IMT 08

Chapter 8

The enormous handwriting looked like it had been written by some bizarre lifeform. As far as I knew, there was only one person capable of producing handwriting like this.

Heh. As expected of Cassian. No one could rival him, even in this.

Cassian’s handwriting was so atrocious that anyone unfamiliar with it would mistake it for a cipher.

The first time I saw it, I couldn’t help wondering how someone with such a beautiful face could possibly write so terribly.

Still, there was one advantage to it. Since his handwriting was so incomprehensible, no one could casually discover the contents of his letters.

And by now, I had become skilled enough that I no longer needed to decipher even fairly long letters from him.

Inside the envelope was a single sheet of paper with just one lonely line written on it.

Translated from the handwriting that resembled an encrypted code, it simply read:

Went out. Will be back soon.

Chuckling, I slipped the letter back into the envelope when someone suddenly pounded urgently on the door.

Before I could grant permission, the door swung open.

Startled, I instinctively pushed myself upright and turned around.

The visitor was Mikhail.

The moment he saw me sitting up, his face lit up.

“Lin!”

“Your Majesty?”

The head butler entered behind Mikhail. Following him came the guard knight Mikhail had assigned to me—judging by the deep hood and face covering, I assumed it was him—and behind them trailed several attendants known as the head butler’s right-hand men.

“What’s going on? Why are you all suddenly…”

It looked as though Mikhail had brought his entire entourage, ready to march into battle.

As I stared in confusion, Mikhail hurriedly glanced around the room.

“I came to see if you were all right, Lin.”

Yet as he spoke, he wasn’t looking at me at all. His eyes kept darting around as if searching for someone.

“Ah, yes. Thank you. But…”

Before I could ask why everyone else had come too, Mikhail spoke first.

“Where did the mage go?”

“Oh, the mage said he had something to take care of, so he stepped out.”

“He said he’d notify me the moment you woke up, yet he disappeared without saying a word?”

Mikhail frowned deeply, clearly displeased.

The atmosphere practically demanded that I make excuses for Cassian.

“I woke up for a moment and then fell asleep again. I only just found out he’d left after waking up.”

I deliberately waved the envelope in my hand, but Mikhail still didn’t look satisfied.

Seeing the obvious resentment on his face toward Cassian made me feel sorry for him.

Looks like Cassian’s love is going to stay one-sided. Poor Cassian. There’s nothing I can do about this.

If feelings between people could be changed through effort alone, why would Evelyn from Flowers of Creras have suffered so much?

I knew that making half-baked excuses would only make things worse if they didn’t add up.

So instead, I chose to remain silent.

“A physician, yet he doesn’t even bother informing his patient where he’s going. What an insolent fellow.”

Mikhail didn’t bother hiding his irritation toward Cassian.

Feeling sorry for Cassian’s love that seemed destined to fail before it had even begun, I found myself defending him.

“I’m sure the mage had his reasons.”

At my words, Mikhail’s expression immediately changed as he turned toward me.

“More importantly, Lin. How are you feeling now? I heard you lost so much blood that you collapsed. Does your chest still hurt? What about the shoulder you hit when you fell? Any other symptoms? What treatment were you given?”

Chest pain? Shoulder?

I placed a hand over my chest.

It didn’t seem to hurt anymore. The dizziness I’d felt when collapsing was gone as well. My shoulder felt perfectly fine.

Cassian must have healed me.

I didn’t know exactly what condition I had been in, but considering Cassian had simply left a short note and gone out, I figured I must be fine.

“I think I’m okay.”

“That’s a relief. That mage may have an irritating personality, but at least he knows what he’s doing.”

Mikhail’s expression softened almost immediately.

Could this be… a green light?

If I handled this well, maybe the relationship between Cassian and Mikhail wouldn’t get any worse.

Quickly, I added,

“Of course. That’s why you’ve entrusted my treatment to him all this time. You can absolutely trust his abilities. I guarantee it.”

The main story of this game revolved around Eunsoo and Mikhail’s love, sorrow, hardships, and trials, so there was no way Mikhail and Cassian would ever become anything more than acquaintances.

But maybe they could at least become friends.

If there was anything I could do to help Cassian become friends with Mikhail, I intended to spare no effort.

Unexpectedly, Mikhail narrowed his eyes and asked,

“You seem to trust him deeply. Do you know which family he comes from? His age? Is he unmarried?”

Family, age, marital status…

Those were usually the kinds of questions people asked when arranging a marriage.

I quietly stared at Mikhail.

His face was filled with unmistakable curiosity, and there was no doubt he was talking about Cassian.

What’s this? Pretending otherwise, but does Mikhail actually like Cassian too?

It seemed strange that someone who had finally found the Eunsoo he’d been longing for could have eyes for someone else.

Still, Cassian was so breathtakingly handsome that he could captivate anyone, regardless of gender.

Besides, Mikhail had a habit of teasing people he liked.

Maybe… maybe Mikhail really did have some interest in Cassian.

The thought that Cassian’s feelings might not remain one-sided lifted my spirits.

Smiling brightly, I answered,

“I’m not sure which family he’s from, but I’m certain he’s a noble. The first place I met him was inside the inner sanctuary of the temple.”

The goddess Deriosa treated everyone equally.

The temple, however, did not.

The inner sanctuary was reserved for nobles and those of higher status, while commoners were only allowed into the outer sanctuary. That rule applied to every temple regardless of where it stood.

“I see.”

Mikhail slowly stroked his chin and nodded.

“Considering he doesn’t seem to be from Creras, speaking our language that fluently would be nearly impossible for a commoner.”

His words made me flinch.

The only temple I’d ever visited was the one in Vivace, so I knew nothing about the layouts of temples elsewhere.

Mikhail probably wouldn’t ask which temple I’d met Cassian at, much less suggest visiting it together…

But what if he did?

I already carried enough secrets. Even the smallest loose end could trigger a chain reaction, so I wanted to avoid giving him any reason to become suspicious.

“If he became a mage, he’s probably not the eldest son. Yet he still received such a refined education. He must come from quite a distinguished family.”

That certainly sounded right.

The Creras Empire used the Creras language rather than the continental common tongue, yet Cassian spoke not only Creras, but also the common language used in Vivace, the divine language, and even Rune—the most difficult of the ancient languages—with remarkable fluency.

Among everyone I knew, only I possessed that many languages.

When I first met him, I had been genuinely delighted.

Mikhail looked as though he had finally acknowledged a small part of Cassian.

Even though he wasn’t praising me, I couldn’t help feeling proud, and the words slipped out before I could stop them.

“I think so too. And he’s four years older than me. Twenty-five years old. Cass—”

I almost called him by name.

Last time I’d casually referred to Mikhail by his first name, Cassian had interrogated me over it.

Not wanting to invite unnecessary misunderstandings or questioning, I hurriedly corrected myself.

“The mage told me himself. He’s not married yet, but he does have a fiancée.”

After I listed everything Cassian had told me, Mikhail blinked in surprise before his eyes curved into a broad smile.

“He has a fiancée? Ah… I see. In that case…”

He looked incredibly relieved.

It puzzled me.

I’d assumed Mikhail had at least a little interest in Cassian, but apparently I’d been mistaken.

I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Cassian again.

Still, no one else could bear the pain of someone else’s unrequited love.

So I decided to pretend I hadn’t noticed.

“By the way, how is Her Majesty the Empress? The last time I saw her, she looked terribly shocked.”

I had asked because I remembered Eunsoo’s expression when she’d seen me coughing up blood.

I was genuinely worried.

But Mikhail’s response was unexpectedly cold.

“That isn’t something we need to discuss right now.”

Just moments ago, there had been the faintest trace of a smile on his lips.

Now it was completely gone.

Did they have a fight?

As I looked at him in concern, he suddenly asked,

“More importantly, when do you think you’ll be able to return to work?”

Ah.

So that’s why he’d been paying so much attention to me.

Because I’d been handling the Empress’s duties.

Only then did I feel like I finally understood why Mikhail had shown me such concern.

He had finally reunited with the wife he’d searched for so desperately.

Naturally, he wouldn’t want work stealing her away.

I almost wished Cassian had heard those words.

At least then he wouldn’t misunderstand the relationship between Mikhail and me.

…Or perhaps hearing that Mikhail had a wife he truly loved would only make Cassian even more miserable.

“If you need me to, I can return immediately.”

I’d answered for the sake of Mikhail and Eunsoo.

Yet instead of looking pleased, Mikhail’s expression stiffened as he gently placed his hand on my forehead.

His hand felt surprisingly heavy.

“I knew you’d say that.”

Did I answer incorrectly?

Tilting my head in confusion, I watched as he lowered himself until we were at eye level.

“You never fail to prove my expectations right. But, Lin… from now on, you don’t have to work anymore. The Empress, Eunsoo, will handle those duties. You should rest.”

“Really?”

His answer caught me completely off guard.

I thought he’d ask me to help him spend more time with Eunsoo.

At the very least, I expected him to ask me to help with the transition.

But instead…

Mikhail smiled.

“Why are you looking at me like that? If someone who has worked as hard as you hasn’t earned the right to rest, then who has? Get plenty of sleep. I’ll have your meals brought to your room.”

“Th-thank you… Your Majesty.”

Even until the very end, I wasn’t sure whether he truly meant it.

I kept staring at him, waiting for him to take it back.

But he said nothing more.

He really means it!

I can actually rest!

I never realized hearing those words could make me this happy.

Mikhail stood up from beside the bed.

“Oh, right. Shall we have dinner together this evening? There’s something I’d like to discuss.”

“Ah, yes. Of course.”

I was so happy about being allowed to rest that I answered without giving it much thought.

A faint smile appeared on Mikhail’s lips as he said,

“When you come for dinner tonight, I’d like you to come exactly as you are now. I’ll have suitable clothes sent over as well.”

After he left, I found myself wondering about his words.

“Exactly as I am now?”

I got out of bed and walked to the wardrobe.

Opening the doors, I looked into the mirror inside.

Reflected there was my true appearance.

Not the face I’d borrowed to imitate Eunsoo.

And yet Mikhail had simply smiled and said that.

After thinking it over, I finally understood.

He didn’t want Eunsoo to see me wearing her face.

From Eunsoo’s perspective, seeing someone imitate her appearance would surely be unpleasant.

I hadn’t thought it through.

The moment Eunsoo returned, I should have stopped pretending to be her.

Though…

Mikhail, I really do feel sorry.

Because Eunsoo has already seen me looking like that.