Yasiris woke up feeling very thirsty.
She whispered in a low voice and asked for water, and someone supported her upper body and brought a cup to her lips.
In her dazed state, as she drank like a little bird, she felt several presences around her.
"Go and inform the doctor.
Your Majesty the Empress has woken up," was the voice of the head maid.
“I will also bring the previously prescribed medicine,” voiced the maid, Peony.
There were other hands too, wiping her forehead or propping a pillow behind her while she drank.
Amidst the sincere care that she had not felt in a long time, Yasiris mumbled unconsciously.
“Where's Ken?”
"Yes?"
She was sure she saw him caring for her tenderly.
The large hand gently stroking her hair, the low voice calling her by her nickname, and those ruby red eyes...
“Who is he?”
“Ah”
Yasiris blinked her unfocused eyes several times before regaining consciousness.
She realized too late that she had called out to Ken out loud, and that this was reality, not a dream.
“…it's nothing”
What could be more absurd than searching for the dead?
Even knowing this, Israis closed her eyes.
If possible, she wanted to dream again.
To dream of meeting her old love.
...However, the person who came to her was not Ken from her dreams, but Kazan from reality.
With Dr.
LaFaro.
“The fever has mostly subsided, so if she takes her medicine regularly and rests well for a few days, she will recover quickly.”
“I see.
When can she resume her outside activities?”
“She should be able to return to her normal routine by the day after tomorrow.”
“Even after fainting?”
“It would be better if you rested for a whole week.”
Yasiris listened to the conversation unfold without her intervention, and felt a subtle unease.
It was puzzling that the Emperor was here, speaking as her guardian.
Well, he cares about her body.
Like a precious cup.
Ysers turned her gaze indifferently to the window.
She subconsciously watched the white and red flowers swaying in the wind, when a heavy sound pierced her thoughts.
“Empress”
“Yes, Your Majesty”
came the dry reply automatically.
Only then did she turn her head to see red eyes, similar to Ken's but completely different, staring at her.
“Did you hear?
You don't have to leave your room for a week.”
The doctor said to rest, so why did she feel like she was being turned into a form of house arrest?
Yasiris sighed but was too tired to complain.
Life was very difficult, so instead of arguing, she lowered her eyes and repeated like a parrot.
“Yes, Your Majesty”
Kazan frowned at Yasiris's stance.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but closed it again.
Annoyed, he ran a hand through his hair and turned his gaze to Dr.
Lavarro without another word.
“The medicine has been prepared, right?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.
I have entrusted weekly supplies to the Empress’ maid.”
“And follow-up procedures?”
“I think she will be fine, but I will visit her once a day for a few days to check how she is doing.”
“Okay, keep up your efforts.”
Dr.
Lafaro bowed respectfully and left.
At Kazan's gesture, the other maids also left the room.
It was the same scene as in the morning, except that Yasiris was awake this time.
The room was silent with only the two of them present.
I waited for Yasiris Kazan to speak, sensing that he had something on his mind.
Meanwhile, Kazan thought about the best way to start the conversation.
There were so many questions he wanted to ask.
It was difficult to choose just one question from among the countless doubts and contradictions that arose.
Do you remember Ken?
If so, why don't you remember Yasiris correctly?
Is the alliance really over?
What is the subject of engagement with a baritone?
The swirling thoughts culminated in an indirect question,
“Who is Ken?”
Maybe it was a case of mistaken identity.
Or perhaps it was habit that summoned him rather than memory.
Yasiris doubted this, and her face hardened when Kazan pressed for clarification.
Her voice was as firm as her expression.
“He's someone from my past.”
“Your past?”
“Old acquaintance.
Your Majesty, there is no need for you to worry.”
Kazan examined Yasiris with interest.
Her reaction was noticeably defensive.
It was as if she had signed a confession.
“If it's already a broken relationship, there should be no reason not to talk about it.”
Yasiris bit her lips in response to Kazan's request.
When I just woke up, it was not appropriate to mention Ken.
The result of pronouncing Aziz's name carelessly in the presence of the Emperor was this.
Certainly, he would not dare to exhume the grave of someone she was once related to.
Yasiris wrestled with an internal conflict.
She wanted to make up a lie, but she couldn't bear the thought of Kazan finding out the truth through investigation and facing his wrath.
Maybe it's a good idea to talk about their superficial relationship.
It can selectively reveal some external facts without revealing everything.
“Qin Jenot.
He is a fallen noble from the Beren Kingdom.
We were classmates in the same academy, and I hired him as my bodyguard after graduation.”
“We were once close, but he died five years ago.
Finding him this morning was simply… he was a source of strength to me when I was weak.
I must have thought of him inadvertently.”
Yasiris cast her eyes down.
She was ready to accept any doubt or accusation that Kazan might throw at her with his disturbed behavior.
He showed anger whenever his baritone was mentioned, so I expected a similar reaction regarding Kane.
However, contrary to her expectations, Kazan did not get angry or press further regarding Kane.
He was stunned into silence.
“…Your Majesty?”
“Yes, yes, yes”
Yasiris looked up in surprise after a long silence, calling out to Kazan, only to receive a hesitant response.
His hasty turning away before she could inquire what was wrong was also strange.
“Okay, then, rest well.”
Yes?
“Rest well,” not just “Sleep now” or “I’m leaving now”?
Yasiris watched Kazan's strange departure with a strange expression as he disappeared behind the door in an instant.
It seemed as if not only she, but the Emperor himself was also in pain.
Bang-!
Kazan closed the door to his private office forcefully as he entered.
It wasn't just a bad mood; He struggled to control his emotions amidst the complexity.
In his case, Kazan didn't even notice the noise he himself made.
Yasiris's words echoed relentlessly in his mind.
She even called out to him when she woke up.
Even though she thought he was dead, she still couldn't forget him.
He was the first person she called when she was in pain.
Because she relied on him.
“Huh”
Kazan used to run his hand through his hair several times before suddenly stopping.
With a strong fist, he caught his black hair between his teeth.
He couldn't be that kind of presence for her anymore.
It's not the Ken Jenot you remember, but the Kazan Tinilath bound by resentment.
“Fuck”
He felt wronged and angry at the same time.
He couldn't understand where things had gone wrong or how they had become so tangled.
Yasaris knew that Qin Jenot was Kazan Tinilath.
She had to know if she remembered Ken.
But she didn't.
She did not recognize the returning Kazan and openly whispered her love to another man during their engagement party.
This was evidence that the alliance was broken, a situation that seemed inevitable.
“…Then why?”
Why does Yasiris still seem to have Kane in her heart?
Even if it wasn't love, how do you remember Ken?
Was the magic of his reign incomplete?
No, there was no problem with the magic itself appearing.
That's why he agreed to use it on Yasiris.
Did he make a mistake somewhere along the line?
Did the wording of their covenant with her go wrong?
Was there room for misinterpretation?
Why did you only fulfill half the deal?
“This drives me crazy”
Kazan groaned in frustration, his mind tangled in complexity.
While searching his memories for an elusive answer, he suddenly stopped when a clear scene appeared in his mind.
He is my fiancé, Your MajestyOn the day of Yasiris's engagement party.
Kazan couldn't remember the warmth in her eyes when she lovingly linked her arms with the baritone before he stormed in.
Upon hearing the news, he rushed into an almost irrational state, so it was natural for him to disrupt the proceedings.
Did you look at baritone the same way you look at Kane?
A few months ago, she received her baritone ring.
Kazan glanced at Yasiris against her facial expression.
When he saw her silent demeanor, he made one assumption in his mind.
If Yaris lied...
What if her relationship with baritone Kiloden was fake?
“No, this can't be...”
Unknowingly, a faint voice escaped him.
He struggled to deny the idea that perhaps everything that had happened was meaningless.
However, her desperate search for Kane during her illness, and her behavior when he was mentioned, undoubtedly pointed to such a possibility.
Maybe Yasiris didn't betray Kazan after all.
“…I need proof.”
With slightly trembling hands, Kazan turned and headed toward the Secret Intelligence Unit's office.
His confused steps led him towards the direction where several secret agents were leaving the palace soon to Beren.
It's been a few days.
Since the first day I woke up, no one had come to Yasaris's room.
Neither Kazan, nor Runelia, nor any other guests.
Except for occasional visits from Dr.
Lavaro for check-ups, the maids were only busy taking care of her needs and daily life.
Alone in her room might feel isolated, but Yasaris found it strangely comforting.
Without facing those who had caused her stress, her physical health quickly recovered.
Most of her days were spent sleeping.
When she woke up, she was usually reading books or spending long periods immersed in the bathroom.
At times, her routine resembled that of someone suffering from depression, and yet she occasionally felt hope, still determined to live.
Even if her sacrifices for Beren come back in the form of complaints.
Even if she was treated like a doll by everyone, including her husband.
Even if her pride was trampled, her body was tainted, and all that was left was humiliation.
Yasiris is still in a state of slumber, but she has somehow endured life.
“Your Majesty, Duke Kilodon sent a message.”
“How is he?” Yasiris asked, and closed her book when she heard the news of the forgotten character.
The maid who delivered the letter briefly recounted the past events.
“He was initially accused and punished for harming Your Majesty’s health, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding and he was acquitted.
However, I will accompany you to any future meetings with him.”
“I understand”
Yasiris nodded blamelessly at the reply, which did not negate her suspicions.
It wasn't entirely unexpected.
Maybe it could turn out for the better.
It would be difficult for Miquelon to carelessly scratch her in front of others.
With a faint feeling of resignation, Yasiris opened the letter.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she read the words, realizing that they had likely been scanned by someone else.