Chapter 65
“Izana, I can take care of their problem—”
Winter tried to help as expected, but I raised a hand to stop him. I didn’t have the money to pay off Rena’s debt.
But I had a different idea. One that didn’t need money.
“Congratulations, Rena. You probably won’t need to pay that debt after all. Lady Gongbi most likely won’t be asking for the money anymore.”
“Huh…?”
I smiled gently at Rena.
Yudis, also known as Gongbi, was now like a puppet dangling from my fingers.
***
“I figured you’d be here when I didn’t see you in your room!”
Some time later, the door slammed open again. Emperor Silis entered, waving a piece of paper.
He looked directly at Winter, who was sipping tea across from me, and said,
“You’re getting more suspicious by the day. What kind of business do you have with my daughter that you sneak in through the window?”
I quickly stepped in between them, hoping to prevent another pointless argument. I proudly pointed to the pile of empty dishes and said,
“Your Majesty, I ate everything you sent! Can I go outside now? I promise I ate two yakas worth of food!”
“Yeah. If I count what your servants ate, I guess that makes about two yakas,” he replied dryly.
Loti, Rena, and Alfred quickly wiped their mouths with their sleeves, trying to hide the evidence.
Not wanting to be outdone, I turned to the side and proudly patted my round belly.
“Look at this, Your Majesty! I did my best. If I eat any more, I’ll roll around like a ball.”
Emperor Silis chuckled at the soft drumming sound.
“You already pop up from strange places like a ball. If you actually become one, who knows where you’d roll off to. That’d be a problem.”
“So can I go out for a walk now? I need to make some space to eat more.”
He sighed and nodded.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Finally, I was free from the prison of bread and butter.
The emperor handed the letter he’d been holding to Winter.
“It’s from your brother. I assume it’s an order for you to return. If I were you, I’d just go back quietly.”
Winter accepted the letter, but instead of opening it, he stared blankly at the seal of the Orsheus royal family. Then he set it aside and calmly said,
“Thank you for delivering it personally.”
“You’re not going to open it?”
“It probably says exactly what you said. If I open it, I’ll have to leave… so I’d rather delay it a bit.”
So he would leave once ordered, huh?
I remembered hearing that the only one who could truly deal with Winter Orsheus in the North Empire was his brother, Glass Orsheus.
‘He doesn’t seem that dangerous, though…’
Were the reports from the North wrong?
He did give off a dangerous aura, but the bloody rumors didn’t match the calm, almost divine-looking boy sitting in front of me.
Still, the more the boy didn’t match expectations, the more Emperor Silis felt uneasy. He couldn’t lower his guard.
“Don’t tell me… are you planning to stay here just to take this girl back with you?”
“…”
“Oh my goodness. What kind of child is she?!”
The emperor turned to me, frustrated. I scratched my cheek awkwardly, avoiding his gaze.
Come to think of it, I’d been strange from the very first moment he met me—like when I answered as if I could read his heart in front of Azelina Lionia’s portrait. I kept unintentionally touching his hidden feelings.
And before we knew it, he had made me his goddaughter.
Originally, he’d considered making Joseph Rohiya his godson. But now that Rohiya was already overflowing with power, giving him any more influence was impossible.
Actually, forget adopting him—Silis was now considering going against Rohiya.
And just in time, a good excuse had fallen into his lap.
The emperor rubbed his forehead and asked me,
“You’re not planning to go to the North Empire too, are you?”
He had just made me his goddaughter. There’s no way I’d say I wanted to leave right away… right?
“…”
His sharp eyes turned to Winter, who still sat quietly.
“If you can’t explain why you want to take her, there’s no way I’m letting it happen. You should just go home if you’re not serious.”
Oh no.
I panicked, seeing the emperor grow more and more defensive.
Should I fake a prophecy again using Yubel? Say the heavens wanted Izana to go to the North?
‘No way! That would totally sound like Winter and I made it up!’
With sweaty palms and a pounding heart, I made a reckless decision.
“I… I fell in love at first sight! I asked him to take me with him, Your Majesty!”
Was that the wrong move?
I glanced at the emperor. His hand, which had been reaching out to pat my head, froze mid-air.
Winter tilted his head, surprised, staring at me.
Behind us, the two maids and Alfred nodded enthusiastically.
“So it really was like that, miss?”
“Makes sense now.”
“Well, you are a pretty girl, miss. Totally understandable.”
Finally, the emperor snapped out of it. He locked eyes with me and, in a deep voice, said,
“Do you know why the Emperor of the North Empire still isn’t married?”
“…Why not?”
“Every time he got engaged, the fiancée either died mysteriously or got bullied so badly she gave up. Eventually, no one wanted to marry him.”
What?! That sounded ridiculous.
I thought he stayed single because he cared so much for his little brother, Winter, who was born with the heavy burden of being the “savior.”
“Of course, the people behind the bullying were caught. Two men, two women. They all screamed, ‘If I can’t have him, no one can!’ before they were executed.”
I looked at Winter, thinking the emperor must be exaggerating.
But Winter only furrowed his brows slightly. He didn’t deny it.
“…It’s not the reason he didn’t marry, but yes, those things did happen.”
The emperor took that as confirmation and gently grabbed my shoulders.
“You’re drinking poison knowingly. It’s better for you to stay here and forget about him. If it’s about looks, I can find someone even better for you. The North is a battlefield for women.”
“Hmm…”
Now I really wanted to take back that nonsense about love at first sight.
Only five people and one half-human-half-sweet potato had heard it. Maybe I could still take it back?
“If you want, I can even find you multiple suitors. Sometimes quantity makes up for quality.”
What?! Solve love with numbers?
Now I really didn’t know what kind of mess I had gotten myself into.
I imagined a future where villainous noble girls from romance novels bullied me, and I nervously forced a smile.
“If you say so, Your Majesty…”
Right. No need to force this.
I could just say I want to study magic abroad.
Or pretend I wanted to join a religious school for life. The North Empire did have the best seminary on the continent.
“Your Majesty, I felt the same as the lady.”
Huh?
Wait, Winter, stop!
“When I first saw her, I felt an unexplainable bond and familiarity.”
Oh no. It seems he took my lie as a cue!
I waved frantically, making an X with my arms, trying to tell him to stop. But he didn’t see it in time and tilted his head like, “Did I say something wrong?”
He was about to add more, but seeing my X sign, he wisely stopped.
But it was too late. The emperor had already heard everything.
And the damage was done.
