Chapter 19: The Emperor’s Birthday Banquet (5)  

Tehis immediately understood who Duke Fernand was referring to. If the person he was calling “someone who could open a new future” was someone he addressed with respect, it was obvious.  

‘It must be the prince who was mentioned at the trade scene.’  

The quiet rebellion’s leader. The intersection connecting the nobles and the dark mage.  

However, since it was unclear whether it was the Second Prince or the Third Prince, Tehis subtly inquired.  

“Who are you referring to?”  

“I’ll send you a formal invitation soon. If you’re interested, I hope you’ll respond, Grand Duke Escalante.”  

Britan smoothly dodged the question, gave the two of them a polite farewell, and withdrew.  

In the distance, Demian, who had been glaring at them with a dissatisfied expression, could be seen complaining to his father.  

“Let’s talk for a moment, Tess.”  

“Yes, Chloe. Shall we return to the terrace?”  

“How long do we have to stay in the banquet hall?”  

“If you wish, we can leave immediately.”  

Chloe glanced at the center of the banquet hall, where the atmosphere was at its peak. Kaishan and Helena had been dancing several times in a row, so it seemed they would step out soon.  

Originally, she had planned to interrupt with Tehis around this time, but was dancing even important now? With a much more pressing issue at hand, she gestured toward the door with her chin.  

“Then let’s go. There’s a garden, so let’s talk there. Depending on what we discuss, we might need to see Kaishan or Helena, so let’s not leave entirely.”  

“Understood.”  

The two left the banquet hall arm-in-arm, just as affectionately as when they had entered. Several gazes followed them, but no one openly trailed them all the way outside.  

The garden, open to outsiders, was located directly behind the banquet hall. Thanks to an enormous magic circle, which cost an astronomical amount to install and maintain, warm air flowed through the area.  

Despite it being winter, vibrant flowers emitted their fragrances from all around. The paths branched off in various directions, and tall trees obscured the view in places, making it easy to lose one’s way.  

The two remained silent as they avoided the prime spots occupied by young noble couples and ventured deeper into the garden.  

“……Let me say this first.”  

It was Tehis who broke the silence in a secluded area. They hadn’t yet found a place to sit, so he continued speaking as they walked.  

“Whatever I choose, it’s not your fault.”  

“Ha.”  

Chloe froze in place. In an instant, multiple spells enveloped them. They blocked sound, erased their presence, and concealed them with illusions.  

Her face, faintly tinged with anger, turned toward Tehis.  

“Say that again.”  

“Whatever I choose, it’s not your fault…”  

“So.”  

Confirming that she hadn’t misheard, Chloe interrupted him. Her tilted head betrayed her irritation.  

“You’re saying that I, your official lover, am friends with a dark mage targeting the Emperor, and that fact has been discovered by a key figure in the rebellion. And now they’re trying to use that as leverage to recruit you into the rebellion?”  

Chloe couldn’t lower her voice, even though she knew she wasn’t in a position to be angry. Frustration and annoyance clamored within her.  

Most of it was directed at herself, but Tehis didn’t seem to understand her feelings.  

“Why are you angry?”  

At his calm question, Chloe snapped and retorted.  

“Because it’s unfair. You’ve already endured so much, and now I’ve added another burden on you. I’m angry that you’re trying to shoulder it all by yourself and that you’re lying to my face with such obvious falsehoods. Don’t make decisions on your own—at least ask for my opinion. This is something I’m responsible for.”  

Tehis opened his mouth to reply, but Chloe stopped him with her finger. She wasn’t finished yet, and she poured out unfamiliar words in a rush.  

“Just get angry, Tess. Tell me that I’ve messed things up and ask me to help. Did you forget who I am? I’m Chloe, an Elder Mage of the Mage Tower. I’m not someone who can’t handle cleaning up a mess like this.”  

In truth, she didn’t have a great solution and had been agonizing over it, but so what? It was better to face the problem together than for Tehis to exclude her entirely. She didn’t want to be someone who caused trouble and then washed her hands of it.  

It was a sense of responsibility that had arisen from her connection to him.  

“……”  

Tehis looked down at Chloe for a moment before relaxing his body. He took her hand, which had been blocking his lips. Then he intertwined his fingers with hers and kissed her palm, preventing her from pulling away.  

Startled by the sudden action, Chloe flinched, her hand trembling slightly. Beyond her hand, his low voice resonated softly.  

“I didn’t explain myself well. I’m sorry, Chloe. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”  

“…Then what did you mean?”  

No, more importantly, what was that just now? Kissing the palm of my hand—was it some kind of apology trend in the Empire these days?  

While Chloe was grappling with her confusion, Tehis calmly explained.  

“I meant that your relationship with Lucas will have no impact on me. According to Imperial law, without solid evidence, a one-sided claim cannot establish a connection. So, Duke Fernand could only bring it up to test me or to open the conversation.”  

“…Ah.”  

“In fact, he already seems to consider me half an ally. Thanks to that, I was able to gather even more information.”  

Chloe’s expression turned blank for a moment before her face slowly flushed.  

So, her actions really hadn’t affected his choices. Embarrassed by her misunderstanding and her earlier outburst, her gaze wandered elsewhere.  

It was a rare sight for a mage. Words like “adorable” and “lovely” seemed fitting.  

“If that’s the case, you should’ve told me earlier…”  

“I tried, but didn’t you stop me?”  

If only he could speak.  

Chloe pursed her lips. 

It was annoying how he usually let things slide, but at times like this, he would dig into the truth.  

“Chloe, do you know something?”  

“What is it?”  

She deliberately replied with a sharp tone. When no answer came for a short moment, she glanced up at him.  

And then she froze as their eyes met.  

Tehis usually maintained a similar expression, but occasionally, his emotions would show plainly through his eyes.  

“When you kiss, your face also turns red.”  

Chloe immediately knew what he was about to say next. She also knew what he was about to do.  

She hesitated, but under the suffocating intensity of his gaze, the thought of rejecting him melted away.  

“I’m saying your face is red even now.”  

And so, she ended up having her lips stolen by someone who was unnecessarily quick to learn.  

The kiss tasted sweet and tangy.  

* * *  

“……Anyway, what are you going to do about Duke Fernand’s invitation?”  

“Hmm.”  

Tehis didn’t answer right away and let out a low hum. He could still taste the refreshing fruity scent lingering in his mouth.  

He savored it until Chloe, who was sitting on his outer coat spread across the ground, gave him a puzzled look. Only then did he finally respond.  

“I think I’ll have to wait until I receive the invitation first. Right now, we don’t know the scale of the rebellion or its leaders, so making a hasty decision would be unwise.”  

“If you accept and go, won’t you be branded as one of them?”  

“Unless I make a formal pledge, it should be fine. They won’t reveal everything at the start either, so it might be best to gather some information and then back out.”  

Chloe let out a deep sigh. She had no idea how things had ended up like this.  

Even if relationships became complicated, she never imagined they would get this tangled.  

Handling just Tehis and Lucas was already overwhelming, and now the Emperor, the Imperial Family, and even a rebellion had to be considered…  

‘Well, it’s not like I’m the one fighting a war.’  

She suddenly realized something. Since she was affiliated with the Mage Tower and couldn’t directly interfere in the continent’s affairs, there was no need for her to stress over this.  

She was simply concerned for Tehis’s safety.  

‘How much involvement is acceptable?’  

And with that, a new dilemma arose. She needed to find a way to help Tehis while maintaining neutrality. On top of that, she couldn’t directly or indirectly kill anyone, which made it all the more challenging. 

“The North isn’t in a good position for war, so I originally intended to prevent the rebellion. But… if Duke Fernand is openly trying to recruit me, it seems the situation has already escalated far beyond expectations. It seems inevitable that war will break out, so I’ll have to choose a side.”  

“Would it be a bad idea to tell Kaishan or Helena?”  

It was a question that slipped out unintentionally. She wondered if it might be better to borrow their strength to subdue the rebellion’s leaders before it fully began.  

“To do that, we’d need to know exactly who the leaders are. If it’s the Third Prince, we might be able to capture him, but the Second Prince’s whereabouts remain unclear.”  

“That’s true.”  

“And we’d also need evidence that they’re plotting treason. We can’t just accuse a prince out of nowhere. If we’re wrong, the backlash would fall on me.”  

“Then what will you do?”  

“Adding a personal touch to the situation, it might be better to join forces with the Duke and go against the Emperor. Though, given my poor relationship with the Young Duke Fernand, there’s a high chance I’d be betrayed…”  

Ah, this is giving me a headache. 

Chloe shook her head.  

‘Politics really doesn’t suit mages.’  

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand it at all; she just didn’t want to waste her brainpower on this sort of thing. The result was the same. She already felt exhausted.  

Seeing her expression, Tehis let out a quiet hum. Realizing this was something he would have to handle on his own, he decided not to waste any more of their time together.  

“It’s not something that needs to be resolved immediately, so let’s talk about it later. Shall we return to the banquet hall? Or, if you prefer, we can go home now.”  

“What’s the schedule for the banquet?”  

“All the mandatory events have ended. By now, it’s likely turned into a free social gathering. You can dance, chat, eat, drink—whatever you want. It’ll continue like this until late into the night.”  

Chloe hesitated for a moment. To be honest, she wanted to leave the palace now, but the thought of all the effort she’d put into practicing dancing last month held her back.  

Even though she’d recovered with potions, the memory of the muscle aches she endured while learning made it hard to give up this opportunity.  

“Let’s go back to the banquet hall. I should at least dance once.”  

“Understood. Then…”  

“Oh, before that.”  

Chloe looked up at Tehis, who had already stood up. With a bright smile, she extended both hands toward him, feeling the warmth of his hands as he took hers without hesitation.  

“Let’s practice here, just the two of us. We didn’t get to do it before coming to the capital.”