“R-Roshan! What are you doing! I never said you could enter, yet you dare!”

Kedrick had been deliberately keeping Roshan waiting outside while abusing a cleric. He wanted to show that even the clerics who claimed to have dedicated everything to God would cower and bow when the emperor showed anger. Also, to demonstrate that no matter how great Roshan thought he was, he still had to wait outside without the emperor’s permission.

“Stop! S-stop, I say! Can’t you hear me?”

He had been enjoying the situation when Roshan suddenly flung the door open and walked toward him, stepping on broken glass pieces. Kedrick was terrified. However, Roshan ignored the emperor’s words and approached right up to the throne where he sat, then knelt on one knee.

Though he knelt, his head remained stiff. Despite such an attitude before the emperor being worthy of anger, Kedrick trembled in fear. He recalled people whispering about his half-brother—that he was like a god on the battlefield, that his appearance covered in blood and cutting down people was death itself.

“Your Majesty. This younger brother has an earnest request that couldn’t wait.”

Roshan spoke. The emperor, who had raised his feet onto the throne in fear, widened his eyes. Younger brother. Since Kedrick had ascended to the imperial throne, Roshan had never once referred to himself with that term. It was the result of faithfully following an old etiquette that even family members were subjects before the emperor, so mentioning private relationships anywhere would damage the emperor’s authority.

The reason for breaking this well-kept etiquette was clear. A challenge to the emperor’s authority…… Kedrick’s face turned pale blue.

“As the crown prince who achieved the merit of conquering the Sedas Kingdom, I would like Your Majesty to personally commend me.”

Regardless of the emperor’s condition, Roshan said what he had to say. After a long while, Kedrick finally opened his mouth and shouted weakly.

“What nonsense…… Why bring this up now after all this time! Besides, didn’t we hold a victory banquet before!”

“What meaning does a banquet have without Your Majesty’s attendance? Therefore, I request that Your Majesty personally host and attend a banquet.”

It was a threat disguised as a request. But Kedrick couldn’t even properly scold or ask the reason for Roshan’s sudden request. He couldn’t bear it any longer after meeting the red eyes and gaze.

“A-alright. I’ll issue the order right away.”

In the end, he nodded, abandoning his pride. His well-groomed, fine black hair moved slightly with the emperor’s trembling.

“I said I’ll do as you wish! If you have nothing more to say, you may withdraw.”

When Roshan still didn’t leave, Kedrick shouted. Roshan looked at his half-brother, who had placed both feet on the throne and even closed his eyes tightly, slightly raised the corner of his mouth, and then spoke.

“Didn’t you call me and have me stand outside waiting because you had something to say? I was waiting for you to speak.”

Kedrick’s heart shriveled at Roshan’s words. Could it be that he had harbored resentment for all the times he’d been made to stand outside and then sent away? And so today, unable to endure any longer, he was intimidating him, the emperor?

‘Surely he’s not upset and planning to take this position……”

The image of being robbed of his position by his half-brother and being beheaded after being confined like a beggar flashed through Kedrick’s mind. Assuming the worst, he looked at his half-brother with a haggard face.

“I…… That is, the reason I called you……”

“If you have nothing particular to say, I’ll take my leave. I’ll see you at the banquet, Your Majesty.”

Roshan observed his stammering half-brother for a while, then turned around. His attitude was just as disrespectful as when he entered, but Kedrick merely sighed in relief that Roshan was leaving.

Crash. No sooner had the door closed than Roshan heard something breaking inside. But having achieved his purpose, he paid no attention and walked out of the building.

‘For a while, you won’t be able to think about anything else.’

Just as Roshan predicted, the emperor couldn’t even sleep properly as he desperately tried to figure out how to secure his position. And in the emperor’s mind, the prisoner confined in the tower was completely erased.

* * *

Birds that freely flew through the sky occasionally visited the top floor of the tower. Unable to see the world, Yerena quietly called Jane whenever she heard birds chirping closer, asking what kind they were. Jane, who didn’t have much interest in birds, named the ones she knew like t*ts and larks, and described the appearance of unknown birds in as much detail as possible.

“There’s a small yellow pair that’s really cute. They seem to have built a nest in the wall gap just below…… Oh my. Looking now, I think there are baby birds.”

“Really? They must be adorably fluffy.”

“Hmm…… Not really. Maybe because they don’t have feathers yet, but the mother bird is much cuter.”

Perhaps thanks to the fully warmed weather, her mind felt somewhat at peace.

‘It’s been quite a while since I left Sedas…… Yet I haven’t been able to help Sedas at all.’

But fundamentally, Yerena’s worries remained unresolved. That’s why she sometimes touched her cooled teacup with a dark expression while sitting by the window where the breeze came in.

‘The education is somewhat complete…… Soon the high priest will summon you, Lady Yerena. He needs to check whether the curse from the kingdom has disappeared by the goddess’s mercy.’

Alicia had mentioned that she would soon meet the high priest regarding the curse issue, but well. Yerena wondered if there had been any changes in her condition, or whether the curse the empire’s high priest spoke of even existed in the first place.

‘Even if the curse is lifted, all that awaits me is……’

Moreover, even if the high priest told her the curse was gone, what awaited her was the emperor’s bedchamber. A place she didn’t want to go but had to. Yerena bit her lips hard as she put down her teacup, then remembered someone and stiffened her face.

‘Why?’

She didn’t know his face, let alone his hair or eye color. All she knew was a slightly low, cool voice and a body she assumed was firm and large. Yet somehow, from the moment she thought about possibly entering the emperor’s bedchamber, the man wouldn’t leave her mind.

Yerena shook her head. She needed to clear away distracting thoughts.

“Jane. What time is it now?”

She asked Jane for the time. She planned to either do the training Alicia had taught her or make some bead decorations after hearing the time. Jane looked at the clock and said,

“It’s a little past 2 o’clock, Lady Yerena.”

“Already? But why hasn’t Sir Kian arrived?”

Yerena made a puzzled face. Why hadn’t he come when it was past 2 o’clock? For the past month, the man had knocked on the door and greeted her even before 2 o’clock. Without fail, every single day.

Could something have happened? She felt worried. Then Yerena bit her lower lip again, realizing she was thinking about the man once more.

“He…… Ahem! Sir Kian has gone outside the palace for family matters. He won’t be back for two days. During that time, I’ll be in charge of your escort in the afternoon as well.”

Frederick, who had been watching Yerena, answered. He had rarely spoken to her for some time, but recently he occasionally initiated conversation. However, the awkwardness that had deepened between them hadn’t disappeared enough. Yerena now found Frederick more difficult to approach than Kian.

“Is that so? Since there was no word…… I didn’t know.”

Feeling somewhat disappointed at Frederick’s answer, Yerena trailed off. Why didn’t he tell her? Then she bit her lips firmly again at her incomprehensible feelings. But the overflowing emotions opened her closed mouth and spilled out words.

“We were supposed to go outside together today……”

The words that popped out were like a child’s complaint. Jane and Frederick opened their eyes wide at her behavior, which was rarely seen.

‘D*mn it!’

Frederick cursed inwardly. After his private meeting with his master, he had completely given up his interest in Yerena. At least that’s what he thought. But whether due to the warmer weather or her increasingly radiant appearance, the firmly closed latch in his heart kept rattling. In the end, Frederick couldn’t ignore the princess’s disappointed face and moved to stand in front of her.

“Let’s go.”

“Pardon?”

“We have plenty of time, so let’s go down. I’ll escort you.”

But he was mistaken. He thought she was disappointed about not being able to go outside.

“Ah…… Yes.”

Though Yerena showed signs of embarrassment at Frederick’s sudden suggestion, she stood up without complaint. Perhaps due to feeling stuffy, she wanted to smell the grass up close.

“Take my hand.”

“No, thank you. I’ll ask Jane. Jane, could you help me?”

“Yes, Lady Yerena.”

Unlike how she easily accepted help from Kian, Yerena rejected Frederick’s hand and descended the tower with Jane’s support. Frederick, who walked ahead in case she might fall, only realized after reaching the bottom that the princess treated him differently from the other guard, and his face hardened.

Jane glanced at Frederick repeatedly, noticing his suddenly dampened mood. But Yerena, unaware that Frederick had become much quieter, was busy breathing in the outside air.

“The air is so fresh.”

No matter how much sunlight entered, the difference between the inside and outside of the tower was significant. Yerena smiled at the even warmer sunshine and the thicker scent of grass as she walked slowly.

“Jane. There must be quite a lot of flowers. The fragrance is quite strong.”

“……It’s the imperial palace after all. Beautiful flowers are abundant everywhere.”

Unaware that someone had ordered flowers to be planted for her who couldn’t see at the tail end of winter, Yerena strolled through the small garden made just for her. Not-yet-fully-bloomed flower buds tickled her ankles. And for that moment at least, she set aside all her worries and smiled brightly.

* * *

“My goodness. Finally seeing her.”

“What if we’re caught…… Don’t get too close.”

Two imperial maids watched Yerena from a distance as she left the tower. Though they pretended to be running errands, in reality, they had been lingering near the tower since morning on their mistress’s orders.

“What are you worried about? We’re just looking at a prisoner. Even if caught, we can say it was on Her Majesty the Empress’s orders.”

“Still……”