132. What Is Real?

Larael quietly spoke as she half-closed her eyes, watching Kali diligently jot down the instructions in her notebook.

“What??”

Kali unknowingly asked in a loud voice. She hoped she had misheard, waiting for Larael’s lips to part again and say something else. In the Kazel Empire, there was no one who had come out unscathed after daring to cross the Anderman Ducal House. It was something even a passing dog would know.

“Until His Majesty awakens, this is the very first thing I must do. Of course, it will be very difficult, but I must accomplish it.”

Larael bit her lip tightly. Her crimson eyes gleamed even redder. Kali, with a dazed expression, gazed at Larael before letting out a small sigh.

“Whatever Your Highness does, whatever it may be, I will follow. And if that puts Your Highness in danger, then I will shoulder that danger myself. This is my true heart.”

“Kali, there’s no need to go that far. I don’t want that.”

She had no intention of making anyone a scapegoat. A resolute silence lingered between them. Then, as if suddenly remembering something she had forgotten, Larael flusteredly rose from her seat.

“I must hurry to Edward. His Majesty will be waiting for me.”

***

Edward lingered in darkness, his mind in a haze.

He neither wanted to know where he was nor had the will to do anything. He was merely waiting for time to pass. He could not clearly recall who he was or what he had been doing.

“What am I doing here?”

All he felt was the meaningless flow of time through his entire being. Something seemed as though it would surface from the fog of blurred memories, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not remember. He had the nagging sense that he was missing something very important.

“What could it be?”

A wave of lethargy washed over him. He furrowed his brow as a chillingly unpleasant sensation enveloped his entire body.

He had no way of knowing how much time had passed. For now, the darkness was his only friend. Slowly, he became accustomed to it. He grew used to the lethargy, and even the thought of recalling what seemed important began to feel bothersome.

Yet, despite the familiarity, a sense of unease ceaselessly stirred in the corner of his heart.

“How could I possibly forget her?”

He did not even know who she was, but the thought came to him.

Yet the moment he thought of her, the thick darkness turned into a heavy fog that wrapped itself around him. His breath caught in his throat. It was as if remembering her was a great sin, and the thought constricted his neck.

“No, I must remember.”

His unconscious shouted at him.

“You must recall her.”

“…Yes. Larael… my… reason for existing.”

Before him appeared Larael’s radiant, smiling face. Her shimmering silver hair, her sparkling, jewel-like crimson eyes, her beautiful face too precious even to be held in one’s gaze. Yes, it was Larael.

As he clearly pictured her, the world before his eyes grew dazzlingly bright. He squinted, then closed his eyes against the glare.

When the brightness faded, Edward cautiously opened his eyes.

He was sitting at a dining table. Looking around, he felt as though his head would split apart.

“Larael…”

Amazingly, she was sitting to his right, gazing at him.

‘Yes, my Larael…’

Edward looked at her with a gentle smile. Flustered, Larael quickly averted her gaze and lowered her head. Edward was taken aback by her reaction, his mind going blank for a moment. Then, like lantern slides flashing in quick succession, memories rushed through his mind—memories that were his, and yet not his. Clutching his aching head, he let out a low groan.

He looked at Larael, who sat with her head bowed, his eyes filled with heavy confusion.

‘This isn’t the Larael I know. This is a dream. Larael would never treat me this way.’

Edward shook his head at the memories that differed from his own.

“Larael.”

He called her name. But Larael did not raise her head. The warmth of her gaze, her gentle reply—none of it came.

“Larael.”

Edward called her again. He wanted her to look at him with tender eyes. But she lifted her gaze and met him with eyes cold as ice.

“You have never called me that before, have you? And do not call me that again. It is unpleasant to hear, Your Majesty.”

Larael pressed her lips tightly shut, her gaze fixed on the table. She stared at it for a long time before squeezing her eyes shut and then opening them again. Then, reaching beside her, she pulled out a small bottle of liquor and set it on the table.

“…I have prepared a special drink for Your Majesty.”

Edward’s mind was filled with memories that were not his own, spinning rapidly inside his head.

‘That liquor…’

Edward already knew. That drink was poison meant to kill him. He ran both hands down his face. Was this truly reality? Or was it a dream? His mouth went dry.

Desperately, he tried to recall proof—something that would show Larael would never harm him. But the Larael in his memories was far too cold, far too heartless toward him. In truth, she despised him, and Edward knew that all too well. The weight of that memory alone was unbearable.

The cause of everything had always been “that night” that had made her into who she was. If Larael truly did not know the truth, then perhaps this outcome was only natural. In those memories, Edward could only regret from afar, watching over her silently.

But how was he supposed to accept that she now sought his death?

His heart sank, dragged swiftly into the darkness like a sinking ship.

Even so, Larael poured the liquor into a glass and set it before him. Her hand, offering the glass, trembled faintly.

Could he truly blame her?

Edward and Larael’s eyes rested on the glass. Silence stretched between them for a long while. Then Edward broke it with a small, hollow laugh. Never had he imagined that Larael would try to poison him. For a brief moment, he struggled to understand her.

‘Could this really be a dream? What if this is reality, and the happy times with Larael were nothing more than dreams I wove because I wished them to be true?’

It was a possibility. Everything now felt too vivid, too real. From the scent of her that brushed his nose to the faint cries of insects outside, every sense told him that this was reality. Despair rose slowly from his toes upward.

When Larael saw his faint, resigned smile, her crimson eyes quivered. Suddenly, she took the glass from the table with her own hand. Gazing at it, she gave a bitter laugh. As she lifted the trembling glass toward her lips, Edward abruptly rose and snatched it away from her hand.

Smiling tenderly at her, Edward downed the liquor in one gulp.

Larael’s face, staring blankly at his action, turned to horror.

“Your Majesty!!! Do you even realize what this is… Quickly…”

Peace washed over him. His eyes grew moist. Even the fact that his impending death had shaken her heart left him satisfied.

Yes, if Larael wished for him to die, then he would gladly die for her.

Clinging to his fading consciousness, he tried desperately to imprint her face—perhaps for the last time—into his sight.

***

The conference hall stirred at Larael’s entrance.

The Duke of Anderman openly showed his displeasure and stormed out. He returned only much later, accompanied by the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager had already heard from the Duke that Larael had attended the noble council, so the moment she stepped into the hall, her eyes searched for her.

“Empress Consort, this is neither a banquet nor a tea party.”

The Empress Dowager addressed Larael the instant she entered.

“Yes. I am well aware. I am here as a member of the Imperial Family.”

“……”

The Empress Dowager herself had once attended a noble council as part of the Imperial Family. If that were to be brought up, she would have no defense. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at Larael with displeasure. But what could she do, simply because Larael was sitting in the council chamber?

With a derisive snort, the Empress Dowager went to take the seat of honor.

“As announced beforehand, today’s agenda concerns taxation.”

She spoke firmly, her gaze still fixed on Larael.

“The tax reform that was previously implemented was carried out in several regions, but many issues have been revealed. It was too radical a policy that ignored the opinions of the nobility, and furthermore, reverse discrimination has occurred. I hereby propose its suspension.”