“Your Highness, are you awake?”

As Stephen, the aide, tried to rise from his seat, Enoch waved his hand dismissively.

“What do I have to do today?”

“More importantly, Your Highness, about that lady you asked me to look into…”

Enoch, who was sitting on the office sofa yawning languidly, raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Lady? Who was that again?”

“You asked me to find a beautiful woman with blonde hair and green eyes, remember?”

“Ah, right. The one who attended the banquet at Duke Ilyser’s…”

Recalling that day, a feeling of resentment arose spontaneously. It was Ian, who had always been indifferent no matter what was taken from him.

That’s why he lost interest at some point, but it was the first time he had shown such sharp edges towards him.

Moreover, Ian, who had never shown even a speck of interest in women until now, reacted like that because of a woman.

“Yes. It is believed to be Lady Rosebelia Winters.”

“Ah, so that woman was Rosebelia Winters? No wonder she was the prettiest one there.”

“Have you perhaps taken an interest in her?”

“Why? Is that not allowed?”

Enoch asked with a crooked smile.

“For your information, she is also a knight of the White Knight Order.”

“The White Knight Order? You mean the empire’s elite order of knights?”

“Yes. Didn’t the empire cause quite a stir when a noble lady joined the White Knight Order?”

Enoch waved his hand dismissively as if uninterested, then fell into thought.

“It’s clear that woman has something going on with Ian…”

As Enoch muttered to himself while stroking his chin, Stephen responded in a monotone.

“The First Prince has joined the White Knight Order as a new knight.”

“Ian? He joined the White Knight Order as a new knight?”

“You didn’t know?”

“So that’s how the connection works?”

Enoch licked his dry lips and wore a sardonic smile.

‘Did their eyes meet there then?’

“If you happen to be interested in her, I would recommend just giving up.”

“Why?”

“There’s talk that Commander Gabriel has his eye on Rosebelia Winters as a candidate for the next commander. She’s also a skilled warrior who goes on subjugation missions every time.”

“Why do you know so much about that woman?”

“As Your Highness’s aide, it is my duty to collect rumors circulating in society. If I may add my humble opinion, I don’t think she’s someone Your Highness can handle.”

Enoch let out a laugh of disbelief. In truth, rather than being greatly interested in that woman, he felt a stronger desire to flatten Ian’s nose.

It was clear that Ian had feelings for that woman, and he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

“I can handle it if I try.”

“Please give up on the idea. If Her Majesty the Empress finds out…”

“Wait, you said earlier that Ian joined the White Knight Order as a new recruit? Did he join while hiding his identity as a prince?”

“Yes. I heard he thoroughly concealed his identity.”

Enoch’s lips twitched as if he quite liked Stephen’s answer. Stephen, who was anxiously watching that smile, furrowed his brow and asked.

“What are you thinking about this time?”

“Hmm, interesting thoughts?”

*

After putting Emily in the stable, I began to realize I had truly returned to the order. Even though I hadn’t been away for long, the scenes that met my eyes felt strangely unfamiliar.

As I was carefully looking around, I saw Simon running towards me from afar.

“Senior Rosebelia.”

“Simon, it’s been a while.”

“I knew you would return safely.”

“Have you been well?”

“Yes. I’ve been training hard, dreaming of the day I can go on a subjugation mission with you, senior.”

His spirited response made me smile involuntarily. The way his eyes sparkled whenever he saw me, almost to an uncomfortable degree, and everything else about Simon always reminded me of Cayden.

Is this what Cayden will be like when he grows up?

“Good, keep working hard.”

“By the way, I heard there was a skilled warrior of unknown identity on this subjugation mission?”

“Looks like the rumors have already spread.”

“Senior Lucas started talking about it as soon as he arrived. I guess everyone’s heard about it by now?”

Lucas would have gathered everyone to talk about it. He probably chattered excitedly as if recounting his own heroic deeds.

“Are you heading straight to the training grounds, senior?”

“No, I was planning to go to the library for a bit.”

Simon stopped in his tracks and blinked his eyes as if he had heard an unfamiliar word.

“Pardon? Where?”

“The library.”

“Ah, I see. I didn’t mishear then. Well, have a good time there.”

Simon bowed politely to me before scurrying off towards the annex building.

Does he not like books?

Well, the library was the only quiet place in the entire knight order.

I straightened my head, which had been tilted halfway, and headed for the library. As I stepped into the quiet interior as usual, I immediately approached the bookshelves.

I wandered from this shelf to that shelf, looking for books about the Kingdom of Bellir, but as expected, there were none.

“There weren’t any at the mansion either, and none here too.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, you startled me.”

When I went to where the voice came from, I saw Ernoa sitting on the floor reading a book.

“Senior Ernoa?”

“It’s been a while, Rosebelia.”

“Why are you sitting here when there are perfectly good tables?”

“I’ve always liked reading books sitting on the floor like this.”

Ernoa raised his eyebrows slightly as if it was no big deal.

“Anyway, what were you looking for?”

“I was looking for records about the Kingdom of Bellir.”

“You won’t find anything about the Kingdom of Bellir in a place like this. I don’t think I’ve seen such books either.”

Oliver said they would only be found in the imperial palace.

I was about to nod slightly when I faced Ernoa again. Since I had run into him, there was something I wanted to ask.

“Um, senior.”

“Yes?”

“You said my soul didn’t seem to blend in, right? How does it feel now?”

“Hmm, it’s still exactly the same as back then. There’s been no change at all.”

If even a tiny bit had changed, consistently accepting Ian’s aura could have been one solution.

Was it just a temporary effect after all?

“I see.”

“Why do you ask? Has something changed?”

“No, nothing’s changed, it’s just that my aura had stabilized a bit. So I thought maybe…”

“I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

Trying hard to hide my dejected feelings, I thanked Ernoa and left the library.

Should I start aura practice again? I need to find a fundamental solution…

“So this is where you were.”

The familiar voice made my thought process come to an abrupt halt. I raised my gaze from the floor to see Ian standing there, dressed in the order’s uniform.

When Ian suddenly disappeared, I had felt a bit bitter at the thought that I might never again come face to face with him in his knight’s uniform.

To think we would meet again like this.

“How did you know I was here?”

“I went to the training grounds first, but you weren’t there. I thought I’d check here just in case, and I should have come straight here.”

As I raised my head a bit more, I saw waves that were sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce.

Ian’s feelings, having come to find me as soon as he arrived at the order, were now clearly visible.

‘I came to see you, senior.’

‘…Huh?’

‘I missed you already.’

It was hard to keep my balance in the face of the constantly incoming tide. It felt like I might be swept away at any moment. I squeezed my eyes shut then opened them, clenching my fingertips tightly.

“Um… I think I need to start aura practice again.”

“Pardon?”

Ian blinked slowly at the sudden change of topic.

“When you transfer your aura to me, it has a temporary stabilizing effect, but after a certain time, my aura starts acting up again. This isn’t a fundamental solution, so…”

“Then shall we try transferring a larger amount of aura?”

“How about changing the point of contact?”

“The point of contact?”

Ian asked, furrowing his previously smooth brow.

“You said it doesn’t have to be just palms, right?”

“Then should I ask the researchers…”

“Like embracing like this to increase the area of contact.”

I must be crazy. What am I saying right now?

I looked down at my arms crossed in the shape of hugging someone, then hurriedly dropped them.

“I’m asking this just in case.”

“…”

“Have you forgotten that I confessed to you, senior?”

My chest tightened at his lowered voice. Ian’s face was slightly contorted, as if he were hurt.

“Huh?”

“Or do you not see me as a man?”

He murmured with a bitter expression.

“That’s not it…”

Just as I was about to say that I didn’t know why I had said such a thing either, Ian quickly turned away.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”

Ian quickly retraced his steps, as if afraid I might stop him. Watching his retreating back, a frustrated sigh escaped between my teeth.

What is wrong with me?

After repeatedly biting and releasing my teeth, I slowly clenched my weakly trembling fingertips.