With a stern face, Kazan entered the reception room, and Temesyan greeted him politely.
“I salute the sun of the supreme empire.”
“Enough with the pleasantries, just tell me what you two talked about.”
Kazan was upset.
He went to see Yasiris, who had been resting for a week, only to find that she was hosting a guest in the drawing room.
He thought there wouldn't be too much trouble with Temsian, and waited, but it took longer than expected.
What kind of interesting conversation were they having that she didn't come back to?
When he finally went to see for himself, the first thing he heard was that it was an appointment.
Temesian offered to pay for Yasaris' appointment.
Although Kazan, known for his devotion to his wife, did not believe that Temesyan was making advances on Lisaris, the situation led to inevitable misunderstandings.
"You're just in time.
We were just discussing lunch..."
“What?”
"nothing!"
Kazan looked at Yasiris, who hurriedly interrupted him.
When he saw that she looked healthier than when they last met, he was relieved for a moment, but Temsian's words, which were not entirely clear, finally made sense.
“…an appointment with the Empress and me?”
“Yes, Your Majesty”
“No, it's not”
Temsian nodded with a happy expression, while Yasiris denied it, looking pale.
Realizing that there was some misunderstanding, Kazan made a reasonable guess.
“Did the Empress want to dine out?
Even if it meant going with me?”
“That's right.
When I recommended a restaurant, she insisted on going with Your Majesty.
How kind-hearted!”
Kazan doubted.
Kazan shifted his gaze from the laughing Temesyan to Yasiris, who opened her mouth several times before sighing tiredly and adding,
“…I said I would go if I could get Your Majesty’s permission.”
Because it's about leaving the palace.
Kazan nodded at the unspoken words he understood.
naturally.
Yasiris wouldn't want to go on a date with him.
Maybe if it was Kane...
…Even though he already knew this, Kazan felt frustrated.
Frowning slightly, he spoke coldly to Temesyan, who was the cause of all this.
“I have a previous association with the advisor.”
"Oh, what a pity.
It would have been a good time, I'm sure."
“If you're so frustrated, take it out, Duke.”
Kazan, who responded sharply, and Yasiris, who heard his words, both hesitated.
Especially Yasiris, who looked at Kazan with an expression of disbelief.
Is she allowed to go out?
And he suggests that she go with another man?
Under her clear gaze, Kazan ran his hand through his hair in annoyance.
He wanted to retract his words immediately, but Viscount Lavero's advice prevented him from doing so.
She seems very depressed lately, so staying at a resort for a little while might help her change the pace of her lifeHe said the open environment would be good.
Even if you're not a resort person, a tour of the capital will be better than being cooped up in a palace.
Instead of going with Kazan, whom she doesn't like, it would be refreshing to go with the Duke, whom she seems to have grown close to.
Kazan suddenly turned away.
Instead of showing his shamelessly hurt and twisted expression, he used his orders like a tyrant.
“Be sure to come back just after lunch.
To prevent any unnecessary rumours, it would be wise for you to bring your wife as well, Duke.
Do your role as guard properly.”
Yasiris left the palace with Duke Blake and his wife.
Until the carriage passed through the huge gate, I was stunned.
Only when the scene of the capital began to unfold through the window did her heart begin to beat faster.
Clean streets.
The buildings are often up to three stories high.
Architecturally designed clock towers and huge fountains.
Children playing with bright faces.
It was a beautiful city.
Despite its hatred, it was clearly more developed than the Beren Kingdom.
“I'm glad you seem to like DC.”
“...the scene is not bad.”
She could not force herself to admire the country ruled by her enemy.
She could only admire the extraordinary view.
Whenever she attended banquets of other nobles with Kazan, the carriage's curtains were drawn, preventing her from seeing outside.
She kept reminding herself that her captivity was only because she did not have the proper opportunity to see the streets of the capital.
“Thanks to Her Majesty, we can eat dinner out comfortably.
My husband often says he likes my cooking, so we don’t go out to eat often.”
“Ahm.
Who told you to be so skilled?”
“You too, in front of Her Majesty the Empress...”
Benesir Blake, the Duke's wife, had a straightforward personality like her husband Temesian.
Although they are high-ranking nobles, the Duke and Duchess, who married for love, once shared publicly that they had a passionate love affair with Ozevia.
For a family known as the Cruel Tyrant Sword, they were incredibly ordinary people.
“This is the place.
It's a restaurant that caters to nobles, so you can have a private room and enjoy your meal without worrying about prying eyes.”
As Temsyan confirmed, the meal was delicious.
Whether the warmth she felt stemmed from the food or the couple's calm atmosphere, Yasaris couldn't tell.
Any good time seemed to pass very quickly.
Even Yasiris, whose appetite was usually small and was now suffering from morning sickness, was able to taste the dessert, but it was already time to leave the restaurant.
While Yasiris, sensing hesitation, continued to look back while going out the door that Temesian had opened for her, Benesir gently suggested,
"I feel so full that if I went back to the stroller now, I might feel nauseous.
How about a short walk to help with digestion?"
“I'm only allowed lunch, ma'am.”
“This is still part of lunch, isn't it?
We're not going far, just a short walk around here.
I'm sure His Majesty will understand.”
This proposal was too tempting to refuse.
Yasiris hesitated but eventually accepted Benisier's suggestion and walked through the shops.
She pulled her robe over her head to hide her identity.
"What is this?"
"Oh, you have a keen eye, ma'am!
This is a newly released magical device.
If you press this here, it stores the view in front of you..."
The market in Osivia, where magic and alchemy developed, had a unique atmosphere.
Besides common goods and food, there were magical goods, rarely seen in other countries, being traded here.
Most of them were expensive, out of reach of the common people.
“Is there anything you like?”
"Not particularly, but it's cool.
Maybe I'll buy something from here one day."
“If you need, I can lend you money.”
“I appreciate the offer, Duke, but I have already received more than enough kindness from you.”
Yasiris was about to propose a comeback when a certain sales pitch caught her eye.
"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Experience the Eye of the Sage, which sees through all worldly matters, for just one gold coin!"
The man shouted, arousing the curiosity of some onlookers, as he fixed a large crystal ball on a low table.
“What exactly is the Eye of the Sage that charges gold just to try it?”
“Show the user what they want to know more than anything else, in real time!”
“This appears to be a scam.”
"How can you say that!
This is a magic device that I borrowed with great difficulty.
This moment is the only chance to try it.
It's basically a one-time opportunity for everyone!"
Yasiris fiddled with the coins in her robe pocket.
One gold and 18 silver.
The money I took from Miquelon was in case of emergency, and it remained untouched.
One gold piece was the monthly cost of living for an average family of four, so its price was not cheap.
However, this was money that she would not use otherwise, and she wanted to invest it in satisfying her curiosity.
She didn't have anything specific she wanted to know.
Rather, she wanted to know what she was most curious about at this moment.
Lately, she has been lacking motivation or desire for any specific goal.
“It seems like a newly introduced magical device.
It seems rare; why don't you try it?”
“Don't you know anything about this, Duke?”
“Haha, I have connections with wizards, but… I don’t know everything.”
She nodded at his timid answer, and Yasiris took out a single gold piece from her robe.
“Okay, I'll give it a try.”
“I hope you see what you want.”
Leaving him behind, Yasiris stepped forward.
At that moment, the first challenger was trying out the Sage's Eye.
While the crystal ball seemed unchanged to others, the user must have seen something different, as the man suddenly fell backwards in shock.
"Is this real?
Is this really real?"
The man, who was extremely disturbed by what he saw, left hurriedly, looking around anxiously.
As the spectators murmured in confusion, Yasiris stepped forward to take her turn.
“Pay first, agent!”
“Come in”
“Thank you!
Just put your hand on the crystal ball and wait for five seconds.”
Yasiris followed the man's instructions.
At first, the crystal ball showed no change, but soon it began to display a blurry scene.
Yasiris almost pulled her hand back in shock.
She looked around to see if anyone else had heard, but the faces watching her showed no sign of anything unusual.
Thinking that he could even break through the palace's magical immunity barriers.
Surprised by the power of the magic, she swallowed dryly and returned her focus to the crystal ball.
The picture inside began to take shape, showing the Emperor and the Chancellor talking in the office.
The sound was faint and unsteady, intermittent as if magic was faltering.
All Yasiris could make out was that they were talking about her.
Then at a certain moment,
Kazan's face became filled with disdain, and it became sharply evident.