Chapter 14
Late at night.
Leto entered his bedroom. Without even loosening his tie, he collapsed onto the bed.
Yuten, who had followed him in, quietly examined his expression.
“Shall I bring you a glass of wine?”
“Out of nowhere?”
“You look like you have a lot on your mind.”
“…Just one glass, then.”
A moment later, Yuten returned with a glass of red wine. Leto was lying there with his eyes covered.
Is he asleep?
“Yuten.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Am I really that bad?”
“…Pardon?”
Yuten thought to himself.
Well… sometimes you are.
Setting aside his very clear likes and dislikes, whenever he became obsessed with something, he charged in recklessly without thinking. Every time, it was Yuten who suffered.
Today had been the same. Right after the meeting, hadn’t he suddenly gone off to the Grand Temple, leaving the officials waiting for tea?
With a faint smile, Yuten replied,
“Not at all. You are a wise and virtuous ruler.”
“That doesn’t sound sincere.”
“You might get hurt if you hear the truth.”
“I don’t get hurt.”
Leto sat up and held out his hand. Yuten quickly handed him the wine. Leto emptied the glass in one go.
Frowning slightly as he held the empty glass, he muttered,
“No… I think I did get a little hurt.”
“…From me? Surely not.”
“I thought I had shown my feelings. But she told me to go meet another woman.”
Yuten was horrified.
“Your Majesty! Are you thinking of taking a lover? Weren’t you on good terms with Her Majesty the Empress? Why would you suddenly—”
No matter what Yuten said, Leto was lost in his own thoughts, shaking his head as if he couldn’t understand.
“She said she trusted me. Then what does she expect me to do? At this point, it almost feels like she’s doing it on purpose.”
“Your Majesty! What on earth is going on? If a strange scandal breaks out, it will cause serious trouble!”
“Quiet. Take this and leave.”
Leto held out the empty glass. Yuten, still dazed, took it.
As he left the bedroom, Yuten trudged along.
This is bad. Things were just starting to improve between them…
More than anything, it was baffling. Leto had never shown interest in women before. Even his marriage to the Empress had been purely political.
Yuten stared blankly at the empty glass.
“Whoever she is… she’s impressive.”
He tilted his head.
To think she made the great Emperor Leto drink…
Meanwhile, Leto lay staring at the ceiling with wide-open eyes. The alcohol sharpened his thoughts, making them both clearer and more intense.
I’ve fallen for that woman. No doubt about it.
Since when? He didn’t know. By the time he realized, it had already happened.
Why? That, he could list. Her beautiful and resolute gaze. Her bold personality. Her brilliant intelligence.
Proof? That’s the most certain part.
First, when he thought she had a lover. Second, when she told him to go meet another woman.
My mood hit rock bottom twice. There’s no way I’m not in love.
The problem was that she stubbornly wanted a divorce—as if they had become a married couple solely for that purpose.
—
“Soon, Your Majesty will meet a good woman as well.”
—
Leto suddenly sat up.
“How can she say something like that?”
He couldn’t accept it. They were husband and wife, after all. How could she draw such a clear line?
He thought it over again and again, but no matter how much he denied it, the answer remained the same.
“Does she not even see me as a man?”
It was a devastating realization. He had never felt such a sense of loss in his life.
“…Ha.”
Leto fell back onto the bed. Outside the window, the moon glowed with a bluish light. He blinked as he gazed at it.
Could he really ignore these feelings? Perhaps this was his last chance to preserve his pride.
But…
If that were possible, I wouldn’t be acting this pathetic in the first place.
It seemed he had no choice.
Absentmindedly, Leto touched his brow—the exact spot where Livia’s fingertips had brushed.
—
“That crease between your brows.”
—
Her whisper, her face, her voice. The soft, warm touch of her fingers. Everything was remembered with unnecessary clarity.
“…Damn it.”
A moment later, his face flushed red. He let out another sigh and covered his face with his hand.
Through the gaps between his fingers, his eyes gleamed.
It was a kind of stubborn resolve—he had no intention of backing down like this.
“Livia! Your big brother’s here!”
The voice boomed outside the office. There was no need to check—it was Sean.
I closed the documents I had been working on. No sooner had I set down my pen than the door burst open.
“My beloved sister! Have you been well?”
I was used to his fussing by now. I greeted him with a smile.
“You’re here? Where’s Brother Louis?”
“He had something to do today. So I came alone.”
As expected, servants followed behind him, each carrying large gift boxes.
“I went to the black market that opened recently—there were quite a few interesting items. I thought of you and did a bit of shopping.”
“The black market? What did you buy?”
“A dress made of animal hide, a necklace refined from monster bones—things like that. Don’t take it too seriously. Just for fun.”
I’ll probably never wear them. Just more things to clutter the place.
But then—if it was a black market…
“I’ve heard all sorts of things are sold there. Do they sell plants too?”
“Plants? They don’t deal in those. Maybe meat from animals or monsters, but not plants.”
“I see.”
“Looking for something? If you need anything, I’ll get it for you.”
“It’s a bit difficult for you to just buy it…”
I explained the situation. Sean listened seriously.
“So you’re planning to make medicine for a skin disease? And the goddess told you what plant to use.”
“Yes, something like that. Since you’re here, could you look into places with a lot of plants? Mages tend to know unusual things.”
Of course, Param was still searching through more botanical records. But I couldn’t just wait.
Then, as if something came to mind, Sean spoke.
“What about that place?”
“Where?”
“The ‘Forest of the Mage.’ A legendary mage created it hundreds of years ago. She believed the essence of plants enhanced magical power, so she gathered all the empire’s plants into one forest.”
All the plants in the empire? That was exactly what I was looking for.
“Where is it located?”
“It’s near the capital. But you can’t go there, Livia.”
Sean said it firmly.
“Why not?”
“The ‘Forest of the Mage’ symbolizes a mage’s mind. It’s strictly preserved. Even mages need guild permission to enter.”
“Wouldn’t it be possible if I go with you?”
“That might work. But I’d need to speak to the guild master personally. We’re not exactly on good terms… but if Brother Louis asks, they might agree.”
Why was Sean always on bad terms with someone? I didn’t even want to ask. Causing conflict was his specialty.
“You’re royalty, so they won’t refuse outright. But there’s something you need to prepare.”
“What is it?”
“The Emperor’s written approval.”
“Why would I need His Majesty’s approval just to go to a forest?”
“If something happens to a royal, it becomes a political issue. The guild wants it as insurance.”
So it was about responsibility. If the Emperor approved it, it meant he would also bear responsibility.
“Then I’ll obtain His Majesty’s approval.”
“If he refuses, tell me. I’ll handle it myself.”
Sean pounded the table with his fist. Watching him, I thought to myself that even if I failed to get approval, I should never tell him.
Still, Sean had been acting strange lately. He was the guild’s vice-master—there was no way he should be this idle.
“Brother, have you been going to the guild lately?”
“Hahaha, no.”
Just as I thought.
“I told you, I don’t get along with the master.”
“…Why?”
I lost. I ended up asking.
“He picks fights over the most trivial things. Just because I made the newbies drink a little at their initiation, he treats me like some old-fashioned fossil. Of course I’d be annoyed.”
He is an old-fashioned fossil. No wonder they fought.
Most mages were individualists. They loved freedom and hated hierarchy. Even among guild members, relationships were distant.
“Still, an initiation? They’re not knights.”
“But isn’t it too cold otherwise? Everyone just leaves as soon as work is done—what kind of comrades is that?”
“Honestly… you never change.”
Sean loved camaraderie and loyalty far too much. For a mage, he was truly unusual.
It was a shame. He would’ve been better suited as a knight.
Maybe I should find him a place to belong—perhaps a mercenary group. It would be a waste of his magic otherwise.
The next afternoon.
I called Param to my office. He brightened at the mention of the ‘Forest of the Mage,’ but soon grew concerned.
“Your Majesty, you don’t intend to go there personally, do you?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Even if you go with your brother, I’m worried. Large forests tend to attract monsters. And His Majesty the Emperor may not permit it.”
“He will. It’s for the good of the empire.”
“…What are you saying? He’ll be more concerned about Your Majesty the Empress’s safety first.”
Before, I would have brushed it off. But after visiting the Grand Temple, my thoughts had changed.
Leto cared deeply about “his people.” You could see it just by looking at how he treated Param. And it seemed I had been included in that circle as well.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have worried about me.
Param smiled faintly.
“Then again, His Majesty isn’t easy to read. Especially with that constant angry expression.”
“He said he’d fix it.”
“…Pardon?”
His eyes widened.
“Is that so surprising?”
“I’ve served him since his days as Crown Prince… but I’ve never once heard him say he would change something.”
That stubborn man, of all people.
I hid my smile behind my teacup. Param asked carefully,
“There’s been talk in the palace lately. They say the two of you visited the ‘Empress’s Garden.’ Is it true?”
“Oh, yes. It was a beautiful place. Look—this rose is from there.”
I pointed to the glass vase on the table. The rose was still fresh. Param smiled.
“It seems the two of you have grown much closer.”
“We just took a walk.”
“The ‘Empress’s Garden’ is a place even His Majesty rarely visits unless it’s for something special. It’s very dear to him.”
“Oh.”
I knew it was important to him… but to that extent? Then why did he take me there?
After a long discussion, Param finally left at sunset. I had planned to skip dinner, but Madame Mare insisted, saying it was practically an imperial order.
I was about to return to my office to finish the remaining work when she stopped me.
“Your Majesty, you should head to the bedroom now.”
“…Pardon? I’ve already eaten, and I still have documents to review.”
Madame Mare smiled gently.
“Even so, tonight is your night of consummation. If you start preparing now, it may already be late.”
