I sat on the sofa with a dumbfounded expression.

“……”

Unable to shake off my confusion, I was just blankly killing time.

“Oh my, Miss.”

Sabine, who had come in to clear the tray, exclaimed in surprise when she saw me.

“Miss, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“Sabine.”

Facing Sabine’s pale face, I felt my senses returning.

‘My face probably looks similar to Sabine’s right now.’

Sabine looked behind her, quickly shut the door tight, and came back.

“Have the young master and Sir Merten left?”

“Yes, just now.”

When I answered curtly, Sabine swallowed dryly and asked again.

“Did something happen with Sir Merten?”

“I received a marriage proposal.”

The moment I blurted out the main point without preamble,

“Whaaaat?”

Sabine’s already large eyes grew as big as saucers, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

“Oh, my goodness!”

Yes, I have every right to be stunned like this, don’t I?

“What should I do?”

“Ah, wait… wait a moment, Miss.”

Sabine kept repeating “wait a moment” though I hadn’t rushed her.

“S-so what did you answer? No, wait, Miss, you can’t get married now.”

Sabine spoke while pinching and twisting her own hand.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s not an appropriate time for marriage.”

Is this what they call being caught between a rock and a hard place?

“But wait, Miss.”

Sabine looked behind her once more and lowered her voice considerably.

“Sir Merten doesn’t know, right?”

Huh?

“Who you really are.”

“Of course not. Only you know.”

Though I realized now there were three people who knew.

At my words that only she knew, Sabine’s lips twitched with pride.

But she quickly composed her expression and asked again.

“So what did you answer?”

“He told me not to answer. He said to think about it first.”

“Oh, my goodness.”

Sabine dropped her shoulders and continued.

“I feel sorry for Sir Merten.”

“……”

“He’s such a good person.”

“Yes, I know.”

“But Miss…”

Oh dear, there’s even bigger news, what should I do?

“Actually, Sabine.”

I continued with a still-dazed face.

“That’s not all.”

“…Not all? Is there something even more significant than a proposal?”

I don’t know.

If I were to weigh suddenly becoming an emperor against receiving a proposal, which would be more significant?

I calmly explained Levi’s situation to Sabine.

Initially listening with simply sympathetic eyes, Sabine’s face suddenly flushed.

It was at the part where I mentioned he might soon become emperor.

“Good heavens. Oh, my goodness.”

“……”

“He’s going to become Emperor?”

“Yes, though not yet.”

“H-how can this be happening?”

Haha, what varied and amusing reactions.

“Then Miss, if you marry Sir Merten, would you become the Empress of Bilmotz?”

I just nodded.

Is being an empress my destiny, or is that position following me around?

It was somewhat funny, but I couldn’t fully laugh at the situation and dejectedly dropped my shoulders.

“Then Miss, this isn’t an ordinary proposal.”

“That’s right.”

“What now? What are you planning to do?”

“I don’t know. What should I do?”

“Ah, let me calm down. First, I’ll try to calm myself down.”

I smiled slightly, finding it cute how Sabine was stomping her feet.

The shock I had received from Levi seemed to completely disappear.

“Sabine.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“I just had a thought.”

Sabine looked too anxious to even ask what kind of thought.

Ignoring that, I shared my thoughts with her.

“What if I just pretend not to know anything and follow Sir Merten?”

After Levi left, while reflecting on his words, this thought suddenly occurred to me.

Ostrin hadn’t been kind to me.

All that remained in Sienna’s heart were wounds.

But did I have any reason to stay here for this place?

Was there any need for me to keep fretting like this?

I smiled bitterly.

“Am I really terrible? Completely irresponsible?”

“Miss, that’s not true.”

Sabine shook her head, but she could say that because she didn’t know my honest feelings.

“Miss, do you like Sir Merten?”

Just then, Sabine opened her mouth again.

“He’s a good person. Kind and warm… it’s enjoyable being with him.”

“No, not that. Do you love him enough to want to spend your life with him?”

“……”

“Could you give up everything for him?”

“Give up?”

“That’s what love is, isn’t it? The heart that can endure, be patient, and wait for the person you love, accepting everything.”

Sabine continued speaking gently.

“A heart that can accept that person regardless of how they look or what situation they’re in.”

I couldn’t answer that question immediately.

I agreed he was a good person, but I couldn’t readily envision a future with him.

“I don’t know.”

“I only want your happiness, Miss. If you love Sir Merten, I’ll support and cheer for your decision,”

“Sabine.”

Sabine spoke with a determined voice, as if she had made up her mind about something.

“No matter who you choose.”

“……”

“But if that’s not the case, then absolutely not. Don’t make a choice just to escape the moment.”

“Thank you.”

I grabbed Sabine’s hand and gave her an awkward smile.

Yes, I’ll try to think that nothing else matters.

What’s important is my happiness.

But even with this mindset, my heart was truly confused.

Knock knock.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

When the door opened, a servant with an unfamiliar face appeared.

“What is it?”

“The council requests to see you, my lady.”

The council?

At this unexpected word, Sabine and I looked at each other simultaneously.

“Who wants to see me?”

The servant bowed with a stoic face.

“Not all the elders have been summoned yet, so please come down with me and wait.”

❀❀❀

The place I followed the servant to was a building located on the opposite side of the council chamber.

All the way down, I kept wondering what this could be about, but nothing came to mind.

What’s going on?

Why would the council be looking for me?

While waiting anxiously, the open door slowly closed.

“My lady.”

When I turned my head at the sudden voice, Oz walked out from inside.

“…You startled me, Aide.”

Still, I was relieved it was Oz who suddenly appeared. As I placed my hand on my chest, he opened his mouth with an embarrassed expression.

“I apologize, my lady. You must have been quite surprised.”

“I was wondering what was happening when I heard the council was suddenly looking for me.”

“Since it’s an important matter, just in case.”

So it was a lie.

“Nice. Such thoroughness.”

I smiled brightly, but Oz’s expression didn’t change.

It seemed like a very important conversation.

When I also calmed myself with a similar expression,

“My lady, the men we sent to Sutton returned this morning.”

Only then did I realize why he had secretly sought me out.

When I took a step closer, Oz began speaking heavily.

“It was as you predicted, my lady.”

“You mean…”

“The ones who attacked His Majesty had nothing to do with the bandit group in Sutton.”

“So it was as I thought.”

It was something I had expected from the beginning, not particularly surprising.

Rather, it felt like things that had been blurry were becoming clearer.

Now that we’ve confirmed it wasn’t the bandits’ doing, we just need to prove it was Foil’s scheme.

“Moreover, they showed signs of attempting s*icide, so they’re currently imprisoned in Sutton’s underground cells.”

“They’re ruthless.”

“As you said, they prepared the bandits’ insignia and completely armed their minds… it seems they had been preparing for quite some time.”

“……”

“My lady, I think we should report this to His Majesty now.”

It won’t be easy from now on.

The peace is over.

I nodded with a heavy heart.

Shortly after, I came out with Oz.

We headed straight for Ainberg’s bedroom, but the guards didn’t move even after spotting us.

“Please inform His Majesty that we request an audience.”

When I spoke to the guard, he replied in a dry voice.

“His Majesty ordered that no one be allowed in while he’s speaking.”

I looked up at Oz once. But he too was just looking at the guard with puzzled eyes.

‘Who could it be? Could it be Foil?’

“My lady, perhaps we should wait in the anteroom first?”

“Yes.”

Just as I answered briefly and turned around, from behind me came the sound of a door opening and the noise of regular footsteps.

“You just can’t stay still for a moment, can you?”

Then came a cynical and indifferent voice.

The one who opened the closed door and came out was Millean.