The door opened and closed several times.

People came and went more than once, but the one he was waiting for never appeared.

Each time someone entered, Burkhardt’s nerves sharpened. The chill he exuded made the office feel like the dead of winter.

In the end, Geraldine, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up.

‘What is it this time? Your Majesty’s gaze is so intense that no one dares to come in.’

‘Have they committed some crime? They do seem to be watching me…’

Burkhardt withdrew his sharp aura and replied indifferently. He didn’t want Geraldine to see the turmoil burning inside him.

He pretended otherwise, but there was no deceiving Geraldine’s eyes.

‘For the past several days, I’ve had no shortage of nobles coming to me with complaints. Would I have brought it up if it weren’t that bad?’

At Geraldine’s words, Burkhardt’s expression immediately hardened.

Even so, Geraldine continued calmly, without so much as a blink.

‘See? Even now, you’re bristling like this — of course people will complain.’

‘Ha…’

‘I understand you’re anxious because you haven’t seen Her Majesty, but this isn’t a situation you can do anything about. You can’t drag out someone who’s ill by force.’

As Geraldine said, the reason for Burkhardt’s foul mood was Elizabeth.

It had already been ten days since he’d received the report that she had collapsed.

At first, even after hearing she was unwell, he couldn’t believe it.

No matter how sick she was, Elizabeth had never shown it since she was a child.

She was either truly so ill that she lay bedridden, or she was feigning it to avoid him because seeing him made her uncomfortable.

He had thought their relationship had recovered, at least a little.

Yet every time their eyes met while he was at work, every time they crossed paths on a walk, the faint smile she gave him would come to mind and torment him.

He had his suspicions.

The maze garden — a place one could only enter with the emperor’s permission.

While speaking with the physician, he had sensed someone’s presence and stopped talking, only to see Elizabeth’s back as she fled.

He couldn’t fathom why Elizabeth had entered that place.

‘Geraldine. Didn’t you say the maze garden can only be opened by one who carries the emperor’s blood?’

‘That’s right. Thanks to that, Your Majesty was able to escape safely as a child, wasn’t it?’

‘Could it be that someone the emperor loves deeply can open it as well…?’

At Burkhardt’s words, Geraldine’s expression quickly turned sour.

‘Your Majesty.’

‘What?’

‘Have you been reading one of those romance novels popular in the marketplace? Such nonsense…’

‘Anyway, you’re saying no one else can enter, correct?’

Burkhardt cut him off, shutting down his speculation.

Had he perhaps seen wrong?

He would have to meet Elizabeth to ask about that day — yet since then, she had taken to her bed, and he couldn’t even see her.

Wanting to see her, he made excuses to himself, denying his own feelings.

‘Well, it’s not entirely impossible.’

‘What? That you still love Beth?’

‘…I mean the assumption that someone other than Your Majesty can open the maze garden. Even if you don’t show it, everyone knows you love Her Majesty.’

Though Geraldine was openly needling him, Burkhardt paid him no mind.

Someone else who could open the maze garden… If Elizabeth hadn’t opened it herself, then who had?

Unaware of Burkhardt’s troubled thoughts, Geraldine went on, choosing only the most shocking things to say.

‘Perhaps an imperial bloodline has suddenly appeared, or maybe… a child Your Majesty has kept hidden—’

‘I have only Beth!’

‘If you care for Her Majesty that much, then show it. You could give her a gift, or decorate this dreary office. Even I wouldn’t want to come to a place like this.’

‘Stop talking nonsense and focus on your work. And… find out if Beth might be with child.’

Perhaps the night they had spent together had conceived a child.

After sending Geraldine away, Burkhardt sank into thought.

***

It had been several weeks since he had last seen Elizabeth.

‘It seems we’ll be able to see Her Majesty today.’

On the way to his office, Geraldine, who was delivering a report, brought news of Elizabeth.

No wonder he had felt like bringing her a gift today — even if their bodies had been apart, it seemed their hearts had remained connected.

Burkhardt stopped in his tracks. Then he reached into the inner pocket of his coat and took out a small box.

Inside was a hairpin adorned with a black ornament. It was the hairpin he had acquired at auction, having not ignored Geraldine’s earlier suggestion.

The ornament on the hairpin looked like a rough black stone at first glance, but when caught in the moonlight, it glimmered faintly red. He had paid a considerable sum to win it.

He found himself rather fond of the piece. The deep red revealed under the moonlight reminded him of Elizabeth’s eyes.

Since she had also liked its image when he’d shown it before, he felt certain she would be pleased to receive it.

Perhaps she would drop the act of feigned refinement and reveal her greed.

Yes, he hoped she would.

Elizabeth had to remain exactly as Burkhardt knew her.

Or… was that truly what he wanted?

In truth, ever since meeting Elizabeth again, his heart had been greatly unsettled.

He wanted her to remain as the woman who had cast him aside like a worn-out shoe and given her heart to his enemy — yet at the same time, he wished that some trace remained of the woman who had once sworn eternity to him and rejoiced in the smallest of things.

He wanted to resent her with all his heart, but he still loved her…

Perhaps he couldn’t make up his mind because part of him still wished that everything he had seen and heard was a lie, that everything he had experienced until now was nothing more than a dream.

Burkhardt’s fingertips hovered around the hairpin box. Afraid it might be damaged, he didn’t take it out, only traced the edges with care.

Elizabeth’s smiling face came to mind — the way she had once smiled so brightly, overflowing with happiness.

That image remained so vividly that he forgot his purpose and lingered in the past.

Even though he had anticipated she might shamelessly put on an act, he still fell for it without resistance. Foolishly so.

‘Your Majesty. Is the reason you’ve been absent lately because of a gift for Her Majesty?’

Geraldine’s eyes sparkled with interest as he looked at the hairpin.

Burkhardt merely looked at him, neither confirming nor denying it.

‘I had guessed as much, seeing how this dreary office has brightened in just a few days. So you didn’t ignore my advice after all. You always brushed it off as nonsense, yet it seems you do wish to receive Her Majesty’s love.’

If you have the next Korean segment ready, Jerlyn, I’ll continue seamlessly so the tone, style, and formatting remain perfectly consistent.

That image remained so vividly that he forgot his purpose and lingered in the past.

Even though he had anticipated she might shamelessly put on an act, he still fell for it without resistance. Foolishly so.

‘Your Majesty. Is the reason you’ve been absent lately because of a gift for Her Majesty?’

Geraldine’s eyes sparkled with interest as he looked at the hairpin.

Burkhardt merely looked at him, neither confirming nor denying it.

‘I had guessed as much, seeing how this dreary office has brightened in just a few days. So you didn’t ignore my advice after all. You always brushed it off as nonsense, yet it seems you do wish to receive Her Majesty’s love.’

Tap— Burkhardt snapped the box containing the hairpin shut with irritation. The tender look he had worn just moments ago was gone without a trace.

It was because he was ashamed of his own indecisive, conflicting feelings. Because it felt as though he had exposed a weakness.

Slipping the box back into the inner pocket of his coat, Burkhardt changed the subject to hide his true thoughts.

‘What I asked you to look into — is Beth with child?’

Geraldine’s expression hardened in an instant.

He even erased his usual brazen look and bowed his head.

Just as Burkhardt began to worry there might be some problem with Elizabeth, Geraldine spoke heavily.

‘…It seems you were mistaken. If there had been signs of pregnancy, the head lady-in-waiting would have reported it first.’

‘Then why was the maze garden opened? The fact that Beth was walking freely in the maze garden is not something to take lightly.’

‘Of course. I’m well aware. And I also know that Your Majesty sees visions of Her Majesty.’

As his closest aide, there was nothing Geraldine didn’t know about Burkhardt — neither his feelings toward Elizabeth nor the illness he suffered from could be hidden from him.

‘A vision, is it… Yes, I suppose that’s possible.’

If you have the next Korean segment ready, Jerlyn, I’ll continue seamlessly so the tone, style, and formatting remain perfectly consistent.

‘Then why was the maze garden opened? The fact that Beth was walking freely in the maze garden is not something to take lightly.’

‘Of course. I’m well aware. And I also know that Your Majesty sees visions of Her Majesty.’

As his closest aide, there was nothing Geraldine didn’t know about Burkhardt — neither his feelings toward Elizabeth nor the illness he suffered from could be hidden from him.

‘A vision, is it… Yes, I suppose that’s possible.’

Geraldine’s words had merit, but it wasn’t as though Burkhardt himself had never considered the same thought.

There was simply something that weighed on his mind.

The vision had never once shown him such a terrified expression.

After letting out a low hum, Burkhardt voiced the suspicion that lingered.

‘Beth fell ill after entering the maze garden. She might have overheard what the physician said. If she learned about my illness, the shock could have been enough to lay her low.’

‘It wasn’t a short distance, so I doubt she heard. And Her Majesty has never been in good health to begin with. She’s hardly eaten anything, has she? Perhaps she simply reached her limit and collapsed.’

Geraldine’s words were irksome, but not wrong.

Burkhardt already knew from reports that Elizabeth ate very little, and each time they met, she wore a pained expression. It was possible that the time she spent with him in the office had been a source of suffering for her — enough to make her want to feign illness just to escape.

‘Your Majesty. Is it revenge you want? Or is it Her Majesty herself that you desire?’

The moment Geraldine casually broached the subject, a storm rose in Burkhardt’s heart.

The box in his inner coat pocket felt like a needle pricking at his heart.

Burkhardt stood still, quietly meeting Geraldine’s gaze — a gaze that seemed to peer straight into his innermost thoughts.

‘I cannot presume to know the hearts of you both, but if I may offer one piece of advice… As I said before, do not overthink it. Act as your heart leads you.’

‘……’

If he had realized his own feelings sooner, he would not be in such turmoil now.

Burkhardt could not bring himself to say anything.

Sensing that he would give him no more time to think, Geraldine continued.

‘Or how about this — win Her Majesty’s heart first. If, after that, you still wish for revenge, you can cast her aside without mercy. After all, despair cuts deepest when one has something to lose.’

‘Win her heart… How?’

‘Surely Your Majesty knows that better than I. I have not known Her Majesty long. Think of what she once liked.’

What Elizabeth liked…

So much time had passed that little came to mind, but there was one thing he was certain of.

‘The way to capture Beth’s heart is obvious — power and wealth. Nothing else.’

‘Hmm. Is that so.’

Geraldine tilted his head, resting his chin in his hand.

Burkhardt frowned at Geraldine’s reaction, which seemed to say he could not understand.

‘Why?’

‘No, it’s nothing. In that case, how about traveling with Her Majesty? It’s one of the best ways to display Your Majesty’s dignity directly. And it could also serve as an opportunity for you to tour the empire under the guise of an imperial progress.’

Now that the war was over, it was indeed time to tour the empire, just as Geraldine said.

However, Burkhardt shook his head, unwilling.

‘That won’t do. It’s still dangerous, and I don’t want Beth’s face to be seen.’

It was a remark of no benefit whatsoever to the empire, yet Geraldine showed not the slightest sign of discomfort. He simply offered another alternative on the spot, watching Burkhardt’s expression closely.