Chapter – 45
“How dare they……”
His fists clenched on their own.
At that moment, the words of the crown princess echoed in his mind.
[When the time comes, you’ll know. Think carefully and act wisely. Whether your parents want you to survive somehow, or whether they would rather you die in vain to protect their honor.]
Damn it.
Yes, he understood very well why she said that.
“Your expression looks bad, Hemiun. What’s wrong? Did you perhaps remember something?”
The woman tilted her eyebrows as if she were a concerned friend and asked kindly.
Hemiun felt like cursing.
Maintain composure. Maintain composure.
Think of something else.
Hemiun quickly repeated to himself, as if this were a scene in a play.
After all, this had already been a prepared move.
Even though he didn’t like it, this was a situation the crown princess had foreseen and warned him about.
If he couldn’t handle something as simple as this, he had no right to speak of revenge.
Hemiun calmed his emotions and spoke slowly.
“By the way… are the nobles named Cloid and Selea from the Martin family?”
Hearing the hesitant and cautious question, Liliana snorted softly and narrowed her eyes.
“So you do remember?”
“No, it’s just… I heard my name is Hemiun Martin. I also remember my family’s names because Her Highness told me.”
Hemiun blinked as if he truly knew nothing.
“So I was wondering if those two nobles… might be my parents.”
“They are. They’re your parents. But Her Highness probably didn’t tell you this, did she?”
Liliana readily admitted it.
However, shamelessly, she did not stop trying to provoke Hemiun.
“Your parents abused you. They were extremely vicious nobles.”
How long would this suffocating standoff continue?
Hemiun forced himself to stay calm as his mind went distant.
Liliana was watching him closely, like a hawk right in front of him.
“Something like that… I didn’t hear such detailed stories……”
At Hemiun’s seemingly shocked reaction, Liliana let out a small laugh.
“Then how much do you know about yourself? Tell me in detail. It might help me recover your memories.”
Hemiun was at a loss for words.
Not because of emotion.
I don’t know how far I should talk.
He hadn’t been told details about things like this.
If he said the wrong thing, contradictions would arise.
They were already suspicious. If his words didn’t match, it would only strengthen their certainty that something was strange.
I’m not confident about this…!
He regretted not just venting insults about his parents as the other side wanted.
“What are you hesitating about, Hemiun? Weren’t we really close friends? What can’t you tell me?”
The woman now seemed determined to take the “close friend” position and spoke gently.
Then it happened.
Outside, there was commotion, and hurried footsteps approached the door.
The woman’s expression turned cold at the same time the door was suddenly thrown open.
“Your Majesty the Empress! A message has arrived from the Medical Palace!”
Hearing the knight’s urgent report, the Empress stood up abruptly in delight.
“Yes, what happened?”
The knight knelt before the Empress and reported.
“The fire is almost under control. They are currently extinguishing the remaining flames. Please wait a little longer!”
“I see. That’s a relief. How many casualties are there?”
“The exact number has not yet been determined. We will report once the count is complete.”
The Empress already felt a headache coming on.
It was fortunate that the fire had been suppressed, but it was uncertain how many lives had been lost.
The fact that the damage count was still unclear made her even more anxious.
“Understood. You may withdraw.”
After dismissing the knight with a wave of her hand, the Empress closed her eyes and pressed her temples.
She had been glad that the headaches that used to bother her had disappeared after her eye illness improved.
“Your Majesty, the people are becoming uneasy.”
After the knight left, the head maid whispered quietly.
She had been periodically calming them down, but the murmuring was gradually growing louder.
“Since the fire is almost extinguished, it may be time to lift the restrictions.”
What should have been a joyful spring banquet had turned into chaos.
And not just anywhere—the banquet was hosted by the imperial palace itself.
It was obvious how rumors would spread across the empire.
“The imperial authority will fall for a while.”
The emperor had already been bedridden for a long time, and imperial prestige was declining.
While Crown Prince Yulion was struggling to gather the nobles under the crown prince’s authority, it felt like more burdens were being piled onto him.
“Then first, those who wish to return home…”
She was about to continue speaking when it happened.
A brilliant light burst outside.
The flash was so intense it felt as if lightning had struck the imperial palace.
Then came the explosion.
“Eeeeeek!”
The nobles panicked, looking around, not understanding what was happening.
The more timid ones screamed and collapsed to the ground.
After a storm-like surge and a return to silence, the Empress, who had been covering her ears, spoke hesitantly.
“…Tell them to endure a little longer.”
The head maid nodded vigorously in agreement.
“What on earth is happening?”
Meanwhile, Rohiriel had already disappeared, and Yulion had said he would return but had gone silent.
It didn’t seem like this was simply a problem of the Medical Palace fire.
“How frustrating.”
She wanted to go outside and check the situation.
But even if she went out, there would be nothing she could do.
What she could do—what she had to do—was here.
The Empress organized her thoughts and stood up.
“Let’s go. Let’s soothe the nobles.”
As the Empress, who had been resting at the top seat, rose and stepped forward again, the nobles quieted down and looked at her.
“Your Majesty! What is going on!”
“Please let us go home, Your Majesty. Do you intend to massacre the nobles?”
The nobles’ complaints poured toward the Empress.
However, some nobles stood quietly at the back, observing the situation.
Zenid and Natiya were among them, but their reason was mainly that Natiya’s physical condition was not normal.
“Natia, are you alright?”
“Head… Head maid……”
Zenid wrapped her trembling shoulders around Natiya.
Natiya’s entire body was cold.
“Your condition is not good. What’s wrong?”
“I… can’t breathe properly……”
Natiya managed to speak while gasping.
At first, they thought it was just because she had run here, but since it wasn’t improving with time, something was clearly wrong.
“The Medical Palace is in chaos, so we cannot summon a physician. This is serious.”
Zenid worriedly rubbed Natiya’s back.
Natiya forced a smile and shook her head.
“I-I’m fine. I think… I’ll get better… if I rest a little.”
Her eyes, though smiling, were shaking with anxiety.
While Zenid was trying to help by tapping Natiya’s lower back, Yefua, who had been watching from a distance, approached.
“Want me to help?”
Zenid slightly hid Natiya behind her at the bright yet somewhat eerie voice.
“I’m fine, Lady Princess. You don’t need to worry.”
“Oh, you look like you need help. Zenid, you know me, right? Don’t you trust me? Even if I’m not like Roti sister, I can do a little examination.”
Yefua pointed at herself with a small giggle.
Her light green eyes curved into half-moons, radiating a bright and innocent atmosphere.
Anyone who didn’t know her might think it was a naive smile—cute and adorable.
“Since you’re a maid of my Roti sister, you’re also one of my people, right?”
Zenid stiffened at Yefua’s incomprehensible words.
“I really am fine.”
At the firm refusal, Yefua finally dropped the mask.
“Boring.”
In an instant, Yefua’s face turned cold as she spun around and walked toward the window.
“Lili sister abandoned me and went off to have fun alone, and everyone is ignoring me again.”
The words were heard as if brushed past, but Zenid could not easily ignore them.
Princess Liliana.
Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen her even once today.
Her name was clearly on the banquet attendee list.
‘Where on earth is she…?’
Zenid’s eyes anxiously searched every corner of the banquet hall.
But nowhere could she find Liliana’s distinctive purple hue.
