“Right, what should I do…!” Dion’s voice was full of desperation, but Heidi burst into a giggle.

“Looking at your face, I can tell what’s going on. You lost track of His Majesty, didn’t you?”

“How… how did you know…!”

“Whenever you have that gloomy face, it’s always about our unpredictable Emperor.”

Her tone was as if it were nothing serious, as if comforting a crying child with a candy would solve the problem.

Dion, holding onto some hope, asked, “So… where might he have gone this time…?”

“That’s a strange question. How would I know?”

“… What?”

Dion’s brief glimmer of hope was bluntly dashed by Heidi’s straightforward answer. She just idly twirled the newly peeled banana and added indifferently.

“Just leave it. Has there ever been a time when he disappeared and was found?”

“But His Majesty has never even tried to look for himself!”

“Well, I don’t try because I know I won’t find him. Life is short enough; live wisely, Dion.”

Despite Dion’s continued protests, Heidi remained unperturbed, even amused.

Did she find his frantic efforts so enjoyable?

Eventually, Dion couldn’t contain his frustration and blurted out.

“Why… Why do you keep laughing? Do you find my struggle that amusing?”

“Well, it’s not that I don’t find it amusing, but I just realized he must have actually found her. Otherwise, why would he disappear like he’s lost his mind?”

“His first love, you mean?”

“He denies it, but yeah.”

“I agree.”

Dion, forgetting his anger, nodded vigorously. Considering his recent exertions, the current situation wasn’t entirely surprising.

But understanding and acceptance are different realms. He just wanted to escape this situation as soon as possible.

So, he reached out, hoping against hope. But what Dion overlooked was that Ian and Heidi shared the same blood.

She seemed ready to end the call soon.

“Anyway, I’ll consider it given up and move on, Dion.”

“Just a minute! His Majesty also left without his Helios!”

Dion’s trump card made Heidi pause. However, she quickly came up with a wise solution.

“Then leave it to Sakin. Last time I saw, Helios was somewhat listening to him. Smart horses are less of a headache. Now, we’re really done, right?”

“No! I still have a lot to say-.”

“Sorry, I’m a bit busy right now.”

“Don’t lie! You just find me bothersome!”

“I like that you’re quick to catch on. But I can’t let my precious maseok (magic stone) wear out over your tantrums. You know we have to conserve it, right? The royal family has to set an example. So, this is goodbye.”

“No, wait! Don’t…!”

Pop.

The screen abruptly turned off. The room was suddenly empty and cold. Silence filled the void.

Dion stared blankly into space and then, suddenly, started laughing like a madman.

“Ha ha, huh… ha ha ha! Ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!”

The scene of the unhinged advisor didn’t last long. Only a desperate, despair-filled scream echoed in the room.

“I want to go homeeeee!”

The same wallpaper filled her view for days now.

How long had it been since Helena fell asleep again? It was impossible to tell if it was a few hours, a day, or two, but strangely, her body felt lighter.

Was it relief? Was it a feeling of refreshment?
Helena felt as if she had shaken off something heavy that had been pressing down on her lower abdomen. The monster that seemed to always be ready to devour her appeared to have shrunk a bit.

“How strange.”

In the midst of this peculiar feeling, she lay still, only moving her eyes, when she heard a faint sound of water. It was coming from the shower room next door.

Since the person who usually occupied her line of sight was not in the room, it seemed that he was showering.

Helena first sat up as if following a series of steps, and then remained in that position for quite some time. The monotonous sound of water stopped and started intermittently.

It was only after about five minutes that she managed to lift herself off the bed. Helena looked for her slippers on the floor.

Suddenly, something brushed against her foot.

At first, she thought it was a black bottle that had rolled out of her bag, but upon closer thought, she realized she had no memory of buying such a thing.

Meanwhile, the bottle rolled back toward her. Unless the ground had suddenly tilted, there was no way for it to return on its own.

So, it wasn’t a bottle. It was something far more heinous than a bottle could ever be.

It had about eight legs and was large, hairy, and monstrous – a spider. The memory of it crawling up her skirt when she was young was still vivid in her mind.

Helena, almost reflexively, let out a scream. Almost simultaneously, the door burst open.

“What’s the matter!”

Startled, she was stepping backward when Ian unexpectedly scooped her up in his arms.

Helena clung to his shoulders as if climbing a mountain. His strong arms supported her, but she felt insecure. It felt like she would die if her feet touched the ground.

Ian, realizing the situation, moved.

“There’s a bug.”