Early in the morning, Edwick entrusted himself to the hands of the attendant while changing his clothes. His complexion hadn’t fully recovered, but compared to the past few days, he felt remarkably lighter.

It was strange. It felt like his whole body was boiling in fever for the past few days, but in a brief moment, not only did the fever subside, but he also gained enough strength to move.

The lingering confusion that continued to haunt him subsided somewhat thanks to Jade’s words, who had been by his side.

[Eve went to visit. She was suffering so much that I impulsively sent a scorpion to Eve, and she came straight away in the morning. She stayed by Father’s side for quite a while before returning. Now I’m worried she might have incurred the Empress’s resentment.]

Jade couldn’t easily erase the heavy expression. Therefore, Edwick, although concerned about Ibelia, seemed to quickly settle into his seat.

Edwick had been captivated by fear, having revealed Ibelia’s childhood story that he had hidden until now. The face of the young girl he saw just before leaving the Crown Prince’s residence was constantly etched in his mind.

Ibelia had an unexpectedly wounded expression. Moreover, learning the truth so suddenly seemed to make her look even more painful.

As her face didn’t disappear for even a moment, Edwick couldn’t eat or sleep. The choice he made in his youth for the sake of his daughter, which he regretted so much, became a fever he couldn’t overcome.

The fact that his daughter, who hadn’t contacted him even once, came to see him was a welcome one, but it weighed even heavier on his heart because she came due to his illness.

Edwick let out a heavy sigh. Just as the fitting of the clothes seemed to be over, the attendants who had been by his side stepped back. Now, looking at his appearance reflected in the mirror, Edwick turned his head towards the steward.

“Prepare the carriage. I will go to the Imperial Palace.”

The voice giving orders was unusually stern. It was late, but it was the timing to move for Ibelia.

Inside the quite spacious dining hall, Yustia stepped gracefully. Guardo, who had arrived first, raised his head to look at her.

The gaze that briefly met was indifferent and unchanged. Yustia bit her lower lip for a moment, but as if to say it had always been like this, she smiled and sat across from Guardo.

“I’m a bit late, Your Majesty.”

“No, I arrived just a while ago, so please don’t mind.”

Guardo didn’t spare a glance at Yustia for a moment. He responded in a tone devoid of any warmth, lifted the glass in front of him to his lips, and drained it without looking.

Yustia felt a lump in her throat due to his indifferent, almost cold attitude. She took a deep breath, making her shoulders rise noticeably, but her stifling feelings did not improve.
Today was the day when the Emperor had breakfast once a week. Although Guardo was usually an absent husband, he had never skipped the day of having breakfast together.

This fact always tormented Yustia since their marriage. To Yustia, Guardo was someone desperately needed to escape from Dwayne’s shadow.

Yustia always wanted him and longed for him. It started as a necessity, but as his indifferent attitude persisted, resentment grew.

She had never refrained from trying to win his heart. She tried to act proudly, and she tried to approach him warmly. However, Guardo remained unresponsive.

The maids, as if waiting for her to sit down, brought out the food after she took her place. However, even in front of the lower-ranking attendants, his attitude didn’t change.

Yustia clenched her dress tightly under the table. Meanwhile, as the table filled up and the maids went to their respective places, Guardo started the meal as if he had been waiting. Yustia, who stared at him with resentful eyes, also gripped a fork after taking a deep breath.

At that moment, Guardo’s voice unexpectedly echoed through the dining hall.

“I heard a story that Nett Yungae was released from custody not long ago.”

Yustia put down the fork she was holding and looked at Guardo. It was extremely rare for Guardo to initiate a conversation at such a formal and routine mealtime. Moreover, he had never brought up anything related to Riu until now.

Tension filled Yustia’s eyes at the unexpected situation. Guardo, who faced her even as he chewed the food after waiting, finally looked at her after swallowing.

“Is it true that Riu Lian personally decided on this matter?”

As Guardo’s question continued unexpectedly, Yustia couldn’t help but narrow her brows. Not only did his words borrow Riu’s name, but he seemed convinced that she was the one who ordered Lelia’s release.

“…May I ask what you mean by that?”

Yustia asked, unable to spread her narrowed eyebrows. She couldn’t help but ask. His words seemed to imply that Riu personally ordered Lelia’s release, and he was certain that she was the one.

“I mean exactly that. I’m asking whether Riu Lian personally ordered Nett Yungae’s release. Is the question too difficult?”