Then, a rather sharp whistle sound came from between Patricia’s lips, and a white eagle quickly descended at low altitude.

As the large bird’s wings approached the window, a black shadow suddenly fell. The sound of wings flapping fiercely, as if about to enter the window, was loud.

Startled by the wind, the maids fled to the inner part of the reception room.

The white eagle landed on the windowsill.

Patricia stroked the eagle’s head and held out a piece of chicken. She attached the paper she had been holding in her palm to the string tied to the eagle’s leg and lowered its feathers.

The frightened maids stood in the back of the reception room until the eagle finished eating a plate of chicken and flew away, its eyes gleaming.

Even after the eagle had flown away, Patricia sat idly on the windowsill.

Patricia, who had imagined jumping out the window dozens of times to swim across the moat and climb the castle walls, told the maids that she was uncomfortable not wearing pants underneath.

“If there’s any spare fabric, I’d like you to make me a pair of pants.”

She promised to keep it a secret from the emperor and not wear them in front of him. The maids stood Patricia up and roughly measured her size with their hands.

In less than an hour, they quickly made a simple pair of pants.

Due to the shackles, the left side that couldn’t fit her leg was slit open on the side seam and tied with a string. Patricia immediately put on the pants in front of the maids.

As a thank you, she performed an impromptu dance called the “Dance of the Pants.” It was a dance that consisted of nothing more than kicking her arms and legs high into the air.

“Hohoho.”

“Princess, you have such a cute side to you.”

The maids’ hearts melted at the sight of the frolicking princess, after seeing her pitiful appearance clinging to the windowsill with bare legs like a naked person.

Above all, the princess shone like a golden sun and was beautiful.

“Harchen, Harchen, Harchen, Harchen!”

The sound of calling for the emperor was heard at the front gate. Patricia put her hand on the windowsill and looked down.

Emperor Karsik entered through the arched castle gate riding a massive black warhorse.

He took off his gauntlets and ahme. He ran his hand through his forward-swept black hair to tidy it as he looked up.

Patricia, forgetting her own circumstances, stared down at the dazzling handsome man, captivated even from afar.

She had wanted to see the outstanding swordsmanship of this exceptional man that Patrick had praised endlessly. As it happened, when Patrick was suffering from severe pain, Patricia had disguised herself as Patrick and gone to the Tane Academy.

It was a swordsmanship class. She was told that for the weak-bodied Patrick, simply observing the swordsmanship class would count as attendance. She had been promised it would be the last time attending in his place, and all she had to do was sit under the awning.

The crown prince’s swordsmanship was refined. It was agile, and his restrained movements captivated the eye. With precisely calculated positions of his arms and sword, he pressed down on his opponent’s sword and dominated even the space around them. There was not a single opening.

Harchen would either disarm his opponent or pierce the pig bladder filled with pig’s blood tied to their waist with his sword, then turn to Patrick, or rather Patricia disguised as Patrick, and smile arrogantly.

Had she fallen for him?

She had.

She had fallen for his lean, muscular waist, his overflowing vitality, his handsome face.

At the same time, she despised him. Or perhaps it was jealousy.

Is there a god? If so, she wanted to ask. Are you fair?

On what basis and principle did you impose on us the unwanted yoke of twins?

If she could have been aware in her mother’s womb, she would never have stolen Patrick’s nutrients.

The one who possessed all the vitality Patrick lacked, and the freedom and light she herself did not have. She stared coldly at the crown prince of Karsik, who smiled arrogantly as if he had the whole world in his grasp.

She loathed him, shining like Apollo, the god of sun and light.

Harchen walked towards the awning, drinking water from a canteen wrapped in a handkerchief handed to him by a lady with a lace parasol. He sat down next to Patricia and tapped her shoulder. His hand strength was so great that her shoulder was pushed aside.

For someone who had just defeated thirteen opponents, his breathing wasn’t even disturbed.

“Patrick, did you watch well? Only one left now.”

Patricia felt an indescribable strange emotion along with rising irritation at the intense heat and strong, heavy male scent that suddenly enveloped her.

‘He must have shown this side to Patrick. He must have unintentionally revealed his vitality and light.’

“Tane’s swordsmanship is still pathetic. Patrick, let’s go to the Poeni tavern after I finish off this last one.”

“Isn’t using pig’s blood in bladders too barbaric?”

“What’s with the sudden concern? Huh? Patrick, your face has gotten even paler.”

As Harchen took off his gauntlet and was about to grab her cheek with his bare hand, Patricia abruptly stood up from her chair. Flustered by the sudden heat and intense male scent seeping in, she pushed Harchen away.

Patricia turned and left the outdoor swordsmanship arena without saying goodbye.

*

The emperor galloped across the drawbridge. He stopped in front of the main castle building without dismounting and looked up.

When his eyes met Patricia’s, who was looking down at him from the third-floor window, he saluted by placing his long index and middle fingers diagonally between his eyebrows.

Patricia spun around abruptly.

After contemplating where to greet the emperor, she sat as straight as possible on the sofa in the reception room.

‘Get a grip, Patricia.’

The sound of men murmuring, reporting something and asking questions, followed by quick footsteps coming up the stairs, could be heard.

Shortly after, the door to the reception room burst open.

“We present His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of the Empire, the Undying Flame, the Golden Sun!”

The two maids announced in unison, enunciating each word clearly as if clapping their hands. Patricia silently bowed her head and upper body slightly.

“Princess, you didn’t run away?”

“Huh? Well, no.”

“I’ll wash up and come back.”

“What?”

‘Why is he telling me he’s going to wash up?’

Patricia had expected the emperor to start interrogating her as soon as he arrived, so she was taken aback when he said he was going to wash up. She tried to question it, but the emperor either didn’t hear or ignored her as he strode across the reception room.

The emperor dismissed the attendants who were trying to follow him to assist and went to the dressing room alone.

After the butler and maids left, Patricia neatly folded the pants the maids had made for her and hid them under the bed sheets.

Patricia sat on the windowsill and carefully observed the soldiers guarding the castle walls and gates gathering in the courtyard in front of the gate to change shifts.

She estimated the time it took for the soldiers to come down from each tower, cross the drawbridge, and reach the front of the gate for the shift change.

‘It’s enough. I can do it.’

She clenched her fist as she calculated the path down to the moat, the width of the moat, and the distance to the yew tree. She looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath.

A red sunset spread across the early summer sky. Soon, the surface of the lake turned red, and the sunset spread all the way down.

Click.

The door connected to the dressing room opened. The emperor came out, dripping water as he hadn’t properly dried his hair.

The emperor was pressing a towel against his hair when his eyes met Patricia’s, who was glancing at the water dripping on the floor. He frowned and gave her a cold look.

“I thought the princess would be waiting.”

‘What is that supposed to mean? Who said I was waiting?’

Patricia was about to retort but bit the inside of her lip nervously at his cold expression. The belt of his black silk robe was untied.

Her gaze fell on the muscles rising symmetrically on either side of his deeply carved center, and she blushed, quickly turning her head away.

At Patricia’s reaction, the emperor looked down. Only then realizing he wasn’t properly dressed, he gritted his teeth.

Harchen, you’ve lost your mind.

The butler and attendants knocked and entered from outside the reception room. As they were about to unload the dishes from the movable tray, the emperor stopped them.

“Move the entire table closer to the window.”

Since the princess seems to like the window. He didn’t say the last part out loud as he went into the dressing room, drying his hair with the towel.

While issuing operation orders for the Tane follow-up expedition at the Tamil Valley military camp and handling imperial affairs, the emperor felt an inexplicable hostility and was on edge. Anger welled up suddenly.

When he mounted his warhorse heading for Pana Castle, the intense emotions seemed to calm down. By the time the walls of Pana Castle came into view, his heart was pounding and he felt excited.

When his eyes met the princess looking out the window, his heart sank.

But when she turned away coldly, an anger he had never experienced before surged up.

How dare she turn her back on me.

He was irritated by the princess’s indifferent back, as if pouring cold water on his burning heart.

The attendants moved the table closer to the window and set out the dishes. The emperor, having changed his clothes, came to the window and sat in the chair pulled out by an attendant.

After waiting for the emperor to sit, the butler pulled out the chair for Patricia.

Patricia turned to the butler, slightly bowing her head and saying thank you.

“I’m not sure if it will be to Your Highness’s liking, as we didn’t know what kind of food you prefer, so we prepared several options.”

“Butler, remember that although she is a princess, she is still a prisoner.”

The emperor spoke in a cold voice, staring intently at Patricia as she smiled faintly at the butler.

“Yes? Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Everyone, leave.”

The emperor ordered even the butler, attendants, and knights who were trying to serve the meal to leave.

Patricia tensed up and buttoned up her collar in response to the emperor’s icy voice that seemed to freeze the relaxed atmosphere.

The emperor’s shirt was the same as the one Patricia was wearing. Though it was the same shirt, the impression was completely different.

On the broad-shouldered emperor, it fit perfectly, tight across the chest revealing the contours of his muscles. In contrast, it was too big and loose on Patricia, with the shoulder seams falling down to her forearms.

“Princess, you seem quite at ease.”

Smiling at the butler and all.

“Pardon?”

The emperor frowned slightly. Patricia was about to respond but chose to remain silent.

‘At ease, he says. How does he think I feel being held captive here? If only time would pass quickly… Yes, once I leave here, I’ll never have to see him again.’

She clenched her hands tightly on her lap, her nails digging into her palms.

“Let’s eat.”

Patricia looked at the excessively prepared dishes with a troubled expression before tearing off a piece of butter-scented white bread and dipping it in the clear soup. She didn’t touch any of the other dishes. This was her usual eating habit.

The emperor, watching her with a displeased expression, pulled the plate of foie gras in front of her towards himself and cut off a piece to put in his mouth.

“Tane is known for its poisons. There are no poisons in my empire, so eat comfortably.”