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Lurick only asked me after we entered the annex hallway.
“I heard that you used the Mage Tower Master’s flames instead of the Imperial Palace gate when you returned from the academy.”
So that was the ‘other way’ Phoebe was talking about.
Is it related to why I survived?
‘𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘐 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦?’
While thinking such thoughts to myself, I quickly answered so as not to offend my brother.
“I, I just wanted to come back quickly.”
Then, a puzzled look came over Lurick’s eyes, and soon a relieved voice followed.
” I thought you…… didn’t want to come back.”
It was only then that I remembered Louise’s position.
A disgrace to the royal family who couldn’t stay in the main palace and had to use the annex, and to think she even feared her only brother…….
‘𝘕𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦.’
However, I quickly spoke to appease Lurick.
“N, Normally, that would be the case. But since the war is over and brother will come back……. ”
Lurick’s footsteps, which had been gradually slowing down during the conversation, stopped altogether.
I squeezed my voice and continued.
“I thought it would be…… nice to arrive first and wait.”
He looked down at me as if I were something strange and fascinating.
“……Is that so.”
Maybe it was just my imagination that his voice sounded a little moist?
Lurick averted his gaze from me and started walking again.
“I know you’re close to the Mage Tower Master, but don’t do anything that would displease His Majesty. As I’ve told you repeatedly, he is the Emperor’s man.”
That was the superficial reason Lurick got rid of the Mage Tower Master in the novel.
‘𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦? 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘓𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬’𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵?’
I didn’t know Ren well yet, but it was hard to imagine him choosing the Emperor over Louise.
“I’ll protect you. You will not suffer any pain.”
Could it be that Ren, who said that, is actually on the Emperor’s side, not mine?
‘𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦…’
Arriving in front of my room, Lurick started to speak.
“Still……”
And then, just before turning around, he said,
“Thank you for waiting.”
Seeing his red, transparent eyes settle into a warm and healthy color, I felt both relieved and guilty at the same time.
‘𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘮𝘣…’
If Louise is his only and precious sister, shouldn’t I also treat him as a ‘brother’ rather than a ‘male protagonist’?
“I’m glad, brother.”
Yes, it was fortunate that he didn’t go berserk today.
But, what if he eventually does?
‘𝘖𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦…’
Should I just let it be, knowing that many people will die and get hurt at the end of that painful incident, and that Lurick will be taken to prison in a state of insanity?
‘𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘩𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩?’
I was in a situation where I had to find the baby’s father and escape the Imperial Palace as soon as possible, but I couldn’t help but worry.
‘𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘐 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦…’
Leaving the male lead, who will be imprisoned after committing murder in the rampage episode I wrote, like this…
‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?!’
Not only that, if I leave the unstable Lurick alone and he goes berserk, it’s obvious that my peaceful and long life will be in jeopardy.
I shook my head and thought.
‘𝘕𝘰, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵. 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘺𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘓𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.’
🔹🔹🔹
The next morning.
I was about to leave my room, determined to find an excuse to see Lurick before the banquet resumed.
An unexpected altercation was taking place in the hallway in front of my door.
“What brings the crown prince to see my sister so early in the morning?”
Lurick growled.
But Ernst, his face impassive, only blinked a few times before a gentle smile spread across his lips.
‘𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺?’
Ernst finally answered politely.
“I heard that Her Highness, Princess Louise, has not been feeling well and hasn’t been eating properly, so I thought I’d brew her some tea.”
Come to think of it, he was holding a golden tray with a tea set on it.
Lurick’s eyes narrowed more fiercely.
“Instead of having a maid do it, you’re doing it yourself?”
“It’s a rewarding hobby I’ve enjoyed since the academy.”
Ernst replied nonchalantly and added.
“Besides, I have a very important matter to discuss with Her Highness, Louise, today……”
An important matter?
‘𝘐𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺’𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴?’