“Wait—Prince Alvaro!”

It was the early hours before dawn and Ricciardo had just passed through the gates of the Imperial Palace when someone called out to him. It was Liton, the deputy-commander, who had come running urgently.

A few strands of his neatly slicked-back black hair had fallen loose across his forehead. He raised a hand, palm outwards, as if to ask Ricciardo to wait a moment while he caught his breath.

“Deputy-Commander…”

He couldn’t bring himself to look into the dark brown eyes fixed on him.

Despite boldly declaring that he would stand by Ailie, he had failed the Imperial Knights’ induction exam.

He didn’t have the face to show her. He also felt too guilty and ashamed to face Liton, who had recommended him personally. That was why he had planned to leave early.

Of course, he had no intention of abandoning his goal of joining the Imperial Knights. Instead, he intended to enrol in a renowned swordsmanship academy in the capital and prepare again from the ground up.

For now, though, facing the two of them felt unbearable.

“Why are you trying to leave the palace without saying a word? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Liton asked, wiping the sweat from his brow now that he had finally caught his breath.

“Ah… I didn’t inform anyone ahead of time that I would visit, so I didn’t think it would be right to stay too long.”

“Did you at least pay your respects to Her Majesty the Empress?”

Instead of answering, Ricciardo let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.

“There’s nothing I can say to her. Not right now.”

His desire to become someone he could present to Ailie without shame had never wavered. Not then, and not now.

This was precisely why failing the induction exam had felt so humiliating.

He had believed that he had achieved something worthwhile at the academy, but that confidence had clearly been misplaced.

‘Am I still not good enough?’

Even during the exam, Ricciardo exuded confidence. There had been cheers for him around the training grounds, and both Liton and the knight commander had watched him with shining eyes. He was certain he would pass.

This was why he could not accept Emperor Benate’s decision.

Before he knew it, hatred burned in his dark eyes.

He was sure that the judgement had been unreasonable, made solely because the Emperor knew that Ricciardo supported Ailie. Otherwise, there was no way he would have failed.

As if fanning the flames, one of the onlookers approached him and asked if he felt wronged. Ricciardo had to force himself not to nod in agreement.

Afterwards, he returned to his quarters and didn’t step outside for a whole day, afraid that he might lose control of his anger.

Duke Alvaro might not care much about what his immature son did, but there was something far more important.

Ricciardo believed that Ailie would never want him to act hostilely towards the Emperor without consulting her first.

‘Ailie must have her own plans.’

Ricciardo’s reason for seeking entry into the Imperial Knights had never been to bring down the Emperor.

It had been to help Ailie.

“If you leave without a word, Her Majesty the Empress will worry.”

“…What?”

In the darkness, Ricciardo’s black eyes trembled.

“That’s true…”

Liton was right. He had travelled all the way to the Imperial Palace for Ailie’s sake, only to leave in silence after failing the induction exam. This was no different to demanding her concern through silence.

At the very least, he could have left a letter. Ors told Breni to pass on a message. There had been plenty of ways to avoid worrying her.

As guilt surged up inside him, his words caught in his throat.

“Yesterday, the two of them dined together. And as soon as the Emperor finished the meal, he summoned me.”

Ricciardo’s expression stiffened. He didn’t know how he was supposed to react.

He hadn’t known. He had never imagined that Ailie would muster that kind of courage—for his sake.

“He told me to pass this on to you. He’s retracting the outcome of your induction exam and leaving your acceptance into the Knights to the order itself.”

“Then…”

“The induction ceremony is in three days.”

Liton, who had worn a stern, almost scolding expression the entire time, finally tugged one corner of his mouth upward.

“A new recruit wouldn’t commit the discourtesy of missing his own induction ceremony, would he, Lord Alvaro?”

At those words, the stiffness that had frozen Ricciardo’s face melted away, replaced by a sudden, radiant brightness.

***

Sirion Fedroti sat blankly in his chair, watching the pages of his book flutter in the breeze drifting in through the open window.

He knew he should steady himself and attend to his duties, but he couldn’t concentrate at all. He had been the Empress’s physician for barely over a month, and yet he had already lost the position.

Then there were the words he had heard.

“A chance? When Karwin took you in as his disciple, people whispered. Said it violated imperial law.”

“Have you forgotten that the late Emperor turned a blind eye back then? That was the one chance you were given.”

The sharp voice resurfaced vividly in his mind. The Emperor had become angry more easily than usual that day, but he hadn’t made anything up.

Sirion knew that better than anyone.

‘I knew it…’

Ever since hearing those words from the Emperor, a raw, aching sensation had lingered in his chest. It wasn’t that he was wounded; those events now felt as though they belonged to a different life entirely.

When his mentor, Karwin, was still alive, people would bring up those old stories even when Sirion happened to be nearby. Back then, he had found it rude. Now, he didn’t mind.

He had grown numb.

Life as an assistant was busy enough that he didn’t have time to waste on anger over other people’s carelessness.

Although it had never been his intention, it was true that he had started working as an assistant at a young age, attaining the position of imperial physician more easily than most through sheer good fortune. He understood all too well why others resented him.

There was no reason to dwell on it just because the Emperor had brought it up again. Truly, there wasn’t.

And yet—

Perhaps Sirion simply didn’t want his unpleasant past to be known — at least not by Ailie.

‘I don’t know why I felt that way.’

Was I afraid of losing her trust? No — Sirion knew better than that. She would never withdraw the trust she had given him over something so trivial.

After all, hadn’t she sent word back when he delivered the medicine and lavender, despite everything that had happened?

“I’ll manage somehow, so please treat me again next time.”

So then why…?

—Knock, knock.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Sirion hurriedly rose from his seat and moved toward it, asking who it was as he went.

“I have a message from Her Majesty the Empress.”

“Ah—please, come in.”

The visitor was a maid. She had come with a message from the empress.

The moment he heard this, it was as though his mind had snapped awake from a long stupor. Color finally returned to his face, which had been dull and downcast all day.

“Sirion, if you’re available, Her Majesty asks that you come for a consultation today.”

Hearing those words, all the worries that had occupied his mind while he was at his desk vanished at once. The shadow that had loomed over his youthful face disappeared completely.

Had Empress Ailie somehow managed to persuade the Emperor?

“Th—that’s… really true?”

“I’m only delivering the message, but I don’t believe Her Majesty is someone who would speak falsely.”

“Then… is Her Majesty all right? There isn’t some urgent problem, is there? She didn’t summon me because something suddenly went wrong, did she?”

“No. She mentioned a small wound on her neck. She looked perfectly healthy.”

“Ah…”

Sirion’s lavender eyes lit up at the maid’s reassuring words.

He thanked her repeatedly for delivering the message, quickly gathered his bag and hurried out of his quarters.

Before he knew it, he was running. His dark grey hair, which framed his forehead neatly, bounced as he moved.

It wasn’t until he had run past the building he had been staying in and reached the Empress’s palace that he realized he was running. He stopped in front of a door he had passed through countless times recently, taking a moment to steady his breathing.

It felt strange.

Why was he so excited?

“Hoo…”

Sirion lightly touched his flushed cheeks with the back of his hand, trying to cool them down. Having tidied his disheveled hair, he walked calmly towards the empress’s bedchamber.

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty, this is Sirion Fedroti.”

Though he tried to keep his voice composed, uneven breaths slipped through at the end.

“Come in.”

A familiar voice answered, sounding as weary as ever yet still dignified and beautiful.

The moment he opened the door, his gaze met Ailie’s.

Her pale, rose-tinted eyes curved into a hint of a smile.

The instant he met her gaze, all his efforts to cool down proved futile, and he felt the tips of his ears burn red.

In that moment, Sirion thought—

‘Perhaps…’

This feeling might not be mere longing, but reverence.

“I received the medicine and the dried lavender you sent. I brewed it into tea—the scent is lovely, and I think it helps me sleep more soundly.”

“I’m glad.”

“Thank you. For being so thoughtful.”

“It’s only what I should do, Your Majesty. But about the Emperor saying he would change your physician—”

“Oh, His Majesty said he’ll consider that matter settled.”

Ailie rested her chin in her hand as she spoke. She looked puzzled, as though she hadn’t even expected the Emperor to relent so easily.

Sirion nodded in relief, then took out the medicine and tea leaves he had hastily retrieved from his bag. After asking a maid to prepare the tea, he examined Breni, who had been listening quietly nearby.

“You’ve improved a great deal. From now on, as long as you don’t overwork yourself, you may live as you normally do.”

“Really? Your Majesty, you heard that, right? Then you have to go out with me now.”

“All right, all right.”

Ailie laughed softly and waved her hand dismissively.

Sirion chuckled along with her, then stepped forward at an unhurried pace to examine the wound on her neck.

And the moment he checked—

‘Huh?’

The injury had healed completely.

It had been shallow to begin with, so he’d expected it to heal quickly. After all, she’d been applying the medicine carefully and monitoring it. However, he hadn’t thought it would heal so well.

Feeling quietly proud, Sirion returned to his place, smiling openly and broadly.

“Your Majesty, the wound has healed perfectly.”

“Really? Well, I suppose I wasn’t badly hurt in the first place.”

“Then for the time being, I’ll need to take care of Your Majesty’s state of mind as well—along with Breni’s condition.”

“All right.”

Upon hearing this, the maid, Breni, asked in a quiet voice what he meant by taking care of her state of mind.

Sirion let out an awkward laugh and glanced at Ailie, who was smiling. Compared to when he first came to examine her a little over a month ago, her complexion was much brighter.

In fact, it had improved so much that an imperial physician no longer needed to visit her every day.

‘That’s a relief… truly.’

The thought brought him comfort—yet at the same time—

“Sirion? What is it? Your expression suddenly stiffened.”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

It felt as though someone were pricking his chest over and over with the tip of a needle.