I sighed as soon as I heard Iscariel’s words.

“Hades would never let that comment slide.”

“What are you talking about, Prime Minister?”

As expected, Hades immediately responded, his voice tinged with undeniable hostility.

Iscariel answered slowly.

“It would be best if you ask the Holy Lady directly.”

Annoyingly, he passed the hot potato to me and left the room immediately.

“……Angelica.”

I closed my mouth tightly, watching Hades’ reaction.

‘This is bad.’

Hades didn’t seem willing to let this go easily. The Duke’s imposing gaze was fixed firmly on me.

“What conversation did you have with the Prime Minister?”

I thought quickly. There was no way I could fabricate everything. Hades wouldn’t believe it anyway.

‘I have to tell him some of it.’

Silence flowed, and Hades stared at me intently. It was a face that said he wouldn’t believe me easily, no matter what I said.

“I am the Prime Minister’s granddaughter.”

“What……?”

Hades opened his mouth, then closed it again.

“So if I go back to the empire with him, he said he’ll cure my disease.”

Yes.

What Iscariel wanted was not onesided help, but a trade.

‘Why did he want to take me back to the empire?’

I still had unanswered questions.

I’m not his direct granddaughter. While it’s certain that I’m a distant descendant, it’s insufficient to explain his attachment to me.

But Iscariel wanted to save me, even if it meant sharing his power.

With one condition.

That I go back to the empire with him.

“……”

This time it was Hades’ turn to close his mouth. I sighed.

“So, I’m considering it.”

“……That’s absurd.”

Hades finally spoke in a subdued voice.

“How can he offer such a condition to save his own granddaughter?”

“Exactly.”

I shrugged.

“Seems like once you become a Prime Minister, you become indifferent to blood ties.”

“No.”

Hades shook his head.

“If he were completely indifferent to blood ties, he wouldn’t offer to save you. He must have some sort of scheme.”

“I know.”

I nodded.

“But for now, there’s no way to know, and he won’t tell me either.”

“……We can delay our return.”

I looked at Hades in surprise. He seemed serious; his statement didn’t seem to be made in jest.

“Will you be snowed in this time? That won’t do, Your Highness!”

“Hmm.”

Hades pondered.

“That would be too suspicious.”

“It’s not just suspicious, anyone who’s not a fool would notice.”

We were stuck in a hopeless situation. Of course, I could follow Iscariel to the capital. He didn’t seem to be lying, so naturally, I’d be freed from the curse.

But what then?

Would I have to stay by Iscariel’s side for the rest of my life?

I hadn’t known Iscariel for long, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what kind of person he was.

He’s capricious and dangerous.

He has long lost any moral compass, and he shows an attachment to me, whether it’s an obsession or a bloodrelated sentiment.

If I had to choose between him and Hades Croitner, I would definitely choose Hades.

“Let’s find a way.”

When I looked up, Hades was looking down at me with a firm gaze.

“So, don’t worry.”

His rough hand swept my hair back over my shoulder.

“When you don’t know what to do……”

Hades spoke, a sigh mixed in.

“Neither do I.”

I blinked.

‘What does that mean?’

Hades changed the subject awkwardly.

“Is your body okay? Any pain?”

Although it was an obvious attempt to change the topic, I went along.

“I’m fine. I don’t know what the Prime Minister did, but it seems somewhat effective. I feel much lighter.”

“Good.”

A faint smile crossed Hades’ face.

“It’s truly fortunate that the writer has some use, so I don’t have to blame Schjezhin.”

“Please don’t.”
I bowed my head.

“His Grace the Duke has done us a great favor by bringing you here, Vice Minister.”

“Indeed.”

Hades’s gaze turned towards the window. Following his gaze, I saw the Duke walking in the garden with imperial knights.

“He’s now one of my people.”

I swallowed. Hadn’t Hades steadfastly believed that Tobias was his man, and yet he hadn’t betrayed him?

In his attempt to trust someone again, I felt that I came to understand a little more about the kind of person Hades was.

‘…I don’t mind.’

I thought.

Perhaps the game named Leodel has been unfairly biased against Hades.

(This is a time separator.)

Hades continued to be overly protective of me, but that didn’t mean he could always protect me.

Especially in the wee hours or deep in the night, he seemed to think I was asleep and would wander around alone; at such times, I would feign sleep and slip out of the room without Hades noticing.

Regardless, isn’t it a bit too much to insist that I never leave Hades’s side for even a moment?

If my assumptions were correct, the imposter Sujechin would have already moved far away from the north. Specifically, to become the righthand man of the Demon King.

I was making my way to the outskirts of the castle, shivering in the predawn chill.

A knight’s tense voice could be heard near the stables.

“Vice Minister, you intend to ride a horse in this cold?”

“Isn’t it quite warm like this?”