Chapter 8
‘You must have put in a lot of effort.’
‘……?’
‘Your hand, my lord.’
A voice etched into his mind like an engraving, one that lingered even after long years had passed.
Even while wandering the continent after losing his parents to the hands of the deposed emperor Lazer, even while losing countless followers who had trusted and followed him to the enemy’s army…
In the end, it belonged to the girl who had made him stand up again.
Though she herself probably didn’t know.
“So this time, I’ll protect you.”
After a long journey back, finally…
Edrion smiled bitterly and turned his gaze.
Dawn was breaking beyond the horizon.
The deep darkness blanketing the corridor gradually faded, pushed back by the relentlessly bright and brilliant sun.
It was just like Edrion’s heart.
* * *
A noisy alarm blared in Lilith’s ears as she lay in deep sleep.
“Beep-beep-beep-”
“Mmm.”
Lilith was a heavy sleeper, and mornings were her particular weakness.
The best part about settling in the southern region was this: she could sleep in late without worrying about others’ eyes.
She habitually groped at her bedside and rolled over to the other side.
“Beep-beep-beep-”
“Urgh.”
The clock was on the left, not the right.
Lilith turned her body again, fumbling at the bedside, then suddenly froze.
“Beep-beep-beep-”
“……?”
Hmm.
Did this world have alarm clocks?
No, more importantly, since when did alarm clocks fly back and forth while ringing?
Something landed lightly on the bridge of her nose, and at the same time, Lilith’s eyes snapped open like someone doused in water.
“Peep!”
The first thing that caught her eye was a pair of tiny pupils sparkling like beans.
But now accompanied by fresh, tender young leaves…
“Am I dreaming right now?”
“Peep?”
Yet for a dream, the sensation of the hand—fine roots—pressing against her cheek was far too realistic.
Lilith sat up in bed, perching on the edge and letting out a long sigh.
She clearly needed some time to think about this situation.
“Haaa.”
“Peep?”
The leaf that had slid down from the bridge of her nose scurried around her lap.
She pondered how to interpret this leaf that had limbs—fine roots—running around, and even crying out.
“No way.”
A memory from the day before suddenly flashed in Lilith’s mind.
Among her discarded outing clothes, a yellow leaf had appeared.
No matter how she looked at it, it was clearly a World Tree leaf, so tossing it carelessly felt a bit uneasy, and in a hurry, she’d stuck it in a cup of water.
But she swore, this wasn’t the outcome she’d intended.
She hadn’t wished for this mysterious leaf to buzz around her head, wailing loudly.
“Beep-beep-beep.”
“Haaaa.”
Knock-knock-
At that moment, a polite knock came from outside the door.
Lilith snatched the annoyingly scurrying leaf like a bee and hid it behind her back.
She’d committed enough blasphemy yesterday; she didn’t want to pile on more sins.
How heavy would the crime be for attaching eyes and a mouth to a sacred World Tree leaf…
“W-Who is it!”
“Good morning, Doctor.”
It was Jenia.
Lilith, who had been trembling while holding the leaf’s hand, let out a sigh of relief.
With her mistress’s permission, Jenia entered. In her hands were clean wash water, a comb, and other grooming tools.
“It’s time to rise.”
“Why so early…”
Judging by the sun’s height outside the window, it was around 9 a.m.
Far too early to get up and be active.
Jenia couldn’t be unaware of that, so there was only one answer.
“Have they finally decided to banish me from the palace?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“What? Then I don’t need to get up early… I’ll just sleep more.”
“I’ll convey that, then.”
As Lilith began to slip back under the covers, she sensed something off.
After stuffing the leaf buzzing in front of her eyes back into the cup and carefully closing the lid, she asked,
“Convey to whom?”
“To Her Majesty the Empress.”
“What?”
“I’ll inform the waiting chamberlain from the Empress’s palace that the Doctor must sleep more and thus has no intention of attending the audience with Her Majesty.”
“……You really want to get rid of me, huh. I see.”
Lilith bolted upright from the bed faster than light.
* * *
The grandeur of the Empress’s palace, known as the moon of the empire, was truly immense from the entrance alone.
Sunlight poured like foam through crystal windows onto pure white Mediterranean marble.
Each pillar supporting the building was carved with sculptures depicting the mythical moon, and the walls were embedded with dazzling jewels scattered like stars.
“This way, my lady.”
“But this doesn’t seem like the audience chamber…”
The place where the chamberlain guiding Lilith stopped was the Empress’s private parlor.
Unlike the audience chamber where secretaries recorded every conversation, this was a secret space where no one outside could know what transpired inside.
A space where no one would know even if some doctor’s head rolled right off!
“Her Majesty the Empress wishes to have a more intimate conversation with you, my lady.”
“Uh…”
I don’t want that, though.
As Lilith planted her feet firmly like a puppy spotting an animal hospital sign, the chamberlain frantically gestured with eyes and nods, urging her to go in already.
In the end, Lilith was half-pushed, shuffling reluctantly inside.
‘Am I really not going to lose my head? No way, right?’
Her thoughts didn’t linger long.
Because someone seated on the sofa in the center of the parlor came into view.
Lilith bowed her head as respectfully as possible.
“May radiant glory be upon the moon of the empire. I-I offer my greetings to Her Majesty the Empress.”
“You may rise.”
With Empress Aitana’s permission, Lilith finally straightened up while completing her greeting.
‘Wow, it’s really the heroine…’
Her presence was overwhelming.
She’d resolved and re-resolved not to have any personal thoughts, but seeing the novel’s protagonist in person for the first time made her gaze wander unwittingly.
Aitana, seated in the place of honor, matched the novel’s description exactly.
Fiery red hair, large and striking features, deep and intense golden eyes, long limbs.
Above all, the innate arrogance emanating from her piercing gaze.
She was a stunning beauty who would make anyone turn back on the street.
Yet Aitana’s hand bore a large scar that contrasted with her noble appearance.
As if showcasing the harsh past she had endured.
‘That’s the scar from her slave days. Leaving it uncovered and displaying it boldly is so like the heroine…’
The previous emperor, Lazer, was an incompetent fool.
Born as the eldest of the imperial family and ascending the throne by luck, he was an idiot utterly incapable of bearing the crown’s weight.
In contrast, his son Kairos was benevolent and wise, hailed by people as the model of a sage king.
Thus, it was only natural for the balance of power to tilt gradually from the emperor to the crown prince.
‘Lazer couldn’t endure it.’
Born stupid but greedy, he was only satisfied when all power and attention focused on him.
Amid this, Kairos and Aitana’s engagement poured oil on the emperor’s suspicions.
The future where the Akshard family became the crown prince’s powerful backing, and he himself was dragged along, must have been crystal clear in his eyes.
And so, the incident occurred.
‘Execute Duke and Duchess Akshard and their heir. Strip the daughter of her noble status and make her a slave.’
The emperor framed the Akshard family with treason.
The crown prince knelt before his father’s bedchamber, begging day and night to forgive his beloved fiancée’s family until he fainted.
In the meantime, the duke and duchess were executed without a proper trial.
Edrion managed to escape narrowly as he was away from the capital in the territory at the time, but Aitana could not.
She had already entered the palace in preparation for her wedding to the crown prince.
‘Aitana! I’ll come rescue you, I promise…!’
‘Don’t, Kairos. I’ll find my own way to survive, so you must live and become emperor. Promise me you’ll think only of that.’
As she was dragged out of the palace, Aitana urged Kairos thus.
Don’t worry about her at all; survive under Lazer and become emperor no matter what.
Then, true to her promise to her lover, upon arriving at the northern slave market, she swung a greatsword, slaying the guard, shattering the prison to dust, and escaped leisurely.
