With a bright red face, I closed the book and spoke in a crawling voice.

“It’s too embarrassing, can I stop reading now…?”

“…Ah, yes.”

The priest nodded awkwardly. I cautiously spoke to the Emperor, gauging his reaction.

“It’s just my one-sided love, there’s nothing between me and the Crown Prince, so you don’t have to worry.”

The Emperor looked down at me with an unreadable expression.

It seemed as if he was trying to gauge something or suspecting that I had other intentions.

Feeling tense, I hugged the book tightly, and only then did he look away from me.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Please return safely, Your Majesty.”

The Crown Prince quickly added with a bow, not showing any sign of disappointment.

“Rest assured, I have no intention of secretly bringing in a Crown Princess without Father knowing.”

“……”

The Emperor glared at his son, who continued with a subtly sarcastic tone, then turned and left.

Their footsteps completely disappeared beyond the door.

“Miss, are you out of your mind?”

The Crown Prince sighed and gestured for me to come over.

“Did you know what that book was before you acted?”

“Of course, I didn’t. Your Highness was angry and told me not to touch it.”

“…Then why did you do it?”

“I thought it might be something important that shouldn’t be discovered by others.”

I sat across from him, returning the book.

“I also wanted to help Your Highness.”

His golden eyes, as if coated with flowing honey, wavered for a moment.

“…Thank you.”

He thanked me softly, then stared at the book with a peculiar expression, lost in thought.

Suddenly, he spoke up.

“I heard you met my mother yesterday.”

“Ah, yes. I happened to see her in the garden. She even recommended some flowers to me.”

“This book is related to the illness my mother is suffering from.”

“That skin disease?”

I inadvertently showed that I knew, then quickly covered my mouth.

The Crown Prince looked at me with a surprised face.

“How did you… know about that? It’s information that hasn’t been disclosed externally.”

“…Actually, yesterday, the veil fluttered in the wind, and I caught a glimpse of Her Majesty the Empress’s face.”

“Ah.”

His expression hardened subtly, so I hastily explained.

“But I haven’t told anyone else. It’s just between us. I really can keep a secret—.”

“I know.”

“Huh…?”

I widened my eyes at his unexpected words. How do you know that?

The Crown Prince cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed.

“I’ve come to understand a bit about what kind of person you are, so don’t be so scared.”

“Oh… okay.”

I nodded, still dazed.

Considering how our first meeting went, the Crown Prince’s statement now was so surprising that I almost doubted if it was a dream.

He shifted his gaze back to the book.

“You’ve asked me before if I had any worries, right? This is my worry.”

He tapped the leather cover with his hand and continued calmly.

“My mother was afflicted with a terrible skin disease by the followers of demons. We’ve tried every possible method to cure it over the years.”

But he said that despite their efforts, the symptoms only worsened, and they gradually became exhausted.

Then, he got his hands on this book.

“This is a forbidden book. It contains research on heresy and demons, so reading or possessing it is prohibited. My father is a very devout believer.”

The Crown Prince didn’t hide his sarcastic tone as he sneered.

Indeed, seeing him accompanied not by attendants but by a priest, it seemed the Emperor’s faith was profoundly deep.

“Anyway, if you’re caught possessing a forbidden book about demons, you’ll face severe punishment. No exceptions for high-ranking nobles or the imperial family.”

“…And I disguised it as my secret diary for my unrequited love for Your Highness…”

“Do you realize now how reckless and audacious you were?”

Yes, I’m terrified, very much so.

The Crown Prince read my expression and chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I plan to seal the book as soon as my mother’s illness is cured.”

“How far has Her Majesty the Empress’s treatment progressed?”

“The medicine is almost developed. It will be completed by the day after tomorrow.”

“Oh, that’s a relief!”

The Crown Prince, watching me rejoice, leaned back leisurely and murmured.

“I didn’t intend to tell anyone, but now that I’ve said it out loud, it feels surprisingly relieving.”

“When you hold it all in by yourself, it’s always suffocating. Everything will be okay.”

I gently took the Crown Prince’s hand and gave him a deep look.

He slightly raised the corners of his mouth and nodded.

“Remove your hand.”

With an iron wall.

Tsk.

* * *

Carl was waiting for me at the central staircase as I finished work today.

I spread my arms wide and said.

“Bondservant, what are you doing? Hurry up and take your master to the room.”

“Once was enough, wasn’t it?”

He let out a hollow laugh as if he found it absurd and lifted me up.

“Where did your stamina from sword practice go?”

“I traded it for taffy.”

“What’s taffy?”

“It’s something sweet and delicious that you give to someone you hate.”

Muttering that I was talking nonsense again, he adjusted his posture to make it more comfortable.

“Hold on tight.”

“Mm.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my head on his shoulder.

The ride was excellent.

Because Carl was wearing only a thin shirt, his warm body temperature and firm muscles were particularly noticeable.

I admired his sharp jawline and prominent Adam’s apple, then lowered my gaze.

‘There’s a mole on his collarbone?’

I saw a black dot through the loosely buttoned collar that wasn’t fastened to the top.

Poke.

“What are you doing?”

“……?”

I unknowingly pressed the mole with my hand and then quickly lifted my head.

Carl, who was lowering his head to look at me, was right in front of my face.

His features, as if drawn with dark charcoal, and his deep black eyes seemed to draw me in.

Seeing my reflection in his eyes made me…

“Whoa! You scared me!”

Thunk.

Startled, I pushed Carl’s face with my hand. His head turned sharply as he was pushed back.

Oh, no, that’s not what I meant.

“Sorry!”

In a panic, I grabbed Carl’s cheek and turned it toward me.

Then, we ended up so close that our noses almost touched…

“Stop.”

Carl, who frowned and grabbed my wrist, stopped me from pushing him away again.

“Is my face unpleasant to look at?”

“What kind of crazy talk is that? Do you want to be sued for defamation?”

Even among the dazzling hair colors in this world, Carl’s presence was striking.

Because of his handsome face and body that couldn’t be hidden by ordinary black hair.

“Then what is it?”

“……”

But feeling too embarrassed to say it honestly, I hesitated to answer, and Carl raised one eyebrow.

“Why, do you find me gloomy now that you’re hanging around with that blond Crown Prince?”

“Huh? There you go. You’re talking nonsense again. How are you gloomy?”

I grabbed Carl’s face again and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Carl, you’re like light and salt to me.”

Without Carl, it would have been hard to safely make it to the capital in the first place.

At that moment, a familiar voice accompanied by the sound of something falling came from behind.

“Ah, Miss…?”

Turning my head, I saw Mandy standing there, looking shocked and bewildered.

At her feet lay a broom and a dustpan.

“Were you… just kissing?”

“No! We were just talking!”

I hastily waved my hands at her completely misguided assumption.

Because I was in Carl’s arms and our faces were close, it must have looked quite strange from her angle.

“Put me down. We’re right in front of the room anyway, so go rest.”

“Yes.”

Carl obediently put me down, bowed briefly, and left.

I entered the room with Mandy. She clasped her hands in front of her and cautiously asked.

“I know it’s a presumptuous question, but you’re not in a deep relationship with Carl, are you…?”

“Of course not. We’re just master and servant. You really misunderstood earlier.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief. For a moment, I thought it was real and my heart sank.”

Mandy sincerely sighed in relief and smiled.

“Well, someone as distinguished as you wouldn’t be with a man like Carl.”

“What do you mean by a man like Carl?”

I instinctively retorted sharply.

No, Carl isn’t someone to be looked down upon like that.

Of course, I have no other feelings, but still, seeing my cherished bondservant belittled isn’t pleasant.

“What do you mean, he’s a commoner.”

Mandy replied nonchalantly.

And I was at a loss for words.

‘Right, that’s true…’

In this hierarchical society, if a scandal broke out between an unknown commoner knight and a noble lady…

It could cause a stir not only in the social circles but throughout the entire empire.

‘And besides, I’m supposed to only meet blonds in the first place.’

Regardless of status, Carl, with his black hair, was someone I shouldn’t be involved with.

Having nothing more to say, I quietly undressed with Mandy’s help.

* * *

As the Crown Prince declared, the Empress’s treatment was completed two days later.

‘By now, Her Majesty must have applied the medicine and recovered, right?’

I headed to the imperial palace full of anticipation.

At first, it seemed like a daunting mission, but now that it seemed like a free ride, I felt very pleased.

However…

“It failed.”

The words that came from the Crown Prince when I faced him were not the expected results.