chapter 4.2

The Espa palace was nowhere to be found, and the delicate floral scent caught Psili’s footsteps. Psili, who was moving along the scent of flowers spreading in the night air, entered the garden without knowing. Then, Psili stopped. The man who was walking toward her direction also stopped walking when he saw Psili.

“You.”

Jed tilted his head and frowned upon Psili, who had never thought he would face her in the garden. As if Psili recognized him, she looked up at him for a moment with a surprised face. Then Psili stepped sideways carefully, hoping that Jed would just pass by.

“What are you doing here at this time?”

Contrary to what she wished, Jed paused, looked at her, and asked questions. There were many encounters, but every time Jed visited Elisha, he went straight into her bedroom, and never looked at the maids standing at the door. So, maybe Psili has no choice but to look strangely at the emperor who was talking to her.

“Can you hear me? Or are you unable to speak? Or you’re bold enough to ignore me?”

Psili replied in a small voice to Jed’s face, frowned more harshly than before.

“I am on my way.”

“Where are you going?”

“To the palace.”

“Ah, Espa Palace?”

“Yes.”

In response to Psily’s answer, Jed turned his head in the direction of Espa Palace and looked at her, and then he tilted his head.

“Will you keep going this way?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going back?”

“Yes.”

“Are you happy with your maid’s life? Have you forgotten that you were the princess of Ctia? Do you have anything like the pride of the princess?”

Deliberately groaning and asking questions in a sarcastic tone. However, without a sign of offense at those words, Psili muttered something with an expressionless face. Jed frowns at Psili’s inaudible murmur.

“What? What did you mutter right now?”

“My pride doesn’t make me full.”

She wasn’t wrong. There was nothing to be gained by showing pride. Especially, to survive in the imperial palace of an enemy country as a forgotten princess of a ruined country.

“Because I don’t have anything good to do, and I don’t have a place to go.’’

Psili, who gave a very realistic answer, looked down, and Jed did not ask any other questions.

“Well if you want to go back, find the way yourself. I can’t help you.”

Unlike the beginning, Jed passed Psili as if he had lost interest. Psili looked at the back of Jed as he was moving away, and soon began walking again, as if she was going on her way. Jed, who came out of the garden, glanced at Felix and the soldiers standing at the entrance of the garden and tilted his head. The time it took to burn the bloody gown and return would not have been a few minutes. It was clear that Felix was guarding the entrance to the garden immediately after Jed entered the garden.

“How did she get in?”

There was only one entrance to the garden. If Felix and the soldiers were guarding it, it would have been almost impossible to get in. Nevertheless, there was only one reason why she was wandering in the garden.

“She was lost.”

It explained it. She must have come in before the guards came guarding the garden’s entrance, and even before Jed entered the garden. Jed mumbled to himself and laughed.

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

Felix responded to Jed’s muttering self-talk. Then Jed shook his head and laughed, saying it was nothing. Then he paused and looked back at the garden.

“How did she do that?”

Jed looked in the garden for a while and gave Felix an order.

“There will be someone wandering the road when you enter.”

“Did you meet an assassin? “

“A lost assassin… ha! Nonsense. The person was just lost. If you see her, take her where she needs to go.”

After ordering, Jed turned and headed for Asdan Palace. Felic looked behind Jed as he moved away, and soon he took two soldiers into the garden. It was certainly ridiculous and very absurd for an assassin to be lost and wandering around. However, none of those in the imperial palace were able to step into the emperor’s garden. Putting one foot in the same place as the emperor’s personal space meant death. Not only did Felix wonder who would do such a bold thing, but who could survive facing the emperor in his own garden?

“Huh! Isn’t that the Spire Princess over there?”

In the place where a guard turned his gaze, a small girl dressed in a maid outfit was looking around.

“Spire Princess?”

“Ah, she was among the princesses of Ctia. The soldiers found her in the tower.”

“Don’t you remember? “

“She was a forgotten princess .”

“Ah, that princess.”

A princess who was too unsightly to be called a princess. A princess who looked like a very ordinary girl. Reminiscent of her forgotten presence, Felic looked at Psili, who was struggling around.

“The lost person His Majesty said was that princess?”

Felix was puzzled, but no one else was. The way she looked around, she was obviously lost.

‘Oh, it’s strange that His Majesty led her back from there.’

Felix still wondered if the emperor didn’t even feel the value of killing her, so that was why he kept her alive or if he had any other reasons.

“Did you get lost?”

Felix asked politely, as she could not be treated recklessly because she was a princess of a country. Lost and wandering, Psilli simply stared at Felic’s kindly question without answering anything. As Psili didn’t answer, Felix asked the question again. But Psili only glanced at Felix’s face, and said nothing. Then Psili looked gently at the sword on Felix’s waist. Knowing where Psili’s gaze was headed, Felix turned the sword to the back.

“Oh! I’m not trying to hurt you, I’m here to help you find your way,”

Felix explained hurriedly because there were several of them with swords standing there, afraid Psili would feel fear. Only then did Psili’s expression, which was stiff due to tension, slightly relaxed.

“Where are you going?”

“Espa Palace.”

“I’ll take you. Follow me.”

“Thank you.”

Even at the moment of expressing gratitude, there was no expression on Psili’s face, as if there was no emotion.

“Did she look like that when he saw her?”

It was strange that the Emperor saved her life. How did His Majesty, who used a fierce sword even at the smile of a beautiful concubine, but showed generosity to a girl with an expressionless face? It was a very unusual thing Felix had never seen of the Emperor, who he had served by his side for a long time. Then a strange thought came to his mind.

“Has His Majesty’s taste… changed?”