Chapter 49

“Your Majesty, you were here. The servants were in a hurry to find Your Majesty.”

Chad approached breathing harshly. He ran around the palace looking for Serwin, who disappeared. He found Serwin in Amelie’s palace and ran in.

But Serwin said nothing. His face filled with the shadows was different from usual. Should he say that Serwin looks like a person who has lost all their energy? What happened in such a short period of time?

“Your Majesty?”

Chad called Serwin. Serwin’s gaze turned to Chad. He looked down at the sky and then Amelie in the distance. He frowned.

“Are you sick? Should I call a doctor?”

“No. I’m fine. Don’t make a useless fuss.”

“I understand.”

Chad looked into Serwin’s eyes.

‘From a distance, he looked like he was nauseous—. Is he really okay?’

Serwin was fine, as if nothing had happened. It happened a lot, so Chad was naturally relieved without any doubt.

“Let’s stop.”

“Since we’re here, let’s meet Miss Amelie.”

“No. Don’t even say I’m here.”

Serwin turned back firmly. Chad thought his back was somehow powerless.

******

As she began preparing for the party in earnest, Amelie was so busy that her eyes began to roll.

This was Amelie’s first time attending the party. She had to learn to dance as well, and she had to memorize the tacit rules to watch out for at the party. Reluctantly, Amelie was forced to postpone her investigation into the disaster for a while. But she couldn’t take a break from making potions. Because she had to heal Mrs. Enard’s child.

Amelie took her time and made a potion. It was hard on her, but it was only when she made potions that she was proud of the idea that she was doing something like a witch. But she couldn’t show anyone else how pleased she was to see the purple poison simmering.

“Sir Chad.”

“Yes, Miss Amelie.”

“I’ll take a walk for a while.”

“When the weather like this?”

Certainly, the fog was thick from the morning, and it did not clear up after noon. In addition, the air was very chilly.

“It’s hard to stay indoors.”

“Then I’ll pick you up. Wait a minute. I’ll bring your coat.”

But Amelie shook her head.

“When I go out, many eyes are focused on me again. I just want to walk around quietly. I don’t need a coat because I can transform into an animal.”

“Then you can just go like this.”

“Yes.”

Amelie used her magic to transform and with a  ‘pong’ sound Amelie disappeared and a pink rabbit with drooping ears appeared.

“It’s not a bird.”

That’s not up to her. She can learn other magic quickly as it is, but her transformation magic doesn’t improve at all.

“Please be careful. It is said that strange things always happen on a foggy day like today.”

Amelie nodded to Chad and left the room.

*****

Because of the high humidity, the cold seeped in all the way through to the bones. In particular, it was colder because the Imperial palace was spacious and there were few people.

It was absolutely not the weather to walk around in a thin muslin dress. But Renia couldn’t put on her coat. It was because she had deliberately chosen her dress that was wrapped around her body. Today, with her innocent and fragile appearance, she had to stimulate the Emperor’s protective instincts.

Today’s plan was that ‘Renia, who is lost in the middle of the Imperial Palace and shivering in the cold, accidentally meets Serwin and gets help’.

It was Count Manvers who made this plan. Renia thought it was a silly plan, but she followed the Count’s will. It was because she didn’t want to hear words like, “That’s why you’re like that!” The Count had a long memory for grudges, so it was better to do as he was told.

‘Your Majesty seems to like the weak side more than the fancy side, so it’s a good strategy.’

However, she sincerely regretted following along this time. Thin muslin dresses and silk gloves did not protect the body from the temperature at all. It was so cold. Including the fact that she lost weight by overdoing it to prepare for the party, it was harder to withstand the cold than before.

‘How long do I have to be like this? Is he coming this way?’

According to her father, Serwin usually passes this road to swing a sword lightly after lunch.

‘Seeing that the servants don’t even come close, the path His Majesty will go is correct—.’

Renia waited for him for quite some time, but did not see a single human shadow.

In addition, it happened to be a foggy day, so the field of view was narrow. It was so gloomy that she wondered if it was really a royal palace.

‘I said that I would not come to the Imperial Palace on a day like this.’

A day of thick fog that doesn’t even fly away by the wind. On such a day, it is said that even a normal person suddenly goes crazy and runs wild.

It is said that most of the bizarre events that have occurred in the imperial palace so far have occurred on a foggy day.

Renia thought it was a false rumor, but she was nervous to stand alone on the road.

‘Ha—’

Renia swallowed a sigh. Her shoulders kept shrinking because of the cold. However, Serwin shouldn’t have seen this, so Renia quickly spread her shoulders. If her maids were together with her, they could have endured by huddling and combining their body temperature but Renia had no choice but to endure the cold alone because Count Manvers did not let her bring them.

‘It would be nice to wait in the lobby of the emperor’s palace—.’

How long has it been? Serwin finally appeared from behind.

“….!”

Renia quickly fixed her clothes and rubbed her cheeks with her palm. It was to make her complexion a little lively.

“Your Majesty!”

Renia quickly approached Serwin. When she finally thought she could get out of this cold, she was happier than ever to see Serwin. The servants following Serwin were shocked to find her.

‘Who’s blocking His Majesty’s path without fear!’

‘His Majesty is feeling the worst these days!’

As Renia stood in front of Serwin, Serwin also stopped and looked at her.

“I’m really glad that your Majesty just passed by! Actually, I’m lost—.”

Renia dropped her eyebrows, creating a pitiful expression on her face. But the moment her eyes met him, she lost her words. Her body, which had not yielded to the cold, trembled less. She felt like a mouse in front of a snake.

‘Why, why am I so nervous? There— There has never been a time like this—’

His eyes were on Renia, but they were numb like he was seeing an inanimate object.

Renia was terrified with just one look at him. Serwin usually had a brutal atmosphere, but it was the first time she was so scared.

Serwin nodded his head small. The servants noticed his meaning and quickly pulled Renia’s arm.

“Young Lady, this way.”

“Don’t say anything. You’ll be in trouble.”

Renia was suddenly taken away by the servants. Normally, she would have sharply beaten whoever dared to touch her body. But she couldn’t do anything with the cold and fear that permeated through her.

‘I’ve been waiting for a long time—’

Serwin moved away without looking back. She woke up early in the morning, dressed up, shivering, and stood here alone for hours. She hasn’t eaten anything since last night to look vulnerable. It was all an effort for this moment. To get his attention at least once.

But Serwin wasn’t even worried about her. As if it was annoying to talk, he removed her with a single gesture.

Renia vaguely looked at Serwin’s back.

‘What was I shaking in this cold for?’n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was disgraceful and miserable. Tears welled up in Renia’s eyes.

The servants glanced at her and walked away. It was clear that today’s event was going to be gossip in social circles before the sun went down. Her hands trembled at her shame and resentment.

‘Do you know what I wanted to do in this cold?’

She just did what her father told her to do. It’s obvious that it’ll be harder if she doesn’t do what she’s told. It was clear that people would laugh at her own circumstances. At the same time, they will react similarly like a Young Lady of their age.

‘Do you have to do that?’

‘You don’t even have pride?’

‘There’s nothing good about becoming an Empress, it just gets more work.’

Renia laughed at each time, using love as an excuse. But her stomach was boiling up with anger.

‘If I sit still, who will recognize me? You and I, who are protected by our families, are in a different situation!’

Renia was desperate. She didn’t want to be swayed by others. In order to do so, Renia’s own power was needed, not others.

‘Become the Empress at any cost— As long as I become—.’

Black smoke filled under her feet. It stuck to Renia’s leg like a snake. Renia didn’t even notice that black smoke was covering her legs because her mind was somewhere else. Black smoke passed through Renia’s calves and climbed up to her thighs.

But at that moment, something hit Renia’s leg. At that moment, the black smoke disappeared into the air.

“Uh.”

Renia fell down in surprise. The touch on the leg was soft and warm, so it didn’t hurt.

“What?”

She looked down at her feet. There was a pink rabbit with drooping ears rolling around.

“Kyu!”

Amelie stuttered her feet while falling backwards.

‘Whoaa! Renia Manvers! Why are you in this kind of place?’

Amelie was on her way to see Serwin while taking a walk. She was going to see if he was doing well so that she wouldn’t disturb him because he would be busy. However, on the way to the pond where Serwin was located, a hunting dog suddenly began to chase her.

Amelie ran away frantically. The dog’s teeth were so sharp that she, as a rabbit, couldn’t even take a bite.

When the hunting dog followed closely, she was in a state of confusion and ran at full speed, and bumped into Renia without seeing her in front.

“It’s a rabbit. Dirty.”

Renia pointed and pushed Amelie with her feet. She didn’t want to touch any of the dirty wild animals. Moreover, her mood was the worst now. She wanted to get rid of everything around her, regardless of whether it was a rabbit or not. Cold, hungry, and dizzy. She didn’t even want to go back home when she thought her father would be angry.

‘What the hell, kicking someone like that.’

Amelie grumbled and turned over with her own strength.

‘Let’s not get involved and go.’

Amelie hurried her own way. However, it bothered her that Renia looked cold.