It had taken roughly a month to go from Tighalst to Ronan Bridge. However, the time it took for her to return from Ronan Bridge to Tighalst was a mere 30 seconds.

As she stood in the magic circle, feeling like a cow being led to slaughter, her eyes closed. The sensation of the damp, unpleasant wind disappeared, and soon a refreshing wind, devoid of moisture, rustled through Fey’s hair.

Suddenly appearing in the center of the Imperial Palace garden, Fey blinked blankly, her whole body savoring the surreal feeling that washed over her.

The thick, whitish fog had dispersed as if it were never there, and before her eyes, the vivid colors of flowers and trees filled the space, and the sweet scent of flowers, enough to numb her brain, tickled her nose.

Fey helplessly gazed at the jets of water from the fountain that drew an arc in the sky, and exhaled a long breath at the exhilarating sensation of her heart opening up for the first time in a long time. The air filling her lungs was surprisingly nice.

At the same time, her mind flashed through her short journey so far, like a magic lantern show.

It had been less than a month, but it was clear that everything she had experienced was real. However, the events of the past month were turning into an illusion, like a fleeting bubble. They were fading away from her mind like a mirage.

The month that Fey had run to live for had turned into a vain dream in just 30 seconds. In the end, it was back to square one.

‘I’m about to die, and here I am, feeling the greatness of teleportation magic.’

Even Fey herself thought it was ridiculous, and she laughed hollowly without realizing it.

Then it happened.

“You cowardly wretch who tried to abandon your motherland and run away, how dare you laugh here!”

A thunderous roar echoed through the air. Kyle immediately identified the source of the voice and frowned. He made a gesture to block one of his ears as he spoke.

“Count Godric. Were you still here?”

Count Sammy Godric. The chamberlain of the Imperial Palace, he was a pot-bellied old man with a neatly trimmed mustache that was hard to forget.

“Th-there you are, and I’ve been here the whole time!”

Godric’s multiple chins flushed red.

Kyle then remembered that Godric had been against the use of teleportation magic until the end.

“I am also here to serve His Majesty. Shouldn’t there be someone to watch over whether the Marquis is carrying out His Majesty’s orders properly?”

“Even if Count Godric didn’t insist, there are already so many chamberlains… Never mind. I don’t want to get into a pointless argument.”

“An argument?”

Godric’s jowls quivered. He had always regarded Kyle, who was much younger than him, as a thorn in his side.

Of course, Kyle was aware of that. He didn’t care much about Godric’s personal feelings, though.

Meanwhile, Fey realized that there were people around her only after meeting Godric’s fierce gaze.

Aside from Count Godric, they were all chamberlains. The way they looked at Fey was chillingly cold.

It was clear that they, like Godric, considered her a ‘coward.’

“Hmm. Listen carefully, Marquis O’Bellie.”

Godric tried to calm his mind and cleared his throat loudly. Then, he raised his index finger and pointed it at Fey’s forehead. With the encouragement of the chamberlains’ gazes, he shouted loudly.

“The news that you abandoned Brimfe and tried to defect has already spread throughout the capital. The head of a powerful territory abandoning her motherland and running away. This is nothing short of despising His Majesty. His Majesty summoned you to punish you, so if you know shame, a sinner’s head should never look up at the sky!”

“Don’t talk nonsense, Godric.”

Kyle cut him off coldly. At that, Godric’s outstretched finger slowly curled inward like a snail. He was scared.

Kyle looked at Fey with affectionate eyes.

“Don’t mind such words, Marquis O’Bellie. It’s not true at all. Follow me for now.”

Kyle had dealt with Godric for a long time and knew how meaningless his posturing was.

‘Summoned this woman to punish her for her crimes?

Nonsense.’

If the news that Fey O’Bellie had attempted to defect had spread throughout the capital, as Godric said, the reason why the Emperor was trying to get her back must have also spread. It was ridiculous to talk about ‘despising the Emperor’ while conveniently leaving out the real reason.

In Kyle’s eyes, that fat middle-aged man just wanted to vent his anger in the end.

“Ugh, that bastard, that bastard! He’s ignoring me again!”

Godric wanted to hit the back of Kyle’s head hard as he leisurely walked out of the Imperial Palace garden with Fey. Of course, that only happened in his imagination, and in reality, he could only clench his teeth and stomp his feet.

The defector who had turned the Imperial Palace upside down and was still holding her head up arrogantly was shameless.

“That kind of woman as the Crown Princess? The Empress? What nonsense!”

Just as Kyle thought, he just wanted to vent his anger.

Just because he used teleportation magic to chase after that woman, his attitude of thinking he was above him, a young boy, and the rumor that the Emperor had taken in a defector as the Crown Princess.

Since he had tried to get his daughter, Heyna, into the Imperial family by any means necessary after the death of the Crown Princess, Luné O’Bellie, Godric was displeased with every situation that unfolded.

* * *

Kyle and Fey didn’t care about Godric’s anger.

“Kyle, what will happen to me?” Fey asked in a hushed voice as soon as she arrived at the Dahlia Palace, where honored guests were usually served.

It felt like a long time since Kyle had heard Fey’s voice.

She had kept her eyes down and maintained an indifferent expression as she followed him.

Even Kyle, who was good at dealing with people, had a hard time reading her expression, so he turned to look at her, surprised.

“You will meet His Majesty. You must look presentable before that.”

“His Majesty… Yes.”

“There are maids waiting in the palace. Follow them.”

“Yes.”

Fey slowly lowered her eyes and entered the Dahlia Palace.

After confirming that the palace door had closed, Kyle sat in the garden gazebo and waited for Fey to finish preparing. A servant guarding the garden offered him tea and refreshments, but he declined.

He placed the crystal case he had been holding in his hand on the tea table and stared at what was inside. Inside the crystal case, a beautifully refined silver-bladed sword lay still.

‘It doesn’t look like a self-defense sword?’

He began to ponder the identity of the sword as he tapped his fingers on the tea table.

Judging by its size and appearance, it wasn’t a decorative sword either. It was a magic sword, indicated by the jewel embedded in the handle that could hold magical power.

It hadn’t been used, as the blade was free of scratches, but it was clean overall, as if it had been cared for a long time.

It was definitely something Fey O’Bellie had been carrying in her arms, not in her luggage. She had been noticeably agitated when he had taken the case.

It must be that important.

‘Even in a hasty escape… an item she carried so preciously in her arms…’

“Ah. Could it be…”

At that moment, a possibility crossed his mind.

Kyle’s weary eyes sparkled with joy.

* * *

As soon as she entered the Dahlia Palace, the maids who had already received orders welcomed Fey with one heart, just as Kyle had said.

The maids tried their best to ignore Fey’s miserable appearance and quickly led her to the bathroom.

‘Ah. It’s warm….’

It had been ages since she had bathed in such warm water. Even though it was like a last supper before death, Fey couldn’t help but feel her body’s tension melt away.

After washing, things happened in a flash. She changed into a dress prepared by the maids, put on makeup and accessories, and styled her hair.

She wondered what a person who was about to die would do with all this fuss, but at the same time, as Fey’s face in the mirror became beautifully adorned, she couldn’t shake the feeling that death was approaching.

‘I want to die….’

She didn’t want to die, but she wanted to die.

That was exactly how she felt.

Reflected in the mirror, Fey Le O’Bellie was still emotionless and expressionless. Fey, who hadn’t been intimidated by Godric and had made even Kyle nervous, was, in fact, simply numb to fear.

She was just so terrified that her facial muscles wouldn’t move.

That was why she didn’t know what Godric had said earlier. Of course, she didn’t hear Kyle’s words of reproach and reassurance either.

All that remained in her memory were the cold gazes directed at her and someone’s thick hand. So she still felt not a single doubt about her future death.

—