Chapter 105
“Isabelle is still so kind.”
Reina smiled slyly and gently touched the blue lily flower with her hand.
Isabelle blinked in response to the action.
‘What is this?’
Although she suspected it was a trap, she was somewhat surprised by Reina’s boldness in touching it.
As expected, Reina’s hand showed an unusual reaction.
The back of her hand quickly began to swell and turn red, causing the Emperor to frown.
“Why is that happening?”
“Ah… Actually, I have an allergy to blue lilies. I thought just touching them lightly would be fine, but it seems to have gotten worse.”
“Allergy?”
The Emperor’s gaze turned to Isabelle.
“You two are close, and you didn’t know she had an allergy?”
“Your Majesty, I…”
Isabelle faltered, unable to find the words.
Normally, she would have denied knowing and tried to take her to the infirmary, but with the Emperor interrogating her like this, she found herself at a loss for words.
Sensing the tension in the air, the Emperor furrowed his brows.
Suddenly, Reina defended Isabelle.
“She didn’t do it on purpose. Who could have imagined that someone would be allergic to blue lilies, especially Merinier?”
Then, she politely asked for permission.
“Would it be alright if we went to get some allergy medicine? If we leave it like this, it might get worse and cause more suffering.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Kaiden stood up as though he had been waiting for this moment.
It seemed natural for him to accompany her.
The Emperor, seeing Reina’s swollen hand, reluctantly gave his permission.
“Alright. Go ahead.”
Thanks to Isabelle’s interference, the two of them left the banquet hall without suspicion and headed to the infirmary.
Kaiden frowned as he gently touched Reina’s swollen hand.
“Why didn’t you put the aura around your hand in time? What if it leaves a scar?”
Reina had taken an oath to make her body immune to poisons after they had made an agreement.
The aura neutralized toxins.
So, the blue lily allergy could have been easily neutralized with the aura, but Reina had intentionally exposed herself to the poison.
“Does it hurt?”
Kaiden’s expression was full of concern, as though he himself were the one suffering from a rash.
Feeling his infinite affection, Reina blushed and responded.
“It hurts.”
“You look like you’re in pain.”
“Actually, for a brief moment, I thought it would be fine. I think Isabelle did something to my bouquet.”
“…Knowing that, you still touched it?”
“I needed an excuse to leave at the right time.”
When Reina responded casually, Kaiden spoke seriously.
“I sometimes feel uneasy about how you’ll do anything to push forward for your goals, no matter the means.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m afraid you might even use your own life as a means to an end.”
The image of her in the dream, someone who had been consumed for the sake of another, suddenly flashed in his mind.
It wasn’t that he wanted it to be true, but he feared that if anyone were capable of doing that, it would be Reina.
Kaiden spoke with sincerity.
“I hope that’s not the case.”
When he pointed out her reckless behavior, Reina’s expression turned solemn.
“…I’m sorry.”
But there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t do it again in the future.
Noticing this, Kaiden suddenly asked a question.
“What if there was a perfect opportunity to kill the Emperor, but you had to risk your life to do it? Would you still hesitate and act the same way?”
Reina was at a loss for words at the serious question.
For a moment, she almost answered “yes,” but was thankful she stopped herself in time.
Kaiden didn’t miss the brief hesitation.
He let out a quiet sigh.
“Yeah. This is why I’m worried.”
“Kaiden.”
“I won’t put your life and the Emperor’s life on the same scale. If I needed your life to kill the Emperor, I wouldn’t do it.”
“But for the greater good…”
“There’s no such thing as a greater good that demands someone’s sacrifice, especially if it’s someone precious to you.”
Kaiden’s firm stance left Reina speechless.
Before she had returned to this world, he had become Emperor through the sacrifice of someone precious to him.
Whether he had wanted it or not, it had happened, and it had brought him misery.
Having witnessed this process, Reina understood the weight of his words.
Moreover, after gaining someone precious to her, Reina had realized there was no cruelty worse than losing a loved one.
The reason for his tragic death, even after having everything, was likely because of this.
Yet, she couldn’t easily say she wouldn’t act the same way.
Her anger and thirst for revenge against the Emperor were powerful enough to drive her actions.
If killing the Emperor meant Kaiden would have to die as well, Reina would undoubtedly choose to save Kaiden.
However, if the price for killing the Emperor was her own life, Reina felt she would still choose to kill the Emperor.
Thus, she couldn’t give a quick answer, and Kaiden spoke again.
“Let’s do this: If you say you’re willing to risk your life to kill the Emperor, I’ll stop you from killing him, even if it means I have to die.”
“Kaiden.”
“This way, you’ll have no choice but to value your life. In the process, I might even die by the Emperor’s hand.”
He spoke calmly, as if it were a clear solution.
On the other hand, Reina’s face was one of shock.
Just the thought that Kaiden might be put in danger because of her reckless actions made her heart ache.
“Don’t do that.”
Reina murmured sadly, and Kaiden grinned.
“Then always remember this If you don’t value your life, neither will I value mine.”
“….”
“I think I’ve finally learned how to protect you.”
With those words, Kaiden began to walk away.
Reina followed him, her heart filled with complicated emotions.
Just as she cherished him, he cherished her too.
Realizing how dangerous it was to take one’s life for granted, and how painful it was for the other person, was something she had never truly understood until now.
Because of this, Reina was reminded for the first time of the simple truth she had to value her own life.
After receiving some basic treatment in the infirmary, the palace physician handed her something.
“This is your prescription.”
Reina lightly checked the prescription and asked,
“Thank you. I’m feeling a bit dizzy. Is it alright if I rest for a while?”
“Yes. I will deliver the message to the attendant.”
As the palace physician left the infirmary, Reina gestured to Kaiden.
“It’s a secret passage.”
The prescription the physician had given her contained a map to a secret room that could be opened with a key.
A map of the Emperor’s secret passage.
As expected from a royal who had the Emperor’s trust, the level of information she had access to was clearly superior.
Reina and Kaiden exited the infirmary and entered the passage.
There were signs of frequent use in the passage, indicating someone came and went often.
“It’s here.”
The door at the end of the corridor looked ordinary, but Kaiden examined it closely.
“There’s a barrier. If we don’t have a medium, it’ll probably connect to another concealed space.”
“You mean the key is the medium?”
“Yeah. Just in case, I’ll open the door.”
Kaiden reached out, and Reina obediently handed him the key.
Click. The sound of the lock opening made both Reina and Kaiden tense.
The room inside was dark. Even with the lantern in hand, the place looked empty.
This was different from what they had expected, and it felt somehow anticlimactic.
Reina was about to step further inside when Kaiden suddenly stopped her.
“Don’t, Reina.”
“What?”
Reina froze in surprise, as Kaiden had adopted a completely defensive stance, as though something was there.
A moment later, he stood protectively in front of her.
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