I Hoped You Weren't Alive At Times ✓

Ch 55

8.6 The Emperor Wants to Know the Empress (2)
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It was a natural disaster for Dunya to become the chief of the nobility, but the repercussions were surprisingly calm.

Delua, of course, did not sit still. He tried his best to walk away as usual, and his limbs rebelled as best they could.

The nobles looked around and measured the sides. So much the same as usual, nothing has changed.

What changed was not the situation, but the relationship between Karloi and Yvonne. Curiously softened, Karloi has already visited Yvonne three times since the night at the Royal Chamber.

Unlike in the past, where he was only sipping tea with his reluctant face, he called Yvonne to various places in the Imperial Palace. Even once was the Entoura Room, an indoor garden, she had never been allowed to enter before.

The conversation wasn't visibly friendly, but it wasn't as egregiously sharp as it used to be. That drives Yvonne even crazier.

Ever since returning from the estate of Delua, Karloi's unpredictable attitude and his mind following it have been troubled. He was friendly and cold at one point. It seemed sincere, but at some point it seemed like a lie.

And not once in three of those times did Yvonne open the vial. Lady Anssen, Count Anssen's sister and her court lady, told her that she had to take the vial herself and she had to do what she was commanded by the Duke of Delua, but Yvonne was holding out without giving all three encounters.

Today, the fourth meeting, Karloi was showing the imperial paintings at the Long Gallery of the main building. Yvonne really didn't know the palace very well despite having been in her position as Empress for over a year.

"This is Carlos Croytan, the previous Emperor."

He was Karloi's grandfather. A man who resembled Karloi stood in the painting with an arrogant face, as if it was Karloi that was painted there, except that his hair was different in color. The brooch in the center of the chest stood out.

"...It's called 'The Eye of Croytan'."

Karloi spoke from the side, perhaps noticing Yvonne's gaze.

"Is there anything special about that brooch?"

"It was created when the country ruled by five leaders alternately elected the first king. Except for Croytan, the other four leaders offered their magic little by little."

"Does it have magic in it?"

"...Now only Croytan's direct line and Alexis Dunya knew about it. I didn't know back then because I was young when I lost it."

Yvonne looked back at Karloi. Karloi answered dryly, avoiding her eyes.

"I'm saying this to you because you're also a Croytan."

On the first night of their wedding, she never thought that words would come out of the mouth of Karloi, whom he had denied more than anyone else. After that night of conversation, it became difficult for her to distinguish the truth from her lies in Karloi's words.

"What kind of magic does it have?"

"The protective magic worked when the brooch was on a Croytan's body. But now, it's only power is so weak that it can only weaken an impact."

Ah. Yvonne was convinced by the idea that Karloi, who had been beaten so much by those thugs when he was a child, was not as badly injured as she had thought he would be. 

She can't believe he would give something so valuable to a girl he only met for the first time. Kal was really giving everything he had. Yvonne became more distressed when it occurred to her that the goodwill shown by the young Kal was much greater than she thought.