Chapter 7

Monday afternoon. The Academy was engulfed in shock.

A body that surfaced in the lower reaches of the Hudson River at dawn was identified as Gilrota, a fourth-year literature student at the Academy. A simple absence was no longer just an absence.

Investigators from the police force came and went, and Gilrota’s belongings in his dormitory room were taken away as personal effects. The Academy’s chancellor and professors entered an emergency meeting.

Investigators questioned students about their last sightings of Gilrota. He was last seen a week ago on a lecture day and two days ago when he came to the office to submit a leave of absence form. However, Ayla and Damian knew that Gilrota’s last appearance was before that. But they couldn’t testify to this. Nothing had been revealed yet, and it was unclear how far the implications reached.

Students trembled with fear and terror. The non-specific nature of the threat—that anyone could end up like that—was terrifying, as the reason for Gilrota’s death had not yet been revealed.

[No. They won’t burn it. They need to leave traces. If it’s not just one or two people involved, they need to make an example.]

[That’s right. An example that you too could end up like this at any time. A warning to them.]

Damian was right. Someone whose identity was unknown had killed Gilrota and left traces. They could have disposed of the body cleanly, but instead, they threw it into the river for all to see. It was a warning.

Ayla’s fingertips grew cold. She felt goosebumps. Human morality and ethics had been destroyed. Perhaps Gilrota was just a tool. Then a sudden question arose: Why did they have to discard the tool? For what reason did Gilrota’s usefulness diminish?

Could an investigation really yield results?

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed the Academy had decided to cover it up as is. Gilrota wasn’t a nobleman, just a commoner student. Even if his grades were excellent, there was no need to make a choice that would cause people to talk.

The Academy was a symbol of power, with a long history and tradition. While some came to the Academy to truly study, the cartel of this country’s nobility was formed at the Academy. Ayla knew this better than anyone, so she expected Gilrota’s cause of death would be conveniently settled as suicide due to academic stress. Such students, though rare, weren’t unheard of.

Moreover, Gilrota was tied to invisible strings. Those controlling him wouldn’t want his death to spread too far.

The investigation into Gilrota’s death concluded quickly. Though it differed from her expectations, the result was in the same direction. No evidence of murder was found. It was concluded as an accidental death that occurred in a state of diminished capacity due to drinking. There was even a witness who saw Gilrota drinking at a bar near the Hudson River. They had to believe it.

However, Ayla didn’t believe it. Neither did Damian.

During the days leading up to the conclusion of the investigation, Ayla couldn’t focus on her studies. Even sitting with her books open in Caelum, her mind felt like it would explode. So, eventually, Ayla led Damian, who followed her as usual, to his room. Damian wasn’t sure if he should be pleased at this moment by Ayla coming to his room so naturally.

Sitting in a chair as if it were her own room, Ayla looked at Damian with a hardened face and asked,

“Could it be the magician’s doing?”

“Well… It doesn’t matter if it’s not a magician who does the killing.”

It wasn’t wrong. Such things didn’t matter when it came to killing people. Above all, they couldn’t be certain that only one magician was involved in this incident. But Ayla found Damian’s rather cold response to her question a bit unfamiliar.

Ayla quietly looked at Damian. His gaze was not on her. Once again, it was directed somewhere else. Ayla waited for his thoughts to end.

How much time had passed? As if his thoughts had concluded, Damian spoke to her.

“Ayla. You said it then. That you believe in me.”

“Huh? Oh, well, I did…”

“Then you have to believe me until the end. Understood?”

It was an abrupt statement, if anything. And it felt strangely very suspicious. Why would he say such a thing? What is he trying to do?

“Ayla. Won’t you answer me?”

The corners of Damian’s eyes drooped. Her head was already complicated, and she didn’t want to have a long argument here.

“…I believe you, of course. I believe you, I believe you.”

Ayla reluctantly answered. This was her second mistake.

* * * 

Even after answering like that on that day, the uneasy feeling didn’t go away. Still, she did believe him. She believed him, but she never dreamed it would come to this.

Without any thought, she just wanted to rest. After class, as she was heading to the dormitory, he caught her and said they should go somewhere. When she asked where, he said she’d know when they got there. She should have run away right then.

It had been four years since Ayla von Dürman entered the Academy. This meant it had been four years since she cut ties with high society and stopped being “Lady Ayla,” and four years of rejecting countless invitations.

Ayla looked back at Damian with disbelief.

“You didn’t… Did you?”

A brilliantly white building. Guards saluting them in front of golden-tinged gates. A vast garden stretching beyond the gates.

It was the Imperial Palace.

* * * 

“I’m sorry, Ayla.”

Damian apologized with a dejected face. Ayla was furious. So this was why he had asked her to believe him until the end.

“Hey, you, crazy…!”

Ayla shouted loudly but quickly lowered her voice. This was the Imperial Palace. There were many eyes watching. Moreover, they hadn’t yet acknowledged the knights’ salutes. Ayla wanted to turn back immediately, but she couldn’t ignore the watching eyes. She was the eldest daughter of the Dürman Duchy. Her face was well-known.

Ayla grabbed Damian’s sleeve and strode inside. Then, with eagle eyes, she scanned the palace interior, looking for a secluded spot. Having frequented the palace like her own home just a few years ago, she knew the way well. Ayla moved again, dragging Damian along.

The palace built by Emperor Ashtian for his beloved concubine, now unused, was known to very few. It was practically a place where the concubine had been confined.

The old and dilapidated palace, weathered by time, was overgrown with weeds. Ayla turned to look at the mischievous puppy [Damian], trying hard to cool her rising anger. Damian, meeting her eyes, subtly looked away. Thunk. A stone rolled from somewhere with the wind, hitting their feet.

Ayla composed herself.

“Are you crazy, Damian?”

The words weren’t kind, but it was still her composed state of mind.

“Was this the condition you were talking about? Huh?”

“But I had no choice.”

“What do you mean, no choice? What was so unavoidable that I have to get engaged to you?”

‘When I actually proposed marriage, you rejected me outright!’ Ayla suppressed the words that almost escaped her lips with remarkable patience.

On that day when she was harshly rejected by the Crown Prince, she cried her eyes out at the palace and at home, clutching her pillow. From then on, the precocious Eileen had told her that there were other men besides the Crown Prince. So she tried meeting other men. How frustrating it was that only the Crown Prince seemed to measure up.

Even now.

Damian, who had been avoiding Ayla’s eyes, turned to look at her again. His aquamarine eyes were like a lake of unfathomable depth. Ayla felt once again that she was being submerged in that lake.

“You know. There’s no name more suitable to protect you than the Crown Prince’s fiancée.”

“…”

Foolish Ayla.

“The time limit is until we find the truth about this incident.”

“…”

“So, can’t you bear with it until then, Ayla?”

Stupid Ayla, falling for it every time.

In the end, she fell for it again.

* * * 

“Ho ho. I wondered why you two came together after so long, and now you speak of marriage. When did you decide such a thing without my knowledge? I’m hurt, Ayla.”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It just happened… Haha…”

Ayla laughed awkwardly. Never had her frequent meals with the Emperor felt so unfamiliar. The Emperor seemed very pleased. Damian was also laughing happily beside her. Under the table, Ayla quietly moved her foot and stepped hard on Damian’s. The corner of Damian’s smiling mouth twitched slightly. Only she noticed.

“It’s alright. I’m just saying I feel a bit hurt. Still, I’m glad to hear such good news. It seems like only yesterday that Damian rejected you. Haha.”

Ayla wanted to say, “Please close that mouth, Your Majesty,” and stuff it with food, but unfortunately, she couldn’t. Why did he have to dig up that embarrassing history she had buried so neatly? The Emperor knew nothing. Damian knew nothing either.

Ayla stepped on Damian’s foot again. Damian’s hand holding the fork trembled slightly. Again, only she noticed.

Damian turned to look at Ayla. He stabbed a piece of steak on his plate with his fork and shoved it into Ayla’s mouth. Sauce dripped down her chin. Caught off guard, Ayla’s foot lost strength for a moment, and Damian’s foot escaped. Damian wiped the sauce from Ayla’s glaring face with a napkin.

“Oh, Ayla. How can you eat so messily?”

“…”

Ayla’s hand holding the knife trembled. For a brief moment, she really considered stabbing him with it.