Should I at least say goodbye to Mercedes? She might be surprised if I suddenly disappear.

But on the other hand, I didn’t want to wake her up while she was sleeping soundly.

After pondering for a moment, he tightly fastened the robe he was wearing and moved his steps.

I can ask the maids to inform her well.

“Complete the preparations for departure within an hour and gather at the entrance of the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. However…”

Gregory lowered his eyebrows.

“Don’t worry about my body. Isn’t the war situation more serious?”

Carlos replied with a fierce face.

“…Understood.”

Gregory swallowed a sigh. Even as the Knight Commander, he couldn’t arbitrarily take soldiers and depart without the Emperor’s permission, and the Emperor was not one to miss a deployment.

When will he trust Gregory as the Knight Commander? A sigh naturally came out.

And an hour later.

Suddenly, many soldiers were pulled out due to reports of the enemy’s strong momentum, causing an emergency in the Imperial Palace. From the guards to the knights and infantry, everyone had to reorganize the palace security and check the remaining personnel.

Thus, before dawn broke, in the latest hours of the night.

“Damn it. I’m dead tired.”

The Knight Commander cursed, and the Emperor, who stood at the forefront, began to lead the fast-moving knights. The infantry would join later.

And at the end of that procession was Sky. Sky, with triangular eyes, glared at Carlos while furiously riding his horse.

* * *

“His Majesty is going to the battlefield…?”

Mercedes, who had just woken up, opened her eyes wide at the sudden news.

Come to think of it, half a year ago. When she had just arrived here, something like this happened.

Back then, she didn’t care much about Carlos leaving.

“I hope His Majesty won’t get hurt?”

Now, she couldn’t help but worry first.

“The only person in the world who worries about His Majesty getting hurt is probably you, the Empress. We’re more concerned about the palace security. It was so sudden that there are issues with personnel distribution.”

Rhonda chuckled softly. Everyone else seemed unconcerned. Their faces were extremely calm.

‘There’s no way the Emperor will lose.’

That seemed to be what everyone thought. Mercedes had heard enough of his reputation to know as well.

But the uneasiness didn’t go away. No matter how great a warrior he was. Even if he trained his body in the training grounds every day…

‘You never know what might happen to a person.’

She felt it more acutely after meeting the Count.

She had thought she could never escape her father for her entire life. But now, isn’t her father locked up in prison, receiving the same treatment she had received?

“You never know what might happen.”

“…It’ll be fine. Sir Gregory, the Knight Commander who departed with him, won on the continental martial arts tournament held recently. It was only possible because His Majesty didn’t participate, though. They say no one can beat him except for His Majesty.”

Patricia praised Gregory with a sour face. She seemed to want to reassure Mercedes, but her face looked like she didn’t want to praise him.

“Oh my, Patricia can praise Sir Gregory sometimes?”

“He’s an annoying… ah, no, person. But I’ve always known he’s capable.”

Patricia sighed and gathered an armful of cushions into a basket. Then she headed to the balcony, saying she would go out and dust them off.

“Are Patricia and Sir Gregory acquainted?”

Mercedes, sensing a strange atmosphere, cautiously asked.

Mercedes’s face showed genuine curiosity. Rhonda was slightly surprised. It was the first time her mistress had asked about someone without any ‘purpose’.

Since returning from seeing the Count in prison, Mercedes seemed strangely lighter.

Rhonda smiled, pleased to see the Empress like this.

“They’re childhood friends, those two.”

“Childhood friends? I didn’t know. Even when they rarely meet, they don’t even greet each other?”

“Etiquette is important in the palace. And they don’t have many chances to meet. But… actually, I think there’s something strange between those two.”

Rhonda giggled and shared her speculation with Mercedes. She said that the two childhood friends don’t seem completely comfortable with each other, and when they do meet, both Gregory and Patricia always take an extra glance at each other as they pass by.

“…My goodness.”

To think that Patricia, who always works diligently and nags Rhonda, might be harboring something as ticklish as love behind her stern face!

Mercedes momentarily forgot her worry about Carlos and enjoyed a pleasant conversation with Rhonda, giggling together.

“As His Majesty has done before, with his excellent mobility, he’ll probably return in ten days. Ah, I said ten days last time, but he came back in five days, didn’t he? He might come back even sooner.”

“…I hope so.”

Thus, the morning could be spent relatively pleasantly.

However, when afternoon came and Mercedes went for a walk in the garden to greet the sun, she found herself deeply immersed in thoughts of Carlos again.

She was worried. And his absence felt too empty.

Whenever Carlos heard that she was going to the garden, he would somehow rush over and walk with her.

Since that day when he whispered pitifully that he couldn’t possibly kill her, without giving a reason, the two had been living like lovers.

But she still hadn’t heard the reason from Carlos.

‘What could have been the reason?’

She hadn’t asked because it didn’t seem like he would answer easily, but this time, when Carlos returns, she must ask. Feeling his absence made her even more curious about the reason and made her want to get closer to him.

She thought that this might be the first time in her life she had felt lonely as she walked.

Also, she had her usual study time.

“You’re progressing faster and faster, Your Majesty.”

Mrs. Fisher smiled contentedly.

“Instead of focusing too much on studying, why don’t you try a new hobby? Your Majesty should learn to enjoy life a bit now. You’ve accomplished a great feat.”

Mrs. Fisher didn’t ask anything about the recent incident between Mercedes and Count Cromwell.

Although she must know everything since they had talked about ‘revenge’ before, she didn’t sympathize or pay extra attention.

She just suggested trying a hobby, gently pointing the way like a mentor, as she always had.

“This opera has good reviews. And this painter recently-”

Perhaps… if her mother had been alive, would it have felt like this? But unfortunately, none of Mrs. Fisher’s suggestions particularly appealed to her.

Mercedes seemed to still have a long way to go.

“Hmm. I do want to see a proper play.”

“Ah. There was an interesting gathering last time too. You seem to have a lot of interest in theater.”

Mercedes just nodded awkwardly in response.

Rather than interest, it was closer to something she had thought of to keep her promise with Bruno.

Also, she had to meet the nanny waiting in the separate palace of the Imperial Palace. Even though she hated it, a promise is a promise. Shouldn’t she return the life force? She had absorbed power from her father… she could restore her health tomorrow or the day after.

She tried to think along the lines her mentor was suggesting, but everything that came to her mind seemed far from finding interests.

It’s fine. Such things will come later.

Mercedes tried not to think too heavily about it.

She enjoyed a pleasant time with Mrs. Fisher that was closer to chatting than a lesson. As the summer sun set and night fell.

But…

“Was time always this slow?”

Without the person she used to fall asleep with every night in the royal bedroom, Mercedes returned to her own room after a long time to spend the night and lay down in bed.

But that time was so long. It felt like being trapped in an eternity that wouldn’t flow.

“…Nngh.”

She groaned for a moment, hugging her pillow.

And suddenly, she realized this was longing.

‘Am I learning one emotion every day? Like a child.’

It was amusing to gain another realization since feeling liberated, but as soon as she put a name to the emotion, the longing deepened.

‘I miss him.’

Missing someone is accompanied by pain, huh.

It’s only been a day.

She didn’t know how to endure the uncertain days until his return.

Was Carlos really alright?

The iron-blooded ruler standing at the forefront, protecting his soldiers.

Doesn’t that mean he’s overdoing it every time?

Her heart stung after spending a peaceful day. She sighed and tossed and turned before getting up again.

Thinking a walk in the garden might help her sleep, she was about to go outside.

As she put on a long robe and rose from the bed.

“…It’s here.”

Along with an unfamiliar voice, she felt a presence.

‘What is it?’

A sense of unease swept over her.

She slowly moved towards the source of the sound.

At that moment.

Boom.

There was a loud explosion. Fire was spreading in the garden before her eyes. At the same time, the window shattered. Was it some kind of explosive?

Acrid smoke quickly filled the air, blurring her vision.

“What, what is…”

The startled Mercedes tried to cover her mouth and run out into the corridor. But suddenly, she felt the presence getting closer and closer.

‘Are they targeting me?’

Although smoke was rising, there was no fire inside. So if she held her breath and hid, it would be fine. The shadow knights should be there.

‘No, wait. This morning… Rhonda definitely said. Because the security system changed suddenly…’

Then the security might be lax.

Mercedes quickly judged and tried to hide under the bed.

But.

“Got you.”

A large, damp, unpleasant hand grabbing her wrist was faster.

“Ah…!”

Before she could scream, a handkerchief covered her mouth. Where were the shadow knights? The guards? She rolled her eyes desperately, but no one was there.

“Let’s go quietly, Your Majesty. I had quite a hard time breaking through security too.”

An unfamiliar man whispered in her ear and forcibly pulled her. The handkerchief covering her mouth must have been treated with some drug, as Mercedes quickly lost consciousness.

The last thing that came to mind was Carlos’s face.