Chapter 28: The Invitation (3)

Adele’s mind was in turmoil.

What did she mean by bringing down the imperial family? And why would the imperial princess cooperate in such an act of treason?

The thought that Abel might have devised such a plan had never even crossed her mind, making her head throb all the more.

Adele closed her eyes gently for a moment.

For now, she decided to focus on the princess’ question.

‘Are you truly on Abel’s side?’

The intent behind the question was straightforward: Could she collaborate in rebellion against the imperial family?

She could say “yes” to avoid conflict, but the princess didn’t seem like someone who would be satisfied with empty words.

More importantly, this meeting was shrouded in secrecy—a clandestine encounter held late at night, with a disguised carriage provided to ensure privacy.

The effort taken to arrange this meeting must have been for this very question.

‘Lies won’t work here.’

Her intuition as someone who had returned to the past was screaming at her.

A lie spoken here could very well lead to her death. She hadn’t imagined that this place, which she had approached lightly, would turn out to be such a tiger’s den.

It seemed her mental state had become far too lax recently, given that she hadn’t died and regressed for some time.

“My patience isn’t very deep, you know,” said the princess with a sly smile. But behind that smile lurked a chilling coldness.

Now wasn’t the time to get lost in thought or regret. She had to answer the question sincerely.

‘What is my truth?’

Did she trust Abel enough to stand by his side?

She didn’t know much about him.

A ruthless, calculating man who used others as tools to achieve his goals. Yet also a mischievous man who teased her whenever he could.

He was the one who had saved her when she was about to die, and who had scolded her afterward. Even though their engagement was only a contractual arrangement, he had fulfilled his role and helped her when she needed him.

There must be a reason why such a man sought to bring down the imperial family. If she could fully understand that reason, she would willingly cooperate with Abel.

It wasn’t unconditional trust—it couldn’t be, and it shouldn’t be.

But for now, that felt like enough.

“It depends on the reason,” she said.

“...Reason?”

The princess tilted her head slightly, her curiosity piqued. Adele, steadying her trembling hands, continued,

“Yes. If I can understand why he wants to bring down the imperial family…”

She nodded resolutely as if sealing her determination.

“Then, I’ll side with Abel.”

The princess stared intently at Adele’s face. Her penetrating gaze made Adele feel uncomfortable, as though her innermost thoughts were being laid bare. Yet she didn’t avert her eyes.

At this, the princess chuckled softly.

“It’s not a perfect score, but… you pass.”

“Pass? What do you mean by that?”

“If you had lied…”

The air suddenly grew cold. A sinister aura manifested around the princess, as though her very intent had taken form. Black, blade-like projections swirled around her, reflecting her chilling will.

It was a power closer to a curse than magic.

If she had lied, would her throat have been pierced by those blades?

Adele shuddered at the thought and instinctively rubbed her arms.

“Well, it’s fortunate you didn’t lie,” the princess said nonchalantly.

“A lie, you say?”

“Yes, I detest lies more than anything,” the princess replied.

With a wave of her hand, the dark blades dissipated.

Adele exhaled a sigh of relief, realizing her intuition had been correct.

The princess propped her head on one arm and gazed at her.

“Are you curious why Abel seeks to bring down the imperial family?”

“Yes. My decision to cooperate depends on that reason.”

Despite her trembling voice, Adele spoke with resolve. The princess looked at her with intrigue. Even in this precarious situation, Adele was determined to assert her stance. She was, in many ways, a bold individual.

“Good. Then there’s no need to worry,” the princess said, her tone lighter.

At least she was now confident that Adele wouldn’t refuse to cooperate. After all, once Adele saw the atrocities and blood-soaked history of the imperial family, she’d realize there were countless reasons why it needed to fall.

“What do you mean by that?” Adele asked, her tone puzzled.

“Who knows,” the princess replied with an enigmatic smile.

“I won’t tell you. I might lie to lure you in, after all.”

This blatant warning not to trust her left Adele confused. Why was the princess being so frank about this? Whatever her reasons, the princess continued leisurely,

“Discover the truth about the imperial family for yourself. Consider it your next test.”

“...Understood,” Adele replied, standing up.

“You’re leaving already?”

The princess sounded slightly disappointed.

“Yes. As you said, I need to find out for myself.”

“How unfortunate. I was hoping we could talk a bit longer for the first time in a while.”

The princess murmured to herself before a thought struck her.

“Well then, don’t you want to know more about Abel?”

“Not particularly,” Adele replied, shaking her head.

At that, the princess grinned mischievously.

“For example, his preferences in underwear or something like that…”

“It was a pleasure talking to you.”

Thud!

“Oh my, she’s gone already.”

As the door slammed shut and she stormed off, the princess chuckled softly. It was just a playful remark, but she hadn’t expected Adele to get flustered so easily. Unlike Abel, Adele had an innocence that made teasing her quite enjoyable.

‘She seems to have feelings for him.’

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reacted so strongly. Whether Abel reciprocated those feelings, however, was another matter entirely. It was hard to imagine someone like Abel falling in love.

‘…Things are getting interesting.’

****

Under the soft glow of moonlight, the rose garden exuded a mystical atmosphere, with its delicate mix of white and crimson hues.

At the center of the garden, Adele sat at a table, leaning back against her chair. The cold air swirled around her, but her fur coat kept her warm. It was her usual solitary tea time.

“Haa…”

She tried to calm her chaotic thoughts with a warm sip of tea. Opening her eyes slightly, she noticed Lily fidgeting nervously beside her.

Come to think of it, Lily was there, wasn’t she? Adele had been so deep in thought that she barely remembered her presence.

“Um, Lady Adele… Is something bothering you?”

“What is it, Lily?”

After some hesitation, Lily spoke cautiously.

“If there’s something on your mind… Even if I can’t help, I’ll stay by your side. You can take a moment to breathe.”

“…Thank you.”

Adele gave her a weak smile and patted Lily’s head. The silky texture of her hair was almost as soothing as her own. It felt like some of her tangled thoughts unraveled in that small gesture.

As Adele found a bit of peace, she sensed someone approaching from the garden’s entrance.

‘…Abel?’

“I-I’ll take my leave now,” Lily stammered, retreating quickly. But before she left, she leaned in to whisper, “Have a lovely time,” and then hurried off.

After bowing politely to Abel, she disappeared from the garden.

“You seem to have a good relationship with your servant,” Abel remarked.

“Yes, she looks after me quite a bit.”

“…I see.”

He looked slightly weary as he sank into the chair across from her. Crossing his arms, he closed his eyes, seemingly ready to doze off. Then, breaking the silence, Abel spoke.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

“Yes, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things.”

‘Thanks to you.’

Rebellion against the imperial family, the secrets of the empire, Abel’s reasons for plotting treason—endless thoughts bobbed like buoys in her head, making her feel dizzy. Yet Abel, oblivious or indifferent, kept his eyes closed.

She wanted to ask him directly, but she restrained herself.

Even though she wasn’t well-versed in the ways of the medieval world, she knew how dangerous it was to carelessly bring up rebellion against the imperial family.

More importantly, Abel hadn’t explicitly shared his intentions with her.

It was clear he didn’t trust her completely yet. And until he was the one to open up, she decided not to broach the subject herself.

“If you ever need to talk, just let me kno—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Abel drifted off to sleep. Adele blinked, caught off guard. Leaning back against the chair, his face was tense even in slumber. It was only then that she noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

‘…He looks exhausted.’

No wonder. He’d been overworked for the past few days, buried under a pile of documents. It seemed the fatigue had finally caught up with him. Falling asleep the moment he sat down showed just how tired he was.

And yet, despite his exhaustion, he had come to the garden in the middle of the night to comfort her.

He was a man who extended kindness in the most confusing ways.

Sighing softly, she slipped off her coat and draped it over him. It was warm, almost like a fur coat, and should keep him from feeling the chill of the night.

The tension in his furrowed brow eased slightly.

‘Now you’re a bit more presentable.’

In many ways, Abel was someone who tugged at her heartstrings, someone she just couldn’t leave alone.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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