Chapter 11
Huh? No, even if he’s the Emperor’s younger brother, he’s still the Emperor. Is it really okay to act so disrespectfully?
Wrinkles appeared on the Emperor’s face, which had been relaxed until now, and I swallowed nervously, feeling the suffocating tension that filled the office.
Please just let me leave before you start fighting…
The Emperor spoke in a slightly sterner voice, unlike his gentle tone just moments before.
“Havel, this is a command, not a suggestion. Princess Daisy is Queen Blyos’s representative. Since she remembers you and has expressed a desire to meet, I, the Emperor of the Empire, cannot refuse simply because you don’t want to. And you, too, are not in a position to neglect duties for the well-being of the Empire just because it’s inconvenient. Before being a Knight Commander, you are a Grand Duke and a member of the Imperial Family with succession rights to the throne. So, from the moment the delegation arrives, keep in mind that you must prioritize matters related to Princess Daisy.”
It was such a powerful “fact-bomb” that I almost nodded without realizing it.
That moment was the most emperor-like moment I’ve ever seen him. Havel is a member of the Imperial Family before he’s a Knight Commander, so it’s only right for him to fulfill his duties as a royal.
“…Understood.”
Havel no longer resisted.
The Emperor, who seemed to have aged rapidly since they entered, waved his hand, telling both Havel and me to leave. Especially towards Havel, his gesture was more forceful.
Havel and I rose from our seats, bowed our heads slightly, and turned to leave.
After leaving the office, I walked down the hallway with Havel and thought.
A fiancée, huh…
According to the Emperor, it seemed like they hadn’t actually had an engagement ceremony, but it was true that engagement discussion had taken place.
Honestly, I had been curious once. What kind of woman would this man, who was born with everything, fall in love with and marry?
I was curious, but I had never seen Havel with a woman, so I couldn’t know. But now, for the first time, a woman connected to Havel had appeared.
A princess… She somehow suited Havel well. The other party was also royalty.
The Emperor must think so too.
I don’t know why the engagement didn’t go through, but both Princess Daisy, who openly told the Emperor she wanted to meet Havel, and the Emperor, who entrusted her to Havel, clearly had great regrets about the unfulfilled engagement.
Havel is also of marriageable age, so perhaps when this delegation arrives, engagement talks might resume. The Emperor seemed more than willing.
The problem is… me.
I stopped in my tracks, suddenly confronted by reality.
Even if the Emperor pushes for an engagement, Havel is currently under the influence of the potion. Would he want to get engaged?
Unless a miracle happens, it would clearly be difficult to give him the antidote before the delegation arrives.
What should I do…?
I saw Havel’s broad back a few steps ahead of me. Judging by his actions towards me so far, it seemed unlikely Havel would go through with an engagement.
If the Emperor finds out the reason is me, I’ll die, won’t I?
The Emperor cherished Havel. Perhaps even more than his own child.
It was a well-known fact among everyone how special Havel was to the emperor. That’s why he overlooked such rudeness earlier.
If my mistake were to be revealed to such an Emperor… just the thought sent shivers down my spine.
Havel, who had been walking, stopped. He seemed to realize I wasn’t following and turned around.
“Serira?”
Havel, who had been ahead, came back and stood in front of me. Seeing my face hardened with thoughts of a bleak future, he called my name again.
“Serira, you don’t look well.”
His low voice was full of concern.
This won’t do. I need to sort things out properly. Sighing, I swept my hand over my face and looked up at Havel.
“Havel, I have something important to tell you.”
“…Alright, do you want to go somewhere private?”
“Yes.”
Havel glanced around and then led the way as if telling me to follow.
The place he led me to was the Emperor’s garden, a place I never thought I’d visit again.
I guess I shouldn’t have suggested going somewhere quiet. I can’t believe I’m back here.
“Not just anyone can enter here. It’s not a bad place for an important conversation.”
I think “not just anyone” includes me. But Havel’s here… so it should be fine.
Humans are creatures of adaptation, and since I’d been here once before, it wasn’t as frightening this time. I stood facing Havel in the quiet flower garden filled with unknown red flowers, took a deep breath as I looked into his violet eyes.
“Havel, do you remember what I said when you were under the influence of the potion?”
His eyes briefly blurred as if searching his memory, then became clear again.
“Are you referring to what you said about my feelings?”
“Yes, back then, I told you that the feelings you had for me were false, didn’t I? Do you remember?”
“…I remember.”
“Yesterday, when we had lunch here, I told you that I tried to get an antidote… but I couldn’t. It might take longer than expected……”
“Yes, you did.”
A somewhat wistful smile touched his lips. For a moment, my heart wavered at the sight, but I steeled myself and continued.
“You can’t keep doing this to me.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Coming to see me like yesterday, taking me home, having lunch together… None of it is real. Havel… no, Your Highness, even allowing me to use your given name… none of those feelings are genuine. You know that, don’t you? It’s all because of the potion. This can’t go on. What if other people misunderstand our relationship… and the Princess will be arriving soon too.”
Overwhelmed by worries, I rambled on incoherently. Havel, who had been watching me silently, furrowed his brow and opened his mouth.
“Princess? If you’re worried about that conversation earlier, you don’t need to be. I truly don’t remember who that princess is. There were talks of engagement briefly, but that was all. It never went through, nor were there any plans for after. Don’t misunderstand.”
“No, Your Highness, there’s no need for me to misunderstand since we have no relationship!”
My voice rose without me realizing it. After shouting, I realized my mistake at his cold expression, but the words had already been out. It was too late to regret.
“That is……”
My small voice disappeared into the air.
I shivered at the cold, sinking atmosphere around him. Havel’s deep violet eyes stared intently at me.
“I love you.”
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his eyes, filled with passionate emotion. For a moment, I almost forgot the existence of the love potion and became absorbed in his feelings.
Get a grip, Serira. The Grand Duke’s feelings aren’t real.
“…Your Highness, as I keep telling you, that love isn’t real.”
I bit my lip hard. It was so hard that a metallic taste lingered on my tongue.
His intense violet gaze dropped downwards. With shadows under his eyes, he let out a short, bitter laugh.
“Haha…”
He made a strange, sorrowful smile, then met my eyes again.
“…Even if it’s not real, as you say, Serira, I still love you. That’s an unchanging reality right now, isn’t it?”
“That’s… but……”
“Then, on that day, I told you.”
Havel reached out and took my hand. He took a step closer, looked down at me, and placed his hand over his chest, just like that day.
Thump, thump.
The same vibration as that day was transmitted through my palm.
“Whatever the reason, Serira, I love you like this right now, so don’t try to turn away from me.”
His intense gaze held me captive, and I couldn’t pull away from his hand, which firmly held mine.
* * *
‘Havel, my beautiful son… I hope you won’t be lonely.’
Those were his mother’s last words to him before she passed away.
Havel Precia. From the moment he realized this was his name, the words hardship and adversity were absent from his life.
Born with imperial blood and power, and possessing talent far superior to others, he stood on the victor’s pedestal from the beginning.
He learned to read and acquired knowledge faster than others. He was the kind of child who understood ten things after being taught one.
Havel was a genius.
But perhaps because everything was too easy, he desired nothing in the world.
There were nobles who swarmed him like wild dogs, praising his genius and trying to enthrone him as king, but he had no interest in them.
He had always believed the throne belonged to his older brother, and the position of Emperor wasn’t appealing enough for him to usurp his brother’s place.
Born as the youngest child of the Imperial Family and showered with love from his family, he nonetheless learned the meaning of boredom at a very young age.
His mother was the only one who noticed that young Havel’s eyes, praised by everyone as perfect, held no emotion. The moment his father passed away, and his mother too departed, worrying about him, he left the Imperial Palace on his own.
He was only ten years old at the time.
His older brother worried about the young boy and tried to hold him back, but he resolutely refused and left the palace. He already knew that if he remained in the palace, nobles with ill intentions would not easily give up.
Havel’s long period of seclusion began until his older brother was firmly established on the throne. Only the head steward of the imperial prince’s palace, one attendant who served him closely, and one escort knight accompanied him to his independent estate.
One day, after spending a long, boring time secluded in his mansion, Havel began to learn swordsmanship. What started as a way to pass the time by learning from his escort knight soon surpassed the knight’s skills. He caught the eye of his older brother, who visited the mansion, and formally began learning swordsmanship from the strongest knight in the Empire.
When he turned fifteen, his master advised him to participate in a tournament to see how skilled he was.
Following that advice, he entered the tournament held that year and, as expected, won. A year later, he mastered water-elemental magic, earning him the title of “Strongest Magic Swordsman.”
Having embarked on the path of a knight, he ended his long period of seclusion at his coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen by swearing an oath of loyalty to his older brother.
Appointed as the Commander of the Empire’s First Knight Order, he spent busy days training knights and going to battlefields, but the busier his life became, the more empty it seemed to feel.
A year had passed since he became the Knight Commander. He was assigned to guard the excavation team of an ancient magic dungeon deep within the Alet Mountains, in the eastern part of the Empire.
One day, when he was suffocating from the boredom of each day, and everything seemed colorless, a chick-like yellow color caught his eye.
