‘Saying things like abandoning or not abandoning is a bit much. You’re not my possession…’

I spoke with the hope that he would break free from my shadow, but seeing Cail’s tearful expression again, I quickly had to add.

‘No, what I mean is, you’re not an object, so…’

But even that was cut short by his next words.

‘That’s right, an object.’

‘…?’

‘I am your object. I have always willingly wished to be solely your possession.’

As he said this, his eyes stared at me intently.

‘So please treat me as your object.’

‘What are you saying? I don’t treat people like objects!’

With his persistent gaze that made my face flush and his somehow dangerously subtle voice, I answered like that and vaguely ended the conversation.

I was afraid to continue the dialogue any deeper.

‘But what am I afraid of?’

I couldn’t quite identify the source of my fear.

At that moment, Cail abruptly asked.

“Is that fellow really your first subordinate?”

At his strangely sharp tone, I pressed my forehead.

“Why are you also going along with Felitz’s nonsense…”

Anyway, after yesterday’s conversation, Cail also agreed to cooperate in sending Yuria back to her original world.

It’s a very good thing that we’ve turned one of Yuria’s threats into an ally.

Cail explained the situation outside.

“I think we should move quickly. Just now, the Grand Temple announced that the prophecy from five years ago was misinterpreted.”

He glanced at Yuria, then looked back at me and said.

“They claim that the witch Yuria, who has disrupted the world, must be punished in the name of God.”

At those words, Yuria suddenly became frightened.

However, she seemed too scared to speak in front of Cail, so she just clutched the hem of my clothes with trembling hands.

‘The prophecy from five years ago…’

I furrowed my brow, recalling the prophecy.

‘The main god Arne says, eliminate Jella Shunaibel. Then spring will return to us.’

The Pope at the time of the prophecy was Yuphe. Prophecies could only be announced in the name of the Pope.

Thanks to that prophecy, I became the public enemy of the entire continent, and nationwide flames to kill me grew fierce.

But now that I think about it, it was strange.

‘If your love for Yuria was a lie and you had your own circumstances, then why…’

I had thought that he announced such a prophecy out of longing for Yuria and resentment toward me.

‘What exactly are you hiding?’

It’s quite suspicious that he’s now reversing the prophecy.

“If it becomes known that we’re hiding that woman, we won’t be able to avoid friction with either the imperial palace or the Grand Temple.”

At this point, Cail spoke, pointing at Yuria.

“Of course, if you command it, I will eliminate each of their leaders.”

The leaders of the imperial palace and the Grand Temple were Niel and Yuphe.

“No. Why harm innocent people?”

At my words, Cail looked a bit disappointed.

“Instead, let’s just quickly do what we need to do.”

What we needed to do was definitely to take Yuria back to her original world.

The forest to the north of the imperial palace used as the imperial family’s hunting grounds, where Yuria first crossed over to this world.

The passage connecting the dimensions was there.

But that forest could only be accessed through the northern gate of the imperial palace.

In other words, it was a place that couldn’t be visited without the emperor’s permission.

So the biggest variable was whether we could avoid Niel’s eyes…

“Sis, sister! Sister!”

At that moment, one of the organization members rushed upstairs breathlessly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Th-that… Knights from the imperial palace…! His Majesty the Emperor himself…!”

“What?”

“W-what should we do? They seem to be looking for the Saint…”

The member asked anxiously, glancing at Yuria.

Yuria’s face turned pale.

The atmosphere instantly became serious.

“Felitz, Derek. You protect the client here.”

“Yes, sister!”

“Y-yes, sister!”

After entrusting Yuria to the organization members, I glanced at Cail.

“I will follow you.”

He said that as if he had anticipated what I was going to say, even though I hadn’t said anything.

Just like when he was my knight long ago.

I nodded once toward Cail and went downstairs.

Cail quietly followed behind me.

When I went down to the entrance and opened the door, I saw Niel who had come with knights from the imperial palace.

“Good afternoon, Miss Jella.”

He greeted me with his usual gentle smile.

Although the knights behind him with their sharp weapons were not gentle at all…

“I received intelligence that a dangerous person has taken refuge here.”

“Intelligence?”

My eyes narrowed at those words.

“You haven’t planted a spy around me, have you?”

“Of course not.”

Niel looked quite hurt at my question.

“Do I seem like the kind of person who would plant spies to monitor Miss Jella’s every move?”

“Hmm…”

A groan involuntarily escaped my lips.

Niel Alpenhayer was the most righteous and moral person I knew.

He was the young noble of the Alpenhayer family, truly befitting the phrase ‘noble among nobles.’

So it didn’t suit him to do something as cowardly as monitoring an innocent civilian like me…

‘But why does my intuition seem to warn me that he is exactly that kind of person?’

It’s wrong to suspect someone without evidence.

So I should dismiss my suspicions, but strangely, I couldn’t.

“There are no dangerous people here, so please leave.”

At my words, the knights behind Niel showed signs of anger.

“How dare you to His Majesty…!”

“Such disrespect…!”

His loyal knights seemed angry at the sight of me blocking the emperor’s path.

“It’s alright.”

Niel smiled amiably and restrained the angry knights.

“But, Your Majesty!”

“I told you. This person is my benefactor who saved my life.”

“But this woman is too disrespectful. How could she to Your Majesty…”

“She’s spent time in a foreign country, so she’s unfamiliar with the empire’s language and etiquette. Be careful not to make mistakes toward my benefactor.”

I’m not sure since when I became his benefactor, but the knights, persuaded by his words, reluctantly backed away while glaring at me.

I didn’t back down either and gave them a sneer.

If I’m supposed to be unfamiliar with the empire’s language and etiquette, I’ll be as rude as I want.

Niel turned to me again and said.

“Please cooperate for your own safety, Miss Jella.”

He was smiling gently, but there was a subtle pressure in his voice.

“My safety?”

I stood at the doorway with my arms crossed, looking at them.

“Those people seem more dangerous to me.”

“I see.”

Realizing that I had no intention of stepping aside, Niel smiled regretfully and suddenly apologized to me.

“I’m sorry, Miss Jella.”

“…?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, he gave a signal to the knights.

Then the knights fiercely surrounded the underworld building.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to use force to subdue me and pass through?”

“How could I do such a barbaric thing to Miss Jella?”

Niel answered with a deeper smile.

“I’ve given strict orders not to touch even a fingertip of Miss Jella, so don’t worry too much.”

And at that moment.

Crash!

The knights began breaking the windows.

“What are you doing! Why are you destroying someone else’s building?”

“I’ll compensate you later, so don’t be too sad, Miss Jella.”

“Is being emperor everything?”

“Yes, in this place, being emperor is everything.”

Niel answered with his eyes curved into a smile.

That appearance seemed to suggest he found this situation amusing, which infuriated me.

It seemed he had come with the conviction that Yuria was here.

“If you command, I will stop them.”

Cail, who had been standing quietly behind me, whispered in my ear.

“No.”

As one of the three heroes with his own independent power base, Cail wouldn’t face severe punishment even if he caused conflict with the emperor’s knights.

I could also somehow manage to survive by fleeing to another country if my life here became disrupted.

But the organization members who would continue to live here were different.

I was concerned about them, they had just recently expressed joy at being able to make a living with honest work instead of doing bad things.

‘If I just send Cail upstairs to smuggle Yuria out…’

But would it be alright to leave Cail and Yuria alone?

Although Cail had promised me not to harm Yuria, Yuria might faint at the sight of Cail.

As I was hesitating with these concerns.

Swoosh!

An arrow flew from somewhere, causing the knights to pause and stop breaking windows as they surrounded the emperor.

“An assassin!”

“An assassin is targeting His Majesty!”

“Find the assassin!”

“Over there!”

With eyes wide open, they chased after the direction from which the arrow had come.

“Wait…!”

Niel tried to stop them, but the loyal knights had already scattered, determined to find the heinous criminal who had attempted to assassinate the emperor.

And from the opposite alley appeared a man with fluffy pink hair.

There was only one person who would do such a thing.

“It seemed like a difficult situation, so I came to help.”

Yuphe smiled gently toward me.