However, the steward interpreted Latil’s signal positively, and while dancing, he formed a heart shape with his hands towards her.

When his muscular arm adorably formed a heart and shot it, the people murmured again.

“Oh my God. That man publicly confessed his love to the Empress.”

“Sending love with his hands. I can’t believe this.”

“That’s very blunt. Such a sturdy heart.”

‘Oh, please don’t.’

Seeing this, Latil blushed out of embarrassment, causing the people to chatter more in surprise.

“It seems the Empress likes him. Her face is all red.”

“Does she like that kind of thing?”

“Well, you can’t do that kind of dance without courage…”

At that, Guesta, who was shocked, looked at Latil with surprised eyes. He had a face that seemed to think, ‘Does she really like that?’

However, Latil didn’t see Guesta’s expression as she was busy being embarrassed alone. Just the thought that she had to pretend to be smitten by the steward who danced like that already had her mind overwhelmed.

However, she couldn’t keep doing this. She didn’t know what that steward, who had become a casino dealer to leave worldly matters, would do next, so she had to stop him now and quickly bring him in.

‘Ugh….’

Latil, who made a firm resolution, took a deep breath, quickly stood up, and laughed heartily.

“Oh my goodness. Can you believe this!”

Everyone who was watching the steward became quiet in an instant and watched the empress. Latil felt a hot flush in her ears but pretended to be calm, spread her arms, and approached the steward while praising him.

“Oh, nameless muscle! Your dance is more powerful than any dance I’ve seen!”

At that, the steward stopped dancing and quickly knelt down as if embarrassed.

“I’ve dazzled Your Majesty’s eyes with my modest dance skills.”

“Not at all! You’ve broken the bolt on my heart and entered.”

When Latil helped the steward to his feet, the people murmured in surprise.

“It seems the Empress really likes that man.”

“But who is that man? I’ve never seen him before.”

“I don’t know who he is, but he’s handsome. Of course, all the men in the Empress’s harem are incredibly handsome.”

“It seems the Empress just looks at faces.”

The nobles tried to think of a man as handsome as him among the men they knew. Looking at the Empress’s taste, it seemed like she would fall in love just by being handsome.

However, unlike others, some couldn’t just enjoy this situation.

‘Can her heart be that fickle!’

The Duke of Atraxil who was just happy to see his daughterinlaw become the empress.

‘Right now, the Empress is doing this to me because I can’t dance.’

Ranamun, who was openly criticized by Latil for not being able to dance.

“……”

And Guesta, who was about to suggest to Latil to dance together a little earlier, among others, found it difficult to manage their expressions easily even though they knew people were looking at them.

As Guesta was glaring at the steward with narrowed eyes, Tasir, who had barely escaped from Carlein and returned to his seat, chuckled and teased Guesta.

“Are you planning to approach me with a scheme once you enter the harem? You should stop, young master. Look at that fist of his. You might get knocked out with one punch.”

As Tasir kept acting coy, Guesta’s gaze grew colder. However, knowing Guesta would never show his character in front of people, Tasir did not stop his prattle.

“Stop it, Lord Tasir.”

“What? I can’t hear you over the noise, young master.”

“Stop it…”

“Huh? I can’t hear you.”

Watching Tasir snicker, Guesta clenched his fist in secret.

Tasir was about to speak to Ranamun while giggling, but as soon as Ranamun shot a piercing gaze, he quickly turned his attention to Carlein.

However, to his surprise, Carlein was also behaving similarly to Guesta. No, Carlein was glaring even more blatantly at a man dancing alone.

“My word. Even the King of Mercenaries is jealous?”

Seeing this, Tasir thought it was his chance to tease Carlein, but unlike Guesta, Carlein didn’t respond to Tasir’s jest at all.

Tasir also stopped his teasing and became quiet because of Carlein’s expression.

“Hey, King of Mercenaries? Are you okay?”

Unlike Guesta, Carlein’s expression wasn’t angry but rather in pain. Seeing his pale complexion further worsen, Tasir asked out of concern.

“Are you feeling sick?”

“I’m not feeling well.”

“Really feeling sick?”

Carlein didn’t specify what was wrong, but after telling Latil’s attendant that he was feeling unwell, he left the banquet hall.

At dawn, when the banquet was over.

Latil was about to go to the prison to interrogate those who attempted to attack the Palace, but upon hearing that Carlein had returned to his quarters early due to illness, she changed her direction and went to the harem first.

Though they had not known each other for long, the Carlein that Latil knew was not one to feign sickness. No, wasn’t he the type to hide his pain and suffer silently, like a proud wolf?

Of course, it was impossible to know whether a real wolf would hide its pain or not.

‘If he left in front of people because he wasn’t feeling well, he must be really sick.’

When she arrived at Carlein’s room, she saw a mercenary, said to have been brought in by him from the Black Reapers, standing in front of the door.

“Your Majesty has arrived.”

Although they had met only a few times, the servant Carlein brought had a distinctive face, and Latil recognized him instantly.

This servant’s face was as pale as Carlein’s, always full of dissatisfaction and seemingly in a bad mood, making him stand out even in a crowd.

“Where is Carlein?”

“He’s inside.”

When Carlein’s servant opened the door, Latil entered, making a small cough to signal Carlein of her arrival.

“Carlein?”

She thought he would be in bed, but Carlein was sitting by the window, resting his head against the frame. His hair was damp, perhaps from a bath, and his partially uncovered bathrobe revealed his still moist body.

“Carlein, I heard you’re sick. Are you okay being up like this?”

As Latil entered and asked, Carlein put down his legs from the window sill and came closer. Latil examined his face.

But as he was always pale, it was hard to tell if he was well or not just by his complexion.

“Let’s see. Are you okay?”

As Latil held his face and looked into his eyes and lips, Carlein obediently let her inspect his face while standing still.

“Hmm. You seem to be fine.”

Latil said, looking over Carlein’s face in detail and then dropping her hand. It wasn’t just a casual comment, aside from his normally pale skin, there didn’t seem to be anything noticeably wrong with him.

“Did you come because you were worried about me?”

“You suddenly said you were sick and left.”

Carlein’s lips moved slightly, as if he had something to say.

But that was it. Carlein just shut his mouth.

Latil felt regretful recalling how she had briefly heard others’ inner thoughts at the banquet hall. It was quite handy.

Especially in front of a silent person like Carlein, it would be a particularly useful ability.

However, whether her ability had disappeared in the meantime, or whether it was a temporary power that had somehow appeared, no matter how much she looked, Latil could not tell what Carlein was thinking at the moment.

“Do you feel pain now?”

In the end, when Latil asked directly, Carlein replied, rubbing his nose against Latil’s neck.

“I’m not in pain. I’m just like this because of jealousy. I’m fine, my lord.”