“Viscount Louis!”
The man called Viscount Louis brushed back his ash-gray hair, tousled by the breeze, and strode toward them.
Evan Lee Louis.
That was the name of Evan, now a noble after being granted a viscountcy.
Five years later, he remained Bee’s guardian knight. Sys had bestowed the title on him, arguing that a commoner as the Empress’s protector would undermine imperial dignity.
Unlike a lifelong title that ended with one generation, Evan’s was hereditary, allowing him to pass it to his children. Granting a commoner such a title was no small feat, even for an emperor, but Sys quelled noble opposition by withholding land.
For Evan, who spent most of his time in the palace guarding Bee, managing an estate would’ve been a burden. Land could be granted later, when needed, with proper justification.
Though Sys still didn’t particularly like Evan, he was indispensable to Bee. Freeing him from the constraints of commoner status was the greatest kindness Sys could offer.
“Has something happened in my absence?” Evan asked.
The empire’s founding festival was approaching, an annual event, but this year was special—it marked the 1,000th anniversary of the Freeston Kingdom’s proclamation as an empire.
The empire was abuzz, both internally and externally. Today, however, the palace seemed unusually chaotic.
Evan, returning from a morning errand, tensed, wondering if something major had occurred while he was away.
“Well… Her Highness has disappeared,” Mari admitted, her face flushing with embarrassment.
Evan understood immediately, nodding to acknowledge her words.
The empire’s only princess frequently caused such trouble for the maids. While Sasha didn’t intend to torment them, her antics left her attendants scrambling in a panic.
With her illustrious history of escapades, Evan wasn’t surprised by the news.
Relaxing his tense muscles, he asked, “You still haven’t found her?”
“No,” Mari replied.
“Any guesses where she might be?”
“No, her range of activity has gotten wider lately…” Mari trailed off.
The imperial palace was said to be the largest on the continent. Sasha, finding the inner palace too confining, had recently ventured into the outer palace.
Unlike the inner palace, the outer palace saw frequent visitors, offering countless hiding spots for Sasha to evade the maids—and more places for them to search. Unless it was dangerous, Bee let Sasha do as she pleased, and Sys, ever indulgent, cheered her on with a simple “Great!” The only ones suffering were the maids tasked with minding her.
“I hurried back to see Sasha, but this complicates things,” Evan said, his eyes subtly glancing toward the tree. Despite his words, a faint smile played on his lips.
The maids, less attuned to subtle energies, didn’t notice, but as a knight, Evan clearly sensed the small presence in the tree.
Moreover, Sys, obsessively protective of Sasha, would never leave her unguarded. Hidden knights always surrounded her, and by tracing their energy, Evan could pinpoint her location.
Like now.
“If Sasha isn’t here, I suppose I’ll have to linger outside a bit longer,” he said.
“No way!”
“Princess!”
Sasha’s urgent cry rang out at Evan’s words. Mari’s face paled as she spotted her in the tree.
“Good heavens, how did you get up there? It’s dangerous! Come down—no, stay there!”
Mari floundered, overwhelmed. The tree towered well above an adult’s height—a fall could break an arm or leg. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead at the thought.
“I’ll climb up and bring her down. You lot, fetch a ladder,” Mari ordered.
“Yes, Head Maid!”
As Mari strategized how to safely retrieve Sasha, the maids rushed off to find a ladder.
“I’m right here, don’t go! You can’t!” Sasha called, her gaze fixed on Evan, ignoring Mari’s concern.
When Evan didn’t respond, she pressed anxiously, “You won’t, right? Promise?”
His smile remained as he replied, “I won’t go.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Sasha’s face lit up, her smile radiant in the sunlight.
Her wavy hair cascaded to her waist, her vivid green eyes gleamed like a meadow, and her full lips mirrored Bee’s perfectly. At just five years old, Sasha, aside from her dazzling platinum hair, was a miniature of her mother.
“I’m coming down!”
“Eek!”
Without warning, Sasha launched herself toward Evan.
Mari froze, shrieking. Unlike her, Evan, as if rehearsed, opened his arms and deftly caught the falling child.
“Hee!”
Sasha nestled into his embrace, giggling happily, while Evan’s expression remained stoic.
“That was dangerous,” he said.
“Not dangerous at all!” Sasha replied, tilting her head in confusion.
“What if you’d gotten hurt?”
“But you caught me.”
“If I hadn’t, you could’ve been badly injured.”
“You’re Evan!”
Her unwavering trust left him at a loss.
As she said, catching a falling child was effortless for him. His body had moved instinctively to catch her the moment she jumped. But even a small chance of failure existed.
“I make mistakes too,” he said sternly.
While he appreciated her faith, such actions were risky. Her playful expression and movements had tipped him off, so he wasn’t too startled, but danger was danger.
“Don’t do this again.”
“But I didn’t get hurt!”
“Sasha…”
“Your Highness, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” Mari interrupted, finally regaining her composure.
Sasha, convinced Evan would always catch her, didn’t see the issue. Exasperated, Evan sighed, wondering how to make her understand.
Mari, still shaken, cut in. “Why on earth would you jump from a tree? Do you know how scared I was? I thought my heart would stop!”
“Mari, you’re loud,” Sasha said, digging at her ear.
“Loud is the problem right now?” Mari shrieked.
Mari, who’d entered the palace as Bee’s personal maid, became Sasha’s caretaker the moment she was born, instantly smitten by her resemblance to Bee.
Determined to make up for not serving Bee in her youth, Mari’s dreams crumbled as Sasha began running wild.
Unlike the quiet, elegant Bee, Sasha was a tomboy.
She tore through the central palace’s corridors—meant to be silent due to the Emperor’s office—and came back covered in dirt, requiring multiple dress changes daily. Mari, who’d believed Sasha would inherit Bee’s refined demeanor, was devastated.
Recently, Sasha had turned the concubines’ palaces into a playground, gathering other children for games like tag.
When Sys ascended the throne, tradition dictated that the previous emperor’s concubines, princes, and princesses leave the palace.
Bee was Sys’s only wife, and Sasha his only child. With no intention of taking concubines, Sys saw the concubines’ palaces as budget-draining nuisances.
“Why not tear them down?” he’d muse during budget meetings.
Maintaining a single palace was costly, and there were dozens, a legacy of past emperors who equated concubines with power.
Sys wanted to demolish them, but nobles fiercely opposed, citing imperial heritage.
Then came word that Sasha had “conquered” the concubines’ palaces.
“That’s my daughter—such ambition!” Sys had roared with laughter, turning the palaces into her playground.
No expense was too great for his daughter’s happiness.
“It’s all His Majesty’s fault!” Mari wailed internally, blaming Sys.
His constant indulgence fueled Sasha’s boldness, leaving Mari resentful.
