Alice’s schedule to enter the Empress’s Palace was postponed for a few more days. Apparently, there was confusion due to the death of a royal advisor technician.

It was rather fortunate. Thanks to this, she was given time to briefly say goodbye to the employees in the mansion.

Even if she were to prepare to enter the palace right away, there were many things to prepare. She had her clothes fitted for the first time in a long while, and there was barely enough time to organize the necessary items.

Among the employees saying goodbye to Alice, some even showed tears.

“I guess I was quite a good person after all. Everyone is congratulating me like this.”

“Of course! We’ve always hoped in our hearts that someone like Miss Alice would do well.”

“Oh, stop it! I feel like I’m going to cry. Why are you saying such things! It’s not like we’ll never see each other again!”

“It’s because we’re happy. I’m so glad to see our eldest young lady succeed so brilliantly.”

They say to observe how one treats others to truly know a person. Alice was always kind and had a warm personality that generously overlooked small mistakes of others. Among the mansion’s employees, there were none who disliked or rejected the eldest young lady.

Of course, she occasionally made the maid girls sweat by going out on her own whims.

Alice dismissed everyone from her room, saying she would pack by herself. Then she took out the short-haired wig and the red book she had hidden under the bed.

‘I need to meet Cecilia.’

A few days ago, disguised as Allen, she waited near the back door of the Icastel mansion but couldn’t meet her. She only got the news from a maid that Cecilia had returned to the academy.

The short wig in her hand continued to bother her. Should she meet Cecilia dressed as Allen? She had been pondering this all night but fell asleep without reaching a conclusion.

If Cecilia found out that Allen was Alice, would she be disappointed? Or maybe she would slap her in disgust.

Alice had to face the oncoming anxiety for a long time. But she knew that avoidance was always the worst choice.

In the end, she left the mansion wearing the plainest outfit she used to wear when working.

Unlike the regular Imperial Academy, the Military Academy was located a bit farther away due to its large grounds. Getting off the carriage was fine, but meeting Cecilia was the problem.

“I think I came too suddenly…”

She couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Alice had to ponder for a while whether she had always been this impulsive.

She couldn’t just stand aimlessly in front of the main gate, and as she was hesitating whether to ask other students around, a group of male students approached where Alice was standing.

“Waiting for someone? A lover?”

“She’s obviously a commoner. She’s probably trying to seduce some noble men by standing here quietly.”

Some even whistled and flirted with Alice. This kind of treatment was something she couldn’t get used to no matter how many times she experienced it.

Why do people judge by appearances and treat others differently accordingly? Alice glared at them with a pathetic look and kept her mouth shut, staring at the main gate.

“We asked who you’re waiting for? If you have time to spare, why don’t you hang out with us? We’ll treat you like a proper lady…”

“Stop it, you guys.”

One male student suddenly jumped in front of Alice. Judging by his uniform, he seemed to be from the Military Academy. But the group of male students burst into laughter at the sight of him.

“Oh my, our righteous commoner has arrived.”

“What suits you is not such a grand appearance… but this.”

The one who looked like a noble’s son swung his fist towards the abdomen of the male student standing in front of Alice. He fell to the ground instantly, without even time to groan. Kicks followed immediately before Alice could intervene.

“You’ll just get beaten up like this and won’t be able to bring anyone. What, are you going to bring your grandmother who sells things on the street? Or your mother who does piecework sewing?”

The commoner male student tried to get up continuously while enduring the beating. And he gave Alice a look telling her to run away. How could she just leave after seeing this? Alice exclaimed in disbelief, raising her voice.

“Hey, you pathetic lot! Is this how you treat people?”

Perhaps it was the first time they heard such a loud voice coming from a woman’s body, the male students’ eyes widened. Ridiculous laughter erupted here and there.

“You commoner miss. Your words are a bit harsh. Do you know who we are?”

“I can tell you’re young masters from well-to-do noble families. But the way you speak is worse than street ruffians, I must say.”

“This is really… trying to change her fate by catching one nobleman, but her mouth is the only thing that’s alive…”

“What’s going on here?”

Amidst the unpleasant voices, a welcome voice was heard. Though stern, it was nothing short of a godsend at this moment. Alice turned around with a brightened expression.

There stood Cecilia in a neatly pressed school uniform. With her long navy hair tied up in a single bun and her upright posture, she looked even stronger than the other male students.

Cecilia walked towards the group of male students, her purple eyes flashing fiercely. They openly expressed their dislike at the sight of her.

“Hey, hey, let’s go before something troublesome happens. If it wasn’t for Icastel…”

“Did you see how her shirt is pressed so sharply? She looks ready to go to the battlefield right now and take an enemy’s head.”

The snickering sounds gradually faded away. Cecilia, enduring a throbbing headache, extended her hand towards the fallen commoner male student.

“Are you alright?”

“Thanks, Cecilia. I keep owing you.”

He barely managed to steady himself, staggering. Alice also helped Cecilia dust off the male student’s dirt-covered uniform. Judging by his swollen face, bruises would likely appear soon.

“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”

“…It’s not that serious. Are you hurt anywhere?”

The male student looked at Alice with a bitter smile. An emotion close to resignation, worn down over time.

Alice bit her lip hard, noticing the meaning behind the smile. Resignation is the most miserable feeling that makes people rust.

Cecilia was glaring at the main gate where the male students had entered. The indignation seeping through her tightly clenched fists was palpable. The male student observed her and then turned to Alice first.

“By the way, what brings you to the academy? If you’re here to meet family, you need to give prior notice.”

“Um, I came to meet Miss Cecilia.”

Cecilia, who had been staring into the distance, suddenly came to her senses and looked at Alice. It was a face she had never seen before, but strangely familiar. Those green eyes resembled someone’s, but where had she met them before?

“Miss Cecilia. I’m really sorry and… honored to greet you like this.”

Cecilia’s purple eyes grew wider. The person overlapping with Alice was clearly Allen. She unconsciously uttered his name.

“Allen?”

“That’s right. Actually, I came urgently because of ‘that matter’. Please forgive my rudeness.”

The answer was affirmative, but her posture lowered infinitely. Though she hadn’t intended to deceive, she felt genuinely sorry. Would it have been less awkward if she had met as ‘Alice’ from the beginning?

The male student, caught in the silence, looked back and forth between the two women’s faces. Given the seemingly serious situation, he was prepared to throw his whole body to block Cecilia if necessary, just like before.

“…We can’t leave a lady standing in a place like this. We should move somewhere. As far as possible.”

Surprised by the unexpectedly polite and kind tone, the male student and Alice looked at Cecilia with bewildered faces. It’s not like they were planning a midnight escape, was it necessary to be this secretive?

Cecilia glanced at the male student and whispered. The person who helped us with our work. The male student’s expression brightened rapidly. As the relief shared among those working towards the same goal enveloped them, Alice grabbed Cecilia’s sleeve.

“I think a noisy and crowded place would be better.”

To hide something, it’s best to go to a place that’s as chaotic and bustling as possible. That way, we’ll draw less suspicion.

**

The Empress’s office in the palace was quiet in the midday. Only the occasional sound of Ilarid turning pages could be heard, with no other noise.

Surprisingly, there was someone else in the office besides Ilarid.

Cledius stood like a fixture in front of the Empress who was reading a book, suppressing even his breathing.

She was treating Cledius as if he didn’t exist. Even though the Emperor of the nation had come, she focused only on the book she was reading while seated.

The afternoon sunlight settled on her calm appearance. The hair that had been burned by the heated iron last time had already been trimmed, leaving no trace.

Which mask among the many was Ilarid wearing now?

Cledius’s hand twitched. He wanted to tear off that mask right away and reveal her true face.

The embarrassment when caught, sometimes even flushed and shy expressions would be hidden there.

With each layer peeled away, forgotten images of Ilarid came to mind. Heat wrapped in expectation leaked from between his lips.

“What brings you here?”

He realized that he had unknowingly reached out towards Ilarid. At that moment, a genuine feeling of disappointment welled up in a corner of Cledius’s heart.

“…You ask quite early.”

“When Your Majesty came, I asked the same question three times. The question that just came out of my mouth is the fourth.”

It was unusual enough for Cledius to suddenly visit the Empress’s office, but it was the first time he had stared at Ilarid for a long time without saying anything.

Everyone in the Empress’s Palace was flustered by this rare sight. Ilarid calmly dismissed everyone and asked several times. What brings you here? But Cledius just quietly stared at the Empress.

It would have been better if he had just kept his mouth shut. Ilarid quietly picked up the book she had stopped reading and waited for Cledius to speak first. And what came out was a complaint about asking too early.

“If you’ve forgotten the reason you came, please come back another time.”

“…It’s about the academy inspection matter.”

“I believe that schedule has already been discussed and finalized.”

“I’d like us to go together.”

Ilarid closed the book with a sound and looked at the Emperor standing in front of her. Finally, you’re looking at me. Cledius didn’t hide the smile that leaked out.

At that sound of laughter, Ilarid’s expression crumpled for a moment but quickly regained composure. And immediately, a businesslike voice was heard.

“As I mentioned last time, due to Your Majesty’s busy schedule, I planned to move alone this time. Above all, it’s the first inspection since the Military Academy started selecting female students, so I decided to see it with my own eyes on this occasion.”

“It’s not a wartime situation, and I think it would be better if we were together at official events, Empress. I advise you to reconsider.”

Cledius’s tone awkwardly creaked. Yes. You’ve always been a person who values appearances. The corners of Ilarid’s mouth twitched slightly.

Probably, he wants to suppress the rumors circulating among the nobles. That the rumor of the Empress having a ‘shadow’ is merely a false rumor. Since they are nominally a couple, he wants to show a normal appearance at least in front of people.

But which people in the empire would think that the relationship between the two is amicable?

Ilarid exhaled a faint sigh she had been holding back and spoke in a disinterested tone.

“Since when have you cared about the Empress’s affairs?”

“…I’m trying to start from now on.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s too late. I will reconsider the matter of Your Majesty attending the inspection.”

Ilarid looked at Cledius once and then opened her book again. It was a silent rejection saying she didn’t want to share even a breath with him.

Cledius had always been about giving orders. A man accustomed only to looking down on others and giving instructions. The Emperor doesn’t need to have consideration, he was raised that way by the Empress Dowager.

The ‘suggestion’ that Cledius uttered for almost the first time was mercilessly shattered by the rudeness and arrogance he had built up until now.

He barely moved his trembling lips. He didn’t want to say these words, but his rational thoughts had long since evaporated.

“Hasn’t the court physician visited?”

“Yes. He said my body has stiffened a lot, probably because I’ve been overly sensitive these past few days.”

“I heard there were no other abnormalities, so let’s consummate soon.”

The finger turning the page paused for a moment. Cledius left the office without noticing Ilarid’s quiet trembling.

He had no intention of forcibly taking Ilarid. But if consummation was the only means to hold her in his arms, he was prepared to use it.

‘Shall I recite to you, one by one, how passionately my ‘shadow’ and I spent last night?’

Those words he heard in the prison tower didn’t fade away. There was no leisure to ponder whether those words were true or false.

Should he show whose possession the Empress is in front of that bastard? Or should he make him stand outside the door and let him hear the Empress’s consummation raw?

It was truly a messy obsession and jealousy. Cledius hurried his steps without even thinking of tidying up his unrefined feelings.