“How would you like to live under the emperor’s protection? If you follow my guidance, I can ensure the emperor treasures you above all others.”

Without a second thought, Iseline accepted the marquis’s offer. How could she have refused? It was a sweeter offer than honey or candy.

Although she had nothing left to lose, she secretly harbored desires to have more than most. It was an innate greed she inherited from her father, though she had never shown it before.

Why the marquis had granted her such fortune, she still didn’t know. He never explained his reasons, only giving her instructions: ‘Do this, say that, act this way’. He assured her that if she followed his guidance, the emperor would never take his eyes off her. And it all turned out to be true.

Iseline had been able to monopolize the emperor’s side purely thanks to the marquis.

Three years. For three years, she had never lost his favor. If that were to waver now, she wouldn’t survive. Iseline gazed at the marquis with desperate eyes.

But unlike her, the marquis remained indifferent.

“Is that all?”

“Pardon?”

“You sent a letter begging to meet urgently, so I thought it must be something important…”

“How can you say ‘is that all’?”

“What are you worried about?”

“…Sorry?”

“I asked, what are you so worried about? Are you afraid the emperor will abandon you?”

Iseline faltered. The marquis had hit the mark. He was right. She was indeed afraid the emperor would abandon her. The emperor she had observed wasn’t a heartless man, so even if he found a new lover, he wouldn’t cast her aside right away.

But eventually, any woman who lost the emperor’s affection in the palace met the same inevitable fate. Just imagining it made Iseline feel as though the ground beneath her feet had disappeared.

“It may not seem like a big deal to you, Marquis, but it is to me. I can’t handle it. If His Majesty’s attention is taken away from me now, I…”

“Ah, I always thought you were foolish, and it seems that’s truly the case.”

The marquis clicked his tongue, cutting off Iseline’s words. Tsk, tsk. He even shook his head as if in pity.

Having been interrupted and insulted so suddenly, Iseline was naturally bewildered. What? Why would he insult someone who’s seriously confiding their worries? What is this mustached man doing? As her feelings became a jumbled mess, the marquis continued speaking.

“If the emperor finds another lover, do you think he’ll cast you aside?”

“Well…”

“I can see exactly what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong. No matter what happens, the emperor won’t cast you aside. Even if he finds another woman to give his heart to, it won’t change.”

Iseline stayed silent and listened to his words. What does that even mean? He’s not saying the emperor won’t find a lover, but that even if he does, he won’t abandon her. And how can he be so sure?

The marquis wasn’t guessing; he was making a declaration, as if stating a fact or a truth.

“Let me ask you one thing. Does the emperor still suffer from insomnia?”

“Pardon? …Yes.”

“Then that settles it. Just remember that. The emperor will never abandon or cast you aside. So, from now on, don’t come to me with such trivial matters and focus on doing your duty properly.”

With that, the marquis waved his hand dismissively, signaling that she should leave. Iseline rose quietly, bowed, and turned to leave.

As she stepped into the hallway, confusion flickered across her face like a candle flame.

‘The emperor will never abandon or cast you aside.’

She repeated what she had heard. The marquis hadn’t explained ‘why’ the emperor wouldn’t cast her aside. Judging by how firmly he told her not to ask, it was clear he wouldn’t answer even if she did.

After mulling it over, Iseline started walking down the hallway as if nothing had happened.

Yes, the reason doesn’t matter. The fact is what’s important.

With her anxiety quelled, Iseline’s expression became noticeably calmer than before.

***

The night that had marked the start of the consort selection had passed, and a new day dawned.

Mail sought out the garden early in the morning. She wanted to start her day by calming her mind and body with the garden’s energy.

Sitting in front of the marigolds, she didn’t voice her complaints this time, remembering the lessons from her previous experiences.

It was pointless to check if anyone else was around. After all, her master seemed to have some kind of stealth ability.

As she stared at the marigolds, Mail spoke to them in her mind.

‘Do you think the emperor has a lover or not? What do you think?’

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, causing the purple petals of the marigolds to sway as if in response. Even though she had asked in her thoughts and not aloud, it was as if the plants were answering her.

Had there been an audience, they would have stood up and applauded this miraculous moment. Fixing her gaze on the marigolds, Mail propped her chin up with both hands.

‘And when will I see my master again? I can’t even go look for him since I know nothing about him.’

For the first time, Mail felt uncomfortable about not knowing anything about her master. Of course, it wasn’t because she ‘wanted’ to see him, but because she had questions she needed to ask.

Mail stifled a sigh. When she didn’t want to see her master, he always showed up unexpectedly. But now that she had something important to discuss, it felt like he were nowhere to be found. Is that how the world works?

‘I feel like I need to know if there’s a lover or not to plan my next steps properly… On the bright side, it’s good that the princess is unexpectedly calm, isn’t it?’

Her thoughts turned to last night. Riela had remained calm from the moment she returned to her chambers until she went to bed. Mail had expected her to make a scene, even if she didn’t run straight to the emperor, but surprisingly, nothing happened.

‘It doesn’t seem like she’s lost interest.’

After all, the emperor’s face was far too dazzling to lose interest just by seeing him once. Even with eyes set on the highest standards, it would be hard to claim dissatisfaction with such looks.

In fact, last night, Riela had mentioned how she thought the emperor was the most handsome man in the world. The only odd thing was how calm she had been when she said it, not at all like a girl in love.

‘Wait. No, I’m not the best judge of that kind of thing, am I?’

Mail had never experienced love before, not even a crush on anyone.

‘Let’s put off deciding whether she’s infatuated or not for now. I’ll figure it out as I keep watching. At least the princess isn’t throwing a tantrum, insisting we need to hold the wedding immediately. That’s a relief.’

Mail finished reminiscing about the previous night and let out a subtle sigh of relief. She had considered, however slim the chance, that Riela might demand something irrational as soon as she saw the emperor. She was truly glad that didn’t happen.

Mail’s thoughts continued to spiral as she spent about an hour reflecting in the garden. However, the master she had secretly hoped to encounter still hadn’t appeared by that time.

It was a bit disappointing. She had wondered if he took a walk here every morning as part of his routine, but apparently not. With a sense of lingering regret, Mail left the garden.

After leaving, she stopped by the dining hall before heading back to her quarters. Her destination was simple—there wasn’t anywhere else she particularly wanted or needed to go. Upon returning, however, she was startled by what she saw inside the room.

“Princess? Why are you up already?”

Riela was already out of bed. It wasn’t yet time for her to wake up. The sun had been up for a while, but based on Riela’s usual waking schedule, this was still early morning. Mail, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her, alternated her gaze between Riela and the clock.

“I had a dream.”

Since Riela was speaking coherently, it seemed she wasn’t sleepwalking. Mail, approaching her, thought to herself that this was the first time she’d seen Riela up at such an early hour.

“A dream?”

“Yes.”

“What was it about?”

“I dreamt I went to the main palace. I think I met His Majesty there.”

The main palace was the place they had visited yesterday. Among the structures on the premises, it was the largest and housed not only the central banquet hall, where the candidates had gathered the previous night, but also the emperor’s bedchamber and office. Mail made a curious expression. Did Riela dream about that because she knew?

“Did the dream wake you?”

“Maybe. Should we go there for real?”

“Huh?”

“The main palace. Should we visit it for real? We don’t have anything else to do anyway.”

Riela’s last comment was sharp. She wasn’t wrong—there wasn’t much to do. Mail briefly wondered if she should try to dissuade her from the idea.

“Hmm… We’re not planning to barge into the emperor’s chambers or office, so I suppose it should be fine.”

The main palace wasn’t exactly off-limits. According to the explanation the marquis had given the night before, the central garden, library, and dining hall could be accessed without special permission. Of course, that didn’t mean just anyone could go there—it was a privilege granted to candidates.

Mail didn’t think too hard about it.

“Sure, let’s go. It can be like taking a walk.”

“Will you come with me?”

“Of course.”

“I should bring Rose too. She’s my guard, after all.”

“Go ahead.”

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories