chapter 12
“…Ah, thank you.”
I casually reached out toward the red flower.
Right now, the only thing on my mind was getting away from Seria as quickly as possible.
But at that moment, the Grand Duke whispered from inside the hat:
“Don’t accept it. Say it’s a gift.”
Huh? Why…?
“Hurry.”
I didn’t understand the reason, but if Lishid said so, I had no choice.
There must be a reason.
“High Priest, please keep it. It’s a gift!”
I’m an avatar, I’m an avatar.
Chanting that to myself, I placed the flower back into the High Priest’s hand. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Then, looking down at the flower, a soft laugh escaped his lips.
“…How curious. I keep wondering what goes on inside your head, Lady.”
His golden eyes curved beautifully.
And his gaze was fixed on my hat.
Gasp.
I quickly grabbed the brim of my hat tightly.
No. Don’t get curious about what’s inside my hat, you bastard…!
Seated atop Airel’s head, Lishid couldn’t understand the situation.
She said she liked me, yet now she’s already fallen for the High Priest’s face?
Frowning slightly, he stared at the High Priest through the hole he had made in the hat.
Erkael—the youngest High Priest.
Lishid was already well aware of his striking appearance.
Praise for Erkael, often called the incarnation of an angel, could be heard everywhere.
But he couldn’t believe that Airel Blandiche would show interest in someone like that while ignoring him.
He doesn’t resemble me at all.
While Lishid had sharp eyes and a cold impression, Erkael was known for his gentle gaze and warm, smiling demeanor.
In short, they were complete opposites.
Yet Lishid had clearly felt Airel’s unnatural breathing and trembling the moment she encountered the High Priest.
And that was a reaction she had never shown in front of him before.
…In front of me, she just yawns openly.
He could still vividly recall the structure of her mouth as she yawned while looking down at him from atop the wardrobe.
And makes weird noises.
That strange groaning sound—like a corpse coming back to life—rang in his ears again.
And even hits her own face.
The memory of her slapping her cheeks with both hands made him frown.
…If she truly likes me, shouldn’t it be the opposite?
Something felt off.
Thinking back, the lady seemed far too comfortable around him.
Wasn’t she different before?
Airel Blandiche used to bully others, yet whenever he passed by, she would blush and pretend not to notice him, fluttering her fan.
But now…
There was no trace of that timid behavior.
And clearly, his current doll-like state was part of the reason for this change.
This isn’t pleasant.
Of course, even now, there were moments when her sturdy nostrils flared excitedly as she looked down at him…
Moments when her clear eyes sparkled as she chattered endlessly…
And times when she casually adjusted his hair as if it were nothing…
Still, I should confirm it just in case.
Just how shallow and insignificant her affection for him really was.
Not that it mattered to him—but if her feelings wavered, she might throw him out overnight.
And that would be troublesome.
Yes, that was all.
That was why, when the High Priest approached again under the pretense of returning the dropped flower, Lishid said:
“Say it’s a gift.”
Giving a flower to someone of the opposite sex implied affection.
If she truly isn’t swayed by the High Priest, she should say: ‘Why would I give him a flower? The one I like is the Grand Duke.’
That’s what he expected.
But instead—
“High Priest, please keep it. It’s a gift!”
Not only did she say it loudly enough for the entire banquet hall to hear, she actually placed the flower into the High Priest’s hand.
Unbelievable.
Who said you could do that?
It was Lishid himself who had come up with the idea for the hat she was wearing—and chosen it.
Which meant the flower that fell from it was partly his as well.
And she dares give that flower to the High Priest?
After giving him something like flower-patterned pajamas?
A strange irritation gripped Lishid, and he ground his teeth.
Yet the lady seemed completely oblivious.
“Your Grace, where should we go now?”
“……”
“Your Grace?”
“……”
“You’re not asleep, are you?!”
On top of that, she suddenly started shaking her head violently as she whispered.
As a result, Lishid had to cling to the hat and endure a bout of dizziness.
Just you wait, Lady.
After calming his churning stomach, Lishid’s red eyes burned as he peered through the hole in the now-still hat.
It was then, as he had momentarily forgotten his original objective due to the High Priest’s unexpected appearance, that a suspicious conversation reached his ears.
“Hah, the Grand Duke of Effenterion is absent from the welcoming ceremony…?”
“Then that must mean, during the western subjugation…”
Lishid quickly placed a hand on the lady’s head and whispered:
“Lady, eleven o’clock.”
“Oh, you’re alive!”
“Circle around Baron Vires. Hide behind the third pillar on the right.”
“W-Who’s that?”
She doesn’t even know Baron Vires?
As rumored, she really has no interest in politics.
Letting out a sigh, Lishid adjusted the direction of the hat. As it turned, the lady’s head followed.
“Can you not see that bald man?”
“Ah.”
After that, the lady faithfully followed his instructions.
Left, right, back again, then forward.
After circling the banquet hall for quite some time and eavesdropping on conversations, Lishid pieced together what he had learned.
So…
I was gravely injured during the western monster subjugation and fell into a coma?
“How ridiculous.”
Letting out a cold scoff, Lishid tapped the lady’s head twice.
“Lady.”
“Yes?”
“I think I’ve figured out who placed the curse on me.”
Airel’s body stiffened.
What is he talking about?
He figured out who cursed him?
I froze, swallowing hard.
My fingers curled so tightly from tension that I couldn’t straighten them.
“W-Who is it?”
I barely managed to steady my voice as I asked.
The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment, as if choosing his words.
I felt movement wriggling inside the hat.
My heart dropped.
Don’t tell me… he’s pulling out a sword?
Is he going to stab my head right now?
Even a toothpick-sized sword would kill me if it pierced my skull!
N-No…!
Just as I shut my eyes, bracing for the impending pain—
“The Emperor.”
A short, firm answer rang above my head.
“…What?”
The Emperor?
Caught off guard, I blinked in confusion.
Um… excuse me, but that’s me…?
Lishid, you’ve got it completely wrong.
This wasn’t just wrong—it was spectacularly wrong.
“Do you think that’s impossible?”
As I stood there dumbfounded, the Grand Duke’s displeased voice followed.
“N-No! I’m just… surprised.”
“Surprised?”
“Yes. It’s just that what you said was…”
Wait a second.
I trailed off mid-excuse.
Now that I think about it… isn’t this actually a great opportunity?
If I agree with Lishid that the Emperor is suspicious, I can delay any suspicion falling on me later.
And honestly, the logic kind of checks out.
When Lishid was young, the current Emperor—his uncle, Ferdik—took the throne from him.
The former Emperor and Empress had, coincidentally, taken their own lives on the very day of Lishid’s crown prince appointment ceremony.
Even without the formal appointment, Lishid was first in line for succession.
Everyone expected him to ascend the throne.
But everything changed because of the late Emperor couple’s will.
It revealed that Lishid was not their biological child, but adopted.
And since there were already nobles questioning his eye color, the throne passed to Ferdik without delay.
Both the late Emperor and Empress had striking blue eyes.
But Lishid possessed red eyes—something not seen in either of their families.
Suspicious ministers gathered the imperial physician and servants who had attended the Empress during childbirth.
Most had died or disappeared.
Still, a few remained—and they confessed that the Empress had never actually been pregnant.
With no other choice, the ministers pushed forward Ferdik, the late Emperor’s brother and second in line, as the new Emperor.
As a result, Lishid lost the throne and was exiled to the Grand Duchy without even having time to grieve his parents.
