Chapter 23

The night of the full moon ball.

Finding a place without people in a crowded ballroom was no easy feat, and the same was true for the dark garden behind the building.

A romantic couple shared a kiss under the full moon amidst the blooming flowers of the garden, where cherry blossoms fluttered in the night.

The nobles who witnessed the scene all held their breath.

Everyone stole glances at the Emperor, who was seated in a corner, keeping to himself.

The Emperor, whose expression had been stiff for some time, appeared deeply shocked.

‘Your Majesty, we didn’t know the two of them were so close.’

The oblivious Duke of Mon Pellinier sipped his drink.

‘Oh dear. Our Terry is off to get married now.’

The heavily intoxicated Duchess Melis burst into laughter. Among them, the only one with any sense, Lord Leheln, found himself utterly miserable.

The rumors that began among those who witnessed the scene eventually took on a form that would leave Shaterian utterly speechless.

***

Morning had come.

It was the day to return to work immediately after the canceled holiday, but strangely, she felt light as she woke up.

Because of that, she thought going to work might not be so bad.

Then she realized that thought was wrong.

Not bad? No matter how many times one had to do it, going to work was always unpleasant.

After getting dressed and stepping outside, she saw Eched and Eurell waiting for her in the hall.

‘Ah, the escort.’

Come to think of it, Eched was only her temporary escort until the Founding Festival, after which Eurell was supposed to resume the role.

But why was the atmosphere between the two of them so strange?

Eched was staring blankly at Eurell, while Eurell seemed subtly flustered, avoiding his gaze.

When she approached, Eched’s eyes shifted to her.

“Shaterian, did you sleep well?”

He asked about her morning so naturally.

Though she had told him to do as he pleased, hearing him address her like that still made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

“Yes. And you?”

“I did as well.”

Silence returned.

There wasn’t much else to say, so she turned to Eurell.

“Good morning, Lady Shaterian.”

“Morning. Did you enjoy your day off?”

Hmm, she thought it would be nice for Eurell to take over as her escort. After all, it meant having another worker at the counseling office.

‘Though it’s annoying to have to bring someone along wherever I go…’

If it was Eurell, who was competent at his job, she could tolerate it.

“You were in charge of escorting Shaterian while I was away, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I was.”

“You accompanied her to and from work and stayed by her side every day?”

“…Yes.”

Eched’s expression twisted slightly, as if he found this arrangement unsatisfactory.

“Deputy Commander, if you are acting as her escort, who’s overseeing the 2nd Knight Order? Isn’t it a bit…”

As he said this, he glanced at her.

Surely the words “waste of manpower” weren’t about to follow, were they?

She narrowed her eyes and stared at Eched.

“…A bit dangerous? I should continue being Shaterian’s escort.”

“…What?”

Both Eurell and Shaterian were left dumbfounded.

“If I, who work right next door, take on the role, it would save you the trouble of going back and forth, Deputy Commander.”

That was true, of course.

His skills were exceptional, and since his office was right next to hers, it would save the effort of traveling.

“…You’d have to come to the Crown Prince’s palace to match my schedule. Are you willing to go through that trouble?”

“I’ll do so until Gusto Avidita is captured. If not, I could stay here permanently. Or…”

“Or?”

“You could move into the Astrea ducal residence.”

“…”

Eched nodded to himself, as if satisfied with his suggestion.

“This place has bad energy.”

Tsk tsk.

She shook her head and muttered to herself.

No matter how she thought about it, the Crown Prince’s palace had strange energy.

Starting with Orgon, who called this place home, to Bruf, who had stayed here to recover, and now Eched, who had only been here briefly—they all seemed to become odd.

“Eurell, let’s leave before you get affected too.”

She pushed Eurell’s back.

She couldn’t let her precious worker absorb any of this strange atmosphere.

“Terry, you need to come with me to see His Majesty.”

At that moment, Orgon descended the stairs, speaking as he came down.

She froze in the act of pushing Eurell’s back.

“Why?”

“Why else?”

He shrugged his shoulders as if the answer should be obvious.

There were too many possibilities. That’s why she was asking.

There was no point in saying something unnecessary and getting scolded for it.

As she pondered, Eched approached her.

“Isn’t that a good idea?”

Eched, as persistent as ever, insisted that staying by his side was the safest option.

‘Why am I being targeted by Gusto?’

Wasn’t it because of the rumors that started when I left Duke Astrea’s residence?

If she could turn back time, she’d erase that day entirely. But now…

How much gossip would spread if a lady, who had lived her life without any danger, suddenly moved into Duke Astrea’s residence under the pretext of needing protection?

She shook her head and stepped outside.

***

The Emperor’s garden looked as serene as always.

The Emperor, lost in thought, gazed at the scenery.

His quiet eyes seemed to be contemplating someone.

Come to think of it, she had never heard much about the late Empress.

She had died when Shaterian was three and Orgon was four. The following year, her parents had passed away.

Shaterian and Orgon sat before the Emperor, who finally turned his gaze toward them.

“Terry.”

For once, he didn’t frown at her. However, he still looked somewhat somber.

“Now that I think about it, my apology is long overdue. I’m sorry. I acted rashly and caused you trouble.”

Pouring tea into her cup, the Emperor offered his apology.

His words unexpectedly made her feel uneasy. While she did blame him a little…

‘In a way, it’s the seed I planted myself…’

She had used Gusto’s feelings for her to her advantage, only to discard him when he was no longer useful.

His descent into dark sorcery had also begun when he left the academy to follow her.

Everything had started when she, with her memories of her previous life, graduated early from the academy.

She had disrupted the original timeline herself.

Gusto had changed, and Anella had arrived at the imperial palace earlier than expected, throwing off the story’s original beginning.

Since it was all her doing, she had no right to resent anyone else.

Shaking her head, she tried to console the distressed Emperor.

“It’s not Your Majesty’s fault, so you don’t need to feel sorry. In fact, I gained a capable… ahem, escort, so it’s all fine.”

The Emperor nodded as if he understood, but he still seemed troubled.

“Alright. And one more thing.”

Taking a deep breath, he continued.

“I’m sorry for trying to separate you from the Knight Commander.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I heard about your relationship with the Knight Commander from the Crown Prince. And, ahem… I also saw it myself.”

Excuse me, what?

What did he see?

“That day, the two of you were so close in the garden…”

“Your Majesty!”

Startled, she interrupted him, and he turned to look at her.

She couldn’t let him reminisce. It was a memory she wanted to bury forever.

More importantly, she hadn’t realized the Emperor had witnessed it. If he had seen it, then most of the high-ranking nobles must have seen it too…

She finally grasped the gravity of the situation. Who knew how far the rumors had spread?

“Ahem. Anyway. I’ve decided. You and the Knight Commander will marry.”

That couldn’t be true.

There was no way the Emperor’s garden could suddenly feel so cold.

“Given the current circumstances, opposing your union wouldn’t be wise.”

“…”

“Now that I think about it, the Knight Commander isn’t so bad.”

“You can keep thinking poorly of him…”

Oh, look at that pretty cloud.

She stared blankly into the sky, laughing like someone who had transcended all worldly concerns.

“Terry? Are you that happy, just imagining it?”

It was a laugh born of resignation, but the Emperor misunderstood.

Scowling, she gulped down her tea.

The tea had cooled just enough to go down smoothly.

After all, marriage wasn’t something she could decide for herself.

If Eched refused, the matter would be dropped.

‘Shaterian.’

Eched’s voice, calling her name, suddenly echoed in her mind.

For some reason, she had a feeling that the current Eched wouldn’t oppose the marriage.

‘No. I need to have a serious talk with Eched.’

She abruptly stood up.

The Emperor and Orgon looked at her in surprise.

“Is the discussion over? Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Wait. Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes. I’m perfectly fine. Don’t worry about me; I’ll get going now.”

“Oh, alright. Do as you wish.”

“Thank you.”

She bowed and left the Emperor’s garden.

As she pushed the door open, Eurell, who had been waiting outside, looked at her in surprise.

“Let’s go quickly!”

At her urging, he followed her as they practically raced down the corridor.

“Did something happen?”

“What?”

Stopping briefly to catch her breath, she looked at him.

Her daily routine of going back and forth between home and the office had clearly taken a toll on her stamina. Just a little running had left her winded.

“Hah.”

After a short pause, she spoke.

“Did something happen? I’m going to seduce a man.”