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Ziggkart grumbled, but Etern stubbornly led him to a secluded corner. Once they were far enough that even Lance, standing just a few dozen steps away, couldn’t hear them, she lowered her voice and asked.
"Is there something wrong?"
Ziggkart furrowed his brows, as if he didn’t understand her question.
Though still a long way from adulthood, when he made that expression, he looked remarkably similar to the person Etern had known in the past.
"A problem? What kind of problem?"
"You said you need to protect yourself. Are you in danger? Here, or... no way…."
Ziggkart, his lips downturned and eyes wide, stared at Etern's serious expression before speaking.
"Are you saying something like this? That I might unknowingly be poisoned to death, or that some rat sneaks in and slits my throat…."
"Can you speak a little more nicely?"
Ziggkart blinked in dissatisfaction, puffing out one cheek, and imitated her words in a nasal, exaggerated voice.
"‘Slits my throat~?’"
Etern jabbed him in the side.
"Acting cute won’t make your words sound any nicer."
"You're so picky. How else am I supposed to say 'slit my throat' nicely?"
Etern shook her head and raised both hands to stop him.
"Forget it. Whatever the case... So, is it true? Are you in danger? Do you need help?"
"Are you stupid?"
The insult came out without hesitation, leaving Etern momentarily dumbfounded. Her large eyes blinked in surprise, lips slightly parted. With her shining hair and porcelain-like skin, she looked like a carefully crafted doll.
Her eyelashes quivered as she blinked again, casting faint shadows over her eyes.
"Did you just call me stupid?"
"Who else would ask such a question if they weren’t?"
"You’re the one who made it sound suspicious in the first place!"
"You really grew up sheltered, huh? I thought you were a greenhouse flower, but now I see you're not even in a greenhouse—you’ve been sipping water from a jewel-encrusted vase."*
This brat…!
Etern clenched her fists tightly, her lips pressing together with an ominous intensity.
"Have you ever been punched by a flower? It hurts, you know."
Ziggkart scoffed. He casually pushed her outstretched fist aside with a finger and leaned in until their foreheads were nearly touching.
"A future ruler, someone who will one day sit above all others, must naturally learn to protect themselves. Instead of asking me foolish questions, you should start thinking about how to protect yourself."
As he finished speaking, he smirked. Handsome as he was, at that moment, he looked unbelievably annoying.
‘He’s definitely hiding something.’
But at the same time, what he said was true.
Even if he didn't explicitly say it, everything Etern did—her words and actions—was ultimately to protect herself as well.
That infuriating little brat.
With her lips pursed like an angry squirrel, Etern suddenly headbutted Ziggkart right on the forehead.
***
The bump on Ziggkart's forehead had nearly disappeared by the time the medicine for Empress Meikellen was almost complete.
Emperor Wintier had been curious about how he had hurt his forehead, but when Etern had brightly declared, "I did it!" he had burst into laughter.
‘Like father, like daughter. What a temper.’
It was something that had happened days ago, but every time he thought about it, it left him speechless.
Ziggkart, scowling, placed the lid over the round container holding the medicine.
"Let’s go."
He handed the medicine over to Lance to carry. Rather than entrusting it to mere attendants, Lance was at least reliable.
Upon arriving at Empress Meikellen's palace, Ziggkart greeted Emperor Wintier first. The emperor stood there with a colder expression than usual.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
The Emperor merely lifted a hand in a dismissive gesture, as if even speaking was a hassle. Because of that, Etern, feeling the awkward atmosphere, tried to lighten the mood and greeted Ziggkart cheerfully.
"You're here! I thought we'd have to wait longer, but you came quickly!"
Ziggkart blinked quietly.
As the room fell into silence, Etern realized her mistake too late, pressing her lips together anxiously.
"When did the two of you become so close?"
The emperor’s voice was dripping with coldness.
Etern, now feeling as if she had been caught in a trap, threw Ziggkart a sharp look. However, Ziggkart simply took a step back, feigning ignorance.
Clearing her throat, she replied.
"Since yesterday, Dad."
"Since yesterday?"
"Yes, right, Ziggkart?"
Ziggkart remained unfazed as he answered,
"If that is what the Princess wishes to say. However, I am merely a grand duke’s heir. Out of respect for Your Highness, it is only proper that I observe the appropriate decorum."
That traitor!
Etern’s face turned red with frustration. She shot a glare filled with all the insults she could think of—not that she knew many—but Ziggkart only responded with a faint, knowing smile.
The emperor scoffed.
"At least you know your place."
Ziggkart, ever shameless, even had the audacity to offer a polite bow of gratitude.
Meanwhile, stuck between them, Etern silently plotted to jab her elbow into his ribs at the first opportunity.
"Is the medicine ready?"
"It is complete. However, Your Majesty, as I have mentioned before, a single dose will not be enough to completely awaken Her Majesty the Empress."
"I remember what you said."
Both Etern and Ziggkart looked up at Emperor Wintier as he continued speaking.
"If a person's life is at stake, humans sometimes display extraordinary abilities. They can make the impossible possible."
"Dad!"
Before the lingering tension from the ridiculous order—‘Wake the Empress completely if you don’t want to die’—could fade, Etern's sharp voice cut through the air, interrupting Wintier’s words.
"You promised not to say things like that to the young lord!"
This time, it was Ziggkart’s turn to be surprised. He hadn't expected Etern to say something like that.
However, the more shocking reaction came from Emperor Wintier himself.
"…Can't I even joke about it?"
Etern’s face twisted in frustration.
"You shouldn't joke about things like life and death."
Her gaze shifted to Ziggkart.
"Don't you think so too?"
Ziggkart smiled slightly.
"Of course, Your Highness. Now then, if you both could… step aside for a moment."
Etern moved away with a complicated expression. The emperor, though reluctant, took a couple of steps back as well.
‘At least Father is backing off a little. I shouldn't get too anxious.’
With a sigh, Etern made a circle with her thumb and forefinger, focusing on Ziggkart’s back. But as always, the result was the same.
‘I still can’t see anything. Why? Why doesn’t this work on Ziggkart?’
While Etern was lost in thought, Ziggkart instructed Lance to bring over the medicine.
As the lid was lifted, the once unpleasant odor was gone, replaced by a refreshing scent that reminded Etern of early summer. It had a faint peppermint-like fragrance, mixed with the fresh greenness of an unbloomed lavender flower.
"When I administer the medicine, Her Majesty must keep her lips slightly parted."
Before Ziggkart could even finish speaking, Dora carefully parted the Empress's lips.
As he scooped up a spoonful of the medicine with a silver spoon, the aroma became even stronger. Carefully, ensuring not a single drop spilled, Ziggkart poured the liquid into the Empress's mouth.
However, the crescent-moon shape of her closed eyelids showed no sign of movement.
The reddish-tinted, transparent liquid seeped slowly into Empress Meikellen’s body—once, twice, three times, four times…
"Your Majesty!"
Dora’s scream echoed through the Empress's chamber.
The eyes that had seemed destined to remain closed forever suddenly flew open, shaking with confusion.
🍓; *You’re not just soft or naive—you’re so pampered and privileged that you’re completely out of touch with reality.
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