Chapter 56

Chapter 56

The ladies-in-waiting lowered their heads at his words.

“I am truly sorry for causing such trouble to the guest.”

“No one knows whether I will be a guest or another owner of this place, so don’t think of it as a problem. I don’t know about anything else, but my heart for Isilis is second to none.”

With those words, the maids hurriedly guided Usman as he moved his feet.

Following the ladies-in-waiting, he continued to brainwash her. He would make her happy… as much happiness that was taken away from her. It wasn’t her fault that she lost the child, but that it was petulance that put Berthas away by her side.

Because of that, he would make sure she wouldn’t even think about it… Berthas or the likes.

“You look tired.”

It was a nice sunny day. Isilis had been out in the garden since early morning. It has been one of her daily routines since she lost the child, and in front of him was Usman.

A peculiarly vivid tiredness was on his face.

“It’s because of you.”

Isilis curled her eyes at his words, a little spiteful.

“Was it because of me that you couldn’t sleep?”

“Yes.”

Every night, it was Usman who couldn’t sleep properly trying to soothe Isilis as she wandered through the garden. She was getting better thanks to his efforts, but rather he became the problem.

The sleepless nights lasted for months, making it difficult for even the toughest warrior to endure. At least he couldn’t have lasted if he hadn’t slept while Isilis was doing her business. Only his lieutenant, Halliman, was horrified to learn of this.

“Crown Prince!”

“What.”

“You’ll die like this! You can’t endure without sleeping!”

“Then, what do you want me to do? The woman I love is about to die.”

“Your Highness… No, it sounds so awful. Still, whether the Empress of Larchen dies or not has nothing to do with me. Your Highness is the problem!”

“I am not going to die. I haven’t slept with the woman I love yet.”

“Are you saying that now!”

Haliman shouted in anger, and Usman shook his head.

“Lower your voice. This is the imperial palace of Larchen.”

“Your Majesty. Let’s go back. It’s already been over seven months. The Emperor says you are strong, but Your Highness’ younger brother continues to seek the throne.”

“Oh, that ten-year-old child?”

“Your Highness…!”

Usman’s position was also not good. He was the Crown Prince of the Khalifa Empire, but his stepmother was a problem. When her son was ten years old, he continued to take over his place.

“Our empire is not such an easy place for that snotty kid to do anything.”

“But…”

“But knowing the place of women in our empire.”

The new empress did everything possible to dethrone Uthman from his position as crown prince, but it was impossible. In the first place, the nobles of the Khalifa Empire were stubborn. They did not change the idea that the Emperor could not pass the throne unless to the eldest son.

There was one more.

In the Khalifa Empire, the Empress’ being in charge of the throne when the Emperor was still young was an impossible notion.

“They’re the ones who would rather die than have a woman stand on top of them, so it has to be that way.”

“Still, Your Highness.”

“That’s enough. Stop talking about that.”

It was impossible to leave now that Isilis’s condition was getting better.

“Your Highness, that doesn’t mean that the empress of Larchen recognizes you?”

“That’s right.”

Isilis did not remember the events during the night. The ladies-in-waiting, including Usman, sighed at the imperial doctor’s words that she might not be aware of it because she had a mental illness.

The reason this fact was not known to the public for several months was that Usman had thoroughly concealed it, and the ladies-in-waiting made every effort as well. They blocked all of the paths through which she passed and prevented people from wandering.

It was fortunate that the previous Emperor’s room was in the annex. If her room were in the main palace, they would never have been able to hide it.

“But why are you doing this?”

“What do you know who has never been in love?”

As Haliman shut his mouth at Usman’s low voice, he couldn’t say anything except wearing a look of remorse on his face. What made that strong man like that?

“Your Highness.”

“Still, I won’t regret it. If I hadn’t done that, then there would be no place for me next to Isilis.”

“Your Highness.”

With Haliman’s fading voice behind him, Usman moved on.

It was time to go to Isilis.

“How can you think so hard about me? Do you like me that much?”

“It’s not enough to explain this feeling with the word ‘like’.”

Usman replied to Isilis’ playful words. It was true. Just ‘like’ were too light to explain his feelings now. How could such a desperate heart be explained with that word?

As he watched her wither beside him, he wanted to see her bright side like before though he still couldn’t let her go. Between the two conflicting minds, he was unable to do this or that. However, to be precise, he liked the fact that she joked like this next to him, and he loved her for telling him that with a smile.

‘She’s slowly getting better, so she’ll get better in the future.’

Smiling brightly at Isilis, who seemed surprised by his words, Usman made up his mind. He wanted to be around her.

“I love you.”

“What?”

“I am in love with you. Isilis.”

He could hear the ladies-in-waiting who had listened to him from behind hold their breath, but Usman decided to convey his feelings. Lately, Isilis’ ladies-in-waiting were cheering him on.

It was because when she was in trouble, he was by her side.

Usman laughed at the ladies-in-waiting’s encouragement to convey his feelings. It was funny that as his popularity rose, so did his lieutenant Haliman’s popularity.

‘They know what the desert men are like.’

Usman also knew that he was an oddity among desert warriors. Haliman said that this was all because he studied abroad in Larchen when he was young, but Usman didn’t mind. Rather, his thoughts were open because he encountered other cultures.

He changed his mind when he saw that the Khalifa Empire did not favor women. If he ascended the throne, he intended to change the empire.

‘That is also the case when Isilis did not accept me…’

Looking at those shaking eyes, it seemed that her heart had already been shaken to some extent. It was worth the effort every night.

“So, keep thinking of me.”

Five months had already passed since he arrived at the Imperial Capital of the Larchen Empire. Even today, Sir Dahan failed to enter the imperial palace of the Larchen Empire. The Imperial Palace of Larchen was tightly closed, and only those with a clear identity could not enter.

Since he had been ordered by Berthas to do it secretly, he couldn’t openly enter the main gate.

“How on earth…the Duke, and theEmpresss of Larchen… Anyway more than that…”

He wanted to go in, but I couldn’t. The guards, who found his behavior strange as he continued to look around, approached, so he hurriedly left. How many times had this been already? He couldn’t even ask anyone for help.

According to Berthas, he heard that the Empress of the Empire would come out from time to time and walk around the Capital, but he couldn’t even see her nose.

“I can’t see anyone like a wizard, let alone the Empress.”

Most of the wizards of the Larchen Empire were scattered throughout Larchen to find the Princess. Leaving only the minimum number of personnel to protect the Imperial Palace, the Capital, and the empire. Sir Dahan, unable to understand the fact, continued to mutter.

“How should I deliver this letter?”

There was no way to tell.

He couldn’t approach the nobles of Larchen, and it seemed difficult to enter the Palace as a messenger.

What should he even say if he tried to enter as a messenger? That he is Bertha’s Hillenton’s messenger? It was a good thing if he was able to go in. There was a chance that someone would steal the letter before going in and meeting the Empress.

That person in particular.

Lord Dahan continued to look at the people of the Khalifa Empire wandering around. It was the most decisive reason for not being able to enter.

When he first arrived here, he witnessed someone from the Khalifa Empire taking an outsider approaching the castle. After seeing that, Dahan paid more attention. It was a slow time. He has been away from Berthas for seven months. He could convey the message by sending a carrier bird, but even that was not easy.

It was because the birds often lost their way and returned again because they were blocked by the barrier of Larchen, the empire of magic.

‘Still, I should say it’s fortunate that I delivered the news.’

Sir Dahan was aiming for an opportunity today. There was someone who caught his gaze as he looked around with eyes like a hyena. It was a woman dressed as a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Palace, and she was suddenly surrounded by men, and in an instant, they took the woman and disappeared into the alley.

Dahan hurriedly followed them.

“Let go!”

“Don’t act arrogantly just because you’re a court lady. My master asked to see you.”

“I am a busy person!”

“Do I have to say it? We were told to break you somewhere and bring you.”

“Yes, but… miss. We don’t want to do anything harsh to the Miss either. We are not like that.”

“What do you mean no! Did he send you? The count?”

“If you know, of course, you should come with us!”

It was then that the men slowly surrounded her.

“Stop!”

“Ha… There are things that always come out like this.”

The man added to his words, waving his fingers as his magic shot out around Dahan.

Quickly dodging the man’s magic, Dahan ran up to him and struck him in the back of the neck. It happened without them being able to tell. When the man who was a wizard collapsed, the man’s men panicked and took the woman hostage.

“If you don’t stop, this woman will die!”

“Kill her.”

“Yes… what?”

“Kill her. I’m stressed right now and was looking for a place to vent because it was piled up, so it doesn’t matter to me whether she dies or not.”

Dahan, who spoke with a cold expression, moved quickly and hit the men one by one. It was a powerful act full of selfishness. The feeling of relief was evident in the way he struck down the entire sword. He stopped only when the men who had been repeatedly beaten shouted for surrender.

“Get lost.”

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