HSDOE 09

9. Each Other’s Vows

The floor was hard, but the thick carpet was soft. It seemed she had fallen asleep without realizing it.

“Ah… I must’ve dozed off. What time is it now?”

Bathed in the faint morning light, Rasilia blinked and looked around for a clock. It was just before six o’clock.

“Ah, I should go back.”

As Rasilia rustled to her feet, the parrot sleeping on the perch also blinked awake.

“Ahem. I am Shuraiden the First! Good morning!”

“Yes, good morning. Thanks to you, I made it through the night safely. I’ll see you again.”

“You’re most welcome! Good morning!”

“Goodbye, Duke. Take care.”

Rasilia left Shuraiden I’s room, closed the door behind her, and descended the stairs. Fortunately, she didn’t run into anyone on her way down the entire North Tower.

But she wasn’t heading toward the Empress’s Palace.

“…”

As the blue bird had instructed, she opened a small hidden door behind a wall-mounted painting. The moment she stepped through, she instinctively felt something was wrong.

“Your Majesty the Empress…?”

The room that had been empty on her way in was now filled with palace guards and court attendants.

“Ah, ha… I got lost…”

Her feeble excuse was drowned out by a soldier’s shout.

“We’ve found Her Majesty the Empress!”

* * *

‘This excuse won’t work.’

Rasilia slightly regretted her decision from the previous night.

‘I must’ve made a poor decision in the heat of the moment. I wasn’t thinking straight.’

She had assumed it wouldn’t be a big problem since the Emperor had fallen asleep first. After all, she had kept her promise and left word that she would return to the Empress’s Palace.

She hadn’t expected the entire imperial palace would be thrown into an uproar the moment he woke up looking for her.

‘Didn’t they say he used to just let it go if the Empress claimed to be sick…? I thought it’d be like that again.’

Seeing how many guards were now stationed at the Empress’s Palace, it was a miracle the previous Empress had managed to avoid him for so long.

‘There’s no point in trying to avoid him anymore.’

And one thing became clear.

Empress Cartagena must have truly hated making contact with the Emperor—enough to risk all this danger.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress has arrived.”

Despite her chaotic thoughts, Rasilia eventually arrived at the Empress’s bedchamber, now surrounded by three times the number of guards as yesterday.

“Let her in.”

Creak—

The doors opened wide.

The Emperor stood inside the room, still dressed in the elaborate garments he had worn the night before.

Or rather, the outfit was still extravagant, but now it looked anything but. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were wrinkled. His eyes were bloodshot, and there were dark shadows beneath them.

Rasilia swallowed dryly.

‘…He’s kind of scary.’

The Emperor’s intense presence had always made people uneasy for no clear reason.

But now, it wasn’t just unease—it was suffocating. Even the two shadow knights behind him, glaring at her like they wanted to tear her apart, were nothing in comparison.

“I got lost. Embarrassingly enough.”

Rasilia was the first to speak. She feared she might lose her nerve if she let the tension take over.

“…”

Step.

The Emperor said nothing, simply began walking toward her. His footsteps echoed more loudly than she had ever heard before.

“I couldn’t sleep… I wandered around, hoping something might jog my memory. But it didn’t.”

“…”

Step.

He was getting closer.

She felt like he might grab her any moment. Rasilia instinctively glanced over her shoulder as if seeking an escape route.

“It was my carelessness… I’ve caused unnecessary worry. I apologize.”

“…”

Step.

At last, he stopped walking. The Emperor was standing right in front of her.

“I don’t understand.”

He finally spoke, his bloodshot eyes reflecting her image.

“Why did you run? You were the one who first expressed intent to share my bed.”

“…What?”

At first, she thought she’d misheard.

“Share your bed…? When did I ever—?”

“But you ran. After drugging me.”

So he knew the fruit had been the problem. Her heart skipped a beat, but Rasilia shook her head firmly.

“Your Majesty, I believe you’re mistaken. I never meant to suggest sharing your bed.”

“And now you lie.”

The red-gold eyes narrowed with a sharp hiss of breath.

“Of all the things you’ve done until now, this one was the lowest. I was just thinking how I couldn’t possibly forgive you for today…”

Suddenly, the Emperor pulled her into a tight embrace.

Rasilia flailed in surprise.

“Ugh—Your Majesty!”

“Now that I see your face… it’s strange. I’m no longer angry.”

“…”

“It’s strange.”

“…”

Just as the Emperor kept repeating how strange it felt, Rasilia also found it strange.

His embrace was so tight it felt like she couldn’t breathe, yet she couldn’t bring herself to push him away.

‘He looks… so desperate.’

That part, she understood. He didn’t have much time left. That was why he was desperate.

But even so, it was a problem that she found herself pitying a man who might one day try to kill her.

‘You know this isn’t where you belong. There’s nothing you can do for him.’

Now was the time to speak. There was no benefit to dragging things out. More than anything, Rasilia feared she might one day feel something more than pity for the Emperor—just like the prophecy had said.

“Your Majesty.”

When Rasilia finally spoke, Rescal drew in a breath.

“Don’t tell me to let go. I won’t.”

“That’s not it… I have something to say.”

“Say it like this.”

Feeling both uncomfortable and guilty, Rasilia spoke.

“I am not your destined partner.”

* * *

“What?”

“What did you say?”

It wasn’t the Emperor who responded first, but the shadow knights. Their faces quickly cycled through surprise, despair, rage, and disbelief.

But only for a moment.

“So you’ve finally decided to be honest.”

Shrrk.

Liyan unsheathed his sword. The expression on the other knight’s face was just as threatening, even without a weapon.

‘So much for honesty.’

Rasilia had expected this. She was less surprised than she could’ve been. A chill ran down her spine, but it wasn’t enough to make her afraid.

“Put down your sword. What nonsense are you spouting?”

Rescal stepped between them, blocking the knights with his back.

Rasilia calmly continued speaking to Rescal.

“I am not Your Majesty’s fated partner. Because I’ve lost my memory.”

“…”

Whether or not that argument would work, even Rasilia didn’t know. But right now, it was her best option.

“A destined partner is someone tied by fate from the moment of birth. But to me, Your Majesty is still a stranger. I know nothing about you. I feel nothing for you. Every time you come near, I feel awkward and afraid. How can such a relationship be called fate?”

Rescal slowly repeated her words.

“…You feel nothing.”

“I only learned about ‘contact’ from the maids. Someone like me can’t be of any help to Your Majesty.”

“So what?”

“As I said before, I need time. Things will change once I regain my memory.”

“Once you regain your memory, you say.”

Rescal tilted his chin in thought.

The next moment, he grabbed Rasilia’s hand. Then, with a twist of her wrist, he laced his fingers tightly with hers.

Their hands were now completely clasped.

“If you want me to give you time, then you must swear something to me.”

Holding hands like this at such close distance wasn’t as uncomfortable or difficult as she had expected. That was what made it so unsettling.

“What kind of vow?”

“A vow that when you regain your memory, you will return to me as my fated partner.”

The word “vow” carried weight. For a prophet, a vow meant far more than it did for most.

But she could accept it.

She had never lost her memory—so she couldn’t regain it.

It was a vow she could never be forced to fulfill.

“I swear.”

“Then I will grant you the time you desire.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Rescal drew her hand toward his lips.

The next moment, he pressed a soft kiss to her hand. It was more disconcerting than a kiss on the cheek. A kiss like this, while staring directly into her eyes—it was unmistakably unfamiliar.

With his lips still touching the back of her hand, Rescal continued.

“During that time, I will do everything I can to bring back your memory.”

“…”

* * *

“That’s it? How can that be acceptable, Your Majesty?!”

Liyan couldn’t accept the situation.

“She drugged Your Majesty! And you’re saying you’ll let the Empress off without any punishment? Absolutely not!”

Serben joined in.

“I feel the same, Your Majesty. This is different from her previous misdeeds…”

“It’s completely different!”

Liyan couldn’t contain his anger and stomped the floor.

Ever since they returned from the Empress’s Palace—no, ever since the Emperor kissed the Empress while speaking of vows—he had been dying to object.

But Rescal was different.

As he had said, the moment the Empress returned, he had forgotten his anger. In fact, a different emotion had taken hold.

Anxiety.

He never wanted to go through the fear of losing her again. Instead of wasting energy on anger, he needed to find a way to keep her close.

“You’re all mistaken. I was the one who ate the sleeping fruit.”

“…What? You ate it yourself, Your Majesty?”

“She never told me to eat it. She said she wanted to try it herself.”

“Wait—so you took it from her and ate it instead?”

“It was an unfamiliar fruit. It could’ve harmed her.”

“That’s…!”

Liyan could no longer speak and simply opened and closed his mouth.

Strangely, Rescal’s words made him sound like a lovesick fool who would rather harm himself than see the Empress in pain.

“And… did it harm you, Your Majesty?”

“I’m not saying I forgot that she tried to knock me out and escape.”

Thud!

Rescal removed the cloak from his shoulders and let it fall at his feet. The fact that he only now thought to take it off showed he’d been completely out of sorts all night.

“I’m saying that making her vow was more effective than punishing her.”

“How is that possible? The Empress will just pretend to have amnesia as long as she wants.”

“Then we’ll just have to find proof that she hasn’t lost her memory. Even something small.”

Rescal ran a hand through his hair.

Strangely, he looked as if he were smiling.

“Then she’ll no longer be able to reject me. She swore.”

“…”

“…”

The shadow knights fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

“That may be true… But finding proof she hasn’t lost her memory won’t be easy. We can’t monitor her twenty-four hours a day.”

Rescal cut Serben off.

“Why not?”

“…What?”

“I said, why can’t we monitor her all day?”

“Well, that would mean someone has to be with her constantly—”

Rescal interrupted again, as if this had been his true intention all along, his face clearly smiling now.

“I’ll do it.”