“What brings you here?”

Herman, who was carefully looking around my room, hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“The House of Ilaizer sent you an invitation as well.”

“An invitation?”

“I heard there will be a birthday celebration for the Duchess of Ilaizer soon. It seems they invited elder sister for that reason.”

Despite Cayden’s kind explanation, the questions in my mind didn’t disappear.

He came all the way here to deliver that? Isn’t that even stranger?

“Did you come to give me that invitation? You could have sent a servant for such a thing…”

“A letter came along with the invitation.”

A letter? Would there be any reason for a letter to come from the Ilaizer family?

I raised my gaze to examine the envelopes in Herman’s hand. One was a silver envelope and the other was pink.

I don’t think the Duchess would put the invitation in a pink envelope, so the pink one is probably the letter…

Could it be from Daisy?

“Father came because he was worried about elder sister, right?”

It was then that Cayden’s gentle voice was heard.

What worry.

As I was about to wave my hand to say it wasn’t like that, Herman cleared his throat awkwardly and replied.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Pardon?”

A sharp voice escaped through my teeth.

…So Cayden was right? He really came because he was worried about me?

“I asked if you were hurt anywhere.”

“Ah, no. I’m fine.”

I answered while suppressing a laugh that was trying to escape through my teeth.

Even when I woke up in Rosebelia’s body and was sick for a whole day, he didn’t come to check on me.

I thought something terrible would happen if he came to this room, but I guess that wasn’t the case.

“Elder sister is a strong person, so I believed she would return safely from this subjugation without injury.”

“Vivian believed that too.”

How do they choose such beautiful words?

I felt a strong urge to pat Cayden and Vivian’s heads. Unable to actually reach out, I just curled my fingertips futilely.

“…There’s nothing else strange?”

“No, sir.”

“If perhaps… Never mind, I’ll be going now.”

Herman’s gaze, which seemed about to turn away, settled on Vivian.

“Vivian, don’t eat too many sweets. Understood?”

While putting on a stern face, his voice was endlessly affectionate.

Yes, that’s the Herman I knew.

Always infinitely kind to Vivian, while always sending disapproving looks towards Rosebelia…

Herman handed the invitation and letter to Anne before leaving the room. Anne, who had been standing still as if frozen in place, blinked and then rushed over in one breath.

“Young lady, please read the letter first.”

As I had guessed, Daisy’s name was written small on the pink envelope.

– Lady Rosebelia, if it’s not too presumptuous, may I visit the Marquis’ residence the next morning? I’m very curious about your well-being. I’d like to see for myself that you’ve returned safely. Would you meet with me?

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Had Daisy ever tried so actively to befriend someone? I don’t think I saw this even in the original story.

And to think the target was me.

“Elder sister, what does the letter say?”

“Ah, I’m somewhat acquainted with the young lady of the Ilaizer family. She heard the news that the subjugation ended and is inquiring after my well-being.”

Rising from the sofa, I immediately sat at the desk and wrote a short reply.

– Daisy, you’re welcome anytime, but as it happens I have an errand that day. I’ll stop by the Duke’s residence in the morning.

The next day was also the day I had promised to meet Ian in the square. Since I was supposed to have lunch with Ian, the timing would work out if I went to the Duke’s residence first and then to the square.

“Elder sister, shall we eat cake this time?”

“Vivian, let’s go now. Elder sister needs to rest.”

“I’m fine, Cayden.”

I stuck my tongue out at Cayden who had jumped up from his seat, and Vivian scurried over to my side.

“Cayden, don’t you have something you want to ask me too?”

At my question, Cayden, who had been standing awkwardly in front of the sofa, scratched his cheek. Whenever Rosebelia returned from a subjugation, Cayden would listen to her tales of valor with sparkling eyes.

“I was going to ask slowly later, thinking you might be tired…”

“I’m not tired after lying down all this time.”

“Then may I ask?”

Cayden’s voice rarely carried such excitement.

He’s just like a child his age at times like this.

I was about to tell him he could ask as much as he wanted, but Vivian tugged stubbornly at my collar.

“Elder sister.”

“Yes?”

“What dress are you going to wear to the Duchess’s birthday celebration?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure yet…”

“Then can Vivian choose for you?”

Anticipation spread across Vivian’s face as she waited for my answer. Seeing her pink cheeks, a smile naturally formed on my lips.

“I’ll wear whatever Vivian chooses.”

“Elder sister, in this subjugation…”

“Elder sister, elder sister! But you know.”

I swallowed my laughter as I watched Cayden trying his best to start a conversation and Vivian desperately trying to stop him.

“Vivian, I also want to talk with elder sister a bit…”

“I was talking to elder sister first.”

“Anyone watching would think you’re fighting over Lady Rosebelia.”

As Cayden and Vivian’s bickering voices were joined by Anne’s voice full of laughter, it created a strange ensemble.

Come to think of it, I’m here with the three people I like most in this mansion.

As that thought crossed my mind, a comfortable laugh escaped through my teeth.

*

“There are no records anywhere of not being able to hear a specific person’s inner thoughts.”

Ian lifted his head abruptly, taking his eyes off the book.

‘I thought I heard footsteps approaching, but why can’t I hear anything?’

It was then that Callisto’s voice came through.

‘Ian, are you there?’

As he closed the book and approached the door, the tightly closed door of the forbidden room opened.

“As I thought, you were here.”

“Your Majesty.”

“Did the subjugation go well?”

Ian’s eyes widened at Callisto’s words, which sounded like he was asking after his well-being.

“How did you know that?”

“If a father doesn’t know his son’s heart, who would?”

Just as a faint smile was about to appear on his lips, an auditory hallucination struck. Ian bit his lower lip hard and exhaled a rough breath, as if trying to shake off the hallucination.

“Rosebelia, wasn’t it? The name of the White Knight Order knight you said you had in your heart.”

Ian’s chest tightened at the name that came out at an unexpected timing.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I thought since you said she was skilled, she would have participated in this subjugation too. So you must have wanted to go as well…”

“…”

“Is she safe?”

“Of course. That person is stronger than me.”

Ian’s tense lips loosened for a moment. Callisto spoke, trying hard to hide his surprised expression.

“You look much more at ease since returning from the subjugation.”

That was also thanks to Rosebelia. Just being able to stand beside her, whom he thought he would never see again, brought peace to his mind.

“Your Majesty, how much of the records in this room have you read?”

“There shouldn’t be a book I haven’t touched.”

“Then have you seen any cases in the records where a specific person’s inner thoughts couldn’t be heard?”

“Well. I don’t think I’ve seen such a record.”

After returning from the subjugation, Ian had also locked himself in this room for a full half day, thoroughly searching through the records, but he too couldn’t find such a record.

‘Then what could it be?’

“Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing.”

“…I will soon hold the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony.”

Ian looked straight at Callisto, who was staring at him with trembling eyes.

‘You will become Emperor, Ian.’

He knew well what Callisto meant by wanting to raise him to the position of Crown Prince and then to Emperor. It was to create a way to break free from this curse even a little bit faster.

Everyone affected by this curse wanted that. They wished to break free from the curse and find peace as soon as possible.

If it had been before leaving for the subjugation, that is, before meeting Rosebelia again, he might have wanted that too.

But…

‘…Isn’t it terrible?’

‘Not at all. Even with the curse manifested, you are still the Ian I know.’

Those words from Rosebelia gave him a small hope.

A hope, close to a wish, that if he could be by her side, he might be able to exist as his whole self.

“Your Majesty, I… I won’t die.”

“What?”

The blue eyes that looked exactly like Ian’s wavered precariously.

“I will hold onto my sanity and somehow survive. I will show you that I can overcome this. So I don’t need the position of Crown Prince.”

“If that’s the case, all the more reason you should ascend to the position of Crown Prince, and further, become Emperor.”

Ian furrowed his brow as if he couldn’t understand Callisto’s words.

“Why do you think that?”

“Now that the curse has manifested in you, that’s the only way to protect you and the person you love. All I can do for you is…”

“…”

“To give you the sword first, before others can wield it against you.”

Ian’s eyes trembled briefly at the resolute voice.

“So protect them. Yourself, and the person you love.”

‘The person I love…’

Ian’s Adam’s apple moved slowly. His eyes, which had been shaking helplessly, soon came to a stop.

He faced Callisto with eyes that were firmer than before.

“…I will gladly accept that sword.”