After leaving the anxious Loyas with the palace servant, I stood in the Emperor's reception room.
And now…
'I really want to ask.'
As I looked into his eyes, which were clearly facing me, I felt a shiver run down my spine for no reason.
'Why is he looking at me like that?'
Does he doubt that I was unable to respond to the attack that flew towards me?
The cold sweat was still flowing.
'If Caseys had not intervened, what would have happened?'
Duchess Ariel, who couldn't even face a Class B Awakener.
The great witch who can't use magic at all, Duchess Ariel!
'Ah, this is really terrible.'
The mission would have failed, and I would have died.
In this sense, it can be said that the Emperor and I saved each other once.
“Duchess, don’t you have something to say?”
I don't have anything to say.
After I got used to his fierce aura, I answered spontaneously:
“Do you expect me to say thank you?”
Casey laughed blankly, as if shocked by the Duchess's impudent attitude.
But now, the shocked person wasn't him, it was me.
'It's one thing for you to save me, but why do you look like this?'
It is said that the guide feels angry and frustrated when he sees the awakened person in charge of him exerting himf.
'But this feeling is definitely not the case.'
I forgot the emperor's frightening aura, and I wanted to rush up to him and shake him by the collar.
'Why did you become such a mess in one day?'
Even though I didn't instruct as much as I accidentally did that time, I lowered his level significantly.
'He wasn't supposed to reach this state after one battle!'
I couldn't withdraw my indignant gaze.
At this speed, tonight I'll have to go down again tonight.
Is it possible that this man, having found an easy way, is deliberately overusing his power?
Wait a minute, is this really possible?
'Is he testing me to see if I'll show up whenever his condition gets worse?
No, isn't it...?'
When my thoughts arrived here, Casey's wary expression looked ominous.
What exactly does this man remember?
I tried to expel the ominous feeling and changed the subject:
“Anyway, I submit my report, Your Majesty.”
While looking at his raised eyebrow, I raised my eyes impudently:
“I haven't found anything yet.”
“I didn't know you would say that with such confidence?”
“Honesty is my thing.
Expecting results in one day means you value my abilities too much.”
“Yes, Duchess.
You are the great witch who tried so hard to search, but even your magic could not find a single person.
How serious do you think this problem is?”
Someone that the Awakened could not find, not even the Great Sorceress of the Empire.
Someone who managed to deceive the Emperor's eyes, sneaked into his bedroom, secretly calmed his strength, and then suddenly left.
“You are not among the mages I command.
Therefore, please do not place the responsibility for this danger on me, Your Majesty.”
“Do you confirm that?”
“Yes, I said he is not among my mages.
In the empire’s capital, there are many individuals and groups, unregistered mages and others.”
Of course not among my followers.
Because I am the person concerned, and I am not a follower.
It was a bit of a play on words, but a precautionary step for any possible situation in the future.
“It seems that your brilliant mind forgot that the person we were looking for was among those invited to the palace?”
“There is no law preventing an unregistered magician from receiving an invitation, Your Majesty.
He may be disguised as someone else.
Anyway...”
I asked in an exploratory tone:
“Your Majesty, don’t you have something you would like to say to me?”
I couldn't stop myf from asking, even with his grim expression.
The Emperor issued no further orders regarding the woman who had visited him last night.
He was silent.
Why?
'Is it because he doesn't remember that moment?'
Or is there another reason?
My heart was beating hard.
“What do you mean?
I don’t understand.”
“I heard that two of your guides vomited blood.”
I saw the Emperor unable to hide his displeasure as he released his aura.
His ferocity made me want to run away and give up everything.
But what should I do?
I can't escape.
“Are you not ashamed to hide spies in the palace, Duchess?”
I shrugged:
“What is this?
I have many witches who are bringing me news.”
The Emperor, who was cursing me with his eyes, said:
"So what?
What does my mentors vomiting blood have to do with it?"
I deliberately looked at him intently:
“However, it was said that your condition seems to be more stable than usual.
So far, after a fierce battle, you seem fine.
Isn’t it strange that I don’t wonder?”
Will he confess to Duchess Ariel about the woman who visited him at night, or will he keep his mouth shut?
‘Since he received a half-mark, he supposedly does not take the guidance of others well.’
I shouldn't have put the hashtag.
This is the biggest problem.
I frowned, but the Emperor answered, slowly stroking his chin:
“I am not obligated to inform you of my condition daily.”
“Yes, I know.”
“I've given you an order.
Find her.
That's what's important.”
It doesn't look like he's going to talk.
That was better.
It seemed that the Emperor had no intention of spreading the matter easily to others.
'It's better than letting last night's events spread.'
I nodded:
“Okay, that's all for today's report.”
Now, can I bring Louis?
Seeing his cold eyes, it was clear that he would not be gentle with his brother.
At that moment, when it looked like he was going to tell me to leave, Caseys spoke:
“There is something else that needs to be addressed.”
"What is it?"
“Anyway, my knights have done you a great disservice.”
so what?
Will he apologise?
“Since they broke the rules of the palace, I will grant one wish for you as compensation.”
Of course, it wasn't an apology.
But it was something similar.
“Anything to say?”
When I asked excitedly, his intense gaze, as if he found it strange, pierced me.
“I'll grant it if it's not a ridiculous request.
But remember, only if it doesn't cause a fuss later.”
Well, understood.
'If there's something I want, then sure...'
The first thing that rushed into my throat was:
'Save me!'
Don't kill me.
No matter what happens, don't kill me!
But…
‘Duchess Ariel would never say something like that.’
So, there was one thing I could say.
I tried desperately to hide my nervousness and made an emotionless expression:
“If it's a request you can fulfill, can I say anything?”
The price of deliberately spreading his power was horribly burdensome.
If the person facing him wasn't Duchess Ariel, he would have already collapsed.
The Duchess's impudent words were true.
The guides assigned to him, who had found him difficult before, could no longer even touch him.
'Cough, cough!
Your Majesty…!’
They screamed in a voice like death as they vomited black blood.
With the Duchess mocking this in front of him, it was difficult to let go of doubts.
'Are you really not hiding anything?'
He knows that the rumors that the magicians spread with brilliance are close to nonsense in order to raise the status of their leader and degrade the Awakened.
However, he still wondered, if not this woman, who could deceive his eyes and hide his guide.
'By the way…'
What does this woman want to say?
Casey looked at Duchess Ariel, unable to hide his uneasy feeling.
'Did she have this habit?'
The quiet woman was both familiar and annoying to him.
Six years ago, when Caisis had to hastily assume the title of Emperor after a terrible incident, this woman, who had inherited the title of Duchess like him, was familiar to him in many ways.
'Why did she bite her lips a moment ago?'
Her usual rude and cold expression.
The attitude of an arrogant witch who avoids the Awakened as if they were monsters.
This was quite the usual Duchess Ariel.
Why does this bother him?
The sight of her biting her lips hard, as if she was hiding it, was as annoying as a thorn stuck in his throat.
While he looked at her determinedly, she was deep in thought seriously as if she did not feel his eyes
Then, the woman finally raised her eyes:
“I have decided, Your Majesty.”
I confronted him directly.
Then, the words she said while directly facing his eyes were…