Though she had returned to the past, she was ultimately heading towards the same conclusion.

“The flower festival is not far away, so stay quietly in the room until then. This is an order. This is all for Banetssa’s safety, so don’t resent me. If you don’t want to be kidnapped by spies or killed without notice while talking to assassins, it’s best to do as I say.”

Karaf coldly laid out what he had to say, without even looking at Asha, and then walked out of the room, his steps heavy.

Left alone in the dark room, Asha’s legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the bed.

(This is a time separator.)

A long rainy season came to the empire in anticipation of the flower festival.

Despite summer not having arrived, the rain had come, and the imperial citizens’ reactions were divided.

Some said the phenomenon was an ominous sign, but others said it was a good omen as the rose, a flower that blooms between spring and summer, had flown into the royal family, signaling the true ‘flowering day.’

Karaf visited Asha’s room while attending to business.

Frankly, he was not at ease since he made that decision, and work was not going well.

But after that day, Asha curled up like a cocoon and lay on the bed as if dead.

The servants worried that she seemed to be pining away and constantly reported to him.

Karaf visited Asha from time to time when he felt troubled, but he would check on her lying in bed through a gap in the door, hesitate, and then just leave.

Returning to his office to work, he was irritatedly tapping his quill on the desk.

Since their relationship turned sour, the days had been damp and muggy like the rainy season.

The last curse of the imprisoned minority people seemed to resonate in his ears constantly.

“You will never bloom and die…! The Banetssa beside you now? I bet my life that she will resent and hate you. There won’t be a butterfly to love a rotting, diseased flower…!”

He had drawn his sword and cut the man’s throat as soon as he heard those words.

Although there was much to understand, he no longer wanted to hear anything from that mouth.

Quivering with rage, Durian watched from behind, only praying silently.

Karaf finally suppressed his anger and spoke.
“…Find all those associated with this scoundrel, strip them of their clothing, and drive them out of the palace. If there are any servants who have spoken to him even once or passed on information about the palace’s geography or other details, cut their throats.”

He was about to drag everyone in front of him and order them killed, regardless of the severity of their crimes, but changed his words just in time, remembering that Asha would dislike that.

He was afraid that if he really did such a thing, she would hate and avoid him forever.

The more he became distant from her, the more uneasy it made Karaf himself.

Without him, she wouldn’t miss anything.

She was someone who didn’t want anything from the palace, and rather, she thought it might be more comfortable to live as a minority without him.

But he couldn’t be without her.

Because the only one who could save him from the curse was her alone…

Karaf swept all the papers on his desk aside, and held his forehead with both hands.

He had to give Vanessa only the best, and he had to make her fall deeply in love with him, but instead of treating her well, he was punishing her…

He felt like she would really resent and hate him for what happened this time.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going terribly wrong, but he didn’t know how to solve this situation.

Meanwhile, Jackal realized that something had happened to her when Asha did not come to find him.

The ceremony was not far off, so he was also anxious, but he happened to overhear the conversation of passing servants.

“……Is His Majesty imprisoning Lady Vanessa in her room?”

Jackal unknowingly gritted and ground his teeth at those words.

That damned tyrant, for a moment, he thought he had lost his mind and was treating Asha well, but it seems he has finally crossed the line.

It seemed like she was in danger just by being near that emperor bastard.

It felt as though it had been much safer for her when they were roaming like drifters, moving from place to place.

“His Majesty is doing this to protect Lady Vanessa, but no matter what, not letting her take a single step out of the room…”

Among the servants, it seemed only a very few could see Asha’s face.

Even those were all under the emperor’s surveillance, reporting to him her every move.

Thinking of Asha, who might have been hurt by him again, his heart ached.

He wanted to rush to her side and comfort her right now.

Jackal lowered his head.

He should always be by Asha’s side.

There wasn’t much time left. Now that it had come to this, it was do or die.

Jackal, avoiding the eyes of the servants, secretly turned back into a human and opened the door.

And as soon as he came out of the room, he transformed back into a horse and galloped down the corridor.