The words ‘I missed you’ will never come out of your mouth, will they?

Realizing that this was a grave matter requiring troops to be moved discreetly away from prying eyes, Hailey stopped pressing for details and simply waited for Kincaid to return.

“We received intelligence that rebels from the Duchy of Simodel were hiding near the border, so I went to eliminate them.”

“Ah…”

“And I succeeded in taking down their leader, Kassian Marion.”

At the mention of Kassian’s name — one she hadn’t heard in a long time — Hailey’s eyes flickered. The rebellion in the Duchy of Simodel, in which Grand Duchess Eleonora and the Marion Trading Company were entangled, had been completely crushed, but the ringleaders had evaded capture and gone into hiding.

While scouring every lead on their movements, Kincaid had recently received intel that they were secretly holed up in the mountain range near the border. He had personally led the troops to carry out the suppression.

“Grand Duke Vassen died after falling from his horse in battle, and Kassian Marion…”

Kincaid’s eyes gleamed with a predatory light.

“…was cut down by Sir Ash Klair’s blade while resisting our forces.”

Hailey quietly swallowed at the cold tone in which Kassian’s fate was relayed. Once, she had even thought she might become friends with Kassian. But the goodwill he had shown her had ultimately twisted into madness… and in the end, many innocent lives were lost.

‘It’s certainly his own doing, but it still leaves a bitter taste.’

Knowing that the root of Kassian’s warped ambitions lay in the sins of the late Emperor, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of bitterness.

 But that was all. As the Crown Princess of the Empire, Hailey neither pitied nor mourned his death — and Kincaid was probably aware of that.

“It is truly fortunate that one of the Empire’s long-standing troubles has been erased.”

Kincaid stared intently at her calm expression. Hailey met his meaningful gaze head-on without averting her eyes. After a moment, Kincaid’s lips twisted as though he found her amusing.

“Is that all you have to say?” 

“Pardon?”

“After meeting again for the first time in a month, I was expecting a more… passionate welcome.”

It seemed marriage hadn’t changed this man’s shamelessness.

“Haa… I don’t think someone who vanished without a word for an entire month is in any position to say that.”

“……”

“Thanks to you, I’ve become known as the poor Crown Princess who had to spend her newlywed days all alone — I have no idea how to clear my name.”

Kincaid frowned slightly at her unflinching retort.

“The words ‘I missed you’ will never come out of your mouth, will they?”

So that was the real issue. Looking at the Crown Prince — still unbearably childish even after marriage — Hailey smiled faintly.

“If I hadn’t missed you, would I have bothered writing letters and sending them to you?”

“!”

What kind of scolding was that to give to someone who had worried for her for a whole month? As he looked at Hailey, who was deliberately pouting in mock annoyance, a smile crept onto Kincaid’s face.

“Come to think of it, there’s no pressing reason for us to head to the main palace right now, is there?”

“Ah, I heard His Majesty the Emperor was going to the hot springs for a soak this afternoon.”

“Then we can greet him tomorrow morning.”

Without another word, Kincaid grabbed Hailey’s hand and strode toward the Crown Prince’s Palace. Dragged along, Hailey glanced back at the maid following behind. At this rate, after the “left her alone” rumor, an even more embarrassing rumor might spread.

“Your Highness, there are eyes watching us everywhere.”

Hailey tried to urgently dissuade her husband, but Kincaid wouldn’t budge.

“Let them watch — who cares? Unless you’d prefer I do it right here…”

Before the Crown Prince could say something even more outrageous, Hailey quickly covered his mouth with her palm.

“Please! Have some dignity!”

The maid behind them stifled their laughter at her scolding. In the end, Hailey was dragged off, hand-in-hand with Kincaid, to the Crown Prince’s Palace — and the bedchamber that had been empty for over a month was finally put to its proper use.

***

With the remnants of the rebels who had dared plot treason all wiped out, a firm peace finally settled over the Empire. And the much-gossiped-about “discord between the Crown Prince and Princess” was proven to be nothing more than a baseless rumor. While some citizens felt a strange twinge of disappointment upon learning that the couple remained as loving as ever, they were also reassured.

Meanwhile, many of the Crown Prince’s maid were replaced, and the Emperor issued an order for the still-indulgent concubines to return the excess funds they had been given— resulting in the amusing spectacle of those women weeping and wailing in front of the main palace…

As always, the affairs within the imperial palace were settled quietly, without the outside world ever knowing. And at last, on the eve of his seventieth birthday, the Emperor finally granted Prince Lysa permission to go into exile.

Before allowing it, the Emperor laid down several conditions:

First — once he left the Empire, he was never to return.

Second — he was to give up the imperial family name, Brillouen.

Third — he was never again to claim rights to the throne or interfere in politics.

When Prince Lysa accepted all these terms, his exile was approved. His destination was Winderum, a distant island far from the Empire— small but wealthy and peaceful— ruled by Count Rillend, a distant cadet branch of the imperial family.

“We cannot send His Highness somewhere so far away!”

When Hailey first learned of this, she protested, but the Emperor’s decision was unshakable. In truth, in a certain sense, the Emperor was showing mercy to his grandson. The rebellion led by Lysa’s mother, Grand Duchess Eleonora, had caused great harm and claimed the lives of many innocent people. In such circumstances, allowing Lysa to leave the Empire and live freely, rather than imprisoning him, was an act of considerable clemency — something Hailey had no choice but to acknowledge.

***

Before dawn, in the dim light of early morning, when a pale glow began to touch the eastern horizon, a group of shadowed figures gathered at the port nearest the palace. They were cloaked in dark mantles to conceal their faces and forms: the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, their guards, and Prince Lysa, who was now to leave the continent forever.

Lysa’s luggage for the faraway foreign island was light— a few essentials to get by for the time being, one knight to serve as escort, and a chest of gold coins Hailey had prepared.

‘Will this really be enough?’

Hailey looked at the meager belongings with worry. She almost wanted to slip some of her own jewelry into the baggage, but she knew it would only weigh Lysa down, so she refrained.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Crown Princess… I wish you good health.”

After sending his baggage and his escort aboard first, Lysa turned and bowed deeply to the two of them. Kincaid was the first to answer him, curtly:

“I wish you luck.”

His voice was calm to the point of coldness, yet Hailey knew the affection hidden within it. Now that Lysa had abandoned the imperial family name, Kincaid had no reason to view his nephew as an enemy.

The Crown Prince regarded the boy — who had endured an unhappy childhood through no fault of his own — with eyes tinged with pity.

“Please take care of yourself.”

Though her heart ached at the thought of sending away a child she had practically raised with her own hands, Hailey spoke brightly. Because they had to avoid attracting attention, the farewell was brief. Before they had time to express their sorrow, the ship bearing Prince Lysa set sail toward the distant island.

Hailey stood with her face hidden beneath her cloak, watching him depart.

“His Highness Lysa is clever and upright. I’m sure he’ll do well wherever he goes.”

She spoke with sincere hope, to which Kincaid gruffly replied:

“Indeed. Lysa is neither hopeless at fishing nor terrible at hunting like I am — he’ll manage anywhere.”

“Exactly. Which means it’s a good thing you were born Crown Prince, Kincaid, or you’d have been in real trouble.”

Her playful jab was meant to lighten the mood. Hailey then took hold of Kincaid’s strong arm and leaned against him. They watched until the ship, sails fully unfurled, had vanished from sight, and only then turned and left the harbor.

***

Lysa Rillend — once known as Lysa Brillouen — would one day gain renown as a distinguished scholar of the ancient tongue. When Duncan, the eldest son of Emperor Kincaid and Empress Hailey, turned eight, Lysa sent him a beginner’s textbook on the ancient language that he himself had written.

“Honestly, bad taste in gifts must run in the family.”

Though the Empress sighed at the sight of the massive tome, the maids all agreed that her face could not quite hide her joy.

~~End of the Accidentally, I Stole a Night From The Tyrant~~