CH 41

That evening.

Returning to the Imperial Palace, Isilis sat on the bed.

She was the quickest guest at Vallois’ regular banquet.

Actually, it was rude.

Speaking of a regular family meeting, it’s a big event that lasts from 3 days to 4 days at the longest.

For this reason, it was customary for nobles to stay in the castle until the banquet was over.

However.

“I’m tired.”

“I will prepare a bath.”

Isilis was the Empress of the Rolls Empire.

Whether she stays for a day or a week.

With a light smile and a little excuse, everything was resolved.

This time, it was because of sore ankles.

“Shall I bring you some tea?”

“That’s fine. Still, you’re the only one.”

“It’s nothing. Then please take a rest.”

When she gave a rough compliment, the maid smiled as if the corners of her lips would tear.

And the moment the door to the bedroom slammed shut, her angelic face crumpled coldly.

“…How strange.”

Isilis hated smiling.

Nonetheless, all she played was just a strategy to increase the loyalty of her subordinates.

It was the same reason she went to a banquet in Vallois.

“…In my past life, Cassis should’ve appeared in the Tundra Islands.”

Telling her, “please save my wife.”

She has to use her divine power, which is the infinite glory of the Imperial Family.

“Is it different from my past life, I wonder.”

It was weird.

“…But it’s possible. Because I tried something different from the original story.”

Concluding her failure quite calmly, she sat down on the bed.

And she nervously pulled out the hairpin and tossed it away.

She stared straight into the mirror.

Fine face lines.

Light green eyes in deep features.

White skin.

Even platinum blonde hair resembling the splendor of spring.

“…I’m alive again.”

The woman reflected in the mirror was Isilis, the perfect Empress of the Rolls Empire.

“I, Isilis, have changed. As I have received God’s mercy.”

Isilis muttered to herself as if she was hypnotizing.

In her previous life, she was an idiot.

The Saintess was an angel and a good woman.

She had to laugh even when she didn’t want to, but she didn’t think it was bad.

Because in return she was loved by the whole nation.

[Please save my wife.]

Is that why?

When the battered Cassis knelt in front of her.

[I’ll try. But it looks like you need a break.]

She couldn’t bring the dead back to life with her divine power, but she tried at least once.

Cassis was the head of one of the four largest families.

As the Empress, she knew to give up even for the sake of her public image if she showed her efforts.

But that’s it.

“…It was my biggest mistake.”

The price of her vague kindness was high.

It was even dangerous if the opponent was a madman.

[I’ll try harder.]

Cassis, whom she had initially sought alone, soon dragged the Knights of Vallois with him.

The military power of Vallois wasn’t easily touched even by the Imperial Family.

He was a man whose honor was made by sword and blood.

When requests became commands and obsessions started to feel scary,

[…Did I die?]

At first she didn’t even know that this was her second life.

If the little Guide hadn’t informed her, she would have lived an equally foolish life.

“…Peter. If you had killed him sooner…”

It was then.

The Empress’ beautiful face distorted after waking up from her thoughts.

“…That’s okay. With Peter now, I can kill him quickly. That’s how I grew up.”

She realized in her past life.

The villain dies and the hero wins.

Encouraging good and punishing evil.

If this boring topic is the truth that penetrates this world.

“I just need to speed up the ending before I die.”

According to the original story, Peter naturally grew up in her hands after three years.

Nevertheless, it was for that reason that she dared to purchase and bring him for 5,000 gold.

Faster than her last life.

By giving the young male lead more training.

“He just has to kill Cassis before I die.”

The fact that Peter was renamed ‘Sian’.

The fact that Sian was infiltrated into Vallois at an early age.

‘I can’t just give him mechanical training. I have to realize that Vallois is ugly.’

Then the main lead will know.

That Vallois must be eliminated as soon as possible.

She had to calm down first.

Having captured her posture like that, she was about to drink the wine.

Clank!

Unknowingly, she threw the glass away.

It was just four hours ago.

She tried to calm down, yet his psychopathic face was still clear.

On the outside, he seemed like a normal dad.

“But I have experienced it.”

It seemed that the original story had gone a little wrong, but it must have been hiding a dark inside.

“…Haaa, haaa.”

“Your Imperial Majesty the Empress!”

“Your Imperial Majesty, are you okay!”

Surprised by the terrible sound, the servants shouted through the closed door.

“I’m sorry.”

The Empress swallowed her exhaled breath.

And she came back with an angelic face.

“I’m drunk because of the wine. My hand slipped.”

“Your Imperial Majesty the Empress!”

When the door was opened, the maids lined up to remove the glass.

After a commotion.

She slumped back on the clean bed.

It was then.

“Kal.”

(funfact: kal means knife)

In the silence, the Empress called someone.

“Yes, Master.”

The red hair that had been waiting for the maids to leave emerged from the shadows.

He was an S-class mercenary of the Twin Axes Guild run by Viscount Shrek.

However, the current Twin Axes Guild was owned by Vallois.

Only a few people knew about Sian’s slave trade.

Thus the Empress hired the red-haired swordsman as an exclusive mercenary.

“At the last regular meeting, the assassin I sent to Vallois died.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Today, Sian and the Princess seem to have gotten along very well.”

The Empress, who spoke almost to herself, rested her chin on her hand.

.

She thought it was cute at first.

If the Princess of Valois likes him, there are many corners to dig up the information.

But at the regular banquet, Peter wasn’t like his own self.

‘In my previous life, the main character liked me unconditionally.’

There was silence for a moment.

The Empress, whose eyes cooled down, has been making noises, hmm.

“Is the Princess playing the original story differently, I wonder.”

***

“Sian.”

“…”

“Sian!”

“Huh? Mm.”

After the Empress left.

As soon as she left her spot, the maid sisters and Lisa ran from afar.

The banquet ended successfully.

Caught by Lisa, I was taken to the banquet hall.

Sian was scolded for a long time for his sudden behavior, but fortunately he wasn’t punished.

Anyway, my condition was serious, so I had to stay in the treatment room.

And now, the treatment room.

After the banquet, I hurriedly searched for Sian and looked at him.

“What was that?”

“…”

Hmm.

As expected, there was no answer.

Although I kept my Tibetan fox look with my arms crossed for a little scare.

“…”

His face as he sat on the bed darkened even more.

‘Should I comfort him carefully at a time like this?’

“Sian, are you okay?”

I quickly changed the concept and folded my knees.

Then I met Sian’s eyes as he lowered his head.

It was then.

“!”

Surprised, he turned away from me.

I wondered if he was wary of me as usual, yet he wasn’t.

He was like a herbivore terrified of making eye contact with something.

‘Why is he doing this?’

It was normal until we ran into each other in the hallway of the banquet.

“Would you like something warm?”

I lowered my gaze slightly and examined his hand.

Sian’s hand that grabbed the bed sheet was trembling slightly.

For now, he needed to calm down.

I put the mug I had prepared in his bluish hands.

Sian didn’t refuse.

So I was a little worried.

He doesn’t even seem to have the strength to refuse.

‘I’d rather him be on his guard.’

I asked kindly, hiding my mixed feelings.

“Sian. It’s just the two of us here. Tell me what’s going on.”

“…”

“I will protect you no matter what.”

“…I,”

“Hm?”

It was then.

“…I have to protect you.”

Sian, who was looking down at the cocoa, finally responded.

He lowered his gaze.

The black eyes were still full of fear.

Yet even in the midst of that, eyes filled with straight confidence were staring at me.

“I don’t care what happens now.”

“What do you mean?”

“…I just want you to take care of yourself.”

…Who’s comforting whom now?

My expression became more and more strange at the unknown words.

Sian, who had been staring at me, held out something from his pants pocket.

It was pieces of iron.

The shape of the pieces were unknown.

“What’s this?”

“Pieces.”

Three pieces to be exact.

One was curved, and the other resembled a leaf.

The other had sharp thorns.

“So what pieces of iron are they?”

When I narrowed my eyes and asked, Sian smiled lightly.

“It’s a riddle.”

“?”

“Don’t you know what the correct answer is?”

I nodded my head at the sound of a calming voice.

Sian put a piece of iron in my hand.

“Since you gave me hot cocoa, I’ll give you this in return.”

Having said that, Sian seemed to have planned to give it from the beginning.

“Look closely and try to figure it out. Instead, you can’t show it to anyone right now.”

“Why?”

“It’s a secret game.”

“!”

I opened my rabbit eyes.

“…We’re friends, so we’re playing secret games, right?”

At my sharp interpretation, he shut his mouth in bewilderment.

But after a while.

He made an ambiguous expression as if he didn’t care about anything anymore, yet he barely agreed.

“Mm. That’s right. It’s a secret game.”

“We are friends now!”

“That’s right.”

“Aaakh!”

I was so happy that a scream came out.

I belatedly covered my mouth with both hands and widened my round eyes.

‘This feels like an exchange diary with your best friend, right?’

Sian must have finally opened up to me!

At that time, did the effect of nursing care appear?

I nodded my head in excitement at the first play with Sian, who opened his heart.

Did he notice that my eyes are bright?

He, too, laughed bashfully.

It must have been uncomfortable as he wasn’t in good health, but Sian smiled brightly every time I talked to him.

“If you can’t get it right, I’ll give you another one next time we meet.”

“When is next time?”

“I’m not sure. People will hate it if we meet once every day… When I get better and leave the treatment room…”

“What next time? We can see each other every day.”

Are you kidding.

I want to have some fun now.

“…Is that possible?”

At my words, Sian tilted his head as if he was wondering about the solution.

I jumped up with a grim look on my face.

***

“That’s why, make Sian a servant.”

“?”

Did someone say that one’s happiness is other’s misfortune?

His long, straight fingers twitched as he played with the pen.

Cassis opened his mouth at a sight he wouldn’t be able to see even if dirt got into his eyes.

“Let Sian be a servaaant!”

Billishia was holding hands with a man.

It was the yellow-headed beast.