The shiny surface of the leaf spun, creating a beautiful light. But at that moment, Jane shuddered with a chill. The spreading red of the leaf looked exactly like slowly spreading blood.

“Lady Yerena.”

Just as Jane was looking at the leaf as if it were something ominous, Frederick, who had been standing by the door, approached Yerena. Jane looked at the clock above the fireplace and only then realized it was time for him to change shifts with the other guard knight.

When Yerena heard Frederick’s voice, she placed the leaf back on the book and just slightly nodded her head. Frederick hesitated for a moment, like he’s about to say something, while looking at Yerena’s neck area, which had become loose enough to create gaps with even slight movements. But soon, sensing someone approaching from outside, he stiffened and bowed.

“……I’ll be going now.”

When Frederick quickly withdrew and opened the door, the person who had been outside entered. As soon as Yerena heard his footsteps, she closed the book to hide the sacred tree leaf and put it down beside her.

“Are you feeling better today?”

‘Kian,’ who had already approached Yerena, asked without any greeting. Instead of answering, Yerena stood up and headed for the bedroom. For some unknown reason, she had become more uncomfortable with the man since fainting a few days ago. But Yerena, who was trying to escape to the bedroom even as she bumped into the corner of the couch, was blocked by a solid wall and couldn’t achieve her goal.

“I heard you haven’t eaten properly since yesterday.”

The man, who had reached the arch of the bedroom door before she did, blocked her and spoke. Yerena frowned but couldn’t overcome his presence so close to her and stepped back half a step. The man then moved forward the same distance and continued speaking.

“Saintess Alicia has asked me to make sure you eat.”

“……You don’t need to worry about me. Just do your job.”

Yerena replied, suppressing her desire to shout at him to stop interfering. The man was silent for a moment at her words. Although she couldn’t see, Yerena could tell he was examining her thoroughly.

Feeling goosebumps rise on her body, Yerena stepped back another half step. The man didn’t follow this time. Instead, he spoke more firmly.

“Skipping meals is not good for your health.”

“Leave me alone!”

Yerena, with her nerves on edge, shouted without retreating further. Her sharp, tense appearance had a fierce edge like an injured animal.

“You trampled my country! Slaughtered my family! Dragged me here! Isn’t that enough? Why are you so desperate to control me as you please!”

Yerena’s cry was full of emotions that had accumulated over the past few days. Since coming to the Empire, she seemed to somewhat accept her circumstances to those around her. But unhealed wounds and anxieties were eating away at her from the inside. And a few days ago, the auditory hallucinations had caused all the emotions she had been suppressing to burst out at once, constantly scratching at her.

“Let me eat, sleep, and think on my own. Please!”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her crumbling expression reflected her miserable and anxious state of mind.

Jane tightly clasped her hands and squeezed her eyes shut when she saw the man standing in front of Yerena frown and raise his hand. She was afraid. Worry flooded her mind about what would happen if the man slapped Yerena for irritating him.

However, contrary to Jane’s concern, the man didn’t lay a finger on her. Instead, he hesitated with his hand suspended right in front of Yerena’s tear-streaked face, then lowered it and let out a small sigh. Jane looked at the man’s expression with disbelief.

Regardless, the man didn’t spare Jane even a glance as he stared intently at Yerena before speaking.

“From the Empire’s perspective, it doesn’t matter whether Lady Yerena lives or gets hurt. His Majesty might be displeased, but that’s all.”

“……”

“Of course, if His Majesty becomes angry over Lady Yerena’s issue, people in this palace will worry about facing consequences. But no one will worry about His Majesty’s anger being directed toward the Sedas Kingdom.”

“……”

“You’re worried about your homeland, aren’t you? And you should also worry about Jane who serves you here.”

The man’s distinctively cool voice remained cold. The content of his words was close to a lesson about facing reality. But his demeanor was gentle, like he’s soothing his companion.

“……How is the Sedas Kingdom these days?”

Yerena finally calmed her excitement and asked. She seemed to have regained some of her senses. The man glanced at Yerena’s tear-streaked cheeks and answered.

“I heard taxes have increased significantly. They say it’s because of the tributes that must be sent to the Empire.”

“What did you say?”

At this honest answer without the slightest falsehood, Yerena approached him with a completely alert face. The man’s eyes gleamed as he looked at her trembling so close to him. Jane, standing a little distance from them, recalled the sacred tree leaf that had been in Yerena’s hand moments ago—specifically its ominous color—when she saw the man’s red eyes flash.

“Among His Majesty the Emperor’s concubines, there is a woman from the Principality of Litra. She’s the youngest daughter of the ruler of the principality, brought to the Empire about a year ago after losing three siblings.”

The man suddenly began talking about one of the emperor’s concubines to Yerena, who was distraught with worry for her homeland. Although puzzled by the story of a woman who had faced a tragedy similar to her own, Yerena listened attentively.

“Currently, her position in His Majesty’s favor is unrivaled. They say the reason the taxes and tributes that the Principality of Litra must bear have been greatly reduced is because of her.”

“……”

“Which country do you think makes up for what the Principality of Litra should be bearing? There are several countries, but what’s certain is that the Sedas Kingdom is among them. Because there is no one by His Majesty’s side to speak about the difficulties of the Sedas Kingdom.”

As the man continued speaking, Yerena’s face grew paler. He was showing her the path she needed to take for the sake of the Sedas Kingdom.

“You probably feel it’s unfair. You might think it’s tyranny. But getting angry won’t change the situation.”

This was something she had already resolved when she was brought to the Empire as a prisoner, as a trophy. But when someone else so openly suggested that she should become the emperor’s concubine for the benefit of her homeland, tears welled up. It was unbearably unpleasant and frightening.

“I, I……”

She began trembling more severely, unable to complete her sentence. Her whole body expressed rejection. The man standing before her reached out his hand with a barely perceptible smile. Yerena flinched at the sensation of someone slowly touching her shoulder. But before she could say anything, the man spoke first.

“Before that, you need to take care of your health. That way, you can break the curse and plan for your future, can’t you?”

At the man’s words, Yerena felt some relief despite her anxiety. It was the selfish thought that she could temporarily avoid something she had to do but deeply resented. Yerena felt disgusted with herself for such thoughts.

“Miss Jane. Please bring some food.”

The man who had been examining Yerena’s pale face ordered Jane. Jane hurriedly ran to get plates from the cupboard and distributed the food that came to the tower once a day onto dishes, placing them on a tray with utensils.

The man had a general idea of what food Jane would bring. But seeing the meal up close, he unconsciously frowned at how miserable it looked.

A thin vegetable soup, bread that was adequately sized but looked hard, and two pieces of potato the size of a baby’s fist. Yerena, receiving religious education under the pretext of breaking her curse, was given the same meals as ordinary priestesses.

“The food is cold. Should I warm it up again?”

The miserably meager meal had completely cooled. For the first time since entering the room, the man gestured to Jane and pointed out the cold food. But Yerena, feeling unwell, thought that cold food with less smell would be better and shook her head.

“It’s fine. Just give it to me.”

She felt around the table and grasped a spoon. Then she touched the cold bowl containing the soup. As she brought the spoon to her mouth, the man sitting across from her moved his lips with a strange expression. His gaze was fixed on the soup, or more precisely, on the spoon that had just touched Yerena’s lips.

Unable to see the man’s gaze, Yerena swallowed the soup without noticing anything unusual. The bland, barely seasoned soup went down her throat.

‘Ah……?’

But what was happening? After a few more spoonfuls, the taste of the soup suddenly turned fishy. At the same time, her hands began trembling violently and her breathing quickened.

“……What’s wrong?”

The man asked, seemingly noticing her condition. Instead of answering, Yerena forcibly swallowed the soup in her mouth. But immediately after, something surged up from her throat.

“Ugh…… Hah!”

“Lady Yerena!”

Yerena dropped the spoon she was holding and covered her mouth. But her mouth and hands were already covered with the blood she had vomited. Jane cried out in alarm and rushed over. Then someone pulled Yerena, who was barely supporting herself by gripping the table, and poured something into her mouth.

“Swallow it. Quickly.”

The man’s voice was calm. But the hands firmly holding Yerena’s arms were not. The strength of his grip revealed his urgency. Yerena struggled to keep her head from tilting sideways as she tried to swallow the liquid in her mouth as the man instructed.

When the bitter liquid flowed down her throat, she felt nauseated. Yerena vomited more than half of the liquid along with blood. Then she closed her eyes, unable to properly understand Jane’s cries or the man’s responses.

As her body fell sideways, she felt someone catch and hold her. It felt like a solid wall, but the sound of that pounding heart was warm. At the same time, a soothing scent she had never smelled before lingered at the tip of her nose. Feeling an unconscious sense of relief, Yerena silently murmured as her consciousness faded.

‘……It’s warm.’

* * *