Teishar couldn’t sleep properly. No matter how much he thought about it, he felt heartbroken that he had been too indifferent to Lorencia. With a bitter smile, he paced back and forth in the room, regretting.

But there was a reason for that. Whenever he looked at Lorencia, his heart would sink so painfully that it hurt. Then, he coldly warned himself that he shouldn’t have such feelings for Lorencia, who was hurt and struggling.

“I can’t.”

He thought, ‘I don’t like her. It’s not love,’ but suddenly, he started laughing like a madman at the thought that he was Lorencia’s first escort and first dance at her debutante.

And again, he shouted, ‘It’s not love!’ but as soon as he thought of Lorencia wearing the red dress and black diamond accessories that he had gifted her at the debutante, a shiver ran up his spine.

He only felt immensely satisfied.

Is it wrong for a snake to love the child of the goddess Ella? Is there anything wrong with loving? Is it right to push Lorencia away just because she hasn’t had her coming-of-age ceremony? Honestly, age wasn’t a problem.

“The only person who can catch all the trash and make her the happiest tree in the world is……”

When he finished thinking that it was none other than himself, he no longer worried about his feelings of liking her. He only acknowledged his feelings. If Lorencia accepted his confession, he could have an engagement ceremony as soon as he returned to the Poloid Empire, and if she wanted, he could propose and get married, couldn’t he?

“But what if I confess and Lady Lorencia hates me.”

Teishar admitted that his one-sided love had begun, thinking arbitrarily. Adrian was right. It wasn’t his duty as a snake, but because he had feelings for her, he wanted to treat her better and didn’t want to be apart from her. He denied that he loved her so much that he couldn’t think of anything else because his mind was filled with thoughts of Lorencia every day.

“This is driving me crazy. Beating drums, blowing trumpets, holding a wedding ceremony, and even having a child all by myself.”

When Teishar thought that his feelings for Lorencia were love, he could coldly accept all his symptoms. As he became honest with his feelings, a quiet laughter began to flow from his mouth.

“I miss her.”

When he pulled back the curtain, it was still dawn. It was still time for Lorencia to be asleep. Even if he missed her, he couldn’t go right away.

“Should I secretly go and just see her sleeping face?”

It seemed that his feelings had become out of control once he clearly acknowledged them.

“Let’s not go secretly, as Leo might cry loudly and wake up Lady Lorencia. I can see her in just a few hours if I endure.”

Unlike yesterday, Teishar took out his sword with a refreshed face, changed his clothes, and headed to the private training ground that Adrian had prepared.

Teishar stopped at the entrance of the training ground. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the cold air of dawn. With a ‘sling’ sound, he drew his sword from its sheath, took a stance, and began swinging it up and down continuously. The broadsword he uses is heavier and longer than other swords, and since it is a double-edged sword, one must be careful when handling it.

Although the basic posture of cutting and swinging in swordsmanship is important, if the skill, strength, and speed do not support it, no matter what one cuts, it cannot be cut at once.

Teishar practiced thrusting and cutting, imagining Ruans, Daniel, and the people of the Pol Heredian family in the air. He swung his sword without stopping until the cold air of dawn disappeared and the warm morning sunlight came down.

He thought and thought about how he could make Lorencia accept him.

“Master. You were here.”

At the sound of Evan’s voice looking for him, Teishar stopped swinging his sword for a moment, releasing his strength.

“What brings you here so early in the morning? Evan.”

“Lady Lorencia is anxiously looking for you, Master.”

“What?”

Teishar raised his eyebrows and curved his lips into a crescent shape. His red eyes sparkled.

“Lady Lorencia is looking for me? Anxiously? Really? Evan.”

“Yes. Master.”

Rather than thinking about the reason why Lorencia was looking for him in the morning, Teishar pressed his left chest and started running at the thought that he could finally meet her.

Unlike when he thought of his duty as a snake, Teishar is now aware of his love for Lorencia. His heart was pounding, and his hands were sweating. His lips and mouth were parched. He kept swallowing his saliva and was nervous.

Teishar parted his lips and breathed in and out very little, taking deep breaths.

“Lady Lorencia. Is something the matter?”

Teishar asked Lorencia with a flushed face.

“By the way, Duke Spencer.”

“Yes. Lady Lorencia.”

“You seem to have been unwell since yesterday. Your face and even your ears are red. Do you have a high fever?”

Lorencia carefully examined Teishar’s face with concern. She even felt sorry for calling someone who was not feeling well from the morning.

“It’s probably because I was swinging my sword at the training ground and ran over here.”

“I see. I’m glad you’re not sick.”

Teishar spoke to Lorencia as kindly as possible, but when he saw worry piled up on Lorencia’s face, Teishar became concerned. What happened to Lorencia overnight to make her have such an expression?

It was unlikely that the people of the Pol Heredian family had come, and Ruans had not taken a single step out of the palace where he was staying. Who on earth made her have such an expression?

Could it be that she was disappointed that he had been too cold yesterday?

Teishar’s face turned pale. His heart began to beat unstably.

“Would you mind telling me what’s going on?”

When Teishar asked in a worried voice, Lorencia let out a big sigh.

“I’m sorry for sighing. Duke Spencer.”

“It’s alright. I’m definitely at fault.”

“What? Why are you suddenly apologizing?”

“I thought you were angry because I was cold to you yesterday, so I’m apologizing.”

Lorencia tilted her head. Was Teishar cold to her yesterday? No, he wasn’t.

“I wasn’t angry.”

“Really? That’s a relief. I will never be cold to you again in the future.”

“The reason I urgently wanted to meet you, Duke Spencer, is because of a dream I had last night.”

Lorencia began to confide in Teishar about her dream from the previous night.

“There is one thing that concerns me.”

“Duke Spencer. What is it?”

“It’s about the High Priestess of the Ella Temple mentioned in the conversation between the two people.”

Lorencia let out an exclamation, as if she understood what he meant.

“Come to think of it, not long after Prince Ruans ascended to the throne as emperor, the Ella Temple was moved to the Isuter Empire.”

“The Ella Temple was moved?”

“Yes. And it was decided that Ruans, who became the emperor, would have a state marriage with the High Priestess.”

Lorencia clenched her fists tightly.

With the power to see the future, she led Ruans to victory. When he shone brightly as the emperor, many women who looked at him had expectations, but the person chosen as the empress was none other than the High Priestess of the Ella Temple. She learned that fact before being subjected to the witch trials.

People weary of war cheered at the fact that the Ella Temple was moving to the Isuter Empire and that the priestess would become their empress. And Lorencia herself was accused of being a witch, tried, and imprisoned in a dungeon where not a single ray of light entered.

“Moving a temple is no ordinary matter. But if they moved it immediately after the war ended, there may have been some kind of deal between the temple and Prince Ruans.”

At Teishar’s words, Lorencia’s eyes widened.

“It seems that an investigation is needed to see if the Ella Temple, Prince Ruans, and Duke Daniel are connected. Duke Spencer.”

“I understand. I will have it thoroughly investigated.”

When Lorencia nodded and smiled faintly, Teishar also smiled back. With his long fingers, he brushed her cheeks and around her eyes. He made eye contact with Lorencia.

“Duke Spencer.”

“Yes.”

“You’re not avoiding my gaze today.”

“I have no intention of ever avoiding your gaze in the future.”

“Actually, I was a little disappointed when you avoided my gaze yesterday.”

“I apologize. But I hope the day comes when you avoid me like I did yesterday, Lady Lorencia.”

“There’s no way I would avoid you, Duke Spencer.”

“If you end up avoiding eye contact with me, then from that moment on, you’ll have to be prepared.”

“What should I be prepared for?”

Lorencia tilted her head at Teishar’s puzzling words.

“I’ll let you know when the time comes.”

He answered with a languid smile on his face and a satisfied tone. Teishar entwined his fingers through Lorencia’s red hair. His hand slowly repeated brushing through her hair and then stroked her head.

“As expected, whenever you stroke my hair, Duke Spencer, it feels reassuring. It’s comfortable.”

Lorencia smiled brightly. Although she couldn’t predict how the future would unfold, many things had already changed due to her decision. Honestly, she was worried that the situation might get worse.

“I feel the same way.”

But with him, she felt like she could overcome even difficult times. Above all, she seemed to like the fact that she could get along comfortably with Teishar the most.

When Teishar briefly took his hand off her head, Lorencia smiled brightly and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder.

It was comfortable. And her heart was ticklish and fuzzy.

The current emperor of the Isuter Empire, Adolf, is a well-known philanderer. In particular, his love for Empress Ines was deep. Receiving the emperor’s love meant gaining power, but Ines couldn’t make a big impact in social circles.

It was because of the concubine Felena.

Honestly, at that time, Ines, who was unmarried, could not imagine becoming an empress as a baron’s daughter. It would have been a great honor for the family even if a baron’s daughter became a concubine, but Adolf vowed to make Ines the empress and kept that vow.

And she found out the reason why she had no choice but to become the empress.