Iella was speechless and closed her mouth. She didn’t know how to react or what to say in response to his suddenly reversed attitude, like flipping a palm.

‘Is he mocking me?’

But he didn’t seem like someone who would play such pranks. Especially not with Ailexia.

As Iella examined him with a scrutinizing gaze in her confusion, Helios suddenly burst into a small laugh. Incomprehensible mutterings flowed between.

“Why didn’t I realize it? Even when it was right in front of me.”

“Pardon?”

She asked back, intending to ask what he meant, but he merely lifted the corners of his mouth. Feeling a sense of crisis again at this change, Iella opened her mouth to escape the situation first.

“…Well, since you’ve acknowledged your mistake, that’s enough. Let’s consider that as making amends.”

“Making amends and reflecting are different things. Now that I’ve reflected, let me make amends.”

“I said it’s fine.”

“I’m not fine…”

“That means I don’t want it!”

Eventually, her voice rose again in response to Helios’s unyielding attitude.

His persistence in pushing his own will despite repeated refusals was quite shameless. At the very least, it was clear he hadn’t properly reflected on his actions.

But Iella, belatedly realizing her own behavior, took a short breath. She felt a creeping anxiety that she might have provoked Helios.

No words came from him. Iella, who had closed her mouth and waited for his response, finally spoke first as if trying to smooth things over.

“How can I know what you’ll do next……”

But as soon as she spoke, she realized she was criticizing him, and her voice gradually diminished.

The only consolation was remembering that Helios had handed his sword to the chief chamberlain earlier.

‘Should I just flee to the secondary palace?’

An intense impulse arose amid the uncomfortable silence. But sadly, the secondary palace was also within the emperor’s domain.

Unlike with Aster, Chase, or Allen, it couldn’t serve as her refuge.

“I won’t.”

At that moment, Helios’s voice finally came.

Contrary to her concerns, his voice contained no anger or displeasure; rather, it was plain. Even resolute, somehow.

“Now that I understand.”

But his incomprehensible words remained unchanged. As Iella moved her lips trying to decipher his meaning, Helios spoke first.

“I’m sorry for calling you all the way here, but since there’s still time left, I’d appreciate if you could wait in the reception room for a bit. I’ll get ready and join you. I’d be impolite like this.”

“What do you mean there’s time left? What exactly……”

“Isn’t it a bit early for a meal right now?”

Iella, who was about to express her frustration at their seemingly misaligned conversation, paused momentarily. That sounded like he was suggesting they dine together.

As if confirming Iella’s guess, Helios explained his intention once more with determination.

“Today we’ll have dinner together. I mean stay nearby until preparations are complete, Asha.”

By this point, Iella couldn’t believe the content of Vanessa’s novel. The description of the emperor in the novel clearly stated that he was indifferent to Ailexia.

But recalling the situations she had directly encountered, that was absolutely not the case.

“…What if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll come to you instead. I’ll join wherever you’re dining.”

“How is that different from having dinner together?”

“Dinner is sharing each other’s time, while me visiting you is me alone intruding on your time, so strictly speaking, they can’t be considered the same.”

It was incomprehensible why he would assert such a difference so confidently when ultimately they would still be eating at the same table either way. Iella was now beyond exasperation.

Then suddenly, she noticed something different.

‘He’s not forcing me?’

The emperor’s attitude wasn’t coercive.

Previously, he would dismiss Ailexia’s opinions as unimportant and impose only his own views, acting as if giving orders, but now he wasn’t like that at all.

Iella’s gaze lingered on Helios as if searching for his true intentions.

His expression remaining unperturbed even when their eyes met was very unfamiliar. Was he really someone who could make such expressions toward Ailexia?

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll prepare for dinner.”

“Is there no option for us to dine separately?”

“No. Compared to how long I’ve been patient, this is actually quite restrained.”

Another incomprehensible remark.

Iella felt that the more she conversed with him, the more unresolved questions accumulated. It was extremely frustrating.

But before that, she needed to resolve the current situation first.

‘If refusing dinner will ultimately lead to the same result, there’s no other way. But I can’t let the same thing happen again with Ailexia’s weakness that I don’t know about.’

After pondering briefly, she raised her head to Helios again.

While escaping was always the best strategy, when that wasn’t possible, a frontal approach was better.

Though there was something concerning…

“I have a condition. I must be able to observe the entire cooking process. You understand why without me having to explain, right?”

If she personally monitored to prevent any measures being taken, it should be fine.

Of course, it wasn’t a perfect method. There might be other variables like the peanut allergy that Vanessa hadn’t established.

But there was no way to discover that now. All Iella could do was block the variables she knew about.

Fortunately, Helios agreed without argument.

“This time it won’t take as long as before.”

“I don’t intend to wait indefinitely either.”

“Alright. Then I’ll see you shortly, Asha.”

He turned away with a smile, apparently amused by Iella’s bold words. She watched Helios walk away and let out a deep sigh.

‘Just this once. No more after this.’

Even as she made this resolution, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had been swept along by Helios’s words.

Iella fervently hoped that Helios simply wouldn’t show up to the dinner.

* * *

But as always, the world didn’t turn according to her wishes.

Just when she thought she had somehow managed to get through a dinner where she couldn’t tell if the food was going into her nose or mouth, it turned out that wasn’t the end.

“Lady Ailexia, His Majesty……”

“I won’t go! I said I won’t go!”

Iella cried out like a scream, clutching her head.

She had clearly told Helios firmly at the dinner that day. That the amends he so desired were now complete, so he should stop summoning her. That she wouldn’t come even if called.

But the next day, and the day after that, the emperor sent someone to the secondary palace every day. No matter how vehemently she refused, it was of no use.

In the end, Helios himself came and flung open the bedroom door that she had kept tightly shut!

“Asha.”

Just as she was wailing that fate’s pranks must surely be toying with her, Helios’s voice came from outside the door.

Iella stopped her actions and stared intently at the door. Normally he would appear only after a long struggle, but today he appeared immediately.

‘So the maid wasn’t trying to say that the emperor had sent someone, but that he had come personally.’

But that didn’t change anything. If anything, Iella was determined to refuse even more vehemently.

‘No, why does he keep calling me when he doesn’t even have a clear purpose!’

The past few days when she had reluctantly been dragged along by Helios’s summons flashed through her mind.

During that time, Iella had dinner with Helios, had tea, or went for walks. All activities without any particular purpose or meaning. Because of this, every day was a series of incomprehensible events for her.

The very thing Helios would be least likely to do with Ailexia was enjoying such mundane daily activities, yet he was doing all of them, which made no sense.

“Haven’t I consistently told you? Not to come looking for me.”

“I think I’ve also consistently shown my intention through silence.”

“Why are you acting like this when you never cared before!”

“Because the situation is different now.”

So what exactly is that difference! Iella swallowed the words that were about to burst out, right at the back of her throat.

She had personally experienced over the past few days that she wouldn’t get any answer from him anyway.

There was a moment when she suspected that perhaps Helios had discovered her identity. It was a big enough issue to explain the sudden change in attitude.

But she quickly dismissed it. Iella had never met him before, and there was no way Helios would treat such a woman so gently.

Considering his temperament that she had observed, cold indifference would have been more fitting. No, perhaps he would have immediately confined her in a shabby, crude prison and already thoroughly interrogated her.

“Since you said to stop coming without a purpose, this time I’ve brought one.”

While Iella had gone quiet, imagining the worst scenarios creeping up, Helios knocked on the door lightly twice more and spoke.

She was quite surprised that, contrary to expectations, he was listening to everything she said without dismissing it.

“A famous dressmaker and a jeweler from the imperial city are waiting downstairs.”

“What?”

“If you don’t come out, I’ll come in and carry you out myself.”

The following words snapped her back to reality. They sounded infinitely creepy to Iella alone.

But she couldn’t back down. This time, she would ensure things didn’t flow according to his will.

“Your personal lady-in-waiting is helping with the preparations.”

…No sooner had she thought this than words that shook her were heard. Her hand gripping the doorknob tightened.

Though it sounded insignificant at first glance, to Iella it sounded like a warning that he was holding Vanessa hostage.

In the end, Iella had no choice but to fling open the door this time too. She saw Helios standing right in front with a gentle smile.

Iella glared fiercely at the corners of his mouth, which looked not gentle but hateful to her.

“Don’t look at me like that. I have to do this because otherwise I can’t see you.”

She flinched at Helios’s expression turning sorrowful in response, but she turned away as if ignoring him.