ITOF 07

Chapter : 7

“Sir Ayla!”

The captain of the knights’ loud shout pulled me back to reality from the prophecy I had been lost in.

Seeing me suddenly collapse to the ground, one of the knights hesitated, unsure of what to do. As if warning him not to interfere, the captain stretched out an arm before folding his own arms across his chest and looking down at me.

Normally, I deeply respected him. Despite being an Omega—and a woman at that—he had risen to one of the highest positions in the order. But now was hardly the time to admire him.

“My head hurts.”

“What?”

The captain stared at me in disbelief at my shameless attitude.

Figuring I should at least pretend to be sick convincingly, I lowered my head, held it with one hand, and continued.

“My headache is so bad that I think I need to go take some medicine.”

“You! I thought you were finally going to put some effort in today… Sigh. Never mind. Go ahead. But don’t even think about getting someone to help you walk. I know all your little tricks.”

The captain looked like he wanted to say more but quickly gave up, waving his hand in exasperation.

It was strangely reassuring to know that Ayla had been so notoriously lazy up until now.

“Thank you.”

I carefully set my sword down, ignored the curious gazes following me, and left the training grounds.

Once I was certain no one was watching, I didn’t head toward the infirmary. Instead, I instinctively concealed my presence and slipped into one of the hidden passages used by the Imperial Guard—specifically those knights who operated from the shadows.

This body is so heavy. I can’t move anywhere near as quietly as I used to.

If someone asked me to list everything inconvenient about Ayla’s body, I could probably go on all day.

But the worst part was that despite having practically no muscle, she didn’t even have enough fat to compensate. Just moving a little exhausted her.

As a result, her breathing was noisy, and her feet dragged with every step.

At least there won’t be any knights using this passage at this hour.

There was a reason I had left the training grounds immediately after confirming the rumor.

If someone from House Seyers had requested an audience at the palace, then the family head—my elder brother Darian—would have come personally.

And if he was moving according to plan, this was exactly the time he would have arrived.

If His Highness is meeting him, they’d most likely be in the reception room, the study… or the Crown Prince’s garden.

Out of habit, I kept checking for intruders as I carefully made my way toward the Crown Prince’s Palace.

I had assumed this body’s only talent was being beautiful, but its hearing was actually superior to Tienas’s.

At least that was one blessing.

If His Highness wanted everyone to witness their disagreement, he would have chosen the garden. If he wanted to keep the conversation secret, the study would be more likely. But considering how quickly the rumor spread… it’s probably the garden.

I suddenly stopped walking.

I’d rushed here without thinking, only to realize I didn’t have the authority to enter the garden.

Half the reason was that I had been so startled my body moved before my mind did.

The other half…

I’d visited this palace more often than my own home ever since I was old enough to remember.

The possibility hadn’t even crossed my mind.

It was an unbelievably foolish mistake.

Still, I couldn’t simply pretend none of this was happening.

This was my chance to discover what had happened after my death.

At that very moment, another flash burst through my mind.

I saw His Highness and my brother speaking together in the garden.

I had no idea how my gift of prophecy had returned, but the timing couldn’t have been better.

When my prophetic ability had been at its strongest, I could even see an opponent’s next move during battle.

It almost felt as though I had returned to those days.

That means there’s a high chance of getting caught… and it’s a bit of a dirty trick, but…

The Crown Prince’s garden bordered one of the palace’s ordinary gardens.

Unlike the Crown Prince’s own garden, which was filled with low shrubs, the neighboring garden had plenty of places to hide.

When providing covert protection from the rear, knights often concealed themselves there.

If His Highness and my brother spoke where I had foreseen, I might just barely be able to overhear their conversation from there.

Since this isn’t an official meeting, they probably won’t have hidden guards nearby.

Of course, if I were caught eavesdropping…

I honestly had no idea what kind of punishment awaited me.

Would His Highness pretend not to notice so I could spread what I’d heard?

Or would he severely punish someone so presumptuous?

I can endure whatever punishment comes my way. I just don’t want House Kessius to suffer because of me. If I get caught, I’ll just act as stupid as possible and make it seem like it’s entirely my fault.

Ignoring the chaos in my head, I forced Ayla’s painfully slow body forward until I finally reached the garden.

The instant I hid myself in a blind spot where no one could possibly see me—

Footsteps echoed faintly in the distance.

The only people likely to be in the Crown Prince’s garden, besides His Highness and his knights, would be his lover.

But the footsteps were too heavy to belong to a woman.

And there were only two sets.

This hearing really is remarkable.

If only this body had trained a little harder…

It could have become quite a capable knight.

“What about the knights…”

While I was absentmindedly thinking that, the voices drew close enough for me to hear them clearly.

I held my breath even more and focused every ounce of my hearing.

There was no mistaking it.

It was His Highness’s voice.

Apparently, he had dismissed every knight.

There didn’t seem to be anyone guarding him.

Even if House Seyers is loyal to both the Imperial Family and the Crown Prince, I’d still prefer if he kept at least one or two guards nearby.

I knew my brother had no chance of overpowering His Highness.

Still, the instincts I’d developed as a knight refused to let me stop worrying.

“Your Highness, I requested this audience as the head of House Seyers. If you simply refuse without giving a proper reason, I cannot withdraw so easily.”

Darian’s voice was as clear and resolute as ever.

But it carried more emotion than I remembered.

And considering he was speaking to the Crown Prince, his tone bordered on confrontational.

One wrong word, and it could easily be considered disrespectful.

I desperately wanted to see the situation with my own eyes.

But if I did that, I’d be discovered immediately.

Suppressing the urge, I focused solely on listening.

“Very well. Let’s hear what it is you want.”

“Please return Tienas del Seyers’s body to our family. Forgive my boldness, Your Highness, but before he was your knight, he was—”

Darian, who almost never interrupted himself, suddenly fell silent.

The murderous aura reaching even this far made it obvious why.

His Highness’s overwhelming presence had stolen his voice.

Even from this distance, Ayla’s frail body trembled.

Standing beside him must have been agony.

“Return my child to me.”

“He was not Your Highness’s child.”

My brother let out a low sigh, as though he could no longer hold it back.

His Highness had often called me “my child” whenever I reminded him of my younger self.

I couldn’t understand why Darian reacted so strongly to that title.

“Tiel was my knight, my child… and my loyal hound.

While your family neglected him and abused him, I was the one who took him in.

So tell me—which of us truly has the right to call him ‘my child’? You… or me?”

Though phrased as a question, it was little different from a final verdict.

His voice was as calm as ripples across a lake.

Yet beneath that calm lay unbearable weight.

Each clipped word carried unmistakable anger.

There was no way my brother failed to notice it.

Even though those words weren’t directed at me…

I found it hard to breathe.

“We never abandoned Tienas. We simply believed becoming one of the Imperial Guard would be better for him.”

“Perhaps. Though I wonder whether Tiel would agree.

Or perhaps you’re only asking because you think your family’s pitiful prophetic gift won’t continue unless you retrieve his corpse.”

I heard the unmistakable sound of His Highness drawing his sword.

A man capable of unsheathing a weapon as silently as any assassin had deliberately made enough noise for it to be heard.

It was a warning.

“I admit our family used Tienas and failed to care for him properly.

That is precisely why I beg you to let us at least lay his body to rest in peace.

Would that not be an act of mercy… toward Tienas, who devoted his life to Your Highness, and toward our family as well?”

Darian’s voice trembled violently, yet he forced himself to finish speaking.

I simply couldn’t understand why my brother was so desperate to reclaim my body.

The power of House Seyers wasn’t passed down through corpses.

Recovering my remains had no practical value whatsoever.

Nor had I ever been someone who held great honor within the family.

His desperation made no sense.

“Yes… Tiel was loyal.

Too loyal.

His loyalty became poison.

But if you ask whether House Seyers possesses that same loyalty toward the Imperial Family…

The answer is no.”

It felt as though my heart had fallen straight into my stomach.

As far as I knew, House Seyers had never once stood against the Imperial Family.

Never once had they betrayed His Highness.

Yet His Highness was saying otherwise.

“Your family isn’t loyal to the Imperial Family.

You’re loyal to prophecy.

If I had shown even the slightest weakness…

If that weakness had appeared in one of your prophecies…

House Seyers would have driven a blade into my back without hesitation.

Even if it meant joining hands with the Empress.”

“How could you possibly say such a thing…?”

“There’s no need to flatter me by denying it.

Your request will not be granted today, just as it never has been.

Tiel belongs to me.

He never belonged to House Seyers.”

Every word His Highness spoke was true.

Even my death had been something I intended to dedicate to him.

“So even in death…

Tiel rightfully belongs to me.”

His unwavering voice suddenly trembled like a candle flame on the verge of being extinguished by the wind.

In an instant, the Crown Prince I knew vanished.

In his place stood the strange soul who had kissed my corpse.

The one thing I had never imagined…

Was that after my death, His Highness had continued to behave as though I still belonged to him.

Even Darian couldn’t find the words to respond.

Silence settled between them.

As I struggled to calm the fear, anxiety… and faint, inexplicable hope pounding in my chest—

“However…”

Suddenly—

One of the two presences disappeared.

I sensed danger and instinctively stepped backward.

Too late.

The bushes and trees before me were cut down in a single strike.

Beyond the trees, which seemed to fall in agonizing slow motion, gleamed His Highness’s chilling golden eyes.

“So…

Was this little rat brought here by you?”

Those breathtakingly beautiful eyes landed squarely upon A