Vivian’s violet wave entered Casius’ sight.

The unique tremor contained within it was read differently with each step.

He finally stopped at a distance where the violet turned to deep purple.

In terms of distance, it was not even a single step away from the empress.

The empress looked up at him with startled, trembling eyes.

The lips and breath he had encountered long ago once again brushed his mind as if it were yesterday.

Back then, it contained something akin to desperation, but this time, it had a different light, if that was the difference.

Without taking his eyes off her, Casius took out a bottle from his bosom.

“It’s Diarob’s heart. Since the empress helped me obtain it, it’s only right that I give it to you.”

The empress’ trembling gaze slowly moved towards the bottle.

Soon, a low gasp escaped her lips as she confirmed the item.

“Did you come to give me this?”

The empress gazed at the liquid with the most loving expression above all else.

Her gaze, which had been making such an expression every time she looked at him, now couldn’t be torn away from the heart.

She looked like a young child, smiling brightly.

The empress, a young child. Casius, facing himself for thinking of a combination that could never suit her, frowned.

Now that he had finished his task, there was no reason for him to remain here any longer.

With that, Casius went straight outside.

Walking out to the Wolfdor Garden, Casius briefly clutched a part of his chest.

In the distance, he could see the empress’ silhouette flickering.

*

For a long while after Casius left the empress’ palace, she blankly stared at Diarob’s heart.

‘Did he really come to give me this?’

He came here first to apologize, and on top of that, his soft tone, unlike usual, was even favorable to me.

Has the effort finally had a little effect?

Of course, it was still too early, recalling how he clearly drew the line, but hope bubbled up and filled her insides with warmth.

Putting the complex surge of emotions behind, the financial documents on the table came into view.

After finishing them and sending them off in the hands of the lady-in-waiting, she carefully grasped the bottle containing the heart.

‘Diarob’s heart is finally in my hands.’

Its unparalleled, brilliant appearance made her smile just by looking at it.

‘Can I find my magic now?’

About several times of hopping around and kissing the bottle.

An ominous gaze was felt from the back of her head.

‘Ah……’

The youngest lady-in-waiting was behind her.

As she turned her head, the lady-in-waiting who met her gaze did her best to look elsewhere to avoid meeting her.

Well, who would see a person kissing a bottle like this as sane?

Fortunately, the fact that the child didn’t know this was a demon’s heart was a saving grace.

Quickly regaining a solemn posture, she opened the imperial calendar.

“What date is it today?”

The lady-in-waiting answered in a trembling voice.

“It’s the 25th.”

The time when magic fluctuates the most is the full moon of each month.

It was regrettable to have to wait 20 more days to drink the heart and perform the ritual.

After sending the lady-in-waiting out, she carefully wrapped the bottle, put it in a secret safe, and locked it.

Perhaps because she was in a good mood, the sunlight coming through the window was particularly warm.

In the afternoon, as she took a walk in the imperial palace garden with the ladies-in-waiting, the sunlight she hadn’t seen in a long time enveloped her pleasantly.

Passing the stone building and heading towards the fountain, Iblina emerged through the sunlight and approached.

She paid her respects and uttered incomprehensible words.

“I thought your body was very uncomfortable, but you came out for a walk.”

My body is uncomfortable, what does that mean? Is she trying to do something silly again?

“Advisor, what business do you have here?”

“I am on my way to the Wolfdor Palace, as His Majesty has summoned me.”

“Ah, I was surprised, thinking you were following me again.”

Iblina’s face contorted as her own actions were pointed out.

“I heard those words from the young lady-in-waiting. It seems there was some misunderstanding, but it appears you still hold that matter in your heart.”

She seemed to want to push me as a petty person in any way possible.

It wasn’t my style to get involved either way.

She had a remarkable talent for making me want to leave within less than a minute of seeing her.

“It seems you haven’t heard the words I conveyed. There were words I clearly told to convey to your master.”

As I smiled brightly, Iblina’s face turned even redder.

However, she soon smiled as if nothing had happened.

Now that I think about it, although not in appearance, her personality seems to take after Bashvir.

Iblina spoke as if she had just remembered, putting sarcasm in her tone.

“Ah, I will take that advice to heart. But may I also dare to give Her Majesty the Empress a piece of advice?”

Advice? One eyebrow rose slightly.

‘The first time we met, she mentioned health issues… Could it be what I’m thinking?’

Come to think of it, unlike some time ago, Iblina looked confident.

It didn’t suit the situation where she should be fuming for not even being able to properly attend the grand council.

Even though Casius would have scolded her for knowing all of Iblina’s misdeeds that day.

Casius was not one to just let something like that pass.

Even now, Iblina had a sneer on her lips.

At the moment when suspicion solidified into certainty, Iblina opened her mouth.

“If you spill too much, your tail will eventually be stepped on, so always be careful.”

My tail will be stepped on.

“Like you?”

As I smiled brightly, Iblina’s expression hardened for a moment.

However, she soon regained her usual composure and politely paid her respects.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

Watching Iblina move away, a smile formed on my face.

On the shimmering glass window where the sunlight fluttered, I saw myself with a crooked smile.

Anyone who sees this would say I’ve gone crazy for hearing such nonsense, but… I can’t help but feel good.

Iblina had noticed about the Shirmi herbs.

It was clear what she was thinking.

Yes. Let your tail grow long, Iblina.

As I stretched my lips, wishing for her misfortune, the air around me became still.

Turning my head in the quiet air, the ladies-in-waiting avoided my gaze.

They all seemed surprised by the sight of me smiling.

*

Returning to the office, Iblina slammed the table with a bang.

Anger spewed out over her huffing breath.

‘Where is she acting like an empress? That cheap thing who’s just sick with Ilachino disease!’

Bang- With another loud sound, the table vibrated.

Iblina’s insides were boiling. It took a long while for her to regain her composure.

‘Once her disease is revealed, that bitch is done for.’

The moment it is revealed as the truth that the empress is suffering from Ilachino disease, she will be buried in the empire.

It will be a natural course for the emperor to lose affection for the empress.

No, not stopping there, the emperor will abandon the empress.

Unless he’s crazy, there’s no way he can leave an empress who committed such a blasphemous act alone.

With this opportunity, not only the empress but also Snowfel could be blown away at once.

Only after a satisfying imagination did the corners of Iblina’s lips curl up nicely.

‘You’re finished now, Vivian Snowfel.’

*

Casius didn’t move from his seat for quite a while after lunchtime.

On his table, the project proposals reported by the empress were lined up.

The empress, who unnecessarily said she would fulfill her duties, stubbornly submitted this vast amount of reports.

Recalling her appearance at the coronation ceremony or the grand council, Casius opened them.

Contrary to expectations, neat handwriting captured his sight.

With half curiosity about the reports written by the empress and half the purpose of roughly finding fault to expel her from work, he began reading the contents.

Casius stopped at one point while casually scanning through them.

‘She wants to be listed as an observer for the Rosemary tourism project? Does she think I’ll allow this?’

Scoffing and flipping through the report, Casius couldn’t help but freeze when he realized its perfection.

If it went according to this plan, he would have no choice but to designate the empress as an observer for the Rosemary site project.

He tried to find flaws several times but ultimately failed.

It was clear that this report was not written after thinking for a day or two.

Everything was overly meticulous and a strategic plan that delved well into the issues.

Not only that, from the preparation of financial statements to the derivation of expected profits, it was perfect.

The tourism site utilization plan was also composed with the minimum cost and maximum efficiency.

Admiration raised questions.

‘The empress knows how to do this too?’

The Vivian he knew was just a woman whose everything was gossiping about others during tea time.

She was desperate to somehow kick out Rosemary.

Was all that time spent as Diarob Snowfel’s puppet?

If it was as she claimed, it would be.

Then now……

But can a person change this much?

As he turned the pages with lingering thoughts, he suddenly stopped moving on a certain page.

His gaze lingered for quite a while on the equation written in a modest handwriting.

This was an equation Rachel used to write a long time ago.

Because it was a unique equation not commonly used in the empire, it was still vivid in Casius’ memory.

As was the conversation he had with her that day.

“Do you know what it means if you solve this equation?”

“What is it?”

“The words I wanted to say to you.”

“Are you stimulating my competitive spirit now?”

“Yeah. But it’s going to be really difficult.”

“What kind of words are they?”

“Beautiful and enchanting.”

“……”

“Something terribly dangerous.”

He sways inside her eyes, with himself reflected in them.

Like a stone thrown into a lake.

As if waking from a long dream, he broke free from the reminiscence.

Yes, without telling him how dangerous it was, she disappeared like that.

Casius, who took out that equation he still couldn’t solve, stared at it for a long time as if enchanted.

There was no hesitation in his hand as he began to solve it.

Casius gently brushed over the letters that were as painful as a bruise.

I love you.

But now you’re not by my side to say those words to me.

Even though I want to, I can’t say those words to you.

Tears that couldn’t even flow welled up in layers in his blue eyes.

As his hazy, blurred vision became clear, he lifted his head, and the empress’ equation overlapped in his sight.