Chapter 147
“Your Grace, I shall withdraw now so you may rest comfortably.”
Though he hadn’t finished attending to him, the butler was withdrawing first due to Kylus’s unsettling mood.
So that Kylus could organize his thoughts alone.
Kylus responded with just a slight nod.
After the butler quietly left the bedroom, Kylus sat on the bed with a heavy sigh.
“…Alice.”
Kylus murmured her name softly.
Tomorrow she would tell him.
That she would save the First Prince.
There was nothing else of importance Alice, having met Count Latrang, would need to discuss with him.
But…
“…I still haven’t figured out exactly what’s in the basement.”
The basement of the Empress’s Palace.
Kylus had been secretly investigating the basement of the Empress’s Palace. All because of Alice.
On the day they searched the Empress’s Palace, Kylus had realized it—that Alice had disguised herself as a maid.
He hadn’t known from the beginning. When he first bumped into Alice in front of the study, he had truly thought she was an ordinary maid.
The moment he began to sense something strange was when she asked for his forgiveness.
Her voice that was revealed during her longer speech.
Kylus had kept his eye on the maid who had a voice identical to Alice’s, and saw her acting suspiciously, secretly heading to the basement.
He had followed her, and finally confirmed it in the basement.
That the suspicious maid was Alice.
An ordinary maid couldn’t suddenly pull out an ancient magic scroll and teleport.
Plus, the words she had spoken.
Though he hadn’t heard everything clearly, he had caught the word “wraith” and something about needing to eliminate it.
Of course, he had also heard very distinctly the curse “crazy,” which Alice was so good at delivering.
Anyway, what mattered was that there was something in the basement of the Empress’s Palace, and Alice was trying to eliminate it.
And that task was likely connected to the Deity.
After all, the place Alice had gone after disappearing from the Empress’s Palace was the Temple of Helios.
The task that the Deity had supposedly given her was most likely related to the Empress’s Palace.
“…She said it wasn’t dangerous.”
Even when Alice had said that, he naturally hadn’t believed her at face value, but this seemed far more dangerous than he had anticipated.
Something that could potentially cost Alice her life…
He didn’t even want to imagine it, but his keen intuition was telling him.
That this matter was on an entirely different level from anything Alice had handled before.
But knowing that Alice wouldn’t readily tell him, he was quietly investigating on his own.
Kylus was researching the history of the Empress’s Palace, the palace blueprints, and even black magic.
After all, the word “wraith” that Alice had mentioned was a term well-suited to black magic.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t discovered anything yet.
Something that others couldn’t see at all, but Alice could.
What could it be?
Kylus didn’t want Alice even going near the palace until he knew exactly what it was.
That’s why he had refused Count Latrang’s proposal without even consulting Alice.
Even if it seemed harsh, he had no choice.
Nothing was more important to him than Alice.
He would never leave Alice alone to face an unknown danger. Never.
However, if Alice had already made up her mind to save the First Prince… she wouldn’t back down easily.
If he loved her even a tiny bit less, he would have locked her in the cage of the Duchy, where she couldn’t escape his sight.
So that no one could see Alice and she would remain only by his side.
But because he loved Alice more than his own life, he couldn’t bear to see her unhappy.
His dangerous impulse would remain buried only in his heart.
If only he could meet the Deity himself… he would risk his life to ask what task he had assigned to Alice.
No, he would even beg the Deity to assign that task to him instead.
But he wasn’t one of those chosen by the Deity.
Kylus had a bitter smile on his lips, then feeling like he couldn’t breathe due to the anxiety weighing on his chest, he unbuttoned his shirt.
“Haa…”
He closed his eyes momentarily to think through his complicated thoughts, but no matter how much he pondered, his conclusion remained unchanged.
“This time… I can’t allow it.”
He resolved not to grant Alice’s request this time.
Because he was afraid of losing her.
Kylus ran his tired hand over his face in the deepening night, then stood up and headed to the bathroom.
As complete darkness fell over the Dearrut Duchy.
From a very high place beyond the night sky, a beautiful man with silver hair who had been watching Kylus rested his chin on his hand and whispered softly:
“A man who escaped a fate where he should have died…”
Helios gazed thoughtfully at Kylus reflected in the water mirror, then flicked it.
Woong—
The water mirror vibrated like a disturbed pond, and soon Kylus’s image disappeared.
Then Helios leaned his body against a cloud and quietly closed his eyes.
To make a choice.
The sun shone warmly at noon under an exceptionally clear sky.
That’s why today Aileen had prepared the Duchess Dearrut’s tea time at the tea table on the terrace.
Of course, she hadn’t forgotten the wide parasol that would appropriately shade her from the sunlight.
Though the sunshine was warm, they couldn’t risk damaging the Duchess’s fair skin.
So Alice was sitting alone enjoying tea time under the parasol that Aileen had thoughtfully prepared.
No, in truth, though she felt sorry toward Aileen, Alice was merely sitting at the tea table.
She wasn’t enjoying the clear weather or the new western tea that had supposedly arrived today.
That was because her mind was preoccupied elsewhere.
“My lady, is the tea to your liking?”
“Hm? Oh yes… it’s fine. Delicious.”
Alice couldn’t even tell if the tea was bitter or sweet, but she gave Aileen a faint smile and lied.
Despite her distraction, she knew that Aileen had prepared this tea time with special care.
But after her brief response, Alice sank back into her thoughts.
Without even touching her favorite dessert, chocolate tart, she tapped the table lightly with her fingertips.
Her face showed an uncharacteristic anxiety.
By now… news should have arrived.
Just as Alice was becoming impatient with waiting, the gates of the Duchy opened and a servant on horseback entered.
He stopped in the courtyard in front of the main building.
A gleam passed through Alice’s golden eyes as she watched the servant dismount.
That servant was precisely the person she had been waiting for.
Not long after, there was a knock on her door followed by Ruyd’s voice:
“My lady, servant Tommy wishes to see you.”
“Send him in right away.”
Alice replied as she sprang to her feet.
As Alice stepped from the terrace into the bedroom, Tommy entered the room.
Tommy bowed deeply to Alice in greeting.
Alice sat on the sofa and waved away his greeting, as if to say it wasn’t necessary. It was quite an impatient gesture.
“Tommy, what happened?”
Alice asked directly without any preamble.
Tommy hesitated at her intensity, then carefully said:
“…I’ve heard that Count Latrang visited the Third Prince today, just as you said, my lady.”
Tommy calmly relayed the information he had gathered to Alice.
“And they say he presented the Fourth Emperor’s ring, the Latrang family heirloom, to the Third Prince and swore his loyalty… The palace was in quite an uproar.”
At last, a satisfied smile settled on Alice’s lips.
Indeed. Tommy was an informant Alice had sent to the palace today to find out if there was any special news from the Third Prince’s palace—specifically to confirm whether Count Latrang had truly visited the Third Prince and sworn loyalty as promised.
In truth, if Count Latrang had pledged his loyalty while presenting a family heirloom, rumors would naturally spread throughout the empire by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Alice would naturally find out then, but somehow she had felt impatient and acted first.
She also needed to talk to Kylus today.
“Aileen, could you bring me my pouch?”
Alice took out a silver coin from the pouch Aileen brought her and handed it to Tommy.
“For your trouble. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
Tommy bowed with a bright smile and left the room.
Alice crossed her legs and let out a low, contemplative “hmm.”
Since Count Latrang had kept his promise… now it was her turn to keep hers.
But how to persuade Kylus?
He was the biggest obstacle in her deal with Count Latrang.
He had already mercilessly rejected Count Latrang’s proposal to swear loyalty to the Third Prince and make the First Prince renounce his right to succession.
The reason was probably… that he disliked her using her holy power excessively.
Even for her, saving a dying person was no easy task, so whenever she used great power, she would collapse or come close to fainting.
Kylus worried terribly about such situations, and recently at the hunting grounds, she had nearly died.
He would react quite sensitively.
But considering the Third Prince’s position, Count Latrang was too valuable an asset to pass up.
He was the lord of the south, the most prosperous land in the empire, and a border count with powerful military strength.
If the southern border count were added to the Dearrut Duchy, the Third Prince could firmly establish himself as the next heir to the throne.
No other noble family could rival the power of those two houses.
The Second Prince’s maternal family had already lost its power because of him.
So she needed to persuade Kylus well to save the First Prince.
Honestly, she didn’t absolutely need to persuade Kylus to save the First Prince.
The decision to save the First Prince or not was hers to make.
After all, it was her power to use.
But… she didn’t want to proceed without considering Kylus.
He was the man she loved, and a collaborator working together to punish the Empress and make the Third Prince emperor.
‘Whenever I push hard, he always gives in… so it would probably work this time too, but somehow that approach doesn’t sit right with me.’
It felt like forcibly grabbing him by the collar and dragging him along.
And she also felt somewhat sorry that he always yielded and stepped back.
She wished Kylus would accept this matter sincerely.
That way, their relationship with Count Latrang wouldn’t become awkward either.
“Hmm…”
Alice furrowed her brow, searching for a good way to persuade him. Then suddenly, something occurred to her.
