Edan, who went out after receiving the Empress’s letter, did not return for several days.

He said he’d be back soon, but now it’s hard to even see his face. With that thought, I fell asleep at some point.

“Latie.”

Rubbing my eyes at the familiar voice, I woke up to see Edan standing before me. It had been three days.

“Edan?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re back safe?”

“Yeah. I’m back.”

Sitting on the edge of the desk, he brushed my hair back from my forehead.

“It took you a while.”

“It just happened. By the way, how much have you been digging into?”

Edan picked up one of the books spread out on the desk, looking at me with a mix of disbelief and amusement.

“Take it easy, Princess.”

With that, he flicked his index finger, lightly tapping my forehead.

What a relief. Maybe because we were talking, it felt like things were back to how they used to be.

With half-closed eyes, I grinned at Edan with a playful “Heh.”

I should tell him clearly, when the time’s right, that he’s the only one I’d be okay healing. That he shouldn’t worry about anything.

“I didn’t get far. I couldn’t find what I was looking for.”

I expected it wouldn’t be easy, but there were so many magic books, and the information I needed was still nowhere to be found.

I was looking for a spell similar to the one Ivy and I had used, but I couldn’t find anything.

I thought if I could adapt it well, I might be able to use it too, but it seems stealing someone else’s power is only allowed in dark magic, like black magic.

Last night, I even wished the Great Sorcerer was still alive.

I felt a bit guilty for secretly rummaging through their hidden space, but I wanted to ask them to share some wisdom.

“By the way, is there anything in the magic books about healing powers?”

“Probably not. That kind of stuff is in the temple’s archives.”

“Then what exactly are you looking for?”

“Hmm. Something like that.”

But Edan looks cool even just sitting there casually.

I mean, seriously, is it okay for his arm muscles to look that attractive while I’m trying to read?

Thank goodness Edan can’t read my thoughts.

“Even if you don’t find a way, you’re not going to the temple. I won’t let you.”

Edan relaxed his shoulders and flipped through the book. I was blankly admiring him when I suddenly shot up from the desk.

“Ah!”

Edan, who had been looking down at the book with a bored expression, turned his head toward me.

“What?”

“What’s that?”

Our eyes clearly met, but Edan quickly turned his head away.

“What.”

I grabbed his face, turning it back toward me, annoyed at his feigned ignorance.

“What’s wrong with your lips?”

I finally got to see his face after three days, and the corner of his handsome lips was split.

It didn’t look like a fresh wound, but it hadn’t fully healed either, so it must have been a few days old.

Maybe two or three days…

“Ah.”

His voice sounded like he just realized something, even though he’d been avoiding showing it to me.

He set the book down. I let go of his cheek, frowning.

“It’s nothing.”

Edan put the book aside and lightly touched the wound.

I couldn’t ask more.

Three days ago, Edan had gone out after receiving a letter from the Empress.

She hit him. There’s no one bold enough to hit Edan, and he’s not the type to just take it.

It doesn’t make sense unless Edan let her hit him.

“I’ll get some salve.”

“Latie.”

“Wait there.”

“…”

Before Edan could stop me, I quickly slipped out to the parlor.

Empress Henzela. Is that woman insane?

The Empress hated Edan’s mother. It wasn’t just because she was a mistress.

Edan’s mother came from such a lowly background that she couldn’t even be acknowledged as the Emperor’s mistress.

The Emperor claimed she was the daughter of a fallen noble, but there was no proof. Edan’s mother was just a pretty doll he picked up from a slave market.

The Empress’s stance was that she could’ve understood if he’d chosen a noblewoman as a mistress or brought in a noble from another empire.

Since the Emperor’s prestige was tied to her own, she found the existence of a slave-born mistress utterly deplorable.

It felt like she was being compared to a mistress on the same level.

Worse, Edan’s abilities as a gifted individual surpassed even Killian’s.

But that was when they were kids. Edan’s not a child anymore.

He’s called the hero who guards the North.

The Imperial Family uses Edan however they please, but everyone in the Empire knows that without him, the unbreakable walls would crumble.

That’s why, in the original story, even when Edan dabbled in black magic and went mad, rampaging like a monster, so many subordinates stayed by his side.

And yet, they dared to strike his face.

How much must they look down on him?

In the console, I found the lip salve Edan had once applied for me.

Clutching it tightly, I took a deep breath and returned to the hidden space.

Edan was still there, unmoving, in the same position.

I stood at the entrance, staring at him, wondering if he’d been hurt anywhere else.

Then Edan patted his thigh twice.

“Want the chair?”

The corner of his injured mouth curled up slightly. He’s smiling in a situation like this?

“No way. Come here.”

I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the chair. Unlike before, when he wouldn’t have budged, Edan let himself be dragged like a light doll and sat down.

“Stay still.”

“Okay.”

With our eyes at the same level, I could easily touch his face without standing on my toes.

“Pardon me.”

“Gladly.”

I opened the lid and applied some salve to my pinky. Carefully, so it wouldn’t hurt, I spread it over his lips. The corner of his mouth twitched, as if it tickled.

“Hey, stay still.”

“Scary.”

“Want me to make it really scary? Do you know how careful I’m being? What if it scars?”

“That’d be a problem. I’ve got to stay pretty for someone.”

Then don’t go getting hit. Swallowing my words, I focused on applying the salve.

Did I put on too much? I stopped.

“Edan, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah.”

Click. I closed the lid and set it on the desk.

“Why do you guard the North?”

Having seen him at the festival, I knew Edan was working hard to protect the people and land of the North.

But I couldn’t quite grasp why he went to such lengths.

Was it hard to give up the title of prince?

That didn’t seem like Edan’s personality.

Honestly, if I had his abilities and looks, I’d probably leave the Empire behind.

If he didn’t use his powers, he wouldn’t suffer the side effects.

He’d need some healing periodically, but it wouldn’t be as exhausting as it is now.

In fact, Killian was doing just that.

Despite having strong abilities like Edan, Hillstain, and Dante, Killian, as the Crown Prince, barely used his powers.

It’s natural for the Crown Prince to be protected and stay cautious, but from a third-party perspective, it’s unfairly unbalanced.

Logically, if you consider power levels, Edan should be the one prioritized for temple visits.

Yet Edan’s the only one banned from the temple, while the Crown Prince, who uses his powers the least, comes and goes as he pleases.

That’s what doesn’t make sense.

Why does Edan remain loyal to the Imperial Family despite such discrimination?

Is it attachment to the North, where he’s spent so much time? Seeing him at the festival, that seemed possible.

Or is he aiming for the throne later? Planning to take out Killian and become Emperor?

I considered various theories, but Edan’s answer was completely unexpected.

“If I protect the Empire’s most dangerous land, the Empire will be safe.”

“…? I suppose so?”

“Then when Killian becomes Emperor, it’ll be easier for him to rule.”

“What?”

“I want Killian to become Emperor. That’s why I’m protecting it.”

He said it so casually, as if it were just a passing thought.

What does that mean?

I opened my eyes wide, asking in confusion.

“Why?”

“That’s a funny question.”

“Weren’t you and the Crown Prince on bad terms?”

“Well.”

Tilting his head, Edan naturally intertwined his fingers with mine.

“I’m not exactly loved, so we’re not on great terms, but I don’t really dislike him.”

What? That was a huge shock.

What’s this? Does Edan have this much humanity? Brotherly love? Or some kind of sacrificial spirit for the Empire?

Why doesn’t he hate him?

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t speak. As if reading my mind, Edan continued slowly.

“When I was a kid, after my mother passed, I was locked away in the most remote part of the palace.”

“…”

A story I knew.

“Only Ruben’s father and Ruben came to that isolated place.”

I pretended not to know, listening closely to his words.

“Were you lonely?”

“Well, a bit.”

Edan closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.

“Knowing I’d have to live and die there alone didn’t exactly feel great.”

I gripped his hand tightly as he spoke so calmly.

“Then, once a week, my brother came to see me with a whip.”

Right. I knew this story too.

The Crown Prince used to secretly visit and torment Edan.

A whip… Ruben came to mind.

The scar by Ruben’s eye was from taking a whip meant for Edan.

Since I knew the story, I almost mentioned Ruben’s scar but held back, waiting for Edan’s next words.

“He cried every time.”

Edan gave a bittersweet smile.

Killian Dietrich. The pure-blooded Crown Prince, incomparable to Edan, who’s called a bastard.

Edan thought his brother was impressive.

Due to the antagonistic relationship between the Empress and Edan’s mother, they couldn’t meet often, but sometimes they’d secretly play and laugh together.

The Imperial Family was filled with Empress Henzela’s allies, and it was brimming with disdainful looks toward Edan’s mother.

Over time, some began to follow Edan’s mother, but the high-born nobles sided with Empress Henzela.

At every imperial event, the two women faced each other with sharp tension, and Edan had to linger in the shadows like a ghost.

Each time, Killian would playfully smile at Edan.

“Eat some snacks on your own.”

“Thanks, brother.”

“Don’t call me that in front of our mother.”

“Got it, brother.”

Though born of different mothers, without their mothers’ conflict, they were closer than most siblings.