Today, Perry’s unusually obedient behavior seemed strange.
Could it be that the sweet desserts had put her in a good mood?
“Yeah, I want to go!”
“Then follow me before I change my mind.”
The place we arrived at was the center of a vast rose garden, surrounded by plants on all sides, resembling a fairytale of a lion and a wolf.
As expected from the name “Rose Garden,” the glass greenhouse was filled with dazzling roses, filling the air with their fragrant scent.
“I really like it here, Ferry. I love it!”
“Really?”
Excitedly, I looked around, but unexpectedly, someone caught my eye.
I quickly hid behind a rose vine and whispered quietly to Ferry.
“Why didn’t you tell me the Emperor was here?”
“I never asked who was here.”
“True, but still!”
I had noticed there were no people around on the way here, but I hadn’t expected the Emperor to be here.
My excitement quickly drained away.
“…I think I should go back to my room.”
Trying to sneak away, I stepped on a twig that was lying on the ground.
Crack…
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself.
Then I heard a voice laced with irritation.
“Stop whispering and come out.”
“Ah…”
I really had no intention of disturbing his peaceful tea time.
With an awkward smile, I slowly walked toward the Emperor.
“Good morning, Your Majesty. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Good morning, Captain!”
Unlike my rather gloomy voice, Perry’s tone was bright and cheerful.
“What brings you here?”
“I was just taking a walk and… happened to end up here.”
“You don’t just happen upon this place.”
At the Emperor’s sharp words, Perry answered in my place.
“She asked me to take her to the most beautiful place in the Imperial Palace, so I brought her to the Rose Garden. I did well, didn’t I?”
The Emperor nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Perry’s explanation.
“This is the most beautiful place in the Imperial Palace, indeed.”
As I stood awkwardly, he looked at me.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you sitting down?”
I wondered why he didn’t just ask me to leave, which would’ve let me depart with a light heart.
But no, I had become the uninvited guest disturbing his peaceful tea time.
“Ah, yes…”
When I sat down, a maid who had been standing brought out a teacup and desserts.
She poured tea from the teapot into Perry’s and my cups.
The steam rising from the tea was fragrant even before I touched the cup.
As I took a sip, the familiar, nostalgic taste flooded my mouth.
“This is… chamomile tea?”
For a brief moment, it felt like I was back at the Slimela family home.
The memory of drinking tea with Beriel and enjoying leisurely moments felt so distant, like it belonged to another life.
‘Come to think of it, I wonder if the letter I sent to Medderland arrived. I hope everyone is doing well…’
At that moment, a response I hadn’t anticipated came from beside me.
“Chamomile was my mother’s favorite tea.”
“Your Majesty’s mother?”
“Yeah, this Rose Garden is also a place I used to visit often with my mother. That’s why, when I need some rest, I come here sometimes.”
For a moment, the Emperor’s face looked particularly tired.
There was a lonely air about him that seemed out of place.
He had never shared anything personal with me before.
It felt like the invisible wall that had stood between us during our time on the terrace had, for just an instant, become faintly blurred.
‘Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen the Emperor’s mother since I came to Hamilon, have I?’
Looking back on our conversation, it struck me as strange that he had spoken of her in the past tense.
Did that mean I couldn’t see her anymore?
Just then, our eyes met.
It was as if he could read my thoughts.
“You don’t need to make that complicated face. My mother is already gone.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. You didn’t harm my mother.”
His words made it clear there was no need to apologize, but just bringing up the truth made me feel sorry nonetheless.
However, I didn’t want to make things awkward by saying more, so I quietly sipped my tea.
The Emperor placed his teacup down on the table.
“By the way, does Medderland have a hunting day?”
“A hunting day? What does that involve?”
Hearing the question, the Emperor furrowed his brows.
After a brief pause, he responded in a rather indifferent tone.
“It’s a day where you gather useless noblemen and waste valuable time.”
“Hmm… I don’t think we have anything like that in Medderland.”
Suddenly, his gaze flickered toward me.
“Then I guess we should go there and check it out.”
“Me? With whom?”
“You’re already practically my official lover. Who else would you go with if not me?”
His voice carried an air of certainty, and I felt strange.
When did spending time with the Emperor become something so natural?
I shook off the odd feeling and asked calmly,
“Will I be playing the same role as at the ball?”
“Exactly. I like how quick you are to understand.”
“What should I be paying attention to?”
“Same as last time. Just keep an eye on who approaches, and if something seems off, tell me. That’s all.”
“Got it. But what about you, Your Majesty…?”
I hesitated before continuing.
“It feels like you haven’t asked anything of me yet.”
“Asked you?”
“I thought there might be something personal you needed from me besides catching the culprit.”
As I finished speaking and was about to take another sip of my chamomile tea, something glinted near the rose vines.
In the blink of an eye, a masked figure emerged and swung a sword at the Emperor.
Everything happened so quickly, it was as if time had frozen.
I didn’t even have time to scream.
he only thing I could do in the face of the impending horror was close my eyes tightly.
But what followed was not a scream of pain, but the sharp sound of metal clashing.
Clang…?
I slowly opened my eyes to see a masked figure holding a sword.
And before him stood Perry, blocking the attack with daggers in both hands.
“Pe, Perry…?”
We had been sitting across from each other, drinking chamomile tea, but when did she move over to where the Emperor was?
Even in this chaotic situation, the Emperor calmly continued to sip his tea.
“What should we do, Captain?”
Perry’s voice came through, and the Emperor responded indifferently.
“Let it be.”
“Is it going to be alright?”
“What’s he going to do, anyway?”
At that moment, the assassin’s eyes, barely visible from behind the mask, gleamed.
As Perry stepped back, the assassin charged toward the Emperor with great speed.
The Emperor calmly grabbed a knife from the table and easily deflected the attack.
If my eyes weren’t deceiving me, that small knife was now fending off a huge sword.
“Hiding behind the rose vines isn’t a bad strategy. But how many of you think have come after me?”
“Actually, I don’t remember. After more than thirty, I gave up counting.”
The assassin looked taken aback at the casual response.
However, he dodged the knife and swung his sword again.
Clang, clang, clang—
It was too fast to follow with my eyes.
The sharp sounds of metal clashing were all I could hear, signaling the intensity of the battle.
Then, suddenly, the assassin took a step back.
With a sharp motion, he revealed a concealed knife embedded in his glove and aimed it at the Emperor’s neck.
“This too is disappointingly cliché.”
No, he was going to strike.
But the Emperor’s hand transformed, becoming monstrous.
His large arm, covered in thick fur, casually gripped the knife embedded in the assassin’s glove.
That…!
I had learned about it back at the Academy.
Some carnivorous beastkin had the ability to call upon the strength of ancient beasts.
But I never expected the Emperor to possess such an ability.
“Anything you want to say before you die?”
“No?”
“Then don’t bother. Hopefully, you’ll come up with a better strategy in your next life.”
The Emperor’s hand shot out, grabbing the assassin by the neck.
In no time, there was a sickening crack.
The man’s body spasmed, but as soon as the Emperor released him, he crumpled to the ground, unable to maintain his form.
Blood poured from his mouth, and the color was unlike anything I had ever seen.
Before long, his life faded away, faster than a match burning out.
Ferry, unfazed, crouched next to the dying man.
She looked up at the Emperor with an indifferent expression.
“Who do you think sent him?”