119. The Promise We Made

I expected to be hidden away in some obscure part of the palace, but to my surprise, the room I was led to was bright and sunny. The servant guided me to one of the most central and lavish rooms in the palace.

When the door opened, I saw a maid arranging the bed. Her hands were meticulous as she pulled the covers.

Strands of hair peeked out from under her headscarf. The hair, white as snow, flowed down the curve of her forehead and fluttered with each movement.

“Suren?”

I softly called the familiar name. Though I muttered it to myself, the woman quickly turned to face me.

“Young Lady!”

Suren covered her mouth in astonishment.

She had mentioned she was working as a maid in the palace. Her appearance had changed so much I almost didn’t recognize her. The old, worn clothes she used to wear were now replaced with a refined and elegant dress.

Her hair seemed a bit longer too. Suren ran towards me and threw herself into my arms. Her silver hair fluttered before my eyes.

I staggered slightly as I hugged her, steadying myself. The warmth of her embrace was comforting.

“Young Lady, what on earth happened… I heard rumors but thought it must be a joke. Are you alright? Are you really alive?”

She touched my shoulders, waist, and arms, as if to confirm that I was truly alive.

Her hands, which had been exploring my body, soon moved to my hair.

“What’s with this hair color? I wouldn’t have recognized you if we’d met on the street.”

Suren lifted a strand of my hair into her hand. It was as black as the night, just like Deon’s.

Although it wasn’t quite the same as his midnight hair, it was dark enough that you couldn’t tell the difference in the shadows.

“Your hair has gotten quite damaged.”

Suren muttered in a distressed tone. She had always taken care of my hair. She would painstakingly groom it every day, only for it to get tangled and rough from the cold winds immediately.

She gently touched the brittle ends of my hair. The multiple dye jobs had left it stiff and straw-like.

“Too much dye, I suppose.”

Though I was overjoyed to see her, there was a question I had been wanting to ask since I arrived. I gently pulled away and asked.

“But how did you end up here? As a maid?”

“His Majesty brought me here. Right after you disappeared, all the maids who were with us at the villa were summoned to the palace.”

Thank goodness. From the head butler to Suren, all the people from the villa had been brought to the palace.

“I’m glad he didn’t forget about you. I was worried you’d be left behind in the villa without any support.”

“Yes, thanks to His Majesty’s care, I made it to the palace. He’s a rare kind of master. It’s a good thing I learned the palace etiquette beforehand.”

“…Really?”

Her tone was strange. I stared at Suren, who was defending Deon, and she avoided my gaze.

“I’m tired. Can I take a bath?”

It was late. After enduring the gritty dinner with Deon, night had already fallen.

At my words, Suren jumped to her feet.

“Shall I prepare the water for you?”

“No, I’ll go myself.”

Next to the large room was a beautifully carved ivory door. I got up from the bed and walked towards it, with Suren following closely behind.

I reached out towards the door, but Suren quickly grabbed my hand.

“It’s best not to open that door. I think.”

Suren gripped my hand tightly, preventing me from turning the handle.

“Why?”

“I’ll show you to the bathroom. It’s outside.”

“Then what is this door for?”

The door was excessively ornate.

It didn’t seem like an ordinary storage room. The door wasn’t plain enough to be neglected. It was over two meters tall. Pointing at it, I waited as Suren looked away.

What could it possibly be? My persistent stare made her finally reveal the truth.

“This… This is the Empress’s palace. The adjacent room is the Emperor’s palace. This door connects to His Majesty’s bedroom.”

Suren’s voice lowered to a whisper.

“What?”

I quickly let go of the doorknob.

No wonder. He guided me here so easily. There was no way his watchful eyes would lessen just because I was inside the palace. He intended to keep an eye on me, always.

“Suren, didn’t you dislike Deon? I thought you shared my feelings.”

Suren’s attitude had changed. The Suren I knew would have been furious about being assigned to such an obviously surveilled room.

As I looked at her suspiciously, she flinched and avoided my gaze.

Had she succumbed to the power? You could dislike a duke and simply move to another house, but it’s not easy to openly express disdain when dealing with an emperor. However, Suren hesitated, unable to give a definitive answer.

“Yes, I did. But… after hearing about the circumstances from the Prince’s residence, it’s hard to hate him.”

I narrowed my eyes at Suren.

“This is all suspicious. This room, and you. I thought you’d be assigned to the side of that woman who’s supposed to be the next Empress.”

“She’s not an Empress. She’s a foster daughter placed here by a noble.”

“That woman?”

“Yes. She’s not someone who needs my help, so don’t worry.”

Her firm response left me no choice but to sit back down on the bed and speak to Suren.

“Then could you bring me some water?”

“Of course.”

She nodded and left the room.

Taking advantage of the quiet, I slowly looked around the room. The canopy of the bed reached the ceiling.

The bed was surrounded by large red curtains. The tassels on the canopy swayed gently with the breeze.

For a prison, this was overly luxurious.

I touched the fluttering tassels, feeling their soft texture in my hand.

As I explored the room, the door suddenly opened. I raised my tired body.

It wasn’t Suren who entered but Deon. Behind him were a maid and the royal physician.

Deon had his hair neatly combed back, highlighting the furrows on his frowning forehead. His displeasure was etched deeply in his face.

Suren, seeing the chilly atmosphere between us, wisely slipped out behind the royal physician.

“Give me your hand.”

Deon took the ointment from the physician and pulled my hand, which had gripped his sword, towards his chest.

He gently applied the ointment to my palm. The sting made me flinch, but he firmly straightened my fingers and continued.

After applying the ointment, Deon wrapped a thin bandage around my hand. He wound the bandage tightly and finished with a neat knot.

His bandaging skills were impeccable, reflecting his experience on the battlefield. The royal physician, standing at a distance, looked embarrassed by Deon’s proficiency.

The physician, who had been handing over the supplies from his medical bag, awkwardly watched before handing over the final piece of tape and quietly exiting the room.

“I’m glad you’re alive.”

As he released my hand, he spoke softly.

“…I kept thinking I failed to protect you.”

“And yet, you pointed a sword at me?”

“It was a ceremonial sword used for knighting. Only the tip was sharp. You just happened to grab the sharp part.”

Although he had finished wrapping my hand, Deon still did not let go. Something seemed to be bothering him.

“Where have you been all this time? I don’t believe Edan’s claim that he was hiding you the entire time.”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I just kept running and ended up far from the capital.”

“Leonie.”

He reached out towards me.

I closed my eyes tightly. But instead of the expected blow, I felt nothing but warmth.

Deon bent down and pulled me into a hug. His hot breath brushed against the nape of my neck. I could feel his heart racing against my body.

He didn’t stop there. He nuzzled my neck as if he were about to drink my blood, but he didn’t bite or act roughly.

In the past, when he bit me, it was more to intimidate than to drink blood, but this was different.

It was as if he was afraid that holding me too tightly would crush me. I felt like a small, soft tofu in his embrace.

His demeanor towards me had subtly changed. Each exhaled breath tickled my neck.

After casting me aside before, now he was acting like this.

I pushed him away. Deon yielded easily to my touch, releasing his hold on my waist.

His eyes looked hollow as he stared at me. The dark circles under his eyes were stark against his pale, white skin.

“I should have hidden more thoroughly and never been found.”

At my words, Deon’s blue eyes trembled.

His expression cracked slightly, as if he had been wounded. Seeing his hurt face gave me a bitter satisfaction.

“Your Majesty, if I am such a burden, I will leave. I will go far away from the empire, where you will never see me again.”

I offered to live a quiet life far from the empire. But my words only made Deon’s expression twist further.

“That won’t do.”

He placed his hand on my shoulder, but he didn’t grip it firmly. His hand remained limp.

“Even if I leave, nothing will change. Other nobles will just think a country noblewoman who disappeared during a banquet has returned. No one will find it odd if I leave the empire quietly.”

“Even so, it won’t do.”

“Why not? Is there any reason for me to stay here?”

He seemed to want to answer but bit his lip instead.

“Give me a convincing reason. Do you want me to stay in the palace, feeling uncomfortable?”

As I pressed him, he finally spoke, though hesitantly.

“You haven’t kept the promise you made to me. I’ve kept all the promises I made to you.”

“What promise?”

“You told me to become the emperor.”