The more wicked and mean a guy was, the more shamelessly well he lived.

But this time it was different. There was no way a relentless man like Nikolai would let the criminal escape.

It felt rewarding to have done something righteous.

Nikolai suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“You have somewhere to go with me.”

I couldn’t escape, but the pressure was not painful.

I decided to momentarily forget the gender divide.

I had just realized that I liked a man with big hands.

Where Nikolai took me was the Crown Prince’s palace garden.

Various flowering trees exuded a bright and sweet fragrance.

Surrounded by flowers, the pergola was comfortably furnished with topgrade furniture and silk cushions.

The scene reminded me of a scene from a fairy tale, and a smile naturally spread across my face.

The servants brought tea.

As if telling me to pour everything out, Nikolai leaned towards me.

Beyond his folded hands, his mysterious green eyes shone sharply.

“How did you know that the doctor was lying?”

How did I know? Morashinsia’s eyes clearly showed it, but he knew because he kept insisting it wasn’t.

But I didn’t spill everything.

“Your Majesty’s extreme refusal of treatment seemed strange.”

“Is that all?”

“Have you heard the story about Your Majesty taking off the servants’ clothes and putting a silver spoon in the mouth of the former Education Supervisor?”

“I don’t know.”

“Everyone says it’s because of Your Majesty’s eccentric temperament.”

“Finch is not such a child!”

Nikolai said in an urgent tone.

He was worried that I might misunderstand Franz.

They say even a hedgehog finds its young pretty.

I laughed at the Emperor’s human side.

“I know. The one I saw was more mature than his peers.”

“You have an eye for people.”

“They say blood doesn’t lie. Your Majesty may be harsh in words, but… if you acted in a certain way, there must have been a reason.”

“You mean Franz found the culprit on his own?”

“Your Majesty didn’t eat the food served in the golden plate, but you ate well from the silver plate. What does that mean?”

“Does it mean that he doesn’t trust the people of the Crown Prince’s palace?”

“He also advised me to be careful.”

“Franz said that?”

“Wasn’t the reason for dismissing the educators also for their sake? He might have been afraid they’d get poisoned because of him.”

For a week, I wracked my brains trying to persuade Franz.

But I failed every time.

I couldn’t even use magic.

So I changed my approach.
“Understanding Franz comes before persuasion. What will Franz think? What is he most afraid of? There must be a clue in Franz’s behavior.”

Franz’s words were slowly recounted.

“If you want to live, run away right now.”

“You’re not safe surrounded by the knights.”

“I know my body well!”

The truth seemed about to emerge faintly.

But it wasn’t enough.

Information about Franz was gathered through the palace servants.

Though everyone was afraid to speak, no one could resist in front of charms and bribes.

“His Majesty has been extremely sharp since a year ago.”

“They say it’s early adolescence.”

“It might be, but something might have drastically changed at that point.”

“What could it be?”

“We have to find out now. Find the culprit behind the poisoning, and open His Majesty’s heart, right?”

“Why did Pinch try to solve it alone without telling me…….”

Nikolai muttered, seemingly sorrowful.

Imagining his young son fretting alone, his heart seemed to ache.

“Elizabeth. Do you have any guesses?”

“Roughly.”

“Speak immediately. A reward fitting your merit will be bestowed.”

Nikolai looked displeased.

He stared intently, then shook his head.

“It’s useless to open a lock with someone else’s key. A new lock will form.”

“Is there no urgency?”

“They say to turn back when in a hurry.”

“…….”

“Understanding comes first if you want to win the other’s heart. It’s a stage that shouldn’t be skipped over. Think hard.”

“Is this that special training?”

Nikolai leaned into his chair, frowning.

“It’s a special training method not disclosed to just anyone.”

He tried to show leisure, but it was no use.

Nikolai wanted more truth.

“I knew you were smarter than I thought.”

“Should I be thankful?”

“Observation, logic, action; none are bad.”

“People die when they do things they shouldn’t.”

“That alone doesn’t explain it. How did you know for sure that Franz was poisoned? Do you have superpowers?”

A man who would not back down if he wasn’t convinced.

He brought the teacup to his lips.

After wetting his parched lips, he delivered his prepared answer.

“Did you know that I was very ill before coming to the palace?”

“I also know that you had a fever and were reformed.”

“Since then, I can see something faintly.”

“?”

“Sometimes that something speaks to me. Then I find people’s illnesses as if I’m possessed by a healer…….”

“You’ve become a medium?”

Nikolai inquired suspiciously.

“That’s exactly it! You are quick indeed.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Neither can I. I don’t even want to.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m busy living, why would I want to know where others are ill? It keeps showing up, and it drives me crazy.”

There was a slight lie, but mostly truth.

Nikolai was pondering whether to believe my words.

I didn’t miss the chance and handed over Morashinsia’s eye.

“I’ll give the charm back. It was just borrowed for Your Majesty’s son.”

“Why did you need the charm?”

“With this, the spirit becomes stronger. Thanks to this charm, I was able to clearly identify the poisoning.”

The reasons I didn’t disclose everything about Morashinsia’s eye were:

He wouldn’t believe it anyway.
I didn’t know it well myself.
I could be used or become an experimental subject.
I don’t want unnecessary attention.

In a situation where even being a medium was doubted, the chance of disbelief was high.

I didn’t fully understand it myself…….
More than anything, he wanted to avoid attracting needless attention and becoming bothered.

Until the development of medical technology, shamans, sorcerers, and religious figures were treated as healers.

People believed that diseases were the wrath of the gods.

They often relied on dangerous and impure superstitions and magical practices.

The healers of this world were not very advanced in medical standards.

Could it be said that they were only beginning to grasp the concept of cleanliness?

Even now, common people did not seek expensive healers but rushed to temples to offer prayers.

It was clear that troublesome things would happen if it were revealed that the goddess of healing’s sacred water had appeared, and that I was the user of it.

Perhaps I could be exploited or become a subject of experimentation.

‘Do they still doubt? How should I handle this?’

I carefully watched Nikolai’s reaction.

But there was no need to do so.

His attention was completely elsewhere.