Cloe melted at the kind, cajoling attitude of the man, as if comforting a child. She just wanted to cherish this moment.

Chills ran through Cloe’s body, which had been lying languidly.

Her tightly closed eyes gradually opened, blinking. Above her was the familiar dazzling chandelier, and beside her, an empty space greeted her.

A neatly arranged letter lay on the nearby bedside table. Wanting to check its contents, she reached out. Perhaps due to the long rest, her body felt much lighter.

She poured another cup and raised her body. Leaning on the headboard, she read the note she had received a while ago.

“I deliberately didn’t wake you up because you slept deeply. Fortunately, it seems your body has recovered well, but take a rest until today.

I left the meal next to you, so eat only what you can, and eat slowly.”

Suddenly, she touched the side. Slightly away on the table was a covered dish.

As she uncovered it, the smell of food wafted over. There were finely chopped fish balls made from lobster and a tomato basil soup that could be gently sipped.

Afterward, Cloe consumed as much as she could at a slow pace. She felt proud of herself for following his instructions.

It was around the time she was walking leisurely to aid digestion that something fell on the floor just in front of the door.

Detecting the object, she quietly approached. It was a small note.

She smiled as if wondering if today was a day when she received many notes.

“Your Majesty, have you been well?

Time has passed quickly, and our training day is approaching!

As you mentioned before, I believe the end of Empress’s education is just before dinner.

Please take care for the rest of the day!

-Dash, Friede Knights!”

The knights, with their high sense of pride, had put a lot of effort into their writing. Although it was just print, she could feel their expressions and voices, which felt strange.

‘Come to think of it, I should say that training is hard…’

The culprits of the incident did not know that Cloe had been bedridden for three days.

Hoping the knights wouldn’t blame themselves, Cloe earnestly pleaded with Kun and the attendants not to let them know about this incident.
Not knowing that Cloe had been struggling with her health for the past few days, they innocently inquired about today’s training.

Although her body had certainly improved, she wasn’t in a condition to undergo training. Moreover, she was in a state where she had once promised Kun.

She would have to refrain from training for a while and observe the situation. Later, after obtaining permission by negotiating to reduce the intensity and frequency, she could start.

‘By the way, it’s better to go and talk in person than to reply.’

If it became known that she had sent a separate letter to the knights, Kun would inquire about the content of the back-and-forth messages.

They were indirectly responsible for harming Cloe. If Kun were to find out that they had instigated training again, everyone’s safety would be at risk.

Of course, for the members who didn’t know the situation, it was just asking about the promised training… But Kun was not someone who paid attention to such details. Even if he raged like fire, saying that the details were not important.

Star Palace was not too far from the main palace, so it was enough for Cloe to go there and inform them that she would be absent from training for a while. Once she did that, it would be over.

Dressed in casual attire, she stepped out onto the street.

After leaving the maze-like corridors, the main corridor of the main palace finally appeared.

At such a busy time, the attendants, who were bustling around, forgot their tasks and approached her, asking if she was okay.

Concerns about her symptoms being an urgent situation within the palace continued to pour in. Even simple responses took quite some time.

Nevertheless, the outside of the palace was sparsely populated, making it easy to move around. It was around the time when she was enjoying the sunny weather and moving her steps.

“Empress?”

Reacting to the unfamiliar voice, she turned around.

The man looked at the note in her hand and smiled discreetly.

“Have you checked the note? Oh, you were on your way to the Star Palace.”

“That’s right…”

Responding, Cloe frowned. The man was wearing Friede’s armor, but she had never seen this face before among the knights she had met that day.

“Who might you be…”

As Cloe asked about his identity, an unusual scent wafted towards her. The more she smelled it, the more her mind became dizzy with a strange fragrance.

It was the man’s scent.

“What’s happening now…”

He opened the lid of a vial, revealing a bottle.

“Well, then you should die, shouldn’t you?”