Eden and Calip played chess in the reception room next to the banquet hall. Calip lost three games in a row, but they were so expressionless and silent that it was impossible to tell who won or lost.

Just like when they crossed swords, they silently moved their pawns, knights, bishops, and queens in silence.

Patrick, while browsing books in the library, discovered several volumes describing the fortification techniques and architectural styles of the Karsik Empire’s castles and palaces.

He carefully examined the floor plans, raw stones, and minerals with a serious expression.

Eden flipped the hourglass placed next to Calip. When Calip, pondering while holding his queen, admitted defeat, the butler entered.

“I will guide you to the banquet hall.”

As Patrick, Eden, and Calip were wetting their throats with aperitifs, Harchen and Patricia entered the banquet hall.

“Patricia.”

Patrick, about to drink sherry, looked at her intently with a peculiar twist of his lips.

“Ah, sorry for the wait. We decided to go horseback riding to Panaho, but I didn’t have riding clothes…”

“Whew, did Harchen make you riding clothes?”

That fox… He was teasing while knowing.

Patricia glared at Patrick and then asked Eden about the outcome of the chess game with Lord Calip. Eden answered with just a slight nod. As far as she knew, no one could beat him in chess or swordsmanship.

“The lady’s dress was a bit complicated, so I helped her undress and dress.”

At the emperor’s nonchalant answer, Patrick replied calmly but added a laugh at the end.

“That’s true. Lady’s dresses tend to have many ribbons and strings, huh.”

Haa, these men.

Patricia glared sharply at the emperor. He frowned and pressed his hand against her earlobe. Remembering to mind her gaze, she turned her eyes towards Patrick.

“Patrick, let’s go to Panaho together after dinner.”

“I’m planning to go straight to Luken.”

“Luken? Why there?”

“I have something to look into, and Luken is close from here.”

“I know it’s close. I took the train with Lord Eden from Luken.”

The emperor placed his hand on Patricia’s back and said.

“Is this how you reveal your escape route? Patrick, Calip says he wants to go with you?”

“No. Eden and Kin will suffice.”

“Then take a carriage, and have the court physician accompany you.”

“I will follow Harchen’s wishes on that matter.”

During the meal, Patrick mainly asked questions about Karsik fortification techniques, and the emperor and Lord Calip answered sincerely to the best of their knowledge.

In particular, Patrick said he was impressed by the blueprints of Aster Palace and Notos Palace, which were built in a circular shape using raw stones and plate glass.

Patricia described in detail that the bathrooms and bedrooms of Aster Palace had glass ceilings. Patrick asked to be shown Aster Palace when they returned to the capital.

When they went outside after having tea following the meal, the sky was turning yellow.

“Patrick, don’t overdo it and come back as soon as possible.”

Patrick pulled Patricia’s outstretched hand and whispered in her ear as he hugged her.

“Don’t be too nice to Harchen, act like a seductress.”

“Ah, what are you saying, you fox.”

Yes, go ahead and hug a hundred times. I’ll allow up to that.

The emperor smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.

The carriage carrying Patrick and the court physician departed, followed by horses ridden by Eden and Kin.

*

“Let’s head straight to Panaho too.”

Three knights, including Lord Calip, brought horses. Compared to the tall black warhorse Khan, the white horse with a smaller height boasted elegance even from afar with its slender body and long legs.

“Patricia, there’s a legend that if lovers witness the sunset together in the Red Forest, their love will come true.”

“Really?”

“Let’s watch it together today.”

“Ah, what should we do? The Red Forest was our first camp, wasn’t it? That day, when we were setting up tents with Lord Eden, the sun was setting.”

“And?”

Patricia wanted to tease the emperor. She wasn’t sure what Patrick meant by acting like a seductress. Certainly, he had become much more comfortable than before marriage, and she liked it more. She felt the urge to be mischievous and playful with him like she was with Patrick.

“Then, does that mean my love with Lord Eden will come true?”

“Ha, are you trying to mess with me? That bastard isn’t your lover, is he?”

The emperor irritably snatched the reins from Lean’s hand and pulled.

“Do you know how to ride?”

“Of course. I’m really good at it.”

“This is Grace. She’s Khan’s mother and will be gentle. Even the timid Alesia rides her well.”

Patricia gave the white horse time to sniff her scent as it exhaled steam from its nostrils.

A moment later, seemingly liking her scent, it rubbed its head against her waist. Only then did Patricia stroke its mane and then caress its sensitive face, meeting its gaze.

“Hello, Grace. I’m Patricia, pleased to meet you.”

The emperor lifted Patricia by the waist and placed her on the saddle.

“Ah, I could have done it myself. I’m good at riding… Ah.”

The emperor didn’t let go of his hand on her waist, pressing firmly.

“Already, I’m going crazy.”

He pulled her head into his chest.

“By the way, your dress is unusual?”

The dress was made by Eva for Patricia to secretly ride horses after descending from the West Tower in Tane.

At first, Eva was shocked about going outside the West Tower to ride horses, threatening and crying to stop her, but eventually gave up and altered the dress by opening the side seams.

The dress looked a bit shabby, but it was comfortable for horseback riding. She wore what Annie had packed just in case.

“Is it strange?”

It’s quite cute.

The emperor said only that and swiftly turned to mount the black horse Khan.

“Patricia, you look pretty in anything.”

Feeling somewhat teased and embarrassed, Patricia galloped ahead of the emperor. The emperor, Calip, Lean, and Bern followed behind her.

They crossed the drawbridge and galloped towards the outskirts of the castle. The emperor, who had been riding behind Patricia, overtook her as they left the castle.

The three knights – Calip, Lean, and Bern – rode at a distance from the imperial couple.

The emperor rode close behind Patricia’s right side. Her hair streamed out long like sunlight.

Patricia felt refreshed riding a horse after a long time. As they passed a grove of poplar trees, the scent of acacia touched her face.

A lake appeared between the ash trees. She galloped closer to the lake. Waves appeared as the water between the aquatic plants was pushed by the gentle breeze.

“The lake is beautiful. Let’s go around it once.”

“Stop for a moment.”

“What is it? Why should I stop?”

“I’m feeling… I’m going crazy.”

“Hmm, why?”

“I want to kiss you.”

“I don’t want to.”

Patricia smiled brightly and increased her speed, passing the point where aquatic plants were floating.

They passed through a meadow of broad-leaved trees and trees with red berries hanging. They entered a pine forest of straight trees. The fresh smell of the summer forest filled the air.

“Ride slowly. I have something to say.”

As the emperor’s horse slowed down, she also slowed down and matched his pace, riding as if walking.

She turned her head away from the emperor who was saying such things with a calm face. While blushing. The emperor spoke with a serious expression.

“Ride slowly by my side. We need to watch the sunset together in the Red Forest.”

“I’m not the type to believe in such things.”

“I’m serious.”

Patricia spurred her horse and galloped. When they had ridden more than halfway around the lake surrounded by various trees, plants, and wildflowers, the sun began to set.

Patricia slowed her horse.

“Harchen…”

She turned back and waited for the emperor galloping from afar.

“The sun is setting. The forest is turning red.”

A red glow spread across the lake surface as if red paint had been poured. The trunks of poplar trees touched the lake surface, stirring the sunset seeping into the lake.

Patricia, riding between the red sunset, looked back.

“Harchen… Come quickly. If you catch me… I’ll give you a kiss.”

“A kiss alone won’t be enough.”

“It seems your warhorse Khan doesn’t want to catch up with his mother Grace.”

Patricia’s clear laughter spread through the sunset. The emperor kicked Khan’s side hard and galloped at full speed.

“Just wait until I catch you.”

They circled the lake once. The sky and lake that had been spreading red sank into a blue hue. The point where the lake ended was also where it began.

Patricia liked that the end and beginning were the same place. And she was always confused. Should she call it the end, or the beginning?

Patricia looked back, thinking about going around once more. The emperor was right behind her. Seeing the handsome man’s broad shoulders, she abandoned the thought of going around again and turned her body sharply.

At that moment, dozens of white birds flew towards Patricia.

“Harchen, white birds are flying towards us… Ha! Huk, ha, Harchen.”

“…Patricia!”

Harchen saw it. At the point where the lake ended, Patricia stopped her galloping horse. As usual, she turned to look at him with that smile that made viewers’ hearts flutter.

“If I catch you, I’ll lay you down in the grass.”

Just as Harchen reached out to grab her, dozens of white birds flew towards her from the left. Between the wings of the white birds, two white arrows flew.

“Patricia!”

One arrow pierced the thigh of the white horse Grace, and the other pierced Patricia’s shoulder. Patricia collapsed helplessly into the grass.

“Cal, Calip…!”

Harchen jumped off Khan. Thump thump thump. He couldn’t think of anything as if his heart and head were being hammered with an iron mallet. Everything went dark. He held Patricia in the darkness. He called her name in the darkness.

Calip, Lean, and Bern, the three knights, saw it.

The beautiful couple galloped along the lakeside as the sun set red.

When leaving Pana Castle, the emperor had called the three knights and said:

“I’d prefer if you didn’t follow. If you must follow, keep your distance.”

So they watched from afar, smiling as the two played a childish game of catch me if you can. Lean, who had sharp ears, said:

“His Majesty says he’s going to lay the Empress down in the grass?”

“Should we cover the grass for them? Or should we cover our eyes?”

“Hahaha. To think His Majesty would show such a side.”

When they had gone around the lake once, the sun set.

In the blue-green evening of summer after the sunset had faded.

When the Empress who had been leading stopped and turned to gallop towards the Emperor, dozens of white birds and two arrows flew towards the Empress simultaneously.

“White bird arrows! Lean, 3 o’clock direction, Bern, 7 o’clock direction.”

“…Cal, Calip…!”

Calip approached the emperor who was holding Patricia.

“It’s a poisoned arrow.”

The Empress’s face turned purple in an instant. Calip quickly bent the arrow stuck in her delicate shoulder sideways and examined where it had pierced the skin. The skin was in the process of turning purple.

“Your Majesty, I apologize. To remove the poison, I need to suck the Empress’s shoulder…”

Calip knelt in front of Patricia and tried to grab her shoulder.

“Move aside, Calip… I’ll do it.”

“…Your Majesty!”

Harchen leaned Patricia against his thigh and pulled out the arrowhead. Purple liquid pooled in the hole where the arrowhead had been.

He immediately sucked deeply with his mouth and spat onto the ground. He took a deep breath and repeated sucking until the skin swelled and spitting.

The purple color disappeared from her skin, but her face was still purple. Harchen took off his cravat and tightly tied it around her shoulder and armpit as if cutting them. Her hand, cut off from blood flow, swelled white.

He mounted Khan carrying Patricia. He galloped fiercely, almost frighteningly. As soon as they arrived at Pana Castle, he looked for the court physician.

“Court physician, butler. Call the court physician.”

“Your Majesty. The court physician went to Luken with Prince Patrick.”