After returning to her palace, Karina paced restlessly in her bedroom. Why did she feel so strange? Aidan had simply been absent, and since she hadn’t made an appointment, they could easily have missed each other. Though she understood the situation logically, an inexplicable uneasiness remained.

Had she become too accustomed to how Aidan had been? When had it become so natural for him to visit frequently without reason, beg to have meals together, and make time to see her even when he was busy?

It felt like they were real lovers, not just a wife in name only. No, they weren’t just like lovers — they were lovers. Unlike her, who couldn’t properly recognize her own feelings and remained uncertain even while agreeing to date, Aidan had consistently treated her as his ‘lover’ from the start.

Growing accustomed to something was truly frightening. It became so natural that even a single missed meeting could cause disappointment. Moreover, having now acknowledged her feelings for him, the disappointment felt even stronger.

I wanted to see him…

She didn’t want anything specific. She simply thought of Aidan first upon waking up and wanted to see his face. That was all.

So this is what it feels like. To like someone.

It was an unfamiliar but not unpleasant sensation. Though various thoughts and emotions stirred over trivial matters, she didn’t feel it was a waste of emotional energy.

It truly was far from rational emotion. She had never imagined she would vaguely want to see someone like this, so aimlessly.

If only Aidan would come visit later…

Such wishes kept arising.

“Bernice.”

If she kept thinking alone, she felt she might lose all rationality. Finally, she went to the reception room and called for Bernice.

“Could you find out if anything special happened at the palace while I was unconscious?”

She was curious about the Emperor and Empress’s reactions since Marquis Belmont hadn’t been arrested yet, how Lloyd was doing after his recent wedding, and whether anything really had happened on Aidan’s side. Even if it seemed like minor emotional conflicts, the ripples could be significant, so she always tried to keep track of developments in other palaces.

“Is there even anything left to find out? Do you know who I am?”

Bernice grinned confidently, asserting that no one could match her as an information source.

“His Highness Lloyd’s side is in complete cold war. His consort visits every day but he hasn’t met her even once.”

Karina suppressed a sigh at that news. While she felt Kate must be struggling quite a bit, she also thought it was self-inflicted. Still, she felt relieved that Lloyd wouldn’t openly display his desires toward her anymore now that he had a consort.

“The imperial knights are still pursuing Marquis Belmont but don’t seem to be making much progress, and Her Majesty the Empress has been quiet lately. Well, that makes sense since strange rumors keep spreading, so she probably thinks it’s better to lay low.”

Bernice hesitated briefly while reporting the palace news.

“As for His Highness Aidan… It doesn’t seem like anything special has happened. He’s training with the knights as usual, attending policy meetings. Oh, there is a rumor that he’ll be visiting the Italus border region soon for the construction of the waterway.”

Going to the border region? Then she wouldn’t be able to see him for a while… She felt embarrassed, realizing she was already feeling disappointed even though he hadn’t left yet.

Everything truly stirred up her emotions now. To think this was what romantic feelings were like… She found herself newly respecting Kate, who had expressed her feelings so honestly and passionately.

For Karina, these feelings were still unfamiliar and awkward. She remained cautious about whether she should fully express these feelings to Aidan.

But wouldn’t he like it if she told him?

‘I wondered if you liked me enough to be jealous.’

She remembered his face smiling contentedly just at thinking she was jealous. If she could see him smile like that, maybe it would be worth occasionally pushing through the embarrassment to express her honest feelings.

I missed you after not seeing you for just a few days. I felt disappointed when I came to see you but couldn’t.

Rolling these simple words around in her mouth, her face grew hot with embarrassment at her own thoughts.

*

The imperial knights found Marquis Belmont’s mansion on the outskirts of the capital. He had many mansions in his name, and this was one of the smaller ones, so they missed it until now. Knight Commander Colin only tracked down this location after receiving an anonymous tip about a hidden mansion of Marquis Belmont’s within the capital.

The mansion was empty, as Marquis Belmont had already fled. But there was less dust than an empty mansion should have. The bedroom especially showed signs of use. Marquis Belmont had clearly stayed here recently.

“Commander!”

A knight searching the mansion urgently called for Colin.

“You should come see this.”

The knight’s face was deeply contorted. Following the knight to the large reception room next to the bedroom, Colin frowned immediately upon opening the door.

A large frame hung on the front wall visible from the entrance. The knights’ gazes fixed on the painting within the frame. Their expressions were uniformly unpleasant. The person in the painting was too familiar to them.

Though she looked younger than now, it was clearly the Empress. It seemed to be from before she became Empress, but regardless, she was now the highest person in the imperial family. They didn’t know how to react to a painting that exposed the n*ked body of such a person.

Colin frowned while looking at the painting and felt a sense of déjà vu. He soon realized why. The background in the painting was the very place where they now stood.

“Hah…!”

A gasp escaped him. The moment he became certain where the painting was made, a thousand thoughts rushed through his mind. The clearest among them was the song that had likened the relationship between the Empress and Marquis Belmont.

Colin closed his eyes tightly and took a long breath. Just thinking about the waves this painting would cause made his stomach churn.

“Right now… report this to His Majesty. The rest of you, continue searching the mansion.”

Would this painting be the only one? Would they find more traces of the Empress? The problem was that this was Marquis Belmont’s mansion. He didn’t dare imagine why Lilith McCoy, who had been the Emperor’s lover, had stayed at Marquis Belmont’s mansion and left such a suggestive painting.

*

Though it was late at night, Aidan still hadn’t come to see Karina. Thinking he might come around dinner time, Karina had delayed her meal, waiting, but eventually had to eat alone late in the evening. Noticing that Karina was waiting for Aidan, Bernice grew restless.

“Should I go to His Highness’s palace?”

She volunteered to go herself, suggesting that perhaps the servant hadn’t delivered the message properly, saying His Highness wouldn’t stay away otherwise.

“That’s not necessary.”

Karina stopped her and stood up. She decided not to just wait anymore. She had spent three years waiting for ‘Aidan’ to come to his senses, to stop his womanizing and look at her, his consort. She knew better than anyone that nothing could be gained and nothing would change by just waiting, having experienced it firsthand.

Though it was late, they weren’t the kind of relationship where they couldn’t meet because of the hour. There had been times when Aidan visited Karina late at night just to see her face before leaving. Strictly speaking, by imperial etiquette, it wasn’t proper behavior, but this was Aidan. So she thought there would be no reason to reproach herself.

She deliberately didn’t bring many servants and knights. She only allowed Bernice, who insisted on coming, two servants, and two knights to accompany her. That was enough since she didn’t plan to stay long at Aidan’s palace. She just wanted to show him that she had safely woken up, and wanted to confirm with her own eyes that he too was doing well.

As they reached Aidan’s palace after walking through the long palace corridor, murmuring voices could be heard from the garden outside the corridor. Wondering who it could be at this late hour, her feet stopped unconsciously.

Though the words weren’t clear, she could hear both male and female voices mixed together. Who could be having a secret meeting in the garden at this late hour? It wasn’t unusual for servants, knights, and noble-born ladies-in-waiting working at the palace to date each other when they developed mutual feelings, so she was about to dismiss it as unremarkable.

“…His Highness…”

If only she hadn’t heard the words ‘His Highness’ carried on the wind.

There were only two people who would be called ‘His Highness’ in this palace. And this place was closer to Aidan’s palace. What were the chances that Lloyd would come all the way here to have a secret meeting with someone?

With that thought, she felt her mind grow cold.

As she turned her steps toward the exit leading from the corridor to the garden, Bernice quickly approached and stood right behind Karina.

“Your Highness…”

Her voice sounded troubled, as if she too felt uneasy.

“You should return…”

Though Bernice tried to stop her, Karina didn’t halt her steps. This situation was too familiar, too deeply etched in her mind for her emotions to stir as much as expected. She just felt her head and heart growing cold.

Walking toward the source of the voices, they grew increasingly clear, and the identities of their owners became more distinct.

“…I’m just so grateful that Your Highness would say such things.”

The woman’s voice was full of laughter.

“It’s nothing special really…”

The man fell silent upon noticing Karina.