TCTR 62

Chapter 62

Only after Kischel disappeared did Eshdwa speak.

“I happen to need the same information as you.”

I thought he wouldn’t tell me so easily, but apparently it wasn’t such a big secret, because he explained it right away.

“The same information… you mean about the Lumen Empire?”

“Exactly. You’ve heard that the emperor over there has passed away, right?”

I nodded cautiously.

“Then the story will be quick.”

Eshdwa stretched out his long arm and lifted the materials related to the Lumen Empire that the informant had brought me.

“I was planning to go to the Lumen Empire, and this works out perfectly.”

I wanted to snatch the documents from his hand, but for now, I just smiled politely.

Without even glancing at me, Eshdwa announced:

“You will accompany me to the coronation of the new emperor of Lumen. Follow me.”

“…What?”

One of his eyes, the only one visible behind the papers, narrowed like a beast’s.

“I think you’ll be useful.”

In his voice, laced with his trademark smile, he spoke simply, as if reciting tomorrow’s schedule: what he intended to do.

A few days after meeting Eshdwa, I joined the delegation heading to Lumen for the upcoming coronation.

Sailing on a ship… naturally, this was my first time.

I boarded the large vessel, unpacked in the cabin that Eshdwa had reserved entirely, and stepped out onto the deck.

“The wind is cold. Why don’t you come over here?”

Kischel, who had brought my shawl, spoke, and I turned toward him.

“What are you thinking about?”

“That it’s fascinating?”

I buried my face in the shawl he draped around me, surrendering my body to the salty scent of the sea and the strangely crisp, cool wind mixed with it.

“Fascinating? The ship? Or the crown prince taking his mistress along?”

Both of us murmured a faint, “Both…”

I draped my arm over the railing and let my body slump downward.

“I still can’t understand it.”

My petulant voice scattered sharply into the wind.

“The crown prince, the two sons of the House of Jepino, and Mertiel too—all going to celebrate the coronation of Lumen’s new emperor?”

Kischel asked, dazed.

“That’s a bit excessive. There must be an ulterior motive.”

Displeasure filled Kischel’s face. I pressed his eyebrows gently and nodded in agreement.

“Eshdwa said he needed me, so there must be a reason… surely there is.”

I recalled Eshdwa, now with my knights, not leaving his room.

Perhaps seeing no one was watching, he didn’t feel the need to pay attention to me; he neither called for me nor sought me out.

Even the rare attention he had given me before now seemed to have dried up.

I tried to comfort Kischel, who was full of complaints:

“We were going to the Lumen Empire anyway. We couldn’t find a way, so let’s just treat this as an opportunity.”

Kischel’s eyes, which had been twisted in displeasure, finally relaxed.

I tucked my hair behind my ear, revealing a small, sparkling white earring.

One side had the communication device with Kischel.

The other side was a seemingly trivial earring given by the Lady of Jepino.

“I have to meet the person who can change my life, which is nearly at its end.”

This small earring was practically my lifeline.

“Besides, I wanted to visit a foreign country at least once.”

To meet Eshdwa, I went to the room where he was staying. I knocked cautiously, but the reply was…

“His Highness is sleeping right now.”

“Sleeping?”

Was his name Liwel?

When he nodded affirmatively, I felt slightly embarrassed.

‘I wanted to ask why Eshdwa brought me along today.’

While hesitating and unable to step in, the door slid open.

“What are you doing there?”

It was Eshdwa, appearing as usual but with a hoarse voice and sleepy eyes, as if just waking up.

“Well… I wanted to see your face, but since you were sleeping, I thought I’d leave.”

He pressed his temple and looked at me. His gaze made me flinch for a moment.

“Come in.”

I didn’t refuse as he obediently opened the door.

“Didn’t sleep well yesterday? The sun hasn’t set yet; if you sleep now, you won’t sleep at night.”

I offered my concern, but he poured tea, seemingly uninterested in listening.

“What’s the matter?”

“I told you. I came to see your face.”

As he watched me from a distance, trying to gauge the truth, I hurried toward him.

Not forgetting that I was in love, I reached out to him.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

I placed my hand on his forehead.

Was it because of the warmth from the tea near his mouth, or was his body naturally warm? He felt slightly hot…

“Don’t get sick. I’d be upset if you did.”

He tilted his head and swatted my hand away.

My hand hovered in the air for a moment.

He continued muttering in the dim, early-night-like atmosphere of his room, still looking tired.

“It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“How can I not worry when you’re unwell?”

He lowered his eyes and gave a small, almost sarcastic laugh.

“Yeah, I suppose you can’t help it.”

I couldn’t help it. His words tightened my heart.

He lifted my chin.

The clatter of the teacup sounded unusually loud.

Perhaps because he was tired, a coldness seemed to emanate from his eyes, unlike usual.

“Don’t expect special treatment from me, unlike the young ladies peeking into my bedroom.”

Despite the cold words, he followed with a kiss sweet enough to override all of it.

“…Mm.”

My knees buckled under his hand brushing down my neck as we kissed.

The kiss lasted long enough to make me forget everything for a while.

When he pulled away, his gaze, seemingly admiring my flushed face, embarrassed me, so I lowered my head.

“Don’t come until I call you.”

His voice above my head was dry, almost unbelievable given the passionate kiss moments before.

“Stay put, Inerea. You can do that, right?”

“…Of course.”

When I returned to the cabin, Kischel was dying of seasickness.

Seeing him like that, all my agitation vanished.

“Ugh.”

“I knew this would happen. I looked it up; seasickness can be awful.”

I pressed Kischel down onto the bed to prevent him from getting up.

“My stomach… no, my head is spinning.”

“I’ll get some more medicine.”

“I-I’m fine…”

“You’re stuttering. Rest.”

Leaving Kischel in a first-class cabin, I went up alone to the deck.

While heading to get medicine from the ship’s doctor, I noticed two men standing there, flushed but not cold.

“Inerea.”

“What are you doing there?”

They were the twins of the House of Jepino, whom I had never met on the spacious ship.

They approached lazily, almost like ruffians.

“I thought I’d run into you on the deck, but you never came up once?”

I had been following Eshdwa’s instructions to stay put.

‘It didn’t seem like just casual words. Yeah.’

I stammered slightly in reply.

“Well, somehow it happened. What are you two doing here?”

Hian shook a bottle of whiskey he had brought.

“We were having a drink while looking at the sea.”

“Want a drink together?”

I flatly refused.

“Drinking while feeling the sea breeze has its charm, you know?”

I pushed the whiskey bottle back.

“I said no. Don’t get drunk and fall into the sea.”

“Ah, don’t worry.”

I waved them off and was about to leave when Hian motioned toward the herbs in my arms, raising his eyebrows.

“Who’s seasick?”

“Hmm? Oh, my attendant.”

How did they know?

I had brought herbs said to help with seasickness. To me, they just looked like a bunch of leaves.

Hiss leaned over, blocking my path, and said in a puzzled voice, “Hmm?”

I had to stop and ask.

“Is there a problem?”

“Not really, but this might cause a few days of stomach upset as a side effect.”

I vaguely remembered the doctor mentioning that.

But considering Kischel’s current state, it would be better than his seasickness, so I had just accepted it.

“We brought better herbs. Want to use those?”

“Really?”

So I followed Hian and Hiss into their cabin.