Chapter 19
I thought the original story was finished, but then
Asad’s blazing blue eyes stayed fixed on me.
It seemed the words I threw at him earlier, half as a provocation, had stirred up his competitive streak.
I brushed it off casually and looked up at the Empress.
“A favor…?”
“Just take Sir Asad with you when you spend time with the crown prince. And wouldn’t it be good for Leopold to have lots of friends? He seems to get lonely quite easily.”
She spoke as though she truly cared about Leopold.
Even though she hadn’t birthed him herself, her tone made it sound like she genuinely worried about him.
“…His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Him?”
Asad and I exchanged the same incredulous look.
Neither of us could believe what she just said.
Leopold? Easily lonely?
Not a single person in that room found that believable.
“Yes.”
“……”
The Empress answered firmly.
Asad glanced sideways at me as if asking, Do you agree with this nonsense?
I deliberately ignored him.
Clearly, the Empress didn’t understand Leopold at all.
A pebble on the roadside would feel loneliness long before Leopold ever would.
Even if he really were thirteen, that wouldn’t change—and with a mind that’s basically eighteen, it was utterly impossible.
I’d been his so‑called “comrade in mischief” for five years, and I’d never seen him show loneliness or feelings of exclusion, not once.
If anything, he detested people who tried to get close to him as “friends.”
I still remembered how careful I had to be not to overstep and get on his nerves.
Whether I thought that or not, the Empress brightened again and continued.
“So I thought it would be nice if Sir Asad spent time with you too. He’s the youngest son of the Duke of Winchester. Perfectly suited to be the prince’s close companion. Of course, I’ll make sure you’re properly compensated!”
“…Pardon?”
For a moment I couldn’t understand what she meant, and I just stared blankly up at her.
She kept smiling that bright, sugary smile.
She sounded like she was being kind, but anyone with half a brain could see through it—Asad was to be Leopold’s watcher.
That was clearly why she placed him in the ducal household.
I glanced at Asad.
He didn’t look surprised—he must’ve already been briefed before I arrived.
Sooner or later Asad would end up monitoring Leopold anyway.
Later on, when Ivelyn came to stay in the Empire, he’d be glued to her at the Empress’s orders as her guard knight.
But there was no reason for me to hasten that.
And honestly, I wanted to delay putting Leopold and Asad together for as long as possible.
Those two couldn’t be in the same room without snarling at each other. And playing referee was exhausting.
The answer was already decided, but I pretended to think about it.
“May I refuse?”
“What?”
The incredulous voice wasn’t the Empress’s—it was Asad’s.
Ignoring him, I kept my gaze on the Empress.
“If you refuse… well, there’s nothing I can do.”
She lifted her hand to her lips, as if disappointed.
So she would just let it go?
“As Empress, I’ll simply have to issue an order.”
I take back what I said—there was something she had in common with Leopold.
Their personalities were identical.
If they wanted something, they got it—by any means necessary.
If someone told me they were blood relatives, I’d believe it in an instant.
“I’m asking you, alright?”
She looked at me with icy eyes while speaking in a pretend‑gentle voice—emphasizing the word asking.
“…Yes.”
I had no choice but to hide my reluctance and reply.
Her face lit up in an instant.
“Truly? I’m delighted that Lady Tina would grant my request.”
She must’ve seen my sour expression, yet pretended not to.
Of course, what I really heard was:
Obviously. I ask politely and you think you can refuse me?
“No… It’s only proper, Your Majesty.”
There was no helping it.
Aside from the Emperor, she was the highest authority in the Empire.
When she says jump, I jump.
And she would learn soon enough that assigning a monitor to me would be pointless.
She probably hoped to use Asad and me to uncover some weakness of Leopold’s, but it was a waste of effort.
Leopold wasn’t someone you could corner easily.
He didn’t have weaknesses—and even if he did, he’d never show them in front of Asad.
Or me.
…So, really, there was nothing to worry about.
“……”
Except Asad glaring at me with that burning competitive stare.
That was going to be a colossal nuisance…
…The viscount’s house is going to be a circus for a while.
I discreetly avoided his eyes and sighed inwardly.
Why did I ever think inviting Leopold to my home was a good idea?
The crown prince of the Empire and the youngest son of the Winchester dukedom—far too grand for a mere viscount’s manor.
The place would look shabby just by having them in it.
If we’d just met somewhere in the palace, I could’ve escaped with some excuse.
But at my house, there was nowhere to run.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized—I’d dug my own grave.
“Thank you so much, Lady Tina.”
“It’s nothing, Your Majesty.”
The Empress extended her hand and I bowed slightly as I took it.
The moment our hands touched, though, I thought I saw her face twist in displeasure.
…What was that?
But in the next second she was back to her gentle expression, so I assumed I imagined it.
…Was I mistaken?
She released my hand lightly—then immediately wiped her palm on the tablecloth.
“……”
I stared, dumbfounded.
From the very first day we met, I had a feeling—
The Empress did not like me.
Partly because I was the crown prince’s friend, but also probably because, in her eyes, I didn’t meet her standards of beauty.
Then Asad slapped the empty space beside him on the sofa and grumbled:
“How long are you planning to stand there?”
“Oh, I’d rather not—”
Right. They were having tea.
Maybe she thought she was being considerate by including me, but I shook my head.
Tea time with those two would give me indigestion.
I was just about to decline when the Empress raised her teacup and spoke first.
“Yes. Lady Tina should refrain.”
“……”
“?”
As she said it, she looked me up and down, head to toe.
Asad clearly didn’t catch the implication.
But I recognized the barbed needle hidden in her words.
The Empress was obsessed with beauty—people, jewels, dishes, flowers, animals—anything beautiful, she collected.
That was why she took Asad in.
This garden, adorned only with beautiful things, was basically her harem.
She called me here today because she needed something—but she would never let me sit on her harem’s sofa.
Now that she’d gotten what she wanted, she didn’t even bother pretending.
And since I was a child, she didn’t feel the need to sugarcoat it.
The only clueless one was Asad, sitting between us with a Why call her if you’re going to send her away? look.
…I’ll get my revenge.
She’d hated me from the start, but now that no one was watching closely, she dropped the mask entirely.
Sure, I knew she resented me treating Asad like a corpse that one time, but still—being treated like this stung.
No point in standing there like a scarecrow.
I opened my mouth.
“Your Majesty, I’m not feeling well. May I take my leave?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“You’re just leaving?”
Asad’s baffled voice trailed behind me, but I ignored it.
I bowed and walked away quickly.
“Tch.”
Next time we meet, I’ll flatten that Empress’s stuck‑up nose.
Even if she kneels and begs me to join her harem, I won’t spare her a glance! Hmph!
Fuming, I marched out of the Empress’s harem.
From that day on, I threw myself into training.
I’d always trained hard, but this time—I was possessed.
I cut down my sleep, woke before dawn, and trained relentlessly.
Russell watched me with concern.
“…Did something happen at the palace?”
“…No.”
My pride wouldn’t let me answer, but he clearly knew something had.
He didn’t stop me, yet stayed close to make sure I didn’t collapse.
One day passed, then two, then three…
Soon two weeks flew by.
My body felt lighter—far faster than usual.
Even in the mirror, compared to when I visited the palace, it looked like I’d lost a good twenty percent.
…Hatred really is the greatest motivator.
