“Yes. It is.”

“Then have another bite.”

I opened my mouth again, and the child placed it inside. Then he moved over to sit beside me. The serious spoon-feeding began.

Lukian looked at me with a contented face and spoke.

“Did everything go well?”

Though it was a light question, it was quite serious.

Feeling the spoon sliding out past my lips, I nodded. But I couldn’t help the wrinkle forming between my brows.

After staring at me intently for a moment, Lukian’s face grew worried.

“Is there a problem?”

It was a natural question since I had suddenly shown a changed expression.

Not wanting to cause unnecessary worry for the child, I quickly composed my face.

“No, fortunately His Majesty has granted his approval. Your purification ritual was successful, just as you said.”

I spread open my palm, recalling the holy power that had enveloped my hand that day. It felt as though that sensation was being vividly recreated.

“It’s all thanks to you, Lukian.”

“That’s good news, then.”

“Yes.”

I raised my gaze that had been fixed on my palm. Lukian had put down his spoon and was leaning toward me.

‘I should… tell him, right?’

It was something I would have to tell my family anyway, and the child needed to know too. My hesitation vanished as soon as I finished my brief deliberation.

“But there is one problem.”

“What is it?”

“I have to return to the imperial palace.”

“Return, you say?”

His red eyes were filled with the question ‘why?’

I looked at the child, colored with puzzlement, and slowly parted my lips.

“His Majesty set a condition.”

“……”

“So I have to stay by his side until he’s completely cured.”

“And after he’s cured? Will he let you go then?”

Somehow Lukian’s voice seemed tinged with anger. I was grateful that he seemed to be getting angry on my behalf, but I didn’t want him to be consumed by excessive rage. So I quickly spoke up.

“It’s a promise. The Emperor’s word carries that much weight.”

“But he’s an untrustworthy person!”

“It’s alright, nothing like that will happen. I’ve essentially secured permission for the breakup. He just wants to catch the person who poisoned him while I’m treating him.”

“That has nothing to do with you!”

Somehow, the longer our conversation continued, the more it seemed to provoke Lukian’s anger. I let out a deep sigh and continued.

“Even so, it’s the august Emperor’s command. It’s something I can’t defy.”

“What a vile old man. After being saved, he should be bowing a hundred times in gratitude, but instead he’s trying to use you. How despicable.”

Lukian’s face was filled with gloom as he muttered to himself.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Though I felt sorry for Lukian, I found his tiny lips cursing on my behalf utterly adorable.

Strangely, at this moment, that disparity reassured me.

“I think so too. Despicable and self-centered, right?”

With that as a starting point, Lukian and I spent quite some time badmouthing the Emperor. It felt like a weight was being lifted from my chest.

“So when do you have to go back?”

“In three days.”

“That soon?”

“Yes, since I’ve only purified half of the poison. We don’t know when it might spread again.”

“That damned old geezer…”

Lukian spat out another curse.

‘Hmm… he wasn’t this kind of child.’

I hadn’t noticed it when we were cursing the Emperor together, but this doesn’t seem right. “Damned old geezer”? Doesn’t that sound exactly like my brother’s way of speaking?

‘Before he grows up to be Iankar Junior…’

I need to nip this in the bud quickly.

※※※

While I was away at the imperial palace to meet the Emperor, Father was also having busy days. He seemed to have met with vassals and held long discussions about the changing political landscape.

As a result, another wrinkle had been added to Father’s face in just a few days.

Only at dinner time could I finally see Father’s face, and before I could even feel sorry, I was bombarded with questions.

After relaying everything from treating the Emperor to the conditions for breaking off the engagement, Father lifted his wine glass to moisten his dry lips.

“I thought it wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t expect him to respond like this.”

Father’s brow furrowed deeply.

In truth, I shared Father’s thoughts, but I deliberately didn’t show it. Instead, I had to say something I didn’t really believe to reduce his worry even a little.

“But I think it’s fortunate. It’s something to be grateful for, that he’s letting it go this easily.”

At that moment, my brother Iankar, who had been gulping down water, set the glass down on the table with a thud.

After glancing at my brother, I continued speaking.

“Even if His Majesty requires my ability, I have no intention of complying. So I think everything will return to normal in about a month at most.”

“But Iella, don’t be too quick to judge His Majesty’s intentions. He sees the bigger picture. So we need to prepare countermeasures from various angles.”

“Yes, of course, Father.”

The conversation paused briefly. Though there was still plenty of food left untouched on the table, no one moved to eat.

Even Lukian, sensing the heavy atmosphere, had put down his fork after eating less than half of his usual amount.

“So what do you think?”

My brother, who had been sitting like an observer until now, asked me. Though his tone still had thorns, it wasn’t as severe as before.

“For now, I’ll have to do as His Majesty requests. And…”

I turned my gaze toward Father.

“Can you help me find the culprit?”

“You mean you want to look for them yourself?”

“Yes. I can’t just leave it to His Majesty. I should try something. I’ll have plenty of time while at the imperial palace.”

Father stared at me silently for a moment before speaking.

“Finding the culprit isn’t as easy as you think. Not only the imperial investigators but even the Emperor’s personal shadows couldn’t spot the culprit. They don’t even know when the poison was administered.”

“Yes.”

“That’s how cunning and dangerous this person is. They’re surely hiding their true nature while staying close by.”

“I think so too. That’s why I want to be His Majesty’s new eyes.”

“……”

“Places he can’t see, places he can’t go. And the culprit might approach me when he’s not around, don’t you think?”

Though it’s said that the Emperor’s eyes and ears reach everywhere, there must be a hole somewhere. So if I spend more time with the Emperor, someone trying to use me will surely appear.

Besides this, I planned to observe everyone I encountered in the imperial family.

Couldn’t I gain something, anything?

Though difficult to explain, I felt confident. I was sure I could identify the culprit before the Emperor.

Some might laugh at this, but I decided to trust my vague intuition.

After a moment, Father spoke.

“It won’t be easy. Moreover, it could put you in danger. Yet you still want to step forward yourself?”

“Yes, Father.”

One of Father’s eyes twisted.

“I won’t expose myself. So you don’t need to worry.”

“Very well. Be as cautious as possible, and if you need anything, just say the word.”

“Thank you, Father.”

※※※

It was when I returned to my room after dinner. Just as I was about to close the door, I remembered something I had forgotten to mention during the meal.

‘Ah, I forgot about that.’

As I stopped and stood still, Lukian tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Nothing. I just forgot to tell Father something. I’ll be right back.”

I let go of Lukian’s hand and patted his shoulder.

The child seemed to think for a moment before asking me:

“Is it because of me?”

“Yes, because I need to get permission.”

“I understand. Then I’ll play over there.”

Lukian pointed to a pile of wooden blocks. We had been building a castle together before going down to dinner.

He said he wanted to recreate the place where he used to live long ago. In any case, after briefly meeting Lukian’s eyes, I headed back to Father’s study.

It seemed he wasn’t alone, as I could hear the murmur of conversation from inside.

Knock knock, I tapped on the door and entered to find my brother in conversation with Father.

“Perfect timing. You should know about this too, so sit down for a moment.”

After meeting my eyes, Father continued his conversation with my brother.

The main topic was about Roberos’s position. Since we had now received the Emperor’s approval, albeit incomplete, we needed to draw a concrete picture.

“Should we convene another meeting tomorrow?”

At my brother’s question, Father furrowed his brow in contemplation.

“Let’s wait a bit longer on that. We’ve already given our word, so they need time to think too. And there are quite a few families with negative views on breaking the engagement.”

“Then we should state our position more strongly.”

“No, that could backfire. We can’t ignore the losses they’ll suffer due to our change of plans.”

“But what if they change their minds? Wouldn’t that be an even bigger problem?”

“Don’t worry about that. No matter how much their interests disappear, would they choose not to ride on Roberos’s back? They know well which path will benefit them.”

Compared to my brother, Father seemed relatively calm. But despite his words, he couldn’t hide a faint anxiety.

“It would be better to present a greater justification after observing the trends. It’s not bad to identify disloyal elements at this opportunity. Especially if we consider what happens after he takes the imperial power.”

The five major families serving Roberos, along with the families connected below them, had grown like mushrooms over time.

At this point, it would be beneficial to recruit one more family that could influence the noble council, but Father seemed to have different thoughts.

“Nothing is more important than knowing in advance about the changing political landscape. We need to maximize this advantage and stand on the First Imperial Prince’s side.”

“Will he trust us? The wedding hasn’t even been canceled yet.”

“We can’t avoid immediate suspicion, but ultimately he’ll have no choice but to trust us. Isn’t the First Imperial Prince a clever one? He’ll quickly notice the political currents. So you should keep trying to make contact.”

“Yes.”

“How is the Osmund family?”

“Still quiet so far. Fortunately, it seems His Majesty has done a good job of silencing them.”

There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Unlike Father, my brother viewed even the Emperor with disdain.

His assertion was that imperial people were all the same, except for the First Imperial Prince with whom he maintained a slight friendship.

Father, knowing my brother’s thoughts, didn’t seem to mind much.

“Setting aside the breakup issue, there have been some suspicious movements.”

“What is it?”

“A servant who left that place secretly met with a priest from Auna Sanctuary.”

“Auna Sanctuary?”

“Yes, it seems to be related to the sacred object…”

My brother, who had been speaking, glanced at me cautiously before continuing.

“The way they move stealthily like rats is quite suspicious.”

“Hmm…”

The ongoing conversation stopped. Neither Father nor my brother spoke first, as if lost in thought.

I too lowered my gaze and held my breath, struck by a sudden realization.

‘Contamination of the sacred sword.’

The ripples it would cause could only be massive. So they couldn’t easily speak about it.

‘But if what they said is really true…’

My vision grew distant again. Though it surely wouldn’t happen, anxiety kept choking my throat.

Feeling like my breath was about to be blocked, I broke the silence that had been maintained until then.

“Um, Father. I have something to tell you about that.”

Both Father’s and my brother’s gazes immediately turned to me.

“Go ahead.”

“Actually, I overheard priests talking at the imperial palace.”

“What did they say?”

“…That the sacred sword has been contaminated.”

Father’s face hardened instantly.

“Is that true?”

I looked at Father, barely suppressing the fear welling up inside me. From one side came the sound of someone swallowing, and from the other, a sigh.

“D*mn those priests.”

Instead of Father, who had received my question, my brother let out a small curse.

Thanks to this, I could tell that their words were true, even without hearing an answer.

“Did you hear anything else?”

“You mean rumors about me?”

Though I couldn’t know exactly what rumors surrounded me, it was obvious they wouldn’t be good if they were related to the sacred object. Despite my calm demeanor in asking, Father’s brow furrowed deeply.

“You seem to have heard. But they’re all baseless rumors. So you don’t need to worry about it.”

“……”

“That’s right. Father is right, Iella. You just need to act as you have been. There’s no need for you to step forward and explain this issue. If I can find the source, I won’t let them sleep peacefully in the Aspenia Empire again.”

“……”

“No answer?”

My brother, with raised eyes, urged me to respond. He displayed his discomfort openly.

“…Yes.”

After my reluctant answer, a short curse burst out: “Those fear-losing bastards.” My brother gritted his teeth and pressed his knuckles, cracking them.

Though he looked no different from street thugs, I strangely felt a sense of relief. I even had the amusing thought that a long scar drawn on that smooth face would be perfect.

Feeling somehow drained, I quietly smiled.

※※※

Perhaps because I had tossed and turned all night, my head felt heavy. The conversations between Father and my brother from the previous night kept lingering in my mind.

This was still ongoing. It felt like something I hadn’t noticed before was silently approaching to strangle me.

I slowly rose and pulled the bell cord. Soon Enya entered the room and helped me with my appearance.

Even as I changed into light indoor clothes and arranged my hair, my mind remained chaotic.

‘To think the sacred object’s contamination was real.’

This was not a matter that could be taken lightly. Especially if it involved rumors about me.

〈Perhaps the problem began when we tried to bring someone impure into the imperial family? If the goddess is angry because of that…〉

The priest’s words about me.

〈Has the goddess’s favor left Roberos? Oh my, poor bride. Tsk tsk.〉

The whispers I heard when leaving the wedding hall.

〈It’s truly regrettable that such an unfortunate incident occurred at what should have been a sacred imperial marriage. But I wonder if this was really a coincidence.〉

Olivie’s excited voice mocking me.

Perhaps it all started with Olivie. Since quite a few people heard her words as I was leaving the wedding hall, it was only a matter of time before rumors spread.

‘I shouldn’t have taken it lightly.’

“If I had known it would hold me back like this…”

I should have let my brother silence those who were gossiping freely when he was raging about it. If I had, perhaps these baseless rumors wouldn’t be running wild.

‘But… is it really a coincidence?’

The deeper I think, the more suspicious everything becomes. The contaminated sacred object, the Emperor’s illness. The unusually sharp-tongued Olivie. And…

‘This scar.’

I raised my hand over my shoulder and gently traced the mark beneath my clothes. It felt no pain, like an old wound.

To the point where I wouldn’t even notice it unless I was conscious of it.

“What on earth is happening?”

Having lived this life once before, this strangely altered flow feels utterly unfamiliar.

At that moment, a clear voice came from beside me.

“What is? Are you hurting somewhere?”

Lukian, who had come over to my room at some point, was looking up at me with bright eyes from the seat next to the sofa.

I quickly lowered my hand and looked at the child’s round face before speaking.

“No.”

“Then? Are you worried about something?”

“Hmm… a little?”

I decided to share my current concerns, as there was no point in hiding them.

“It feels too different from before.”

“What does?”

“Everything.”

“Everything?”

“Yes, everything has been changing since the moment I opened my eyes. More precisely… it feels like my past life is continuing.”

I began explaining to Lukian, comparing my past and present lives. The poisoned Emperor, the contaminated sacred sword, and other minor details.

Only the scar on my back, which was my strongest suspicion, was excluded.

‘There’s no need to mention this.’

As I was speaking, I closed my lips. With the speaker suddenly quiet, the bedroom quickly sank into silence.

I leaned comfortably against the backrest and quietly observed Lukian, who seemed lost in thought. As time passed, the child’s face grew more and more dejected.

But I too couldn’t pay much attention to the child due to my continuing thoughts.

‘Why?’

If I could understand the nature of this anxiety, my mind would be at least a little more at ease, but nothing was easily grasped.

‘I’m clearly living a different life…’

Yet why does it feel like I’m living the same life?

At that moment, Lukian, who had been quiet, suddenly turned his head toward me. The child, now wearing a deep sense of guilt on his face, quietly murmured:

“Perhaps it’s because of me.”

His face, looking like he might cry at any moment, was utterly pitiful.

Snapping back to attention, I addressed the child:

“What do you mean?”

The sorrowful red eyes slowly dropped downward. Simultaneously, his face crumpled severely, looking quite serious.

After a moment, only when the child’s lips parted could I finally understand the reason.

“Because of my imperfect self, you… your life…”

The child couldn’t raise his head for a long time.

※※※

〈I’m sorry.〉

A sultry wind swept across my entire body.

Having mounted a horse after a long time, I slowly guided it out of the riding ground toward the wide forest path.

〈I’ve ruined your life.〉

Passing through the garden where summer flowers were in full bloom, through the maze of short shrubs, I soon reached a cherry tree forest where birdsong could be heard from all directions.

〈At that time, I was suffering from a madness whose cause I couldn’t understand.〉

As I went deeper along the forest path, the sun beating down from above gradually retreated. The heat was subsiding.

But for some reason, my heart only grew heavier. Neither the green vegetation nor the refreshing breeze could clear my mind.

The meaningless nodding continued for quite some time.