Chapter 20
How much time had passed?
When Lloyd suddenly opened his eyes, he felt something unusual—he felt refreshed.
He had taken a nap in the garden under the warm sunlight, and when he woke up, his mind felt clear and his exhaustion had lifted.
It was the first time in his life he had ever felt such warmth. His heart felt peaceful, even comforted.
A nap in the garden…
Something he had never experienced before left him momentarily dazed and confused.
If someone had seen him, they would have been shocked.
But the Empress’s palace—now abandoned after Leira’s disappearance—was left unattended. Hardly anyone came here anymore. At most, the head lady-in-waiting who used to serve Leira might pass by occasionally.
So Lloyd had been able to enjoy that deep, peaceful sleep without worrying about anyone’s eyes on him.
The heavy fatigue that had tormented him so relentlessly felt as though it had melted away.
Lloyd rose from the bench and lazily looked at the flowers blooming nearby.
What kind of flower is that?
He faintly remembered Leira explaining something about them, but he couldn’t remember exactly what.
He had hated seeing her with dirt on her hands, crouched under the sun.
He hadn’t wanted to listen when she talked endlessly about flowers, herbs, or plants. Those weren’t things he wanted to know.
He had only focused on one thing: surviving in this imperial palace.
All his attention had gone into eliminating threats and cutting down those who endangered him. He had believed that once they were gone, he would finally have peace.
But now that he had ended everything with his own hands, all he felt was suffocation and emptiness.
If you had been here… Would it have felt different?
Like this garden left behind.
Standing here made him feel calm. If Leira had been here too, he wouldn’t be clinging to this leftover garden for comfort—he would have had something far greater.
What am I thinking, now of all times…
Mocking his own thoughts, Lloyd got up and walked away again.
He didn’t spare a glance at the garden that still bloomed, even though its owner had left long ago.
He simply blamed his softened mood on having slept so deeply for the first time in ages.
* * *
Back to his usual routine, Lloyd was reviewing government documents when he lifted his eyes.
There it was—the bloodied sword propped against the wall.
He had killed his younger brother with it. After that, Lloyd had never touched it again.
He had even ordered a new sword. He intended never to lay a hand on that one ever again.
Recently, Lloyd had been unable to sleep well, making his nerves sharper than ever.
The headaches that had disappeared were now returning, pounding painfully.
Just as he let out a long sigh, Ella visited the office again—just like she had a few days ago.
This time, she brought the tea herself.
“Your Majesty, I’ve brought tea.”
She wore less revealing clothes today. She wore her hair down instead of pinned up, with light makeup. Even the suffocating perfume smell was gone.
Lloyd slowly rose from his seat and sat on the sofa.
Ella didn’t cling to him this time—she sat a little farther away and poured the tea modestly.
Today, the aroma of the tea wasn’t bad.
With a refined posture, Lloyd took a sip, then lowered the teacup.
“How is it?” she asked, her expression full of hope.
Lloyd asked calmly:
“Did you brew this yourself?”
“Ah—well… no. It’s a rare tea I worked hard to obtain. I hoped it would please you.”
In other words, she hadn’t brewed it herself.
Leira often made tea for me herself…
The moment he recalled her, Lloyd’s brow twitched faintly.
The headache was getting worse again.
Ella had been watching his face brighten for a moment, only for his expression to harden again. She secretly gripped her skirt in frustration.
The nobles who threatened Lloyd, and the other princes, were all gone.
Even Leira, whom she considered a thorn in her side, was no longer here.
So why wasn’t anything going the way she wanted?
Still, Ella smiled until Lloyd finished the tea.
Then, saying she didn’t want to disturb his work, she left the office with the teapot.
Left alone, Lloyd resumed his work in silence.
But anytime his concentration slipped even a little, his eyes wandered toward the blood-stained sword.
He was convinced he wasn’t the type to be tormented by guilt—yet the sword unsettled him.
With fatigue building again, he rubbed his brow.
His eyes ached, and his head throbbed.
He wanted to sleep… but he could not.
Your Majesty, did you fail to sleep again?
With his eyes closed, Lloyd exhaled softly and nodded at the voice.
“Yes. But I can’t exactly go to the garden to sleep again…”
Shall I brew you a tea that helps you sleep?
At the gentle voice brushing past his ears, Lloyd lowered the hand covering his eyes and looked up.
“That would be hel—”
He stopped mid-sentence.
The moment he opened his eyes, he realized the only things in the room were himself… and the dried-blood sword.
Had he imagined the voice?
He pressed his fingers against his forehead, frowning.
I must be going crazy.
It seemed the accumulated exhaustion was finally taking a toll on him.
He rose from his seat and left the office.
He ran into Cecil, who had been looking for him, and said he was going to rest for a while before returning to his chambers.
Even lying in bed, he couldn’t fall asleep.
How long would he have to endure before he finally felt at peace?
Even forcing his eyes shut didn’t bring sleep.
With a frustrated sigh, Lloyd sat up roughly.
In the end, he headed toward the palace where Leira used to live.
Ever since his visit days ago, he had stationed soldiers around the Empress’s residence to prevent anyone from entering.
“No one enters until I come out.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The soldier straightened at the stern command.
No one had been allowed into the garden since then.
And yet, the garden Leira left behind was still overflowing with blooming flowers.
No one tended them, yet they had not withered.
Amazing that they’re still blooming…
With expressionless eyes, Lloyd scanned the garden, then walked to the bench he had slept on before and collapsed onto it.
There was no soft bed, no warm blankets—yet being here calmed his mind somehow.
He didn’t understand what made this place different from anywhere else.
It was simply quiet and peaceful—somewhere he could rest without thinking.
When he closed his eyes, Lloyd fell asleep instantly, as though he had never struggled with insomnia at all.
Are you not pushing yourself too hard?
A gentle, soft hand touched his forehead, and Lloyd let out a steady breath.
In his dream, Leira looked down at him with a kind expression.
Half-asleep, he nodded without concern.
Everything about her felt familiar—the kindness, the calmness… even the way she occasionally visited him holding flowers.
It had felt natural.
During busy days, even slightly irritating.
But the first person to touch his forehead with genuine concern… had been Leira.
Not even his parents had given him warmth like that.
Half-asleep, Lloyd raised a hand trying to hold the one on his forehead—but he only grasped empty air. His hand fell helplessly onto the bench.
“……”
Slowly opening his eyes, Lloyd stared blankly up at the sky with a heavy expression.
He had taken her presence for granted.
He had kept Ella by his side to absorb Marquis Holden’s power for the sake of war.
Even then, Leira showed no reaction. She remained calm as always.
Maybe he had wanted that calmness to waver.
To see her suffer with jealousy, just as he intended.
Lost in thought, fresh from sleep, Lloyd frowned and sat up from the bench.
He rubbed a hand over his eyes to steady himself, then stood.
…Am I regretting this?
He shook his head lightly, forcing the thoughts away.
Then he stepped out of the garden Leira had left behind.
After managing to sleep a little, his complexion had noticeably improved.
* * *
Once every half-moon, supplies were sent to the island where his sister lived alone—Death Island.
Even that fixed schedule had been delayed this time.
Storm damage to a port city was so severe that even soldiers were assigned to assist in the repairs, they said.
Heraise, and even Edgar, protested furiously.
Marquis Gerald feared that if the Emperor heard that he had independently decided how to deal with a criminal, he might face consequences.
He believed Lloyd would no longer care about Leira, so serious punishment was unlikely.
But he couldn’t be complacent.
Feeling uneasy, he rushed the supply ship to depart earlier.
From early morning, the soldiers loading the supply ship wore disgruntled expressions—though none dared show it in front of Heraise.
The coast near Citadel Island was unharmed.
The duchy’s ports had far less storm damage compared to other places.
And the worst-hit areas were far away, at the outer edges of the Empire.
So the soldiers muttered inwardly that the Forestia family was overreacting.
Heraise wished it was just overreaction.
But the closer the ship got to Citadel Island, the heavier his anxiety became.
Because he did not see Leira at the shore.
Whenever the supply ship approached the island, Leira always came out to the coast. Heraise had never been allowed to disembark.
So she always waited for him at the water’s edge.
But today—she was nowhere to be seen.
Did she oversleep…?
Trying to shake off the uneasiness, he tried to think positively.
Perhaps she had slept in.
Perhaps she was tending her garden and lost track of time.
Maybe she was just running a bit late.
But even after the ship fully docked, Leira did not appear.
“I will get off.”
Heraise stared at the only entrance leading into Citadel Island.
The knights responded with troubled expressions.
“Young Master, getting off is forbidden.”
“My sister didn’t come to the shore, so I must go inside the island and check.”
“But—”
When the soldier tried to continue, Heraise shot him a cold, chilling glare and said quietly:
“What if she is unwell? I must check.”
The soldiers froze.
They had never seen the young master look so terrifying.
“If something has happened to her, I cannot entrust her safety to you. Even if someone trusted by the duchy went, it wouldn’t be enough—let alone people like you, who look down on her. Don’t be ridiculous.”
No one dared speak under that icy glare.
Without waiting for any permission, Heraise leapt off the ship and ran into the island.
He had no idea what he was about to face.
The small house where the exiled criminals lived was shattered into pieces.
The trees Leira had planted and tended were toppled, broken, or scattered.
It looked as though water had flooded the area and receded—seashells were scattered around.
Nothing remained intact—not the flowers, not the vegetables she had grown.
“Sister…!”
Heraise, pale as a ghost, tore through the island in a frenzy.
The soldiers were just as confused.
Citadel Island was nowhere near the storm-damaged region.
“Why is it like this…?”
As the soldiers murmured in shock, Heraise continued searching the island for a long time—like a madman—calling out for his sister again and again.
* * *
Rustle.
The sound of footsteps approached.
Arzeo peeked out from the bushes and soon spotted Eugene.
“Eugene, over here.”
“Uwah!”
Startled by Arzeo popping out of the bushes with a whisper, Eugene fell backward onto his rear.
As soon as Eugene had seen the note at the inn, he had left the city, following the trail of flowers that led straight to them.
Seeing this, he clicked his tongue—this was only possible because Leira was with them.
“I’m relieved both of you seem to be safe.”
Eugene quickly dusted himself off and stood as if nothing had happened.
“Your face when you were surprised was priceless.”
“Please laugh if you’re going to say that!”
Arzeo, expressionless, simply said it was amusing.
Eugene looked like he was about to cry.
Watching the two of them bicker was oddly entertaining, and Leira let out a small laugh.
She usually didn’t look particularly cold, but when she smiled, the whole atmosphere around her changed.
Maybe it was because she loved plants and looked happiest when her beloved flowers bloomed—she really was like a flower herself.
Eugene glanced at her smile, sighed dramatically, and grumbled:
“Lady Leira, this is not a situation to be laughing about…”
“Ah… sorry.”
“What? Her smile is great.”
Arzeo muttered with a displeased expression, unhappy that her smile vanished at Eugene’s words.
“Is the situation that bad?” Leira asked.
“It’s far from good. The incident in Karia seems to have spread across the country. Because of that, not only the nobles but even the imperial palace is searching for you.”
“Taking me won’t help them win over House Forestia, though…”
She sighed deeply, and Eugene blinked in surprise.
“It won’t? Whether it’s true or not, they believe it. That’s why they’re desperate to find you. Some probably think they can form a connection with the duchy if they deliver you.”
“What connection? They’re practically kidnapping me.”
Arzeo grumbled, and Eugene gave an awkward laugh.
“But if they take me, things will get even worse for them.”
“Worse? How?”
Eugene looked puzzled.
Arzeo shook his head in disbelief.
“Did you forget Lady Leira’s situation?”
“She was swept away in the storm and washed ashore in the Lihidden Empire, correct?”
“No, no, before that.”
Arzeo clicked his tongue.
After thinking for a moment, Eugene’s eyes widened.
“Oh—she was dethroned and exiled to the island.”
He blurted it out without thinking, then quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.
But contrary to Eugene’s worries, Leira wasn’t bothered.
She had been calm the day she left for exile, and remained calm during her entire stay.
“If they take me, the Valois Empire will learn that a criminal has escaped the exile island. They might even accuse them of aiding a criminal’s escape.”
That did make sense.
Arzeo thought it was strangely irritating how casually she called herself a criminal, and he let out a shallow sigh.
Then, thinking of the additional trouble this might cause, he added:
“But there’s another possibility.”
