* * *
Because I hadn’t slept well the night before, I woke up before dawn even broke.
I did eventually fall asleep, but I had tossed and turned so much that I didn’t feel rested at all.
Checking Baek Yigang’s gratitude rate yesterday had been the mistake.
Really, I still couldn’t believe that miserly figure….
It was like his insomnia had transferred to me; I spent nearly the whole night wide awake.
“Sigh…”
I sluggishly sat up and leaned my back against the headboard, letting out a frustrated breath.
Right beside me, Baek Yigang was sleeping soundly with a face as peaceful as could be.
Damn Baek Yigang.
Are you happy…?
Of course, you must be.
You’ve finally escaped the suffering of your long illness…
At this rate, I’d be his slave for life.
But I’m not some wish-granting fairy exclusively for Baek Yigang, and I certainly couldn’t keep this up forever.
Besides, with the original story already twisted, there was no guarantee that things would continue going my way.
So far, luck seemed to be on my side, but it wouldn’t last forever.
I had always believed that when Baek Yigang became Emperor, I’d naturally return home.
But last night, for the first time, that belief began to crack.
My mind felt as foggy and tangled as if it were shrouded in a thick mist.
As I stared blankly ahead, Baek Yigang began to stir.
His previously closed eyes slowly opened.
Unlike my tired, worn-out face, Baek Yigang’s looked bright and glossy, completely different from his usual fatigued expression.
He leisurely sat up and glanced at me, tilting his head slightly with a curious look.
“Didn’t sleep well?”
The random remark was typical of Baek Yigang.
Normally, you’d expect something like, “You don’t look well,” or “You’re up early,” as a polite addition.
“I slept fine.”
I lied through my teeth and quickly turned my gaze away from Baek Yigang.
Just looking at that glossy, radiant face made me lose the will for even the most insincere morning greeting.
If I looked at that unnecessarily handsome face any longer, my irritation might fade…
Better not make eye contact. Hmph.
“I see.”
Baek Yigang accepted my answer without further comment.
What do you mean, “I see”?
Do I really look like someone who slept well to you?
Are your eyes okay?!
I once thought he was quite gentle when he proposed to me at that festival, asking me to marry him.
Was that all an illusion?
Did I imagine it?
The idea of that aloof, cold-hearted villain being gentle was absurd beyond belief.
“Baek Yigang.”
At my soft call, his purple eyes, fixed on the slowly brightening window, turned to me.
“Repeat after me.”
“Why should I?”
“Just do it, please.”
Annoyed, I pouted, and only then did the harshness in Baek Yigang’s eyes soften.
“Go.”
“Go.”
Pleased that he followed my lead, I quickly said the next word.
“Ma.”
“Ma.”
Just one last word left.
“Wo.”
“Wo.”
Baek Yigang, showing obvious reluctance, managed to follow me this far, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of him.
With an affectionate smile, I looked at him with eyes that were now warm and gentle.
“Alright, Baek Yigang. Now say the whole phrase at once.”
Baek Yigang’s mouth slowly opened, as if he were about to speak, with a pause long enough to build anticipation.
And finally.
“No.”
“Ugh, seriously.”
Crushing me effortlessly, Baek Yigang left the bed without hesitation.
The morning sun had risen faster outside, making the room much brighter than before.
If I had known my life would be this tough, I would have put up protective charms everywhere!
Even a ghost haunting me in my teen years wouldn’t be this relentless!
“Why can’t you do this even once?”
“You don’t understand.”
Grumbling as I stood up to follow him, Baek Yigang shook his head firmly.
“I always lose to you.”
Stopping mid-change, he looked directly at me and continued.
The slight curve of his lips had never seemed so cruel.
Yeah, sure you’re losing, sure!
Ignoring Baek Yigang’s claim, I let out a deep sigh and changed into my regular clothes.
Now that I thought about it, today was the day the Imperial Princess was visiting the Arthe Empire, wasn’t it?
Time really flew.
Thinking about how busy the day ahead would be, I followed Baek Yigang out of the bedroom, where Anna and Asel were already waiting and bowed their heads.
“Good morning, Your Highness. Sir Dowoon.”
At their greeting, Baek Yigang’s expression briefly stiffened as if he had remembered something.
“Ah. It’s that day.”
“Yes, it is.”
Anna answered promptly to Baek Yigang’s vague remark.
While I stared at them, not understanding, Baek Yigang turned to me and spoke.
“Cheong Dowoon, you’ll be attending a meeting soon. Be aware.”
“A meeting? All of a sudden, what…?”
“A state council meeting.”
Baek Yigang responded simply as if it was nothing and then turned his back on me to receive a report from Asel.
Hey, come on, you need to explain properly!
Why on earth am I suddenly attending a state council meeting where major national matters are decided?
“Am I even allowed to go there?”
“It’s fine, as you’ll be attending under the pretext of being His Highness the Crown Prince’s escort.”
As I struggled to make sense of this sudden situation, Anna added an explanation with a soft smile.
“Escort? Me? …Where are you two going?”
“We’re heading to the Shadow Examination that takes place once every half a year. We’ll be back before dinner.”
“Oh, so there’s such a thing.”
This was something not mentioned in the original story, so it piqued my interest.
Encountering aspects of this world I didn’t know always made my heart pound with excitement.
The unexpected Easter eggs—how they could move a devoted reader’s heart!
“Those who fail the test may be stripped of their position. It’s an extremely significant test for the Shadows.”
Wait a minute, didn’t Anna quit being a Shadow because she was injured?
She might still act like a maid, but she looks more like a Shadow….
“But why are you going, Anna? Didn’t you quit being a Shadow?”
“I’m going as an examiner since I’m retired. It’s considered unfair for active members to assess each other.”
“Ah, I see….”
As I nodded at her kind explanation, Asel, who had finished reporting to Baek Yigang, turned to me.
“Then, Cheong Dowoon, we’ll leave His Highness in your care until the afternoon.”
“I don’t mind, but if anything happens, will I be okay on my own?”
It didn’t make sense for me to be Baek Yigang’s escort.
If anything, he’d be the one protecting me.
Since he’s a sorcerer who uses black magic, it was unlikely he’d get hurt or find himself in danger, so I didn’t need to worry about him.
But if an unexpected situation arose, I wasn’t sure I could handle it skillfully.
After all, I didn’t have Anna’s decisiveness or Asel’s unwavering nature.
“Only we will be gone; the other Shadows will be standing by from a distance, so don’t worry too much.”
“Well, if that’s the case….”
Anna, noticing my anxious expression, quickly patted me on the shoulder.
Resigned, I accepted the situation, and Anna and Asel swiftly departed for the exam venue, promising to return soon.
“Then let’s go as well.”
It wasn’t until I heard Baek Yigang’s voice that I realized we were the only ones left.
I was so used to having Anna, Asel, or even Philip nearby that moving alone with Baek Yigang felt strange.
This was the first time we were alone together since the festival, which made the moment oddly awkward.
“Are we heading straight into the meeting?”
“First, we’re going to the dressing room. The princess will arrive tonight, so we won’t have time to prepare clothes after the meeting.”
It sounded reasonable at first glance, but… isn’t it cutting it too close to prepare clothes when the princess is arriving tonight?
Now that I think about it, we did something similarly rushed before.
At this point, it seemed less like déjà vu and more like a habit.
“Isn’t there too little time? Getting fitted now will make the meeting tight and everything rushed.”
“The clothes are ready. We’re just doing minor adjustments.”
Baek Yigang’s expression remained indifferent as he walked toward the dressing room without further comment.
But couldn’t those adjustments have been done earlier?
They usually take the longest!
… Not that it mattered now.
All I could do was go along with it.
As someone who had the “ppalli ppalli” (always in a rush) mentality ingrained as a Korean, it was hard to understand, but there was no helping it.
“Ah, alterations. Right, I know….”
Memories of being stuck with Lata for hours last time came back, making my vision spin for a moment.
But it would be fine.
Today, I was just an escort.
When we arrived at the dressing room, I stood by the entrance.
Anna and Asel usually waited by the door like this, so it should be fine to do the same, right?
“I’ll wait outside.”
But Baek Yigang’s expression suddenly turned cold, and the words that followed were ones I wished I hadn’t heard.
“What do you mean? You need to come in and get fitted too.”
“Wait, what? Me? But I’m just the escort!”
“Even a close aide needs to be properly dressed. The state council meeting isn’t somewhere you go in any outfit.”
Any outfit? I was already wearing clothes that Lata made!
“W-wait a minute! Baek Yigang, I really don’t nee—”
“Quiet.”
Sweating nervously, I tried to back away, but he caught the nape of my neck and dragged me inside the dressing room without mercy.
Ah, I really never wanted to set foot in this place again!
* * *
