episode_0027

Deviang emerges from the bathroom shortly.

He glances in my direction before sitting down on the sofa.

With a nervous heart, I watch his actions closely.

– Hwaryuk…

He lights a candle on the desk and then takes out a piece of paper from his leather bag.

He reads something, takes notes…

What is he doing?

I observe his actions closely.

With a serious expression, he flips through the paper and then transfers something to his notebook.

And…

“Hmm…, what should I do…”

He mutters as if contemplating.

Even though I can only see his side profile here, his serious note-taking demeanor… reminds me of a student at the academy.

Or maybe… my eldest brother…

My brother used to say that the emperor is not one who rules over the people, but one who helps the people to rule over the world.

That’s why he was always sincere in learning something new.

But now, at this moment… I can’t help but think that Deviang and my brother resemble each other a bit.

What am I thinking?

There’s no way my brother and Deviang could be alike, right? My brother is not as cruel as Deviang when it comes to threatening and showing malice towards others.

Comparing him to my brother would be a great insult to him.

Deviang, who killed Ipah and brought back his head.

I despise him so much.

– Swish…, swish…

As I hear the sound of him writing something in his notepad and the rustling of paper, drowsiness slowly takes over me.

Is he not going to do it today?

I think to myself as I glance at the clock.

It’s already past midnight.

I’ve been up since dawn for the coronation ceremony and wedding preparations, hardly getting any sleep.

Is that why? I start to lose consciousness gradually.

***

When I first opened my eyes.

At the break of dawn.

– Tap, tap.

I wake up to the sound of footsteps that irritate my ears.

Perhaps due to drowsiness… my eyes won’t open.

I struggle to open my eyes with great effort.

I was about to scream in surprise when I saw Deviang approaching me cautiously.

Is he going to attack me?

Fear makes my body tremble at the thought.

But contrary to my thoughts…

– Swish…

Deviang covers me with the blanket up to my neck.

Then he stretches and grabs his bag with one hand as he leaves the room.

– Squeak, thud…

After confirming that he has left, I get out of bed and stare blankly at the closed door.

Is he not going to do it?

I let out a sigh of relief that he didn’t attack me.

“Phew…”

Maybe we’ll engage in a relationship tonight, but for now, I’m grateful that nothing has happened.

But… where is Deviang going?

Come to think of it, I heard that Deviang works in his study from early morning until late at night…

“Are you going to work now?”

The coronation ceremony started yesterday and the public holiday lasts until next week. Is he going to work even on a day like this?

I check the time and realize that it’s not even 7 o’clock yet.

Is everyone else asleep at this hour? Is he crazy?

With these thoughts, I rub my sleepy eyes and lie back down on the bed to sleep.

Because… I’m really… tired…

I must have slept for quite a while.

How much longer did I sleep?

Looking at the clock, it’s already pointing to 10 o’clock.

“Oh…”

I missed breakfast.

Breakfast that I usually have with my mother and Joy every morning.

They must have finished eating by now.

With that thought in mind, I pick up the water bottle next to the bed and pour myself a glass.

And…

– Glug, glug…

I feel the coolness and freshness of the water.

“Ah…”

At that moment.

– Knock, knock!

At the polite knocking on the door, I ask, “Who is it?”

[Princess Joy has arrived.]

“Please come in.”

As I say this, the door opens and Joy enters.

“Sister, did you sleep well?”

Joy asks with a mischievous smile.

“Yeah, it was… fine.”

An unwanted marriage.

Living with a detestable husband for the rest of my life is nothing short of a nightmare for me.

“Hehe~ It seems like my brother-in-law couldn’t even get a wink of sleep?”

Seeing Joy calling him brother-in-law with a bright smile, it feels like my blood is boiling.

Why did I get married in the first place!

The words almost escaped my throat, but I suppressed them with superhuman patience.

I’ve already made up my mind to sacrifice for my family.

There’s nothing more disgraceful than pretending to be happy.

“It seems like you couldn’t sleep either, sis… Were you feeling hot last night?”

Looking at Joy blushing as if envious, I retort sharply.

“Not at all, there was nothing like that.”

“Ugh! We’re married now… Shouldn’t we get along well?… Earlier, the Crown Prince even greeted my mother.”

Unexpected words come from Joy.

Joy is now the first in line to succeed the throne.

I need to stop speaking like a child.

“Mother, how long are you going to call yourself mother? And he greeted you?”

“Yes, he came in the morning, greeted me, had a meal together, and went to work.”

That bastard… threatening me by holding our family hostage… now coming here and pretending to be nice makes me sick.

“That despicable bastard… I have no intention of getting along with him! So don’t even mention his name in front of me.”

As I warn Joy, she timidly speaks up.

“But… he did come to greet us…”

“So what? Just because he greeted us, does that mean I have to like him all of a sudden?”

“That’s not what I meant… And yesterday, Ipah returned…”

Ipah? Ipah returned?

My eyes widen at the news.

“Ipah… Ipah has returned?”

At my words, Joy’s eyes widen as if she knows something.

“Oh~, sis, he went into the honeymoon suite and Ipah returned to the palace, I heard he didn’t get imprisoned but enjoyed a lot of delicious food outside the palace?”

My eyes tremble at her words.

“Th-then, what about his… hair?”

“What? What hair?”

Remembering that I didn’t tell Joy that Ipah was dead, I quickly ask while looking at the door.

“Are there people outside?”

[Yes, Your Highness! What are your orders?]

“Tell Ipah to come here immediately.”

[Yes!]

Saying that, I can’t believe it as I turn to Joy.

“Is Ipah really alive?”

Joy vigorously nods her head.

“What? Alive? Of course he’s alive, isn’t he? The Crown Prince wouldn’t recklessly kill anyone, right?”

Truly… that innocent look.

Normally, Joy’s innocent look is so lovely, but right now, at this moment, it irritates me.

“He’s not… as good as you think!”

I shout, and Joy shrinks back.

“B-but…”

“Enough, anyway, I’ll leave now. I want to be alone.”

Seeing Joy leaving the room like a dejected puppy, I let out a sigh.

“What on earth is going on?”

***

The carriage heading towards the tournament.

Me and the royal family are all in the same carriage.

There’s an awkward atmosphere inside the carriage.

Teodora looking at me strangely.

Not the usual hostile look she always gives me…

What should I call it? A curious look?

A difficult expression to pinpoint.

And my mother-in-law looking uncomfortable around me.

And Joy, looking awkward between them.

-Clatter…

It’s so quiet, I can even hear the sound of the carriage wheels.

It seems like they couldn’t bear this atmosphere…

“Ahem… Are you tired? You look tired, are you okay?”

Mother-in-law seems to be trying to lighten the mood by fake coughing, so I respond accordingly.

“Haha… It’s okay, did you sleep well last night, mother-in-law?”

But there seems to be something bothering her, or maybe she’s thinking about something else.

Theodore speaks with a subtle change in his usual demeanor.

“You left at 7 in the morning, where did you go?”

Feeling a bit pleased at his words, I reply, “I went to the Imperial Study to work.”

Joy seems curious about my answer, asking, “Then how many hours did you sleep?”

I think to myself, I slept at 2 yesterday, so…

“About 5 hours?”

It’s not exact.

My words surprise Joy, mother-in-law, and Theodore.

“Aren’t you tired?” Theodore asks with concern.

I smile awkwardly and reply, “I’m a bit tired, but I have a lot to do. I’ve gotten used to this lifestyle recently.”

“Still… I worry that you might overwork yourself.”

“Don’t worry, I’m still young,” I reassure them.

As we chat, the carriage comes to a stop.

“Oh… Looks like we’ve arrived.”

The carriage door opens, revealing the entrance to the circular arena.

As we are welcomed by the enthusiastic cheers of the Imperial citizens, waving our hands and heading towards the arena, something pulls at my sleeve, causing me to turn around.

Theodore whispers to me, “Wait, just a moment.”

I watch her pass by with a puzzled expression.

What’s going on? I’m a bit busy today. I have to meet Johannes after the match…

And I also have to finalize the negotiations with Joy and Epirus regarding the estate.

Hmm… I’ll think about it later.

With that in mind, I enter the arena.

***

Theodore gives a brief speech at the arena.

Just a thank you for coming and a request for the participants to bring glory to the Empire.

The tournament kicks off with a group battle.

The Francesco Duchy, a strong contender for the championship, is known for its martial prowess and has always been the top contender in group battles and swordsmanship.

However, with no representatives from the Ryan family in the swordsmanship category this time, they must secure the first place in the group battle.

This is an opportunity to show the power of the Duchy to the nobles who have left the Emperor’s faction and those who doubt me.

In terms of quality, the Duchy’s army is considered the best in the Empire.

That’s why I have included Agrippa in this group battle.

Thirty individuals armed with freedom will engage in combat.

While it may seem like a simple group fight, the most important aspect of this tournament is leadership.

Before the battle begins, analyzing the enemy’s tactics, organizing appropriate troops, and engaging in a high-level psychological battle with the enemy commander is crucial.

Therefore, I reluctantly included Agrippa in the tournament, as he has the necessary leadership skills to win the group battle against a formidable opponent like the Demon Army.

The crowd cheers as we effortlessly advance to the finals.

“The final match between Francesco Duchy and the proud Golden Knights… will finally begin!”

The Golden Knights are a knightly order loyal to the Emperor and considered the best in the Empire.

Originally banished from Rome, they were allowed to enter the city only as participants in the tournament.

“Golden Knights, give the Duchy a run for their money!”

“Death to the peasants!”

The crowd’s chants confirm my thoughts as we confidently step into the final match.

Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the Imperial citizens, the battle began, and I, who had been zoning out due to fatigue, regained some clarity and gazed at the battlefield.

But, who is that knight?

Was there someone in our army with such a petite stature?

Barely reaching 160cm in height?

A man who might not even reach that height, clad in heavy-looking armor and helmet, holding a large spear in both hands, standing tall and proud, exuding an imposing presence that gave me a sense of unease.