“Of course. It would be best to proceed slowly with anything to avoid problems. However, may I occasionally visit Her Majesty the Empress to pay my respects and share words I wish to say as a father?”

The count asked with a kind face. Mercedes gripped Carlos’s hand tighter.

It was both a sign of dislike and an effort to maintain a smiling expression.

“Hmm. Unfortunately, some unpleasant incidents have been occurring in the imperial palace lately. We plan to strengthen internal security, so it may be difficult for the time being.”

Carlos calmly recited a lie. The empress dowager could barely hide her ambiguous expression as she asked again.

“What do you mean, Your Majesty? I haven’t heard about this.”

“It’s nothing major, so I didn’t inform you. I was afraid you would worry, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. There was a small theft incident in the Emperor’s Palace… For now, I’m being cautious in case it might harm the Empress. After all, many are watching her as she’s the first Empress.”

No such thing had ever happened.

But it was something that could easily be fabricated. Carlos continued to spew lies without even licking his lips.

He showed the side of a loving person who worries about the Empress first, even for a theft incident unrelated to her.

“Is that so…?”

The empress dowager fell silent, and the count let out a very small cough. Carlos smiled brightly.

“And I understand your desire to teach your daughter, but Mercedes has a good teacher by her side. I appreciate your concern, but there’s no need to go that far.”

“If Your Majesty the Emperor says so, the teacher must be wonderful. I was just worried about a series of events.”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. But he’s still her father. Surely it’s alright for him to occasionally see his daughter’s face out of concern… The security in the imperial palace isn’t that weak, is it?”

The empress dowager took the count’s side again. Carlos looked at her and grinned. It was a confident and playful face.

For Mercedes, it was a face she hadn’t seen in a very long time. A wave of nostalgia suddenly washed over her. She used to see that face often… before he tried to kill her.

“It’s embarrassing to say this, but the truth is, we’re still newlyweds.”

As the count, backed by the empress dowager, tried to say something again, Carlos released her hand and pulled her shoulder, making her lean against his chest.

“I don’t want to be disturbed by anyone yet. That’s one of the reasons for the tightened security.”

It was an action that seemed to protect her.

The effect was very good. It could shut the mouth of a noble who valued etiquette more than any political talk.

Wouldn’t it only lead to vulgar and embarrassing conversations if they went further from here?

“So, Count. You don’t have to worry about your daughter. I’ll make sure she’s very comfortable during your entire stay in the room. Just think of it as lending Mercedes to me for a while.”

“…Ah. The two of you look great together. Yes, I will.”

The count answered Carlos’s response a little late and then showed a smile. Of course, it was evident that it was a forced smile.

Her father probably wanted to meet Mercedes alone and pressure her.

Mercedes realized anew how reassuring the hand holding her shoulder was. Ironically.

“Since Your Majesty is so happy… I’m glad. Truly glad. Your Majesty the Empress. If you have any concerns in the future, please seek help from this father anytime. And don’t forget the advice I gave you.”

Count Cromwell was relentless, signaling Mercedes to call for him unconditionally even after being rejected.

Mercedes fiddled with the lingering warmth left by Carlos’s hand and smiled.

“Of course. Father.”

She replied in a very docile tone.

“…Now that the Empress’s family has arrived at the room, what could be better than this? I’d like to hold a welcoming party. What do you think? Your Majesty. I will host it.”

The empress dowager, who knew the relationship between Count Cromwell and Mercedes was bad, had hoped they could spend time together separately. But Carlos showed no gap.

Well, there was still a way.

Introduce the Cromwell family to the social world.

If a father who knows his daughter’s situation very well appears and starts gossiping under the guise of concern.

The reputation she had barely built up would crumble. It would be more effective than the empress dowager’s attempt to create scandals by attaching men she had carefully chosen to Mercedes.

“Oh. That’s an excellent idea.”

Carlos instantly saw through the empress dowager’s intentions and answered very coolly.

‘The bond of nature’.

It was truly easy to use it as a stumbling block.

Mercedes would have to treat the count well, even if just to be mindful of others’ eyes, and the more she did so, the more the count could act out.

It was clear that difficult days were ahead. Nevertheless, Mercedes mustered her strength and replied.

“That’s wonderful news, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. I’m grateful for your generous favor.”

The empress dowager’s brows furrowed slightly at their bright faces. It seemed she wanted to get a bad reaction somehow.

‘I’m… different from before.’

Perhaps it was because of the hot energy transmitted. Maybe it was because the hand wrapped around her shoulder was firm.

Starting with her feelings for Carlos, the emotional turmoil that was about to erupt after meeting the members of the count’s family slowly subsided, and reason and confidence raised their heads.

It was laughable.

He was the one who tried to kill her, and she didn’t even know the reason.

Just having him by her side gave her strength so quickly.

Still… nothing mattered. As long as she could muster strength.

She didn’t turn a blind eye to the resentment filled inside her, and she was determined to ignite the flames one last time.

* * *

As soon as the banquet ended, Mercedes went to her room and vomited everything she had eaten.

It was due to unpleasantness. The maids fidgeted worriedly. But Mercedes felt refreshed and her head became cool.

Vitality overflowed as if the time she had spent living like a dead person had evaporated. Even if it stemmed from negative emotions and reasons.

She composed herself and tidied up her appearance. Then she rinsed her mouth and face cleanly and went to the Emperor’s study at this late hour, knowing it was rude.

As expected. The lights were on in the study. He was the one who worked until the latest hours.

Mercedes didn’t put Rhonda or Patricia in the lead.

She just knocked on the door herself and asked.

“Your Majesty, it’s Mercedes. May I come in?”

At her voice, Carlos answered a little late.

“…Come in.”

As she walked in confidently, she saw Carlos sitting at the desk.

The door closed behind her, and she approached him and sat on the sofa next to him. Carlos looked at her, put down his pen, and turned to sit facing her.

“What is it?”

Mercedes’s face when she came to inform him that the count had arrived a while ago was almost like a corpse. Her eyes were empty and she looked like she was about to jump off and die at any moment.

Even now, her skinny and haggard appearance was clearly the same.

But her eyes were burning. Like a person who doesn’t know happiness or the gentle joys of life. Eyes filled with only anger and sorrow.

Her voice was also trembling slightly. It seemed like she was still in pain and swept up in emotions.

Was it fortunate or unfortunate that she found the light in her eyes?

The upright figure of Count Cromwell dominated Carlos’s mind. The man who tormented Mercedes indeed had an arrogance that made one frown upon seeing him.

It was Carlos who first ordered her to live with a vengeance against him.

But seeing Mercedes really burning with only revenge against him made his heart ache.

Mercedes, who learned something and realized the small joys of life, was much. More pleasant to see…

“…For the first time, you’re asking the reason.”

Carlos broke the silence and spoke.

Mercedes had never once asked why he tried to kill her. She just accepted it.

It was unknown whether it was because of the betrayal or because she had given up all expectations of the world.

“I’m not asking. To me… the reason why you tried to kill me, Your Majesty, is not important.”

Mercedes spoke in a still trembling voice.

Although she had made up her mind, the pain of spitting out the truth remained the same.

The person who had whispered love to her had tried to kill her. Naturally, her heart died once again and the will to live disappeared.

Now she just.

She just wanted to deal with her enemies who had reappeared before her somehow.

She felt like she couldn’t close her eyes peacefully without doing so.

“Not… important.”

Carlos’s eyes darkened.

Was it his greed to hope that she would be curious about the reason?

He had hoped for an opportunity where an explanation or excuse that he couldn’t say first with his own mouth would be spat out in the form of her question. Shamefully so.

“Your Majesty. Are you unable to kill me?”

Mercedes closed her eyes, clenched her fists tightly, and asked.

“…Yes.”

“I wouldn’t resent dying by your hand, Your Majesty. That’s the truth.”

“…”

“But if there’s a reason you can’t kill me, if I can solve it for you…”

Mercedes swallowed her saliva and opened her eyes.

Then, with a very shaky and distorted face, she asked him.

“Please finish my revenge. Then I’ll help you be able to kill me.”

Watching her and hearing those words, Carlos’s heart seemed to be torn to shreds.

“…Mercedes.”

“This is a kind of deal.”

She had changed. In her appearance of offering a deal with her own death, a spirit like that of a general at the forefront of a battlefield could be felt.

And it added weight to Carlos’s melancholy and guilt.

“Make a deal with me… Your Majesty. Then, even if I don’t know why you can’t kill me. I will definitely. Help you be able to kill me.”

Mercedes spoke with a tone full of conviction. Her voice was still trembling though.

She would find a way to use her power differently… the power to absorb vitality.

Then, it was evident that letting her own life fade away would be an easy task.

Carlos, who had intended to finish her revenge no matter whether she died or lived, thought.

Rationally, accepting this deal had no benefit for him. He could just slit that person’s throat.

“…Let’s talk more about the deal.”

Nevertheless, he had no choice but to accept the deal.

This wasn’t a deal.

It was a grace period to sort out his feelings.