So suddenly? It was an abrupt summons, but she had no reason or way to refuse. After asking him to wait a moment while she quickly prepared, she took off what she was wearing and put on a dress.

Only after adjusting her attire did Lysith realize something strange. …Wasn’t it normal to wear an outdoor dress in the palace? The dress she was wearing now seemed a bit simplified.

“Um, isn’t this too simple–”

“It’s done.”

“……”

She felt suffocated. In the end, Lysith closed her mouth without making a sound. What was this, were they doing this on purpose?

There wasn’t a single person on her side in this palace. She felt like she might cry…

The one fortunate thing in this misfortune was that Ash*tes was likely still in the palace.

The saying that life is unpredictable seemed to be true. Who would have thought there would come a day when she would miss Ashites this much? Penchev couldn’t possibly come here, so knowing that at least Ashites was here made her feel like she could breathe again.

When she left the room, the head butler bowed and began to lead the way, saying he would guide her.

She desperately wanted to ask, ‘Is this attire really okay, Head Butler?’

What she was wearing now wasn’t outdoor clothing, but a dress suitable for casual wear indoors. It wasn’t quite pajamas, but it was the kind of attire one might wear to receive close guests at the mansion.

‘How can I meet the Emperor dressed like this! Why isn’t anyone saying anything!’

Whether Lysith walked hesitantly or not, the head butler moved quickly. Right now, the sun was at its zenith. In other words, it was lunchtime for a man.

Even as he headed towards where the Emperor was waiting, the head butler was struggling not to glance back at the lady behind him.

Verheigen, who currently sat on the Emperor’s throne, had difficulty trusting others since the poisoning incident of the previous Emperor. This character trait was, of course, fully displayed even at mealtimes.

To begin with, he wasn’t in a position where he could share a meal with just anyone. He was wary even of simple refreshments, let alone a full meal.

But today, that rule seemed to have shattered into pieces.

Have lunch with Lysith Gronevelt and bring her here. When the head butler first heard this order, he had to doubt his own ears. Although he was 60 years old this year, he often heard from others that he was still in good shape, but he wondered if age was finally catching up with him and his hearing was starting to fail.

The head butler, who had barely refrained from asking again, tilted his head in confusion. What kind of change of heart was this?

The number of maids and guards on the way to the banquet hall had been deliberately reduced, so they only encountered two people at most as they headed towards the Emperor. Even those two kept their heads bowed, as if Lysith was a being they shouldn’t look at, creating an atmosphere that permeated throughout the palace.

Lysith’s eyes trembled slightly at the unsettling feeling.

…The stress was too much.

“This is the place. Shall I announce you?”

“Yes.”

“Your Majesty, the lady has arrived.”

A soft voice from inside told them to enter.

The heavy doors of the banquet hall opened smoothly without a sound. They must oil these every day, Lysith thought idly as she stepped in.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“Rise.”

The massive doors closed behind her just as silently as they had opened.

The food, which seemed to have just been prepared, was lavishly laid out on the large, wide table.

“Sit down. Did the head butler tell you anything?”

“Um… no. He didn’t say anything else.”

“I see. It’s nothing special, I just thought we could have lunch together.”

It was too much to just accept with an ‘I see,’ given how little Lysith knew about the man before her. Moreover, with the lingering memory of that searching gaze, her wariness naturally increased.

Noticing Lysith’s reaction, Verheigen smiled as if it was beneath him.

“Just eat. Don’t act like a hedgehog with its quills raised. I said I won’t do anything.”

“……”

How could she believe that?

…But in this feudal society, status was everything, and the Emperor was at the apex of that class pyramid. Reluctantly, she put the appetizer salad in her mouth.

‘It’s delicious. How annoying…’

As the delicious food entered her mouth, she could feel her raised defenses melting away. She hadn’t realized she was this weak to good food!

“Pfft…”

A small laugh was heard, as if he had keenly noticed her lowered guard.

Instantly irritated, Lysith stopped eating the appetizer and put down her fork. Regardless, Verheigen tasted the salad and began eating the main course.

Normally, an amuse-bouche should have come after the appetizer, but all the middle courses were skipped, and the main dish appeared right away.

Lysith briefly found this strange, but even as she tried to be suspicious, she was distracted by the smell of meat.

The dish that caught her attention was a steak covered in white sauce. Just the aroma made her stomach clamor for food right away.

Since Lysith was currently a patient, she had to make do with simple soups for breakfast even this morning. And now, to encounter a steak in the midst of all this.

She couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.

If I don’t eat it, I’m the only one losing out, right?

If it’s a palace chef, how good must their cooking be, huh?

After this self-brainwashing of sorts, Lysith picked up her fork and knife, cut the meat into small pieces, and immediately brought it to her mouth.

‘Wow…’

The meat juices flowed out, filling her mouth. And the texture was so tender that it melted in her mouth exquisitely. It made her wonder if all the meat she had eaten before her possession was fake.

After cutting and eating the steak like this a few times, she suddenly realized that the side opposite her was too quiet. She slightly raised her head to check on Verheigen and saw that he had stopped eating. Just as she thought that he must be full from eating such delicious food every day, her slightly lowered guard rose again.

‘Wait a minute, eating together couldn’t be…’

“That’s not it.”

“…I wasn’t thinking anything…”

“I’m not going to poison you, and I didn’t put any in.”

Lysith’s thoughts were completely exposed. It seemed the Emperor himself had anticipated such suspicions.

“Why would I bother with such troublesome acts? The Count was a rather unusual case.”

As he rested his chin on one hand, his bangs gently fell over his forehead. If one were to ask which shone brighter, the chandelier in this banquet hall or his face, about nine out of ten would answer that his face shone more brilliantly.

Lysith, who had been staring intently at his platinum blonde hair, put down her fork.

“Your Majesty, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“I’d like to meet the Tower Master. Would that be possible?”

There’s no reason to refuse, so he’ll probably grant permission. Lysith blinked, waiting for his affirmation, but…

“No.”

The answer was a blunt refusal.

First, I’m told not to leave the palace, and now I’m forbidden from meeting people? If he wasn’t the Emperor, I’d just…

“It’s not…”

“It’s not allowed. Until I give permission, you’re forbidden from meeting anyone other than me.”

Lysith, dumbfounded, couldn’t close her mouth.

She wasn’t some kind of criminal, yet she couldn’t understand why she was being treated this way.

Can’t leave the palace, can’t meet anyone, but they still need to ensure her body recovers? This position felt like that of a stepmother that one couldn’t kill but had no choice but to keep her alive.

Verheigen, who had thoroughly bewildered Lysith, smiled with curved lips.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just how the law is. Until the witness investigation is over, all external contact is strictly prohibited.”

‘Is, is that so? It doesn’t seem right.’

While tilting her head in doubt, Lysith had no choice but to say she understood for now. It felt vaguely like the military, where you just have to do as you’re told. Not that she’d ever been in the military.

With lingering unease, Lysith resumed eating. Due to her stomach’s excitement over meat after so long, she felt like she had eaten a bit more than usual.

After neatly finishing the dessert, Lysith wiped her mouth with a napkin, and Verheigen stood up.

What now? What is it? At the same time, Lysith’s guard, which had lowered a bit, rose again.

Watching Lysith’s reaction, Verheigen was internally bursting into laughter. Her guard melted when food was pushed in front of her, but as soon as she finished eating and he moved, she bristled again.

He even wondered if this was why people kept cats. Though this woman was too big to be a cat, and not particularly cute.

“We’ll eat together at this time tomorrow too.”

“…Pardon? Yes…”

Where had all that composure from the banquet hall gone? Though she tried to hide it, her sentiment of ‘Why are you doing this?’ was palpable.

If his thoughts were correct, this woman would become the only person he could trust without a shred of doubt.

With that thought, the tension around his eyes eased slightly.

There was a reason Verheigen had prevented her meeting with the Tower Master. It was precisely after meeting the Tower Master that he felt she had changed. He thought there might be some connection.

Until the reason for her personality change became clear, he wanted to eliminate even the smallest variables.

Stopping Lysith as she tried to say goodbye, he left the banquet hall and instructed the head butler to prepare meals for two again tomorrow before departing.