‘Do you realize people will be scared to see you like that?’

Even she was scared, she had even forgotten to breathe. However, if she retreated from here, she could only back into the people who followed her.

One step, two steps.

Little by little, the two grew closer. Serwin opened his mouth and  reached out as they became close to each other.

“What is this all about?”

Amelie made eye contact with Serwin as he growled. It was frightening enough to make her choke, but there was also a strange defiant feeling that made her obstinate. It can’t be this way.

“I’m running away.”

“Running away?”

Serwin was dumbfounded.

‘You came out on your own two feet? Not dragged out, or by a conspiracy?’

The palace where Amelie stayed was the safest place to be for her. She only needs to be still. Why is she coming out here? What is it that she is so dissatisfied with? Serwin had no idea what was going on.

“Your Majesty has been watching me and locking me up! I can’t take it any longer! That’s why I’m running away!”

“So you’re leaving me?”

With a non-sound, the audience froze. Those who knew of Serwin’s cruelty were terrified before he even lifted his sword. Amelie, on the other hand, did not seem to be scared. It was because she was certain Serwin would not harm her. She corrected Serwin’s misunderstanding by widening her eyes.

“Of course I’m not! Why am I leaving? Get out of the way. I have to go to Your Majesty’s office.”

“Office?”

“Yes, my runaway place is Your Majesty’s office!”

What are you talking about?

“Are you running away to my office?”

Serwin was dumbfounded. He did not become angry when faced with bewildering situations that he could not understand. His anger subsided quickly.

“Yes.”

“Huh—”

“I ran away to protest the absurd treatment from a comrade who is in the same boat as me. Can you please move out of the way? Your office is where I’m going to!”

Serwin was dumbfounded.

What exactly does this mean? Are there any humans that try to escape the tiger’s den by walking into the tiger’s mouth?

‘What on earth is she thinking?’

He doesn’t remember the last time he was caught off guard like this.

“If you’re trying to catch me by surprise, it was a success. That’s amazing.” Serwin burst out laughing.

The audience held their breath and widened their eyes as if they were witnessing a ghost.

‘His Majesty is laughing.’

‘Oh, my God, the day I live to see the Emperor laugh.’

His laugh was more despondent or sarcastic than joyful. But the fact that he laughed was too much for the onlookers or Amelie to bear.

Amelie’s shoulders tensed as she noticed his smile.

But she wasn’t the one to back down in this situation.

‘I must do something.’

“Wow, I’m glad I succeeded.”

Amelie flashed a bright smile, pretending to show off. Serwin’s brow now became severely distorted.

“Amelie!”

“Don’t shout. Your Majesty, don’t you think there are a lot of eyes? We still have a long talk ahead.”

Amelie walked up the stairs, past him. Serwin’s eyes were drawn to the crowds of onlookers swarming in the lobby as she stepped behind him.

Serwin’s stomach twisted. News of Amelia’s presence will spread through the palace from this point forward. He wanted to cut out all of those eyes. Who do you dare to look at?

In accordance with his murderous instincts, he searched for a sword. Amelie turned her head at that point.

“Your Majesty.”

It was a soft call, but it was enough to wake him up. Serwin regained his composure. However, the murderous feeling did not go away.

‘Not yet.’

The conversation with Amelie comes first. Serwin followed Amelie to the office.

*******

Serwin’s office was placed in the middle of the second floor. When Amelie and Serwin arrived, the aides on duty looked at her with curious eyes.

Kwang!

Serwin kicked the desk.

“Get out.”

The aides shivered as they stood up. The room was filled with the fear that began to exude from them. Amelie looked back at the aides, unable to breathe from nerves and ebbing away as swift as a tide. Amelie, like them, wanted to leave the room.

“Sit down.”

Serwin gave the order. She wanted to argue about how the order was given, but Amelie sat still. It was because Serwin’s voice sounded like hell.

“You drew people’s attention. All the nobles will now dig up your history and try to get rid of you. That’s the kind of situation I wanted to avoid at all costs.”

Serwin gave a wry smile. He didn’t hide the fact that he was both angry and impatiently waiting for her explanation.

“You’ll have to have a good reason to disobey my orders.”

Amelie clenched her fists on her knees. Amelie’s neck was slashed by his sharp blade-like gaze. She remembered the first time she met him in the Dellaheim mansion.

Cold golden eyes that cause her to lose her fighting spirit just by looking at them.

Serwin had been very gentle with Amelie, she had noticed. In the face of his anger, his dignity and judiciousness as the Emperor in the Imperial Palace quickly faded. However, backing down was not an option for Amelie.

Amelie looked Serwin in the eyes.

“I didn’t intend to do this from the start. When it came to Milena, I kept my mouth shut because I was afraid His Majesty would hurt her.”

So far, Amelie has explained everything. Milena’s story and Mrs Enard’s story. And her feelings about going to the Imperial Palace.

Serwin’s expression darkened as her story progressed. It was completely unexpected. Thinking about Milena who was always by her side, and Mrs Enard who the two worked together to win  over. And he hadn’t expected Count Manverse to pull such a stunt so soon either.

‘How did the Count know about her?’

If Count Manverse discovered Amelie’s existence, it was expected that he would make such deals. He would choose people, arrange them around Amelie, and would probably have been able to get away with almost anything.

‘Where did the information come from? No, for now, let’s focus on this—’

Serwin looked at Amelie.

‘I mean, she did things like that without my knowledge. I thought she was reckless, but—’

Serwin was completely unaware of what was going on. Every night, he couldn’t find any trace of disobedience in her face.

“I didn’t realize that all this was happening, but I could have helped the child for you.”

“I’m sorry for deceiving you, but I couldn’t keep quiet and stay in that room as Your Majesty ordered. I have a lot of work to do.”

Amelie has repeatedly expressed her opinion. Give her something to do to help her overcome or learn about the disaster. Serwin was the one who didn’t even pretend to listen.

“As you can see, I can go wherever I want. Your Majesty wouldn’t know unless I decided to tell you. But, instead I came to your office. I’m telling you everything because I don’t want to lose your trust.”

“Huh? What the hell does it mean to deceive me, disobey my orders and then try to gain my trust after all that?”

“Your Majesty doesn’t trust me. It seems that you think I will not be able to protect myself, I will be fooled by the nobles, and I will easily fall for temptation. That’s why you locked me up and monitored me.”

“So?”

“So this is the method I’ve chosen to prove that I am not weak enough to rely on Your Majesty’s one-sided protection, and that I will also not deceive you, Your Majesty.”

Amelie didn’t have to say anything about wanting to annoy Serwin. Serwin, on the other hand, seemed to know everything.

“I’m in the same boat as you. I don’t need to be one-sidedly protected and I won’t be easily swayed. I want to learn about the disaster on my own as well.”

“I told you. It’s for your own safety. You don’t know the Palace.”

Amelie was annoyed by his condescending tone.

‘You don’t know the future.’

“I know, I saw it all in a prophecy.”

“Prophecy?”

“Yes, prophecy. I saw the future. It was the same as it was now. I was locked up, and the nobles wouldn’t let me go. Mrs Enard was being threatened by Count Manverse, and she tormented me while you ignored me. Then I died miserable.”

Amelie was upset.

“But I’m going to make a big change. No, I’m already changing it.”

It hasn’t been long since she arrived at the Imperial Palace, but a lot has changed since then. Mrs Enard’s and Milena’s loyalty was earned and her mistreatment at the hands of the maids was already handled all due to her own strength.

“—Did you say you died?”

Serwin’s face became distorted. Amelie didn’t say anything but her expression clearly said, “Oops.”

“That isn’t the point, but you should know I am capable and determined.”

Amelie said casually. That’s enough; she has no idea if Serwin was the one who killed her. Serwin, on the other hand, took her prophecy more seriously than she realized.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the prophecy?”

“What’s the point of saying it? It’s already changed a lot, so it doesn’t even help.”

Amelie purposefully avoided mentioning the original. She wanted to hide the fact that the person who killed her was likely Serwin, and that Renee, her sister, was the one who killed Serwin to avenge her.

‘You’re hiding something from me. You’re not saying everything about the prophecy.’

Serwin noticed that Amelie purposely omitted part of the prophecy.

‘Why are you hiding your prophecy? What are you trying to hide?’

Serwin stared into Amelie’s eyes. He thought he could read her mind, but now he felt he couldn’t tell what she was thinking at all.

‘You don’t believe in me either.’

He first met her as a bird, and then as a human, and he was already attached to her before he found out who she really was. Serwin, who is wary of people, felt more at ease thinking of her as a pet bird. As a result, Serwin regarded Amelie as a small pet bird.

‘I thought I could protect and control you as much as possible, but—’

Amelie was much more capable and able to act than he thought. Amelie seemed more distant and unfamiliar to him than ever before.

“I’m very capable. Believe in me.”

Amelie’s gloomy voice reached his ears. Serwin then came to a realization.

Anyway, if Amelie tried to hide her whereabouts, he wouldn’t know anything until it was too late. And it was unacceptable for an incident to happen where he couldn’t find her. He’d rather give Amelie her freedom to do whatever she wanted while keeping a close eye on her.

If she does as she pleases, she will realize that there is nothing she can do in this Imperial palace. Amelie will then be obedient. Nothing is safer for her than obeying his commands.

‘…and make her realize that it’s much better to be under my protection.’