IITYVA 49

Chapter 49

“Haha, Your Grace, what a sense of humor.”

“Humor? That’s a rather disappointing way to put it.”

As’s red eyes flashed briefly with a deadly gleam.

Reading the sincerity behind that look, the emperor pressed her forehead.

“Sigh… You really lose your mind when it comes to Einra. You should get a grip if you want her to like you.”

The nightmare of the banquet—where the two had exchanged smiling jabs—was starting all over again.

I hurriedly stepped between the two and raised one hand high.

“Your Majesty! I’m tired, so I’ll take my leave first! As, let’s go!”

Before either of them could say anything, I quickly shut the carriage door.

“Go!” I shouted, and the carriage began to move slowly.

A quiet chuckle came from beside me.

When I turned, As was giggling as he looked at me.

“Were you very tired?”

“Mhm…”

Just saying yes seemed safest.

I nodded with a sheepish smile, and suddenly my body tilted.

“Then rest your eyes until we get home.”

As gently pulled me toward him and let me rest on his lap.

“I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

“…Okay.”

I replied softly and lowered my gaze.

A refined, soapy scent tickled my nose.

It was the scent of As.

‘…I think it was the same scent I noticed when I bathed before.’

My heart fluttered restlessly.

It was definitely different from what I felt around Harnen or the emperor—an unfamiliar, overwhelming feeling of excitement.

I wiggled my fingers, then shut my eyes tightly.

When I stopped moving, As must’ve assumed I’d fallen asleep. His small hand began patting my shoulder gently.

“Sleep well,” he whispered softly.

‘Idiot…’

How can I sleep when the person I like is this close?

There’s just no way.

The sound of hooves echoed as the carriage drove off.

The emperor, arms crossed, stared after it leaving the garden, then spoke.

“How long do you plan to keep standing there, my emperor friend?”

“….”

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Harnen stepped out from the corridor leading to the garden.

He walked all the way up to the emperor, sneering.

“You helped Duke Serenia sneak secretly into the imperial palace? You’re being unusually generous.”

“If a loyal vassal makes a request, shouldn’t I grant it?”

“Spare me the flimsy justifications, Your Majesty.”

Harnen growled, his smile vanishing in an instant.

“Just be honest. You want to pair Einra with Aches.”

It was the same during that four-person meeting shortly after Einra arrived in the capital.

When Harnen tried to object to Einra staying at the duke’s estate, the emperor subtly blocked him and even helped Aches by providing the tool to nullify the transformation curse so he could return to his original form.

All under the guise of preventing early rumors from spreading—even ones coming from the notoriously tight-lipped duke’s estate.

Gazing into the cold, pale blue eyes, the emperor shook her head with pity.

“Feelings don’t follow reason, my emperor friend.”

“Maybe not, but I can still pour oil on the fire.”

At those words, the emperor’s pink eyes narrowed.

“So you know.”

“….”

“You know that Einra likes Duke Serenia.”

“…But Einra doesn’t know that.”

Harnen muttered like he was chewing the words.

Though he couldn’t get rid of the image of Einra’s subtle reaction last time, he forced himself not to dwell on it.

The emperor tilted her head slowly.

“Because she doesn’t know, you don’t want her to end up with the duke?”

“….”

“That’s selfish of you, my emperor friend.”

At the emperor’s casual remark, Harnen clenched his fists tightly.

The Elberk emperor was right.

It was selfish.

If she couldn’t be his, he didn’t want her to be anyone’s. That kind of selfishness.

If that were the case, he could visit her freely whenever he wanted.

After a brief silence, Harnen finally spoke again.

“…The emperor of Elberk has no right to call me selfish.”

“Hm?”

“The reason you want Einra to be with Duke Serenia is just as selfish.”

The emperor tilted her head, as if not understanding.

Staring her down, Harnen growled in a low voice.

“You’re planning to make me emperor of Belzesti, aren’t you?”

“….”

“If Einra ends up with me, Elberk will lose its Spirit Master. So you’re trying to tie her to your close ally, Duke Serenia.”

The emperor clapped her hands lightly, a wry smile on her red lips.

“My emperor friend is sharp as ever.”

Her soft pink eyes curled coldly.

“And that’s exactly why I’m worried. Even if you become emperor of Belzesti one day, I hope you won’t forget the favor done for you here.”

“…You…”

“As I said earlier, people’s hearts don’t move the way we want.”

The emperor stepped forward, whispering in Harnen’s ear.

“If Einra gives her heart to you, I’ll gladly step aside and just watch.”

“….”

“All I can do is pour oil on the fire, after all.”

Whether she truly meant it or was just confident it would never happen—Harnen couldn’t tell.

He said nothing.

The emperor, taking a step back, gave her usual lazy smile and spoke again.

“Well then, off you go. You’ll need rest if you’re attending tomorrow’s banquet too.”

A clear dismissal. Harnen ground his teeth.

He bowed stiffly toward the emperor.

“…Then I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”

He climbed into the last remaining black carriage.

The modest vehicle, its curtains drawn, vanished into the darkness with the sound of hooves.

Finally, the last day of the banquet!

‘Just survive today…!’

Clinging to that single thought, I smiled and laughed with the nobles surrounding me.

Thankfully, ever since the first day, the emperor occasionally helped extract me from the crowd, making things a bit more bearable.

With her help, I managed to escape to a corner of the hall and quietly nibbled on some canapés, sneaking glances a little farther away.

‘Harnen still hasn’t looked over once today…’

He used to make eye contact with me every five minutes without fail.

Feeling dejected, I looked away—only to lock eyes with a pair of golden irises staring right at me.

‘Huh? That person…’

A man with long, sky-blue hair and golden eyes.

His face looked familiar, and just as I tilted my head in thought—

He smiled brightly and strode over.

“Hello, Einra.”

“Ah… Hello.”

Dealing with unfamiliar people was always a struggle for me.

I smiled awkwardly and returned the greeting, and the man cautiously asked,

“Do you remember me? We met by chance on the terrace the first night of the banquet.”

“Oh, that time…!”

The memory finally became clear.

‘Right—I saved someone’s life that day!’

Feeling proud, I smiled brightly. The man blushed a little and spoke.

“I’ve wanted to see you again, but I got into an argument with my father…”

Behind him, a figure suddenly caught my eye.

Bright blue hair, soft pink eyes just like the emperor’s.

‘…That’s clearly Duke Baharman!’

A chill ran down my spine at the villain’s piercing gaze.

Without thinking, I grabbed the man’s arm.

“Let’s move somewhere else.”

“…Okay.”

His response was shy, but I didn’t even notice—my full attention was fixed on Duke Baharman.

I dragged the man with me until we were in a quiet corner out of the duke’s sight. Only then did I let out a breath and release his arm.

‘Phew…’

Finally, we were far enough away.

Now that I could think clearly, I could assess what I’d just done.

‘Why did I drag him over here…?’

All I wanted was to avoid Baharman’s gaze, and now here we were.

‘I was just trying to get a break from the nobles thanks to the emperor’s help—how did it come to this…?’

My head throbbed.