How strange this feeling is. To think of having tea in the place where they had their secret meetings.

Selvia looked at Beatus while setting down her teacup with a clink.

“It feels like it’s been a while since we sat down for tea together. You’ve been quite busy lately.”

Selvia carefully asked while handling her teacup.

“Yes. It was partly due to socializing, and various matters piled up. Ah, I hear another envoy is coming.”

“……An envoy?”

“From the Karina Empire. It seems they were quite pleased with our banquet and sent word they’re sending gifts.”

“I see.”

Beatus quietly studied Selvia’s face.

He stared at her with suspicious eyes, like he’s trying to probe something.

“Then we should prepare to receive them again.”

“No, there’s no need this time. They said they’re just delivering gifts. Just keep it in mind.”

“I understand, do you have anything else to say?”

“You’re taking the medicine the doctor gave you properly, right?”

“……Of course. I take it without fail every day.”

She crushed and disposed of every single one. Without leaving a trace.

Beatus showed a satisfied expression at Selvia’s words.

“By the way, about Lady Flandre. How long should we keep her in the palace?”

“Why? Did she say she wants to go home?”

That couldn’t be.

If she was thinking that, she needed to be kept here.

Their love? It didn’t matter.

She was in a supporting position. She didn’t want their relationship to become strained through fighting.

“Your Highness, please be lenient even when Leliana crosses the line sometimes. She’s still young.”

She’s already crossed the line, so there’s nothing to feel guilty about.

Selvia took a sip of tea after briefly holding and releasing Beatus’s hand.

“But it’s interesting that there’s such a secluded space this deep inside. So private that others wouldn’t know about it.”

“I’ll create another resting space elsewhere if you need it.”

“No, this is fine. Shall we head back now?”

At Selvia’s words, Beatus rose from his seat.

A smile spread across his face at the surprisingly comfortable atmosphere.

“It seems I made the right choice of making you queen.”

“Is that so? If only the prophecy is fulfilled now, we’ll have achieved everything.”

“So you should try hard too. There’s only one thing needed between us.”

Beatus stood up and extended his hand to Selvia.

“If that doesn’t happen, I’ll have to do as you and the Duke suggested.”

“Your Highness, that would be fine.”

“Are you serious?”

“If Leliana can fulfill that, wouldn’t it be right for her to take my place?”

Beatus’s eyes widened at Selvia’s words.

“……I’ll think about it. Are you really alright with that?”

“Yes, it’s for the kingdom after all.”

Though something felt off about her tone, Beatus dismissed his doubts as he looked at the brightly smiling Selvia.

* * *

Selvia sighed while tapping the table.

As time approached, fatigue accumulated, making her feel suffocated just thinking about it.

The acacia flower on the table had dried up and lost even its fragrance.

She removed the dried, twisted flower with a flick.

Where it disappeared, scattered by the wind, new sprouts were emerging again.

“This is troublesome. If power overflows like this, they might notice.”

Selvia looked at the sprout, then pulled it out and planted it in the flower bed on the veranda.

Haah.

“Cough……”

Suddenly, she coughed up blood. She clearly felt her body becoming increasingly strained.

At that moment, she felt someone’s gaze from below the window.

Selvia shuddered and stepped back a couple of paces.

“Surely, it’s not an assassin.”

Leliana, angered by the day’s events, might have sent an assassin through her father to kill her.

Selvia steadied her breathing and moved her feet.

The black shadow that had been quietly lurking below rippled and quickly swelled toward the window.

‘The presence disappeared.’

Selvia’s night was not long.

She had to move while Beatus’s attention was elsewhere.

While going to the temple wouldn’t be strange at any time, she wanted to go alone comfortably.

Selvia immediately left the room.

Though Delpheron shrouded in darkness was incredibly eerie, that didn’t matter.

Born with the power of darkness, she found it easier to move at night than during the day.

Though there wasn’t a single light, she could see everything around her. She walked toward the temple with leisurely steps.

“I should go to the temple and check about the prophecy.”

There might be more unknown content.

She also hoped she might find clues about her power.

What her mother had told her was limited.

She needed more detailed information about the prophecy.

Selvia’s shadow swallowed the darkness around her. Her condition seemed better than usual, as if in a good mood.

“Today you seem good since I haven’t used power on strange things.”

Well, it made sense after expressing dissatisfaction all this time.

Selvia smiled faintly and moved quickly toward the temple.

* * *

The temple’s appearance in darkness gave off a quite different atmosphere from daytime.

Though holy power could be felt, that was all.

No priests could be seen, only occasional guards watching the temple.

She encountered a passing high priest. The high priest showed a somewhat surprised expression upon seeing Selvia.

“Your Highness the Queen, what brings you here?”

“I came to look around the temple.”

“I am High Priest Dain. I apologize, but entry is not possible today.”

The one calling himself high priest blocked Selvia from entering.

“What’s the reason?”

“For safety reasons, as an ominous energy is felt inside the temple.”

“……So you’re going to stop me?”

“I’m sorry, but please return.”

The high priest was adamant. Selvia had no choice but to turn around to leave the temple entrance.

However, she had no intention of obediently returning to the palace.

Selvia wanted to obtain information while she was here. She had no choice but to use her power.

She erased her presence with shadows and easily passed by the high priest to enter the temple.

Entering toward the central area where the prophecy was kept, Selvia rummaged through the drawers behind the altar.

‘Why did the high priest prevent me from entering?’

She couldn’t feel any ominous energy.

Could Beatus be hiding something?

Since she was designated as the child of prophecy, there was no reason she couldn’t enter the temple.

Selvia focused on searching for documents, unable to shake off her suspicions.

Suddenly, she noticed a scroll that repelled her hand with a shock.

“This is it.”

The scroll was sealed. Due to the holy power binding it, Selvia couldn’t open it.

Rustle—

There had been a bothersome presence for a while, had someone followed her?

Selvia put the scroll in her bosom and turned around. Though her form wouldn’t be visible anyway, she felt strangely concerned.

“Eek.”

A startled voice was heard as if the shadow had found someone hiding. Selvia’s head whipped around.

The familiar voice and faint scent carried on the wind naturally drew her feet forward.

Finally, despite her shadow trying to hold her back, when she reached where the presence was felt, she saw golden hair glowing even in the darkness.

“……Duke Grey?”

She thought it impossible, that it made no sense.

Why was he here? And it seemed he had been watching her while hiding.

Thanks to the shadow removing his cloak, she immediately recognized Harwin’s golden hair.

It was a color that would be hard to hide from people’s eyes even if he tried.

Her heart trembled finely again. A strange expectation rose at the unexpected coincidence.

But she hid her feelings again and spoke bluntly with indifference.

“What are you doing here?”

Oops. I also snuck in here just now.

In her confusion, she unconsciously broke free from the shadow’s power.

He always led her into unexpected situations. She felt like she was being drawn in again.

‘Get a grip.’

Selvia hurriedly looked around while approaching Harwin.

Seeing his composed expression even in this situation made her blood boil.

How could he always remain so calm?

“Haha…… I came because I wanted to see you.”

Selvia’s eyes narrowed at his words. Her expression showed complete disbelief.

Yet even such frivolous jokes from him weren’t hateful. He just had that kind of charm.

Harwin observed Selvia’s expression and quickly corrected his words.

“I’m joking. Actually, His Majesty the Emperor ordered…… though that would sound strange too, right?”

“You know well.”

Selvia sighed while looking down at Harwin.

Though she really thought it was strange, when he made such obviously suspicious statements, she couldn’t just let it slide.

Finally, she bent down to meet his eyes.

Whether he was hovering around her, or if these were truly coincidental encounters.

She wanted to find out.

“Well then. Shall we hear why a Duke of the Karina Empire is sneaking around in the Delpheron temple?”

Selvia’s voice was incredibly gentle, but the energy emanating from her was fierce.

“That thing in your bosom. Looks like you might need my help……”

“You can open this?”

It should require holy power. How could Harwin open it?

“I would be happy to help you, what do you think?”

Harwin was confident despite being caught red-handed.

He must have struggled quite a bit, as beads of sweat had formed on his forehead and he looked somewhat tired.

Staying long in a temple imbued with holy power inevitably consumed considerable stamina.

Especially for uninvited guests.

“I’ll decide after hearing why you need this.”

Though it was a prophecy given to the entire continent, why would he be interested?

The same prophecy would have been delivered to the Empire’s temples anyway.

Selvia grew increasingly curious about Harwin.

What was he hiding?

She wanted to find out, but he might keep it tightly hidden and never reveal it. Pressuring him would only waste time and energy.

“We should move somewhere else.”

Selvia turned sharply and asked Harwin.

“You came to my room earlier, didn’t you?”

She was going to let it slide, but felt she should warn him.

He should know she could sense his presence so he wouldn’t carelessly come to her room.

Harwin stared at her with a bewildered expression.

“……You noticed that too.”

After giving her perfume as a gift to remember him by, how could she forget the scent that permeated his body?

It was amusing that he thought she wouldn’t know.

Selvia was about to stand up pretending not to know when she quickly ducked down.

The high priest had entered and was searching for something.

‘Of all times.’

If she were alone, it would be easy to persuade the high priest even if discovered, but if he saw her with Harwin, things would get out of control.

The queen who was supposedly sent back to the palace not only sneaked into the temple but is hiding intimately with a man.

Moreover, Harwin held the position of Imperial Knight and Duke of the Karina Empire.

It was a perfect scene for being mistaken as a spy.

“Shh, stay quiet.”

Selvia wore a serious expression as she pondered. She was probably considering various scenarios for how to handle this situation.

Harwin’s eyebrows twitched at their close proximity.

Selvia seemed unaware of the current situation.

‘Better to stay still in this case.’

Honestly, chances to see Selvia’s face this close were rare.

Harwin blinked while watching Selvia, pretending to know nothing.