“And this strange power…”

Adelia, who had stirred the hearts of three men, couldn’t finish her words and just closed her eyes.

Kai laid her back down on the bed comfortably so she could sleep.

The three pairs of eyes looking at her sleeping with soft snores were somewhat confused.

* * *

“A wolf…?”

“What’s with this little one?”

Having changed clothes and come in, Ariana froze at the door upon seeing Kai.

Kai got up from beside the bed and slowly walked towards the door.

“Hic!”

Startled into hiccuping, Ariana covered her mouth.

“Hic!”

The hiccups didn’t stop.

Kai approached Ariana, sticking out his snout to sniff around curiously.

“Oh ho… You’re as interesting as my master.”

This pink little one also had two names.

Unlike Adelia, this child’s soul and body color were the same.

Hearing that, Ariana tentatively asked,

“Perhaps… are you the guardian she mentioned?”

“If my master lying there mentioned it, then it must be about me. But unlike those guys, you have a sweet scent. I like it.”

Lick. Kai licked Ariana with his large tongue.

Startled, the Emperor quickly scooped up the princess.

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the saliva on her face.

“That’s gross.”

The Emperor said with a stern face.

“Gross! It’s sacred water that heals wounds!”

Kai growled at the Emperor.

But the three men were busy wiping off the saliva on the princess’s cheek.

“Eh. Looks just like that guy but acts completely different.”

Offended, Kai huffed and puffed in displeasure.

Then he quietly returned to Adelia’s side.

On the opposite side sat Ariana, who had brought a chair over to sit.

On both sides were the guardian of light and the princess. From afar, the imperial family watched over her.

Adelia slept soundly for a whole day, like a dead person.

As soon as she woke up, Ariana, who was beside her, burst into tears upon seeing her open her eyes.

Right after waking up, she saw the crying Ariana. Adelia was flustered and hugged her.

After crying for a while and finally calming down, the princess sniffled and buried her face in Adelia’s embrace.

Adelia silently smiled and stroked her round head.

“Sister… thank you.”

“What for. It’s all good as long as Your Highness is healthy. How do you feel?”

“Sister… are you okay?”

“Of course. I felt better after sleeping well.”

My back was a bit sore, but it was a small aftereffect that would disappear in a few days.  

Besides, what does a wound matter when I’m holding the princess in my arms right now.  

She enjoyed the rest, holding the princess, who exuded a soft and sweet milk scent.  

The imperials watching them from a step away had strange expressions on their faces.  

Adelia felt their changed gaze but did not know why.  

The memory of mumbling in her sleep had already disappeared into a dream.  

The emperor, who had been quiet, opened his mouth.  

“If there’s anything you want, I’ll grant it all.”  

“It’s okay. I’m not expecting anything. I don’t need anything. As you know, I have plenty of money and outstanding abilities.”  

Her emaciated eyes habitually curved into arcs.  

At her answer, half serious, half joking, the emperor let out a small chuckle.  

Adelia, seeing this, was surprised and covered her mouth.  

‘He laughed…?’  

In the original story, the emperor only smiled in front of the princess.  

He was not someone who showed a smile in front of others.  

It was embarrassing, but it also felt good at the same time.  

Somehow, his kind and warm laughter made her smile unwittingly.  

“I swear in the name of the emperor. Someday, I will grant any one request you have, whether it’s political, economic, diplomatic, or personal.”  

“What if I ask you to hand over the empire?”  

“Living in a quiet estate with Ariana and the boys wouldn’t be too bad.”  

The emperor murmured, resting his chin on one hand.  

Something about territories… something about rebellion…  

He seemed to be seriously considering various conditions with a serious face.  

Adelia awkwardly laughed and wiped off her sweat.  

Clearly, that statement was not a joke.  

“Haha. I’ll think about it.”  

That’s how she prevented the ownership of the empire from changing hands.  

At that moment, Adelia’s eyes widened as if she remembered something.  

“What about the guards and shadows?”  

“……”  

The emperor turned his head sharply, avoiding an answer.  

She hadn’t heard what happened to them, but it was obvious without seeing.  

Not only Adelia, but also her lovely daughter, was beside her.  

How could they speak of such harsh contents in front of them?  

Adelia tilted her head.  

“Your Majesty?”  

“…Their disposal has been passed on to the crown prince.”  

What the emperor passed on was not just their disposal. He also passed on the big task of nicely packaging the harsh outcome to explain it.  

Lucian looked at his father with his eyes slightly narrowed. His face was the usual as if nothing had happened.  

He sighed shortly.  

“They are still in prison. Since they failed their duty and a member of the imperial family got hurt, they will be severely punished.”  

“That’s right. Cancel my request for just basic guards. Please increase them. I don’t want to be shot by an arrow again.”  

“That was my intention.”  

He had already ordered to reorganize Adelia’s guards.

Only on the first day was a sword master assigned; after that, only common knights were there.  

It was a result of being complacent, thinking she was safe because of white magic.  

“Did you catch the culprit?”  

“That’s…”  

Lucian trailed off his words.  

Even a day later, there was no contact from the shadows.  

He turned his head to signal the emperor, but only got a response as if he knew nothing.  

“It seems they are quite skilled. Well, that would be why my magic…”  

Adelia pondered and then hesitated in her speech.  

The forces threatening the imperial family were fixed: a kingdom with a dark secret, anti-emperor factions, and revolutionary forces.  

‘Was there such a dangerous event around this time?’  

If she hadn’t been there, the princess would have been dead or bedridden for at least a few months.  

If it was such a big event, it wouldn’t have been left out of the original story.  

But no matter how much she thought about it, it seemed peaceful and quiet around this time.  

Then there was only one reason left.  

‘Because of me?’  

If I hadn’t been there, there wouldn’t have been a tea time or going to that place.  

Suddenly, fear swept over her.  

Her original goal was to watch the original story for two years and then slip away quietly for a happy ending to occur.  

‘Did my existence change the original story that much…’  

Without doing anything significant.  

It felt like I dipped my hand into a well and felt something unknown sticking to my hand.  

Whether it’s poison, ink, or just water, I don’t know what will happen next.  

As Adelia agonized with a groan, Lucian suddenly reached out his hand.

His hand lightly touched Adelia’s forehead.   

“Do you feel sick anywhere? You don’t seem to have a fever.”   

“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, please let me know once you catch the culprit,”   

“Understood.”   

She quickly moved back her body.   

Her head was already complicated enough; she felt guilty towards them.   

‘I’ve already done it anyway. Now that it has come to this, I have to drag it to a happy ending by its neck.’   

Adelia clenched her hand inside the blanket tightly.   

She wished for a happy ending in the original story, but she didn’t intend to follow the original story to her own unhappiness.   

But what could she do? It seemed like the original story was already shaking because of her influence; she had to lead it to a happy ending herself.

“I should give this to you quickly.”   

Adelia reached out her hand towards the desk.

The drawer opened on its own, rummaging through to find something.  

“Is it unaffected by protection magic, how fascinating.”  

The Emperor muttered softly.  

Adelia, focused on searching for the item, didn’t hear him, but Lucian and Lawrence nodded in agreement.  

There was protection magic laid throughout the imperial palace that required the Emperor’s permission to use magic. Adelia’s power easily ignored it.  

Most believed she was using an artifact that she had been granted permission to use.  

Adelia’s expression brightened when she found the item she wanted.  

Soon, three red jewel boxes popped out of the drawer and fell in front of Adelia.  

“It’s an artifact. I was going to give them to you all at once when the princess’s was completed, but I thought it might be better to give you what’s already made.”  

The palm-sized jewel box was decorated with gold threads and jewels on a dark red cloth, fitting the imperial family’s taste.  

“I’ve set basic defense, purification, and healing magic on it.”  

Adelia explained as she opened the jewel box.  

Inside were the artifacts she had carefully made:  

A gold pocket watch with a large red diamond embedded in the cover.  

Cuffs with transparent rubies embedded in them.  

A brooch linked with round spinels and diamonds on a silver chain.  

“Your Majesty, since you always carry a pocket watch, I made it so that it will activate a polymorph feature when you press the button on top. The magic lasts until the blue hand of the watch points to twelve.”  

“That would be useful.”

“For the Prince who dislikes cumbersome things, I prepared lightweight cuffs. They have teleportation set up, so you can engrave coordinates and press the jewel to move.”  

“Wow!”  

“Your Highness, since you always wear a uniform, I chose a brooch with a chain. If you call upon the spinel, invisibility magic activates, making it undetectable and invisible. It will be good for hiding.”