ODDEF 21

In recent years, she had been using more and more El’nash leaves. In the past, a small amount was enough, but now it was far from enough. She had also vaguely noticed that the intervals between needing to inhale the scent were getting shorter.

“Your Majesty, I must insist—you need to stop using El’nash leaves immediately. Please use the perfume I gave you instead,” Rai said.

“You mean the perfume you gave me today?” Lucretia asked.

“Yes. It contains a strong extract of Lapine flowers.”

“Lapine flowers…?”

Lucretia hesitated, as it was a name she had never heard before. Rai nodded strongly.

“These flowers grow only in the deepest part of Regina Forest. They are said to hold the essence of the forest. Only these flowers have a meaningful effect in calming mana addiction.”

Lucretia remembered the perfume’s sweet, comforting scent. If Rai was right, everything she had relied on until now was wrong. Still, she had no choice but to trust him. Though they were meeting for the first time, Rai was her kin, and the moment she inhaled the scent of his gift, her mind felt clear—as if she had woken from a deep sleep.

“Your Majesty,” Rai said earnestly, “I will provide you with plenty of Lapine perfume. Whenever your mana addiction flares, use it to calm yourself. Even after I return to Alora, I can continue supplying it through the network if you wish.”

Lucretia nodded slowly. Her mind was extremely confused, but she could not help trusting Rai.

“May I ask something?” she said hesitantly.

“Of course. Anything,” Rai replied.

“Sometimes… strange things happen around me,” she said, vaguely describing the incident where Count Johannes’ report had flown directly to her. Rai nodded.

“Those with magical power can sometimes use magic unintentionally, just from desire alone.”

“I hope nothing like that happens again,” Lucretia said urgently. Until now, she had managed to hide these incidents, but another mistake could expose her.

Rai’s face darkened slightly.

“Magic is instinctive for those with magical power. To prevent sudden magic from appearing, Your Majesty must control your own desires, and not want any phenomenon too strongly.”

It was a vague answer. How could she simply control her mind so easily? Lucretia frowned.

The bell of the clock tower rang, reminding her that she had already spent two hours in the palace.

“I should return now,” she said.

If she stayed too long, Clara might grow suspicious. As she turned to leave, Rai quickly grabbed her hand.

“My delegation will remain in the palace for another month. During that time, may I continue our conversations? I can arrange safe situations and places where no one would suspect anything.”

Lucretia hesitated but finally nodded. Contacting Rai further could be dangerous, but… he was her kin, the first she had ever met. She could not ignore him.

“Sir Rai,” she said, pausing before leaving.

“In the southern forest… is it true that they are gathered there?”

She could not bring herself to say “the fairies” yet. Rai smiled and nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty. They are all safe and living peacefully. If… if you were to visit, they would be overjoyed and welcome you warmly.”

Lucretia could not respond. Could she really go to the forest at the southern edge of the continent? Could she, bound as Empress of the Empire, step outside her realm even for a moment?

‘I want to go,’ she thought.

It was the place where her kin gathered. The place her mother, who had been sold as a slave, had longed to visit. Now that she knew her kin were alive, she wanted to set foot there—if only once, even briefly. Someday, she would escape the Empire and her father’s control—

Her head throbbed. Another headache came, though much milder than usual. Perhaps it was the perfume’s effect, she thought, as she left the palace.

As the Hunting Festival approached, the palace grew busier than ever. Not only the department in charge, but the entire palace was in a state of excitement.

Knights trained diligently, and nobles were thrilled about the festival taking place far away. Everyone in the Empire was talking about it, and the colors and gems associated with the emperor’s target demon were in high demand.

Lucretia, exhausted by the chaos, was warned by Chief Maid Jaina:

“Empress, please rest at night. The shadows under your eyes are growing.”

Lucretia smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry. I just need to finish this one task. Almost done.”

Though it was nearly midnight, Lucretia insisted on finishing her work. The maids sighed.

When Lucretia was appointed as Empress, rumors had spread that she would be arrogant and overbearing, but she was nothing like that. Gentle and delicate as a flower, she never acted imperiously or mistreated her staff. Once, when a maid broke a teapot, she did not scold her, but tried to heal her small injury.

Lucretia stayed up past midnight, caring for palace affairs, proving she was thoughtful and kind.

The closer the festival came, the more demands the Duke had, wanting to ensure he received rewards for giving her the opportunity. Lucretia shared small information, but pretended not to know the important things. The Duke would always threaten to cut off her El’nash leaf supply—but lately, she no longer trembled at his warnings.

In fact, she had almost stopped using El’nash leaves entirely. She only inhaled the scent when Clara lit it before sleep, and then discarded the rest outside. Instead, she used Rai’s Lapine perfume—and astonishingly, no withdrawal symptoms appeared.

‘Rai was right,’ she realized.

El’nash leaves were not a healing herb—they were a poisonous plant that dulled pain but caused addiction. Her father had given them as a gift, but the truth stung her heart. Still, the leaves had been his way of showing he cared.