♧ Chapter 8 ♧
Leopoldt had already checked his wristwatch five times.
He was supposed to meet Regina at 2:00 PM.
No matter how many times he thought about it, it wasn’t 2:00 AM, and it wasn’t yesterday or tomorrow. It was today.
Yet three whole hours had passed, and Regina still hadn’t appeared.
Did she stand me up…?
With a disappointed expression, Leopoldt looked down at the bouquet in his hands.
Just like skin burning under Trovancha’s blazing sun, the flowers looked as if they would wilt at any moment.
He let out a deep sigh.
“Ha…”
That day, he had been certain they had both felt the same spark between them.
Surely he hadn’t imagined the overwhelming emotions blooming inside his heart.
“Do you happen to have a fiancée or a wife?”
Leopoldt didn’t know much about women, but even he knew that a woman wouldn’t ask a man such a question if she had absolutely no interest in him.
That was why, despite Marius standing right beside him, he had gathered the courage to ask Regina out.
“Then let’s meet again three days later at two o’clock, at the same café.”
Maybe…
Maybe she had only agreed because Liliana had suddenly burst into tears and everything became chaotic.
Maybe everything had simply been his own misunderstanding.
Maybe she had never been interested in him at all.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, all the strength drained from his body, and a heavy wave of sadness washed over him.
At the same time, he felt he had waited long enough.
Continuing to wait for someone who wasn’t coming would only become a burden to them.
With slumped shoulders, he returned to the inn.
“Why are you back so early? Did she reject you?”
Marius looked up from packing his luggage, his eyes widening in surprise.
Among everyone, he had been the one who supported his friend—and brother-in-law’s—first love the most.
“…She stood me up.”
Not rejected…
She hadn’t even come.
Feeling sorry for his friend, Marius tried to comfort him.
“You’ve only met her once anyway.”
“Whether it was once or ten times doesn’t matter. What matters is that my heart burned for her.”
Marius quietly studied his friend.
Leopoldt was normally expressionless and reserved.
But right now, he looked like a sensitive teenage boy experiencing heartbreak for the first time.
While Marius searched for words to comfort him, Leopoldt quietly composed himself before asking calmly,
“Today’s the day, right?”
“The Trovanchan officials will be here soon to escort us.”
Since the two of them had entered Trovancia earlier than expected, the Trovanchan government had recommended they move from the inn to a hotel for security reasons.
The summit was only a few days away, so Marius had accepted the offer.
Leopoldt had packed his luggage early that morning before leaving to meet Regina.
He gently placed the bouquet aside and moved his bags toward the entrance.
Then he asked,
“By the way… why did François Cassel come to Trovancia so early? He was supposed to come here later for the Soul Oath.”
“He said he had business.”
“I’m curious what kind of business. I have a bad feeling about it.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s personal. Or maybe he wanted to study Ability Users while he was here.”
Marius casually continued stuffing clothes into his luggage.
Leopoldt, busy staring at his now-useless bouquet, didn’t notice anything strange.
“I suppose that’s possible. Since getting permission to enter Trovancia isn’t easy, he probably decided to handle everything at once.”
Just then—
Knock. Knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
The government official had arrived.
While Marius hurriedly shoved the last few clothes into his bag, Leopoldt walked over and opened the door.
Standing outside was a woman wearing a neat business suit.
She had long black hair and wore leather boots instead of heels, giving off a cool and composed aura.
“I’m Leopoldt von Baltrachen. And over there is—”
“I’m Marius. Nice to meet you.”
Marius immediately walked over with his usual cheerful smile and extended his hand.
The woman’s deep blue eyes briefly looked at his hand before accepting the handshake.
“My name is Aliche Berkio. I’m a Superintendent from the Maritime Police Security Bureau of Trovancia. I’ll be responsible for your protection during your stay.”
Despite her cold appearance, her voice was clear and refreshing.
If you listened carefully, there was even a faint gentleness hidden within it.
A strange light flickered through Marius’s eyes before disappearing.
Using his usual playful tone, he asked,
“Are you Regina’s older sister?”
The unexpected name made Aliche blink in surprise.
“I only asked just in case… so you really are family. What a coincidence.”
“You know my sisters?”
“Of course. We happened to meet them, and they kindly guided us around for a day.”
For a brief moment, Marius wondered whether he should mention that Regina had almost gone on a date with Leopoldt.
In the end, he decided there was no point stirring up unnecessary trouble.
Still, his gaze naturally drifted toward Leopoldt.
The moment Leopoldt had heard the surname Berkio, he had visibly become more nervous than usual.
“You even have the same eyes. Ah, come inside. We’re still packing.”
Marius forced the overstuffed suitcase shut.
Curious, Aliche asked,
“I heard your attendants will arrive on the scheduled date. Have you experienced any inconvenience?”
“It’s a little inconvenient, but I actually like it. When else would I get the chance to walk around without everyone watching me? Maybe being Emperor just doesn’t suit me.”
He winked playfully while somehow managing to close the bulging suitcase.
Leopoldt quietly observed Aliche.
Her slim frame hid well-trained muscles.
There was a sword resting at her waist.
Her speech was refined.
Her posture was perfectly straight.
Unlike the Empire, Trovancia had no nobility.
Yet somehow…
She seemed even more noble than the Empire’s aristocrats.
She carried herself with undeniable dignity.
Always cautious about security, Leopoldt asked,
“Did you come alone?”
“I’m more than enough on my own.”
“Ah… I wasn’t questioning your abilities. If I offended you, I apologize. I was simply wondering why a maritime police officer would personally handle this assignment.”
“Trovancia is a small island nation. The Maritime Police hold more authority than the regular police here. Besides, we couldn’t exactly assign soldiers to escort the two of you.”
After confirming Marius had finished preparing, Aliche added,
“I’m a direct descendant of the Berkio family.”
The Berkio family was one of Trovancia’s most prestigious political families.
They had produced countless politicians, and whenever war broke out, every direct family member—regardless of gender—joined the front lines.
Although many branch families also carried the Berkio name, being part of the direct bloodline held a completely different weight.
In other words…
Trovancia had sent a direct member of the Berkio family to escort the Emperor alone as a gesture of utmost respect.
“If you’re ready, we’ll leave now.”
The three of them boarded a carriage headed toward the hotel.
Silence filled the carriage.
The one who finally broke it wasn’t the stiff Leopoldt or the quiet Aliche.
It was Marius.
“How’s Liliana doing?”
“You know Liliana too?”
“Of course. We’re pretty close. Didn’t you know?”
“If you’re asking about Liliana… she’s been hospitalized because of a high fever these past few days. Regina and another one of my sisters are taking turns looking after her.”
“Ah.”
Leopoldt let out a quiet gasp without realizing it.
Maybe…
Regina hadn’t missed their meeting because she disliked him.
Maybe she simply couldn’t come because of her little sister.
Hope instantly returned to his face.
Marius secretly smiled before continuing.
“Is she very sick?”
“When I saw her this morning, she seemed better. But her fever comes back every night, so it’s difficult to say. More importantly… did you enjoy sightseeing in Trovancia?”
“Of course. They say Trovancia is full of beautiful women, and it turns out it’s completely true. You’ve made things very difficult for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I planned to choose a political marriage based purely on politics. But everyone here is so beautiful that it’s making my decision difficult.”
Although he spoke jokingly, neither the meaning behind his words nor the look in his eyes was lighthearted.
Aliche was slightly surprised by the information but calmly replied,
“I heard the Soul Oath was being prepared as part of the peace agreement. I didn’t expect you to be considering a political marriage as well.”
“The Soul Oath only lasts as long as the representatives of the Empire and Trovancia remain alive. But when two bloodlines become one…”
“…that alliance lasts for generations.”
His voice was cool, like standing beneath a tree’s shade on a hot summer day.
Mixing truth with playful humor, Marius asked,
“I actually came here early to find someone from an influential political family for a political marriage. What do you think, Aliche? Do you have anyone you’d recommend?”
One of Aliche’s eyebrows rose slightly.
Her icy eyes, like frozen ice beneath rough ocean waves, looked straight at Marius.
“Do you have any specific conditions for the woman you’re looking for?”
“I’m planning to make the proposal without any advance notice, so she’d need to share my way of thinking. Someone from a respected political family would be ideal. And…”
His smiling eyes looked playful.
The curve of his lips was carefree.
Yet the atmosphere surrounding him felt completely different.
It was like standing before a wild beast ready to tear its prey apart the moment they looked away.
Only a man who had climbed to the throne through rivers of his brothers’ blood could possess such overwhelming pressure.
“I think you’d be a good choice too, Aliche. What do you think?”
Aliche’s eyelid twitched ever so slightly.
From the very beginning…
The Emperor had been aiming for her.
A direct descendant of Trovancia’s greatest political family.
A woman capable of bringing powerful Ability User blood into the Imperial family.
There were only a handful of people like her in all of Trovancia.
A small smile slowly appeared on Aliche’s lips.
Unlike the gentle older sister she was to her siblings…
She was not an easy woman to deal with.
Someone soft-hearted could never have become a Superintendent at such a young age.
“Well… I suppose that depends on what you can offer me.”
