A cozy scent mixed with ink and paper tickled the tip of my nose.

My face reflexively flushed red.

I looked at Douglas anew.

Even shabby clothes could not hide Douglas’s clear beauty.

His pink hair fluttering in the wind looked sweeter than cotton candy.

‘I want to touch it once. It must be really soft…’

For a moment, I had an ‘oops’ thought.

Wanting to touch a man?

Has the original Elizabeth’s flirtatiousness seeped into me?

‘What a strange thought for a girl from the land of Eastern etiquette!’

I slapped my cheek to snap out of it.

Startled, Douglas asked with concern.

“Are you unwell, Elizabeth?”

“I was just chasing away evil spirits.”

“Evil spirits?”

There’s a very wicked one called the demon of lust.

Swallowing my retort, I laughed awkwardly.

“Something like that.”

“Don’t overexert yourself. The journey has just begun.”

“Thank you, Sir Douglas.”

“The hat really suits you. Your male attire is also very beautiful.”

Douglas lowered his gaze shyly.

He seemed to think complimenting one’s appearance might be rude.

“I know a little boy who has a hunting cap too.”

“Do you mean His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“He called that worn-out hat his treasure. Though I only saw him wearing it once.”

I could vividly see Franz crawling out from under the holly tree.

His speech habits were quite awful.

If he were my brother, I would have scolded him until he cried.

He must be pestering Nisa and Bill right now, right?

It hadn’t been long, but it felt like ancient history.

Longing welled up to the brim of my throat.

At the end of that surging longing, Nikolai was always standing there.

His large hand wrapping around my waist and his dizzyingly hot lips were still vivid.

So much so that I sometimes fell into the illusion that our skin was still touching.

‘Douglas is handsome too, but Nikolai is still my type. A woman has loyalty. Well, isn’t love loyalty too?’

As I clenched my fist, Douglas asked.

“I wonder why His Highness didn’t wear the hat?”

“Because the canary room has a new owner. It seems to be an item with memories of his mother.”

“Do you know about His Highness’s mother, Elizabeth?”

Laila.

Nikolai’s first love.

A woman who crossed a river of no return, leaving behind young Franz.

I could not forget her, whom I had never seen.

It must have been the same for Nikolai.

“I only know her name was Laila and that she passed away a few years ago. He’s such a secretive person, after all.”

“It must have been when my grandfather worked at the imperial palace. He said something about that time.”

“What did he say?”

“That he was taking care of a woman, blindingly beautiful and lonely, together with Chief Healer Jeffrey.”

My heart sank.

I didn’t expect to hear about Laila from Douglas.

“What else did he say?”

“I never heard her status or name. I just thought she must be a noble lady since my grandfather personally cared for her.”

“Was she ill?”

“He was troubled because he didn’t know what illness it was. He said he researched herbs for her sake too.”

“I see…”

“Because she was a devout Morasinsia believer, she often went to the temple. She might have been looking for clues at the temple.”

Suddenly, I recalled the eyes of Morasinsia.

If Douglas’s grandfather had used the divine water…

Laila might have still been alive.

‘Did he not know about the divine water? Or can only I use it? Why did the goddess choose me?’

It was an unsolvable mystery.

I could only speculate it might be related to the title ‘righteous deceased’.

“Your grandfather must have been as kind as you, Sir Douglas.”

“He wished for me to become a pharmacist like you. But I was born to be a writer.”

“Susan followed in his footsteps, so he must have been pleased.”

“He would have been very proud. My late parents too.”

Douglas’s eyes became wistful.

He seemed to be worried about Susan, whom he left behind.

“Don’t worry about Susan. His Highness the Crown Prince will protect her.”

“His Highness?”

“There’s a story behind it.”

Douglas made a face that showed he didn’t understand at all.

Franz gazing at Susan’s back with longing eyes.

Susan treating Franz like a cute child.

‘Thanks to the deer siblings, the Nettleton family’s status is rising. If Susan becomes the Crown Princess, Franz’s position will also become solid. The Nettleton family, producing a Crown Princess, might regain its old fame as one of the top five noble families. A little groom and a beautiful bride. I really want to see it.’

What if the power of artists and young nobles centered around Owen is added?

What if Boritz, who made Franz’s tonic, develops famine relief crops?

They might become an unrivaled Crown Prince and Princess.

Of course, I had no intention of recommending a political marriage to them.

If Franz inherited Nikolai’s philandering tendencies…

Susan might shed tears of blood. That wouldn’t do.

“The previous emperor didn’t have an empress, did he?”

“There were only Empress Brigida, mother of the current emperor, and the deposed Penelope.”

“He was faithful. I hope Franz takes after his grandfather, not his father.”

I pouted without realizing it.

‘His father only knew one woman. Why is the son like that? He should have followed his father’s example. Tsk tsk.’

“I wonder why His Majesty took so many empresses?”

“Because he likes women! He’s called the empire’s number one Casanova, isn’t he?”

It wasn’t for me to say, having made a name as a femme fatale.

“But he doesn’t seem like someone who enjoys a promiscuous lifestyle.”

“You don’t know, Sir Douglas.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I first saw His Majesty at the Camellia party, he was entangled with two women. It was so embarrassing…”

Recalling that time, I felt hot all over.

Fanning myself didn’t help.

It wasn’t just because of the intense memory of our first kiss.

“That’s not all. He suddenly said he had business and left, then came back with a new empress. Riding a horse, no less.”

A completely different heat surged up.

Nevertheless, I wanted to fully believe his sugar-coated words that I was different from the other empresses.

In fact, that day I had intended to tell Nikolai everything.

Because I thought he would believe me.

“Is that all?”

“What more should there be?”

“If he likes women so much, why doesn’t he seek out concubines?”

Come to think of it, I had a similar conversation with Nisa before.

「Rose Empress always grumbled. She thought she’d be able to admire His Majesty’s looks to her heart’s content when she became empress, but she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him.」

「I guess she wasn’t His Majesty’s type.」

「He didn’t visit the other empresses either. The noble madames kept their dignity, but… the other empresses had many complaints. They said it wasn’t a harem, but a prison.」

「A prison?」

「They’re trapped without being able to move. Since they married the emperor, they can’t return to their hometowns either.」

「Susan was worried about that too. She said except for the noble empresses, they have to take care of their own food, clothing, and shelter.」

「They’re empresses in name only, no different from maids living in a group. Why did His Majesty keep the madames? Even though he didn’t pay any attention to them.」

I thought it was because of Nikolai’s whims.

That his interest had drifted away while seeking new women.

The more I mulled over the conversation with Nisa, the stronger the thought grew that maybe it wasn’t just sugar-coated words.

“It is strange, as you say, Sir Douglas. His Majesty was always buried in work.”

“From what I saw, he was always busy too.”

“If he really desired women, why would he do that? It would be much simpler to find a one-night partner.”

“That’s what’s puzzling. Even if the empresses were self-sufficient, maintaining a harem would have cost a lot of money.”

Douglas pointed out.

It was an issue I had never doubted before.

I just thought that’s how it was, since he was such a simple philanderer.

“He had to bear the stigma of being a philanderer who only pursued women’s charms.”

“Are you saying there was a reason he had to do that?”

“I don’t know more than that either.”

Could there have been a reason he had to wear the mask of a philanderer?

What benefit did he gain from it?

I thought it was nonsense, but a careful hope stirred within me.

‘The empresses probably couldn’t even see Nikolai. He came to the canary room whenever he had a chance.’

I thought he couldn’t settle with one woman after losing his first love.

That he was just drifting between many women, and I too would just be a passing breeze.

But what if it was all a well-crafted play?

Longing spread in my chest like another fever blossom.

I desperately wanted to see Nikolai.

I wanted to return to the imperial palace right away.

‘What is Your Majesty’s truth? Is there really an unavoidable circumstance?’

I swallowed the questions I couldn’t ask.

I couldn’t go back right away.

I had to bury Nikolai’s secret too.

Without knowing what he was planning.

Claudia put on her uniform.

It was black with silver embroidery.

On the sleeve was the wolf emblem symbolizing the Imperial Guard.

The only organization allowed to wear swords within the imperial palace.

Claudia became the head of the emperor’s personal guard and the knightly order symbolizing the empire.

About 30 visibly nervous guard knights lined up in the training ground.

Facing her subordinates standing in perfect ranks and files, Claudia murmured.

“From today, the Imperial Guard is reborn. Those who cannot be reborn will all be cut down.”

“Yes, understood!”

The knights shouted desperately.

Half of the guard had been dismissed in four days.

Half of the remainder were imprisoned.

Many had fled on their own.

Of course, there were also casualties.

“Confess now if you have any. Is there anyone who took bribes or colluded with outsiders?”

“There is not!”

“Among you are those who snuck into the harem and lusted after His Majesty’s women.”

“…!”

“You are trash who failed to stop your comrades’ misconduct and laziness. That alone is worthy of losing your heads.”

“We’re sorry, Captain!”

“Don’t be relieved that you remained in the knightly order. I’ll make you regret it.”

The corners of Claudia’s mouth curled upward.

The knights’ rigid bodies trembled.

It was because they had watched a fleeing comrade die by Claudia’s sword.

“Training begins now. Anyone who slacks off will have a real sword duel with me. Understood?”

“Understood, Captain!”

Was it because of the fear that their necks could be cut off at any moment?

Or because of the desire to be reborn anew?

Although they were the same knights as three days ago, their attitude toward training was incomparable to before.

Watching this, Nikolai said.

“The Order Captain is doing her job well.”

“Honestly, it was unexpected. I thought she would insist on returning to the Inted system.”

Careth replied.

Nikolai agreed.

“The Captain of the Order is an honorary position. It’s imperial tradition for a senior knight nearing retirement to take the post.”

“It’s not a position the Silver Lady Knight would welcome.”

“You must have done a background check?”

“About that…”

Careth trailed off.

Nikolai’s eyes sharpened.

“Speak.”

“Suspicious movements have been detected around Lady Claudia.”

“You mean treason?”