Ibnel headed to the palace alone with a slightly limping gait. As she should not overexert herself until her wounds fully healed, the training grounds were off-limits for the time being.

“My body already feels restless.”

She was thinking about observing the knights’ training since she would have nothing to do at the palace anyway, when a greatly surprised voice was heard from not far away.

“Is that really true?”

Her gaze naturally turned towards the direction of the sound. There, several servants were gathered talking, and for some reason, all their expressions looked equally serious.

“That’s what I’m saying. The magic beast escaped and caused that uproar yesterday.”

“Wow, that’s really scary.”

‘Ah, it’s because of that incident.’

As a magic beast escaping within the imperial palace was certainly startling news, Ibnel nodded in understanding and started to go on her way again. Or rather, she tried to. If only it weren’t for the words that followed.

“Then that woman planned it all? To make Davian open our gates.”

Her steps immediately halted. The woman they were referring to was clearly herself given the circumstances. But what plan? She couldn’t understand at all what they meant.

While Ibnel remained unaware of the details, the servants were busy discussing the events of that day. The kind of content that would sound utterly ridiculous from her perspective.

“Isn’t it obvious? Otherwise, why would she deliberately bring Davian there?”

“She must have encouraged him to open it, intending to put Davian in danger.”

“That woman is certainly capable of that and more. Since he’s in her way, she tried to get rid of him altogether this time. How can a person commit such a terrible act? How is that any different from a magic beast?”

Ibnel clenched her fists in rising anger. She had desperately fought off the magic beast, even losing her arms and legs, yet now she was facing such absurd misunderstandings.

While she could tolerate being cursed as Aodin, she couldn’t let it slide when accused of trying to harm someone.

“Oh, you know what someone said? That Ibnel woman was the one who opened the magic beast’s cage in the first place.”

“Really?”

“I’m curious too. Who said such a thing?”

At the sudden intrusion of a voice, the servants turned their heads in unison and discovered Ibnel standing there, their faces turning pale.

She approached right in front of them with a face devoid of any trace of a smile. Then, after carefully examining each of their faces one by one, she opened her mouth.

“I wish you’d at least have the decency to check who’s around when badmouthing someone.”

Realizing that she had heard their entire conversation, they furtively glanced at each other.

“So who said such things? That I opened the magic beast’s cage.”

“My colleague told me about it.”

“Did that colleague see it directly? Are they spreading such rumors after witnessing me opening the gate?”

Of course, there was no way they could answer that question. The only ones present at the scene at that time, besides Ibnel, were the two knights and Davian.

Ibnel was understandably outraged that they were spreading such ridiculous rumors without any concrete evidence. This was also trampling on her pride.

“The same goes for the other stories. Did you see me orchestrating for Davian to be in danger? Do you have evidence when you utter such words?”

As Ibnel, who usually ignored whatever was said around her, pressed them fiercely, the servants hung their heads and kept their mouths shut. But still unable to grasp the situation, they let out small grumbles as if feeling wronged to hear such words from her.

“We just heard people talking about it like it was true,”

“Do you think that’s an excuse now? You believed those stories without a shred of doubt because I’m the subject of those rumors. Did any of you ever doubt for even a moment whether those words were true when you heard them?”

Again, they maintained their silence. Seeing this, Ibnel smiled a twisted smile.

She hadn’t harbored even a sliver of hope when asking this question. These people, along with others, must have been eager to bite and tear at her as soon as they heard those absurd rumors.

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed to have spread quite widely within the imperial palace, and her head throbbed thinking about what other stories might have derived from it.

“You must have thought it natural because I’m Aodin’s person. That I would plot such vile, despicable acts to put Davian in danger. How does it feel…”

Speaking in an overly excited state, she suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Then, as if surprised by something, she covered her mouth with one hand.

‘Wait a minute, this.’

Ibnel realized she was saying the same things to Shuher last night. Even the situation was similar. The only difference was that now she was in his position.

‘So that’s why His Majesty…’

Ibnel was lost in thought for a moment, then spoke to the servants in a voice more subdued than before.

“I warned you last time too. Don’t say behind someone’s back what you can’t say to their face. You’d better keep that in mind. There won’t be a second time.”

In truth, she had much more she wanted to say but couldn’t bring herself to do so. She realized she had no right to blame them now.

So Ibnel could only watch as the servants hurriedly distanced themselves.

“She’s not in her room?”

“Yes, she was definitely there when I went earlier.”

Shuher, who had just entered the palace, noticed Emil and Lia engaged in a serious conversation and approached the two.

“What’s the matter?”

“Lady Ibnel is not in her room.”

At Emil’s answer, Shuher’s brows furrowed slightly. At this hour of night, with wounds not yet fully healed, where on earth could she have gone?

“Did she go to the training grounds?”

“The young lady’s gun is still in her room, so it’s probably not there.”

Lia had naturally thought of the shooting range first, but since her training clothes were still there, it didn’t seem likely.

“She’s not in the study either, I wonder where she could have gone.”

“What about the imperial library?”

Shuher, knowing Ibnel’s usual range of activities well, immediately thought of that place, but this time too, Lia shook her head.

“I just came from there, and she wasn’t there either.”

It was impossible to hide the worry when someone who had been in their room just ten minutes ago had suddenly disappeared. Could something have happened?

Emil tried to calm her for now. Ibnel wasn’t the type to move or act recklessly.

“She might have just crossed paths with us, so I’ll go check again.”

“Alright.”

Shuher watched as Lia hurriedly left the palace and Emil moved away, then started walking towards the room. But he soon stopped, bothered by Ibnel’s disappearance.

‘Where on earth did she go?’

Thinking of places she might have gone besides those three, he suddenly remembered running into her by chance in the inner garden before.

“Could it be there?”

He headed there with urgent steps before he even realized it. There was no sign of anyone, and all he could hear was the sound of his feet on the soil. As soon as he arrived there, piercing through the darkness, he had to stop in his tracks.

Because he found Ibnel sitting in the same spot as before.

Seeing her, he felt immense relief that nothing had happened.

At the same time, he felt deflated. While others were anxiously searching for her, the person in question was sitting there with a peaceful face, eyes closed.

Shuher approached right in front of her, but Ibnel showed no movement, perhaps already asleep.

‘Isn’t she too defenseless?’

A chuckle escaped at the sight of her seeming to lack any vigilance in such an open space. But contrary to that thought of incredulity, his gaze remained fixed on Ibnel.

The platinum blonde hair flowing over her shoulders, tightly closed lips, and the shadow cast under long eyelashes instead of her mismatched eyes.

By now, Shuher’s gaze upon Ibnel had softened.

At that moment, as if sensing that intense gaze, Ibnel slowly opened her eyes. Their gazes unexpectedly met.

While Shuher flinched slightly, Ibnel showed no sign of surprise as she stared at him. As if she had known he was watching her. Soon, with a gentle smile, she opened her mouth.

“I was waiting to see when you would speak to me.”

“So you weren’t asleep.”

“I was just closing my eyes. I wanted to sort out my thoughts a bit.”

About ten minutes ago, she had come out here to get some air, feeling stifled. As she was calmly organizing her thoughts with her eyes closed, she heard footsteps approaching her location.

As soon as she heard them, she knew they belonged to Shuher. She thought he would call out to her when he came so close, but he just kept staring silently.

That piercing gaze felt so palpable even with her eyes closed that Ibnel eventually opened them. Somehow feeling like the intensity of his gaze lingered where it had passed, she absently touched those spots with her hand.

Silence flowed between the two, then she gathered her courage and spoke first.

“I think it was good that I came here. Actually, I was thinking about what happened yesterday.”

When Ibnel mentioned that incident first, Shuher’s expression stiffened slightly. Not wanting to continue this conversation, he tried to change the subject.

“Everyone’s looking for you since you disappeared, so we should go back…”

Fearing he might leave like this, Ibnel hurriedly reached out and grabbed the hem of his clothes. All of Shuher’s movements stopped at that faint force. He slowly turned his head to look at her.

Even as their eyes met, she didn’t let go of his clothes. No, she gripped them even tighter. Feeling like it had to be now or never, she spoke the words she had been holding in her heart.

“I’m sorry. For jumping to conclusions…”

With those words, Ibnel finally let go of his clothes. When no response came from Shuher no matter how long she waited, she hung her head low and fidgeted with her hands.

‘I wish he would say something.’

At that moment, a voice as low as the surrounding darkness fell upon her head.

“You should be mocking me instead.”

“Pardon?”

Ibnel raised her head and looked at Shuher with bewildered eyes. That’s when he bent down and firmly grasped both her shoulders with his hands.

She tried to shake off his hands, feeling the strong pressure on her shoulders, but facing those black eyes just a handspan away, she found herself unable to move, as if her entire body was bound.

“It was an incongruous statement coming from me, who had threatened to kill you several times.”

Shuher was more flustered than ever before. Even he couldn’t understand his own actions, and Ibnel had unexpectedly apologized.

At the same time, he felt angry.

At this situation where she was bowing her head to him. Or perhaps at himself for creating such a situation.