Chapter 19
(19) I Will Protect Your Majesty (11)
“How did you know?”
“People who constantly do bad things tend to assume others do the same.”
“Then… you too, Master…?”
Caron trailed off there, but Eleanor knew what would have followed.
“You mean, because I suspect others, I must be doing bad things too?”
“…Yes.”
Eleanor gave a small smile.
“That’s right. I’m the same. If there are enemies targeting me, then I have to become just as ruthless. Otherwise, not only would I struggle to survive, but the people around me would be harmed too.”
“Do you live among many enemies?”
“For now.”
Eleanor let out a short sigh.
“I used to think I didn’t. But I let my guard down, and someone stabbed me in the back.”
“Who betrayed you, Master?”
“Why? If I tell you, are you going to go hit them for me?”
“I’ll bring you their head.”
“Forget it. There are too many heads that need cutting. And doing that won’t earn you your freedom.”
“…Then when will I earn it?”
Eleanor turned away from the map and faced Caron. Staring quietly into his deep green eyes, she could still see the lingering menace and hostility in them. If freed, that freedom would only become another form of bondage for him.
“If I let you go, you’d kill someone.”
“I wouldn’t kill you, Master. Even if you ordered me to kill the emperor, I’d do it.”
“You don’t understand what freedom means. When you’re free, no one can order you around. They can ask you—but only ask.”
“Ask?”
Caron repeated the word, one he’d likely never heard in his life.
“What’s the difference between an order and a request?”
“With a request, you can choose to comply or not. You can even hesitate and think about it. An order must be followed, but a request is your choice. And you have to take responsibility for that choice. That’s freedom.”
“I’ve always taken responsibility for my actions. If you hadn’t saved me, Master, I would have taken my own life to atone for my failure.”
“Suicide isn’t responsibility. It’s running away.”
Caron didn’t understand Eleanor’s words. Watching him silently, Eleanor gave a gentle smile and turned away again.
“Soon, Calliope or someone she sends will sneak into my room and try to hide something. Keep it safe and return it at the right time.”
“When is the right time?”
“You decide. And take responsibility for that choice too.”
“Then will I be free?”
“No. But you’ll come to know the weight and fear of freedom.”
***
A maid assigned to Eleanor Snow snuck into the Rose Palace and poisoned the face toner Calliope used.
The next morning, the imperial palace was abuzz with ominous rumors.
Cecily was shocked when she heard, but with too many eyes watching, she couldn’t just go see Calliope, so she anxiously paced instead.
Calliope, the one who had spread the rumor, smiled, and Consort Aurelia of the Lily Palace saw it as an opportunity to provoke Eleanor.
So she sent someone to the Tulip Palace… only to get a ridiculous response.
“Eleanor Snow said she’s going dress shopping and won’t be back until evening.”
“She said that, even though I summoned her?”
“Yes…”
Aurelia noticed the maid’s hesitation.
“What exactly did she say?”
“Well…”
“It’s okay. Tell me exactly.”
The maid cleared her throat and lowered her voice.
“She said, ‘Just because you summoned me doesn’t mean I have to come. If you have business, tell your master to come instead.’”
“Ha!”
Aurelia let out a disbelieving laugh.
“When is she coming back?”
“She only said she’d return in the evening.”
“Fine. Then keep watch and let me know the moment she returns. She wants to preserve her pride with petty gestures like this? Let’s show her that these trivial moves won’t leave a scratch on noble dignity.”
***
After sending Aurelia’s maid away, Eleanor stood in front of the mirror, checking her appearance.
A plain dress anyone might wear, a dark brown coat, an outfit indistinct enough to blend into a crowd.
The problem was her flowing silver hair, which stood out everywhere.
“I should’ve bought more hats,” she muttered, thinking of Eyo.
How had Eyo managed to change his hair and eye color so naturally?
‘Even his face shape changed. It must be magic.’
After learning about Eyo’s transformation, Eleanor had wracked her brain for similar magic but could remember none.
‘Hair color could be changed with dye, but…’
She stared at her conspicuous silver hair, then opened a drawer in her vanity. There were a few hair ties and pins—what she’d gotten from Heraith yesterday.
She twisted her hair up, secured it with the tie and pins, and finally put on the wide-brimmed hat she had bought. This should help her avoid attention in a crowd.
She glanced at Caron, hiding in a corner of the room, then stepped outside.
Eyo, supposedly assigned as her escort, was nowhere to be seen, which was oddly comforting. Dealing with someone whose abilities were unknown was exhausting.
‘Cecily’s nowhere to be seen either,’ she thought with a quiet smile, walking out of the Tulip Palace.
Several people she passed in the corridor gave her cold stares. After she passed, they gathered and openly whispered about her.
Even without hearing them, she could guess what rumors were spreading in the palace.
‘That must be why the first Consort summoned me today.’
She hadn’t fully assessed who Consort Aurelia was, but she was definitely sharper than Calliope. If she had gone when summoned, Aurelia would’ve used the palace rumors to corner her.
She could face her now, but it would be easier after some time passed.
She boarded a carriage waiting at the palace gate and left the imperial grounds. She disembarked before reaching the bustling district.
The streets were already crowded with people preparing for the New Year’s festival. But no one paid special attention to her.
She adjusted her hat once and slipped into the crowd.
With brisk steps, she made her way to the tea shop where she’d arranged to meet Heraith.
The shop was also crowded, but she was confident she could spot Heraith immediately—his dark, ominous aura would stand out.
He was tall and broad-shouldered too, hard to miss.
‘There’s a big man over there…’
Sitting alone by the window was a man with light brown hair, different from Heraith.
Eleanor looked away disinterestedly, then did a double take. As she examined the man closely, her eyes widened.
‘No way…!’
Almost running, she approached the table where he sat.
Their eyes met as he slowly turned his head. He smiled softly, and she could see pieces of Heraith in that familiar expression.
“Your Majes—”
She stopped herself before finishing.
Staring at his face in disbelief, he gestured to the seat across from him. Snapping out of it, she sat down.
Up close, his face still bore many of Heraith’s features. The sharp eyes, high nose, and cold lips were all there. But something was subtly different: his nose slightly lower, the eyes a bit softer.
“You? Surprised? That’s rare.”
Eleanor quickly composed her expression.
“You didn’t dye your hair, did you?”
Heraith nodded slightly.
Leaning in, Eleanor lowered her voice.
“Up close, it’s clearly you, Your Majesty. But from a distance, with your hair and eye color changed, I wouldn’t recognize you at all.”
“Yes. I use this method often when I travel incognito.”
Her pale purple eyes scrutinized his face thoroughly. Wherever her gaze landed, he felt a ticklish sensation and unconsciously brushed his face with a hand.
“Does that spell require a lot of mana? Or… are you just not quite as skilled as Sir Eyo Bastid?”
It wasn’t the rude question that startled Heraith—it was hearing the name Eyo Bastid that made his heart nearly drop.
