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Chapter 83
Right now, éclairs didn’t matter at all.
If it were important, they should have told me sooner!
“What is it?”
I asked eagerly, eyes sparkling, and the Emperor slightly tilted his head toward me.
As if conspiring in secret, he looked me in the eyes from up close and spoke in a low voice.
“This hunting competition will be your first event participating alongside the Grand Duke, so the nobles’ attention will naturally be focused on you.”
“That makes sense.”
“Moreover, the Grand Duke will want everyone to know about his relationship with you, so even more so.”
“…….”
“Also, in a hunting competition meant to showcase power, the Grand Duke returning victorious will itself be a hot topic. If he shows even a hint of weakness, the nobles won’t let it go unnoticed.”
“……Shall we get to the main point now, Your Majesty?”
So, what exactly is this method you’re talking about?
When I asked pointedly, the smile on the Emperor’s face brightened even more.
“I’m going to place assassins in the hunting grounds.”
“……What?”
I blinked blankly before asking,
“Are assassins being added to the game animals this time?”
“Haha, of course not.”
The Emperor laughed and added,
“These assassins from the Belzesti Empire are no ordinary prey. They’ll hide in secret and focus their attacks on you.”
“I see…….”
“Our dear Einra will be flustered by their sudden ambush and will have to struggle to fend them off.”
If she defeated them too easily, it wouldn’t draw the nobles’ attention properly.
The Emperor whispered in a sweet voice, leaning closer.
“In that way, we can somewhat divert the nobles’ attention.”
Under his long, navy-blue eyelashes, his pale pink eyes, reminiscent of rose quartz, curved lazily.
His navy-blue hair flowed gently as he tilted his head, and his red lips curved softly.
It was obvious he was using a seduction tactic, but naturally, I didn’t fall for it.
“Your words do make sense, Your Majesty. But…”
I averted my gaze from the Emperor’s beautiful eyes and continued.
“…I’d like you to finally tell me your true intentions.”
“Hm?”
“The Emperor I know wouldn’t release assassins into the hunting grounds just because he’s worried the attention might fall on Akes.”
At my clear words, the Emperor blinked a few times before a pleased smile appeared on his lips.
His long, straight fingers lazily brushed through my hair.
“This is why I like our Einra so much. Truly, if it were up to me, I’d take you to the Empress’s quarters—”
“Your Majesty, would you say that in front of Eli?”
That lingering attachment—this time, I’d end it for good.
I shivered and glared at him. The Emperor slumped his shoulders in mock disappointment.
“You are really cruel to me…”
“Yes. Now, let’s get back to the main topic.”
I cut him off coldly, and the Emperor pouted before speaking.
“You once brought down the Baharman Grand Duke’s house in a single night. Because of that, the nobles’ perception of you has changed.”
“……How so?”
“Before, they looked at you as a reliable ally. Now, it’s a mix of awe and fear.”
Fear, when prolonged, turns into hostility.
Creating potential enemies within Elberk while the Belzesti are already the main adversary wasn’t a good idea.
“But that was just punishing a rebel, right? I only judged a criminal…”
“It doesn’t matter whether what you did was just or not. What matters to them is the ‘power to destroy an entire house in a single night.’”
The Emperor leaned back in his chair and continued.
“You’ve maintained a gentle demeanor until now. Because of that, the nobles knew your strength intellectually but didn’t truly feel it.”
“…….”
“But until yesterday, a house existed normally, and now it’s gone overnight. All because of you alone.”
“…….”
“Of course, they would be scared.”
I pressed my lips together and clenched my fists.
I had never imagined that my actions would have such consequences.
“So, I plan to create a scenario where you’re attacked by a separate enemy, to shift the nobles’ hostility toward them.”
“That separate enemy is Belzesti, right?”
“Exactly. It’s better if the target of their hostility is my enemy.”
The Emperor smiled.
I stayed silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“Alright. I’ll join Your Majesty’s plan.”
Indeed, the Emperor’s plan wasn’t bad.
Divert the attention from Akes and redirect the nobles’ hostility toward Belzesti.
The latter was an inevitable consequence of my reckless actions, so I had no complaints.
“I’ll clean up the mess I made…”
Of course, I had just promised Harnen not to take unnecessary risks, but this is a pre-arranged play, so it didn’t count.
“I’m glad you accepted the proposal.”
The Emperor smiled in satisfaction.
“Also, please don’t tell the Grand Duke Serenia about this conversation. He would absolutely oppose the plan.”
“Yes, of course.”
I had no intention of telling Akes from the moment I agreed to the Emperor’s plan.
I wasn’t foolish enough to ruin the plan myself.
“Now, shall we start preparing for the hunting competition?”
When the Emperor pulled the curtain aside, the maids and designers waiting outside came in.
‘So the Emperor said he would help with preparations just to secretly tell me this…’
I thought that as I gazed dully at the catalog bundle the designers brought.
I hoped this time it would be over faster than last time…
Late at night.
Akes sat perched on the edge of the bed, looking down at Einra, who was fast asleep.
Even when he reached out to brush her loose hair aside, she didn’t stir. She must have been tired from the day.
Her soft hair flowed through his fingers. Remembering the conversation they had over dinner, Akes tilted his head slightly.
/‘What did you do with the Emperor?’
‘Um, just… getting clothes ready, matching weapons for the hunt, that’s all.’
He recalled Einra’s awkward smile as she answered, and whispered softly,
“I hope it was really just that.”
Soft, brown hair slipped through his hands.
A drowsy voice continued.
“I don’t want the Emperor to know about this.”
He took a handful of her hair, pressed his lips to it, and then got up.
The constant sense of presence was irritating.
“……Looks like Belzesti has many lives to spare.”
Twisting his mouth in annoyance, he leaped out the window.
He drew a dagger from his sleeve and threw it at a leafy tree, and a masked figure sprang out, swinging a sword.
In an instant, Akes drew his sword from his waist and blocked the attack with an unimpressed expression, pressing his advantage.
As he was about to strike through the assassin’s neck, another masked figure attacked from a different tree.
Effortlessly blocking the flurry of attacks aimed at him, Akes smirked.
“Didn’t they teach you that loyalty doesn’t exist in this world?”
Clang, clang—the sharp clash of metal echoed.
“You didn’t really think two of you could bring me down, did you?”
Before he finished speaking, Akes’ sword cut through one assassin’s neck.
One fell, and the other hesitated, retreating backward.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Akes finished off the remaining assassin in a single strike, flicking his sword to clean the blood.
As the crimson arcs painted elegant curves on the floor, his body shimmered again with a platinum glow.
“…….”
A gust of wind blew through.
The night air swept over his hair. Brushing the messy strands aside, Akes lifted his head.
Under a night sky where even the moon was hidden, his bedroom came into view.
Einra, asleep in his room.
“…….”
Breathless with overwhelming emotion, he stood still for a moment before heading toward the bathroom.
He couldn’t return to Einra in his bloodied state.
