‘What made you so scared.’

To the extent that I don’t want to wake up, what could be tormenting you so much?

I stood slightly out of the child’s line of sight so that Reldoro couldn’t see me. The child, who had raised his head slightly and looked at me as if surprised, lowered his head in relief and soon fell asleep.

The child fell asleep, and in the meantime, we arrived at the Star Palace.

After arriving at our room in the Star Palace, Lianadro cast a serious look at me.

Whether he regained his senses after breathing in some fresh air or not, he showed the same expression and tone as before.

“I don’t know if it’s okay to leave Reldoro here.”

A room with only me, Lianadro, Reldoro, and Shasha.

“You seem much more comfortable than before. Lie down quickly.”

“Am I supposed to sleep with that expression?”

Lianadro, who was curious about the child’s expression, laid the child on the bed. Looking at Reldoro, who seemed much more relaxed than before, he brushed away the child’s wet hair.

“Is it okay?”

“It’s strangely okay.”

“If you think it’s better to take him away later instead of staying here, that’s fine too. This is the Star Palace.”

“It might be better.”

I somewhat understood Lianadro’s foolish appearance. Originally, it’s hard to know how vast and what the forest looks like when you’re in the forest.

So Lianadro probably didn’t know. If the child suddenly felt unwell, he wouldn’t know what to do because he’s not a doctor.

Like sand being washed away by seawater, he would have been swept away just doing what others told him to do. So he became a fool.

“Lian.”

“Why?”

“So who are the people around Reldoro?”

“Huh?”

He stared at me in silence in response to the sudden question.

“What are you asking? It doesn’t seem like an ordinary question.”

I had no intention of hiding what I was curious about, and there was no reason to hide it. Moreover, I had no intention of putting a sweet potato in my mouth for such a thing. If I was curious, I would say it right away and solve it. That was my way.

“It seems suspicious.”

“Suspicious?”

“Everything. Reldoro, who couldn’t get up, got up so easily. And the fact that he was afraid of something as soon as he got up. And your condition was strange. I don’t think all of this happened by chance. So I’m curious about who the people around Reldoro are.”

“Are you trying to say that someone around Reldoro is thinking of harming the child?”

“Yes.”

“They are the ones I picked. There’s no way.”

This is Lian. A hopeless person who is very confident about what he did.

But as much as I was glad to see him like that, now is the time to persuade him.

“But I don’t know about people. The person who seemed fine when Lian picked and assigned tasks could change for some reason, right?”

“Such things,”
“I say this because it could happen. Honestly, I don’t even know who the enemy is. I felt it to that extent—the gaze of those who want to control Reldoro according to their own will. And even the scented candles placed in that room seem suspicious.”

For a moment, there was no conversation between us. Lianadro exhaled a deep sigh, as if pondering something, and then nodded as if coming to a conclusion.

“You’re somewhat sensitive, aren’t you? So, you can see the future or something?”

I just chuckled at Lian’s abrupt words.

“Let’s say I do.”

“Yeah… well.”

If he wants me to say it, it’s not difficult.

“Alright. Since you have good sensitivity, why don’t you investigate it once? You can see things that others can’t.”

“Ah.”

I had a feeling why he suddenly talked about my sensitivity and the future. It seemed like his way of maintaining his pride.

Not changing decisions he made. Reversing decisions itself would be admitting he was wrong.

He seemed to really dislike that.

“Thank you.”

“Thankful, but still fortunate. Reldoro will open his eyes before the wedding. Now I can be a bit relieved.”

“The wedding…”

“I plan to reveal Reldoro’s existence at that wedding.”

I blinked at his sudden words.

“Not on the child’s birthday?”

“As expected, you seem to know something. Originally, I thought about revealing it on his birthday. The official ceremony to seat him as the Crown Prince will be then. But at least, I want the child to proudly reveal himself wherever he is. The reason I’m struggling like this… seems to be because of an awkward situation.”

The future had changed. In a form I never expected.

“Why, is it not good?”

“No? Rather, it’s good.”

Lianadro nodded slowly at my words.

“In that case, it’s fortunate. Then today, you should do what you asked for and catch up on the things you’ve missed.”

“The things I asked for. People might misunderstand if they hear that. How could I give orders to the Emperor?”

He laughed along when I chuckled. His handsome face looked even brighter today. He seemed to have a dimple that appeared on one side of his cheek every time he smiled. It seemed to happen only when he smiled sincerely, not when he forced it.

“Lian, do you know?”

“Huh?”

“You look really beautiful when you smile.”