My head was spinning.
What on earth does it mean to bring down the Imperial Family? And why on earth is this Princess cooperating in such a traitorous act?
I never expected Abel to be the mastermind behind this plan, which added to my headache.
Adele shut her eyes tight for a moment.
For now, let’s think about her question.
“Are you really on Abel’s side?”
The intent of the question was clear. Could I possibly cooperate in a rebellion against the Imperial Family?
I could technically say yes to navigate the situation, but I felt she wouldn’t be satisfied with just some flattery.
Above all, this meeting was supposed to be a secret one. A thoroughly concealed encounter set up at night, with a disguise carriage provided for good measure.
She must have gone through so much trouble to invite me for this very question.
‘Lying won’t work.’
My instincts as a returner were telling me that if I spoke falsely here, I might end up dead. I never thought I would walk into such a tiger’s den when I came with a light heart.
I guess my mind has become too relaxed lately since I haven’t died and returned in a while.
“My patience isn’t that deep.”
Saying that, the Princess smiled sweetly. But behind that smile lay a chilling aura. I couldn’t afford to regret getting lost in my thoughts.
I had to answer her question sincerely.
‘What is my true intention?’
Can I trust him enough to be on Abel’s side?
There wasn’t much I knew about him.
A ruthless man who sees others merely as means to fulfill his objectives. At the same time, a playful guy who teases me at every opportunity.
The same guy who saved my life but was angry with me. Though we were engaged due to a contract, he still helped me diligently.
There must be a reason why he wants to topple the Imperial Family. If I could deeply understand that reason, then I would willingly cooperate with Abel.
It wasn’t unconditional trust. I couldn’t, nor should I do that.
But for now, I felt that would be enough.
“It would depend on the reason.”
“..The reason?”
The Princess tilted her head in confusion. I took a deep breath to calm my shaking hands before I continued.
“Yes. If I can understand why he wants to bring down the Imperial Family… ”
Nodding as if I had made a resolution.
“I will side with Abel.”
The Princess stared intently at my face. I felt a sense of discomfort from her gaze, as if she were trying to pierce through my heart. But I didn’t look away.
At that moment, she smirked.
“Not a perfect 100, but you’ve passed.”
“Passed?”
“If you had lied…”
The air around us grew cold to the point it was terrifying. A faint killing intent swirled around her, like black blades manifesting her thoughts.
It felt more like a curse than magic.
Had I lied, my throat might have been slit by those blades. That thought sent shivers down my spine, and I instinctively brushed my arms down.
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t lie.”
“Lie?”
“Yes, I absolutely hate lies.”
As she waved her hand, the swarm of black blades disappeared. I quietly sighed in relief, realizing my judgment was indeed right.
The Princess leaned her head on her arm, gazing at me.
“Are you curious why Abel wants to bring down the Imperial Family?”
“Yes. My cooperation will depend on that reason.”
The Princess looked at me, intrigued by my trembling words. Was she trying to maintain control of the conversation even in this situation?
That earlier response of mine was quite bold in many ways.
“How fortunate. There’s no need for concern.”
As for her not cooperating with us, I felt relieved. If she were to see the multitude of horrors and blood that the Imperial Family had committed throughout history…
She would understand that the reasons for the Imperial Family’s downfall were countless.
“What does that mean?”
“Well…”
The Princess smiled mysteriously.
“I won’t tell you. I might just be lying to lure you in, you know?”
She was essentially telling me not to trust her, which raised questions in my mind. I had no idea why she would say such a thing. It was as if she knew what was on my mind when she slowly continued.
“Discover the truth about the Imperial Family for yourself. You could say this is the next test.”
“…Understood.”
Responding like that, I got up.
“Are you leaving already?”
The Princess asked, almost disappointed.
“Yes. As you said, I need to find out on my own.”
“How unfortunate. I wanted to chat a bit longer.”
As she murmured that, she fell into thought for a moment.
“Hey, don’t you want to know more about Abel?”
“Not particularly…”
As I shook my head in denial, the Princess grinned and continued.
“For example, his underwear preferences…”
“It was a pleasure talking.”
Thud!
“Oh? She’s gone.”
Seeing her slam the door behind her as she hurried out made the Princess chuckle. I didn’t expect her to react so quickly to a joke.
Unlike Abel, she seemed to enjoy teasing in a naive way.
‘Looks like there’s some attraction there.’
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reacted so sensitively. As for Abel, it’s hard to say whether he had any feelings. To be honest, I couldn’t easily imagine him falling in love.
‘Things are getting interesting.’
§
The moonlit night was gently illuminated.
In the center of the rose garden, where white and red mingled mysteriously to create an enchanting atmosphere, I lightly placed my teacup on the table and leaned back against the chair. The chill lingered around me, but I wasn’t cold thanks to the fur coat I wore over my clothes.
It was my usual solitary tea time.
“Ah…”
I tried to warm my complicated thoughts with warm tea. When I opened my eyes slightly, I noticed Lily fidgeting beside me. Speaking of which, had Lily always been here? I must have been too lost in thought to even remember.
“Um, Adele. If there’s something on your mind…”
“What is it, Lily?”
After hesitating for a moment, she slowly opened her mouth.
“If you’re worried about something… even if I can’t help you, I can stay by your side so you can take a breath.”
“…Thank you.”
I offered a tired smile and stroked Lily’s head. The silky feel of her hair seemed to untangle my complicated thoughts a bit. Just as I was calming my mind, I felt a presence at the entrance of the garden.
‘..Abel?’
“I-I’ll go now.”
Lily quickly stepped back, before coming closer again to whisper ‘Have a good time,’ before walking away. She bowed her waist in greeting to Abel and hurriedly left the garden.
“You seem to be getting along well with your maid.”
“Yes, she cares for me a lot.”
“…Is that so?”
He sat heavily on the opposite chair, looking a bit tired. Abel crossed his arms and closed his eyes, appearing as if he were about to doze off.
“You seem to have many worries.”
“Yes. I have a lot on my mind.”
‘Thanks to someone.’
Rebellion against the Imperial Family, the secrets of the Imperial Family, Abel’s reasons for rebellion… so many pieces of information floated in my mind like buoys, cluttering my thoughts. He sat there, eyes closed, seemingly unaware of my turmoil.
I desperately wanted to directly ask Abel, but I decided to hold back.
No matter how naive I might be about the medieval world, I knew that casually discussing a rebellion against the Imperial Family was extremely dangerous. Furthermore, he hadn’t directly confided in me about his rebellion against the Imperial Family.
That meant he didn’t yet trust me that much. So until he brought it up, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
“If you ever need to share…”
He couldn’t even finish his sentence before his head slumped, as if he had fallen asleep. I was momentarily flustered. He was leaning back in his chair, grimacing as he slept. That was when I noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
‘He looks exhausted.’
He seemed to be pushing himself quite hard lately, given all the paperwork piling up over the past few days. It seemed like he was so tired that he fell asleep as soon as he sat down.
Yet, here he was, coming to the garden in the middle of the night to comfort me.
Really, he was a man who showed kindness to the point of confusion.
I sighed and took off my outer coat, draping it over him. It was heavy enough to keep him warm throughout the night, I hoped.
His somewhat tense face relaxed a bit.
‘Now that’s a little more bearable.’
He was a person who was hard to just leave alone for many reasons.
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