CHAPTER 10
“There’s no sign of anyone else nearby or inside the room.”
So that’s what he was checking while being so quiet?
“Well, that’s a relief. I was starting to wonder if the Emperor had something suspicious going on.”
I thought he might have planted someone to keep watch.
At my words, he closed his eyes gently.
He always seemed carefree, but in moments like this, he was truly reliable.
“Yes… it’s nice. I can’t hear anything outside the door either.”
I jumped onto the bed.
Hugging the blanket tightly, I muttered softly.
“The Imperial Palace really is beautiful. It was worth the long carriage ride.”
“Instead of abusing that poor blanket, would you like to come over here?”
I ignored Kisschel and buried my face in the blanket.
“Shall I have someone bring tea?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Looking around the room, I noticed our luggage was still unpacked and lifted my head.
Now that I think about it, this isn’t the time to rest.
With just my head raised and my body still sunk into the bed, I said:
“I’m going to take a walk in the garden, so go fetch my new shoes.”
“Shoes? You looked like you were about to fall into an untimely nap just now… Alright, I’ll get them.”
“Thanks.”
Might as well take in some of the palace atmosphere while I’m at it.
There was no time to lounge around taking naps.
I swung my legs off the bed.
Kisschel knelt and helped me put on the shoes.
“Why the sudden rush? You could wait a bit and head out with me.”
“Actually, I planned to slip out while you were unpacking. I want to look around the palace a bit.”
“…Sometimes I wonder what’s going on inside your head, my lady. If you’d permit me, may I knock on it a little?”
Feels like you’re just trying to boss me around.
Ignoring him, I pushed myself up with my arms.
Stretching wide, I couldn’t help but laugh at his comment.
“You can knock anytime you want. I wouldn’t deny my dear friend that much. But the day you do, you’ll be getting thrown out with nothing on.”
“If you’d said I’d be tossed out in my underwear, I might have tried it. But completely naked? That’s a no.”
Laughing at Kisschel’s playful voice, I quickly left the room.
The imperial palace’s rear garden valued harmony.
“It really is extravagant.”
The mixture of floral scents tickling my nose created a perfect blend of sweetness, and the colorful arrangements were more stunning than I’d imagined.
Standing alone in the garden, I slowly followed a well-kept path.
The clean stone walkway left no mark on my brand-new white shoes.
Just then, birdsong reached my ears.
“Are there birds here?”
The palace was warded so that nothing—be it people or creatures—could enter without permission.
That included even birds flying in the sky.
They must be birds kept and released by the palace itself.
As if confirming my guess, their melodious song was lovely to hear.
“I should get a few birds released in our estate too.”
And more flowers—more would be nice.
After all, it would soon be my estate.
I should be able to shape it however I want.
As I looked up at the clear sky, someone’s face suddenly came to mind.
“Since I’m here in the capital, I should visit the temple.”
I still didn’t know why he had been in the duchy’s temple last time, but the Pope was supposed to reside in the capital’s temple anyway.
He’s the divine representative—better not to question it too much.
After walking a bit further, I sensed people nearby and tilted my head.
“Who could that be?”
They seemed like nobles visiting the palace.
I could hear the mixed voices of about five people.
Lowering my footsteps, I crept toward the voices.
Two men and three women.
Peeking subtly from the corner of my eye, I saw a group seated around a tea table.
‘They’re real nobles.’
Seeing unfamiliar nobles made my eyes sparkle.
Their voices drifted toward me on the wind.
“Marilde family’s parties are always so elegant and splendid.”
“Second only to the imperial ones, honestly.”
“Haha. I’ll be sure to invite you again next time.”
I hid behind a tree and eavesdropped like a little mouse.
Their extravagant outfits and exaggerated tones made me want to shout, “This is exactly what I was looking for!”
I’d always wondered how other nobles spoke amongst themselves.
“But during the last party, did you see how the second son of the Maldon viscount family was dressed?”
“You mean the one in the navy uniform?”
“Yes, that one.”
“Of course I remember. The sleeves were all worn out… tsk. I thought that uniform looked familiar—it must’ve been handed down from his older brother.”
The conversation took a turn I didn’t expect, making my enthusiasm deflate like a popped balloon.
‘High society is terrifying.’
Feeling sorry for the second son being talked about, I straightened my slouched back.
It felt like I had just peeked into the ugliest page of the gossip rags commoners whispered about.
‘I’ve heard enough.’
Not all nobles are like that—surely some have meaningful conversations.
That’s when it happened.
Just as I turned to leave, something white entered my field of vision.
Before I could react, thud—I bumped into someone.
“Oops.”
My hair became tousled from the impact, and I instinctively stepped back.
An unknown arm wrapped swiftly around my waist.
Startled by the touch, I looked up quickly. All I could see was a jawline sharp like a sculpture.
Lifting my chin a little more, I finally met eyes with the man in the white uniform I had collided with.
Without thinking, my lips pressed into a straight line.
The first thing I noticed was his soft, wavy honey-blonde hair.
Gold hair was as rare in the Empire as black, and I’d never seen it in person before.
But that rare hair wasn’t the most striking thing. His handsome face captivated me.
His soft eyes were framed by long golden lashes that cast shadows on his flawless cheeks with every blink.
And beneath them—his deep, blue eyes sparkled like a lake on a clear summer day.
I found myself mesmerized.
‘He’s beautiful.’
Following the sharp line of his jaw down his neck, I caught a glimpse of his collarbone beneath the uniform.
The man, who had been quietly watching me, finally spoke.
“Ah.”
A low, meaningful exclamation escaped his red lips.
As our eyes met, his lips curled slightly.
Then, in a gentle voice, he bent down to meet my gaze.
With a lovely eye smile, he whispered:
“You look like someone I know.”
As he leaned closer, I could feel his breath.
“Should I pretend not to recognize you again?”
His eyes curved like crescent moons.
And in that moment—
My mind went completely blank.
My face cracked like shattered glass.
“Should I pretend not to recognize you again?”
His words echoed in my ears as my heart began to race uncontrollably.
It’s him.
That man.
The one who spoke to me that night in the dark.
It’s you.
I placed my hand on the arm wrapped around my waist.
It felt like the pounding of my heart might be heard from outside.
His solid arm was firm under my hand.
He looked at me, and I looked up at him.
An overwhelming silence filled the air.
Or maybe I was the only one who felt it that way.
Because I remembered everything about that night:
The atmosphere, the scent of the grass, the pain that felt like my feet were being sliced open, that mysterious voice from the darkness…
I hadn’t forgotten a single detail.
It was the night I had been caught doing something that no one—absolutely no one—should ever know about.
For the past two months since that night, I had replayed it in my head thousands of times.
I’d even tried to find the man who had spoken to me that night.
It didn’t seem impossible—he was probably a knight. I thought it’d be easy enough to identify him among those who traveled the forest at night near the duchy.
At first, I was tense but oddly confident.
But as the days passed, nothing turned up.
And every time I hit a dead end, his voice would echo in my head like a haunting refrain:
“You look like someone I know.”
If he truly knew me, then what happened that night was beyond dangerous.
Yet a month passed. Then two.
Nothing happened.
Whether that was lucky or not—I still couldn’t say.
It was like living with a bomb strapped to your chest, never knowing when it would explode.
