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"What? You're not asking to retract the divorce, but to make your ex-wife your mistress?"
His Majesty the Emperor asked, a look of bewilderment on his face.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Carrion was resolute.
Only then could he simultaneously exact revenge on the treacherous Iana and resolve his lingering desires.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
His Majesty the Emperor began to laugh loudly, mocking Carrion as if he were insane, even shedding tears.
Carrion, his face flushed with humiliation, silently stared at His Majesty the Emperor.
As His Majesty the Emperor's laughter subsided, he leaned back languidly in his chair and said, "In any case, Charles's guilt is clear, so we can apprehend them both and investigate them in the Imperial Palace to find out."
"⋯⋯."
"Adultery among the Imperial Family is a very serious crime that damages the dignity of the Imperial Family, you see."
"Then, my request⋯⋯."
Carrion asked cautiously. However, His Majesty the Emperor did not answer immediately.
Tap, tap.
His Majesty the Emperor tapped the desk with his fingers, lost in thought.
Suddenly, the sound stopped abruptly.
His Majesty the Emperor's clear eyes sparkled as he said in a low voice, "If the investigation in the Imperial Palace reveals their guilt⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯."
"I will grant Count Dietrian what he desires. You may take your ex-wife as your mistress."
At His Majesty the Emperor's words, a sly smile spread across Carrion's lips.
"I shall abide by Your Majesty's words."
✦ ✦ ✦
That afternoon, Riel took a carriage from the townhouse to the city center of the capital.
She needed a change of scenery.
After visiting Ervin, she felt a distance from Carrion, and the image of Iana standing up to her kept popping into her head, making her feel disgusted.
Riel strolled through Rubena Square, admiring the streets lined with luxurious clothing stores and accessory shops.
However, the royal guard in red Order of Knights Uniform were standing guard in front of a clothing store.
In front of it stood a large carriage decorated with gold, boasting the majesty of the Imperial Family.
'Has a member of the Imperial Family arrived?'
Riel approached the onlookers from a distance and asked, "Who has come to the clothing store?"
A middle-aged woman, who appeared to be a merchant, stared at Riel's short hair with curiosity for a moment before whispering quietly, "Mrs. Alisa, the Emperor's favored mistress, has arrived."
'The Emperor's favored mistress?'
Riel recalled the conversation Carrion had with his friends at the townhouse.
"The Emperor's favored mistress, Alisa, they say she's from a high-end brothel in Jerma Port."
"She's incredibly powerful. I thought Her Majesty the Empress had arrived."
The excitable woman's words were cut off by another woman beside her, who was startled.
"Hey, be careful what you say!"
'What kind of woman is the Emperor's favored mistress?'
Riel stared at the tightly closed door of the clothing store with anticipation.
Just then.
The doors of the clothing store opened on both sides, and a shrill woman's voice was heard.
"Drag that woman away immediately!"
The woman who appeared to be the owner of the clothing store was pushed and fell to the floor. Then, with a frightened face, she knelt towards the door and began to beg.
"I'm sorry! I'll, I'll make it again, so please forgive me just this once."
Clack, clack.
A young woman walked out between the royal guard.
Long, flowing black hair. Heavy makeup that looked seductive. A revealing, watery blue dress that flaunted her voluptuous figure.
At that moment, a sneer escaped Riel's lips.
'That's all it takes to be the Emperor's mistress?'
The Emperor's mistress had a striking appearance, but she did not seem particularly beautiful to Riel.
"Don't you know who I am? How dare you even think of making my clothes like this and selling them!"
Alisa shouted, grabbing the clothing store owner's hair fiercely.
Riel watched Alisa and thought, 'There's a vulgarity that can't be hidden from her origins.'
Of course, she knew that such vulgarity was an appealing charm to nobles and Imperial Family men who lived within strict confines.
However, such stimulating charm did not last long.
As time passed, men would desire something more stimulating.
"I'm, I'm sorry."
The clothing store owner begged for forgiveness, groveling abjectly.
Alisa seemed satisfied with the sight, and a smile spread across her lips. Then, as if gauging the reaction, she slowly looked at the onlookers.
"⋯⋯!"
The people were frightened and avoided Alisa's gaze. They didn't know what kind of humiliation they would suffer if they made eye contact.
Riel immediately noticed.
'That mistress came to the city center on purpose.'
If she was the Emperor's mistress, she didn't need to come to the clothing store to have clothes made. She could have summoned the merchants inside, or had them made directly within the Imperial Palace.
But Alisa seemed to be enjoying it. The way she instilled fear with her power, the way people were frightened.
At that moment, Riel and Alisa's eyes met.
Alisa stared at Riel's short hair with a curious gaze.
Riel did not avert her gaze and stared straight at Alisa.
"Bow your head!"
A royal guard knight shouted fiercely at Riel.
"Move!"
Just as the enraged Alisa was about to approach Riel, Riel slowly lowered her head.
'I should bow. Because she is the one who gave me enlightenment.'
When Riel raised her head again, Alisa finally seemed satisfied and boarded the carriage with an arrogant face.
'It wasn't necessary to become a noble. All I had to do was become the Emperor's mistress.'
Riel watched Alisa's carriage disappear, a smile full of joy on her face.
✦ ✦ ✦
The next day, Iana was busy from morning.
She was assigned the task of transporting the territory residents from the outer castle to the village.
It didn't matter if it was lower-level monsters like giant one-eyed goblins, but if a swarm of Krikan appeared, they couldn't be protected by the barrier of other ordinary mages.
Thump, thump, thump.
After safely transporting the territory residents to the village for the second time, Iana finally returned to the outer castle in the late afternoon.
A magic trainee approached and handed her a bread filled with minced sausage.
"Mage, you must be hungry? Please have lunch first."
"Thank you."
Iana took the bread and returned to a corner of the ramparts where people couldn't see. Then, she sat down on the dirt floor and gulped down the water in her canteen.
Johan or Rosso were always by her side. But today, Iana was alone in transporting the territory residents, so she was very nervous.
Perhaps because the tension had been relieved, drowsiness washed over her. Iana gathered her knees and leaned on them for a moment, closing her eyes.
How much time had passed? Iana felt a presence and slowly opened her eyes.
'Your Highness⋯⋯'
As if in a dream, Charles appeared before her eyes.
He was kneeling on one knee, quietly looking at Iana.
For some reason, Charles was dressed in a navy blue Order of Knights Uniform, with a long cloak trailing behind him.
Iana smiled involuntarily.
Charles asked with a look of concern, "Why are you here like this?"
"I was going to have a meal, but I must have fallen asleep without realizing it."
"You should be scolded. A mage dozing off during work hours."
Charles playfully chided her.
Iana put her face on her knees and called him softly.
"Your Highness."
"Yes?"
"I'm not flustered by such words anymore. I'm a mage of Ervin, after all."
He chuckled and said, "Is that so?"
After speaking, Charles slowly reached out his hand towards her face.
Iana was flustered and looked around. It was a corner of the ramparts, so there was no one passing by yet.
Charles's hand gently brushed her hair back.
His face came closer to Iana and whispered softly, "Your hair is like Arika Vine."
After speaking, Charles turned his gaze to the shining shield in front of him. Iana also turned her head and glanced at her reflection in the shield.
"⋯⋯!"
Her neatly braided golden hair was sticking out here and there, looking disheveled.
Iana was embarrassed and her face turned red.
"See? You're still flustered."
Charles smiled and got up from his seat.
She followed suit, tidying her hair as she changed the subject.
"But why did you come to the outer castle in your uniform?"
"His Highness the Sixth Prince will be arriving soon. A messenger from the capital has informed us in advance."
"His Highness the Sixth Prince⋯⋯?"
Iana couldn't remember who it was.
"It's Aden, the one who became a monk. He's stopping by briefly on his way to the northern cathedral."
The two walked towards the outer gate.
Charles couldn't take his eyes off the gate, as if he had been waiting anxiously.
"Are you that happy?"
At Iana's words, Charles said with longing in his eyes, "It's been seven years. Since I last saw Aden⋯⋯."
After speaking, Charles's gaze immediately turned to the gate, as if not to miss the moment Aden entered.
Iana somehow felt a pang of sadness at the sight of Charles.
It was then.
Booooo.
With the sound of a horn, the outer gate opened.
Thump, thump, thump.
A group of monks in white robes rode in through the fierce dust storm.
The knights of the outer castle, who were lined up in front of the gate, raised their swords in salute.
'That must be him.'
Iana knew at once.
The young monk at the head looked like Charles at a glance.
Long, flowing silver hair. A gentle face unique to monks. A sturdy physique.
Then, Iana, who was standing right behind Charles, made eye contact with Aden.
Aden's gaze, which had been quietly looking at her from horseback, changed in an instant.
Cold and chillingly.
His Majesty the Emperor asked, a look of bewilderment on his face.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Carrion was resolute.
Only then could he simultaneously exact revenge on the treacherous Iana and resolve his lingering desires.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
His Majesty the Emperor began to laugh loudly, mocking Carrion as if he were insane, even shedding tears.
Carrion, his face flushed with humiliation, silently stared at His Majesty the Emperor.
As His Majesty the Emperor's laughter subsided, he leaned back languidly in his chair and said, "In any case, Charles's guilt is clear, so we can apprehend them both and investigate them in the Imperial Palace to find out."
"⋯⋯."
"Adultery among the Imperial Family is a very serious crime that damages the dignity of the Imperial Family, you see."
"Then, my request⋯⋯."
Carrion asked cautiously. However, His Majesty the Emperor did not answer immediately.
Tap, tap.
His Majesty the Emperor tapped the desk with his fingers, lost in thought.
Suddenly, the sound stopped abruptly.
His Majesty the Emperor's clear eyes sparkled as he said in a low voice, "If the investigation in the Imperial Palace reveals their guilt⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯."
"I will grant Count Dietrian what he desires. You may take your ex-wife as your mistress."
At His Majesty the Emperor's words, a sly smile spread across Carrion's lips.
"I shall abide by Your Majesty's words."
✦ ✦ ✦
That afternoon, Riel took a carriage from the townhouse to the city center of the capital.
She needed a change of scenery.
After visiting Ervin, she felt a distance from Carrion, and the image of Iana standing up to her kept popping into her head, making her feel disgusted.
Riel strolled through Rubena Square, admiring the streets lined with luxurious clothing stores and accessory shops.
However, the royal guard in red Order of Knights Uniform were standing guard in front of a clothing store.
In front of it stood a large carriage decorated with gold, boasting the majesty of the Imperial Family.
'Has a member of the Imperial Family arrived?'
Riel approached the onlookers from a distance and asked, "Who has come to the clothing store?"
A middle-aged woman, who appeared to be a merchant, stared at Riel's short hair with curiosity for a moment before whispering quietly, "Mrs. Alisa, the Emperor's favored mistress, has arrived."
'The Emperor's favored mistress?'
Riel recalled the conversation Carrion had with his friends at the townhouse.
"The Emperor's favored mistress, Alisa, they say she's from a high-end brothel in Jerma Port."
"She's incredibly powerful. I thought Her Majesty the Empress had arrived."
The excitable woman's words were cut off by another woman beside her, who was startled.
"Hey, be careful what you say!"
'What kind of woman is the Emperor's favored mistress?'
Riel stared at the tightly closed door of the clothing store with anticipation.
Just then.
The doors of the clothing store opened on both sides, and a shrill woman's voice was heard.
"Drag that woman away immediately!"
The woman who appeared to be the owner of the clothing store was pushed and fell to the floor. Then, with a frightened face, she knelt towards the door and began to beg.
"I'm sorry! I'll, I'll make it again, so please forgive me just this once."
Clack, clack.
A young woman walked out between the royal guard.
Long, flowing black hair. Heavy makeup that looked seductive. A revealing, watery blue dress that flaunted her voluptuous figure.
At that moment, a sneer escaped Riel's lips.
'That's all it takes to be the Emperor's mistress?'
The Emperor's mistress had a striking appearance, but she did not seem particularly beautiful to Riel.
"Don't you know who I am? How dare you even think of making my clothes like this and selling them!"
Alisa shouted, grabbing the clothing store owner's hair fiercely.
Riel watched Alisa and thought, 'There's a vulgarity that can't be hidden from her origins.'
Of course, she knew that such vulgarity was an appealing charm to nobles and Imperial Family men who lived within strict confines.
However, such stimulating charm did not last long.
As time passed, men would desire something more stimulating.
"I'm, I'm sorry."
The clothing store owner begged for forgiveness, groveling abjectly.
Alisa seemed satisfied with the sight, and a smile spread across her lips. Then, as if gauging the reaction, she slowly looked at the onlookers.
"⋯⋯!"
The people were frightened and avoided Alisa's gaze. They didn't know what kind of humiliation they would suffer if they made eye contact.
Riel immediately noticed.
'That mistress came to the city center on purpose.'
If she was the Emperor's mistress, she didn't need to come to the clothing store to have clothes made. She could have summoned the merchants inside, or had them made directly within the Imperial Palace.
But Alisa seemed to be enjoying it. The way she instilled fear with her power, the way people were frightened.
At that moment, Riel and Alisa's eyes met.
Alisa stared at Riel's short hair with a curious gaze.
Riel did not avert her gaze and stared straight at Alisa.
"Bow your head!"
A royal guard knight shouted fiercely at Riel.
"Move!"
Just as the enraged Alisa was about to approach Riel, Riel slowly lowered her head.
'I should bow. Because she is the one who gave me enlightenment.'
When Riel raised her head again, Alisa finally seemed satisfied and boarded the carriage with an arrogant face.
'It wasn't necessary to become a noble. All I had to do was become the Emperor's mistress.'
Riel watched Alisa's carriage disappear, a smile full of joy on her face.
✦ ✦ ✦
The next day, Iana was busy from morning.
She was assigned the task of transporting the territory residents from the outer castle to the village.
It didn't matter if it was lower-level monsters like giant one-eyed goblins, but if a swarm of Krikan appeared, they couldn't be protected by the barrier of other ordinary mages.
Thump, thump, thump.
After safely transporting the territory residents to the village for the second time, Iana finally returned to the outer castle in the late afternoon.
A magic trainee approached and handed her a bread filled with minced sausage.
"Mage, you must be hungry? Please have lunch first."
"Thank you."
Iana took the bread and returned to a corner of the ramparts where people couldn't see. Then, she sat down on the dirt floor and gulped down the water in her canteen.
Johan or Rosso were always by her side. But today, Iana was alone in transporting the territory residents, so she was very nervous.
Perhaps because the tension had been relieved, drowsiness washed over her. Iana gathered her knees and leaned on them for a moment, closing her eyes.
How much time had passed? Iana felt a presence and slowly opened her eyes.
'Your Highness⋯⋯'
As if in a dream, Charles appeared before her eyes.
He was kneeling on one knee, quietly looking at Iana.
For some reason, Charles was dressed in a navy blue Order of Knights Uniform, with a long cloak trailing behind him.
Iana smiled involuntarily.
Charles asked with a look of concern, "Why are you here like this?"
"I was going to have a meal, but I must have fallen asleep without realizing it."
"You should be scolded. A mage dozing off during work hours."
Charles playfully chided her.
Iana put her face on her knees and called him softly.
"Your Highness."
"Yes?"
"I'm not flustered by such words anymore. I'm a mage of Ervin, after all."
He chuckled and said, "Is that so?"
After speaking, Charles slowly reached out his hand towards her face.
Iana was flustered and looked around. It was a corner of the ramparts, so there was no one passing by yet.
Charles's hand gently brushed her hair back.
His face came closer to Iana and whispered softly, "Your hair is like Arika Vine."
After speaking, Charles turned his gaze to the shining shield in front of him. Iana also turned her head and glanced at her reflection in the shield.
"⋯⋯!"
Her neatly braided golden hair was sticking out here and there, looking disheveled.
Iana was embarrassed and her face turned red.
"See? You're still flustered."
Charles smiled and got up from his seat.
She followed suit, tidying her hair as she changed the subject.
"But why did you come to the outer castle in your uniform?"
"His Highness the Sixth Prince will be arriving soon. A messenger from the capital has informed us in advance."
"His Highness the Sixth Prince⋯⋯?"
Iana couldn't remember who it was.
"It's Aden, the one who became a monk. He's stopping by briefly on his way to the northern cathedral."
The two walked towards the outer gate.
Charles couldn't take his eyes off the gate, as if he had been waiting anxiously.
"Are you that happy?"
At Iana's words, Charles said with longing in his eyes, "It's been seven years. Since I last saw Aden⋯⋯."
After speaking, Charles's gaze immediately turned to the gate, as if not to miss the moment Aden entered.
Iana somehow felt a pang of sadness at the sight of Charles.
It was then.
Booooo.
With the sound of a horn, the outer gate opened.
Thump, thump, thump.
A group of monks in white robes rode in through the fierce dust storm.
The knights of the outer castle, who were lined up in front of the gate, raised their swords in salute.
'That must be him.'
Iana knew at once.
The young monk at the head looked like Charles at a glance.
Long, flowing silver hair. A gentle face unique to monks. A sturdy physique.
Then, Iana, who was standing right behind Charles, made eye contact with Aden.
Aden's gaze, which had been quietly looking at her from horseback, changed in an instant.
Cold and chillingly.
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