The Confrontation
“Ah…”
‘He said El was being threatened to bring the descendant quickly.’
“What a strange threat. Descendant? Does the aide have a secret about his birth? Or does ‘descendant’ in this context mean some object—Ah, Ambassador!”
Eric couldn’t continue speaking as he had to help Riella up from her slumped to the floor.
“Are you okay? Your face looks pale. Should I call a doctor?”
“Oh, I’m okay. Just give me a moment to think about it…”
Riella waved Eric out of the room and sat back down at her desk.
She slipped her hand into the nape of her neck and pulled out the necklace she’d been wearing.
Ever since Herhan left on his business trip, this thing has been as red as a flame that never goes out.
‘El. Are you really targeting His Majesty? Are you looking for Enril’s descendants? Are you trying to bring His Majesty down with this?’
Considering that El was the owner of that necklace and his attitude toward Herhan, it was certain that he already knew Herhan’s true identity.
‘But if that’s the case, why hasn’t he done anything yet?’
El didn’t attack at all. Rather, he was so distressed that he ran out of the palace and went into hiding.
‘It may be proof that he is hesitant. But what’s the point of that?’
‘There’s no time for being weak.’
Riella clutched the necklace tightly.
Suddenly, she could see traces of him everywhere in the room. The books she’d studied with him. His desk. Memories of the times she’d accidentally spilled ink on it and gotten in trouble.
‘If you are the least bit of a threat to His Majesty, I have no choice but to strike you. I’m sorry, Sir El.’
Riella got up from her seat with her eyes tightly shut.
* * *
“Lou! Where are you, Lou?”
“Ah. Miss Riella.”
Riella went straight back to the lake palace’s inner room and called for Lou, but this time again, it was Loriell who came out instead of Lou.
“Where’s Lu?”
“She took a nap. Hehe. I guess she’s still growing, so she’s trying to grow taller or something. Anyway, what’s going on?”
“I’m going to get ready to go out.”
“Well, let me help you with that.”
Loriell approached with a bright smile on her face.
She nodded readily at Riella’s request to bring out some clothes for the outing and brought back a light, short-sleeved garment to help her dress.
“His Majesty will be arriving soon, I hope you are happy.”
“Yes…Of course.”
Loriell’s words made Riella anxious in another way.
‘I felt I had to wrap up El’s case before Herhan arrived and things got dangerous.’
As expected, her face reflected in the mirror was full of worry and concern.
‘If His Majesty had seen it, he would have definitely asked what was going on. It may have been fate that I was able to take action first when His Majesty was not around.’
As Riella raised her head with that thought, she saw Loriel with a happy expression that was completely different from hers.
“Does something good happen to you, Lady Loriell?”
“Yes?”
“You’ve been humming a tune since earlier.”
“Oh my god. Did I do that?”
Loriell’s hand, which had been combing Riella’s hair, paused for a moment, then soon began moving again as if dancing.
“I am glad that His Majesty will return and that the two of you will be on good terms again.”
As usual, kind words.
‘The day I met her in His Majesty’s bedroom, her attitude was definitely a bit strange.…Was I being too sensitive?’
Riella looked away from Loriell without looking at her.
Because that wasn’t the important issue right now.
The place Riella went to, dressed neatly, was the training ground near the barracks in the palace.
As she had been instructed, the Emperor’s Knights, including Eric, were lined up in a row.
“I’m sorry for making everyone wait like this.”
As she stood before them and opened her mouth resolutely, Riella’s heart pounded frantically.
“I never thought I would actually be able to move His Majesty’s knight.”
Riella was trembling even in front of the village guards, let alone the royal knights. Hank had clicked his tongue, wondering what use she could possibly have for such timidity.
But today, Riella straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath as she stood before the Empire’s best-trained and disciplined knights.
“I have a favor to ask of you all.”
The voice that had been trembling gradually regained its dignified aura.
“No. It’s an order.”
Riella continued speaking, looking into the eyes of each of the knights.
“This is a matter directly related to His Majesty’s safety. Please act without fail.”
* * *
“El! What are you doing? Why are you suddenly packing your bags? Huh?”
“Mom, please help, too. Please pack this bag quickly. Throw away the bulky stuff and only take the really important stuff.”
“No, El! What the hell—”
“Hurry up!”
At that time, El’s house was in ruins.
After going outside for a few minutes, he came back in and began to pack up his belongings.
He was so distraught that he couldn’t regain his composure, even when his mother confronted him.
It was when his little sister started crying in fear that El finally came to his senses.
“Hiks…brother, what’s wrong? I’m scared.”
“No, Denise. It’s not scary. We’re just going on a trip.”
“Going on a trip…?”
“Yeah. We’re all going together, somewhere quieter and safer than here.”
“So when are we going home again?”
El was unable to answer.
The bag that had been filled with random items was placed listlessly on the floor.
As if she had noticed something, her mother dragged him into the room with a serious expression and locked the door.
“El. You’re not trying to betray the Duke, are you? Huh?”
When El couldn’t answer, her mother’s expression twisted into surprise.
“I thought it was strange! That’s why you didn’t go to work and just stayed home ?El! Why did you think that way? Did you displease the Duke? Huh? Tell me. Then I will go and ask for forgiveness on your behalf—”
“Stop it, Mother. If you go to see the Duke, you will die.”
“What…?”
El’s voice was calm, and her mother became thoughtful
“It was the Duke who made Denise like that.”
“What the hell are you talking about?…No, that can’t be true…?”
His mother began to laugh hysterically as if her fear had passed her capacity to bear.
El shut his eyes tightly.
“Are you going to keep hiding? That might not be a good choice, El.”
It was early this morning that El encountered the person sent by the Federation again.
Until then, El had been a confined person at home. He had been living in seclusion, asking neighbors for food and daily necessities.
But when he heard his sister crying all night with pain, saying that the inflammation was getting worse, so he rushed out to get some painkillers, which was the cause of the trouble.
They approached right away as if they were waiting for El to come out on his own.
“Do you know that the Emperor has left for the North?”
“The master of the palace is away. What are you doing when you have the opportunity to rob the house right in front of you?”
“It’s not us who should be nervous, it’s you. We have plenty of dogs to work with besides you.”
“Think carefully. Remember that the longer you delay, the more you will lose. Before the Emperor returns, I will give you a time until then. If you do not make a decision by the time that time comes, I have word from the Duke that you will never see your family again.”
EL could not give them any answer. All he could do was return home and prepare to escape.
‘Cowardly and pathetically.’
El mocked himself, thinking that it was his very nature to be like that.
‘I never inherited the courage to confront things head-on from my parents.’
So, he was always shy, couldn’t mix with others, and ended up always occupying a gloomy corner in the back.
He can’t take away what he wants.
‘I’m originally that kind of cowardly guy…’
“Huh? Who are you?”
It was then that Denise opened the front door when she heard someone knocking.
“No! Denise! Don’t open the door!”
El’s heart pounded and he ran outside, but the visitor who had knocked on the door had already left.
Leaving only a letter in a red envelope in Denise’s hands.
‘Federation bastards…What else are you going to say?’
Elle bit his red lips, opened the letter, and his eyes widened.
[When are you going to get the lost item? There’s still time to fix everything. I’ll wait.]
A pretty, round, and neat handwriting.
‘Lost Item….Are you talking about my necklace?’
No matter how much he searched the house, he couldn’t find it, but it looked like he dropped it when he was with Riella.
‘If you’d seen it, you’d already have some idea of what’s going on. You call me and want to confront me head-on? When I’m just trying to run away like an idiot…’
El turned around, clutching the letter he had been staring at.
“Mother. I’ll be back shortly, so please pack your bags and wait for me.”
“Hey, El. Where are you going in this situation, huh?”
What El left for her mother was not an answer, but a request.
“If I don’t come back by sunset, take my sister and go to the port first. You understand?”
Like that, El ran out of the house, put on her robe, and walked towards the palace without any plan.
Even though it was a bright sunny day, he felt an eerie presence all around me as he walked.
When he suddenly turned around, feeling as if someone was chasing him, the street was empty again.
‘Federation bastards, now they’re going to step on my back.’
There was no time to turn around and fight. El gritted his teeth and just kept moving forward.
As he walked like that, he suddenly saw the imperial palace in the distance.
Looking at the palace gate, which felt farther away than usual, El stopped for a moment and took a deep breath.
‘What am I going to do if I turn back?’
He was always afraid of and avoided things he could not predict.
Today was the first time he’d ever taken a step forward without knowing the answer, and he could only do so because he knew Riella was waiting for him.
“Hee—!”
“Get on. Hurry up!”
Then suddenly a horse came running from somewhere and stopped in front of El.
The man who came riding the horse put El on the horse without warning and galloped off somewhere.
After running around the complicated road for a while, he arrived at an alley.
The man who got off the horse took off the mask.
“Whoa. Aide. What crime did you commit that so many guys are following you around? Did you fight with Riella? Did you get caught trying to force yourself on her?”
Black hair. Eyes that sparkle with venom. And a vulgar way of speaking that is unexpected.
“What are you doing, princess?”
“What? I saved you. Don’t you know?”
Princess Greta smiled.
“You’ll die the moment you enter that palace. Riella was waiting for you with her soldiers spread out? Oh.
Did you know all along and just want to be a moth to a flame?”
El looked at the princess who had suddenly appeared and intervened in the situation with suspicious eyes.
“I don’t know what the circumstances are, but how about choosing the other side? I think I can offer you a good deal.”
“Do you know what I want?”
“Why would I not know that? You wanted Riella, didn’t you?”
Greta held her stomach and laughed out loud, then elegantly wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes from laughing so hard.
“I’ll give her to you.”
* * *
