedris in the near future.
According to the plot of the story, their marriage would proceed without any major issues.
‘The problem comes after that…’
Without realizing it, I found myself thinking of Latryne’s face, which had become so familiar. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Ailin spoke to me again.
“Don’t disappear on me, okay? If you’re not here, I won’t be able to survive in this palace.”
Ailin leaned slightly on me, her soft, light brown hair spilling over me as she spoke.
“Of course. How could I leave you, Princess?”
I said it lightly, but in truth, I knew that Ailin would be fine even without me.
According to the original storyline, Ailin was destined to marry Fadeiris and live happily, even without my help.
Though I hadn’t meant to, thinking about the plot made me feel uneasy.
Was Latrine really going to die like in the original story?
For Latryne to die, he would first have to betray Phaedris.
But after talking with Latryne, I couldn’t imagine him doing something like that.
Maybe I was just thinking too kindly of Latryne.
As if reading my thoughts, Ailin suddenly brought up Latryne.
“By the way, I heard you helped His Grace the Grand Duke a lot recently. I’ve heard all about it.”
At some point, Ailin had sat in the chair beside my bed.
I scratched my head slightly and responded.
“No, if anything, it was His Grace who helped me. We got caught up in something by chance, and things just ended up like this. I owe him a lot.”
It was just a casual, polite answer, but Ailin gave me a curious look.
