“Don’t speak abstractly—be clear.”
“Aren’t you here, with nowhere else to lean, searching for a trustworthy power to ally with and a capable aide to protect your strength and honor against someone who has already claimed the palace?”
The Empress slowly straightened her head. She didn’t deny it. Lionel, measuring her reaction for a moment, straightened his chest and spoke.
“Whoever you choose, it will be a choice inferior to selecting me.”
It wasn’t said with arrogance or coercion. He spoke so calmly that it seemed he was merely stating a fact. Adel paused, momentarily stunned by Lionel’s composed demeanor—so calm it almost seemed arrogant—and then let out a quiet chuckle. Her smile didn’t change his expression. She nodded slowly, smiling.
Lionel Valdre had come running with a clear understanding of her intentions.
“Tell me, sir… or should I call you minister?”
“Call me as you feel comfortable.”
“In any case, you’re saying you genuinely wish to be my aide?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
The Empress narrowed her eyes, questioning.
“You haven’t been here long enough to fully grasp the situation, but still… it doesn’t seem that having a direct Valdre serve as my aide would bring much benefit. You could have sent someone from a retainer family, or from another family where interests align, as a candidate. So why come personally?”
Lionel answered without hesitation.
“Because I want the information about the tower that Your Majesty possesses.”
“Information about the tower?”
“Yes.”
“You think the benefit of acquiring that information outweighs what you would lose by becoming my aide?”
“Yes.”
The answer came out instantly, without the slightest hesitation. Adel stroked her chin thoughtfully and hummed.
“The one who proposed I choose an aide was the Grand Duke. And she said, though unlikely, that if someone from the Valdre family were to come, I should choose him without a second thought.”
Lionel’s eyes widened slightly.
“‘Whoever you choose, it will be a choice inferior to selecting me.’ I’ve never dared say such a thing myself.”
“If it sounded arrogant, I apologize. But…”
“But?”
“It is the truth, Your Majesty.”
Once again, he said it politely.
Suddenly, the long rays of the setting sun poured in behind Adelaide. Sunlight that had once been filtered by her now touched Lionel. Adel’s shadow brushed the back of his neck, while the red sunlight that hadn’t been blocked fell on his face.
Adel, captivated by his dark blue eyes, black hair, and beautiful face bathed in red light, suddenly wondered if he truly understood the role of an aide.
“Did I not say you could call me as you feel comfortable?”
Startled by the sudden question, Lionel nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Lionel.”
Like a wave of intense sunset rushing in silently, the Empress overwhelmed Lionel in an instant. She had merely spoken his name. Unconsciously, he held his breath and froze.
“You are choosing an aide to uphold my dignity against someone in the palace. Very well understood. But for that, the aide must also act as if they are my lover—are you aware of that as well?”
As the Empress stretched her red lips into a smile, her shaded golden eyes curved like a moon. Lionel swallowed hard, biting the tender flesh inside his mouth.
‘If someone from the Valdre family comes, choose him without a second thought.’
Adel understood those words well. She also agreed with the Grand Duke’s caveat: “though unlikely.” A direct family member arriving would gain nothing from this position.
Yet he had come—and even asked to be chosen. There was no need for further deliberation.
“I will lower my tone.”
At her soft, almost whispering words, Lionel stiffened. Adel tilted her head; black hair poured like night, and her moonlit golden eyes seemed to pull his gaze as if into a trap.
“I will call your name and speak in a softer tone, Lionel. That will make a difference.”
“……”
“If that is acceptable, very well. I appoint you as my aide.”
The words sounded like a spell. Only then did Lionel finally exhale, nodding slowly.
“Please appoint me as your aide.”
“No objections?”
“None.”
Adel’s smile deepened at his flawless response. Her body, exhausted from three days of interviews, felt light as if by magic.
The messenger who delivered the news swallowed hard, fidgeting nervously, as if he had personally committed an error. Cold sweat ran down his back.
“…Who applied?”
The Emperor, staring rigidly at the messenger, finally spoke after a long pause. The messenger hurriedly replied:
“Sir Lionel Valdre, Your Majesty.”
“To the Empress’s position of aide?”
“Eh… yes… uh…”
Flustered by the Emperor’s blunt expression, the messenger trailed off.
“So… he applied, and the Empress chose him?”
“That… I do not know for certain. Your Majesty, the Empress has not made an official announcement…”
The Emperor’s violet eyes narrowed. Something that had subtly irritated him finally burst out.
Karl dismissed the uneasy messenger and went out onto the terrace. The evening was dark. Autumn had come sooner in the night than in the day. As the cool wind brushed his cheek, his restless heart seemed to calm slightly.
He preferred winter to summer, night to day. Harsh cold over stifling heat, darkness to shield the body over a bright, sunny day.
This night—black hair, golden eyes, everything about it.
“……”
The white nape revealed among the cascade of black hair. The lingering, indescribable sweet scent teased his senses. Karl held his breath.
That day, if the Empress had accepted, he would have surrendered Dian, intoxicated by her scent, and spent the night with Adel.
How her arrogantly lifted eyes falter, how her confident face crumbles. A woman born of noble blood, claiming her rightful place at the top. He would have observed it all, etched in memory.
The black ocean in Karl’s chest churned again. He pressed a hand to his forehead, gritting his teeth. The out-of-season scent of spring flowers seemed to swirl endlessly around him. He glared at the full moon, luminous against the dark sky.
A yellow, radiant moon, cutting through the thick darkness.
“To simply exist… is that so difficult?”
The feather on the quill, the flowers in the vase—what’s wrong with them? To do nothing and simply hold them when one can—isn’t that the most comfortable life?
Would it dishonor his pride to bend and bow in order to seize power here and secure a position?
Karl’s eyes darkened. The sweet scent that lingered around him seemed to penetrate his lungs.
“How do you tame a beast that bares its teeth and claws? To leash a black beast roaming the wilderness, and feed it from your hand… first, you must remove all its teeth and claws.”
But if the beast submits after its teeth and claws are removed, can it still be called a wild animal? Does he want a fierce king ruling the wild lands, or a pitiful creature, defenseless and dying?
Unable to answer, Karl turned away. The moonlight trailing him was both cold and burning.
After Lionel left, Adel had a light dinner and soaked in hot water.
Stretching her body in the tub until her hands and feet turned pale and numb, she felt a dizzy, languid pleasure as she crawled into bed—consciousness gradually fading. The dreamy, drowsy sensation of slipping into sleep was more effective than any tonic, so Adel lingered in the water.
How long had she stayed there? Sweat began to pour as if raining. The bathroom door opened carefully, and Mrs. Geeks entered.
“Ah, I was just about to leave anyway.”
“Yes, I think you should.”
“Is something the matter?”
As the Empress emerged from the bath, Mrs. Geeks quickly draped a robe over her shoulders and wrapped her wet hair in a large towel to keep the chill away.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”
