Chapter 423

I felt sorry for Grace inside, but this secret meeting was anything but secret.

It sounded like we had been drinking, but we weren’t driving under the influence—seriously.

That’s because this matter carried significant weight thanks to the letter from the Hwan Empire.

“……Yeon-joo.”

“What’s up?”

“Don’t touch my thigh. That’s harassment.”

Even if we were drinking together, and even if Danyerin came closer and gently caressed my thigh, there was something more important.

Danyerin chuckled at my remark, expressing her disappointment while leaving her hand right where it was.

“Who told you it’s harassment?”

“I learned it.”

“How sad. Learning such things. But I guess it’s a good thing.”

She removed her hand from my thigh and whispered softly.

“It means you felt desire.”

“……”

“Hehe.”

It tickled my ears and felt like my eardrum was vibrating. My heart skipped a beat.

Danyerin was definitely a fox. Unless a fox had transformed into a person, such temptation was impossible.

Isn’t it said that a smile from a fox can mesmerize you? Now I think I understand what that means.

‘Living alone must have meant you had no boyfriend or even friends… Is this really possible?’

The only word that came to mind was ‘talented.’ At least the fact that she had a kind heart was a comfort.

If Danyerin were a villain, wouldn’t she have established herself as a notorious femme fatale or something?

“Alright. Let’s wrap up the secret meeting and get to the main topic. Do you have the letter?”

“Here it is.”

The fun ends here. I had brought the letter as she mentioned.

All the lights were off, but the lantern shone brightly, making it easy to read the letter.

After that, Danyerin read the letter with various expressions, frowning and showing her curiosity.

“This is… unexpected. There are many odd parts for it to have been sent by my brother.”

“Your brother?”

“Remember the bodyguard who tried to kill me before? He’s my brother’s man.”

“……”

I knew. A strong candidate to be the next emperor, just like Karas.

However, unlike Karas, he was highly unstable. Most importantly, he had blood on his hands.

That blood didn’t discriminate by age or status, and even included siblings.

Danyerin almost died at his hands, which is why she fled to the Academy.

“Currently, my brother doesn’t have to rely on strength. He’s already recruited two out of the three generals.”

Someone once said power comes from the barrel of a gun.

No matter how much of a king you are, without the military’s trust, you’re just half a man.

What can the king do if a rebellion breaks out in the military? Not much.

Recruiting two powerful figures within the military essentially means the game is over.

“What about the other one?”

“The other one is loyal to no one. They believe that as long as the country is well governed, it doesn’t matter who the king is.”

That meant they were practically non-existent. They could also be a game changer.

Given the current state of the crown prince, one could definitely question whether he could be a good king.

Of course, even through bloody processes, the people can achieve stability. History is full of such examples.

For the people, what matters most is surviving day to day. There are times they don’t even know who their king is.

‘Being close to them matters.’

Those who commit tyranny are tyrants. People who witness such acts can’t help but feel that way.

Moreover, the crown prince is only skilled at seizing power, lacking in political ability.

Why wouldn’t someone in the Soul World know this? The reason is simple.

‘Because they might get assassinated by a demon.’

In the chaotic situation after the Academy’s collapse, what demons do is simple.

They pick off the fingers of someone hanging off a cliff one by one. The moment the person falls, a war breaks out.

Assassinating the crown prince is precisely that cornerstone. The Eastern Empire gets dragged into the chaos of war, and the Western front becomes unstable as well.

‘But there are no hunters, right?’

The hunter was killed when Rod stabbed him in the heart. I could trust him’s direct testimony.

Therefore, the crown prince’s assassination is essentially off the table. No one knows what might happen.

While I was pondering the future, Danyerin, who had been staring at the letter for a while, finally spoke up.

“It seems this letter might have been sent by one of my siblings. They’re doing something pointless.”

“Pointless?”

“You’ll probably have someone watching you from now on. And the sibling who sent this will be dead.”

“……”

“But still, it’s strange. Why would they send it so openly? They could have just sent someone instead.”

Danyerin seemed puzzled as she examined the letter. To be honest, I was suspicious of that point as well.

There was no reason for the crown prince to send it, and it felt too obvious for anyone else to have.

It was almost as if they were sending it to spite me. I tilted my head and asked.

“Am I that scary?”

“Hehe. Maybe you are. We’ll be heading toward the Eastern Empire soon.”

Danyerin, who smiled lightly, added weight to her opinion as if it made sense. But the question still lingered.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? About what?”

“Are you sure nothing will happen to you?”

While I worried about the question, I was more concerned for Danyerin. She had previously been threatened with assassination.

It was a relief I was there to protect her; otherwise, she wouldn’t be here now.

But with this letter coming in, Danyerin would face considerable scrutiny too.

“Well, as long as I’m in the Academy, they won’t do anything overt. Even if they dispatch watchers, if I keep quiet, it should be fine.”

“Meaning it’s a hassle?”

“As expected, you know me too well. If I become emperor, will you accept me officially?”

“Uh… No. Not later.”

I almost accepted that casually proposed request.

For a moment, Danyerin looked disappointed. But then she gazed at the letter and rolled it up, as if she no longer found it necessary to see.

“I checked to see if it would react to fire or water, but nothing happened. I really wonder who sent this.”

“So what do we do now?”

“I think it’s good to act like usual. If we act overly cautious, it might lead to complications. A reply should… um…”

Danyerin fell into deep thought. Should she send a reply? That was the tricky question.

Since it was a letter sent not as an individual but by the imperial family of the Hwan Empire, there was a possibility of sending one back.

But as I mentioned earlier, there were so many ambiguous parts, it made me uneasy.

“……I think it’s better to send one. If they take offense with some ridiculous reason, it could cause displeasure.”

“Got it.”

“Do you know the Hwan Empire’s language? If not, I could write it for you.”

“Then wouldn’t that raise suspicion?”

“That’s a shame.”

It would probably be best to use a common language. If I wrote in the Hwan Empire’s language, it might raise even more suspicion.

Anyway, today’s secret meeting was ending here. I stood up with the rolled-up letter in hand.

“You.”

“Huh?”

“Before you go, can you grant me one last favor?”

“A favor? What kind of favor?”

At my question, Danyerin stood up. As she did, her nightgown caught my eye.

With her figure on display, the Eastern-style nightgown showed all her curves. Her hair was elegantly let down, enhancing the atmosphere.

Then she looked at me straight and smiled, stretching out her arms.

“Hug me.”

“Hug you?”

“Yes. You and I both have a tough fate anyway. In that sense, it wouldn’t hurt to feel each other’s warmth, would it?”

Just by hearing it, it sounded pretty suggestive. Realistically, she probably had some of that intention.

– *Hug!*

So I hugged her. Even without the suggestive intention, Danyerin had many similarities to Grace.

She couldn’t sleep alone or felt anxious without someone beside her.

As previously mentioned, she had already faced assassination threats. Naturally, it was only right for her to lean on me.

“……Danyerin.”

“What’s up?”

As I held her warmly, I found myself facing her. Danyerin’s expression could be summarized in one word.

Pervert. And the kind that looked like an old man. If it were just her expression, I could overlook it.

– *Grabbing and squeezing*

What was troubling was that she was using her hands on my backside. And not just one hand—both hands.

What am I supposed to do about these naughty hands? I need to find a way to deal with it soon.

‘And Neoburi keeps imitating me.’

I couldn’t help but jump every time Neoburi did that. He even did it to Grace sometimes.

I can’t imagine how stunned Grace was when that happened. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to suspect me.

“Do you do this with anyone else?”

“I only want to touch the ones I want to touch.”

“Touch your own.”

“I’d prefer if you would touch me. I’d welcome it.”

“……”

She’s really a scary woman. I tried my best to endure her naughty hands.

Danyerin looked disappointed that I wasn’t making any moves but didn’t seem outright dissatisfied.

“I want to become emperor as soon as possible. That way, I can formally propose to you.”

“What proposal?”

“A marriage proposal.”

“……”

“Oh. I’ll consider your time in the Academy. I want to be with you too.”

As Danyerin said that, she patted my backside. It felt like a natural touch.

After that, she went to bed, allowing me to return to Grace. Grace was sound asleep.

Although I felt guilty indulging in impromptu clandestine meetings, today was different. There was a clear reason.

‘… Is it meaningless since it’s just one of countless occurrences?’

I needed to be kinder to Grace from now on. I quietly approached her side.

“Mm…”

Could it have been the rustling noise that was a bit too loud? Or did she sense my presence?

Slowly, Grace’s eyes, which had been shut peacefully, opened. Then she looked at me.

I silently hugged her to help her sleep more comfortably. As I did, Grace gradually relaxed into my embrace.

“Mr. Sivar…”

“Yeah?”

“You smell like another girl…”

“……”

For a moment, my heart sank. I tried to keep calm and responded.

“It’s just a dream.”

“Oh… a dream… I see… what a relief…”

Grace smiled widely and hugged me tightly. I hoped to God she wouldn’t hear my heartbeat.

“Not Kara… not Eli… not Luna… Who could it be…?”

“……”

“Another girl’s scent… Yeon-joo…?”

Oh, Chaos. Please let me get through this situation.

I wondered if my intense prayer was answered or if Grace simply thought it was all a dream.

“Snooooore…”

Before long, she fell deep into sleep. She definitely felt like she was sleeping now.

I sighed with a feeling of having survived a near-death experience.

‘Thank you, Lord Chaos.’

In response to my gratitude, Chaos replied.

[Your faith is increasing!]

It’s nothing big.

*****

Time passed, and it was the weekend.

“Hey, let’s talk for a bit.”

“Huh?”

Lee Yeon-joo came to find me.

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