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A vast and transparent figure flew over the imperial palace.
A bird that flew in without a single flap of its wings was invisible to everyone. Phone circled above the brilliantly lit imperial palace and passed to where Jurgen directed him to go.
Then, he crossed a dark hallway lined with portraits of past emperors. Phone flew freely and roamed every corner of the imperial palace. Passing through the barn where pigs, cows, and chickens were raised, and hovering around the southern garden where peacocks played.
Jurgen rubbed his temples and instructed.
「 Don’t play around, work. If you don’t do well, I won’t send you to Dahlia.」
Phone immediately turned and flew straight to the prince’s palace.
He traversed through the ranks of soldiers at an unprecedented speed and circled Reynon’s office. When Reynon was nowhere to be seen, Phone climbed the stairs familiarly and hovered in front of the prince’s bedroom.
“Your Highness, this is Winster.”
Winster, the Crown Prince’s secretary, opened the bedroom door holding a tea tray. Without missing the opportunity, Phone flew into the bedroom.
As Phone flew over his head, he was shaken by the curtain swaying in the wind. Then Jurgen’s vision blurred, like a screen reflected in a distorted lake.
“Your Majesty, Her Highness, the princess has been wanting an audience from since earlier.”
At that, Reynon, who was sitting on the bed reading a book, nodded.
“Tell her to come in. How bothersome.”
“She seems to be having a hard time….Sir Edelred… .”
“Winster. I don’t think this is the time for that conversation.”
Reynon’s gaze was directed precisely at Phone perched on the mantelpiece. Of course, it was Jurgen who met his gaze. Jurgen smiled and raised his glass.
Reynon put the book down, got up, stood in front of the fireplace, and tapped Phone’s beak. Then, the sound that could be heard just a moment ago was blocked entirely.
It was Reynon’s consideration to allow surveillance but not eavesdropping.
Jurgen saw Julia coming in and rushed into Reynon’s chest, hugging him. Reynon patted her back while looking annoyed and whispered something to her, and the retreating princess began to get angry.
It was a curiously interesting and strange sight to Jurgen. Reynon, who had previously been only overbearing, was now listening to the imperial princess.
He quenched his throat with the tea Winster brought and comforted Julia’s shoulder as if it didn’t matter. Then he sat down on the sofa and picked up a book.
In response, an angry Julia knelt in tears in front of Reynon. With her forehead on his lap as if she were praying, she pleaded with him.
Yes, indeed, Julia was a tearful woman.
Her beautiful, weak appearance and guiding ability were close to a saint’s. People liked Julia because she supported the weak. And Julia used her strengths to the fullest, she was a woman who knew how to charm and win hearts.
When Julia’s beautiful face wept, men would give everything to kiss her instep.
It was the same even after she was imprinted as his guide after marriage. There were still many men who loved and adored Julia.
So it was comfortable. Even without fulfilling his husbandly duties, Julia was not lonely. They had a thoroughly aristocratic marriage. As expected, all that was left for them was to obtain an heir, then to obtain their mistresses and live freely in search of true love.
But at that moment, he met his first death at Plum’s Gate, and his life changed.
Jurgen poured himself another drink, shaking off memories of nearly 100 years.
Taking Reynon’s hand to cover her cheek, Julia shook her head and guided him. Moments later, he slapped her across the cheek. With a sharp blow, he rose from his seat and drew his sword from his bedside.
Looking shocked, Julia got up, staggering, and stumbled out of the room.
“Follow me, Phone.”
The Shadow he had sent was for Julia, not Reynon. So it was only right that he went after Julia for now.
The moment the Phone set out, the space distorted, and a flood of sounds was heard again.
“Do it in moderation, Edelred.”
Jurgen chuckled.
Then the door closed, and Phone flew after Julia. Supported by her ladies-in-waiting, Julia returned to her princess’s palace, hugging her bedspread and sobbing.
Not knowing why she was so sad. However, it was clear that she was hurt.
“Your Highness, I filled the bathtub with water. Stop, pick yourself up and soak yourself in the fragrant water.”
“Liliana… . I am so angry.”
“Tears don’t suit our beautiful Highness. Sir will find out soon too. He made a big mistake.”
“Ha, him? That’s impossible. He… . He will never regret it.”
Liliana quietly supported Julia, looking weak and bedridden, and began to neaten up her attire carefully. After extracting jewels from the twists of her hair, she removed all her jewelry, including her necklace, earrings, and brooch, and laid them out on velvet fabric.
Then another lady-in-waiting came over and cleaned her jewels and began to put them in a display chest.
“Look.”
Phone sat on the shoulder of the maid as she tidied up the jewelry.
Surprised by the sudden weight, the maid looked around her. But she couldn’t find anyone, so she displayed the jewels one after another in the closet.
Diamond, diamond, diamond, pearl. Sapphire, Ruby, and Hippelion.
There it was.
Jurgen’s father’s Hippelion was a ring, but the Emperor’s Hippelion was not.
The Emperor’s Hippelion was a necklace.
Did she turn the ring into a necklace?
Although typically black, Hippelion could turn transparent when subjected to certain powers. It was also called the jewel of the covenant. Mainly used for sacred oaths, the power of the pledger determined its purity.
“Your Highness, I will take off your dress.”