* * *

At the bottom of the letter containing the declaration I recited stood the princess’s signature and the imperial seal, gleaming in gold.

Not just Hernan, but even the knights standing guard behind him wore expressions of complete bewilderment.

“This is an order to halt all preparations for deployment and remain on standby in the castle.”

This seemingly absurd command had a lengthy backstory.

First of all, the Imperial Family and the Emperor are not synonymous.

While the Emperor represents the Imperial Family, the term “Imperial Family” encompasses a broader, more complex concept, including the Emperor’s second-degree relatives.

Roughly one or two centuries ago, the then-newly enthroned Emperor had ascended to power by systematically purging his siblings.

Perhaps it was proof that having many siblings brought no good.

Despite having an Empress by his side, he vowed to remain celibate and refused to have more than one child.

However, as with all things in life, success in family planning was unlikely in an era lacking scientific contraception.

After the Emperor’s first daughter was born, he ended up with a pair of fraternal twins—a daughter and a son.

Suddenly finding himself with three children, despite intending to have only one to carefully groom for succession, the Emperor decided to stick with his initial plan of passing the throne to the firstborn.

But just like his family planning, nothing ever went as the Emperor intended.

The crown princess—his first daughter—died in a carriage accident shortly after giving birth to a son.

The Emperor suspected one of his remaining children, who had not been made heir, of orchestrating the accident.

Whether true or not, this situation threatened to spark another bloodbath.

To prevent further chaos, the Emperor enacted an inviolable law for the Imperial Family that no future ruler could overturn.

The law stipulated that, in cases where a member of the Imperial Family felt their life was in immediate danger, they could commandeer the empire’s military forces to protect themselves.

This order would take precedence even over commands from the Emperor or Crown Prince.

However, the law came with a catch: the individual receiving the command had to willingly submit to the orders of the Imperial Family member.

Essentially, it was a restriction meant to allow for minimal interference—only forces already loyal to the family member could be utilized.

This law had been invoked only three times in history and was now considered effectively obsolete.

Nevertheless, it technically still overrode an imperial decree.

‘If the Emperor has a problem with it, he can abandon constitutional monarchy and return to absolutism.’

Not that the Council of Elders would ever let that happen.

By invoking her right to mobilize Velon’s army for her protection, the princess had effectively tied the Emperor’s hands.

If Hernan agreed, not even the Emperor could countermand the order.

Now, you might wonder why I—a mere outsider—know about this nearly forgotten law.

The reason is simple.

A prince, who once fled for his life thanks to this law, had sought refuge at the Paradise Hotel.

Naturally, such a colorful story wasn’t wasted.

It had been turned into a lucrative tourist attraction, all thanks to the legacy left by my grandfather.

Each member of the Imperial Family could invoke this protection order only once in their lifetime, and even then, only while they remained unmarried and part of the Imperial lineage.

Once married and their surname changed, the privilege vanished.

Some might argue that it was wasteful for Princess Evelyn to use it now when she could potentially need it more in the future.

‘If you’re not willing to pay the price, don’t borrow someone else’s strength to solve your problems.’

Though the process of persuading the princess had been arduous, the result ultimately worked in both Hernan’s and my favor.

“What do you plan to do now?” Hernan asked, his face still grim as he processed the situation.

I was fully aware that what we had done so far was merely a stopgap solution.

Exploiting the Emperor’s beloved youngest daughter to counter his will was sure to infuriate him.

While the Emperor might dismiss his daughter’s actions as a momentary lapse in judgment, he would undoubtedly find another way to retaliate against Hernan.

We had to act before he did.

“There’s someone I can call on for help,” I said.

It wasn’t exactly pleasant to bow my head to someone I usually regarded as a meddlesome elder.

However, this particular individual had always been unusually kind to me, as if anticipating this very moment.

‘He’s the most resourceful and influential ally in my network.’

The Emperor’s order to suppress Haptis was based on secret messages sent by some of Velon’s lords.

They claimed that a faction centered in Haptis was spreading like mold among the commoners, aiming to overthrow the existing power structure and eventually achieve independence from the Empire.

While I couldn’t immediately root out whoever concocted such nonsense, I had a good idea of the culprits.

‘When the time comes, I’ll strip them of their titles and lands and banish them all.’

For now, the priority was to permanently tie the Emperor’s hands, preventing him from attacking Velon recklessly.

To achieve this, I needed the support of the Council of Elders.

“There’s no time to waste. I’ll leave for the capital immediately,” I declared.

As I hurried to make preparations, Hernan blocked my way, his expression a mixture of anger and concern.

“You can’t. If you leave in your current condition, you’ll collapse.”

“I don’t have time! You also have someone you need to meet. Keep your group small and head to Heskin Castle. Viscount Belkain will receive you.”

To ensure the princess’s command wasn’t undermined, she and Hernan had to stay together.

The Emperor would soon summon them to the palace to question the situation, and it was safer for them to prepare their accounts together.

“What good will any of this be if you collapse or worse?” Hernan shouted, clenching his fists tightly.

His icy blue eyes burned with fury as he glared at me.

The intensity of his presence was almost overwhelming, but I couldn’t back down.

“I know you’ve hidden many things from me, claiming it was to protect me,” I said, dropping my faint smile and meeting his gaze head-on.

“If that’s how you protect me, then this is how I protect you.”

With that, I unfastened the cloak draped over my shoulders and let it fall to the ground.

The biting cold of Velon’s unforgiving winter hit me like a blade, freezing the skin exposed to the elements.

Snowflakes settled on my trembling arms, their sting sharper than I anticipated.

I winced at the pain.

Hernan’s eyes widened, and he rushed toward me.

“What are you doing? Get back inside immediately—”

But before he could reach me, I grabbed a small dagger—one meant for cutting paper—and moved to slash my wrist.

Hernan intercepted me just in time, his hand stopping mine.

“Jurgen!” he roared.

Hernan, his face pale and drawn, grabbed my wrist and wrapped his own cape around me.

Even though he had only taken off his winter cloak for a brief moment, his body was so cold it seemed to sting all the way to the inside of his sleeves.

Only after Hernan draped the cape over me did warmth begin to seep back into my body, though it came with a prickling sensation across my skin.

I braced myself, tightening my legs to avoid staggering.

Defacing the seal of the pact didn’t just signify a breach of contract.

Any attempt to harm it—cutting off an arm or burning the skin—would result in immediate death.

In the end, it was as though I had taken myself hostage.

“Wouldn’t it be better to collapse one more time than to die outright?”

I forced a bitter smile, ignoring the frosty breath escaping my lips.

Hernan’s face twisted in anguish, as if he might cry at any moment, as he looked at me.

I knew he wouldn’t let me go unless I pushed this far. If something happened to me, Hernan would blame himself for everything.

But if I didn’t act this way and Hernan ended up doing something irreversible, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself either.

Hernan’s trembling eyes fixed on me.

He knew that once I resolved to do something, no one could stop me.

The warmth of his large hands against my cheeks was enough to make my eyes flutter shut, but it wasn’t time to collapse just yet.

After a long silence, Hernan finally spoke, his voice shaking.

“Why… Why would you go this far for someone like me?”

Why?

I gave him a bitter smile and pulled him into an embrace.

His warmth filled my arms.

At last, I understood the reason for this familiar longing.

“I’ll tell you when we meet again.”

I gently stroked his frostbitten cheek with my fingertips, as if to soothe him.

* * *