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Chapter 5
Carlos took out a palm‑sized wooden box from his drawer.
“Once a week, you must fill this box completely.
The deadline lasts until the guardianship ends.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Considering the power of refined stones,
what he demanded was not a small amount.
It’s more than I expected…
But I was not in a position to refuse.
“If you can’t do it—”
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
I answered urgently before he could finish.
Carlos looked at me for a moment with an unreadable expression.
“Don’t misunderstand. This doesn’t mean I trust the princess.”
“I know. It doesn’t matter.”
Even as I replied, my heart kept pounding.
This was the moment
the first step of my plan fell into place.
He turned his gaze away without hesitation.
“Documents will be prepared by me. Anything else?”
“No. I’ll be going now.”
I jumped lightly from the chair and stepped onto the floor.
Just as I was about to leave the office after a brief greeting—
“Wait.”
Carlos suddenly called me.
“Yes?”
“…Is there a reason you came to me of all people?”
I understood what he meant.
There were many people desperate for refined stones.
Some would have accepted my offer far more willingly.
So why choose
the imperial family’s greatest enemy—the House of Carter?
Unresolved doubt flickered in his eyes.
“Well…”
I almost spoke the truth—
Because if you are my real father,
I must save you.
But the words that came out were completely different.
“If I’m going to entrust my safety to someone,
shouldn’t it at least be the only Grand Duke in the empire?”
At my calm answer, the light faded from his questioning eyes.
His face quickly returned to dryness as he turned away.
“If you plan to act like a princess in my mansion, give up now.”
“If that were my plan, I would’ve shouted about disrespect first.”
“…Good. At least you understand your place.”
“I’ll be going.”
I bowed and closed the office door.
* * *
It worked.
Back in the guest room, I collapsed onto the sofa.
The tension left my legs, and they stretched out weakly.
Will it take about ten days?
To become official guardians,
documents had to be submitted to the temple.
Until then,
the Grand Duke’s extraterritorial land would keep me safe from the emperor.
For now… I can breathe.
I lifted my aching left arm.
One box per week…
It wasn’t a bad deal.
Even if I had to reopen my unhealed wound often,
it was nothing compared to the price of my life.
Far better than being forced to give blood.
No more cold laboratory air.
No more hard beds.
No more unfamiliar faces staring at me like an experiment.
Maybe this is for the best.
Once I give the refined stones to the Grand Duke
and the imperial family can no longer control him,
I will leave this place.
“Now… only one person remains.”
I turned my head toward the table.
There lay another refined stone
identical to the one I gave Carlos.
I hadn’t come this far
just to barely survive.
To achieve my goal,
there was one more person I had to find.
I need a way to move without the emperor noticing.
It had been four days since I left the palace.
By now, the emperor had surely noticed my absence.
I had to move
before the real pursuit began.
“Still… for now, I should rest a little.”
Maybe because I finally felt safe,
my body grew heavy again despite sleeping for two days straight.
I slowly closed my fading eyes.
* * *
“The princess left the palace?”
Inside the Sun Palace bedroom,
the emperor raised his upper body from the pillow.
Edgar bowed with both hands folded.
“Yes, Your Majesty.
It seems she disappeared three mornings ago.”
“Her temper has returned again.”
The emperor clicked his tongue in irritation.
Loreia was a constant headache for the imperial family.
As if proving her imperfect bloodline every moment,
she caused trouble again and again.
After learning her blood was used for refined stones,
whenever she felt displeased,
she would leave the palace for days
with only one guard knight—
as if forcing them to realize
how necessary she was.
“What an annoying girl…”
If he had known,
he would have locked her deep underground and tamed her
instead of making her a princess.
When he first stole the Grand Duke’s daughter
who survived in her mother’s arms,
he had never planned this.
If he had not accidentally discovered
that her blood worked for refining stones,
he could have simply used her to threaten the Grand Duke
and then discarded her.
“Ha…”
The emperor brushed back his graying hair roughly.
“Enough. Leave her for now.
In a few days, she’ll return shamelessly and list what she wants.”
It didn’t seem like she wanted jewels this time.
He remembered Loreia’s calm face from a few days ago.
“There are still plenty of refined stones, aren’t there?
I only called her early because I expected her to resist for a while.”
“Yes, there is still enough. However…”
Edgar carefully added,
“The princess left without even a guard knight this time.”
“…Without a guard?”
A trace of doubt appeared on the emperor’s wrinkled face.
“Yes. She has done this before,
but she always returned within a day.”
“Her rebellion is unusual.”
Should he have coaxed her more back then?
What kind of stubborn demand was she planning now?
“When she returns, give her whatever she wants.
For now, provoking her will bring no good—”
The emperor, waving his hand in annoyance,
suddenly froze.
“It’s really fine, Your Majesty.
I just want to rest for a few days.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I knew you would understand.”
“…Edgar.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Has that child ever called me ‘Your Majesty’ before?”
“…Since she first learned to speak,
she has always called you ‘Father.’”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
Even in formal settings,
she addressed him familiarly,
making ministers frown many times.
But that day—
Loreia called him ‘Your Majesty.’
The strange realization wrapped around the emperor’s mind.
“Edgar.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Send a pursuit team after the princess.
Secretly—so no one notices.”
The emperor’s golden eyes gleamed strangely.
“There is no harm in making sure.”
