CH 10

8. Mark

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

After the emperor left, the ladies-in-waiting came pouring in. Lasilia, who finished her bath and changed her clothes, forcibly concealed her expression that she was ashamed and about to die.

“That is… She believes that Her Majesty the Empress cannot be unaware that it is a nightgown.”

The Marquise’s voice crept into the distance.

“Even if I ask again and again, she says that she likes the pajamas of the first night…”

“Stop. I see what you mean.”

Lasilia let out a small sigh. She was the master of the empress repeating her obvious lies. She said that no one took her word for truth as her empress did.

“As you all know, I lost my memory. I can’t remember even a trivial thing like pajamas. If I make a mistake like today, you must come forward and stop it.”

“That is… I understand, Her Majesty the Empress.”

Her answer was polite, but somehow not very trustworthy. Even at this moment, her ladies-in-waiting would be confused as to whether or not the empress was lying.

‘I can’t. I have no choice but to be more careful.’

No matter how much she thought about it, she had no choice but to leave that place quickly. The moment she said the word fake, I immediately thought of the shadow knights who pulled out their swords. Ryan’s threat to visit him separately was not for nothing.

She thought, ‘I need to get back as soon as possible. Naturally, there should be an opportunity to bring up the topic of healing prayer…’

It was when she thought that far.

Knock.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

The trigger came to Lasilia on its own.

“The Little Duke of Fielion, Ternaden, asks to see you.”

* * *

The minor Duke of Fielion was the empress’s subordinate.

“I greet Her Majesty the Empress.”

The age difference didn’t seem too great. The cold-looking handsome man with her black hair and cold blue eyes resembled the empress terrifyingly, saying that he was a distant relative whom she had adopted to inherit her title seemed true.

He bowed politely in front of Lasilia and kissed the back of her hand respectfully.

“May God bless your unfading beauty.”

“… Thanks, Lord Fielion. Stop, get up.”

“As you wish.”

Ternaden raised his body. The ladies-in-waiting quietly left the room without anyone telling them to.

“…?”

While Lasilia thought it was a little strange, Ternaden came over to her, took a handful of her still half-wet hair, and smelled her scent.

“Hmm. It’s lemon scented today. Knowing that I don’t like it very much. Fresh things don’t suit my sister.”

What!

Surprised, Lasilia cut off Ternaden’s hand.

“What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? It hurts.”

Ternaden, holding the back of his reddened hand, clicked his tongue. The tone and movement were so natural that she guessed that the two were very close.

“Looks like you haven’t heard yet that I lost my memory. I’ve heard of your identity, but unfortunately I can’t remember the slightest bit of time I spent with you. I hope you will understand even as a stranger.”

“What…? What else is this…? Are you going to pretend to have amnesia even now with me?”

As she listened, it seemed that he had heard of amnesia.

“I want you to be polite even if we are of the same age.”

“Courtesy…? It’s really infuriating.”

Ternaden shook his head. The same was true of Lasilia. Not even one family member believed her words. It occurred to her that the road back to Delarta would be very long.

Ternaden, who suddenly strode forward to her, sat down on the seat next to Lasilia.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m serious. Stop doing this because it’s no fun. Just say it. Are you mad at me? Didn’t the witchcraft work?”

“Witchcraft…?”

Ternaden Fielion knew the secret of the empress. She now seemed to know why her maids left the room. The empress would have been accustomed to sharing her secrets with him. To the extent that leaving her seat when the two of them were together became a habit for her ladies-in-waiting to take precedence over orders.

‘The empress used magic? Why?’

Lasilia changed her mind about sending Ternaden back. Ternaden Fielion could tell a story about the empress that no one else knew.

“If my sister is going to be angry with me, that’s the only thing. Is the sorcery still ineffective? So are you trying to punish me?”

“…”

When Lasilia was silent, Ternaden took her hand and put it on his cheek. The twisted eyes looked painful.

“Please, sister…  don’t do this to me, I did my best for my sister. My sister knows that I went all the way to Trinidad and brought the strongest magician.”

It was a long time ago when witchcraft was actively used. From some time ago, witchcraft was recognized as an insubstantial and unstable power compared to divine power or magic. The vast amount of knowledge required to master witchcraft also played a role in making witchcraft more difficult.

There were more cases where the results of half-hearted witchcraft attempted with clumsy knowledge were disastrous. Eventually, the number of shamans continued to decrease, and they were forgotten in the world. Trinidad was a city where the few shamans left on the continent continued their past.

“It’s only been a week since the shaman went. It takes time to take effect. Even the sorcerer said so. You won’t be able to see it with your own eyes right now.”

“…How long do I have to believe that?”

Lasilia took her hand and changed her tone. From Ternaden’s attitude, it seemed that treating him as a stranger meant little.

“Until the Emperor’s 30th birthday.”

After hesitating for a moment, Ternaden spat out this answer.

“Before then, the effect will surely appear.”

That was a year from now. It was too long to wait. And Lasilia couldn’t stay in the empire for another year.

Ternaden grabbed Lasilia’s hand again.

“Trust me and stop forgiving me. I don’t see you often, but there’s nothing like this.”

It was a desperate voice. If nothing else, it was clear that he was on the empress’ side.

Lasilia grabbed her hand again and pulled it away. Ternaden followed her hand as he receded with his pitiful eyes.

“Before I can forgive, there is something you need to know.”

“What? Tell me anything. I will do anything.”

“It’s real that I have amnesia.”

“…what?”

“So tell me. What was the sorcery for?”

* * *

“It’s ridiculous… Could it be a side effect of witchcraft?”

Ternaden did not believe Lasilia’s words until she explained again and again.

“I heard that the bigger the spell, the more side effects or recoil… It’s crazy, but that’s how you lost your memory.”

Ternaden clenched his chin and paced around the room frantically.

“Don’t do that, sit down. Sit down and finish talking.”

Lasilia pointed to the couch. Ternaden, who stopped her, looked at Lasilia for a long time before returning to the couch.

“So… You really don’t know anything? Everything you did with me?”

“I do not know. Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Shit. You should know everything! Do you mean that?”

Ternaden burst into anger. In fact, he looked more frightened than angry. He grabbed his black hair, which resembled the empress’s, as if tearing it off.

“What the hell is this… Haha, I lost my memory. In a perilous time like now.”

Raising his head again, Ternaden let go of his hair and looked at Lasilia with his longing eyes. His eyes looked sincere.

“Listen, sister.”

“I am listening.”

“My sister has lost her mark.”

It was embarrassing enough. The mark was proof of rejection. If she lost it, as empress, she would of course have to do something.

“Could I lose the mark? Was the mark something like an object?”

“What…?”

Ternaden laughed bitterly.

“You really don’t seem to know anything. Calling the shaman to retrieve her mark, she forgot what her mark was.”

Ternaden pointed a finger somewhere on his body. It was embarrassing because it was between the buttocks, but Ternaden’s face was serious.

“My sister’s mark is here. A place where nobody but your partner can see.”

“…”

The mark was nestled deep inside her body. It couldn’t be seen by the empress herself. It was in a position where only those with whom she had a very intimate relationship could see it. With the exception of her, there was a maid who tended to the baths.

One day, the lady-in-waiting who was washing her body with extraordinary effort noticed that her mark had changed. It was a month before she and Lescal were to marry. In that month, more than half of the marks had disappeared. On the day of the wedding, the markings were so obliterated that anyone could see that they were incomplete. Like this, she couldn’t hold the first night. Because she should have been caught by the emperor.

“So every time… It seems to have been avoided. Not because I hate the Emperor.”

“Do you hate him?”

Ternaden burst out laughing at her.

“Who is Lescal to you? If your love was so great, you would have eaten every single strand of Lescal’s hair. Even if your stomach explodes and you die.”

It was something she didn’t understand.

“Even if I loved him… It was something I couldn’t keep hidden. Are you saying I risked getting married though?”

“Do you think I didn’t stop my sister?”

Ternaden’s expression twisted.

“I’ve said it many times. That’s too risky. You said you had to give up your position as empress. If you couldn’t, you wanted to at least postpone the marriage until you found a way.”

That said, it was to no avail.

“Didn’t the emperor doubt it? If I had refused to contact him like that, I could have been suspicious.”

“That’s the problem.”

Ternaden let out a sigh in her crumpled face.

“The one who should be clinging to and begging is obviously Lescal, but that person is carefree.”

There was a reason why companions were called companions. He was to love her empress just as the empress loved her emperor so much that she could chew it all up. But Lescal didn’t. He never first asked for bed, never craved or demanded affection. Cartagena was no different from other human beings who elicited no emotions in him.

The more he did, the more the empress struggled with the suspicion that he might not be her real partner.

Having reached a dead end, the empress looked for a magician with the feeling of grabbing at least a straw, and practiced magic. Duke Peelion paid a huge price with his family’s wealth. The result has yet to be known.

Ternaden, who was running his hair nervously, made a suggestion.

“Let’s check the mark now. Because the sorcery might have succeeded.”

This wasn’t just a problem for the empress. The entire Peelion dukedom might have to face the sin of adopting a fake partner as empress.

“Eliaden’s blood cannot pass the age of thirty without a companion. I don’t know if it’s real or not, but the original contract said so. Lescal will try to contact you somehow until then. You’ve neglected it until now, but you can’t do that anymore. Do you know what I mean? Until then, my sister must have the mark of a companion.”

“You know that. By the way…”

“Damn, if I had known this was going to happen, I should have confirmed the return of the mark and sent the shaman back. I thought it was successful because I had no contact so far. I never thought my sister would lose her memory. Anyway, I have to check now.”

Ternaden spoke so casually that she almost forgot his words about where her mark was.

“Come on, sister. Turn around and take off your clothes.”

“What…?”

“Look that way.”

But it was a position she should never forget. Lasilia threw up her hand to hide her embarrassment.

“I will check for a moment. “Because my sister mark is in a place where I can’t see it… Oh, did you forget this too?”

Ternaden looked at Lasilia, revealing her drumming emotions.

“I have already seen it many times. I mean, there is no need to be ashamed.”

“What does that mean? Why me?”

“I do not remember?”

Ternaden approached. It was so close that their lips could touch at any moment.

“How was your relationship with your sister and me?”

It was then.

Clap, bang!

Without any notice, the door to the fact that the two were there opened. And the person who entered was the emperor holding an impossibly sized bouquet of roses.