To be precise, according to Esellion, Lasillia believed in the fate of being a companion of demons, just as she believed in the life of a prophet, so she accepted the new life as an empress.

But the vivid nightmare, the memory that hoped it wasn’t a dream, messed up Esellion’s mind.
Now, the most vivid thing to him was Lasillia’s tears.

Tears flowed from eyes resembling the tears of God. Perhaps they were tears shed by God. Could it be that he was here because it was what God wished for?

To retrieve the Delarta Prophet.

“…I need to confirm it.”

Esellion abruptly stood up.

“Your Highness? It’s late. What do you mean by confirming? ”

“Is Yenion asleep? Wake him up. We may need to leave this place.”

“Has the support of the Duke been decided?”

“Forget about the support. Even without money, we can win.”

Esellion slipped his arms into the discarded outerwear.

“If the Prophet is by my side.”

“Ah…”

Tion’s face stiffened silently.

Only now did Tion realize what Esellion was trying to do.

“Your Highness, with all due respect, do you now know that the Prophet is the Empress of the Empire?”

Esellion’s answer was short and firm.

“That’s why she needs to be taken along.”

The moonlight of dawn was cool and high.

But beneath it, the Duke’s residence was somehow bustling and excited.

It felt like there were more people who couldn’t sleep than those who were asleep.

Esellion quietly infiltrated into that commotion.

Even though he said he would confirm, he didn’t have the intention to wake up the sleeping Lasillia right away. Instead, he wanted to observe.

It felt like the emperor, mixed with the rude Shadow Knights and the blood of demons, was not forcibly imposing the duties of an empress on Lasillia. His stomach burned at the thought.

The imperial guards standing on guard continued to move, changing their location, but it was not difficult to hide footsteps.

Esellion took a position in a corridor where he could see the bedroom door of Lasillia and concealed himself.

He focused on the sounds coming from the room.

Lasillia might not even know whether she had fallen asleep yet. The occasional sounds of her tossing and turning in the blanket mingled with the rustling of her clothes.

“…?”

Then, the sound of a muffled breath bursting suddenly could be heard.

Lasillia was not alone.

“No way.”

Unintentionally, Esellion’s foot twitched. It was difficult to control as if his body would jump out immediately.

At that moment, a voice stopping his steps echoed.

“Oh no. Are you a pervert?”

“…!”

Even without turning his head, he knew whose rude tone it was.

Esellion, who held his breath so as not to be heard, slowly turned toward Ryan.

“Listening to someone else’s bedroom. Moreover, the bedroom used by the Empress of the Empire. Ah, my mistake. I misspoke. The bedroom used by the imperial couple.”

Veins popped out on his forehead.
Lasillia was not alone. The Emperor was with her. Together, at night, in the bedroom.

The Shadow Knight, who whispered in a small voice, gestured towards me.

“Oh, but I’m sorry, could you come over here a bit more? Her Majesty has ordered the area around the bedroom to be cleared. Her Majesty, the Empress, is quite shy. In case any presence is felt from outside, your night with her might… um, become less enjoyable. I trust you understand what I mean.”

Ryan winked, closing one eye and opening it again.

More than his rude and explicit words, his eye gesture was more impolite.

“Her Majesty has probably already noticed your presence. Nevertheless, since she didn’t say anything, it means she intends to treat Your Highness as a guest. How about returning quietly as a guest, now that there’s only me who noticed Your Highness? If you do that now, Her Majesty the Empress won’t say anything further.”

“I…”

“Yes. You don’t have to make excuses. Please take a look, Your Highness.”

But Esellion wasn’t going to make excuses.

“Your rudeness bothered me. From the beginning.”

“Hmm…? No, wait. Haven’t you fully grasped the situation yet? Are you planning to resolve this with force? It won’t go as you think.”

“I don’t plan to use force. I don’t intend to make excuses either.”

“Uh…? No, this is… Oh no, haven’t you fully understood the situation yet? Are you planning to resolve it with force? It won’t work as you think.”

“I don’t plan to use force. I don’t intend to make excuses either.”

“But Your Highness, I don’t understand why the conversation turned out this way. Why is the Prince of Delarta talking about the Empress of the Empire as if they were one body? Now, when there’s a person who doesn’t matter at all.”

“The Prophet is someone who represents the gods on earth. I cannot tolerate someone like you, imposing the guise of an empress and forcing the duties of a companion upon them. I cannot allow it.”

Ryan squinted his eyes.

Unfortunately, due to Esellion speaking as if he knew something, a mistake occurred.

“Hmm? How did you… Wait, did Her Majesty the Empress say such things to Your Highness?”