“Ah…… I apologize.”

He hurriedly turned his head away with a reddened face.

He looked quite flustered.

Selvia tilted her head at his behavior before realizing she was in her nightwear.

“Where did Mellin go for Your Majesty to bring the tea……”

“Ah, I wanted to talk so I sent her away.”

“You came at night like this without knowing I would be dressed this way?”

“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t know?”

Selvia smiled faintly at Ratius’s innocent tone.

She would have believed him even if he said no.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

She rose from her seat and calmly put on her outer garment.

Though his visit was sudden, she thought he must have come because of urgent business.

“Did something happen?”

“Ah, well.”

“You can look now.”

Ratius cleared his throat with his face still red.

“News came from Delpheron, so I thought I should tell you quickly.”

“Oh? What news?”

“Rumors of your disappearance are spreading widely.”

“How interesting.”

It seemed Beatus had chosen gossip. The former queen who vanished after a unilateral divorce. It was a phrase that would spark anyone’s curiosity.

However, regardless of what he intended with his actions, Selvia had no intention of moving according to his wishes.

“The divorce will be officially approved in a few days. I should prepare to meet the nobles.”

“You don’t need to rush.”

“I don’t have much time.”

Selvia took a sip of tea and smiled gently.

However, Ratius felt complicated watching her. Every time she spoke like this, he felt she might leave for somewhere beyond his reach.

“Are you perhaps hiding something from me?”

“……How could I?”

Selvia remembered the holy water in her clothes while maintaining an expressionless face as she savored her tea.

Unlike her expectation of an awkward silence, the atmosphere between them was peaceful.

Ratius quietly pushed some refreshments toward Selvia while drinking his tea.

Though she hadn’t eaten, she wasn’t particularly hungry.

She had been in a series of tense moments until arriving at the Karina Empire after the divorce, and she had been too preoccupied.

But seeing food right in front of her made her feel a bit hungry.

Selvia took a bite of the refreshments. Her eyes widened at the taste that melted smoothly in her mouth.

‘Delicious.’

Slowly savoring the snack and taking a sip of tea created quite a harmony.

Watching her silently, Ratius carefully asked.

“I heard you went to the temple.”

Selvia could tell just by his expression how much he had agonized before speaking those words.

‘Belrocan must have reported in that short time.’

As Belrocan was the emperor’s right hand, reporting was natural. But separately from that, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Selvia nodded lightly.

“Since Your Majesty seemed busy, I went briefly before the audience. I was also curious about how Karina’s temple was different.”

“How was it after seeing it?”

“I was surprised at how well-preserved it was. As Your Majesty has seen, Delpheron’s temples are in shambles.”

He nodded as if recalling the memory. He probably hadn’t forgotten.

After all, they had secretly hidden in the temple and seen the prophecy together.

As Selvia recalled that time, she suddenly remembered that Ratius hadn’t properly answered her question back then.

So she asked him accusingly.

“Why did you sneak into Delpheron’s temple back then?”

“Did you see the bouquet I prepared?”

“Don’t try to change the subject.”

“The prophecies that came down to all continents were the same. However, I heard that only the Kingdom of Delpheron received a different prophecy secretly.”

“Was that the prophecy we saw together?”

“Yes.”

“If that’s true, why did only Delpheron receive two prophecies?”

“I think it’s because you, the child of prophecy, were there.”

“……That makes sense.”

She couldn’t think of any other reason. Especially considering how poorly Delpheron managed its temples, it wasn’t a place close to god.

They didn’t even have a High Priest.

“So you must have heard other things too, since you bribed Delpheron’s priest.”

“I’d like you to think of it as an alliance of necessity at the time.”

Selvia laughed softly.

Though she had left Delpheron, she had once been its queen.

Whether the priest who gave Ratius the prophecy knew of his identity or not, prophecies were serious enough to determine a country’s fate. The very idea of an alliance between a foreign emperor and Delpheron’s priest regarding such prophecies was absurd.

But that wasn’t what was important now.

Ratius’s eyes suddenly sparkled.

“Did you perhaps not meet the High Priest?”

At the mention of the High Priest, Selvia’s hand trembled slightly, but she maintained her calm demeanor.

Glancing at Ratius, she noticed his expression was strangely unfavorable at the mention of the High Priest.

Selvia, who had been about to speak honestly, hesitated and shook her head.

“No. If I go to the temple, would I be able to meet the High Priest?”

“Of course. I can arrange an appointment anytime you wish.”

“Then…”

“Only on the condition that I accompany you.”

“……Why?”

“It’s not that I don’t like him, no, I do dislike him.”

Selvia looked dumbfounded at his words.

“Your Majesty’s words make it sound as if the High Priest might harm me.”

Investing so much in the temple yet disliking the High Priest?

That was strange too.

“Do you want me to be careful about everything?”

“It’s true that I’m anxious since it’s a place with more interest in you.”

“Do you not trust me, Your Majesty? Or is it the High Priest you don’t trust?”

“The High Priest.”

Ratius answered immediately.

Selvia couldn’t understand his defensive behavior.

Though Ratius didn’t know, she had already met High Priest Amon.

Hadn’t he even given her precious holy water?

Was the High Priest untrustworthy? Though she had only met him once, Selvia hadn’t particularly felt that way.

‘He was strangely favorable though.’

Even though she was the child of prophecy, she had only recently arrived from another country.

However, thinking back, she realized it was suspicious that he had given her something as precious as holy water without any wariness or precaution.

“I’ll be careful.”

But she couldn’t just listen to Ratius’s words alone. People were unpredictable. Moreover, the High Priest already knew about her condition.

She thought it wouldn’t be a good decision to reject someone who could potentially help her, whom she had finally found.

“You’re not promising.”

“I’ll have many occasions to visit the temple, and I can’t always be accompanied by Your Majesty who is busy.”

“You just need to not meet the High Priest alone.”

“That too is unpredictable, being a matter of human interaction.”

Ratius’s eyes sharpened. Though he didn’t like her answer, he had no intention of forcing her.

“Alright. But if anything happens, you must tell me immediately.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Only then did Selvia smile and nod.

“Really, you never give in once.”

He sighed and shook his head as if helpless.

Yet the smile never left his lips.

Selvia stared at him for a while before speaking impulsively.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything for you.”

His eyes lit up again. He was ready to grant any request from her.

Selvia had trouble speaking under his intense gaze.

“I want to use Your Majesty’s shadows.”

“May I ask why?”

“I want to keep track of the situation in the Kingdom of Delpheron. Also, I’d like to use the imperial library.”

“I’ll have it arranged.”

“……Aren’t you agreeing too readily?”

“Didn’t I say I’d do anything you want? There’s no reason not to when you’re just using my shadows, and I have no other thoughts about it.”

“There seems to be nothing I can’t do here.”

“That’s what it means to be my woman.”

He continued to smile with his beautiful face as he offered her refreshments.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

He smoothly changed the subject.

“I’m fine after having the refreshments.”

“That’s good. It’s late, so I should go.”

As he stood up, Selvia also rose. Suddenly, he muttered.

“I probably shouldn’t come at night anymore.”

“But won’t we share a room anyway once we remarry?”

“……”

His blue eyes widened. Ratius stood there blankly for a while without answering her question. Then, as if having made up his mind, he continued.