Knock knock knock.

Patricia gradually woke up from the intermittent sound coming from her bedroom window. She stretched and went to the window to draw the curtains. An eagle was tapping on the window with its yellow beak.

“Bree.”

She smiled gently and opened the window. The eagle gracefully entered the bedroom, circled once in the air, and perched in the middle of the bed. Patricia removed the letter tied to the eagle’s leg and unfolded it.

“Patricia.

It’s a clear morning. Congratulations on your marriage. Harchen seems to love Risha very much. So much that I’m jealous, which is good. I hope you two kind people will be happy.

Your Patrick.”

Patricia smiled brightly as she went out to the reception room. Annie, who was waiting in the reception room, greeted her cheerfully.

“Your Highness. You’re up early? The head maid said to let you sleep for another hour.”

“Yes, I woke up. Annie, please get me a glass of cool lemon water.”

Patricia took paper and a pen from the console in the reception room and went to her bedroom. She sat at the tea table and wrote a reply to Patrick.

“What happened with Princess Carolina? Before I storm into Notos Palace on this busy morning, confess the truth.”

She smiled as she attached the paper to the eagle’s leg.

“Bree. Patrick kissed Carolina. Can you believe it? Quickly go and bring back a reply.”

As she sent the eagle flying out the window, Annie came with a tray holding the lemon water. Patricia took the lemon water and drank it in one gulp.

Why was she feeling thirsty just imagining Patrick and Carolina kissing?

She handed back the glass and asked if Eva had woken up.

“Lady Eva couldn’t sleep at all last night.”

“Why?”

“She’s glad and relieved that His Majesty cares for Your Highness, but now we have to go to Tane tomorrow…”

“Call Eva here.”

Just then, Lena, the maid in charge of meals, came with a tray.

“Your Highness. You’re awake? I’ve brought lemon water.”

“I just had some. Annie, you drink it.”

Annie, who had been thirsty after laughing and crying while watching fireworks with Eva last night and talking about Patricia, took the crystal glass Patricia offered and drank it in one gulp.

Lena, whose complexion had turned pale blue, glared coldly at Annie. She bit her lower lip, trying to hide her trembling fingers.

Eva arrived, and soon the eagle flew back in through the open window.

“Risha. Nothing happened, we just met by chance in the library. The princess seems to be trying to drag me into refusing the royal marriage. My heart is only for you. See you at Helios Hall.”

Patricia laughed brightly. Her guess was right. Nothing had happened, but the clever Carolina must have seen a vulnerable moment to exploit. Nothing had happened yet, but it was something to keep an eye on.

A stone had been thrown into the calm lake.

Patrick and Carolina. It felt like a canary bird singing and flying between straight tree branches. A beautiful bird that vigorously shakes green leaves even without wind, stimulating the tree.

Patrick, I’m looking forward to it.

“Hehe Eva. Go to Notos Palace now and help Patrick dress up.”

“Won’t there be a palace attendant for that?”

“When your hands touch him, his blonde hair shines more. And discuss with Patrick about going to Tane when he goes, what do you think?”

“When is His Highness Patrick going?”

“He says he’ll stay until he’s healthy, but after the poison is removed, his recovery is fast… No. He might end up staying longer.”

“I’d be happy to be by your side even for three or four days. After seeing you off on your honeymoon…”

“Eva, are you taking your medicine well?”

“Yes. I keep eating it because I’ve developed an appetite foolishly. The Karsik court physician seems to be a great doctor.”

“Please take special care in dressing Patrick.”

As Eva was about to leave the reception room, head maid Anna and the maids entered en masse.

“Rising morning sun, Your Majesty the Empress! Congratulations on your royal marriage.”

Head maid Anna greeted with the naming ceremony, unlike usual. The maids standing behind her also greeted in unison with proper etiquette. Patricia was flustered and unconsciously returned the greeting with proper etiquette.

“Rising morning sun, Your Majesty the Empress, for the royal marriage…”

Anna conveyed that the royal painter and chairman of the art academy had named her as such because Patricia’s appearance seemed as bright and warm as the rising morning sun.

Patricia felt strange about herself, having gone from being a reclusive princess trapped in the west tower to an empress called the morning sun, who had gone to the battlefield wearing armor.

For a moment, everything seemed to be happening in a hallucination, and she even felt afraid that a big trap might be lurking. As if to deny such feelings, Eva and Annie repeatedly said, engraving it in their hearts,

“Rising morning sun, rising morning sun.”

After Eva left for Notos Palace, the maids moved in perfect unison under Anna’s direction.

Patricia received bath services in a bathtub sprinkled with fragrant oil and flowers. After putting on a robe, her hair was curled up with thick and thin rollers.

Lena brought a simple breakfast. Patricia’s appetite had completely disappeared due to nervousness.

Upon hearing that she had no thoughts of eating, Lena calmly pushed aside the other dishes to one side of the table and moved only the salad plate closer to Patricia.

“Your Majesty. Please eat at least the vegetable and fruit salad, you’ll have a hard time if your stomach is empty.”

Annie, scanning the dishes on the table, interjected.

“I’m sorry, maid. In our Tane, a pure bride fasts as much as possible from the day before the wedding until the end of the ceremony. Or only consumes white foods. Ah, Princess. No, Your Majesty, please eat this cream soup.”

“Look here, Tane maid. This is Karsik. Stop bringing in Tane’s superstitions.”

“I’m sorry. But in our Tane, we believe that souls dwell in every ray of sunlight and every grain of sand, so we are careful. That’s why in Tane, even the palm tree bed…”

“Enough! It would have been better if I hadn’t heard it in the first place, but now that I’ve heard about such customs, I can’t pretend I don’t know. Clear it away. Your Majesty, you’ll be getting a massage soon anyway.”

The head maid stepped in, cutting off Annie’s lengthening speech.

“Just eat a little soup. The other foods might make you uncomfortable during the massage. You were supposed to have it yesterday originally.”

Patricia forcibly ate just a little soup at Anna’s words.

Yesterday, Harchen wouldn’t let her go, so she ended up going to his reception room. In the darkened reception room, Calip, Lean, and Sir Bern were waiting. With a chocolate cake with lots of small candles stuck in it.

Harchen was displeased to see them waiting with the cake in the reception room he had barely persuaded Patricia to come to for a more intimate time, but Patricia was touched by the several flickering candles on the cake and the hearts of the three knights, still in the afterglow of the fireworks that had adorned the sky.

As Patricia, having eaten a little soup, was about to go to the massage room, Annie, standing by the window, screamed.

“L-look over there!”

The maids in the reception room all rushed to the window.

“Ah, Your Majesty the Empress. Come and see.”

.

.

.

Karsik Imperial Calendar, July 27, 989.

As soon as Harchen opened his eyes in the bedroom, he smiled broadly.

Finally, today.

While receiving bath services, he asked the head attendant about the grooming preparation schedule.

“Madame Terra is already setting up in the salon. Your Majesty is to come at ten o’clock.”

“Hmm. Together with the Empress?”

“No, Your Majesty. It seems the Empress will start from nine o’clock at the White Palace. Your Majesty, after completing your ceremonial dress, will go to the White Palace and then parade together in the wedding carriage before moving to Aster Palace.”

“What about Calip?”

“Sir Calip is checking the schedule with the aides at Aster Palace.”

Harchen lifted his head to look at the rising sun through the full-length window of the bathroom. As he rose from the bathtub, he commanded.

“Tell Bern to bring the sword.”

“Pardon? Your Majesty. Why Bern… Why bring the sword…”

Harchen, putting on the white robe that the attendant helped him into, walked out through the bathroom corridor where aquatic plants bloomed in the water flowing like a stream on both sides.

“To warm up a bit.”

“Your Majesty. It’s going to be a long and tiring day, maybe you should rest for a moment… Yes, I understand.”

When Harchen went out to the office in casual attire, Bern, who had been sitting in a chair, stood up abruptly. Harchen looked at his hand firmly gripping the sword and took out a sword from the display case.

“Bern. Let’s have a sword duel.”

“H-how could I dare to with Your Majesty…”

“Why not? Didn’t you tell Lean and Calip that your wish was to spar with me? Besides, you’ve done it with my Empress too, haven’t you?”

Harchen passed by Bern, who was standing with his mouth wide open in surprise, and went out to the reception room. He turned to look at Bern, who followed and opened the reception room door.

“Not there, this way.”

He gestured with his chin and went out to the terrace.

“We’re not going to the sword training ground?”

Harchen lightly descended the outdoor stairs and entered the White Palace garden. He gauged the distance as he walked from the bench under the lilac tree towards the White Palace.

“Let’s do it here.”

He took off his white shirt with the buttons undone. He held the sword in his left hand and drew it from its scabbard. Bern knelt on one knee and respectfully lifted the sword placed on both palms above his head.

“Then, I dare to receive Your Majesty’s sword.”

“Don’t use only half your strength like you did with my Empress, give it your all.”

“As you command.”

Whoosh, Bern’s first attack began.

Naturally, Bern felt more satisfied when he lost to Calip than when he beat Lean.

Even in defeat, dueling with the best sword was an unforgettable, shining moment for a swordsman.

Swinging swords together, feeling each other’s breath, and cleaving the wind. The sparks flying from the clashing swords ignited a fire in their chests.

Bern was happy with the fullness that etched into his body as strongly as the intense summer morning sunlight.

“Ha!”

“Your battle cry is weak.”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Harchen nimbly spun his body and saw a shadow flickering by the window of the White Palace. He fiercely drove Bern back. Towards the White Palace, of course.

Not long after, maids crowded at the window. Soon, Patricia, with ridiculous white rollers all around her head like she was wearing an upside-down white cloud, stood in the middle of the open window.

Harchen showed off spectacular techniques with his right thumb hooked in his waistband. Finally, he launched a fierce attack.

Clang. Bern’s sword fell.

Harchen turned around with a broad smile.

“Oh. Empress. You’re up?”

And he walked towards the window. Consciously slowly brushing back his wet hair with long fingers.

Patricia. You must be blushing and your heart racing seeing my bare upper body. This sight is my gift for our royal wedding today.

“Rising morning sun, Empress Patricia. Now you’re my Empress.”

Patricia was leaning out of the window frame, gripping it with both hands, her face flushed. He wanted to run over in one breath and embrace that small, soft body.

He wanted to throw away all pretense and openly reveal his possessiveness just as it was.

“Your Majesty. You’re amazing. You really are left-handed. If it weren’t for the royal wedding today, I’d challenge you to a duel after Sir Bern.”

“…Hah.”

This princess is not ordinary. She didn’t see the firm chest muscles trained over many years, but only the swinging sword and left hand!

Harchen clenched his jaw and turned his body sharply.

“Bern. One more time.”