Chapter 27. Early Return

The blood-red eyes that had been staring at the baron turned upward. It seemed the hawk was chasing something in flight.

“The baron is lucky.”

Helios muttered as he immediately changed the direction of his arrow. Without a moment’s hesitation, he shot the arrow, which accurately pierced the neck of the flying creature. Helios watched it plummet lifelessly before nodding to the attendant waiting beside him.

Soon after, the attendant returned with the dead game. However, as soon as Helios’s red eyes touched it, the game disappeared into light as if it had never existed.

“Oh, oh…”

The bewildered attendant waved his hand in the air, and a note fell to the ground.

As Helios dismounted, Vilt quickly followed suit. He picked up the note first and handed it to Helios.

Helios unfolded the note and read its contents, a sardonic smile forming on his face.

“Well, they’ve taught some petty tricks well.”

The note crumpled weakly in his large, gloved hand. He tossed it to Vilt.

“Forge the handwriting and send it to the original destination.”

Vilt took the note, answered with a slight nod, and looked up. His brows furrowed as he gauged the direction.

The direction the bird had originally been heading was the Duchy of Rubalt.

“It’s time to rein in the colt.”

Helios, having changed his gloves, mounted his horse again. His grip on the reins was rough.

“We’re heading back.”

It was time for an early return.

***

For a whole day, Iella didn’t think about anything else. She just soaked in hot water to relieve her fatigue, filled her stomach with a sumptuous meal, and lay comfortably on a soft bed. She prepared both her body and mind for the most important task ahead.

After finishing her preparations, she packed a simple bag.

A jeweled dagger that looked decorative, some bread and simple snacks she had secretly taken, and a small amount of money.

She felt guilty that all these items were found in the room, but she couldn’t move with nothing. She didn’t know what might happen once she left the secondary palace.

Still, she chose items that wouldn’t cause much harm. The dagger, for instance, was something she found covered in dust in a corner of the wall.

It seemed more like an imperial item rather than something belonging to Ailexia, considering how poorly it had been maintained. No one would notice if it went missing.

‘The money feels a bit iffy though…’

The only thing that troubled her was the money. It seemed to belong to Ailexia rather than being an imperial property.

But it wasn’t a large sum, so she decided that Ailexia wouldn’t care much even if she found out later. Judging by how it wasn’t hidden away, it seemed like money she used freely.

Iella recalled the moment she found the money pouch casually placed in a drawer above the fireplace and pushed aside her worries.

She knew she was thinking selfishly, but the situation didn’t allow for deep contemplation.

Until the appointed time, Iella acted as usual. Then, in the dim light of dawn, she left her room, taking advantage of the quiet in the secondary palace. She moved quickly down the corridor, making sure her footsteps didn’t echo in the silence.

When she stepped outside the secondary palace, a cold wind greeted her.

The path to the prearranged location was smoother than she expected. Iella, who had been tense, fearing unexpected variables, finally felt a bit relieved.

Arriving at the tightly closed door, she turned her head to look at the slightly closer building in the distance.

It was Ailexia’s harem.

‘I didn’t know there was such a path.’

She had never looked towards the harem, so she didn’t know. There was another path leading to the harem and a small back door there.

Thinking about it, it wasn’t likely that there would be only one path in such a large palace. It was just that the well-maintained paths visible to everyone had kept her from considering it.

‘If I had known about this earlier, I might have faced fewer risky situations.’

According to the information she received when she was told about the rendezvous location, this place was as loosely guarded as a secret passage. Except for occasional movements by the secondary palace staff for harem maintenance, it was usually locked.

In other words, if Iella could unlock the door, she could have attempted to go in and out freely without needing Vanessa’s help for the secret passage.

It was fortunate she learned about it now. She had been contemplating whether to seek Vanessa’s help again for the secret passage, which would have required countless excuses. It would have been a headache.

‘Not that it matters anymore.’

Iella took a deep breath and carefully knocked on the door after surveying her surroundings.

“It’s me.”

She heard a presence from the other side, possibly carried by the quiet wind. After a brief wait, something slid under the door along with a stranger’s voice.

“You can open it now.”

Looking down, she saw a small key. For a moment, she wondered why they didn’t just include the key with the note specifying the meeting place. However, recalling Ailexia’s abysmal trustworthiness, she swallowed the thought.

She picked up the key without a word and inserted it into the lock. Unlike the key that entered smoothly, the lock clicked open only after a few attempts.

She carefully pocketed the unlocked lock and key, then placed her hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath.

Once she left this place, she wouldn’t return. She won’t. Repeating this to herself like a mantra, she turned the doorknob.

A rough sound echoed from the old wooden door, and the sight beyond slowly came into view through the widening gap. Iella took a step forward.

“You’re late.”

But she froze at the voice that came from ahead. Iella couldn’t retract her step, so she slowly lifted her gaze.

Under the brilliant moonlight, golden hair and blood-red eyes shone vividly in her view.

A suffocating silence weighed heavily in the air. Clutching the doorknob tightly, Iella silently screamed.

‘…This can’t be happening.’

The man standing there wore clothes of fine fabric, intricate embroidery, gold trim that gleamed even in the dark, and a luxurious fur cloak. He looked even more opulent and splendid than the Grand Duke she had met in the study.

His presence exuded an overwhelming aura and a languidness that came from a predator’s leisure, pricking her skin threateningly.

Such a man, with innate arrogance evident in his demeanor, speech, and gaze, was staring directly at her. Three knights holding lanterns stood around him.

Even without asking, Iella knew who he was.

The owner of the well-kept cage. The person she most wanted to avoid and had to avoid.

“Still as insolent as ever.”

As he lightly flicked his fingers, two knights approached Iella. She instinctively stepped back, and his cold, indifferent voice followed.

“If you want to preserve that pitiful pride, you’d better come out on your own.”

It was not a suggestion but a command.

Iella glanced sideways and saw the shoes of the two knights standing guard, blocking her retreat. A deep sigh escaped her.

‘I have no idea how to escape.’

She didn’t even want to check the front. She could feel his piercing gaze without looking. But she couldn’t avoid the situation just because she didn’t want to face it.

“You wouldn’t do something as foolish as coming out to greet me at this hour, would you?”

“……”

“Where were you trying to sneak off to like a rat?”

His voice was cold and devoid of any friendliness. It seemed he found the conversation itself bothersome and unpleasant.

‘If you hate her so much, why not just ignore her…’

Iella wasn’t surprised by his reaction. No one had ever been friendly to Ailexia. Especially the Emperor, who had every reason to despise her. The only unexpected thing was the depth of his hatred.

What was strange was her own reaction. The unstable emotions she felt before stepping out of Ailexia’s body were now barely noticeable. Perhaps being pushed to the extreme had made her indifferent.

Maybe it was because the current situation was so dire that she couldn’t even think about the future. All she could do was follow the flow of her thoughts and let random questions arise.

“Have I been too lenient with you?”

His voice lowered, interpreting her silence differently.

She realized she needed to say something, but at the same time, it felt pointless. Reflecting on it, all her previous struggles had ended in vain.

‘If I provoke the Emperor’s anger while trying to escape this situation…’

Imagining the worst-case scenario, Iella swallowed dryly. But she couldn’t remain silent either. It was a dilemma.

‘…I don’t know.’

After much deliberation, Iella closed her eyes tightly and opened her mouth, forcing out the words.

“It’s nothing different from usual. I was just trying to enjoy something new, as always. I should be asking why you’re here.”

Fortunately, speaking as Ailexia had become a habit, so the words flowed easily without much thought.

However, unlike before, her voice was sharper, lacking the careful consideration she used to have.

Iella noticed this but didn’t bother to change it. It felt more natural than when she tried hard to imitate.

“Something new… I suppose you were planning to roll around somewhere again. Still not satisfied with what’s inside.”

“…How unexpected.”

The Emperor didn’t seem to find it strange. Or rather, he ignored her question entirely, as if it didn’t matter.

“Yes. You’ve always lived beyond your means, thanks to those eyes you don’t deserve.”

Just as she was hoping he would either let her go or send her back to the secondary palace, the Emperor suddenly said something incomprehensible.