* * *

“Asel, are you saying I didn’t come here myself last night?”

“There were other shadows guarding your room all night, and no one came out.”

Asel’s steady, unwavering gaze seemed to confirm his innocence. There was no need to hear more—this was Baek Yigang’s doing.

I knew it.

There was no way I would’ve come here on my own!

Something felt off from the start!

Feeling completely duped, I glared at Baek Yigang, who cast a cold glance at Asel.

“Looks like the training ground suited you well.”

“…Not at all.”

“Still quick to answer, I see.”

The cryptic exchange between the two only added to the confusion.

Before long, Asel clamped his mouth shut, as if silenced by Baek Yigang’s sheer presence.

“Baek Yigang, what’s all this nonsense about?”

“How should I know? Asel might’ve been too tired and spouted nonsense.”

I pressed him with a voice full of suspicion, but Baek Yigang dismissed it nonchalantly, staring straight ahead.

The real reaction came from Asel, who finally spoke as if he had been waiting.

“My apologies. Dowoon did, in fact, transport himself here during the night.”

His curt, clipped tone made the statement sound rehearsed—clearly a hastily concocted lie.

“Wow, now you’re roping in accomplices. You’re truly despicable.”

Asel avoided my gaze, swallowing hard, while Baek Yigang brushed off my muttered complaints with ease.

When we reached the dining room, an ominous feeling hit me.

Thinking about it, Baek Yigang wouldn’t have moved me on his own, right?

Of course, it’s not that Baek Yigang couldn’t carry me, but… Let’s be honest, that doesn’t seem like something he’d do.

So, could it be…?

“Baek Yigang, don’t tell me you used that power just to move me here. You wouldn’t… right?”

Answer me, you damn shadowy manipulator.

Growing anxious, I asked with desperate eyes.

Baek Yigang halted, prompting the knights at the dining room door to hesitate, unsure if they should open it.

“Well, who knows?”

His ambiguous reply was infuriating.

Not that I expected a straightforward answer, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let him evade me like this.

“Hey, don’t just brush it off—!”

Bang.

“…Huh?”

The doors swung open just as I raised my voice.

It seemed Baek Yigang had signaled the knights.

Inside the room, the Emperor, Delcia, Ian, and Piel all turned their gazes toward us.

…Gulp.

I could feel the sweat dripping down my back as my throat tightened uncomfortably.

Wait, why are there so many people here?

Wasn’t this supposed to be a private breakfast with the princess?

Why is everyone here…?

“We’ll talk later, somewhere private. Just the two of us.”

With a faint smile on his familiar face, Baek Yigang whispered something softly into my ear and then sauntered in, utterly nonchalant.

As if the room wasn’t already full of people I found insufferable, that maddeningly sly Baek Yigang doubled my unease.

The Emperor?

Needless to say, the look in his eyes alone made it crystal clear I wasn’t welcome.

Delcia?

She was someone I didn’t even want to make eye contact with.

The other imperial princes?

No better.

“This was supposed to be breakfast with the princess…!”

I hurried to Baek Yigang’s side, my voice barely above a whisper as I began to press him.

“Over there, the princess,” Baek Yigang casually gestured toward the princess ahead of us with a tilt of his chin before I could even finish.

Seriously, who else but this lunatic would dare point at the imperial princess so carelessly?

He’s a bona fide maniac.

“You didn’t say there’d be other people!”

“I have no idea why they’re here either.”

Liar. Absolute liar!

He definitely knew!

If he’d told me the Emperor and the other princes would be present, I would’ve never shown up!

He played dumb on purpose!

Damn you, Baek Yigang!

“Keep this up, and—”

“Duly noted,” he replied smoothly, his face betraying no hint of seriousness.

Effortlessly, he guided me forward.

Even as we moved to our seats, he humored my whispered, anger-filled complaints, responding with a calm demeanor that only seemed to revel in the attention we were attracting.

The way every pair of eyes in the room was locked on us seemed to thoroughly please him.

But more pressing matters—like the Emperor’s deteriorating condition—were impossible to ignore.

Though outwardly he seemed fine, the subtle signs were undeniable.

His complexion was slightly sallow, his drooping eyes lacked vitality, and his hair, once lustrous, now looked dry and brittle.

Most would dismiss such a state as mere fatigue.

Little did they know, it was a dangerous warning sign.

It felt as though his time was truly running out.

I’d entertained the hope that, given the twists in the plot so far, the Emperor’s death might somehow be avoided, but it seemed unlikely.

Major plot events, like the Emperor’s death, always seemed to proceed as intended.

In the original work, after the Emperor’s passing, Delcia fell victim to Piel’s schemes and died as well—a pivotal moment in the story.

If her death is inevitable, how will it unfold this time?

Reluctantly, I took my seat, feeling as if I’d been forced onto a bed of nails.

Next to me, Ian greeted me warmly with a gentle nod, and I awkwardly nodded back.

Last time, the presence of other nobles had created enough distance to spare me from the full brunt of uncomfortable faces.

But today, with only the royal family present, every detail of their expressions was painfully apparent.

At least this time, I wasn’t seated directly opposite the princess. That was a small mercy.

However, Ian, ever the doting “mother bird,” kept piling food onto my plate, clearly intent on feeding me. It was so overwhelming that I nearly choked.

I never expected his habit of taking care of me during private meals to carry over to this setting.

Worse yet, I accepted the food automatically, like it was second nature—an unsettling realization.

Though the Emperor clearly wasn’t thrilled about my presence, he ate in silence, perhaps because Delcia was also at the table.

The atmosphere felt eerily like the calm before a storm.

As the meal drew to a close and dessert began to arrive, the Emperor cleared his throat a couple of times, drawing everyone’s attention.

“It would be good for us to continue gathering for meals like this, even after the princess joins the Derzio royal family,” he declared, his tone solemn.

“That’s a wonderful idea, Your Majesty,” Delcia replied warmly, nodding in agreement.

The other princes, however, barely hid their disinterest as they quietly sipped their tea.

As for Baek Yigang?

He seemed entirely detached, instructing a servant to brew him a strong coffee instead of even pretending to listen.

“I know you like sweets, Dowoon. Have some more cake,” Ian said brightly, sliding his share of cake in front of me with a beaming smile.

Meanwhile, Piel lazily stabbed at his cake with a fork, his face a picture of utter disinterest.

The scene was a mess, to say the least.

The Emperor, seemingly unfazed after a lifetime of witnessing such disorder, rose from his seat with indifference.

“Stay and talk amongst yourselves for a while,” he said, not even bothering to look at the princes before leaving the room.

The moment he disappeared, Ian eagerly grabbed my sleeve.

“Dowoon, if you don’t have any plans, how about a cup of tea with me?” he asked, his dark blue eyes gleaming with anticipation like a hopeful little rabbit.

Using such an angelic face to make a request—he was playing dirty.

“I’ll join too,” Piel suddenly interjected, sidling up to us.

Ugh. Ian was one thing, but with Piel tagging along, I’d rather refuse—no, wait.

Come to think of it, Piel’s been unusually quiet lately, which has been making me uneasy.

Perhaps this is a good chance to probe him a little.

There’s no way Piel would sit idly by while Baek Yigang ascended to the throne.

His current silence could only mean he was plotting something.

“I suppose—”

“Pardon me for interrupting.”

Just as I was about to agree, the princess unexpectedly inserted herself between us.

When did she get here?

Standing just behind me, Delcia cut me off with a sweet smile, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder.

“May I borrow the Wizard for a while?” she asked.

Wait, what? Borrow me? For what?

Before I could process her words, a system window suddenly popped up in front of me.

[SYSTEM: (Urgent) Hidden Event Triggered!! Supporting Character ‘Delcia Rietri’ has initiated a hidden quest. Accept ‘The Suspicious Princess’s Request’ to view potential rewards.]

So… I either accept her mysterious request and gamble on whatever reward may follow or stick to the safer route and go my own way.

Are you asking for my decision?

* * *