The noise of the butler giving instructions in the hallway, the low voices of the servants, and the sound of moving objects had disappeared.

Patricia was nervous even before entering the reception room. She looked around the interior as naturally as possible. It was the same as she had last seen it, unchanged. She went to sit at the table that had been moved to the window.

“Your Majesty, it’s too bright. But it’s nice to sit by the window and see the sunlight.”

“You’re relaxed. I was excited with anticipation.”

The emperor chuckled, taking off his gloves and placing them on the table as he sat down across from her.

“But suddenly you call me ‘Your Majesty’ here. Did you commit some crime against me here? Prisoner.”

“As a prisoner, shouldn’t I be looking for ways to escape? Your Majesty.”

“Name!”

“Harchen.”

Hm, he’s cute at times like this.

“Alright. I’ll hold off on embracing you for now. Instead, tell me.”

“Pardon?”

“Why did you burn your mother’s letter?”

“Ah, how… Did you know?”

How should I lead into this?

He rubbed his eyebrows and brow bone as he looked at her. Her eyes traced his long fingers before meeting his green eyes.

She had been crying. At the graveyard by the shore. He couldn’t imagine how devastating the contents of the letter must have been. He couldn’t cut out the sorrow, but he wanted to soothe and comfort her. But.

Just before departing from Torun, Patricia had gone to find the platinum-haired boy tending to the horses.

“Eden, let me do it.”

“I’ll do it, my lady.”

“Please.”

What on earth had she begged the platinum-haired brat to let her do?

“Well, I used my brilliant mind after seeing black ashes where they shouldn’t be in a summer fireplace.”

She’s not smiling.

“It was a letter my mother had written and sent from the time she arrived in Tane until just before she passed away. I only suspected that Pamila had used poison after my mother died. But my mother knew. That Pamila’s poison would deepen her hallucinations and illness, and that she would die.”

She’s not crying either. Remarkable self-control. Her anger must be that much greater. The tips of their clasped hands trembled slightly, but her voice was firm and her eyes were fierce.

Clearly, unlike Patrick, she was plotting something on her own. He needed to figure out what it was.

“Mother passed away before that final letter even reached Torun.”

Harchen realized that the inexplicable unease that had started in Torun was due to her expression. A grave plan, something… Ah!

“So… you’re going to eliminate the empress?”

“…”

Though she didn’t answer, her blue eyes grew as vast as the sea, waves of emotion surging through them.

Ah, I see.

“How?”

“With a sword.”

“That’s reckless. Patrick will follow due process and punish her appropriately anyway.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Letting her suffer for a long time in prison would be suitable revenge too.”

“…”

Harchen leaned forward and pulled her hand. He removed the lace glove from her hand and slowly interlaced their fingers one by one. His deep green eyes gazed at her.

“If it must be done, I’ll do it.”

“I’ll do it myself.”

“Alright, for ten days starting tomorrow, after lunch, we’ll duel with swords. If you can parry my sword even once, I’ll let you do it alone.”

“Alright, that’s fine. I’m ready to start today.”

“Right now… we should do what married couples do, hmm?”

He stood up from the chair, pulling her up by their interlocked hands. He lowered his tall frame slightly and embraced her.

“Here, I’ll hold you your way.”

He moved rhythmically while holding her, as if dancing. Twirling, he spun her around once, pushing her backwards. He reached out with one hand to open the door. They glided through smoothly.

“Ah.”

“It’s the bedroom. Here, it’ll be my way…”

The bedroom, with its heavy double curtains drawn, was filled with a bluish darkness like the dawn when Patricia had escaped. Harchen cupped her cheek with one hand. He raised his large left hand, showing the back of it in front of her eyes.

“You like my hands, don’t you? Give it a kiss.”

It was indeed the hand Patricia liked. She felt she could look at and touch this hand all day without getting bored. Unlike their appearance, the long fingers were rough with calluses and scars when touched.

The straight, protruding bones looked like they would be cold like smooth sculptures, but they were hot as heated iron when touched. She tilted her head slightly and pressed her lips to the prominent knuckle of his middle finger.

“No, not with your lips. Use something else.”

As he brushed back her fallen golden hair, she looked up at him with upturned eyes.

“Ah, your eyes are too dangerous. I can’t hold back.”

His hands moved dazzlingly. Rustling, the lace and chiffon were lifted. They collapsed together onto the massive bed where Patricia’s wrists had been bound when she was taken prisoner. It was a suffocating afternoon.

*

Patrick couldn’t climb over the stone wall, but Eden and Kin crossed through the darkness.

For a full day, they carefully examined the mine inside the stone walls. They witnessed young children and women being forced to work in harsh conditions.

Unlike minerals mined with iron tools, pyrope garnet was mixed with broken soil.

After male workers blasted with explosives, delicate hands had to carefully sort through the dirt to extract the pyrope garnets – a precise and tedious task. That’s why they needed delicate hands more than male workers.

They slept in groups of about ten in what looked like huts made of woven animal hides.

They were rationed a soup boiled in large iron pots with various ingredients, along with black bread. Even while eating, they spread cloth on their laps to sort garnets.

Three or four men who appeared to be overseers had leather whips coiled in their hands. They would strike the tender backs of slow-moving children at their whim.

As he listened to Eden’s report, Patrick recalled the systematized and clean buildings he had seen around the Kharshik Khao San mines. He felt ashamed and shook with anger.

Since they were isolated from the outside by stone walls and exploited for labor, it also constituted false imprisonment. Human trafficking was certain. The death of Police Chief Kiel, who had been investigating and arresting suspects, was also suspicious.

‘I’ll find out if I go to Luken to investigate. After all, corruption always stinks.’

Patrick followed Calip down to the underground prison.

Outside, the blazing sun was hot enough to scorch one’s scalp, but after turning through old stone walls several times and descending stairs, a damp chill clung to their faces.

They walked for a long time down a narrow, dark corridor.

Calip stopped.

Two braziers with roaring fires were placed in front of the iron bars. Two armed soldiers stood guard beside them. At Calip’s direction, one soldier opened the door with a chilling metallic sound.

Inside the cell, a man sat in a chair with his hands and feet bound by separate chains.

Next to the man was a single-person table with an empty tray, presumably from the man’s meal.

Patrick was a bit surprised as he examined the tray, makeshift bed, and blanket that seemed to have been provided to the prisoner who had committed murder.

“His Highness Prince Patrick of Tane.”

At Calip’s words, the man slumped from the chair onto the dirt floor, kneeling.

“Your Highness, I have committed a capital offense. Please spare my life.”

Eden placed a chair at an appropriate distance from the man. Then he offered the chair to Patrick.

“Your name?”

“It’s Roan.”

Patrick sat in the chair and read aloud the confession written by the man called Roan. The man nodded his head in admiration at the low, clear voice reading.

“But this confession states you received orders from a Lasbur Trading Company executive. What’s the executive’s name?”

“I don’t know. I did it on the suggestion of my colleague Sade.”

“You just asked to be spared. If I spare you, how will you live once you leave here?”

“…”

“Sade, who killed three envoys along with you, was killed by someone. Can you guarantee the same won’t happen to you?”

“…”

“If you return to Luken, will the back alley boss take you in and protect you?”

“…”

“A month ago, there was an incident where the police force in Luken arrested an organization suspected of human trafficking. You must know the inner workings of those alleys well. Do you know Police Chief Kiel?”

“Yes, he was a bothersome… I mean, frustratingly meticulous man.”

“At the Imperial Noble Council meeting, they instead implicated Police Chief Kiel and Imperial Administrator Zenon for embezzlement of public funds and imprisoned them in the underground prison Nyx.”

“That… he’s not the type to embezzle public funds.”

“What’s even more shocking is that he committed suicide without leaving a note.”

“Gasp, that, that’s…!”

“Now, this is currently the safest place for you, so stay here. Then testify based on your confession at the Imperial hearing court. After that, you’ll be free. I’ll even look into finding you a job if you want. How about it, can you testify?”

“Your Highness, please just spare my life. I’ll do anything.”

“Let me ask one more thing. This is from Chief Kiel’s investigation.”

Before departing from Tane, Patrick had met with Zenon Valenti, the administrator from the Kingdom of Torun who was imprisoned in Nyx. Through him, he had heard about the incident in Luken.

He said that while the police force was investigating and arresting an organization that kidnapped and confined young boys, girls, and young women to traffic them somewhere, they were stopped by Duke Parse, the chairman of the Imperial Noble Council. It was an obvious structure and clear route.

“I’m going to Luken now. Where can I meet the boss, Vinen, as quickly as possible?”

“There’s a boy near the fountain in Luken Central Station Square… He’ll guide you.”

“I see. I’ll see you in the capital.”

Patrick gave a warm, humane smile and left the underground prison.

Outside, the angle had tilted slightly, but the sun was still blazing. Patrick made a visor with his hand and looked up at the castle walls.

“Risha is really something. How did she make you climb those walls? Eden, you’re the bad guy here.”

“Why are you suddenly pointing fingers at me?”

“You should have stopped her. And you should have dug an underground tunnel with a shovel.”

*

Patricia was attended to by Annie. She covered her flushed cheeks with light blush. She buttoned up her dress to her neck and wore a cream-colored riding dress with slits on the sides.

Though she checked her appearance in the mirror several times, she still felt disheveled, as if traces of her lovemaking with the emperor were visible, making her face burn.

Just before entering the banquet hall, she glared once more at the emperor who had seduced her into spending a lustful afternoon.

“Mind your gaze.”

The emperor gently rubbed her earlobe with his thumb and whispered in a low voice into her ear.

“We might end up back in the bedroom.”

Have you gone mad, really, Patricia?

It was a thought directed at herself, as her body tingled and melted once again at the emperor’s voice calmly uttering such indecent words.