Chapter 57

Even in his sleep, Lionel's senses were sharply awake. The moment he sensed an unfamiliar presence, he swiftly grabbed the intruder's hand and pinned him down, binding him tightly. Adel, who had suddenly been pushed down onto the bed, was at a loss for words. All she could do was stare blankly at Lionel's face with wide eyes. Perhaps because of the dark night, his face seemed strangely unfamiliar. His black eyes, devoid of their usual blue tint, seemed darker than the profound darkness itself. On the other hand, upon recognizing the intruder's face, Lionel was stunned by the golden eyes that shimmered faintly in the dim light. Seeing the face of someone who shouldn't be there, his sharp rationality crumbled like foam, turning white. Was this reality? Or was he dreaming? His gaze slid along her graceful facial contours. Her face, glowing with a silvery-white light, her straight forehead, and her golden eyes, like the sun, beneath her thick lashes came into view. His gaze flowed down her nose and pooled in the hollow of her philtrum before slipping into her full, red lips. ...This can't be real. It must be a dream. If it's a dream... If I lean down and tilt my head...

“Lionel!”

At the urgent call, Lionel's movements halted. With only a hair's breadth between them, the haze in his eyes cleared. Adel swallowed and called out to him again.

“Lionel, it's me. I'm sorry for sneaking in.”

Lionel frowned in disbelief.

“...Your Majesty?”

Adel, still lying down, nodded vigorously. She was as flustered by the situation as he was, but not as much as Lionel.

“Why are you here... Why are you...”

Unable to continue, Adel quickly apologized.

“I'm really sorry for sneaking in. But... can you let me go?”

Only then did Lionel realize he was still on top of her. He swallowed and quickly got up, stepping back. His ears turned red, and his heart pounded fiercely. Lionel, flustered, bit his lip hard and quickly apologized.

“I'm sorry.”

“No, I'm the one who's sorry for sneaking in.”

Adel shook her head as she sat up. Lionel, regaining his composure, quickly checked on Adel and asked.

“Are you alright? What happened?”

In response to his question, Adel nodded and asked for help.

“Can you help me?”

“Of course, what do you need?”

“There was an assassin in my tent.”

＊＊＊ When the two arrived at Adel's tent, the assassin's body had vanished without a trace. It seemed they had hastily tried to remove the evidence. However, a small amount of blood remained where the assassin had bled. Lionel, after carefully examining the bloodstain, asked.

“Did they take poison?”

“I didn't expect them to have a poison sac in their mouth.”

Adel explained the situation to Lionel.

“The precise magic that pinned me down wasn't something just anyone could replicate.”

Lionel shook his head slightly and muttered.

“Bold to the point of recklessness. If the plan failed, they would inevitably be a prime suspect.”

“They must have been certain they could kill me.”

After a moment of silence, Lionel looked at Adel and continued.

“The only ones who would attempt to assassinate Her Majesty are the Duke of Despoina or Renoux Poitiers.”

Adel nodded, and Lionel continued.

“But the Duke of Despoina, as I know him, wouldn't have carried out such a sloppy plan. Besides, he's currently busy destroying the Tower of Vetta, which doesn't make sense.”

“Then...”

“I suspect it might be Renoux Poitiers acting alone.”

Adel sighed and crossed her arms. With the evidence, the body, gone, it would be difficult to confront Renoux Poitiers immediately. She spoke calmly and coldly.

“Similar incidents might occur during the rest of our journey.”

Lionel, with a mix of guilt and anger, bowed deeply to Adel.

“I sincerely apologize for failing to provide proper security.”

Adel uncrossed her arms and shook her head.

“That's enough. I'm not blaming you. Look up, Lionel.”

Lionel looked up and met Adel's gaze, speaking seriously.

“Even if we can't reveal the mastermind, I will inform everyone about the assassination attempt. That way, they won't act recklessly.”

Adel immediately rejected his suggestion.

“No. We can't do that. If we do, the Duke of Despoina will hold the knights and you responsible. If he wanted to make it public, I wouldn't have sneaked into your tent.”

Adel shook her head, but he didn't back down easily.

“Your safety must be the top priority.”

At Lionel's worried gaze, the sharpness in Adel's eyes softened. A deep, dark blue light seeped through her dulled eyes, and a small, hidden part of her stirred. How long have you been watching me, worrying about me with such a look? Despite receiving countless concerns from many people, why does it feel so unfamiliar and new? The flickering light danced on the dark surface. What a beautiful color. Adel was momentarily captivated by the subtle movement and then looked around the tent, taking a deep breath to clear her thoughts. She met his gaze, which was still dark and intense. The warmth and scent that had enveloped her shoulder returned, and Adel, holding her breath, spoke quickly.

“Don't tell anyone. Few people can harm me within the magic radius. Besides, now that Renoux Poitiers knows the attempt failed, he won't act rashly. I came to you for help because I didn't know how to dispose of the body, but I woke you up for nothing.”

She pointed to the door.

“Go back to sleep.”

But Lionel, still concerned, glanced at the bloodstain on the floor and spoke cautiously.

“I'll stand guard outside your tent.”

“What? No, that's not necessary!”

Lionel's brow furrowed at her immediate response.

“Don't worry, go to sleep!”

Pushing him out of the tent, Adel, with a rough breath, blinked repeatedly. She aimlessly wandered around the tent and then crouched on the fur blanket, burying her face in her palms. The night seemed to move slower than the day. Buried in the silent darkness, the memories she had pushed aside crept out and quickly enveloped her. The moment she was pinned down, Adel had intended to reveal her presence. It was understandable that he mistook her for an intruder when he sensed an unfamiliar presence. However, the moment he recognized her face, his eyes widened in surprise. 'Now he'll back off,' she thought, but his expression gradually changed. His gaze, sliding from her forehead to her nose and then to her lips, left a trail. Just his gaze made her feel as if she were being caressed. She couldn't breathe properly, just like when she was bound by magic, and she even forgot to call out to him. When he leaned in, Adel finally snapped out of it and called out to him. He seemed to regain his senses and jumped back, but if she hadn't called him in time, what would have happened next? Adel sighed and closed her eyes tightly.

“...I thought it was a dream.”

At the same time, her inner voice whispered.

‘Even if it was a dream, it felt like a lover’s touch.’

“Ah, really... I shouldn't have gone into someone else's tent...”

I should have handled it myself... The tent seemed a bit warmer. A sigh-like murmur dissipated like smoke. ＊＊＊ Lionel secretly informed Henri Jacal about the attempted assassination of the Empress. A few knights searched the camp in secret but found no trace of the assassin, not even a single hair. In the end, Lionel ordered the strengthening of the Empress's security and returned to his tent, pondering how to handle the situation. The assassin's body was gone, and only the bloodstain remained, which couldn't prove ownership. Given the circumstances, Renoux Poitiers was clearly behind this, but it was just a suspicion with no way to prove it. As Adel suggested, there would undoubtedly be more assassination attempts. Therefore, it was more important to focus on thorough preparation rather than dwelling on what had already happened. Due to his aggressive nature, assassination threats were common among the Echmont nobles. Each territory had its own assassination guild. Lionel himself had been exposed to numerous assassination attempts, and his brother, the Duke of Baldr, Theus, was no exception. He always carried a poison detector.

“Should I ask if you have a poison detector?”

The thoughts that started with the assassin and led to the Empress soon drifted in an unwanted direction. Seeing her lying there, defenseless, with her silvery-white face looking up at him, Lionel, even in his daze, wished it were a dream. If it were, he could have traced her face and leaned in to touch her. The image of her wide, golden eyes came to mind, and Lionel groaned, cursing under his breath.

“Damn...”

It felt like he was being swept away by a rough current, following the twists and turns of a winding valley. When did he lose his footing? He sought answers repeatedly, but it was all meaningless. Lionel roughly rubbed his face. That night, he couldn't sleep and kept checking around the Empress's tent.