This was truly a secluded palace, and until now, no one had come except for two maids.

There were said to be guards, but they must have been kept at a distance, as she had never encountered them.

The presence was coming from near her window.

Without realizing it, she held her breath and grabbed a candlestick in one hand and a poker in the other.

Her heart was pounding.

And at that moment, a fist appeared beyond the window glass. It was a hand motion as if about to knock.

As soon as the first knock sounded, tap−, Mercedes approached. Had they seen her? Suddenly, the owner of the presence quickly withdrew their hand.

Then the presence rapidly faded away.

“What… what was that?”

It felt futile to have been so tense.

“Were they going to knock?”

It was a puzzling action. Had they come secretly to knock on the window?

It felt like there was a purpose.

She moved closer to the window. Then something caught her eye.

A letter was wedged in the thin gap of the window.

“It’s an invitation?”

What kind of invitation? Who knew about her?

She hastily tore open the elegant envelope to unfold the paper. It didn’t even occur to her that there might be a blade or something inside.

The invitation was decorated with gold leaf, and a faint floral scent lingered, as if perfume had been sprayed on it.

It was quite luxurious for just an invitation. She could almost see the sender’s taste without even knowing who it was from.

The content was simple. It stated that the Empress Dowager of the Rivera Imperial Family was holding a banquet and the nobles were to attend.

‘Empress Dowager? The Empress Dowager has come?’

Though she didn’t know much about history, she knew that the Empress Dowager didn’t stay here. It had been in the Sheim newspaper she read.

The Sheim newspaper only reported the facts. The Emperor had abolished the law of succession for the eldest legitimate son and legitimate children, and the fifth concubine’s son had ascended to the throne. The Empress Dowager had left the Imperial Palace.

No matter how foolish she might be, she could roughly infer the emotions hidden in the list of facts. How furious the Empress Dowager must have been when the fifth concubine’s son took the throne.

She remembered thinking while reading the newspaper, “The Imperial Family is quite complicated.”

And now, the Empress Dowager who had left the Imperial City had returned.

‘So that’s why I was moved to this separate palace.’

The Empress Dowager had probably rushed over after hearing rumors about Mercedes and was now pressuring the Emperor.

‘Did he hide me to protect me?’

The Empress Dowager must have pressured the Emperor, mentioning that she was a murderer, but the Emperor had only told her to stay comfortable and had cut off outside information.

Even though he must have had a lot to deal with on his own.

“What a strange person.”

Now, she had to admit it, at least a little.

Even setting aside any emotions.

Carlos Rivera was the first person to give her peace in her life.

She felt oddly frustrated.

She couldn’t trust him, but she felt grateful. What was this feeling…

As she was roughly putting away the invitation envelope, she noticed a small note inside.

[If you are to be the Emperor’s companion, I would like to meet you. I may not be Carlos’s birth mother, but it is my responsibility as an elder of the Imperial Family. If Carlos has treated you inadequately, I will reprimand him. Please respond to this invitation.]

Mercedes realized immediately. This was a note written ‘directly’ to her by the Empress Dowager.

The handwriting was exceptionally elegant, and the tone seemed friendly.

Someone in the position of Empress Dowager would usually be in the habit of writing more forcefully, in a commanding tone.

“This is quite affectionate…”

She held the letter up to the candlelight and fell into thought.

‘Weren’t they on bad terms with the Emperor?’

An ordinary woman would have been overwhelmed with honor upon seeing this note.

But Mercedes approached it differently.

‘She’s trying to test what kind of person I am.’

If she took the bait and came to the banquet, she’d be an easy-to-handle woman who knew nothing of the world or the reality of the Lum Imperial Family.

If she didn’t take the bait, she’d be a troublesome woman who needed to be watched out for.

Both paths were thorny for her.

But…

‘This could be an opportunity.’

She had just been feeling the limitations of studying on her own.

Immersed in her studies, she had come to think that what was most needed for revenge against Sheim was ‘talented people’.

People themselves were the joker cards that could sway other people. History proved this.

The fact that Lum had unified the continent, which had originally been divided among three countries, was because the ‘people’ of each country had been either foolish or wise.

The more she read, the more questions she had, and the more she wanted to go outside.

When she occasionally asked the maids various things, they would tell her stories of a world she knew nothing about, having lived more freely than her.

“There’s so much I don’t know.”

She looked out the window of the small separate palace allowed to her, at the sky full of stars.

The world was incredibly vast.

Knock knock.

Just then, a sound came from the adjacent window.

‘What is it this time?’

As if the peaceful ten days had been a lie, there were many night visitors today. Moreover, this time she hadn’t even felt a presence.

She picked up the poker again. The invitation was tucked between some books.

And she carefully approached the window. Then she had to gasp in surprise.

“Your Majesty.”

A man who seemed to blend with the night yet shine like the moon stood there. Even though this was a warm country, the night breeze must have been cool, but he was wearing only a shirt.

She quickly opened the window.

“Your Majesty. What brings you here so suddenly?”

“Did someone come by, Mercedes?”

“Pardon?”

“It was my oversight to position the guards a bit far away. I rushed here after hearing that traces of someone’s visit were found.”

“Ah…”

Carlos was frowning deeply. He looked very displeased.

Was it because he was worried about her, or because everything wasn’t going according to his will?

His intentions weren’t clear. Carlos was truly skilled at hiding his emotions, and Mercedes was someone who couldn’t understand even her own emotions, let alone others’.

“Hmm. Please come in for now. The night breeze is cold. How can you be in just a shirt? If Your Majesty catches a cold, it will cause an emergency in the Imperial City.”

“Are you telling me to become a rascal who enters a lady’s room late at night− and through the window at that, Mercedes?”

He smiled his usual seductive smile.

At his words, Mercedes belatedly became flustered. For a moment, she forgot her manners.

“I wouldn’t mind becoming a rascal. But I’m worried you might dislike rascals.”

A warm hand reached in from outside the window. Mercedes was a little surprised but didn’t avoid it. He tucked her hair behind her ear.

Though it must be cold outside, how could his hand be so hot?

Her earlobe seemed to burn from his body heat.

“And right now, I almost wish I would catch a cold. It would free me from the mountain of work, even if just for a moment.”

The Emperor chuckled softly. Mercedes looked at the large man and opened her mouth.

“Does that mountain of work include hiding me from the Empress Dowager’s gaze?”

“So she did send someone. The Empress Dowager must have at least one capable person at her disposal.”

“I’m not sure if they were truly capable. They couldn’t conceal their presence. Even someone like me noticed. They were about to knock on the window, but when I approached, they suddenly ran away.”

“…What?”

For a moment, surprise flashed across Carlos’s face. He looked down at her quietly.

Perhaps this was the first honest expression she had seen. Mercedes thought so.

“Why are you surprised?”

Why did this honest gaze suddenly appear? When Mercedes asked, Carlos answered in a serious voice.

“Because you were able to sense the presence of the person sent by the Empress Dowager. It means you’re better than the guard knights I’ve stationed.”

Thinking about it, he was right.

Mercedes was a bit surprised too. Had she been living so sensitively all this time?

Well, whenever Richard or her father came to visit, she had tried to calm her heart just by hearing footsteps from afar.

“…I suppose I’ve been sensitive to people’s gazes and presences for a long time. And they came very close before leaving. It must have been a coincidence.”

“Even so, to sense the presence of a skilled person. You would have made a good knight.”

Carlos murmured in admiration. This was an honest appreciation.

“Me… with these arms?”

At that, Mercedes wore a very faint sneer. She couldn’t forget Richard’s words when he ordered her to take her own life. That mockery asking how she could kill anyone with such thin arms.

“Anyone can become strong if they eat well and exercise. Come to think of it, you look better than before. How about learning some self-defense later?”

“…That would be nice.”

This person keeps casually suggesting, ‘Why don’t you try learning?’ Unlike those who took away all opportunities.

She quite liked that. Today, for some reason, especially so. Was it because desire had grown inside her as she immersed herself in studying?

“You said you sensed a presence. Is that why you’re holding that, my lady?”

The Emperor smiled as if amused. Mercedes hastily hid the poker behind her back.

“For someone who asked how I could be a knight with these arms, the woman I’ve fallen for is quite brave. You have a natural talent.”

Her face rarely grew hot.

She couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment, or because this kind of joking praise was something she had never heard before.