Chapter 18
“I don’t want to hold on to it, but throwing it away feels like a waste… Have you ever once considered how the princess might feel? You think of me as a girl who’s soft and in love with you—easy to use, don’t you?”
Valter’s face twisted like a demon’s at her words. The truth hit him hard. After all that time, the fact that he had shown only that much kindness meant that, to him, she had only ever been worth that little.
But now that he realized he couldn’t control her anymore, he suddenly felt regret. The idea of her slipping from his grasp made her seem more precious than ever.
He swung his sword hard, tearing apart the shadowy figure before him. It wasn’t the real body—just a projection. It burned away in sparks as the blade’s energy consumed it.
“If you ever wish to reveal your true nature, come find me. My name is Iaoros.”
With a smirk lingering on its lips, the last of the shadow vanished. Valter struck once more. The remnants of the demon caught fire from his sword’s aura and disappeared. The force of the blow shattered part of the railing, causing a loud crash.
Startled by the sound, the Duke’s attendants burst through the door and rushed inside.
“Young Master!!”
“My lord! What happened?!”
Valter stood there, sword lowered, breathing heavily. He wanted to believe that what the demon said didn’t reflect how he truly felt.
The ball was still in full swing, but Charlize had already slipped out with Achilles. She wanted to dance, but the constant stares and endless congratulations made her uncomfortable.
Achilles had agreed without hesitation when she suggested sneaking out quietly.
“I’m only interested in the princess.”
The honesty in his voice was unmistakable. The only reason he stood beside Charlize, accepting greetings from nobles, was to protect her dignity.
Charlize noticed this and wanted to leave even faster. She felt he wanted to be alone with her.
“I’ve already told everyone who mattered to me.”
All her close friends and noble ladies she held dear had congratulated her. They seemed relieved to see how close she and the Tower Master truly were.
No one brought up Valter, but she could tell what they were thinking. It was clear they were glad she’d escaped him and found a better fiancé.
“I only exchanged a single greeting with the Bianchi Duke and Duchess.”
Even that had happened under Oscar’s watchful eye. She wondered if Oscar had a hand in keeping Valter away from the ball.
“That couldn’t be helped.”
What Valter did last night—coming to her room—was something she couldn’t overlook. They were just friends now. And she hoped it would never happen again.
“If I get a chance, I’ll tell him in person. A letter… might be read by someone else, so it’s better not to write one.”
Right now, the most important thing was the man walking beside her, holding her hand—her fiancé.
“Your Highness, are your feet hurting?”
Few men notice how painful pretty shoes can be. In noble society, they admire beauty but overlook discomfort.
Should I say something? Will he think I’m just being fussy?
“They’re a little uncomfortable.”
Charlize spoke carefully, and Achilles immediately looked for a place for her to sit. A long bench stood nearby in the hallway.
“You should take off your shoes there. …Excuse me, Princess.”
Without waiting, Achilles gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bench. He set her down softly and knelt to remove her shoes. Charlize quietly watched him.
Thankfully, there was no bleeding. But when he saw the blister on her foot, he immediately cast a healing spell. A soft white light wrapped around her foot, slowly mending the wound.
“You shouldn’t wear these shoes again.”
“But all the shoes I wear to balls are like this.”
“Then I’d like to carry you everywhere. Would that be alright?”
He asked while holding her now-healed foot. Charlize gently pulled it away and replied,
“If my feet start to hurt again, I’ll ask. But for now…”
For now?
Achilles looked at her curiously. She smiled slightly and asked, a little nervously but with hope:
“Would you give me a piggyback ride?”
“….”
To be honest, she expected him to say no. Just because he had been kind so far didn’t mean he always would be.
“…Climb on.”
After handing her shoes to a maid, Achilles turned around and lowered his back. Charlize thought back to how easily he had lifted her earlier and got on his back.
He fumbled a bit at first—maybe it was his first time giving someone a piggyback ride, or maybe her dress got in the way—but he quickly adjusted and stood up with her on his back.
Charlize held onto his shoulders and looked at the side of his face.
“Am I heavy?”
“You’re not.”
“But with the dress, I must be pretty heavy.”
Her dress had been enchanted with a weight-reduction spell, but when combined with the weight of a person, it was bound to feel heavy. Especially since it was adorned with gemstones for the ball.
“I can lift a golem with one hand. Carrying the princess is nothing.”
“A golem? You’ve really lifted one before?”
Charlize’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, and Achilles gave a small nod. She was pressed close against his back, and he could feel his heart pounding heavily.
“How did that happen?”
Charlize and her attendants leaned in to listen as Achilles spoke in his usual calm, emotionless voice. The night of the ball wore on, growing deeper.
Watching the Empress arrive at the capital with her knights, the Emperor felt a chill. On the Empress’s face, which should have lit up at the sight of her beloved husband, was a cold, crooked smile.
‘You’ve done quite well… while I was away, haven’t you?’
‘Please remember—I am the Emperor, and must always act for the good of the empire.’
The Empress smiled sweetly, but her eyes were like sharpened blades. The Emperor returned her smile, though his pupils trembled ever so slightly. The Crown Prince could tell right away: the Emperor had arranged Charlize’s engagement on his own.
‘Her Majesty never wanted Charlize to marry off easily.’
No one knew why the Empress had left Charlize’s unrequited feelings unchecked, but her intentions were always clear. She never wanted to send Charlize away—she intended to keep her close, forever.
But a princess could never remain in such a position. Talk of Charlize’s marriage had started when she was very young. It had never come to fruition only because no one suitable had appeared in their eyes.
“Welcome home, Empress. You must be tired after such a long journey… Ow!”
The Emperor smiled brightly and went to embrace her, only to yelp when she pinched him hard. Oscar, unaffected by the tension, greeted the returning officials who had traveled with the Empress.
“You’ve all done well.”
“We wouldn’t call it hard work.”
Since it was also the Empress’s homeland, the officials had been treated well. Even though they had hurried on the return trip, their faces were still glowing with satisfaction.
“Your Majesty, I missed you.”
Charlize, her face flushed with joy, rushed into the Empress’s arms. The Empress sighed deeply, as if finally home. Releasing Charlize, she motioned for Oscar as well. Now nearing his thirties, he averted his eyes, not wanting to be pulled in.
“…There was a lovely young lady I met there, but I forgot to bring her an invitation.”
“What would it take for you to forget that forever?” Oscar gritted his teeth.
The Empress opened her arms without hesitation. Come here and hug me. Oscar looked appalled.
“I’m almost thirty.”
“And until you’re married, I’ll keep treating you like a child. If you don’t like it, at least get engaged.”
At her bold words, Oscar blushed with embarrassment and reluctantly hugged her.
“Don’t you think you’re treating me very differently than you treat Charlize?”
“She’s twenty-one. You’re twenty-nine. Of course I treat you differently. You still treat her like a child, don’t you?”
Oscar tried to pull away quickly, but the Empress teasingly held him longer. As he finally escaped, her eyes fell on someone behind Charlize.
It was Achilles, walking out with Charlize. Now that he was her fiancé, it made sense for him to be by her side.
The Empress quickly donned the refined mask of a queen of society.
“Master of the Tower.”
“Your Majesty. It’s been a while.”
“Yes, and now you’ve become my daughter’s fiancé. If I had known this would happen, I would’ve paid closer attention when you were spending time with His Majesty… Back then, I never imagined it would come to this.”
Her words were subtly sharp, but Achilles didn’t flinch. The Empress noticed Charlize looking between the two of them with quiet concern.
“Even a caterpillar can wriggle, they say… but this? Is this for real?”
Feeling the Empress’s gaze, Achilles turned to Charlize. His eyes visibly softened. The Empress wondered if she was hallucinating—had she eaten something strange?
She looked to the Emperor for confirmation. He just smiled, pretending nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Don’t they look good together? Haha…”
Bragging over something that just happened to work out, huh?
The Empress’s frosty glare silenced his laugh. But she knew—even when the Emperor pretended to take hints, he always did whatever he wanted in the end.
Is it lucky that the Tower Master loves the princess, or that the princess loves the Tower Master?
Either way, it was a relief that the two people arranged to marry genuinely cared for one another. The Empress gave Achilles a warm smile and invited them to move to a more private room.
There were many things she wanted to say—and many questions to ask.
