Instead of answering, she smoothly lifted her lips into a wide smile.

Though they parted in the happiest way possible, that evening they couldn’t cook together.

This was because the worst possible event occurred—their marriage contract disappeared from his room.

After the contract was stolen last time, Charte had become cautious and placed it in a secret safe behind a painting, but someone had stolen it during the night.

The room was clean with no trace of anyone having entered, but Charte noticed the painting was tilted ever so slightly.

It was so subtle that even the palace staff who cleaned the room didn’t notice it, but Charte did.

Only a handful of people knew about the safe behind the painting, so Charte immediately thought of Yasrin.

Where could Yasrin be now?

* * *

With the continuous string of misfortunes, everyone was becoming increasingly on edge and sensitive with each passing day.

A life where one couldn’t let their guard down was exhausting.

She wondered if this was why people in high positions inevitably developed bad personalities, and she began to understand a little why Charte had once been a tyrant.

Meanwhile, Gardio had been introduced to a new mage and had resumed preparations, reporting that he could perform the magic within a month.

Though she outwardly encouraged this, inwardly it felt like salt being rubbed into an open wound.

Their lives were already complicated and tiring enough with their own issues, but they had many duties and obligations as emperor and empress.

One of these was attending the opening ceremony of the Harvest Festival, the largest festival in the Oneroad Empire, which would begin tomorrow, where they would give an opening speech and release sky lanterns.

There were many festivals with sky lanterns in her original world too, and it felt strange to think they would be doing the same thing here.

She had thought of it as a distant world she could never return to, but now she felt it was a close world where people lived doing the same things.

This brought warmth to her heart.

One slight difference in perception about sky lanterns was that in her original world, there were many regulations and calls for restraint due to risks like airplane accidents and forest fires, but the empire had no such concerns.

It was said to be the most sacred and important event of the annual harvest festival.

The thought of releasing a sky lantern with Charte tomorrow, filled with her wishes, made her feel excitement for the first time since her return.

And it was romantic that they would be the first to release lanterns at the festival.

Since it was her first public appearance in a long time, the ladies-in-waiting at the empress’s palace were intensely focused on preparing her appearance.

As it was an event to meet the public, they aimed for an elegant and dignified atmosphere rather than an overly luxurious one.

“The weather is cold.”

At Judith’s words, the ladies-in-waiting put a cape over her dress.

When she finished her preparations and went out, Charte was waiting to escort her.

“You look beautiful today as well.”

“Your Majesty looks handsome too.”

After exchanging light greetings, they rode in a carriage with the imperial crest prominently engraved on it, heading toward the square.

“Where I’m from, people write their wishes directly on the lanterns or make wishes in their hearts as they release them. Do you have that tradition here too?”

“Of course. They say the higher the lantern flies, the higher the probability that the wish will come true.”

“Really? I never thought I’d get to release a lantern with you. I guess we were living in similar worlds.”

“I didn’t know this existed in your world either. I feel like our worlds might not be so far apart after all, Yun-ah.”

Charte’s slightly smiling face contained both sadness and joy.

As the carriage approached the square, people began to cheer.

We opened the carriage windows and waved in greeting.

It was touching to feel the love as many people cheered for us.

“Do you remember what I said when we were talking about The Brilliant World of Gods recently?”

“I remember so many things. Which one are you referring to?”

“Charte, being able to be with you, shining so brightly, every moment was dazzling. Sometimes from joy, sometimes from happiness, and sometimes even the sadness—I loved it all.”

Charte responded with a smile as bright as warm sunshine, then said quietly,

“Thank you, Yun-ah. For coming to me.”

Feeling the atmosphere turning solemn as if we were facing another farewell, she deliberately made a cheerful request.

“Charte, I have a wish. Can you grant it?”

“Just say it. If there’s something you want, I’ll grant it all.”

“I want to see the festival after the ceremony ends. It’s my first time, you know. I’m curious.”

“Rad would be horrified if he heard this, but if that’s what you want, we must do it. I’ll have clothes prepared.”

Charte opened the carriage window and said something to Catano, whose face turned pale, which made her laugh.

Soon the carriage arrived at the stage set up in the center of the square.

Nobles who had already arrived were waiting for them there.

Charte declared the start of the festival, and preparations to release the sky lanterns soon followed.

Wanting the lanterns to fly high into the sky, they lit them and waited a long time for them to inflate.

During that time, she continuously made wishes in her heart.

She and Charte were able to release their lanterns first.

When they were ready, she exchanged glances with Charte, and they released their lanterns simultaneously.

While making wishes that they could never speak aloud.

As they released their lanterns, the nobles standing beside them followed, and finally the people filling the square began releasing theirs.

The sight of countless lanterns flying into the sky was spectacular.

When she couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful scene, Charte suddenly embraced her.

Simultaneously, screams were heard, and in an instant, the festival site turned into chaos.

“Ch-Charte!”

She held Charte who had fallen to the ground, and feeling something wet, she looked to find red blood staining her hands.

Alarmed, she felt all over Charte’s body and found blood continuously flowing from near his left chest.

She fell into a state of panic and couldn’t do anything.

“Charte? Charte? Are you okay? Charte! Answer me quickly!”

They were surrounded by Rad and the imperial guards and barely managed to get into the carriage.

An arrow was lodged near his heart, making the situation delicate.

For now, the arrow seemed to be preventing massive bleeding, but still, a significant amount of blood was flowing, which was frightening.

The carriage moved toward the palace at maximum speed.

As soon as they arrived at the palace, Charte’s treatment began.

She paced the corridor outside the treatment room frantically, and soon Prime Minister Whyman, Duke Pahorder, Ivester, and several ministers arrived.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

Prime Minister Whyman grabbed her, who was covered in flowing tears, sat her in a chair, and tried to calm her.

“We’re going to have a meeting now. Can you attend? You must be strong and calm in place of His Majesty the Emperor, who has lost consciousness.”

After she nodded affirmatively, Prime Minister Whyman said to everyone,

“Prepare a meeting in the first-floor waiting room right now. We’ll start in 30 minutes. Make sure the Commander of the Imperial Guards Rad and the Commander of the Capital Guards attend as well.”

The ladies-in-waiting quickly fixed her makeup, which had smeared from tears.

This incident had been aimed not at Charte but directly at her.

She didn’t understand how she had become everyone’s target, but it was certain that she was the intended victim.

The perpetrator wasn’t caught at the scene, so the capital was under lockdown, and they said security was airtight to ensure not even a mouse could escape.

They had discovered arrows and a bottle of poison on the rooftop of a building near the stage in the square.

Not only court mages but even the Tower Master himself had come to perform magic.

However, they hadn’t yet created an antidote, so the magic was only protecting against further spread of the poison.

At that moment, the royal physician entered the waiting room.

“We have completed treatment for the wound caused by the arrow, but we haven’t yet fully neutralized the poison. It’s an unfamiliar poison, so we don’t know its exact composition and cannot hastily administer medicine.”

* * *

Neiyard, who had rushed home, stood with a dazed expression, unsure of what he had just witnessed.

Before his eyes, Yasrin was slapping the face of a man who appeared to be an assassin.

“I’m sorry.”

“You fool! You useless thing! What if you had hurt Charte!”

Neiyard, who had barely composed himself, asked Yasrin,

“What is going on here, Princess Yasrin?”

Yasrin, with a frustrated expression, answered irritably,

“I was trying to kill the empress. I had no intention of hurting Charte.”

“This is treason. Why did you plan such a serious act? The plan to pressure His Majesty the Emperor with the contract can no longer be executed. Why did you escalate matters without consultation when we only needed to remove the empress?”

“What method is more certain than killing? I simply didn’t want to leave any risk. What I wanted was perfect success.”

“You should have trusted me and waited. Even though you’re a princess, this time it’s a death sentence if discovered.”

Yasrin’s eyes lost focus and trembled.

“That can’t be. I never intended to kill Charte.”

“It’s already too late.”

Neiyard signaled to his knight, and the unarmed assassin was killed.

Yasrin, with a sense of resignation, said,

“He’s not the only one. The person who made the poison has disappeared.”

Neiyard let out a deep sigh filled with resentment toward someone unknown.

“If that person is caught, not only the princess but I too am finished. Our only way to survive now is to actually start a rebellion.”

Yasrin, who had not intended to escalate matters this much, became terrified.

“What are you saying? Rebellion?”

“Do you think someone who caused His Majesty the Emperor to hover between life and death would be safe?”

Yasrin became frightened of Neiyard, who spoke of rebellion without hesitation, and wanted to escape.

“I need to return to my kingdom.”

“No. From now on, Princess, you must stay with me.”

Whether it was intended or not, the injured person was the emperor of the empire.

Though he deeply regretted joining hands with Yasrin at this moment, it was already too late for everything.

If they weren’t caught, it might be fine, but the moment they were caught, it would be over, and Neiyard had to prepare for that possibility.

He absolutely could not fall like this.