Why are they in the temple at this late hour? The puzzlement was brief.

Princess Laratu blinked as she looked at Giovanni in front of Ignazio.

Her heart sank heavily.

He had the same indifferent face as when he was with her, but there was a strange softness to it.

As Ignazio said something, Princess Laratu looked at him with a wry smile, inadvertently squeezing her heart.

When did they start having this atmosphere?

It was indescribable, but it was distinctly different from when she was with him.

An invisible barrier seemed to be erected around the two of them. It felt like it shouldn’t be disturbed. And such a sensation made her extremely uncomfortable.

She felt the urge to question Ignazio about the situation.

‘It wasn’t anything between us.’

It wasn’t anything at all. That expression was more fitting for the relationship between him and the prince.

The words the maidservant said a long time ago came to mind again.

At that time, she dismissed it as being due to her father’s orders.

But that face, that atmosphere, couldn’t be seen that way.

‘Could it be…’

Could their hearts already be connected?

Could Ignazio also have feelings for him?

Her palm hurt. Princess Laratu, unknowingly clenching her fist with her nails digging into her palm, bit her lip.

The deserted streets in the early dawn.

Having concluded their secret meeting with Princess Aris in the middle of the night, Jacques, wearing a hat, quickly walked through the alley.

‘Lord Rocky doesn’t have high expectations for me and Shinue.’

Even if it fails, it won’t have a significant impact. That was Jacques and Shinue’s situation.

Jacques twisted his slippery lips.

‘I won’t leave it like that. To become a proud imperial warrior as a mixed-blood, I have to achieve something significant here. Doing something other desert warriors can’t will change Lord Rocky’s opinion.’

Jacques, who had lived receiving prejudice due to his origin since he was young, had an exceptional ambition.

Becoming a warrior acknowledged by the imperial palace, not just one of the many warriors in the desert.

‘To achieve that, I won’t reject even unreasonable requests. Even if it means immediate execution if I’m caught.’

Jacques’ gaze became chilling.

Yesterday evening, when he secretly visited him, the nobility from the kingdom handed him a letter from Lord Rocky.

It seemed curious, and Jacques quickly sent him away and opened the sealed letter. As soon as he did, powerful handwriting, proof that Lord Rocky wrote it himself, appeared.

There were other trivial orders written, but that was the most important one.

Shinue, who always brimmed with vitality, also lost her words after reading the letter.

Perhaps it was an order close to impossible. He realized that considering it a discarded hand was also something he understood at that moment.

Still, Jacques didn’t despair.

‘This might be an opportunity.’
Jacques’s mind was resolute in carrying out the orders. Originally, he contemplated requesting support in the darkness. If the warriors arrived, they could create a disturbance elsewhere, lure out the palace defense, and then kidnap the princess. However, upon careful consideration, he found a better option. It was a strategy involving using the target.

“It seems establishing a connection with Aris Lorence is working in my favor.”

Aris would have no idea what crucial information she had conveyed to him. From her perspective, it was just gossip about her family. However, Jacques discerned highly important information from her complaints.

Ignazio Lorence.

The famous fake princess had an actual intimate relationship with Princess Laratu. Moreover, Aris Lorence was living under the same roof as Ignazio Lorence.

Jacques’ eyes expressed satisfaction at finding a way out of the dead end.

Dalgrak.

It was quiet. Even the sound of stirring tea with a teaspoon was too loud.

Plop!

“Oh, I added too much sugar again.”

It was already the third time. The number of sugars added, while trying to gauge reactions, was visible.

Taking his hand off the tea that didn’t suit his taste, Jacques leaned back. As his field of vision widened, Princess Laratu and Karsatuna came into view.

It was a planned tea party. It had only been a month, so laughter was expected to continue.

“What’s going on?”

Karsatuna, who was observing the princess’s expression, and Princess Laratu, who was icy.

The cold air felt unfamiliar.

“Princess.”

My voice seemed to vibrate in the stiff air.

“I have something important to tell you today.”

“…….”

“What is it, Ignazio?”

In place of the silent Princess Laratu, Karsatuna asked.

Looking down at her tea cup with lowered eyes, Princess Laratu spoke briefly.

“The kingdom seems to have suspicious people wandering around. Just in case, Princess, try to accompany the soldiers and avoid going outside the palace.”