Chapter 015. The 21-Year-Old Princess (4)

Rosalyn swallowed dryly, unable to say a word. It felt as if her tongue had adhered to the roof of her mouth.

Sionne left her with heavy words, lowering his gaze with a sorrowful expression, leaving her feeling like she was some heartless villain pretending not to notice the turmoil she had caused.

“…For now.”

Rosalyn finally managed to speak, regaining her composure.

“We’ll end things here today. I will decide on Sionne Feitan’s punishment tomorrow.”

She gestured to the soldiers to escort Sionne out. The tremble in her hand betrayed her inner turmoil.

“……”

The man, whose eyes were still reddened, glanced at Rosalyn one last time before silently following the soldiers out.

“Your Grace, have some water.”

Meriwood, sensing Rosalyn’s exhaustion, poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.

Rosalyn gulped it down, her throat bobbing as Meriwood cautiously spoke up.

“What sort of punishment do you plan for Sionne, Your Grace?”

Rosalyn sighed as she lowered the cup. Her breath sent ripples across the water’s surface.

“I’m not sure… he doesn’t seem like such a terrible person, honestly.”

That, in itself, was the problem. Had he been someone truly malicious, she wouldn’t feel so conflicted.

‘“If he were, execution would be simple.”’

But no matter what punishment she thought of for Sionne Feitan, it left her feeling uneasy.

“I’m just concerned.” Meriwood continued.

“If you cast him aside harshly and your memories come back later, you may regret it.”

“You’re worrying too much, Nurse. It’s not as if we had…”

Rosalyn dismissed Meriwood’s concern as excessive, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to firmly say that there had been nothing meaningful between them.

“…anything important.”

* * *

That afternoon, just after lunch, the Emperor of Hernia unexpectedly paid a visit to the Princess’s palace.

His pretext was to have tea with Rosalyn.

“It’s strange how grateful I feel to be alive these days.”

Rosalyn, pretending to drink her tea but only inhaling the scent, set her teacup down.

“Hm?”

Sitting across from her, the Emperor raised his brow with a gentle expression.

“Not too long ago, you wouldn’t set foot in this palace, deeming it unlucky,” Rosalyn smiled wryly. “And now here you are, visiting in person. If things had gone differently, I might not have lived to witness this.”

“Haha, how could I not come when I heard my sister had recovered?”

Lucas chuckled heartily, not taking her jabs too seriously.

“And soon enough, this palace will have a new owner. That thought alone makes it feel less cursed.”

Having only known Lucas to lose their verbal sparring matches and end up seething, Rosalyn found his current nonchalant tone unfamiliar.

“So he hasn’t wasted these years.”

Lucas had grown into someone who carried himself like a true emperor, and that fact deeply unsettled Rosalyn.

“You’re making it hard for me to think about leaving the palace,” she quipped.

“Oh, in that case, we’ll just have to start a war to take it by force,” Lucas replied smoothly.

“A true benevolent ruler,” Rosalyn retorted with a shrug. “I suppose I’ll take a step back. I’d hate for people to think His Majesty has a penchant for war.”

At that, an awkward silence settled between them. Lucas had been criticized by many for his overly aggressive pursuit of the Feitan conquest.

“…Ah, I almost forgot. I brought a gift to commemorate your recovery.”

Feeling the tension, Lucas hastily changed the subject. He gestured irritably at the attendant behind him.

The attendant stepped forward, handing Meriwood a large, heavy, black sack.

“That’s quite the unusual gift. What is it?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself? I’m sure you’ll like it.”

Rosalyn took the sack from Meriwood and pulled on the drawstring.

“!”

Her eyes widened in shock.

As soon as Rosalyn saw what was inside the black sack, her expression darkened.

“How do you like it? Does it please you?” Lucas asked with a smug grin.

“A human head, truly an elegant gift,” Rosalyn replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Inside the sack was the severed head of a young girl with brown hair. Her hair was torn in patches, her eyes half-open, and her mouth gaping with several missing teeth. It was far from a dignified sight.

“Urgh!”

Meriwood, who peeked over Rosalyn’s shoulder, gagged. She quickly covered her mouth but couldn’t entirely muffle the sound.

“…Peggy Woods, I assume.”

Rosalyn said, recognizing the unfortunate girl’s identity.

“Yes! The one who tried and failed to assassinate you, my dear sister,” Lucas confirmed.

“I was informed that our soldiers found her first, but she was handed over to the imperial knights midway,” Rosalyn said, tying the sack shut and placing it aside, away from Meriwood’s view.

“When I woke up and requested her return, you ignored me. Now you return her like this.”

“She confessed to attempting to harm you and was executed accordingly. It’s only fitting to punish anyone who dares attack a member of Hernia’s royal family. Don’t misunderstand my intentions.”

‘Such bold interference in my affairs,’ Rosalyn thought bitterly, forcing a smile to hide her anger. Without it, she feared she might lash out.

“You certainly make it hard not to misunderstand. I wonder, what was so shameful that you had to execute a mere servant girl?” Her voice was sweet, but her words were laced with venom.

“And, Your Majesty, at this rate, we might end up at war. I’ve already been branded a tyrant, so another war wouldn’t hurt my reputation much.”

“Ha!”

Lucas’s face twisted as he glared at her.

“Those who have much to lose should be more cautious. Don’t you agree?” she continued, provoking him further.

Clang. Unable to tolerate it anymore, the imperial knight behind Lucas unsheathed his sword.

“…It seems you’ve misunderstood my intentions.”

Lucas said, reigning in his expression as he pretended to be aggrieved. “I only wanted to protect you from any threats.”

“Then why don’t you offer your knight’s head as well? He’s been threatening me for quite a while now.”

Rosalyn remarked, her voice steady.

Lucas coughed, gesturing to the knight, who reluctantly sheathed his sword. But even after the weapon was put away, the tension between them didn’t ease.

“Tut, I suppose it’s difficult to stay any longer. I’ll take my leave,” Lucas said, finally breaking the silence.

“A wise decision.”

Rosalyn replied, rising to her feet first. It was a breach of etiquette, but since Lucas hadn’t respected her position, she saw no reason to honor formalities either.

“One more thing, sister.”

Lucas had been about to criticize her insolent behavior but held back, deciding to address a more pressing issue.

“I’ve heard you’ve been quite busy lately, haven’t you? Word is you’ve been deeply involved in your work.”

“Such concern for me, Your Majesty?”

One of Rosalyn’s eyebrows arched in question.

“I’m only worried. There’s an old saying that when someone changes suddenly, it’s because their time is nearing an end.”

Lucas stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Oh, and speaking of changes, are you no longer interested in the Prince of Feitan?”

“?”

“If that’s the case, why not hand him over to me? I’ll make him a true war trophy this time,” Lucas said, nodding toward the black sack in the corner of the room.

Rosalyn’s expression hardened at the sight, and Lucas chuckled at her reaction.

“…No, thank you.”

After a few more probing remarks, Lucas finally left, feigning generosity as he told her to summon the imperial physicians whenever she needed.

* * *

Back in his solitary cell, Sionne sat at the edge of the bed.

‘Sigh…’

He had been plagued by a lingering sense of unease since earlier. No matter how many times he sighed, he couldn’t calm his nerves.

‘What was I thinking? It was too impulsive.’

He couldn’t understand his own actions. What was the point of pretending to be a man in love? What could that possibly achieve?

It was reckless, especially for someone with no experience.

“But what else could I have done?”

At the time, it was the only way he could think of to gain an advantage.

If his ploy worked, he might earn Rosalyn’s trust and uncover the whereabouts of Merilyn and Anna. Once he knew they were safe, he could slit Rosalyn’s throat and escape.

‘If everything goes as planned, this miserable entanglement will be over.’

And even if the plan failed, Sionne wouldn’t be at a loss. If Rosalyn had forgotten him, it likely meant she had forgotten Merilyn and Anna too.

‘Even if things go wrong, I can sacrifice myself to settle the situation.’

Pretending to be her lover was the best option among limited choices.

All that was left was to hope that Rosalyn’s memory never returned.

‘Please, don’t let her memory come back. If the gods have any pity for my ruined kingdom, grant me this one favor.’

After praying, Sionne was once again overtaken by a wave of disgust for himself.

‘Pathetic bastard.’

But self-loathing was something he had long grown accustomed to battling.

Just then, there was a faint sound.

Tok. Tok. Tok.