Chapter 29 (1/2)

Chapter 29

“It’s not uncommon to be able to heal without medicine, and I don’t know anyone else who can do what I did. Besides, I’ve never shown any reluctance to use magic, so I don’t think I need to worry.”

“That’s true, but you’d better be careful of what the empress will do.”

“So who was the man?”

“It must have been a secret that has been hidden for many years; it couldn’t have been a pleasure to have someone tell her that someone knows about it now. Even if the empress didn’t believe it, she would have every reason to catch and kill the person who did it.”

His manner of speaking was unexpectedly fierce, and I had to shake my head apologetically.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure who he is… But I’m sure I’ve heard his voice before…”

“Hmm.” The emperor frowned.

“Does the Empress know that you heard?”

“I’m not sure about that either. Like a fool, I spilled a package of cookies…”

“Hmm… I can’t conclude that the attack on you was the work of the empress, but I can’t rule out the possibility either. But if she suddenly found out about my illness and your abilities…” The emperor groaned, reached out, and grabbed my chin, tilting my head left and right, before briskly letting go.

Is there anything on my face?

“I’m glad you didn’t get hurt, but if your abilities are revealed, the threat against you would be doubled. By being someone I care about, while also possessing your particular ability, you are a threat to both the empress and her power.”

A strange question lingered in my mind.

Isn’t the ability I possess the reason why the emperor cares about me? This feels odd, somehow.

But I didn’t dare ask it.

“I didn’t know being your secretary could be so dangerous.”

The emperor laughed. “You don’t know this world very well yet. You were thinking of soaking only your feet, but you’re already submerged up to your neck.”

“What?”

“In my world, there are no kings whose lives are not threatened, no secretaries whose lives are not threatened, no ministers, no knights.”

He smiled so confidently that my heart skipped a beat. I was terrified, but I didn’t want to run away from this brave and beautiful king.

The emperor then said that he had already heard the whole story of my attack from the knight, but asked me to narrate it again. I told him about what happened on the way home, and his frown deepened.

“I told you to listen to everything that I said, but I never imagined your escort would be so sloppy.”

My heart sank when I heard the emperor muttering. The knight had done his best to meet my demands, and I didn’t intend for the emperor to believe anything less of him.

I waved my hands frantically. “What are you talking about? The escort was perfect… Better than I deserved.”

“A perfect escort doesn’t allow attacks,” he said in a tone that meant the discussion was over.

“It’s not like that. Now I understand everything. Before I met the escort, I was told it was a type of magic that couldn’t be beaten with a sword. It’s full of mana… It’s not that the driver neglected his job, it’s because the conditions I asked for were too strict. I have to go to and from the academy hoping that it will not be obvious that I am from the palace, and yet because of the will of my master, it remains my accommodation… You’re already doing a perfect job by having someone escort me on my way back and forth.”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you always this generous with your praise? Or are you just defending that knight? Perfect…” He leaned further into the chair and looked at me rather coldly. “I’ve had enough of hearing about Suha rolling on the floor with his throat hurt. You don’t know what I went through.”

“What…?”

“When I heard you were attacked, the first thing I asked was how you had died.”

Anger rolled off him in waves, but I could detect some sadness too. Somehow I felt guilty for that.

“The culprit in this case clearly approached with the intent to kill. Either someone wanted to warn you, or they really wanted to test you. Enemies are everywhere, and they are as cruel as they need to be. It’s a miracle that you’re alive.”

I knew enough that the emperor was right. I’m sure he’d already lost countless men.

He himself, the most powerful figure in the empire, is always threatened with poison. The fate of the countless nations he is defending depends on his power, and he has to balance the nation’s politics on a blade’s edge.

I couldn’t say anything more to him.

“I don’t know why I didn’t escort you in the first place, but don’t ask me to not blame your escort.”

“I understand.”

My small voice earned me a small smile, crinkling the edges of his eyes.

“What made you so quick to acquiesce? I thought you wouldn’t back down in this regard.”

“No, I wouldn’t act that way.”

“And from now on, call me immediately if you have anything urgent to say. Even if I’m in bed or traveling. That is an order.”

“How could I…”

It was an unusual request. I looked at him, surprised. I wasn’t his secretary yet.