Chapter 22. The Unpermitted One
No one knew why he drew his sword, but it was clear it wasn’t for anything good.
Rasilia stepped in front of Yvette, shielding her with her body, and fixed a cold glare on Serven.
“What are you doing, Sir? Put down your sword.”
“I am merely fulfilling my duty as a Shadow Knight, Your Majesty the Empress. Your Majesty’s form is not to be seen by the unpermitted.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Liyan, standing behind Serven, added calmly,
“In other words, that court lady has seen something she shouldn’t have, so her mouth must be silenced, Your Majesty.”
“Eek, hic!”
At the word silenced, Yvette clamped her own mouth shut with her hands.
Rasilia moved her arm behind to cover Yvette protectively. Yvette clutched her sleeve with trembling hands. Even without looking, Rasilia could feel how terrified she was.
“I don’t get it. Isn’t it already widely known in the palace that His Majesty transforms under the Blue Moon? Why must someone be silenced just for witnessing that?”
“Knowing something and seeing it with your own eyes are very different. …More importantly, Your Majesty, are you interfering with the execution of imperial law?”
“This makes no sense. Weren’t there many people who saw His Majesty yesterday? Why punish someone only now?”
“No, Your Majesty. Apart from you, only the two of us witnessed it.”
“That can’t be. There were people all over the palace.”
“It wasn’t something humans could perceive.”
Perhaps that was true.
The Emperor had appeared suddenly from the shadows. No guards had been following behind him.
“Then what about today?”
“The witnesses were the chief knights of the Imperial Guard. Men who’ve sworn loyalty with their lives.”
“…”
Rasilia had no words to counter. Serven nodded as if he expected that and added,
“Only those who’ve sworn with their lives or those of royal blood are allowed to see that form. No exceptions.”
It was known the royal family carried the blood of demons, but it had been ages since anyone actually witnessed such a transformation.
No emperor since the early days had undergone a mutation as strongly as Rescal. Most had taken a consort in time, or their demonic blood wasn’t strong enough to cause such changes.
Even the Shadow Knights had taken time to grow accustomed to Rescal’s transformations. For ordinary people to see it would be a massive shock.
“Step aside, Your Majesty. We will take charge of this court lady.”
She couldn’t let that happen.
Regardless of the law, Yvette had only followed her orders.
Rasilia shook her head.
“Even so… that’s too harsh a punishment.”
“The law exists for a reason, Your Majesty.”
Serven’s voice became colder on purpose.
“Cruel as it may seem, those laws are what have protected the imperial family and His Majesty until now.”
He paused briefly and twisted his lips in scorn.
“Which is why I fail to understand why Your Majesty is protecting a court lady who clearly violated imperial law. Since when have you valued the lives of court ladies? Do you even know how many died in the Empress’s Palace over far more trivial matters? Ah, of course you wouldn’t. Such matters must be far too trivial for Your Majesty to remember.”
“That…”
‘I don’t remember’ wasn’t an acceptable excuse.
Here, she was the Empress. The Empress of Eliaiden, Cartahena, was known to be capricious, cruel, a liar—and someone who used physical contact to control the Emperor at will.
“Which is why, as a Shadow Knight, I have no choice but to suspect other motives, Your Majesty. That court lady—has she become a threat to the imperial family? Are you using her for something? Is that why you chose to hide in the northern tower, where no one ever goes?”
“What? No! It’s not like that at all!”
Yvette suddenly shouted and dropped to her knees.
“Really… truly, it’s not. Her Majesty isn’t plotting anything. If she were using me for something, I would know, wouldn’t I? But she never said a word. It’s true!”
Serven didn’t listen.
From his experience, whenever Cartahena did something strange, it was always for a reason.
This was the second time the so-called amnesiac Empress had disappeared without notice. Twice couldn’t be a coincidence. That only deepened his suspicion.
Contrary to his earlier doubts, the Empress might truly be the Emperor’s destined consort. Liyan already seemed to believe it.
To Serven, that was the bigger problem.
It meant the Empress had a different reason for rejecting Rescal all this time.
He didn’t yet know what that reason was—but he was sure of one thing: it had to be something insidious and dangerous, something that could harm the Emperor.
“Step aside, Your Majesty. Before this matter grows more complicated.”
Serven raised his sword as if delivering a final warning.
Rasilia bit her lip hard.
There was only one option left.
The only one she could turn to now—was the Emperor.
“Your Majesty.”
“H-hic… I… I really didn’t… I swear… hic…”
Terrified, Yvette collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Rasilia sat beside her and wrapped her arms around her protectively.
“…”
The Emperor knelt before them, as if trying to meet her eye level.
The Shadow Knights wore stunned expressions. Even without looking up, his gaze somehow felt gentle.
“Your Majesty.”
Rasilia forced herself to speak again.
“Speak.”
“This court lady saw Your Majesty by pure chance. She had no intention to.”
“Intent makes no difference.”
“I know. But I also know that Your Majesty is someone who can make exceptions.”
“Are you proposing a deal?”
“I’m asking for a favor.”
The Emperor’s golden eyes narrowed, as if inspecting or doubting her.
“If it were a request worth hearing, I would’ve listened. But I, too, find it strange that you’re pleading for a court lady’s life.”
He was saying he couldn’t help but be suspicious.
“Nothing like what your knight accused me of happened. This girl is innocent. She’s only being punished because she followed me. I swear on the name of the gods.”
“Regrettably, you’ve sworn too many false oaths in that name.”
“…”
What kind of person had this Empress been?
Rasilia closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again.
“Just this once, please make an exception.”
In the end, she had to say it.
“Then I will also give you an exception.”
“…So it is a deal.”
She couldn’t deny it anymore. But it was the only way.
Serven gripped his sword tighter and protested to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty. You must not agree. You know what kind of person the Empress is.”
“Silence. I’m thinking.”
“Your Maj—”
Rescal silenced him with a wave of the hand.
He stroked his chin slowly, as if truly in deep thought.
“If your oath proves false… what then?”
“…Do you believe I’m lying?”
“Yes.”
His golden eyes pierced through her.
“I have no reason to trust you. Nor do I have reason to risk danger for a court lady who broke the law. But right now, I want to listen to you. Whether it’s a plea or a deal—it doesn’t matter.”
“Y-Your Majesty…”
Serven clenched his jaw in frustration, but Rescal paid him no mind.
Instead, he reached out and gently stroked Rasilia’s cheek.
“So I need compensation. If you’re lying, what will I get in return for risking that danger?”
It was strange.
Though the Emperor said he didn’t believe her and wanted payment, his voice, like his gaze, felt oddly tender.
‘You say you don’t believe me because I’ve lied so much before…’
And yet, the Emperor said he wanted to believe her. That he would take any risk to do so.
It wasn’t the sound of desperation.
It felt more like… blind affection.
‘Strange. The Emperor says he hates the Empress. Then why…’
Why is he acting like this?
Why is he making her feel so confused?
“Then…”
Rasilia gently placed her hand over the one touching her cheek.
In that moment, it felt like the only thing she could do.
“I’ll pay whatever price. Whatever Your Majesty desires, I will give.”
Rescal flinched slightly, surprised by the response. But the hand caressing her face soon cupped it more firmly.
“Very well. Then it’s a fair trade.”
Yvette, hearing this, suddenly stopped crying and looked up.
“A-ah… then… then I don’t have to die?”
Rescal answered without looking away from Rasilia.
“Correct.”
“Ahh… th-thank you! Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress!”
The tears she had struggled to hold back now poured out in relief.
Serven looked at Yvette and shook his head with a troubled expression.
“However…”
Liyan stepped forward, tapping Serven’s shoulder as he passed.
He believed Rescal had made the right choice. Now that it was clear the Empress was the true consort, the Emperor should pursue her unconditionally—at least until their union was fully consummated.
But today’s events carried too much risk.
Even if they could watch over the court lady, they didn’t know anything about her. Guaranteeing her life blindly was dangerous.
“Since His Majesty has spoken, we’ll follow—but don’t you think a safety measure is necessary? If today’s events were to leak through that court lady, we’d have a serious problem. Say, if the Snake’s Head got wind of it.”
Serven, who had opposed the idea from the beginning, quickly chimed in.
“He’s right! The Knights of Saint Malik are still out there!”
