“Bree!”

Patricia tried to bring her left hand to her lips to whistle. But she couldn’t put strength in her hand. She just needed to pinch her lower lip slightly with her thumb and index finger.

“Haa.”

“Why don’t you make your third request?”

Berk, who had been staring down at her, said with a rather serious expression.

Patricia was already mortified to be in the arms of a Heun hunter, but asking him to hold her lips made her want to die of embarrassment. However, there was no other way. It was better to quickly get Bree to come down and read the letter.

“Help me whistle.”

“Gladly.”

Berk tilted his head and blatantly stared as if trying to gauge the position of her lips.

“It’s a bit annoying. Don’t stare.”

“You’re quite picky for someone asking a favor.”

Berk said, placing his index finger on Patricia’s lower lip.

“I’ll collect the payment for the three favors all at once.”

He naturally held her lower lip with his thumb and middle finger.

Whistle, whistle.

The white eagle that had been gliding low descended quickly.

‘Ah, it’ll hurt if Bree lands on her shoulder.’

Berk extended his bent forearm towards the eagle descending at a fierce speed and whistled three short times.

Bree, who had hesitated in mid-air at the whistle sound, slowly lowered its rough and strong feet onto his forearm.

This guy can basically communicate with eagles. And yet he dared to touch my lips. Hah, what kind of person is he really?

Berk brought the eagle’s beak close to Patricia’s face to let it smell her. She rubbed her nose against Bree’s beak and put her weak hand between its wings.

Berk retrieved the letter from under Bree’s wing with familiar hand movements and unfolded it in front of her eyes.

“My dear Risha.

How’s your memory? Surely you’re not still only looking for and longing for me? I’d be fine with it, but I feel sorry for Harchen. I didn’t expect his jealousy and possessiveness to be so strong.

I’m in the Retman County. Dozens of people who share my intentions have gathered here. All the witnesses who agreed to testify have arrived.

The kings of the seven Tane principalities have gathered and kissed the back of my hand.

Tomorrow, starting with the luncheon celebrating the Empress’s birth, we’ll proceed with our plans. After handling administrative and legal matters, I’ll go to Riswan.

As I told you, I’ll propose to Princess Carolina. Cheer for me.

Risha, don’t try to remember the unpleasant past. I’m quite satisfied with the present Risha who only remembers me, haha, is that too greedy?

Patrick, who loves you.”

Berk had expected the connection between twins to be special, but actually reading the letter felt like his insides were being scraped with metal shards.

‘Does jealousy arise even between blood relatives?’

Berk silently carried Patricia and placed her on the bed. Patricia couldn’t be certain if he had read the letter, but she noticed that something had upset him.

He turned around wordlessly and leaped out the window.

‘Why is he acting like that? Well, it’s only the first floor anyway.’

As Patricia tremblingly pulled the bell cord with her left hand, there was a knock and Bern entered.

“Your Majesty, are you awake? I’ll call for a maid.”

“Lord Bern. There’s a white eagle on the terrace. Please get a turkey or chicken for it.”

“Ah, that eagle was flying over the White Palace. It found Your Majesty, as expected.”

“How is Eva doing?”

“Her side seems to be healing somewhat, but her right hand is in terrible condition.”

“Bern, bring me some tree branches I can use for hand exercises. I can make a fist, but I can’t put strength in my hand.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll get food for the eagle and be right back.”

Bern opened the door, let in two maids for morning service, and went to the dining room.

*

Berk rode a white horse along the steep mountain path. At some point, his subordinate Bee followed.

Bee had been uneasy since the moment the captain sent a white bird towards the Empress Dowager just before leaving the reception room in the imperial palace.

It was Bee’s first time at the imperial palace too. Even just the shadow of the Empress Dowager behind the screen looked imposing. When answering on behalf of the captain, his voice trembled unlike his usual self.

They had saved the Empress on the brink of death and cleaned up the messy aftermath neatly. They didn’t expect rewards or lavish treatment. Yet the Empress Dowager treated them like barbarians.

Putting up a screen, really.

They weren’t plague-ridden or serious criminals.

The white bird arrows of the Heun hunters were famous, so the great nobles tried to win them over as their subordinates, sometimes even resorting to threats.

Berk reacted especially sensitively after facing such great nobles.

Though he didn’t reveal his inner thoughts, he would go deeper into the mountains alone and stay still like a rock for three or four days before returning. It was fortunate if he just stayed put and came back, but the captain would recklessly throw and damage his body.

He was always scraped, burst, and scratched all over. There was even a winter when open wounds festered and inflammation spread.

When the captain got injured or wounded, he laughed as if he couldn’t feel pain. He treated himself recklessly, as if contemplating how to damage or eliminate himself more severely.

“Captain, don’t go too far. There are people from the imperial palace, you know. And the Empress is unwell.”

Bee blurted out whatever he could to stop the captain’s wandering. Berk galloped into a meadow between rock walls and leaped off his horse.

“Captain!”

Berk fell onto the tough meadow grass. Bee, who had jumped off after him, let the horses loose and sat beside the captain.

“Bee. Find a sword at the blacksmith’s and bring it to the Empress.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Berk looked up at the deep blue sky that resembled Patricia’s eyes.

Patrick, Patricia. Rickrisha, Patrick.

Berk recalled the contents of Patrick’s letter.

“Bee, deliver this through the guard captain returning to the palace.”

“What should I say?”

“Tell the Emperor of the Karsic Empire to come here himself to fetch the Empress. Also say that I’ll speak directly to the Emperor about the compensation for my efforts.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Patrick, you’ve enjoyed plenty all this time. So now, you should yield. He smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.

*

Emperor Kazan was intoxicated by the medicinal effects until he arrived at Trier on the outskirts of the capital.

The purple tea Pamila gave him tasted sweet. It smelled of ripe peaches and dried roses. Sometimes it even tasted of earth.

Kazan knew that the mysterious taste and aroma was poison.

But he couldn’t refuse the tea. If he refused to drink it, Pamila’s face, as gorgeous as a red rose, would contort, and she would push him away with cold hands while wearing an icy smile. He was afraid of that cold and indifferent touch.

After swallowing the tea with its sweet and spicy nature, everything became comfortable. His chest felt peaceful and visible objects became clear.

It was as if all the sins he had accumulated in the past were washed away with white, fluffy foam. Bright and beautiful things filled the space where gloomy emotions had disappeared.

He developed a slight fever and his heart raced. Everything looked new and hopeful. Even the floral patterns on the colorful wallpaper seemed to come alive and sway in the wind.

“Pamila, don’t abandon me. The Tane Empire will be Chris’s.”

Kazan burrowed into Pamila’s warm and soft embrace like an abandoned little boy. Pamila embraced him like soft, clinging silk.

On the day he arrived in Trier, Kazan was attended to by the chamberlain.

Pamila wasn’t visible, but he didn’t ask about her. Everything was bothersome, and his body felt like it would sink, flowing down like a sticky liquid.

He went to bed without even drinking his usual tea.

He had come all the way to the Karsic Empire with his weakened body. On the night of the royal wedding, a mad old woman had lunged at him with a dagger, intent on killing him. Kazan saw the black pupils remaining like a crack below the flashing whites of her eyes.

Where have I seen those eyes before?

“You haven’t forgotten the sin you committed on the day the twins were born, have you? I’ll end your filthy life myself.”

It gave him goosebumps just thinking about how that blind old woman had managed to enter the bedroom. Fortunately, Duke Parse, who had been in the reception room, heard the commotion and entered the bedroom to subdue the madwoman.

Kazan recalled the blue dagger that had failed to reach his neck.

It was a rondel dagger with a platinum-decorated handle inlaid with a green emerald. It wasn’t a common item. No, that dagger was originally one he used to carry.

But why was it with that mad old woman? He clearly remembered giving that dagger to someone.

Kazan couldn’t delve deeper into his thoughts and fell asleep.

It was a night without poison seeping into his veins. Without dreams or hallucinations, he sank into a black abyss. He fell deeply into sleep, like a night of black water.

The dry and clean wind of Karsic entered through the window. Kazan opened his eyes.

It was clear, inside his head.

Usually when he woke up, it always felt heavy as if covered in fog. The dreams and hallucinations that had tormented him all night pulled at his tangled hair.

But it was clean and refreshing, without dreams or hallucinations.

Kazan looked to the side. Pamila wasn’t visible. He pulled the bell cord.

“Your Majesty, did you cough?”

The chamberlain who had been waiting at the Trier lodgings entered.

“Where’s Pamila?”

The chamberlain hesitated for a moment before answering.

“She said she would change carriages to visit the Kaosan mine site on the way here yesterday. She was supposed to come here today.”

“Duke Parse too?”

Kazan realized he had said something that could cause misunderstanding after the words left his mouth. However, rumors about Pamila and Duke Parse had already spread throughout the palace, not just to the chamberlain.

“Duke Parse arrived late last night and is sleeping in his lodgings.”

That’s a relief at least.

“I’ll have breakfast with Prince Chris, prepare it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After the chamberlain left, Kazan was attended to by servants.

He washed his body refreshingly for once. It felt like all the fatigue, anxiety, and unpleasant feelings that had accumulated were washed away completely.

Chris, who had been waiting in the breakfast room, felt uncomfortable sitting across the table alone with his father. He was on edge after hearing from the chamberlain that Pamila hadn’t returned to her lodgings.

As far as Chris knew, Pamila had a great interest in the Kaosan gold mine. That’s why she wanted to intervene directly in the trade group, but the Lasbur family hadn’t allowed it, as he understood.

Kazan drank an aperitif before emptying his plates starting with the appetizers. After silently tasting the dishes in order, he put down his cutlery. Chris, who had no appetite to begin with, finished breakfast in sync with the emperor.

The emperor moved to the dessert room. When the chamberlain lit a cigar for him, he accepted it. Kazan ordered the chamberlain to bring his sword from the bedroom. When the chamberlain brought the sword, he unsheathed it from its scabbard.

“Chris, sharpen this blade yourself right here. After sharpening the sword, we go to Tane.”