Despite saying he would kill her, he curls up on the sofa in their bedchamber and sleeps, saying it would be difficult if her reputation were to drop.

Why is he so cruelly affectionate?

And what would he gain by merely killing her?

Mercedes’ dawn grew a bit longer from a certain point. The advice from Mrs. Fisher that if she thought about the ‘reason’, another way could be found, wouldn’t leave her mind.

It may actually be possible. Her mentor always only said correct things after all.

“Carlos.”

However, she couldn’t spit out the question lingering in her mouth and merely called his name.

The urge to ask…

Was ultimately swallowed.

Maybe. Perhaps.

If the ‘reason he had to kill her’ that he would answer was too despairing and cruel.

She was afraid that the single sprout that had barely bloomed in her heart would rot.

The deeper Mercedes’ thoughts became, the longer her dawns grew.

Actually, Carlos was awake that entire time.

He was already sensitive to presences. Even if it wasn’t aura, it was a habit from the battlefield.

To him, Mercedes’ defenseless gaze always felt especially more sensitive.

When Mercedes, who was having a long dawn, sighed and lay down again to sleep, Carlos finally rose and looked at Mercedes.

Although he knew he shouldn’t use aura, after using it to check if Mercedes was surely asleep, he approached her and looked at her face for a long time.

Now there was hardly any sensation even in his feet. Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop using aura every night to check that she was asleep and look at her face.

Unfortunately, his emotions were beginning to almost convince him regardless of reason.

“…I don’t think I can kill you.”

Since it was summer, Mercedes was covered with a thin blanket. Although she must be having a hard time being unaccustomed to the heat, she looked strangely cold because of her pale face.

Is that why?

He wanted to go in beside her to warm her with his body temperature and whisper that nothing in the world could harm her.

‘How should I do it? Really…’

He was even agonizing over whether he should ask Skyla to cast a temporary emotion-erasing magic or hypnosis magic on him.

Hypnosis magic was classified as a forbidden magic by the Magic Association and was being harshly punished. It was a magic with high addictiveness and fierce aftereffects.

But Skyla had learned it. It was because he had traveled the world thoroughly with him. In such travels, one was bound to encounter magic known to have been obliterated.

While it was a good harvest that Skyla had learned the magic after meeting those secretly relying on hypnosis magic, honestly, it made him frown to see it. Because those addicted to the magic had an appearance no different from a living corpse.

But to the point he wanted to erase his emotions even using something so bad. Because his emotions were arbitrarily wanting to protect this woman.

His eyes that had regained light upon the revenge target appearing before his eyes had even rejoiced.

With these feelings, even if he grabbed a sword, the same thing would only happen again.

“…I wish the wisdom I don’t have…was with someone…”

Carlos became earnest like when he wanted to help his mother when he was very young.

He wished this small woman could be happy for her whole life.

Carlos felt the weight of the empire placed on his shoulders and endlessly looked at Mercedes’ sleeping face.

* * *

The welcoming ceremony for the Count’s family soon approached.

Mercedes intentionally gained weight for that day. But the effect was minimal.

If she overate, she immediately vomited it back up and her shrunken stomach wouldn’t easily expand again. In the first place, all food didn’t taste as delicious as before.

So in order to hide the lines of her body, she wore a fancy light pink dress loaded with chiffon, lace, and mesh.

Adding vitality to her face with makeup and even wearing flashy accessories, although she looked a bit thin, she still appeared beautiful.

Fortunately, since it was an imperial banquet, Rhonda and Patricia could also attend so they could support her from behind.

She would also meet the other maids who took a break for no reason today.

Mercedes also suspected the Count’s crazy idea of raising Flora as the empress like Carlos.

But today, no matter what her father did, she was determined to become the protagonist of the banquet.

“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Highness the Empress are entering.”

The banquet hall where the two’s entrance was announced and they entered was the most splendid and crowded one yet.

Mercedes felt a bit of dizziness.

The Empress Dowager seemed to have firmly made up her mind to show off her family.

“Oh my…”

Today as well, voices flew in praising the beauty of Carlos and Mercedes. As soon as the two took their seats, the maids hurried over to take care of her.

“Your Highness the Empress. Have you been well? We were very worried since we suddenly couldn’t see you.”

Then, they expressed their worry about Mercedes as carefully as possible so others couldn’t hear.

“I’m grateful you were worried. I was just a bit sick since I’m not used to the summer here.”

“It seems like you’ve lost a bit of weight…”

The maids asked with teary eyes.

Mercedes easily smiled and held their hands.

“I’m alright. I’ve recovered a lot now.”

Soon, the entrance of the Empress Dowager was announced to those watching the heartwarming sight.

After exchanging greetings with the Empress Dowager, she returned to her seat and sat for a moment. She planned to soon rise to dance and converse with people, but for now she tried to grasp the atmosphere.

“We’ll be able to see Your Highness the Empress’ family members today, right?”

“I’m so curious. As everyone knows, there was that incident… I heard they suffered hardships in Shame. But my goodness, the Empress Dowager invited them with an open heart.”

“Oh my… As expected, the Empress Dowager is a generous person.”

“Will the false charge in Shame also be cleared? We already believe in Your Highness the Empress, but it seems Count Cromwell will explain in more detail.”

“I’m very curious.”

“Ah… I heard Lady Cromwell is also beautiful, although not as much as Lady Mercedes. I’m curious.”

Those the Empress Dowager had planted here and there were drawing the banquet hall’s attention to the ‘Count’s family’.

Although Mercedes was also included in the content, there was no one substantially looking at her or approaching to shower her with praise like usual.

They were merely filled with a strange anticipation, waiting for the banquet hall doors to open one more time.

“Hm. This isn’t good.”

Mercedes whispered without looking at Carlos.

For now, in order to comfortably talk about the Count, she had sent back the three maids who came to take care of her to their places. She had also hinted for them to immediately run to her if an urgent matter occurred.

So only Rhonda and Patricia were obediently sitting behind her and attending to her. That felt truly reassuring.

“It’s not something unexpected. It seems I’ll have to stick close to the Count today.”

“I think that’s something I need to do.”

“…Can you do it?”

Carlos looked at her with worried eyes. Seeing those eyes, Mercedes felt the urge again. Why are you worried? While worrying about me like that, why are you trying to kill me?

However, it wasn’t an appropriate place to ask such a question. She swallowed the question and smiled.

“Of course.”

“…May I accompany you by your side?”

“If you do that, not only will we sufficiently appear as an affectionate couple, we’ll also be able to prevent my father’s foolish words by gathering a bit more diverse wisdom.”

Mercedes answered rather cynically.

“That means yes. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Her eyes were burning a little. Carlos nodded while trying to somehow lift his sinking feeling.

“Count Cromwell of Shame and his family members are entering.”

And then, the entrance of Count Cromwell’s family was announced.

Thanks to Carlos’ care, they were in good attire with oily faces.

Some people momentarily felt doubt. There was no one with a trace of Mercedes’ beautiful honey-colored hair. Only the Count’s deep green eyes and sharp nose tip somewhat resembled her.

“…It’s strange. Although the Count does resemble her a bit.”

“There are also cases of taking after one’s grandparents. Couldn’t it be like that?”

Seeing the doubting people, Mercedes inwardly smirked.

Count Cromwell also knew Mercedes didn’t resemble them much and was excessively beautiful, so in order to emphasize she was his biological daughter in Shame, he had hung up and carried around forged portraits of what the grandparents looked like.

He would probably explain it like that this time too.

The banquet became even noisier with the appearance of the family members.

“Thanks to Her Highness the Empress Dowager’s generous heart, I am only grateful to have come to this grand occasion. Your Highness the Empress, thank you for allowing this unworthy father of yours to enter here. Your Majesty the Emperor. Glory to the empire!”

The Count displayed splendid etiquette with a theatrical voice. From that sight, people guessed Mercedes had been educated by them.

“It’s nothing much. The Empress must have missed her family terribly, but this old person merely took care of you all since she’s too busy right now. I hope you enjoy your time here today.”

The Empress Dowager, wearing a bright red dress, smiled generously. It was a benevolent smile to the point people admired it.

Like that, the banquet began and after the Emperor and Empress took the first dance…

“Count Cromwell is quite a pleasant person!”

“Haha. I’m very grateful you say that. To think the nobility of the Loom Empire would welcome me, I’m so grateful.”

As expected, while Mercedes was dancing the first dance, Count Cromwell, who always had a way with words, was conversing with influential nobles.

The Empress Dowager had clearly pointed out the influential nobles to the Count beforehand.

Since it was an imperial banquet, she had no choice but to dance the first dance… She resented having to give Count Cromwell free time.

Mercedes moved towards there with the most elegant motions possible so as not to appear impatient, receiving Carlos’ escort.

“Hmm… About your daughter, I heard you suffered hardships in Shame.”

There was even a person the Empress Dowager had mixed in. Seeing a sensitive question intentionally come out, she became a bit impatient.

“Ah. That… Of course, I also think Her Highness the Empress was falsely charged, but… It’s a bit regrettable to meet again so late like this. His Majesty the King of Shame… I hate to slander my lord, but he has a cruel nature…”

Count Cromwell muttered with a darkened face. The conversation was continuing with the content that ‘the Empress put him in a difficult position and didn’t take care of him’.

Mercedes quickened her steps. Carlos held her and matched her speed.

And so, that she was too impatient was the problem.

In today’s banquet hall with too many people passing by, she ran forward without even feeling Carlos pulling her after sensing a presence.

And in an instant, someone intentionally pushed her who was going ahead.

“Ah!”

As her body tilted, the skirt she had tied especially voluminously today to hide her thin body wrapped around her feet. And Mercedes’ body tilted as is.

‘Oh no…!’