The wind blew.

Along with the scent of flowers, Patricia’s fragrance rode the wind and brushed Harchen’s sharp nose bridge. His lungs tickled. Harchen couldn’t help but smile at the sensation spreading throughout his body.

Taking the Leake princess as empress? Could it be, jealousy?

Her figure buried in the large conquest jacket looked quite lovely. He tightly gripped her hand, making it clammy. He wanted to wipe off the sweat, but didn’t want to let go of her hand.

“Why would I take the Leake princess as empress?”

“You’ve been lovers with the princess for a long time, haven’t you?”

The emperor stopped walking. Holding her hand, Patricia had no choice but to stop as well.

“What’s your basis for saying we were lovers?”

Patricia looked at the large hand holding hers. She tried to pull her hand away from the tight grip, but he held on even more firmly.

Suddenly, she thought this man might be sincere. He paid attention to her casual words and openly showed his jealousy, first towards Patrick and now towards Eden.

“I met the princess at the Diarum banquet hall last time.”

“And?”

The emperor looked down at Patricia with unreadable eyes. She felt tense whenever those deep green eyes gazed at her intently.

She gently pulled her hand away. He cupped her cheek with the hand that had lost hers.

“Did the Leake princess say she and I were lovers?”

“Aren’t you?”

“No, we’re not.”

Patricia anxiously looked up at him as he drew his face closer while cupping her cheek. She unconsciously bit her lower lip.

Then had the Leake princess lied? Patricia recalled what the princess had said.

“From age six until now, Harchen has been the only man for me.”

“So I ask you, Your Highness. Please recommend me as empress.”

“When I asked Harchen if he loved Your Highness, he said this: Why talk of love in a political marriage?”

Thinking about it rationally and coolly, it could have been the Leake princess’s obsession since she was six. Somehow, her heart softened and she felt relieved.

In truth, she had been troubled by thoughts of the princess for days. She was beautiful, and her raven-black hair was mysterious and captivating. Though she didn’t want to admit it, she had been jealous.

But the emperor saying “Why talk of love in a political marriage?” was likely true. Patricia spoke firmly with a resolute expression.

“I have no intention of talking about love in a political marriage.”

“…Haa.”

The calm deep green eyes brought to mind a forest of trees standing in a row.

A hot wind blew.

The eyes that had been composed now resembled a forest disheveled by the wind.

For a moment, the emperor, with an angry expression, silently gazed at her. He looked down at her biting her lower lip, his eyes pressing down on her with force.

“Love talk. Then, as a couple to be married the day after tomorrow.”

“What? What are you…”

His lips descended upon Patricia’s. In contrast to his cold voice, his kiss was gentle.

“If your goal was to provoke me by making me angry, you’ve failed.”

His lips barely grazed the edge of hers, as if determined to tease. He slowly delved in, swallowing her exhaled breaths.

“Rather, seeing you in that disheveled dress rubbing swords with that bastard was more effective. My blood was boiling earlier.”

Patricia was drawn in without a chance to gather her confused thoughts. There was a scent of mint. And his usual scent.

“Divorce? As if. I have no intention of letting you go.”

He spoke in a low, deep voice after pulling his lips away.

“The Leake princess? I’ve known her for over ten years, but not once have I felt anything for her. So don’t think of running away using the princess as an excuse.”

With his left hand, he traced from her neck to her shoulder, following the supple line of her waist as if drawing. Tremors ran through everywhere his hand passed. His hand stopped at her waist and gripped firmly.

“If you’re jealous, it’s a bit touching, and stimulating.”

At the end, he smirked and pressed his lips to hers, transmitting his sneer directly into Patricia’s mouth.

Patricia had no intention of provoking him. She tightly gripped the front closure of the jacket with both hands to keep it from falling.

He took her hands that were interfering with the embrace. When the conquest jacket fell to the floor, revealing her fully, Harchen felt lightning flash before his eyes. He felt dizzy.

But is that bastard in his right mind? To brandish a sword when faced with such a sight.

“Now it’s my turn to ask. Did you hold hands with that guy earlier?”

Patricia raised her lowered eyes to look up at him.

“I offered the back of my hand during greetings.”

“Then.”

Harchen pulled Patricia into his arms.

“Have you done this?”

Harchen bent down to seek her lips while busily moving his hands.

“Of course… not.”

Patricia felt irregular and uneasy, abnormal sensations writhing and about to explode. Her legs weakened from the tremors. Without realizing, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

This emperor is dangerous. When his hands touched her, her mind became hazy. The problem was that her body and hands, betraying her mind, moved full of contradictions. Without realizing, she fell into indulgence and was swept up in passion.

It was night and under a large tree, but the moonlight was bright.

The shadows of the White Palace knights would be around. Thinking the emperor’s knights would also be watching from a distance, Patricia barely came to her senses.

“Stop.”

“It’s not enough, more.”

He laughed at Patricia’s passive resistance as if it were ridiculous, and pressed his lips to her delicate neck. He pulled the lace string with his teeth and traced the red marks with his lips.

“Is your neck always this sensitive?”

Patricia recalled Eva’s advice at his words and pushed him away with all her strength. Laughing as she pushed him, Harchen let her go.

“My princess is strong too.”

Patricia turned around and straightened her clothes. Turning back, she held her skirts with both hands and bowed, observing proper etiquette.

“Your Majesty. Then, have a peaceful night.”

With disheveled hair and a heated body, Patricia greeted him primly as if nothing had happened and turned away. Haa, Harchen brushed back the hair that had fallen on his forehead and chuckled.

He tucked his conquest jacket that had fallen on the ground under his arm and watched her retreating figure with his arms crossed.

She walked with her back straight as if pushed by the wind behind her, moving without wavering. He flexed his arms as if shaking off the urge to run and grab her.

Her retreating figure. How could it be so provocative?

In front of the White Palace, Patricia received the knight’s greeting and climbed the stone steps, entering through the front door.

To the end, her straight back did not turn to look back.

Harchen smirked and buried his face in the conquest jacket, inhaling the scent that had seeped in. Deliberating whether to wear the jacket or hold it, he walked towards the Notos Palace.

The moonlight flowed through the summer night breeze carrying the heat.

Patrick, Eden, Calip, Bern, and Lean sat at a round table in the multipurpose banquet hall of Notos Palace. They had finished introducing themselves and were waiting for the emperor.

“The greatest swordsmen of both empires, is it?”

As Harchen entered, everyone stood up and greeted him with proper etiquette. After Harchen took a seat next to Patrick, Calip reported.

“Currently, Emperor Tane’s party has taken lodgings in Trier on the outskirts of the capital.”

“If it’s Trier, they’ll arrive right after tomorrow’s luncheon. Has the number of people been confirmed?”

“Including the emperor and empress, Prince Chris and the foreign minister, Duke Parse and the captain of the guard, along with the knights, it’s estimated to be around thirty people in total. The number allowed to enter the palace will likely be about ten. I’ve instructed them to stay in the western Duse Palace.”

“They won’t have the energy to come to Notos Palace from there. Duse is a quiet place connected to the forest, so it’s suitable. Is the dethronement operation the day after the royal wedding?”

Harchen turned his gaze from Calip to Patrick to ask the question.

“No, Your Majesty. We’ve postponed it for a month.”

“Why? The number of people is small and the location is suitable.”

“I’ve given it careful consideration. After all, it’s Patricia’s royal wedding, and I’m concerned about discord between the people of Tane and Karsik, so we’ve changed the plan to carry it out in Tane.”

“That’s right. We need to be cautious for the sake of exchanges between the two empires.”

“We’ve set it for Empress Pamila’s birthday. On that day, they plan to announce her promotion to empress consort.”

“Haa, the empress has achieved her wish. The Lasbur merchant group even applied to support the document screening for the public bidding. Of course, I rejected it, but what about political movements?”

“It seems they plan to carry out the operation before the founding festival this winter, after she’s established as empress consort.”

“Have the empress’s Lasbur family thoroughly investigated. It doesn’t seem like they’re only interested in making money through the merchant group. Calip.”

At the emperor’s order, Calip showed documents investigating the circumstances of the assassination of Tane’s envoy at the border and Duse’s confession.

“As expected, the Lasbur merchant group was deeply involved. That person is now in Pana Castle prison, and you can meet him anytime if you wish. Also, while investigating the incident, the back alleys of the border city Luken seemed a bit suspicious. I’d like you to investigate further.”

“The Luken region is Duke Parse’s domain…”

Patrick tilted his head while looking directly at Harchen, then his eyes lit up.

“Ah, last spring a financial assistant named Zenon from the Kingdom of Torun was arrested for embezzlement of public funds and is in Nuks prison. He was in charge of investigating the Luken region. I’ll look into it.”

“What about the movements of the Great Noble Council and Emperor Kazan’s Evas family?”

“The Evas family even attempted to assassinate the empress but failed. The Great Noble Council and ministers’ side have switched to the empress’s side.”

Patrick pushed a paper with a list of names from the Valenti family, who were from the Kingdom of Torun but settled in Tane, in front of Harchen.

“Members of the Valenti family are staying in Tane. They have been collecting evidence of Pamila’s corruption for a long time. It seems right to make her pay for her crimes according to the law, rather than through her death.”

“Patrick, there are limits to legal methods. We should deploy swords.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I’ll add swords at the imperial level.”

The emperor said this and looked at Calip, Lean, and Bern, who bent their elbows and bowed their heads in unison.

“Your Majesty, thank you.”

“What about Prince Chris?”

“We can’t hold him accountable for his mother’s crimes.”

“You’re leaving an ember behind?”

“We need to nurture the ember well. So that it burns well, but doesn’t spread.”

Impressive bastard. Harchen thought Patrick was true to form and smiled contentedly.

“Then let’s make an official visit to coincide with the empress’s birthday. But you’ll have to visit the Kingdom of Torun and Luken unofficially?”

“Officially, I should continue to stay at Karsik Palace.”

“Hmm, the crown prince being away from the palace for a long time, they’ll be suspicious. The empress will be desperate to put you in bed even if she has to use poison like before.”

“Your Majesty. I heard you’re going to the Kingdom of Torun for your honeymoon after the wedding.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go to the Kingdom of Torun together.”