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“Is this how the people of the Land ask for help?”

A slight smile hung around Achilleon’s mouth. His eyes even gleamed as if he had found a very interesting toy.

The gleam in his eyes was never a good sign. At least that was what I’ve been experiencing in the past.

“I’m….”

Lady Pais would never sit still if she found out that Tity had caught her bird and killed it right away. Now that Lady Pais’ forces have finally deflated, she couldn’t create a disadvantageous situation for her.

Moreover, she was the one who beat Tity to death ruthlessly for killing her dearest bird. There was no way it would happen again this time.

‘I have to think about it.’

Achilleon seemed to know about the relationship between Hazel and Lady Pais very well. It looked like he was relishing over her troubled face.

Meow.

Tity yawned sleepily and stretched in his arms, whether knowing her owner was in trouble or not. The way he stroked the cat with his fingertips seemed pretty experienced. It was obvious.

“…the cat, you get along with them.”

Achilleon tilted his head slightly at Hazel’s remark. Achilleon narrowed his eyes and waited for the next remark from Hazel, as if he was curious about what she was going to say.

“I think you’ve dealt with them a lot.”

The emperor’s concubine and Achilleon’s mother, Consort Helene, liked cats. Obviously, Achilleon also spent time with cats back when he was still young.

That information was unknown by people outside the Empire, so Achilleon simply thought it was just her wild guess.

He would never abuse or hate cats even though he didn’t raise them on his own.

“How do you know that?”

“People who raise cats will know about it well. You must’ve dealt with cats so many times that they treat you so comfortably, Your Highness.”

After taking her as the Empress, Achilleon gifted a cat to the Empress’ palace. It was thoughtful of him to make sure she was not bored at the times when he was busy with state affairs.

“I believe that you have saved my cat out of love and because you care for little animals.”

“…….”

“So I believe you’re not going to do anything that can put the life of this little animal you had saved by yourself back in danger.”

She didn’t realize that she had spoken regarding her feelings with Achilleon. But at least now, she has more information about him than what he knows about Hazel, so using it was the only clemency she could hold on to.

“It’s not easy to say that you trust other people.”

Tity let out a cute cry again as his big hands stroked her soft fur. She wondered if he might have put a lot of cat drugs on his hands before.

“But I will still believe in you.”

“Me?”

Achilles looked as if he was a bit stunned.

“There’s no way a bad person would follow such a little animal by her instinct. I heard that all the rumors that circulated around you are false.”

“What kind of rumors did you hear?”

“Many things. I’m sure you already know those, Your Highness.”

“But it’s not a lie that I killed people in the war.”

He replied calmly, and Hazel was barely able to draw a smile at that. Hazel wasn’t quite sure if she had succeeded in changing his mind and watched him cautiously, but Achilleon then opened up his mouth while glancing at the bird still wrapped in white cloth.

“So what are you going to do about this?”

“The bird… I’ll bury it for you.”

“Without informing Lady Pais?”

“You have to tell her this. One of the birds she loves so much is dead. You may tell Lady Pais exactly the way you found it for the first time, Your Highness. The bird died here, and you just found it.”

Hazel added with a smile on her face.

“But as soon as you tell her that Tity was involved in the death of this bird, you would never be able to pet the cat’s fur again.”

“That’s a great threat.”

The sides of Achilleon’s mouth stretched.

“Your Highness has saved this cat’s life. Therefore you have to take responsibility for that.”

“…….”

At Hazel’s quite impudent request, Achilleon burst into laughter for a brief moment before stopping abruptly.

“What if I want to take on other responsibilities?”

“…….”

Hazel gulped as he looked up at her with cold eyes. His deep blue eyes slowly descended from her face down to her bandaged legs.

Although it was well-hidden by the hem of her long dress, his eyes seemed to pierce through the fabric of the dress.

Hazel resisted the urge to run away by clutching at the dress as tight as she could.

“The kindness you’ve given to my cat is enough.”

“I’m not really interested in receiving verbal gratitude.”

“I will return it to you… I’ll definitely repay you.”

Achilleon stared at Hazel when she said those words. A smile slowly spread across his mouth that somehow sent shivers down to Hazel’s spine.

“It’s up to the recipient to decide.”

“Please do.”

Hazel sighed in relief inwardly. As long as Tity had not been in a dangerous situation anymore, that was all that mattered. She would think about the rest later on.

Achilleon rose from his seat with Tity in his arms and walked closer to where she was standing.

As he drew closer and closer, Hazel felt as if the air around her had been sucked into one place and vanished. It was hard for her to breathe and she felt as if the heat had been spreading throughout her entire body. It was inevitable reaction coming from her.

Hazel clenched her fist in order to not lose her mind. Achilleon was staring deep through Hazel when he finally stood right before her.

Hazel gave a lot of strength to her toes, thinking she shouldn’t get caught by him feeling nervous more than necessary.

Achilleon handed over the cat, which was still cuddling in his arms, to Hazel’s arms. Hazel felt her hands shaking involuntarily as her fingertips brushed against his in the midst of handing over her cat.

“…….”

Achilleon also stood back and looked down as if he just felt the trembling of her fingers.

“Thank you.”

Hazel quickly took Tity into her arms and backed away from him.

“I’ll make sure to repay you.”

Hazel added with a smile as she looked straight into his suspiciously gleaming eyes.

“Because that is the formality of the Land.”

***

Upon receiving the news of her bird’s death, Lady Pais immediately stormed into the Rose Palace.

“My bird was found dead, Princess Hazel.”

The day before, she had seen Lady Pais cry and beg desperately in front of Ileos, but this time Lady Pais looked quite imposing.

“Is that so?”

Hazel took a sip of tea and looked at Lady Pais.

“I heard it was found in the garden of the palace where Crown Prince Demophos was staying.”

“Oh, our dear guest, they’ve seen something ugly.”

“What…”

Lady Pais took a deep breath and opened her mouth again once she realized Hazel’s plain gaze was directed toward her.

“Why was my bird found there? Moreover, it’s already dead.”

“I suppose. How could that happen?”

“What do you mean by ‘How could that happen?’ Obviously the Princess’ cat has been attacking my bird.”

“How can you be so sure of that?”

“Everyone knows that you have a cat. Even if you tried to deny it…”

“Before that,”

The door opened and a maid came into the room when Hazel clapped her hands.

“We have found him, Your Highness.”

“Bring the gardener in.”

“Yes.”

While her maid went out of the room again, Lady Pais stared at Hazel as if the woman couldn’t comprehend her calm response.

“Princess? Can’t you hear me?”

“I want to show you something first as well.”

Hazel said while pretending to flash a kind smile to the woman.

After a short while, the gardener came in with an armful of beautiful roses in his hand.

“It’s something I’ve never told you before.”

“…….”

Lady Pais frowned at the roses brought by the gardener.

“What are you trying to say?”

“You’ll know when you take a look at it. Here, here, and here.”

On every trace Hazel pointed was a sharp cut on the petals of the flower bud which hadn’t bloomed and there were leaves still attached to the stem.

“I’ve been raising new roses ever since the previous geaden’s flower cutted off in my garden last time. Among them are the rose varieties that my father had sent me. Take a look here.”

Mrs. Pais frowned as she looked to the place where Hazel was pointing at.

“So what’s with that?”

“What do you mean? Aren’t you familiar with those punctured holes?”

“…what?”

Lady Pais said while hesitating.

“It’s the trace of a hard peck from a bird’s beak.”

“What …that can’t be.”

“No way. According to the gardener, this is the wound from the bird’s beak. Right?”

“Yes, I swear for my gardener career. Your Highness.”

The gardener said while lowering his head.

“I’d like to ask the price of your bird flying into my garden and hurting my flowers.”

“The bird has wings, princess.”

“Then?”

“Was it really my bird who had done anything to damage the rose that you have raised?”

“Then you would understand what I just said to you.”

“…….”

Lady Pais bit her lip, perhaps because she wanted to curse.

“How do you know it was Tity who had hurted your bird? Tity has been playing around with me all this time.”

“But she might have escaped when you didn’t realize it…”

“I told you I never did. Are you trying to frame me and my cat again? Like yesterday?”

“What happened yesterday was a misunderstanding, Princess.”

“You were so merciless. I almost got punished severely by Father.”

“That’s…”

Lady Pais opened her mouth and Hazel stopped her from talking again.

“As far as I know, the bird was usually kept in your cage, how could it fly to Crown Prince Achilleon’s quarters?”

Lady Pais only bit her lips, seeming as if she was unwilling to answer.

“You didn’t take care of the bird properly. That’s why there could be an accident when it flew through an open window freely. Because the bird has wings.”

Hazel made wings with both of her hands and pretended to make a flapping gesture.

“And people have tongues to talk.”

Lady Pais turned pale at her following words.