“……”

But when I actually thought about facing him, I couldn’t find the courage.

I paced back and forth in the corridor leading to the Emperor’s bedroom a couple of times, then approached a little closer, cleared my throat once, and turned back.

‘Ha, should I just go back?’

No.

I haven’t done anything wrong, so there’s no need to be this afraid.

Besides, his memory isn’t fully restored yet, and he doesn’t know that I’ve reached the truth.

So it wouldn’t matter if I just saw his face and left.

I kept telling myself this, but I hesitated again in front of the door.

As I lingered, going back and forth, the guard standing watch outside the bedroom stared at me with a strange look.

I felt awkward and forced an uncomfortable smile.

“Is His Majesty inside?”

The guard responded as if he had been waiting for this.

“Yes, would you like an audience, my lady—”

“No, no. I’ll come back later.”

I backed away, alarmed by his readiness to knock on the door. The guard gave me a puzzled look.

‘This is too much after all. It doesn’t seem right now.’

Even though he supposedly couldn’t remember anything, I didn’t trust myself to maintain my composure upon seeing his face.

Just as I squeezed my eyes shut once, opened them, and turned around—

“……!”

I came face to face with Oz walking toward me.

“Aide.”

“My lady.”

Oz looked down at me with curious eyes and spoke.

“Have you already seen His Majesty?”

I wish I could skip ahead in time and say yes.

I smiled awkwardly and stepped back.

“No, I’ll come another time.”

“……?”

“Right now, His Majesty…”

…Somehow I don’t think I can face Ainberg right now.

I swallowed the words I couldn’t bring myself to say, but Oz seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere.

“My lady, is something wrong?”

“Aide.”

Though Millean hadn’t explicitly confirmed it, Oz must have known all about Ainberg’s plan too.

To think I had suspected such a person of being Foil’s pawn.

I even had my brother assign someone to watch him.

“My lady?”

“I just met High Priest Hartmann.”

I had only spoken one sentence.

Yet Oz’s usually calm face instantly changed with an unfamiliar energy.

“I won’t bother telling you what the High Priest said to me.”

“My lady, if you don’t mind, just a moment.”

“Let’s walk a bit. Actually, I thought I should lie down and rest… but seeing you, I feel like walking now.”

We soon came out to the garden.

We entered the rose garden, which had been neatly arranged in a square shape with multiple pathways. Red roses bloomed everywhere, but I couldn’t really see them.

The fragrance of roses filled the awkward air in place of conversation.

“……”

His expression was excessively rigid, either watching my reactions or being vigilant of our surroundings.

But I didn’t mind this silence.

In fact, I hoped it would continue a bit longer.

Listening to the rhythmic sound of our footsteps while walking helped calm my mind considerably.

However, the prolonged silence seemed to make Oz uneasy.

“My lady, I actually—”

I shook my head, cutting off his words.

Based on how he started with “I actually,” it seemed he was about to offer some kind of explanation.

I wasn’t angry that Oz had participated in Ainberg’s plan and kept silent with me.

As Ainberg’s aide, that was exactly what he should have done.

It was his job, after all.

Right now, I just wanted to walk with someone who shared the same secret.

“No, Aide. If you’re thinking of apologizing, please don’t.”

“……”

“You have no reason to apologize, nor any need to.”

I meant it sincerely, but Oz’s face turned pale.

“I’m serious, so please don’t look at me like that.”

“My lady.”

“You’ve completely gotten used to this face now, haven’t you? Would it feel strange if I returned to my original form?”

When I smiled brightly and spoke, Oz slowly closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you, Aide?”

Oz nodded heavily.

“Yes.”

Now I understood the occasional remarks Oz had made to me.

That Ainberg was a consistent person, that his true feelings were singular.

I had thought he was just saying anything to praise his superior.

But to think it was all to protect me while hiding the secret.

If I hadn’t overlooked Oz’s words, could I have reached the truth earlier?

It was just a pointless speculation.

Just then, Oz, who had been studying my expression, cautiously opened his mouth.

“You must be very confused, but please try to understand His Majesty, who had no choice but to do this.”

“I suppose I should. There’s no other way.”

“My lady.”

“But I don’t feel good. Actually, I’m angry at myself, and I’m angry at His Majesty. Even though I know it couldn’t be helped, I feel powerless and depressed. It feels like my existence has been denied.”

Oz just furrowed his brow without saying anything special.

Like someone waiting for me to continue pouring out my feelings to him.

“I don’t even know what expression to make or how to treat His Majesty anymore.”

I stopped walking abruptly.

It felt like I had lost the energy to walk any further.

Just as I pressed my fingers against my forehead due to the sudden fatigue gathering around my eyes,

“My lady.”

Oz’s voice seeped into my precarious emotions.

“I cannot ask you to understand His Majesty, but I hope you will recognize his true feelings.”

“……”

“Because it’s not over yet.”

At Oz’s final words, I pressed my lips together.

Yes, there are more important matters remaining for the safety of myself and all of us.

“My lady, you don’t need to make any special effort.”

Oz continued gently.

“Just face His Majesty as you did yesterday.”

“Would that be alright?”

“Of course. Even though you now know His Majesty’s true feelings, nothing has changed.”

I relaxed my slightly sulky lips and looked at Oz.

“Aide, I don’t think I’ve ever told you this before.”

“……?”

“I’m glad you’re by His Majesty’s side.”

Oz shook his head and spoke softly.

“No, it’s not me but your presence that gives His Majesty much greater strength.”

I’m glad I talked to Oz first.

“I should go now.”

❀❀❀

Perhaps because I had just spoken with Oz, I was able to enter more naturally than before.

Ainberg was sitting on the bed with a face full of discontent.

Without him saying anything, I could tell he was angry at the court physician for being overly concerned about his health.

When he saw me enter, his rigid expression softened.

“Have you been well? No, that’s not it.”

I blurted out a strange greeting and then covered my mouth with both hands.

I tried to act as usual.

But facing those melancholic eyes, my lips started moving on their own.

“Are you feeling confined? Would you like to walk together, even if just in the room, or at least in the corridor?”

He must have noticed something was off about me, as he just stared at me without saying anything.

That only made it harder to breathe.

So, those eyes… thinking that those languid gazes were truly eyes that liked me.

I couldn’t keep still, as if someone was tickling me with a feather.

“Walk in the corridor?”

“W-well, I meant like taking a stroll together.”

Was that natural? It must have been better than before.

But that was just my hope; Ainberg’s expression had darkened more than before.

“You’re acting strange today.”

“Strange? There’s nothing strange at all. Why would you say that?”

“……”

The pressure to act naturally, to behave no differently than usual, was actually constraining my behavior.

Meanwhile, Ainberg was staring at me intensely.

I should probably just leave now.

“But if that’s how it seems to you, perhaps I should rest a bit and come back later. Hahaha.”

I mumbled something and took a couple of steps backward.

That’s when Ainberg, with his indifferent face, got up from the bed.

What, what is this?

Why is he getting up?

I was just going to leave.

Unable to look at him directly, I subtly shifted my gaze, and Ainberg came a little closer.

“Tell me. What’s going on?”

“…Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Ainberg was so close that I was afraid he would notice I was trembling.

“You look terrified.”

I couldn’t say it was true, nor could I deny it, so I remained silent.

His noble and beautiful dark blue eyes were completely focused on me.

They held only me.

“Your Majesty.”

It was the moment when my still-shaking gaze met his, which was solely directed at me.

He languidly reached out his hand and pulled me into his embrace.