Chapter 94

"――Lilith-sama, have you awakened?"

"……Yeah."

"It seems you were quite tired. I checked on you once, but you were sleeping soundly."

"That's because Jedd… No, never mind."

"――I doubt it, but did Your Highness drink 'that'?"

"Yeah, that… It seems to be really effective."

"……Is that so?"

As Lilith rustled in bed, Tena peeked in as usual.

From the light seeping through the curtains, she realized it was nearly noon.

Beside her, there was a presence of Jesarld, but naturally, the sheets were cold.

Thinking of this morning’s Jesarld, Lilith giggled suspiciously, and Tena's voice, slightly cold, reached her.

"Lilith-sama, I'm opening the window."

With a swift motion, Tena pulled open the curtains, and Lilith groaned at the brightness, but Tena opened the window without hesitation.

Then, she carried away the pitcher and glasses covered with a cloth, which contained the "special drink."

The refreshing breeze from outside gradually dispelled the subtle odor from the "special drink."

Lilith, rolling around in bed, sighed in relief.

She still felt the smell lingering on her, sniffing her arm, and suddenly worried about Jesarld.

(What should I do… If Jedd walks around the palace with this smell, the "Red Reaper" might come back to life…)

Lilith knew that the special drink made by the witch had a suspicious smell.

Tena and Ress had tried to stop her, and even Frederick, who they sought help from, seemed to be enjoying it, which confirmed her suspicions.

However, she concluded that if the smell could be improved just by letting in some fresh air, it wasn't that serious. She didn't realize that the person who drank it often didn't notice the smell.

On the other hand, Jesarld had taken a bath and burned incense in the morning, but Dennis still said, "It still smells," so he gave up.

When he appeared at the morning meeting—where the main figures gathered to discuss the Lilith kidnapping incident—his father, the emperor, and the ministers were worried that he had been poisoned.

In the end, the head of the Land Survey Department, Allesio, said, "There is no poison that smells so suspicious," and the situation calmed down, but Jesarld was annoyed by Allesio's smirking.

Allesio, who had seen and heard many things, seemed to have noticed the cause and would definitely report it to the emperor later.

Jesarld, maintaining his composure, ignored Allesio's constant smirking.

The mastermind behind the Lilith kidnapping, Saul, had been silent since his transfer to the capital.

Torturing him to make him talk was not a preferred method.

But if things continued like this, it might be unavoidable.

They had sent a protest envoy to the Kingdom of Fontae regarding this incident, but they would likely claim it was Saul's solo act.

Of course, if the home country admitted involvement, it would inevitably lead to war, and that was fine.

The problem was that there was someone within the empire—within the palace—who was in league with the Kingdom of Fontae.

They had a good idea of the lower-level individuals involved.

They were being watched, but the higher-ups were not showing their true colors.

However, Jesarld had a suspicion and glanced at his father, the emperor.

The emperor seemed to have noticed but had no intention of taking action yet.

While wondering when he would be recognized by his father, Jesarld focused on the meeting in front of him.

In the afternoon, after returning to his office tired, Jesarld was told by Filio that a letter from Lilith had arrived, which lifted his spirits.

Wondering what she was up to this time, he opened the letter.

But the content was simply, "I would like to have dinner with you when I have some free time soon," which was quite ordinary.

He thought she could have told him this last night and slightly frowned, remembering his attitude from before.

He had been quite angry when Lilith asked to have lunch with him.

When he checked his schedule with Filio, he was told that it was difficult today but possible tomorrow, so Jesarld wrote a reply himself.

Filio was surprised, but it was natural since the letter was undoubtedly written by Lilith herself.

After that, while working on paperwork in his office, another letter from Lilith arrived.

It seemed she was pleased with Jesarld's reply, and the letter read, "I'm looking forward to tonight!" in a lively script.

Although it was odd to exchange such trivial letters, it was also refreshing, and Jesarld's heart warmed.

The special drink was unnecessary; Lilith's presence alone healed and invigorated him.

Thus, Jesarld efficiently completed his work until the evening meal.

Incidentally, this letter exchange became a topic of conversation in the palace.

The two princes were so close that they exchanged letters even while living in the same palace.

However, because they were not postcards, the content sparked various speculations.

Moreover, Emperor Lazef tried to have Allesio investigate the content but was firmly refused.

"Why don't you just ask them directly instead of using official resources for such a thing?"

To which Lazef replied, "Jes won't tell me," and then, "If I ask Amalilis, she'll think I'm a creepy old man!"

Lazef, who had always been calm and calculating as a ruler, sometimes cruel, and strategic, still had his childish side.

This inconsistency drew the attention of his subjects.

Allesio, sighing, realized he was one of them and left Lazef's office.

Now, Lazef's bad reputation was being taken over by Jesarld.

As Allesio walked down the corridor and stopped to look up at the night sky, he thought:

(It seems the Empress is bringing more unexpected effects to this palace…)

Pleased that his intuition was leading in a good direction, Allesio smiled.

At the same time, he resolved to protect the Empress this time, as this incident was also their failure.

On the other hand, after dining with the new political officials heading to Toisen, Jesarld returned to his room and prepared for bed.

Considering the time, he quietly opened the door to Lilith's bedroom and stepped in, only to freeze.

"Jedd! Welcome back from work!"

"Ah, yeah. …Lilith, this smell…"

"It's lavender! I'm diffusing lavender essential oil in the water."

"Lavender…?"

"Yes. I wanted to use Freud's pride, the roses, but I thought lavender would be better before sleeping. I also considered chamomile…"

"I see…"

He thought that using a floral scent might be questionable, but it wouldn't affect the surroundings as much as the suspicious special drink from last night.

However, Lilith then pulled back the bedspread and patted the bed.

"Jedd, please get naked and lie down here."

"Huh?"

"To help you recover from your fatigue for tomorrow, I thought I'd give you an oil massage. I'm actually quite good at it."

As she spoke, Lilith headed towards a table with some tools.

Watching her, Jesarld tried to understand what she was saying.

He had heard of oil massages before.

There were a few such places in the capital, and he had heard that injured soldiers found them effective for pain relief.

But why did Lilith, a princess, know about them?

And who had she done this for before?

However, he pushed aside these unnecessary thoughts—jealousy.

Lilith's intention was to help him recover and heal.

Jesarld walked to the bed and sat down.

Seeing this, Lilith smiled happily and tried to lift the tray with the tools, but Jesarld stopped her.

"Lilith, you don't need that."

"Eh? But for the massage—"

"Just come here, will you?"

Confused, Lilith hesitated, looking at the tools, but eventually approached the bed as Jesarld requested.

However—

"Ah!?"

Before she knew it, Lilith was sitting on Jesarld's lap instead of beside him.

When she tried to stand up, Jesarld hugged her tightly, not letting go.

"J-Jedd…?"

"This is enough."

"Huh?"

"I just need Lilith to be here. Just being close, touching, hugging, and kissing… is enough."

Whispering this, Jesarld hugged Lilith's slender body and kissed her forehead, cheeks, and lips.

Lilith, taken aback, couldn't think straight.

Her face turned red and she froze, and Jesarld, looking at her, chuckled.

"Even without the special drink or a massage, Lilith's presence alone heals me."

"Is… Is Jedd real?"

"Real?"

Lilith couldn't believe that such gentle touches, a beautiful smile, and sweet words were directed at her.

She touched Jedd's face and shoulders, wondering if he was real.

"Because… Jedd is being so… so sweet…"

"Sweet?"

Jesarld, tilting his head, gently kissed Lilith's hand and smiled with his red eyes narrowed.

While she was dazed by his smile, Jesarld laid her down on the bed.

"You're the sweet one. That's why I want to devour all of you."

"Huh? Huh? No, that's not—"

Before she could correct his words, Jesarld kissed her, silencing her, and continued with more passionate kisses.

Then, as if to prove his words, Jesarld led Lilith into a sweet dream.