What Do You Think I Am?
***
Why in the world did this man come looking for me?
Everything was a mess in my head.
“I greet Her Majesty the Empress.”
He entered the room and bowed politely.
Slick, swept-back black hair.
Striking, handsome features.
A perfectly tailored black uniform that suited him far too well.
At the sight of his flawless appearance, the maids around me gasped in awe.
As she brought in the tea, Marie shot me a sideways glance.
There was curiosity in her eyes.
Not just her—there were countless glances lurking behind Leonard’s broad shoulders, all waiting for a chance.
Yes, yes. I know what you’re all dying to ask.
You’re wondering why the unicorn of the Imperial Palace showed up here of all places, aren’t you?
Unfortunately, I don’t know either.
“Then, we’ll leave you two alone.”
Just then, Countess Chloe gracefully offered to step aside.
I hastily looked toward the maids.
No! Don’t leave me!
It’s late, Leonard is unsettling, and more importantly—I’m actually shy despite how I may look!
So please, don’t go. I beg you!
With all my might, I sent a desperate gaze to the maids, hoping to convey I didn’t want to be left alone.
The maids, ever capable, quickly caught on.
They all nodded in unison.
Yes! I believed in you!
I looked at them with eyes full of gratitude.
“We’ve lingered far too long without noticing. Please call if you need anything, Your Majesty.”
“!”
They must have misunderstood the meaning behind my gaze.
Countess Chloe even gave me a thumbs-up before leaving.
No. What on earth is that gesture supposed to mean…?
Click. The door closed.
…Jesus.
And so I was left alone with this man.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Was I out of line, perhaps?”
Leonard was the first to speak.
He must have noticed the displeasure on my face.
“No. I was just a little surprised by your visit.”
I shook my head.
“Please, have a seat.”
I gestured to the seat across from me, and Leonard sat down.
“What brings you here? Is this about yesterday?”
I got straight to the point.
Yesterday was the first time I’d ever met Leonard.
Judging by the maids’ flustered reactions, it seemed the Helena from before my possession hadn’t met him either.
“Yes, it’s about that incident.”
As I expected, he had come regarding what happened yesterday.
“First, I wanted to offer my apologies to Her Majesty the Empress.”
“…Pardon?”
Apologize?
“During the confrontation with the intruder, I may have shown an unsightly side of myself.”
“Ah.”
The way he smashed the fountain to pieces while dealing with the intruder.
His blood-stained figure had been a bit of a shock, that’s true.
“It couldn’t be helped. It’s fine.”
I accepted his apology easily.
I’d been startled, but it wasn’t like I had nightmares over it.
Actually, I might be a bit bolder ever since possessing Helena.
Tension slowly drained from me at Leonard’s unexpectedly courteous demeanor.
I’d worried something more serious had happened.
Like maybe he thought the intruder was connected to me and came to interrogate me or something.
That’s when he spoke again.
“Your Majesty.”
Leonard, who had been quietly watching me, opened his mouth once more.
“If it’s not too forward, may I ask why you are without a personal escort?”
“Escort knight?”
His question caught me off guard.
“Yes. When I saw you yesterday, there didn’t seem to be any knights nearby. I was curious if there was a reason for that.”
“Well, you’d have to ask the maids about that.”
I summoned Countess Chloe to ask about the escort situation.
“Her Majesty the Empress does not have a personal escort,” Countess Chloe replied.
“Is there a particular reason?”
To Leonard’s question, Countess Chloe nodded and answered.
“Her Majesty requested one multiple times from His Majesty the Emperor. However, His Majesty stated that the Imperial Palace was perfectly safe and that a few ladies-in-waiting were sufficient.”
So Jerome said that?
No wonder I found it odd that there wasn’t even a single soldier around the Empress’s Palace.
Turns out it was because Jerome had denied it.
“That’s quite unusual,” Leonard frowned.
“Accidents can happen anywhere. Even the Imperial Consort has six escort knights. And yet the Empress has none…”
“There are soldiers stationed at the entrance of the Empress’s Palace.”
“…”
At Countess Chloe’s response, Leonard fell into thought.
His silence stretched on longer than I expected.
“Sir Leonard?”
“…Ah.”
He let out a short sigh.
He must have just realized I was calling him.
“Forgive me for the late visit. I’ll look further into the matter of the Empress’s security.”
He rose and offered a formal bow.
“Then, I’ll take my leave. Until next time.”
“Next time?”
I flinched and repeated his words.
“…Did I say something wrong?”
“Oh! No, not at all. It’s just… You’re a busy man. You could have sent someone else to deliver this sort of message.”
“…I see. I’ll consider that next time.”
Was it just my imagination?
His expression looked… odd.
But he left without saying anything else.
Once he was gone—
The maids, who had been waiting outside, burst into the room like a dam had broken.
“My goodness, Sir Leonard came to visit. Truly incredible, Your Majesty.”
“What did he come for?”
A flurry of curious eyes and rapid-fire questions.
They were supposedly terrified of the villainous Helena, but…
Looking at them now, I wasn’t so sure.
“He asked about the palace security.”
“Really? Was that all? Nothing else?”
“Yes, that was all.”
The moment I said it wasn’t anything important, the maids looked visibly disappointed.
“Were you all expecting something more… personal?”
“N-no, Your Majesty!”
They all looked flustered.
I chuckled to myself.
Well, I can’t blame them. He’s handsome, has impressive background, and is incredibly skilled.
It would be hard not to take an interest.
But still, I hoped they wouldn’t get too interested in him.
Because—
He’s a very dangerous man.
I was startled by his sudden visit today.
Of course, the maids didn’t know what kind of person he truly was.
Still, I was relieved that things had gone smoothly.
Now, I had work to do.
I still hadn’t met all of Helena’s allies.
“Anyway, who am I scheduled to meet today?”
＊ ＊ ＊
“Captain!”
When Leonard returned to the knights’ quarters, a young voice called out.
It was Conrad.
“How did it go?”
Conrad asked with a grin.
Leonard responded blandly.
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on. We’ve already heard—Captain met with Her Majesty the Empress, right?”
“Yes.”
“Did anything happen?”
“Happen?”
“Well, the Empress is infamous for her temper, isn’t she?”
Conrad whispered.
“She gets angry at the drop of a hat, throws whatever she can grab… Everyone says she’s a nightmare to deal with.”
“A bad temper, huh…”
Leonard recalled Helena.
Her eyes had been a bit sharp, but her overall impression wasn’t threatening.
She’d seemed more like a frightened herbivore, afraid of him.
“…I see.”
Leonard narrowed his eyes.
There had been something… off when he met her.
The Empress had clearly been uneasy around him.
Not in the sense of dislike—more like fear.
Why?
As the captain of the Imperial Guard, Leonard had a reputation for being uptight and extremely polite.
At least on the surface.
But the Empress was different.
She clearly wanted to avoid him.
She tried not to show it, but he could tell.
This isn’t just about the fountain incident…
He remembered how her large eyes had widened when he said he’d visit again.
I’ll need to look into this.
Unconsciously, a faint smile played on his lips.
＊ ＊ ＊
The maids quickly scattered to summon Helena’s allies.
I was wondering how long it would take when—
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked at the door.
Speak of the devil.
“Come in.”
As soon as I gave permission, the door opened.
“…!”
My eyes widened in shock.
It wasn’t one of Helena’s allies.
What the—why are YOU here?
The moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating his figure.
In the pale glow, golden hair gleamed aristocratically.
“Empress.”
The one who entered… was none other than Jerome.
So many unexpected visitors today.
“I came to ask you something…”
Jerome trailed off and glanced down.
I followed his gaze.
He was staring at the tea cups I hadn’t cleared yet.
“…Looks like you had a guest.”
He noted the two cups.
“Yes, well. So, what brings you here?”
“…”
No reply.
“Your Majesty?”
“You were here alone with someone, this late, with no maids around?”
He still hadn’t taken his eyes off the cups.
I tilted my head.
“Does that matter?”
Still no response.
Seriously? You show up unannounced and then ignore my questions?
Eventually, I asked again.
“What did you come here for?”
“It’s about the Empress Consort’s dress.”
Flinch.
I instinctively shrank back.
Had he heard I was the one who tore her dress?
That was possible.
He was disturbingly devoted to Faye.
It wouldn’t be strange if he came to scold me for hurting his precious lover.
That’s fine. I’d already braced myself.
“I tore it.”
“Why?”
“I was jealous of the Empress Consort’s dress.”
“No.”
Jerome cut me off firmly.
“That’s not what I meant. I’m not asking for a childish excuse.”
He turned to face me.
Crimson eyes locked onto mine.
And with a cold voice, he asked—
“Why did you say you did something you didn’t?”
“…What?”
The unexpected question stunned me.
He knows I didn’t do it?
That didn’t make sense.
I thought it had already been settled—I was the culprit.
He had even told Faye it was me.
So I feigned ignorance.
“I don’t understand what you mean, Your Majesty. I tore the Empress Consort’s dress.”
“Don’t lie.”
He frowned slightly.
Somehow, he was absolutely certain it wasn’t me.
I couldn’t deny it any further.
“Yes. I didn’t do it. But I wanted to. Is that so wrong?”
“You’re covering for a maid? That’s not like you.”
“Whether or not I protect my maid is my choice.”
“Why? Did you think I’d dismiss her?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
My blunt answer made Jerome’s eyes twitch slightly.
Did I go too far?
But I honestly believed it.
Based on what I’d seen in the original story, Jerome wouldn’t hesitate.
Anyone who harmed Faye never got off easy.
That’s why I lied and said it was me.
I couldn’t let a young maid be coldly cast aside.
Helena already had a mountain of sins anyway—what was one more?
If I was still alive, it was probably because the title of Empress shielded me.
But later, when she went too far, she was executed by his own hands.
Of course, I had no intention of letting things go that way.
I thought that was enough explanation.
But he didn’t look satisfied.
His brows were drawn even tighter than before.
“You…”
He spoke with a voice that sounded… restrained.
“What do you think I am?”
