“Ah… I was told it was all right for me to take a walk.”
‘How did I not sense her presence?’
It was strange.
Normally, his senses became even sharper after an attack.
Karion relaxed the tension between his brows.
“It’s rather early.”
“I usually wake up early.”
Without another word, Karion abruptly turned and walked away. Leah quickly followed after him.
“Your Highness!”
Just as she was about to catch up with him, he suddenly stopped and turned around, nearly causing the two of them to collide.
Karion quickly caught Leah by the wrist as she staggered backward.
Once she regained her balance, an awkward silence lingered between them for a moment.
Karion released her and asked,
“…I heard there are two princesses in Zephyrus. Which one are you?”
“I’m the only princess of Zephyrus.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
“There’s only me now.”
The information Karion knew about the Kingdom of Zephyrus was several years old.
‘What happened in the meantime?’
“I need to take a walk alone right now. I would appreciate it if you could give me some space.”
“…All right. I won’t bother you.”
After Leah left the inner courtyard, Karion turned around.
He looked down at his hand, clenching and unclenching it.
What had that sensation been?
The moment he grabbed her wrist, a refreshing energy had enveloped his entire body, making it easier to breathe.
Had it merely been his imagination?
Karion forcibly suppressed the urge to chase after Leah and grab her again.
The delegation from the Kingdom of Zephyrus arrived at the Resonance Fortress of Poema, one of the military encampments in the northeastern region of the Empire.
Accompanied by the guards directly under the Grand Commander who had come out to meet them from a distance, they quietly entered the fortress.
Only a few members of the delegation were escorted to the commander’s residence and allowed to meet Leah.
“Princess!”
“Penny!”
The two embraced each other, sharing the joy of their reunion.
“You’ve been through a lot, Penny. It’s your first time coming this far after leaving the kingdom, isn’t it?”
“Is my hardship what matters? You’re the one who’s doing this for the first time.”
“Hm? Ah… Right. It’s my first time too.”
“You’re all right, aren’t you? You didn’t encounter any trouble while coming all the way here alone, did you?”
“I’m perfectly healthy, and I’ve been doing well here too. I left a letter saying you didn’t need to worry about me.”
“One little letter isn’t enough! I thought my heart was going to burn up from worry the entire journey here.”
Leah gently comforted Penny as she poured out her grievances, then turned toward Kasim.
Seeing him, who seemed to have aged ten years in the meantime, Leah felt sorry.
Kasim let out a deep sigh before speaking.
“I can only thank the gods for allowing me to see you safe and sound, Princess. If you find me unpleasant to look at, please ask His Majesty to dismiss me. I would rather withdraw in disgrace than commit the disloyalty of failing to protect you.”
“What are you talking about? You are the sword and shield of our royal family and our kingdom. Do you know how much I trust and rely on you? I only went ahead with this because I trusted you.”
“I’m truly relieved to hear that you at least realize you’ve caused quite a stir.”
Leah smiled brightly and slipped her arm through Kasim’s arm, just as she used to when she was young.
Kasim tried to maintain a stern expression, but his features had already softened.
“Princess. Did you manage to take care of the important matter that required you to come to Poema first?”
“Ah, that…”
Leah smiled sheepishly.
“It’s still in progress. I’m sorry for acting on my own.”
“His Majesty entrusted the entire mission of this delegation to you, Princess. We are merely here to follow your lead.”
If it weren’t for Leah, the Kingdom of Zephyrus would have met a miserable end.
For that reason, Kasim had no objections whatsoever to Leah being the representative of the delegation entrusted with a mission that would determine the fate of their kingdom.
“Sir. There’s something I need your help with.”
“Just give me your orders.”
“Request an audience with His Highness the Imperial Prince and arrange a meeting. However, I’ll be going alone.”
Karion headed toward the conference room with only three of his closest aides.
He had been told that the Zephyrus delegation had requested an audience, so he had to meet them at least once.
But this would be the first and last time.
“As soon as the audience is over, assign a few soldiers to escort the entire delegation to the capital.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The moment Karion opened the conference room door and stepped inside, he stopped.
Rustle—
A gentle breeze brushed against his face and passed by.
A sense of déjà vu washed over him.
He had definitely experienced something similar recently.
Just as he had then, he turned his head in the direction of the wind.
For a moment, Karion’s brows twitched.
The Zephyrus princess stood where his gaze had landed.
She had been sitting alone at the table, but now she rose to her feet.
“Your Highness. The King of Zephyrus has entrusted me with everything concerning this delegation. I am the delegation.”
Karion glared at her with an uncomfortable expression before walking inside and taking the seat opposite her.
His adjutant Cedric, intelligence officer Orbin, and captain of the guard Luke entered with him and stood at an appropriate distance.
“I have only one thing to say to the representative of the Zephyrus delegation. I will provide an escort to ensure that you arrive safely at the imperial capital.”
“Will Your Highness be accompanying us?”
“I will not.”
Karion answered quickly. He had no intention of giving that princess any room for misunderstanding.
“Do you truly mean that you will have absolutely no involvement in the journey of the Kingdom of Zephyrus to present its flag to His Majesty the Emperor?”
“I made my position clear to the princess, and I have no intention of changing it.”
“The Kingdom of Zephyrus has symbolic value. Our becoming a vassal state would complete the glory of the great Empire. If Your Highness acts as the mediator, it would become a tremendous achievement for you. Surely you know that.”
“I already made myself clear. Accomplishing great deeds is of no interest to me.”
“Then please answer me precisely. Are you saying that you would rather give up such an achievement than marry me?”
Karion flinched for a moment at the force in Leah’s voice.
But—
He had no intention of earning achievements.
He did not want to catch the Emperor’s eye, nor did he want to attract attention.
Karion had no attachment whatsoever even to his position as Grand Commander of the Northeast.
He had only accepted the position because he knew that if he held nothing, people from every direction would come rushing to tear him apart.
That was what being one of the Emperor’s five imperial princes was like when no clear heir had been designated.
All he had to do was answer, ‘Yes.’
It was the best way to end this troublesome war of nerves.
Yet despite knowing that, the words would not come out of his throat.
He couldn’t shake the memory of encountering her in the inner courtyard at dawn.
What had that strange sensation been?
Would he be able to figure it out if he grabbed her arm again?
“…It has nothing to do with marriage.”
Leah thought his words made no sense.
‘He really doesn’t want to earn achievements? If he isn’t interested in power, then why do his words and actions contradict each other? He’s obviously going to do his job well.’
Ten years later, the future of the Empire’s northeastern region that Leah knew had been stable and well managed, unlike the southwest, where rebellions had broken out several times.
In the Northeast, the Grand Commander was an object of awe, regardless of the eccentric nicknames outsiders had given him.
That was why Enoch, who eventually became Emperor, had killed him.
There had been signs that the Grand Commander of the Northeast’s reputation was beginning to threaten the Emperor’s authority.
“You simply have no intention of accomplishing anything… That’s reckless and selfish.”
Gasp.
The three men standing behind the prince unconsciously drew startled breaths.
“If it’s an achievement you can obtain simply by reaching out your hand, does refusing it really make you proud? Is it merely self-satisfaction?”
“Princess.”
“If I join hands with another prince, then whatever benefit that prince gains is something Your Highness loses. And you won’t be the only one who loses. The people serving you will lose as well. Someone in the position of Grand Commander of the Northeast isn’t alone. You should think about the people whose fates are tied to yours.”
Karion spoke in a frigid tone.
“The princess has no fear.”
“They say there are three kinds of people who are the worst when placed above others. The first is a coward. The second is someone who refuses to listen to honest advice.”
Bang!
Karion slammed his hand against the table and rose to his feet.
As he stormed out of the conference room, Cedric hurried after him.
Orbin watched him leave and thought,
‘How strange. His Highness actually reacted that emotionally.’
Leah let out a deep sigh and pressed both hands against her forehead.
Her disheveled hair slipped through her fingers.
‘Sigh. I came here to persuade him, but I only made him angrier.’
“May I ask you one question?”
Leah raised her head and turned her gaze toward the particularly large man.
Luke asked bluntly,
“You said there were three worst kinds of people. What’s the third?”
“Ah… I don’t know. I just said the first thing that came to mind. I suppose I should think of the other one too…”
Orbin stared at her incredulously before he finally let out a snort of laughter.
“Can I ask something too? Does His Highness have a lover?”
“He has no such thing.”
Orbin was about to say something with his lips to Luke, who had answered without hesitation, but then simply closed his mouth.
“Ah! Then… does he perhaps like men?”
“Absolutely not!”
Orbin answered with a completely serious expression.
