Chapter 22

The Emperor rose from his seat and walked over to the chessboard.

He stood there for a moment before turning to look at Kanna.

“Would you like to try playing a game?”

Kanna shrugged her shoulders.

“I can’t promise I’ll go easy on you.”

“What?”

The Emperor was momentarily at a loss for words, then scoffed several times.  

Though he found it absurd to be treated like this by a child, his expression betrayed not even the slightest intention of showing leniency. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he gestured for Kanna to come over.  

Kanna readily obliged.  

And the result was Kanna’s overwhelming victory.  

Out of generosity, she refrained from laughing aloud at the three-hundred-year age gap between them.  

The Emperor, after a moment of silence, reached into a nearby wooden box and retrieved a white candy, as if making a great decision.  

“Would you like some candy?”  

“I don’t particularly like sweets.”  

Kanna’s cheeks puffed up as she spoke.  

The candy must have been more satisfactory than expected, as the Emperor managed to secure another opportunity for a rematch.  

But the problem started from that point onward.  

For some reason, the Emperor and Kanna’s skills were astonishingly evenly matched.  

Neither side could claim an easy victory.  

As the game progressed, the Emperor leaned so far forward that his head nearly touched the chessboard, while Kanna stood on the chair with her arms crossed.  

It wasn’t until the chamberlain placed a thick cushion on the chair that Kanna could finally sit and see the chessboard at eye level.  

“See? Who’s going easy on whom? I’ve won two games in a row.”  

“But I won the two games before that.”  

“That’s because I was rusty from not playing for so long.”  

“If we’re making excuses, then—”  

“You’ve only recently learned, so your mind is sharper. I, on the other hand, haven’t played in over ten years.”  

The last time Kanis had played chess was over three hundred years ago.  

When Kanna began glaring at him with a challenging look, the Emperor haughtily pulled out another candy from the wooden box and held it out.  

“Here, take it.”  

“Do you think I’m doing this just for some candy?”  

Despite her words, Kanna’s expression softened as her cheeks quickly became round with another candy.  

The Emperor chuckled as he tidied up the chess pieces.  

“Shall we play another game?”  

“Sounds good.”  

The chamberlain couldn’t fathom how candy suited for an aging Emperor had somehow captured the taste of a six-year-old child. However, it had been so long since he’d seen the Emperor’s eyes sparkle with such liveliness that he decided to leave the two of them undisturbed for a little while longer.  

Even as the night wore on, the lights in the reception room remained on, prompting a few servants to peek inside out of curiosity before quietly retreating.  

At last, when the Emperor’s voice went hoarse from the prolonged battle, the chamberlain sternly declared:  

“Your Majesty and Miss Kanna, your skills are evenly matched. It would be wise to end it here for tonight.”  

Both were prideful and fiercely competitive, but, to be honest, neither was particularly skilled at chess.  

In the past, the Emperor had quickly been outmatched by his two daughters, and the shock of it had led to the chamberlain, who had been helping them train, becoming significantly better at chess himself. Eventually, there was no one left to play against, and the Emperor lost interest.  

Kanis, too, had always relied on her cunning rather than skill when playing chess as a child, using magic to shake the table or casting transformation spells on the rooks for tricks. As a result, her skills had never improved.  

By the time they both began to find the game somewhat enjoyable, there was no one left to play with.  

“Be careful on the stairs, Miss Kanna.”  

Kanna followed the chamberlain out of the Emperor’s Palace, rolling the last piece of candy she had received in her mouth.  

Outside, the sky was pitch black—it was already the middle of the night. She hadn’t realized how late it had gotten.  

“Miss Kanna.”  

Prandia Sylan approached, her nose red, as if she had been waiting outside the palace all this time.  

Kanna looked up at her.  

“It’s cold. Why were you waiting out here?”  

Sylan opened her mouth as if to speak but hesitated.  

The chamberlain gave Sylan a few instructions.  

“She’s had quite a bit of candy. Make sure she eats properly tomorrow.”  

“Yes, Sir.”  

“And although the wound has been treated, be careful it doesn’t get infected.”  

“Yes, Sir.”    

On the way back, Sylan couldn’t hide the gloom on her face and eventually spoke up.  

“I’m sorry.”  

“For what?”  

Kanna, walking with her hands in her pockets, raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise.  

“I should have been the first to come and rescue you.”  

“Rescue me?”  

“Yes, Miss Kanna.”  

“……Me?”  

“Today, I was supposed to be the servant attending to you. I know I don’t deserve the role anymore, but—”  

Kanna let out a short laugh without realizing it.  

“Thank you.”  

“What?”  

“Hmm.”  

Kanna pulled out a candy she had pocketed earlier and held it out.  

“Want one?”  

“……You’re giving this to me?”  

“Yes. It’s pretty good.”  

Sylan stared at the candy for a moment before tucking it into his pocket with a smile.  

“I’ll save it for later.”  

“Suit yourself.”  

Kanna gave a casual nod.  

Meanwhile, the Emperor groaned the entire way to his bedroom.  

Sitting on a hard chair for so long and not resting properly after the banquet had taken a toll on his body.  

Yet, there was vitality in his groans.  

As soon as he arrived, he asked for a glass of water, which he downed immediately.  

“Shall I bring another glass?”  

“No need.”  

The Emperor pulled the blanket up to his chest and fell asleep almost instantly.  

The chamberlain chuckled softly as the Emperor began to snore.  

***

From the beginning, there was no intention to speak.  

It just so happened that it was Sylan’s turn to stand guard that night.  

She had only entered the bedroom to check if the incense candle had been left burning, if the windows were properly closed, and if the blankets were pulled up to ensure a good night’s sleep. That was all. Truly.  

Though the attendants had agreed among themselves to avoid entering the bedroom at night as much as possible, so Miss Kanna, who was sensitive to any disturbance, could sleep soundly.  

Still, Sylan was worried about Kanna.  

She pitied her, knowing she would wake up tomorrow unaware of anything, as everyone would hush up the situation.  

In the middle of the night, an urgent message arrived at the Imperial Palace.  

The bearer of the ill news was a close knight who had left two days ago with the Crown Prince.  

The Emperor was once again roused from his sleep, the ministers rushed to the palace in their nightclothes, and now everyone was gathered in the audience chamber, deep in discussion.  

Even among the guards standing watch and the servants, news of the incident was spreading throughout the night.  

As Sylan walked down the corridor, yellow trails of torches hurriedly passed by outside the windows.  

And so, when Sylan opened the bedroom door, quietly closed it behind her, and turned around—  

There was an empty bed, cold from the absence of warmth, and an open window. Sitting on the windowsill was Kanna, her piercing blue eyes meeting her.  

“What’s going on?”  

For the last time, Kanna asked in a calm voice.  

Sylan didn’t know how to keep quiet.  

“The Crown Prince… his current condition is unknown.”  

For some reason, she felt that was the only answer she could give.  

***

The day the messenger arrived from the border—  

Michael rode tirelessly, switching horses along the way, until he reached the border.  

‘Your Highness, a woman matching the description of the Master of the Mage Tower has been found near the Border of Ahilles. She is currently unconscious…’  

After hearing this, there was no way he could avoid going to the border.  

“Your Highness!”  

“Where is she?”  

By the time he arrived, it was night. Following the guide who came to greet him, he hurried into the room, where an unfamiliar woman lay on the bed.  

It was not the Master of the Mage Tower.  

Michael rubbed his face several times.  

It took him quite some time to regain his composure.  

The Lord of the Castle asked, 

“Is it her?”  

“…No.”  

“Should I say that’s fortunate?”  

“What is her condition?”  

“We don’t know what happened, but when she was found, she was in a state of fear and paranoia. There are no visible injuries, but she hasn’t regained consciousness.”  

“…”  

“There is one strange thing, though.”  

At that moment, the woman on the bed twitched as if she were about to wake.  

“The Mage Tower, the Mage Tower…”  

Upon hearing her murmur, Michael furrowed his brows.  

“The Mage Tower?”  

But the woman seemed to fall back into a deep sleep.  

“When she briefly regained consciousness, she said something very peculiar.”  

“…”  

“She said she needed to go to the Mage Tower, that she had unfinished business there. The physicians said it didn’t seem like her own words.”  

“Then whose?”  

“They said it sounded like something she ‘heard.’ A deeply ingrained memory, perhaps from someone who abducted her…”  

“So you believe she escaped?”  

“Yes, based on the circumstances. However, it’s unclear if this is connected to the Master of the Mage Tower—”  

“No. First, tell me exactly what she said.”  

“She said, ‘I need to go to the Mage Tower. I have unfinished business there.’”  

At that moment, the caregiver standing by the bed raised a hand.  

“Your Highness, I overheard something else as well.”  

“Speak.”  

“She said… ‘She will return to the Mage Tower,’ just before you arrived, Your Highness.”  

Michael murmured, his expression clouded with doubt.  

“…‘She will return to the Mage Tower’?”