“Nonsense. Even if you’re immature, you should know what’s important.”

“Beep!”

It was a scold to stop stating the obvious.

Rescal dropped Pippi onto the bed.

“If you’re going to act like a stupid pet bird, crawl back into an egg and sleep. There’s no reason to trust you.”

“Beep! Beep!”

Pippi puffed up its feathers, saying it was the same for him, as he hadn’t been by her side either.

Rescal had nothing to say to that.

After briefly turning his head away, Rescal spoke.

“Seems I should move back to the room next door. Even if you’re angry with me, I should stay close.”

“Beep!”

Pippi said from now on, it would protect her so he wouldn’t be needed, but Rescal ignored it.

“Go tell Ferson. From now on, I will use the room next to the empress.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ryian quickly disappeared.

It was an order, but he probably also wanted to report that he had avoided punishment from Serven.

“Beepbeep.”

Pippi nuzzled its head against Rasilia, grumbling. It promised it wouldn’t be apart again.

“Beep? Beep!”

It mentioned that it hadn’t yet completed its revenge. Told him to bring Dekan to the palace too.

Rescal looked at the bird, smaller than his palm, with disbelief.

“Dekan has something to do.”

“Beep!”

“We need to find out who’s behind today’s events.”

“Beep!”

That’s something you should do yourself, it chided. If you’re relying on one person, what’s the point of being an emperor?

“Don’t act like you know what an emperor is. It’s not funny.”

Between the two, Rasilia had to clench her jaw muscles to hold back laughter.

Both were acting just like in her dreams, but because there were no storms or flying sparks, she felt like laughing.

‘Both are doing the same thing.’

Since they were made from the same heart, they had to be the same.

Suddenly, such a thought came to her.

‘Ah, does that mean… he’s the same as Pippi?’

The feeling of liking, worrying, caring, and begging for more affection—was it the same?

Even if Bluemoon disappeared, would the instinct to be together also disappear?

“……”

Guilt mixed into her gaze as she looked at the emperor arguing with Pippi.

‘So, is he pouring his heart into the wrong person?’

Why did that make her feel so sorry, and her heart hurt?

A day passed, and Dekan arrived at the palace.

(This is a time separator.)

There were scars all over Dekan’s face.

Rasilia unconsciously looked at Pippi. Pippi nodded its head proudly, then suddenly flew over and pecked Dekan on the top of his head.

“Pippi!”

When Rasilia shouted, Pippi looked back at her and screeched sharply.

“Beep!”

It meant, don’t stop me.

Wiping the blood trickling down his forehead as if giving up, Dekan sighed in response.
“It’s alright. This much is bearable.”

Dekan had already been disciplined. As the only sorcerer within the empire, he couldn’t fully step away from his role with the Silver Shield, but he had been told he was demoted by one rank and his salary was cut for six months.

It was still a lenient penalty. Serben had been subject to a oneyear salary cut. Naturally, he became a lowranking knight in the imperial guard.

So, Ryan had to financially support Serben for a year, and he seemed surprisingly pleased about it.

According to Ryan, he could delegate all household chores and odd jobs to Serben as a result. He even fired three employees from the mansion.

“That should be punishment enough. Pipi, come back. Stop bothering.”

“Pipi….”

Pipi grumbled and sat on Rasilia’s shoulder.

Even though he had viciously pecked at others’ faces, he rubbed his head against Rasilia, pretending to be cute.

“Do you have any cold medicine?”

Dekan asked, bowing his head. He looked very remorseful.

“Pipi!”

Pipi scolded the person who had pretended to administer medicine.

“Pipi.”

Rasilia, worried that Pipi might go harass Dekan again, held Pipi and stroked him.

“I’m much better now. But I heard you have something to say to me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Before reporting to Rescal, Dekan sought out Rasilia.

While investigating the royal tailor, he found something suspicious and wanted to hear what Rasilia had experienced.

“What exact symptoms did the First Lady of the Imperial Harem and Lord Sigres show?”

“Their eyes were bloodshot. But they didn’t lose their wits. They seemed to be thinking in a twisted manner. As if they had no other choice.”

“That aligns with what both said. The royal tailor insisted that he had to take your measurements, and both seemed convinced they had no other choice.”

“They kept repeating the same thing. Like people with a singular purpose.”

“I see… They might have been manipulated by a power that controls thoughts. But the royal tailor was an ordinary man. Given the side effects he couldn’t endure, someone might have temporarily imbued him with this power.”

“A power that isn’t sorcery?”

“Yes. No sorcery I know of has such an effect.”

“If it’s not sorcery, what about divine power?”

“Divine power is simpler than sorcery. It heals, restores, and delivers the word of God. It can’t control people’s thoughts.”

“Then it must be magic…”

But that couldn’t be the answer either.

To use magic, one needed a magic circle. To draw a magic circle, one needed chalk, and one needed to be a seasoned magician to handle these tools.

An ordinary man who had been a loyal royal tailor for decades couldn’t suddenly use magic.

“Yes. Above all, magic affects objects. There’s no magic that can directly infiltrate a person’s mind. The closest thing would be illusion magic, but neither of them saw illusions.”

“Then it’s a power we don’t know.”

Dekan nodded.

“Yes. So, there’s only one conclusion.”

“And what’s that?”

“It might be ancient magic. Something that no longer exists.”