Chapter 24

The commotion in the waiting room did not reach Adel's office, but it was conveyed to her in a different way.

'Why are they all like this?'

The attitude of the candidates entering for their interviews one by one had suddenly become subtle. There was a clear difference from the previous candidates, and it was something hard to describe, which made Adel stroke her chin and tilt her head. It was as if the candidates who kept coming in were in a daze, or lacked enthusiasm. However, Adel soon shook off such doubts. The tedious interviews were finally over. Regardless of their attitudes, all the candidates who had just come in one after another were rejected. Adel muttered to herself that she had suffered for nothing, pushed the candidates' personal information to one side, and buried herself in her chair.

"It's all over."

She mumbled in a weary tone, and Lady Gix, who had just returned from sending off a candidate, approached quickly.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. One candidate remains."

"Wasn't it all over?"

Instead of answering, Lady Gix extended the stiff document she was holding. Adel, who had been buried in her chair, stood up and took the document. The queen's gaze, which had been scanning the document at a rapid pace, stopped somewhere.

"Shall I call in the last candidate?"

The queen, who had been staring intently at the document, slowly raised her head. Her golden eyes, which had been filled with fatigue, now shone like a fierce beast, tightly focused. ＊ ＊ ＊ When Lady Gix returned to the waiting room, Lionel stood up. Lady Gix, who met his eyes, nodded slightly and opened the office door for him.

"Her Majesty has called you in."

Lionel took a deep breath. His hands, which kept tingling, were clenched and unclenched several times behind his back. If Theseus had seen him, he would have laughed at how nervous he was. After adjusting his clothes, Lionel stepped forward without hesitation toward the open door. Adel was leaning back in a luxurious chair, staring intently at the open door. As Lady Gix's voice was heard, the sound of leisurely footsteps followed. Soon, the last candidate appeared. He walked in with long strides and turned to face Adel directly. His straight and upright posture, his unwavering gaze. He had looked like a model knight in his uniform, but in a well-fitted black suit, he seemed elegant in a different way. Adelaide looked at him like a predator who had spotted its prey.

"Good day, Your Majesty."

Lionel greeted her respectfully and met the queen's intense gaze. Despite her relaxed posture in the luxurious chair, the queen seemed to have no weakness. Her jet-black hair flowed like a black waterfall, and her golden eyes were piercingly clear. She seemed like a different person in this magnificent palace.

"Sir Lionel Valdr."

Her deep, captivating voice called out Lionel's name slowly. The queen, still looking at him, gestured for him to sit.

"Please, take a seat."

As Lionel sat down, Lady Gix quietly left the room.

"I apologize for not offering you tea. I treated all the other candidates the same way."

"Of course."

Adel, who had repeated the same words tediously, looked at Lionel with a gaze that said, 'Well, let's see what you can do.' Engaging in conversation and asking questions was only possible when there were one or two candidates. As the number of candidates became overwhelming, Adel eventually stopped talking. The moment the queen closed her mouth and stared intently, most candidates were rejected. They stumbled and floundered, or panicked and said unnecessary things, leading to their downfall. A few managed to pull themselves together and spoke their minds, but those who showed a satisfactory attitude could be counted on one hand. Adel looked at Lionel with a sharp gaze. At that moment, Lionel was certain. The queen was not looking for amusement. The moment this certainty dawned on him, a cold rationality took over his mind. Lionel discarded all formalities and got straight to the point.

"Do you need an assistant, Your Majesty?"

The queen slowly crossed her arms and tilted her head. Despite her expressionless face and uninviting attitude, Lionel was not intimidated.

"Are you trying to balance the power?"

"Stop speaking in abstractions and be clear."

"Here, where there is nowhere to rely on, you are looking for a trustworthy power to ally with, to oppose someone who has already taken control of the palace, and to protect your power and honor, are you not?"

The queen slowly straightened her head. She did not deny it. After gauging the queen's attitude for a moment, Lionel straightened his chest and spoke.

"Whomever you choose, it will be a worse choice than choosing me."

It was not a confident or forceful tone. It was so calm that it seemed like he was stating a simple fact. Adelaide was momentarily stunned by Lionel's composed attitude, which was almost arrogant, and then she chuckled. The queen's laughter did not change Lionel's expression. With a smiling face, Adelaide slowly nodded.

"Lionel, should I call you Sir or Minister?"

"Whichever you prefer."

"Anyway, are you genuinely interested in becoming my assistant now?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

The queen narrowed her eyes and pointed out,

"You haven't been here long enough to fully understand the situation, but even if you did, it doesn't seem like the Valdr family would gain much from becoming my assistant. You could have sent a candidate from a vassal family or another family that would benefit, but why did you come here yourself?"

To the queen's question, Lionel answered without hesitation.

"Because I want the information about the tower that Your Majesty possesses."

"Information about the tower?"

"Yes."

"Do you think the benefits of obtaining information about the tower outweigh the losses of becoming my assistant?"

"Yes."

Adel stroked her chin with a 'hmm' at Lionel's answer, which came without a moment's hesitation.

"The Grand Duke suggested I choose an assistant. She said that if someone from the Valdr family came, I should choose them without further consideration."

Lionel's eyes widened slightly.

"Whomever you choose, it will be a worse choice than choosing me. It's a bold statement, even for me."

"I apologize if it sounded arrogant. But..."

"But?"

"It is the truth, Your Majesty."

With a respectful face, he repeated those words. Suddenly, the sunset streamed in, casting a long shadow behind Adelaide. The filtered sunlight reached Lionel. Adelaide's shadow moistened Lionel's neck, and the red sunlight that did not reach her touched his face. Enchanted by his dark blue eyes and hair, and his beautiful face illuminated by the red sunlight, Adelaide suddenly wondered if he fully understood the role of an assistant.

"I can call you whatever I like, right?"

Surprised by the sudden question, Lionel nodded.

"Yes, that's right."

"Lionel."

Like the intense sunset that silently approached, the queen overwhelmed Lionel in an instant, just by calling his name.

Lionel involuntarily held his breath and froze.

"I am choosing an assistant to establish my authority against someone in the palace. You understand this very clearly. However, to do so, the assistant must also act as my lover. Do you understand this?"

The queen stretched her red lips into a long smile, and her golden eyes, deep in shadow, curved like the moon. Lionel swallowed hard and bit the inside of his cheek at her smile.

'If someone from the Valdr family comes, choose them without further consideration.'

Adelaide understood this statement well. At the same time, she agreed with the Grand Duke's caveat, 'It's unlikely, but...' It was a position from which the family would gain nothing. Yet, he had come, and even asked to be chosen. There was no longer any reason to hesitate.

"I will lower my tone."

At the tender, whisper-like tone, Lionel stiffened. As Adelaide tilted her head, her black hair cascaded like the night, and her moon-like golden eyes captured his gaze as if pulling his soul.

"I will call you by your name and lower my tone, Lionel. It will make a difference."

"..."

"If that's acceptable, I will appoint you as my assistant."

The words of appointment sounded like a spell. Lionel finally exhaled and slowly nodded.

"Please appoint me as your assistant."

"Is that acceptable?"

"It is acceptable."

Adel's smile deepened at his seamless answers. Her tired body, worn out from four days of interviews, felt inexplicably light. ＊ ＊ ＊ The servant delivering the news swallowed hard, fidgeting with his fingers anxiously. It felt as if he had committed a grave mistake, and cold sweat trickled down his back.

"...Who applied?"

The emperor, who had been glaring at the servant with a rigid face, finally spoke after a long pause. The servant hurriedly replied.

"Sir Lionel Valdr has applied."

"For the position of the queen's lover?"

"Um... Yes, Your Majesty."

The servant stumbled over his words, taken aback by the emperor's blunt expression.

"So, he applied, and the queen chose him?"

"I'm not sure yet. The queen has not made an official announcement..."

The emperor's purple eyes narrowed. Something that had been subtly irritating him finally came to the surface. After dismissing the fidgety servant, Karl went out to the terrace. The surroundings were pitch black. Autumn arrived at night before it did during the day. The cool breeze brushing against his cheeks seemed to calm the turmoil in his chest. He preferred winter to summer, and night to day. He found harsh cold better than scorching heat, and the comforting darkness better than bright light. The black hair and golden eyes that reminded him of the night.

"..."

The white nape of the neck revealed between the black hair that cascaded like the night. An indescribable scent kept lingering at the tip of his nose. Karl held his breath. That day, if the queen had accepted, he would have been intoxicated by her scent, pushed Dian aside, and spent the night with Adelaide. He would have watched, etching it into his mind, how her arrogant eyes would twist, how her confident face would crumble. The woman of noble blood, who had taken the supreme position as if it were her birthright. He would have seen every detail of her unraveling. The black sea in Karl's chest churned again. He pressed his forehead with his hand and bit his teeth hard. The sweet scent of spring flowers, out of season, seemed to keep swirling around him. He glared at the bright, yellow moon that cut through the heavy darkness, casting a gentle light.

"Just to exist. Is that so difficult?"

What is wrong with a feather on a quill, or a flower in a vase? Isn't it a comfortable life to be able to hold something in your hand whenever you want, without doing anything? To bend and bow to gain power and a position in this place, is his proposal so humiliating to his pride? Karl's eyes darkened. The sweet scent that kept swirling around him seemed to finally seep into his lungs.

"How do you tame a beast that bares its teeth and claws? To tame a black beast that roams the wilderness, you must first remove its teeth and claws."

But if the beast is stripped of its teeth and claws and submits, can it still be called a beast? Does he want a wild king ruling the rugged wilderness, or a pitiful beast dying with its teeth pulled out? Pushing aside the unanswerable question, Karl turned his body. The moonlight that followed him was cold yet hot.