His bedroom was truly ‘Derek Noert’ himself.

Gray furniture, white bedding and pillows without any patterns.

A plain table without even common decorations.

Scanning the bedroom that contained only essential items, I could easily tell that Derek was not very happy.

And that he had been prepared to give up his position as deputy commander and return to the empress’s side at any time.

As I looked around like that, Derek knelt on one knee before me.

“Your Majesty.”

“Speak.”

“Now… do you no longer need me?”

I could imagine how painful it must have been for Derek to utter those words.

I looked down at my knight who was like sleet and gently lifted his dark chin.

“I desire your loyalty. I do not desire anything else.”

“I have given you my loyalty. My life is also yours. If possible, I would like to give you my soul as well.”

“If you gave it because you wanted to, you should be happy, so why do you look so troubled?”

“…That’s.”

Derek seemed at a loss for words for a moment.

I clicked my tongue inwardly and gave an answer without delay.

“It’s because you’ve come to want. To receive as much as you’ve given.”

“……”

“You may not have realized it, but in the past, you were receiving a lot from me too. Didn’t you have me all to yourself in return for your devotion?”

Leonarda must have needed Derek as a place to return to. As a last bastion that was always there.

But Leonarda is gone now.

Derek too had to live his own life.

“I’m sorry.”

Derek, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly apologized.

Not knowing what kind of apology it was, I waited quietly.

For Derek to say something more.

“If you’re not going to keep me close and use me, please send me far away instead.”

“……”

“Sir Chedef or Sir Giovanni can sufficiently replace me as deputy commander. I… am in too much pain.”

Derek’s expression was so desperate.

It was as if he was struggling not to fall into depravity.

He seemed to be fighting alone, trying not to cross the line, trying somehow to sort out his feelings.

“…Then will you go check on Quan’s movements?”

This is the most I can do for him.

Giving him a goal to fulfill as a knight and sending him on a long journey.

To that, Derek slowly bowed his head.

Somehow, it felt like we would only meet again after a very long time had passed.

After the empress left.

Derek, who had remained still with one knee bent, exhaled a deep, dark breath. It resembled a deep sigh.

Cold sweat flowed coldly down his tense spine. An instinctive sense of caution raced through his veins.

‘What is that?’

The apple the empress had left behind was ominously red.

Derek, who had been glaring at it, raised his fist and struck it.

Crunch.

Inside the hideously crushed apple, a half-dead caterpillar wriggled its severed body.

It was probably just a coincidence that it happened to be a worm-eaten apple, but to Derek’s eyes right now, even this seemed like some kind of sign.

‘That’s not the Empress I knew. That… monster wearing the Empress’s face, who on earth.’

Who could it be?

It wasn’t that Derek had smelled magical energy. Ordinary people don’t have the sensory organs to perceive magic.

Only special individuals – those with holy power that opposes magic, those inherently closely related to demons, or those with pure magical power.

Only these special ones can smell magical energy.

However, among knights, a very small number with keen senses would be overcome with an strange feeling when facing someone with magical power.

Just as one feels holy in front of someone with divine power, those with a certain amount of magical power are perceived as fearsome and terrifying beings.

That’s why Shailo Silverose had to be lonely all his life, and why demons are ingrained as fearsome to humans.

Because Derek’s senses were much keener than ordinary people, he could sense the magical power contained in Seren’s magic core.

In other words, Derek had come to perceive the current empress as a magical creature.

‘Has no one else noticed this?’

From the far end of the corridor, the sound of laughter and chatter could be faintly heard.

It was clear that even if he told the knights there “The real Empress is gone. That’s an impostor,” no one would believe him.

‘If it were Mereum, he would feel exactly what I’m feeling.’

Derek, who had been staring blankly into space, gradually realized.

Perhaps Mereum already knew.

That the empress may have been switched a very, very long time ago.

It took only a moment for what he had only thought strange until now to turn into certainty.

The catalyst was what Tezef had said.

‘An empress who does when she says she will.’

Her Majesty the Empress. No, Miss Leonarda was not such a person.

She was a fragile person who couldn’t do anything alone and didn’t want to do anything alone.

‘I must leave the palace immediately. Then hide and go to Duke Ahilo.’

At this point, there was only one person who would listen to him.

Only His Grace Duke Ahilo, Miss Leonarda’s father.

“Charlotte. I have something for you to do.”

“Tell me anything!”

At the same time.

After returning to the banquet hall, I called Charlotte and whispered in her ear.

Then, I returned to my bedroom as if nothing had happened.

‘It’s just in case.’

I hadn’t noticed while talking to Derek earlier, but upon reflection, I realized something.

It was none other than… the fact that Derek’s muscles were excessively contracted.

Just like a rabbit in front of a predator.

‘Derek shouldn’t be able to smell my magical energy.’

Moreover, if one can smell magical energy, it becomes rather enchanting. Not fearful.

Then there was only one answer.

‘It seems that because I swallowed Seren’s magic core, my power felt threatening. Maybe he even noticed that I’m not the real Leonarda.’

I can predict how Derek will act after this.

So I was planning to make the first move tomorrow.

“Your Majesty, did you sleep well last night? This Sucrel pays her respects.”

The next day, the well-groomed Sucrel came to greet me again.

Among the three consorts, only Sucrel comes to greet me. It must mean she’s desperate to catch my eye.

“How long have you been waiting? I didn’t wake up early.”

“Oh, how could waiting for Your Majesty be painful? Time passed so quickly that I don’t know if I waited for an hour or three hours.”

What a cute lie.

Madam Berthold did not let Sucrel into my room.

There’s a living room attached to my bedroom, so she could have been asked to wait there, but I hadn’t given any instructions to do so.

So Sucrel must have been standing outside the whole time, hurting her pride and tiring herself out, but she didn’t show it.

To put it kindly, she knows her place, and to put it harshly, she has no self-respect.

‘Still, I don’t dislike seeing her prettily dressed up and waiting.’

Is this why older sisters keep multiple lovers?

“Come here. Let’s have a meal together.”

“Ah! I’m so happy. May I massage your shoulders while the meal is being served?”

“Go ahead.”

Today’s close guard duty was assigned to Sir Chopin.

Sir Chopin, who was standing behind me, wrinkled his nose as if he found Sucrel very uncomfortable.

“Your Majesty. Forgive my impertinence, but if she is to touch your body, she must undergo another body search.”

“Another one? Didn’t she already have one when she came in?”

“We don’t know if she might be hiding something like a poison needle somewhere. Please consider it a procedure.”

Usually Derek took on such roles.

With my current abundance of magical power, I wasn’t particularly worried about poison itself as I could quickly detoxify even if stabbed with a poison needle.

However, there was nothing wrong with Sir Chopin’s words, so I nodded lightly.

So while Sucrel underwent another thorough body search, breakfast was brought in.

First, the pleasant aroma of scrambled eggs and sausages grilled with cumin spice wafted through.

Well-baked cheese bagels were piled high in a basket, and next to it were basil cream cheese with chopped onions and raspberry jam, creating a harmonious combination.

Blueberry juice, milk, and tea for health were all placed on the table at once, and for dessert, macarons filled with apple jam were served.

“Your Majesty. We have seafood stew cooked in tomato puree and cream of mushroom soup. Which would you like served?”

“Well… Sucrel. Which do you prefer?”

Today’s meal attendant was not Charlotte, but another maid.

Her name is Lydia, two years younger than Charlotte.

At Lydia’s question, I turned the question to Sucrel.

I didn’t care what I ate, so I wanted to see what Sucrel would choose.

“I haven’t tried either of them. But I do like spicy things.”

“You haven’t tried them?”

“Dancers have to manage their figures, you know. I often had to starve and eat almost the same things all the time.”

“Oh my. I’m worried about your health.”

I said that while turning to look at Lydia. Then Lydia spoke as she served the stew.

“I will send a doctor this afternoon.”

“Yes. Send one to Gabriel and Terion as well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”