The Earl of Turnsley’s mansion was modestly built in a place overlooking the farmlands and pastures.

Kasallin was carried in Parnes’s arms to the mansion.

Olivia offered a meal, but Kasallin politely declined.

Having just witnessed the horrific sight of a snake’s head being cut off, her appetite had completely vanished.

“There’s a bedroom prepared upstairs. This way, please.”

Olivia guided them to the room, and Parnes took Kasallin there.

The bedroom had an antique chapel-like atmosphere with a wooden ceiling.

Only when her hips touched the soft bed did Kasallin finally free herself from Parnes’s embrace, and she quickly stopped him as he bent to remove her shoes.

“Your Majesty, it’s fine. I can do it myself.”

“As your husband, it’s only natural for me to do this. Please let me.”

Kasallin slowly lowered her hand, which had hesitated in midair.

In the quiet room, only the irregular sound of untying bootlaces rustled softly.

Parnes removed her outer garments, delicately took out her hairpins, and neatly arranged the bedding.

He performed these seemingly tedious actions with a deeply serious expression, as if they were an important duty.

“You might get hungry at night. Are you sure you don’t want to eat anything?”

“It’s fine. If I feel peckish, I’ll ask Logia to bring me a snack.”

Parnes, who had been gazing at Kasallin’s face for a moment, nodded and stood up.

“Your Majesty has been on a ship for a long time; perhaps you should rest for the night…”

“No, I have much to do. The island is quite large, so there’s a lot to inspect.”

Through the slightly open door, Olivia could be seen pacing outside.

She seemed to be waiting to go on an inspection with Parnes.

“It would be best for you to rest for a couple of days. Fortunately, your ankle isn’t badly injured, but walking rough mountain paths won’t do you any good.”

Kasallin almost apologized for being a burden but closed her mouth.

Given his personality, saying such a thing now would likely backfire.

Parnes, who had been intently watching her hesitating lips without blinking, left the room with a curt “Rest well.”

The fact that she had come all this way to help but ended up being a hindrance stabbed painfully at Kasallin’s heart.

Not only had she caused Parnes worry by being startled by a mere snake, but she had also taken up his precious time, every second of which was valuable.

If it had been Olivia, she would have bravely drawn her sword and dealt with the snake before anyone even noticed.

Instead of returning to the mansion in her husband’s arms like a delicate lady just because of a sprained ankle, she would have had time to leisurely look around.

“Until His Majesty returns, I’ll close my eyes for a bit. Recovering quickly, even a little, is the best way to help.”

Tucking herself under the covers, Kasallin quietly closed her eyes and fell asleep, lulled by the illusion of waves crashing somewhere in the distance.

She thought she had only closed her eyes for a moment, but when she awoke, the once-bright room was cloaked in deep darkness, like midnight.

The moon wasn’t visible tonight, and without a clock in the room, she couldn’t tell what time it was.

With a dry throat, Kasallin let out a small cough and stepped into the chilly corridor.

Had His Majesty returned?

Or was he still out with Olivia? She was thinking this as she turned the corner of the corridor.

“Wait for me when you arrive. I’ll send a letter soon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’m feeling a bit excited for some reason.”

In the dark corner of the corridor, where the only sound should have been the old chandelier swaying in the draft,

the faint voices of Parnes and Olivia made Kasallin freeze, instinctively hiding behind the wall.

“Why am I hiding?”

She knew in her head there was no reason to hide, but her heart was pounding with unprecedented unease.

It shouldn’t be strange for two people who had gone on an inspection together to have a private conversation,

but why were they doing so at this late hour, in a deserted corner, of all places?

And what did he mean by “wait” and “send a letter”?

“What in the world…”

At that moment, the conversation seemed to end, and the heavy sound of Parnes’s boots echoed closer on the corridor floor.

Part of her wanted to confront him about what they were talking about, while another part didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping.

Kasallin deliberately took the stairs leading to the back of the main building to return to her room.

Ignoring her racing heart, she buried her face in the pillow and curled up, when a presence was felt outside the door.

“Are you asleep?”

His voice was just loud enough for someone awake to hear but not enough to wake someone sleeping.

For some reason, Kasallin didn’t feel like responding and pretended to be asleep. Soon, he quietly opened the door and entered.

Step, step.

Parnes slowly approached and stopped right beside the bed.

She desperately wanted to lift her head to see what he was doing, standing there motionlessly for so long.

Then, like a light snowflake gently settling on a leaf, his unusually large hand softly stroked her head.

Without a single word.

“Oh, you’re awake. The weather’s nice again today.”

She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but when she opened her eyes, it was morning, and bright sunlight streamed dazzlingly through the long window.

Logia brought a gently simmered soup with tomatoes and pumpkins and placed it on the bedside table.

“His Majesty insisted that you must have breakfast.”

“Has His Majesty already left?”

“Yes, he seems to have a lot to do. He went out with Miss Olivia at dawn.”

The scene from last night came flooding back.

In the dim corner of the corridor, untouched by a single ray of light, the two of them had been speaking in hushed tones, sharing an incomprehensible conversation.

It felt as though they were discussing a secret no one else was meant to hear.

“Should I ask His Majesty directly?”

But what would she say?

That she overheard him secretly talking with Olivia last night?

Or ask how close he was to Olivia and how long they had known each other?

Or perhaps whether they were really just working when they went on inspections together?

“This… it’s just jealousy, isn’t it?”

Jealousy.

That short word, laden with meaning, made Kasallin’s heart even more confused.

Ever since arriving on this island, every time she saw Olivia, she felt an unrelenting wave of jealousy.

Unlike her, Olivia’s healthy and valiant demeanor seemed to suit Parnes perfectly.

It bothered her that Olivia shared conversations with Parnes about things she didn’t understand.

And though she knew it was inevitable, she couldn’t help feeling resentful that Parnes spent more time with Olivia than with her.

“Miss Logia.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Why do people feel jealous?”

“Huh?”

Kasallin, ignoring the cooling soup, waited earnestly for Logia’s response with a serious expression.

Logia tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden question, then offered a simple answer.

“Jealousy… isn’t it because you want to keep something to yourself?”

“Keep to myself?”

“Yes, because you like them.”

While Kasallin’s eyes scanned the densely packed text of a book on military studies, her mind was elsewhere.

Strangely, the face that came to mind at that moment was Shallen’s.

“How was it with Shallen? Did I feel this way back then?”

She recalled the days when she clumsily wandered the debutante ball in a dainty pink dress.

But she couldn’t remember exactly when or why she started liking Shallen.

Born into a noble family and dreaming of becoming queen, she naturally met him and began a relationship as if it were inevitable.

She hadn’t pondered her feelings, felt anxious, or searched for meaning like she did now.

But now, everything was different.

When Parnes was silent, she wondered what he was thinking.

When he kept his distance, she felt hurt, and she wanted to be closer than just an emperor and empress.

And now, with an impressive woman by his side,

with the possibility that Parnes might naturally feel fond of her,

Kasallin faced a conclusion so simple it rendered all her confusion meaningless.

“I… I like His Majesty.”

Not just as the emperor or a political marriage partner with whom she wanted to get along, but something more—she wanted to claim him for herself.

“Now, of all times, His Majesty…”

“Madam.”

While absentmindedly flipping through the book and muttering to herself, obsessively fidgeting with its edges,

a voice came from outside the door.

Parnes, who usually returned from inspections only after the sun dipped below the horizon, had come back early today for some reason.

At a time when her mind was already tangled, facing him directly felt overwhelming.

Just hearing his voice made her chest tighten, as if tears might spill over.

“I have something important to discuss, so I’m coming in.”

Unaware of her feelings, Parnes opened the door without hesitation.

He must have just arrived, still in his travel clothes, holding a tray of crêpes suzette.

The fresh scent of orange sauce wafted from it, a dish Kasallin often ate when she had no appetite.

“I heard you haven’t touched your meals all day.”

“I wasn’t hungry.”

Kasallin replied, avoiding his gaze.

Parnes let out a long sigh, pulled a chair closer, sat down, and cut the crêpe into bite-sized pieces, offering it to her.

“Eat.”

“It’s fine. I’m not hungry.”

“…Kasallin.”

The fork clinked onto the plate as he called her name in a chillingly low voice.

Kasallin flinched involuntarily.

She knew it was wrong to avoid his gaze and refuse food, but her irritation kept bubbling up.

The thought of him leaving with Olivia at dawn, returning late, and having secretive conversations made her want to act childishly.

It wasn’t like her.

Even in this moment, she hated herself for thinking that Olivia would have brushed off such feelings effortlessly.

“I’ll eat later. You must be busy, so please go.”

“…”

He seemed to stare at her silently for a while before pushing the plate aside and standing up.

“You must eat. I’ll come back tonight.”