Chapter 85

Last night, Lexion’s voice, heard through the mirror, pierced Adelina’s heart.  

• Once the war is over, I have no intention of crowning Adelina as Queen.

The words had lingered in her ears all night, and though she should have grown accustomed to them by now, seeing Seyra’s face made her heart burn again, as if the wound were fresh.  

She hadn’t been able to hear the rest of the conversation as the mirror’s time had run out, but what she had heard was enough for her to piece things together.  

‘That bastard. I didn’t think he was like that! A world-class philanderer! Trash!’  

Adelina glared at the mirror as though Lexion were inside it, as though she might shatter it.  

‘What, you think I’d cry over you? Not a chance! I only liked your body! I never gave you my heart!’ 

The hand mirror, which she had hastily wrapped in cloth and tossed aside the previous night, now rested on the dressing table.  

‘Today, I’ll inspect the navy, and if I don’t think we can win, I’ll go straight into the mirror!’  

With a rough gesture, Adelina grabbed the mirror and tucked it into her chest.  

+++

“It’s fine. It’s still hot during the day. I’ll be riding a horse anyway…”  

Adelina, who had been staring intently at the mirror as if locked in a staring contest, stood as if deciding not to wear the wig but then plopped back into her chair.  

“Will you wear it?”  

“Yes. I think I should.”  

Her gaze returned to the mirror.  

Though it seemed she was looking at her reflection, she squinted slightly and stared intently at one spot.  

‘Leophris?’  

Inside the mirror, Leophris and his group, dressed in black, appeared to be preparing something. Their determined expressions showed as they nodded firmly.  

“Are the preparations complete?”  

As Adelina sat staring at the mirror even after putting on the wig, Jaeyon and Hailyn entered.  

“Jaeyon, how many knights will accompany us today?”  

Adelina, still seated, spoke to Jaeyon’s reflection in the mirror.  

“Since we are escorting you, Your Majesty, I have prepared fifty elite knights. Each of them is worth a hundred men.”  

“Double it.”  

In the mirror, Adelina and Jaeyon’s sharp gazes met.  

“Hailyn, prepare fifty more Imperial Knights immediately.”  

“Yes, Sir Jaeyon.”  

While Hailyn hurried out to gather additional knights, Adelina and Jaeyon spread out a map and studied it intently.  

+++

Once the fifty knights, personally selected by the commander of the Imperial Knights, had been added, Adelina’s group departed from Camellia Palace.  

The horses they would ride waited at the front entrance of Camellia Palace.  

Adelina mounted her horse and approached Jaeyon.  

“Seyra can’t wield a sword, so assign more escort knights to her.”  

She spoke softly enough that only Jaeyon could hear, in case Seyra overheard and became worried.  

‘If I leave her behind… she’ll definitely suspect something.’  

Though she seemed naive, Seyra was sharp and perceptive.  

If she realized the journey was dangerous, she would undoubtedly try to stop it.  

‘If they’re targeting me, it’s better to deal with them now.’  

Though Emperor Tiola and Jaeyon were currently protecting her, she couldn’t rely on that in the urgency of wartime.  

In fact, knowing about the threat in advance made it better to lure the enemies out and eliminate them today.  

“Understood. Your Majesty, please… lay down your sword. I will protect you.”  

“Hahaha. I can protect myself. I’ve even got armor underneath, so don’t worry about me.”  

Adelina lightly patted her chest and laughed at Jaeyon’s concern.  

“I will protect you at all costs. Hailyn, under no circumstances are you to leave Her Majesty’s side.”  

“Yes, Sir Jaeyon. Don’t worry.”  

After giving a final briefing to the knights, Jaeyon led the group forward.  

A hundred knights surrounded Adelina and Seyra as they rode.  

+++

On the way to the naval base, they passed through several checkpoints.  

Fortunately, the soldiers manning the checkpoints seemed to recognize Jaeyon, and the inspections were quick.  

When Adelina’s group finally entered the naval base, Seyra, seemingly overwhelmed by the soldiers’ presence, rode closer to Adelina.  

“Wow, Your Majesty, look at those warships. They’re nothing like our tuna fishing boats…”  

“Evans thoroughly destroyed Ernst’s navy… Of course, there’s no comparison.”  

Adelina raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun reflecting off the sea’s surface and looked at the warships.  

“Sir Jaeyon, you’ve arrived.”  

The navy’s supreme commander approached Jaeyon, placing his right fist over his left chest in a military salute and bowing his head.  

As Adelina dismounted with the others, she alternated between glancing at Jaeyon and Hailyn with a puzzled expression.  

‘What’s this? Jaeyon… Are you… a soldier?’  

That couldn’t be.  

According to the information Adelina had gathered, Jaeyon was merely a lord overseeing a coastal territory.  

He was also a nephew greatly favored by the Emperor…  

“As you instructed, the modifications to thirty warships have been completed.”  

“Well done. Your Majesty, please come this way. I’ll show you the warships.”  

“Thank you, Jaeyon. Lead the way.”  

Adelina listened to the supreme commander and Jaeyon as she headed toward the nearest docked ship.  

“Jaeyon, who exactly are you?”  

Jaeyon couldn’t just be a member of the Imperial Family or a lord.  

No naval commander would report so deferentially to someone like that.  

“Your sly friend, Your Majesty?”  

“Just explain the structure of the warship.”  

When Jaeyon winked at Adelina, she frowned deeply and turned her head sharply.  

+++

On the deck, Adelina, seemingly hot from wearing the wig, fanned herself with her hand.  

“Your Majesty, please use this.”  

“Thank you, Hailyn.”  

As Seyra reached for a feathered fan, Hailyn quickly unfolded a bamboo and paper fan with a snap and handed it to Adelina.  

“These large ships… their hulls must be rounded… Wouldn’t they struggle to operate in Ernst’s coastal waters? The depths there are shallow in many places.”  

Adelina fanned herself slowly as she observed the warships.  

“They were recently modified. The ships with flat bottoms will operate in Ernst’s coastal waters.”  

Jaeyon pulled out a fan from his sleeve and began fanning himself, directing the breeze toward Adelina.  

“Flat bottoms… Impressive, Jaeyon.”  

Adelina stopped fanning herself, turning to face Jaeyon.  

‘Ha! They say the Emperor dotes on him… So he’s been hiding as a naval strategist?’  

What a friend. Going around deceiving people like this.  

As Adelina looked at him with a mix of admiration and irritation, Jaeyon fanned her face with a dramatic flourish.  

“It’s even more impressive that you know about such things, Your Majesty.”  

Jaeyon, as if to tease her, gently waved the fan, his eyes crinkling with amusement.  

He knew she liked crescent-shaped eyes.  

“Jaeyon, turn the ship around from my position.”  

“Pardon?”

At Adelina’s sudden request, the crescent moon in Jaeyon’s eyes disappeared.  

“Your Majesty, the warship is too large. We’ve never attempted to turn it on the spot.”  

“Jaeyon, isn’t the bottom of the ship flat? Try turning it on the spot.”  

The naval commander, overhearing their conversation, glanced at Jaeyon and shook his head.  

‘Sir Jaeyon! Turning such a large ship on the spot could cause it to capsize! Not to mention the resistance from the water!’  

As someone knowledgeable about ships, Jaeyon surely already knew this.  

The naval commander assumed Jaeyon would placate Adelina and promptly disembark.  

“Do it.”  

But Jaeyon, seemingly captivated by Adelina, couldn’t take his eyes off her and issued such an absurd command.  

‘Damn it!’  

The commander shot a glance at his subordinates, who shared his astonished expression.  

“Everyone, furl the sails! Use the oars to turn the ship clockwise on the spot!”  

“Yes, Commander!”  

‘Damn it all! Hold on tight!’  

At the commander’s orders, the soldiers quickly moved to furl the sails.  

Below deck, the oarsmen strained their arms, veins bulging as they began rowing.  

As the ship tilted, the Imperial Knights, unaccustomed to being aboard, clung to the railing on the deck.  

Jaeyon held Adelina firmly to prevent her from falling.  

The ship slowly turned in a large circle, completing a full rotation on the spot.  

‘Truly… an irresistible woman!’  

Jaeyon’s grip on Adelina’s arm tightened. His gaze was fixed on her face.  

When Adelina mouthed the words “Faster,” he burst into laughter.  

“Commander! Turn it faster!”  

“Yes, Sir Jaeyon!”  

As the ship successfully turned on the spot, the soldiers grew visibly excited.  

The ship completed another rapid rotation on the spot.  

“Lighten the ship further. Increase its mobility.”  

Satisfied with the speed, Adelina beamed. It was the first time he had seen her smile like that today.  

+++

“They’re targeting Sir Jaeyon! Protect Sir Jaeyon!”  

As Adelina’s group entered the forest on their way back to the palace, arrows rained down from all directions.  

The horses, struck by the sudden downpour of arrows, reared and panicked. Adelina and Seyra barely managed to dismount with the knights’ help.  

“Seyra! Stand behind me!”  

“Your Majesty! I’ll protect you!”  

Adelina positioned Seyra behind her and, together with Hailyn, drew her sword to deflect the incoming arrows.  

‘They’re not after me—they’re targeting Jaeyon! They must know Jaeyon is the secret strategist!’  

The arrows relentlessly aimed for Jaeyon’s heart.  

Adelina glanced at him and noticed the knights around him collapsing in agony even when merely grazed by the arrows.  

‘Poison! It’s the venom of the blue-striped wrasse!’  

Given how quickly it was taking effect, it was likely a potent paralytic poison.  

A poison commonly found near the coast, even used for fishing. Leophris must have coated the arrows with it.  

“Hailyn, go protect Jaeyon! I’ll guard Seyra!”  

The enemy’s objective was clear: to eliminate the hidden naval strategist of the Tiola Empire.  

Adelina sent Hailyn to Jaeyon first and gradually moved closer to him while shielding Seyra.  

“Adelina Ernst!”  

‘Leophris!’  

Suddenly, an arrow veered off course and flew straight toward Adelina’s heart.  

“Your Majesty!”  

Before Adelina could deflect the arrow, Seyra threw herself around her.  

“Seyra!”  

“Your Majesty…”  

Seyra fainted as she looked at the arrow embedded in her arm.  

Adelina caught Seyra’s collapsing body in her arms.  

“I’ll kill you!”  

Before Seyra even hit the ground, another arrow flew toward them.  

Adelina quickly laid Seyra down as if tossing her aside and took the arrow with her body.  

‘I’ll be fine. I’m wearing armor, so it’s safer for it to hit my torso than my limbs!’  

Thud.  

The arrow struck Adelina’s left chest with a deep, jarring impact.  

The dull, hammer-like pain was enough to knock the wind out of her, but she had been right. The arrow hadn’t pierced her armor and fell harmlessly to the ground.  

‘Ah! No!’