Chapter 10

On the night of the wedding. After putting Shannon to bed, Lycaon perked up his ears at the sound of a knock.

Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a person entering the room through the large window of Shannon's room.

However, Lycaon did not particularly guard and did not leave Shannon's side on the bed.

This was because the person who had entered was none other than His Majesty the Emperor, who had just married Shannon.

The breathtakingly beautiful young man entered the room, with a blizzard as the backdrop.

Perhaps concerned about the cold air, the window was quickly closed after entering the room.

"...What do you want, unfaithful husband?"

"Whoa, that's harsh. I was worried because you looked so unwell earlier, so I came to check on you."

"How can you talk when you didn't even send her to this palace?"

"That's truly regrettable. But in my position, it's difficult to support the princess at this stage. The succession is still new, and there are many complicated situations."

Lycaon snorted at the Emperor's words.

"Hah, is your position really more difficult than this child's? Besides, with that appearance, it should be easy to gain popularity."

During the wedding, Lycaon had gathered information through various means and had figured out why Shannon was so disliked by the imperial citizens.

The appearance Lycaon referred to not only included the Emperor's overly perfect features but also his coloring.

"Heh, just because you look a bit like the people of the Ancient Sacred Kingdom doesn't mean your position as Emperor is secure, my lord."

"...Do you really believe that?"

"Yeah, it's just a hunch, but..."

"It seems you have a tiny bit of the blood of the Sacred Kingdom in you. Just a tiny bit, though."

"I see."

The Emperor showed a slight sign of contemplation but then approached Shannon, who looked very uncomfortable.

"You look quite uncomfortable. Poor thing. But even when you look so uncomfortable, you're still incredibly cute. Ah, your wedding dress was so beautiful. But with that curtain on, it was hard to see anything."

"Hey, pedophile, wasn't that your order?"

"I'm only twenty years old? A six-year age gap isn't pedophilia. Besides, I can't really see a fourteen-year-old as a romantic partner. And yes, it was my order, but I didn't expect it to be so opaque. I thought it would be easier to move freely if no one recognized your face..."

It seems things didn't go as planned. However, the goal of not being recognized was perfectly achieved.

The wedding was held in a way that the general public could see, even though Shannon couldn't see anything.

"Can she move freely?"

"It would be a problem if she went missing."

"The servants are giving off a bad vibe, but make sure she doesn't go hungry. This child rushed here for the people, even on the brink of death. She shouldn't starve."

Saying this, Lycaon pulled out Shannon's blood-stained dress from the empty space and showed it to the Emperor.

The Emperor's face instantly turned serious, realizing the heavy experience the fourteen-year-old girl had gone through.

"---Understood."

Lycaon blinked in surprise at the Emperor's change. Then, the Emperor's expression returned to the same inscrutable smile as before.

"Still, the princess has such a lovely face. This is why Uranos' king keeps her hidden."

The Emperor must have known that the reason Shannon was hidden was not what he claimed, but he said it anyway.

"But it's so sad to see her in so much pain. You should heal her."

"Hey, stop!"

Before Lycaon could stop him, the Emperor had already cast a spell.

Shannon's breathing immediately became calm.

"What? Did something go wrong?"

"Ah, the rule is to let a cold-like illness recover naturally without using magic. Relying too much on magic can weaken the body. Didn't you know?"

"I didn't know. I rarely get sick. Is this bad?"

"It shouldn't be too bad if it's just once. Shannon seems more comfortable now."

Lycaon gently stroked Shannon's cheek with the tip of his tail.

The Emperor visibly relaxed at Lycaon's words.

"That's good, that's good."

"...Would something bad happen if this child died? As the Emperor, you can marry as many wives as you want, right?"

"Ah, my lord, you're so cold. Anyone would be sad if such a cute child were to fade away. Besides, I practice monogamy even as the Emperor. One wife is enough. ...Oops, I should be getting back."

In the middle of their conversation, the Emperor looked at his watch and said this.

"My lord, keep today's visit to me a secret from the princess, okay? I'll come to see her after making the palace cleaner."

"...Understood."

"I wanted to talk more with you, but time's up. I really wanted to ask more questions, like why the Sacred Kingdom fell..."

"..."

When Lycaon glared at the Emperor, the Emperor laughed and headed towards the window.

"See you later."

Saying this, the Emperor slipped out through the window and rode away on a white tiger that had come running from somewhere. That white tiger must be the sacred beast contracted to the Emperor.

After the Emperor left, Lycaon muttered to himself.

"...He was quite an unusual fellow."