Chapter 28 (2/2)

Her heart was pounding so loud and fast that she couldn’t even remember how she got to the carriage.

When she arrived, the knight stood up and immediately pushed her into the carriage. Then, with his hand on his sword handle, he looked around again and again. The knight’s eyes searched for any possible assailant from the roof of the building to the window without moving an inch from the carriage before they returned to her.

“What’s the matter? Were you attacked?”

She nodded.

His expression turned to a concerned one. His feature always used to be of clear vigilance.

“What? Who was it? How many of them…..?”

“No…… I didn’t see any particular person.”

“Did they attack you from afar?”

“I don’t know. It must’ve been an attack……but they used magic. The illusion of the wall seemed to be of level 4, and the ball of lightning was of a simpler level.”

The knight wordlessly nodded and ordered a man she thought was the coachman.

The man quickly fired something like a loud firecracker into the air, and off the carriage went. Six more horses followed suit. The carriage ran fast, escorted by the soldiers.

She was surprised, even in the midst of a daze. She didn’t know such a security system was installed. She wasn’t even an important person.

The still-cautious knight asked her as the carriage entered the huge garden path through the boulevard and into the palace.

“Are you all right?”

“The thing is…. I was worried about His Highness, the Emperor. I never thought anyone would attack me.”

Her lips trembled as she said. ‘Why am I so scared? Nothing has happened yet. I had just been subjected to magic that I’ve been able to destroy.’

She closed her eyes tight.

But yes, there was something scary about it. To think someone was testing her ability to nullify magic.

‘Who the hell was it that tried to test me? What’s going to happen now? Your Majesty……’

The answer was to ask for a visit. She could hardly think of anything other than to meet with the Emperor.

As soon as she arrived at her room and changed her ruined uniform, the servant called her. She quickly made her way to the Emperor’s chamber, following the servant.

The numerous portraits on walls now appeared different than usual. ‘Did all those previous emperors always have to act as men in battle? Does power have to be like that?’

Now she truly came to realize what it was like to work beside a man with such power.

Usually, she walked to his bedroom, but today was different. As soon as she walked in through the doors of the drawing room, she found the Emperor already standing there before he approached her.

Without saying anything, he glanced at her before looking at her limbs. She tried to greet him, but it seemed like he didn’t hear her.

His eyes managed to return to her face again.

“You don’t look so well.”

“Yes….”

“Is it your body?”

“Oh…… I’m alright. Have you heard of the attack……?”

“I did.”

“Right…… I wanted to make a visit and inform you because it might be related to what I heard yesterday.”

“What did you hear?”

The Emperor narrowed his eyes while offering her a seat on the sofa. But how dare she sit across the Emperor? Nevertheless, she shyly accepted.

“I heard the Empress Dowager talking to another man. I was on my way to the annex of the servants…… when I happened to overhear their conversation in a room down the hall…..”

“What was it?”

“It could be possible that Her Highness has learned about the failure of the negative effects pills toward you.”

Unexpectedly, the Emperor wasn’t surprised. He smirked, chewing his lips like a beast.

“Did she believe him?”

“Actually…… she didn’t appear to believe that. But having some knowledge is different from having none of it. The person kept saying the same thing, but….”

He nodded lightly.

“Of course, it is. She must’ve been curious why a woman became important just by crawling into my room. That would be the most plausible reason.”

“Yes, I think she was going to check it herself. She asked me that question.”

“But she must’ve gotten offended when I walked in.”

“Oh….. then perhaps, she still has her doubts.”

“Yes. That’s the reason she was here.”