For a while, I stared blankly at the scene, unable to understand what was happening.

Seth is crying? The man who doesn’t cry even if it’s fake?

Seth Milan is a man who would rather strangle someone to death than cry.

And kneeling? This is something Seth would never do, even if he went mad.

Seth finds living boring, but he’s too smart to die. Situations where he would kneel don’t occur, and even if they did, he’s the type to break through them all.

“That’s enough, Chancellor.”

It was the cold words of my senior that awakened me.

“Nothing will change by doing this.”

My senior moved a step to the side and stood next to me. Then he took a pose as if wrapping his arm around my waist.

Seth’s face contorted unbearably, and then he bit his lip hard. A trickle of blood flowed down his chin.

My senior flinched for a moment but his attitude remained unchanged.

“Let’s go.”

“Just a moment.”

Before my senior could stop me, I quickly crouched in front of Seth. I cupped his cheeks with both hands.

“Seth.”

“…Master.”

Even the teardrops clinging to his long eyelashes were so beautiful that I had to catch my breath for a moment. After wiping his eyes with my thumbs, I carefully dabbed the blood from his mouth with my sleeve.

“What is this?”

I spoke in a scolding tone out of concern, but Seth only let out a hissing breath between his lips.

“Don’t hurt yourself. Understood?”

Instead of answering, Seth grasped one of my hands and pressed his lips deeply into my palm before releasing it. The red bloodstain was like a brand.

“You need to answer, Seth.”

Seth only half-lowered his eyes. His long eyelashes trembled, and his pale cheeks flushed red.

This is troublesome when he’s this beautiful.

My mind was becoming bleached white, and just as the last shred of reason was about to fly away, Seth finally spoke.

“Didn’t you forget about me?”

“I mistook you for someone else for a very brief moment.”

Seth’s eyelids, which had been half-lowered, lifted to reveal eyes filled with clearly hurt emotions. I had no choice but to change my words.

“Actually, I didn’t mistake you. I recognized you.”

“Then why didn’t you answer when I called you?”

Because I was afraid you’d take me away.

I absolutely can’t say that.

When I remained silent, Seth’s eyes crumpled.

“Why did you pretend not to know me?”

It’s not that I pretended not to know you.

My head, which usually worked well, felt frozen and wouldn’t move.

I scratched my head vigorously and then took Seth’s hand to help him up.

“Let’s move somewhere else first. I don’t want to attract attention.”

Fortunately, Seth stood up obediently. He put strength into his left hand that I was holding, and my senior, as if not wanting to lose, grabbed my right hand.

I saw it.

The knights, pretending not to look, had their eyes wide open as if they were about to pop out.

“Don’t both of you hold on.”

A woman flanked by the Left Chancellor and the Crown Prince on either side—it’s a strange combination no matter who sees it!

“Where do you intend to go?”

“We were on our way to Rose Palace.”

Seth and my senior addressed each other formally.

After instructing the knights to keep quiet and sending them away, we moved using a path with few people. Being with these two who were familiar with the imperial palace, we didn’t encounter a single person.

We soon arrived at what seemed to be our destination. The palace full of roses was almost devoid of people.

Only one man, who appeared to be a manager, came out and bowed, and my senior gave orders over the man’s head.

“This person is an honored guest, so there should be no lack of hospitality.”

How charismatic?

The senior I knew was only a small part of him, it seems.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The manager bowed even deeper.

“However, as your visit to the palace was sudden, our preparations are insufficient.”

“I will personally select and send the maids, so…”

My senior seemed to be contemplating something, and I suggested an alternative first.

“Let’s decide the details later.”

“Shall we?”

I nodded.

Given the situation, it seems my senior is still the Crown Prince, but it’s a priority to figure out whether there’s a Crown Princess or if my senior had been away from his position or not.

Since my senior is my current guardian, I guess I’m concerned about these things.

“Your… Your Highness should see His Majesty first, right?”

“Hahaha.”

My senior laughed, probably noticing that I had quickly changed from “senior” to “Your Highness.”

“Yes, I’ll be back soon, so wait here.”

He raised his hand as if he was about to do something, but quickly lowered it.

Seth, who had been silently watching from the side, spoke up.

“Are you going to have an audience with His Majesty?”

“I suppose I should.”

“Then I’ll guide you.”

When my senior looked at him quizzically, Seth smiled faintly.

“I was also about to have an audience with His Majesty.”

Despite his gentle tone, his eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“Then let’s go together.”

My senior also smiled, pulling up the corners of his mouth, but his eyes remained hard.

The two men, similar in build and height, crossed the rose-filled garden and disappeared from my sight.

“My lady, I’ll guide you through the palace.”

“Please show me to the bedroom first.”

I don’t have the energy to explore the palace right now.

“Yes, understood.”

The well-trained palace servant led me to a clean but luxurious bedroom and then withdrew.

I stared at the well-maintained flower bed outside the window before drawing the curtains. The color dominating the room was pink.

“Well, this looks like a room a princess would use.”

I finished looking around the room with just a quick glance.

Among the gleaming furniture, what caught my eye was none other than the pristine bed.

I felt bad about lying on the pure white sheets with clothes I had been out in all day, but I was too tired, so I jumped right in.

“Ahh…”

I feel like I can live now.

As I lay on the soft bed, sleep started to pour in, and I didn’t resist it. Even so, I woke up quickly because it wasn’t my room or my house.

When I came to my senses, the door to the room was open, and light was coming in through the door, probably from a large window in the hallway.

I must have dozed off for a moment.

As I blinked to focus, I noticed a blurry figure by the doorway.

“Who…”

I rubbed my eyes and got up. I got out of bed and approached the door.

“Sen…”

I couldn’t finish my words.

The one who came in with the setting sun at his back wasn’t my senior.

“Seth?”

Instead of answering, he approached me.

“Hello, Master.”