Without realizing it, I was about to answer that I was enchanted, and that I felt regret.
'Don't fall for such a question!'
I straightened my muddled thoughts and opened my eyes wide. Regret? Me? Why? What is there to regret?
"No, I don't feel any regret at all."
"Really?"
If there were a competition for seduction, Terdeo would definitely win. I swallowed hard and tried to act calm as I lifted my head. A faint smile appeared on Terdeo's lips as he looked at me askance, his chin resting on his hand.
"I feel regret."
"…!"
He really knows how to play with people.
"I hoped you would feel regret."
"Stop teasing me."
"I have the desire to tell you what I'm imagining and the desire to hide it from you completely, coexisting."
Seeing his lazy, seductive smile, I felt my lips losing strength and trembling involuntarily.
"Didn't you say you would return to your usual self today?"
"Yeah. So I haven't done anything yet. ……Not yet."
I heard his low laugh from across the room. If this happens every day, my heart will suffer. As I clutched my heart and frowned, Terdeo glanced at me and changed the subject.
"Yesterday, we caught one of the rebels' henchmen."
"What?!"
It felt as if someone had poured ice water over my head, and the heat that had been rising in me suddenly cooled. Forgetting the worries and conversations from a moment ago, I urged Terdeo for an answer.
"Are you hurt? Any injuries?"
I first asked if he was hurt, and Terdeo's lips curved into a smile, seemingly pleased.
"Do I look like someone who would get hurt by a mere henchman?"
"But accidents can happen! Are you hurt?"
"No. I didn't even lift a finger. My subordinates caught him."
"Can we catch the rebels now? Have you identified them?"
Like in any country, the rebels want to correct the corruption in the royal court and seek freedom for the lower classes. So, to them, Terdeo might appear as a suitable villain. Perhaps there are people like Adeus who want revenge. But I don't want to hear about such matters. To me, the rebels are just people who threaten Terdeo and keep my husband busy, preventing him from resting properly. I don't want to feel uncomfortable after hearing their stories. I am selfish and always on Terdeo's side, so I just close my ears and eyes. Terdeo's hand, which had been flipping through documents, paused for a moment. But he soon regained his composure and spoke calmly.
"Ask one at a time."
"After catching the rebels, Theod, will you be able to rest? You've been working too hard without any breaks."
"You asked about my rest first?"
Terdeo laughed happily. The wind that blew in through the open window gently tousled his hair, creating a perfect scene. I forgot to blink as I quietly took in his beautiful appearance. After laughing for a while, Terdeo looked down at the documents and spoke matter-of-factly.
"The rebels are slaves from the defeated nation."
"Huh?"
"Of course, we need to investigate more thoroughly, but… it seems that the leaders and the masterminds of the rebellion are all from the Schwartz Kingdom."
"…!"
Whenever Terdeo talks about the people from the Schwartz Kingdom, his gaze always falls to the ground. He avoids eye contact and looks down as if he were a sinner with deep guilt.
"But the war is already over. Why now…?"
"It's not about reclaiming a country but about a matter of life and death for an individual."
"A matter of life and death?"
"You know how the empire treats people from the defeated nation, right?"
Although the slave system has been abolished, people from the defeated nation are still treated as slaves.
"They must have grievances. ……The henchman we caught was a slave to a local noble, and the rebels helped him escape when he was about to be beaten to death. His body was covered in whip scars."
"Such… So, the rebels saved that person?"
Terdeo rubbed his tired face.
"…Yes, I don't want to admit it, but it's true. They seem to be helping the oppressed people from the defeated nation. They are not even treated as human beings."
Terdeo kept his gaze fixed on the documents throughout the conversation. But no matter how much time passed, the pages didn't turn. He seemed to be lost in thought.
"Theod."
"Yeah."
"Do you feel guilty?"
Terdeo finally looked up from the documents. His eyes shimmered with an indescribable emotion.
"You felt guilty like this when you almost took on that mission last time. Do you think it's your fault now?"
The war is not a simple matter that you can decide to start just because you want to. The emperor…"
I stopped speaking and looked out the open carriage window. We were about to reach the palace. Such conversations needed to be more cautious. I quietly closed the carriage window to prevent our conversation from leaking out.
"His Majesty the Emperor decided on the conquest, and you followed his orders as a matter of duty."
"I could have refused."
"If you had, it would have put the Laphireon family in greater danger. The family's secrets might have been exposed."
"…."
"You made the best choice. To save the Laphireon family and its members, you needed to gain power by staying close to the emperor."
So look now. No one dares to oppose the Laphireon family.
"You don't need to feel such foolish guilt or responsibility. It's certainly sad and unacceptable that people from the defeated nation are still treated as slaves even after the abolition of the slave system…"
The carriage slowed down. Glancing out the window, I saw that we had arrived at the palace.
"It's not your fault."
"…Do you think so?"
"Strictly speaking, it's the fault of His Majesty the Emperor for abolishing the slave system and then neglecting it. It's something His Majesty should correct and lament, not you."
The carriage stopped. The palace guards approached to check the visitors. They nodded after confirming the seal on the carriage and our faces visible through the window. The carriage moved again. Glancing back, I saw that the baggage carriage had also passed through safely. After just a few more turns, a completely different world unfolded before us. No one was struggling desperately to survive. The carriages in the garden were not rushing. Even the horses leading the carriages were walking as slowly as ants. No one paid attention to food that fell on the ground. The nobles never bowed their heads. Elegant conversations could be heard everywhere. Our carriage passed through the gentle and leisurely spring-like garden. Terdeo remained silent even as the carriage wheels rolled. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of Dodelea's palace, which felt like a cold, frozen winter. But Terdeo showed no sign of getting up, not even a small movement.
"Theod."
Seeing the tense, dark circles under his eyes, I reached out to him without thinking.
"Come, let's go together."
Terdeo, who had finally regained his composure, placed his hand on the back of mine. Then he firmly pulled me into his embrace. The momentum made me lunge forward and fall into his arms.
"…If I could have it, I would gladly lose everything."
"Huh? What did you say?"
His words were so soft that I couldn't hear them even from close by. Just as I was about to ask again, Terdeo released me from his tight embrace.
"I'm okay now."
Terdeo's expression looked much more relaxed.
"Shall we go in?"
With a relieved expression, he extended his hand. ... As soon as we entered Dodelea's palace, a waiting servant led us to the reception room. As soon as we entered, Dodelea, who had been waiting, waved and smiled.
"Finally, you're here?"
To our surprise, Dodelea welcomed us like old friends. Terdeo and I were taken aback but soon regained our composure and sat on the sofa.
"We have something to discuss, so just leave the tea and desserts and go…"
"Would we dare come to the palace of the imperial princess empty-handed? We have prepared the tea and desserts."
I interrupted Dodelea and looked at the maids I had brought. Sensing my command, the maids hurriedly prepared the tea and desserts they had brought in the baggage carriage. A brief look of interest flashed across Dodelea's face.
"The tea and desserts are from a foreign country. I hope they suit the imperial princess's taste."
"…Interesting."
Dodelea gestured for the servants, including Reina, to leave. No one disobeyed the imperial princess's command. As soon as the others left the reception room, they closed the door. The three of us sat in silence. Dodelea spoke first.
"This is where I live. The emperor loves me so much…"
Dodelea's unpleasant gaze was directed at the closed door, specifically at the guards standing outside.
"It feels like being locked in a prison."
At that moment, I remembered that in the temple, she had clearly said she was not the real Princess Dodelea.
"If you're not the real Princess Dodelea, where is the real Princess Dodelea?"
"Drop the formalities. You didn't treat me so formally a thousand years ago."
"I'm a different person from a thousand years ago, but I'll drop the formalities. I feel like I'm in a prison too."
Dodelea hesitated at my words. Her face, which had been smiling happily, twisted in an instant. Seeing her face crumple like paper, I