Sir Ken, who had followed me out while opening the door, looked me over from head to toe as if evaluating me. It was a habit that came out when he was gauging someone’s usefulness. When I raised the corners of my mouth pretending not to be tense, he let out a small sigh.
“Marquis Caesius is still at the banquet hall. His Highness said you may use a spare carriage, so if you wish, I’ll convey that you’re returning home first.”
I was about to refuse, not wanting to bother borrowing a carriage for no reason. Sir Ken lightly gestured toward my chest with his chin. Since potions were tools that restored the body but didn’t repair torn clothes, they were torn in the exact shape of the wounds.
‘The clothes are completely in tatters.’
The torn mark on my chest was the largest and most noticeable, but my arms and legs were also full of torn marks here and there. If I returned to the banquet hall like this, I would surely attract all kinds of attention.
‘Given Aila’s past conduct, strange rumors might spread.’
I decided to willingly accept Sir Ken’s advice.
“Then follow me.”
He seemed quite displeased with me, but silently carried out the orders His Highness had given. He was someone who could kill his own emotions as much as needed, and that’s why it was possible for him to remain by His Highness’s side for so long. I respected that about him. Since I had failed to completely kill my emotions until the very end.
“That way is where the imperial family’s carriages are. For guest carriages from outside, you need to go the opposite way.”
Lost in thought, I just moved wherever my feet took me, and my body naturally went first to where the imperial palace carriages were waiting. That was because for a long period of time, I’d only used the imperial family’s carriages while serving His Highness.
“I apologize. I just went where my feet led.”
That a dead person had returned to life—of course it was unprecedented, and it was something that couldn’t be understood by common sense. Since ordinary people couldn’t even imagine such a thing, there was no way my identity would be discovered just from mistaking the carriage house, yet an excuse popped out. As expected, Sir Ken didn’t linger his gaze long and plodded toward the opposite direction.
Just as I was catching my breath, there were people I hadn’t expected in the carriage house. They were none other than Darian hyung-nim and Jane noona. My body habitually stiffened, and the two who had been conversing turned their heads to check on me.
“We meet again, Sir Aila.”
The first to speak was Darian hyung-nim. Recalling that our last meeting was being caught secretly eavesdropping on a conversation in the garden made me break out in a cold sweat. Of course I knew they’d come to the banquet, but I didn’t expect to run into them like this.
“I greet the head of Sayus and the Duchess of Tenor.”
“We’re also acquainted, aren’t we, Sir Aila?”
I met Jane noona’s cold eyes. Though it was subtly hidden beneath her elegance and dignity, I could feel faint contempt.
‘I knew it would be like this.’
Jane noona didn’t keep useless people in her consciousness, was cold to those who were obstacles, and despised those who were dissolute or stupid. Unfortunately, Aila fell into both categories.
“Yes. I was very rude last time.”
Though I had no way of knowing what Aila had done, I apologized indiscriminately. The original Aila was exactly the type of person noona hated, and judging by the conduct I’d heard about, it was certain he hadn’t acted like a gentleman.
“Indeed. At the party I hosted, you had a love quarrel with three people, so it was quite a significant rudeness. Thanks to you, that day’s party was very colorful.”
Sure enough, it seemed love affairs were standard in the places Aila had passed through. Since it was awkward to make excuses about something already past and strange to defend something I hadn’t committed, I bowed once more to finish my apology.
“I promise I will absolutely never commit such acts again.”
I didn’t know if Aila would return, but at least I didn’t plan to commit such acts. Thinking the two would be uncomfortable, I planned to leave after this last statement. But Darian hyung-nim asked a question as if suddenly remembering.
“I heard you knew in advance that assassins would come for His Highness and dealt with them?”
Though not much time had passed, it seemed to have already flowed into the ears of those with good intelligence networks.
‘Well, our family always had good intelligence gathering.’
As His Highness had said, there were many ears in the imperial palace, and among them were many of the Sayus family’s ears.
‘Though I don’t know if it’s such a good thing in a situation where we’re in conflict with His Highness.’
The imperial family and the Sayus family had always been entities that went together, so I didn’t know why it had become like this. It wasn’t that I had no attachment to the family. No, to be more precise, before I met His Highness, it had been no different from my everything, so I could only hope that the rift between the two powers would be mended soon.
“I just happened to overhear something and got involved. His Highness was the one who dealt with the assassins, and I should rather be seen as having received a favor.”
I pushed aside my idle thoughts and answered as politely as possible. There was nothing good about being hated more by these two who already had hostility toward Aila. I just wanted to help His Highness quietly without standing out, from a distance.
‘Don’t get on their nerves and act as naturally as flowing water.’
That wasn’t a difficult thing. From a very young age, in front of those I couldn’t even call father and mother, and in front of my hyung-nims and noona, I’d always tried to do so.
“Your way of speaking is very different from when I saw you before, Sir. Enough to think you’re a different person.”
However, that seemed to feel strange to noona. But I couldn’t start imitating Aila now. I hadn’t imitated such speech and behavior from the beginning because it was impossible to do so.
“Shouldn’t I come to my senses?”
So I declared that I was now reforming my mind and trying to clear away the past. Noona’s dark eyebrows rose slightly then fell.
“Since you say you’re trying to come to your senses, let me give you one piece of advice. I don’t know what the Caesius family is plotting, but it would be better to stop.”
Hyung-nim warned, then added as if realizing something.
“No, Marquis Caesius is someone who exercises good judgment. If by any chance you’ve fallen for the enticement of the already crumbling noble faction, pull out even now.”
It was a huge misunderstanding. Though Aila spread all sorts of ugly romantic scandals, he seemed to have had no interest in politics. Moreover, if the noble faction had any brains, they wouldn’t have used him.
‘Because he’s someone who would spill information readily while flirting.’
But regardless of the truth, that was an uncharacteristic statement from Darian hyung-nim. The hyung-nim I’d watched for a long time didn’t particularly stop others even if they did stupid things. Rather, he was someone who used that to create opportunities and would induce things to benefit the family. In other words, if he suspected Aila, he absolutely shouldn’t have said something like that.
“Maybe because we’re similar in age, I said something pointless. You may go ahead.”
As soon as hyung-nim’s words fell, Sir Ken, who had been watching us quietly as a mouse beside us, guided me again. The two’s gazes didn’t leave the back of my head, making me very uncomfortable, but there was no other way to avoid those eyes except to quickly board the carriage. I should have noticed then that things had gone seriously wrong.
* * *
The remaining two days of the birthday banquet passed without incident. The advantage, if it could be called an advantage, was being able to see His Highness’s face from afar. I thought I could return to everyday life like that, but…
“What did you say?”
“The Duchess of Tenor has sent a tea party invitation. She says if you definitely attend, she’ll treat the rudeness from the last party as if it never happened.”
The host of this tea party banquet was Jane noona. That alone made this party burdensome, but Lady Serina, His Highness’s fiancée, had a deep friendship with noona. Though it was closer to friendship between families rather than personal friendship, if it was an official occasion even for a small tea party, it was natural they would definitely be together.
‘Since she mentioned the past rudeness, it’s impossible to decline.’
A sigh escaped. The tea party day was precisely my day off as if planned, so I had no excuse. It was exactly one week after His Majesty’s birthday banquet ended.
‘Why is this happening?’
Though I couldn’t say I hadn’t dug my own grave in some ways, something was flowing in a strange direction. It seemed like a flow I couldn’t stop on my own. And ordinary people usually called that fate.
