After enjoying a brief break, I returned to the palace.

My destination was Jamon’s garden. Fueled by motivation, I was determined to get things over with quickly.

‘After being so upset yesterday, he hasn’t restricted access to the garden.’

As usual, no guards were keeping watch over the garden. Jamon’s intentions were beyond my comprehension.

“Nemoh―”

Calling the cat’s name, I entered the garden.

As expected, the cat revealed itself at my call. It was a cat that listened well to human words.

‘Is Jamon not here?’

Holding the cat, I glanced around.

It didn’t take long to spot Jamon in the small garden.

“Jamon?”

He was leaning back on a bench with his arms crossed, fast asleep.

The spot was well-lit and seemed ideal for a nap. This place was also Jamon’s only refuge for relaxation.

‘He looks so peaceful when he’s asleep.’

This relaxed expression was something I hadn’t seen before. He was always frowning or keeping a stern face.

‘I can see why Irmin treats him like a child.’

Despite having the same face as Irmin, Jamon looked much younger.

Next to him lay a book that appeared to have been in the middle of being read.

‘Wow, even the title looks incredibly dull.’

It was surprising that he would choose such a book even during his relaxation time.

With nothing else to do, I decided to read the book Jamon had been reading.

I sat next to him with the cat on my lap, the warm sunlight making me almost drowsy.

Then, Jamon’s head touched my shoulder.

‘He must be really sleepy.’

Kabir or Hans would have woken up immediately, but Jamon, perhaps due to being cooped up studying all the time, was quite insensitive to his surroundings.

The book turned out to be quite interesting. At least I was getting a sense of Jamon’s taste in literature.

Time passed, not insignificantly. Jamon’s head gradually leaned forward until, finally, it drooped down.

“……!”

Startled by his own actions, Jamon woke up. It was quite amusing to watch.

“……?”

Emerging from sleep, Jamon looked around, his expression still drowsy. He then fixed his gaze on me.

“…Anais?”

“Hello.”

I barely managed to suppress my laughter while greeting Jamon. Just moments ago, the mere thought of Jamon made me irritable. But seeing this human side of him, my annoyance seemed to melt away.

Realizing the situation, Jamon’s face flushed red.

He quickly averted his gaze and straightened his hair.

“It was a mistake.”

“If you’re sleepy, it happens. You must not have slept well last night.”

“…….”

Jamon kept his mouth shut at my question. It was just a casual inquiry. Perhaps it hit a nerve.

The cat on my lap meowed and moved over to Jamon’s lap. Jamon naturally began petting it, following the direction of its fur.

“I didn’t expect you to come today.”

“Why?”

“…because of what happened yesterday.”

He said this while avoiding eye contact.

“You don’t like me, do you.”

It was really hard to hold a grudge against him when he looked like that, almost like a sensitive child.

“Why do you think that?”

“You don’t have to say it. It’s understandable that you would.”

Truthfully, I’d be lying if I said I never disliked him. Just a moment ago, the thought of Jamon was enough to irritate me.

As I didn’t reply, Jamon hung his head, still avoiding eye contact.

How could someone so sensitive even think about rebellion? It was hard to believe he was serious about it.

Now I understood why Irmin had laughed off the news of Jamon’s plan. Jamon just wasn’t the type for such things. It must have been seen as just a tantrum.

‘Anyway, these brothers…’

Caught in their sibling rivalry, Hans and I were the ones suffering.

“If I bring the crown prince here, will you be angry?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“But you weren’t angry when I came.”

“That was… unavoidable.”

So it’s fine if it’s ‘accidental.’

“…….”

An idea popped into my head.

“I’ll be going now.”

“So soon?”

Jamon seemed surprised as I stood up.

His face reddened again when I looked at him quizzically.

“No, I mean. Go ahead.”

He was such an easy read.

“See you tomorrow.”

“…….”

Jamon didn’t respond to my farewell. I left him behind in the garden.

My next step after meeting Jamon was clear: report to Irmin.

But Irmin was still at the Heyward mansion. He said he’d be out a bit longer, so he probably hadn’t returned yet.

‘Always missing when needed.’

Though I grumbled internally, I kept my mind busy as I walked.

“Hey?”

On my way back to my room, someone recognized me.

“Why are you here……”

It was Davi.

I greeted him with a smile.

“It’s been a while.”

“Ugh.”

Davi’s face soured. He seemed like he didn’t want to get involved in any troublesome matters.

“Why are you in the palace?”

“I often have to come to the palace. I am a saintess, after all.”

The royal family and the temple maintained a delicate peace, and Davi, as a saintess, had the exhausting duty of keeping that peace. 

“What brings you here?”

“Haven’t you heard the news about me?”

“Why should I know about your news?”

Davi was consistently brusque, like a hedgehog.

“I’m engaged to the prince now.”

“……?”

Davi’s face was a picture of disbelief.

“Three engagements?”

“It’s not like I wanted it this way.”

Of the three engagements, the only one I chose was with Hans. The engagement with Kabir was driven by points, and with Jamon, I was coerced.

“By the way, have you been in contact with Ian lately?”

“Venecia? Yes, occasionally.”

“What do you talk about?”

“Just, minor prophecies she shares. Or just conversation.”

“Does he mention me?”

(tl/n: I will alternate the pronouns, Ian is known as Lady Venecia by Davi, but as male angel Ian by Jiha)

“Why would we talk about you?”

So Davi didn’t mention me in their conversations.

Thinking about Ian brought a mix of complex emotions. But we were on good terms, so the current situation wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“You fought, didn’t you?”

Davi was quick to catch on. I gave a sheepish smile.

“Apologize quickly.”

“Why should I apologize when Ian was wrong?”

“Venecia wouldn’t do something wrong. It’s your fault anyway.”

The zealotry was frightening.

“I don’t think we need to reconcile.”

“Why not? Being close to Venecia is a blessing!”

“Maybe it’s better to keep some people at a distance…”

“How can you say that!”

Davi jumped on the spot, evidently upset. I felt sad being dismissed when I had genuine concerns.

“Perfect timing. Listen to my problem.”

“Do you think I’m your emotional trash can?”

“Do you have something else to do?”

“No.”

“Then follow me.”

“…….”

Davi silently followed me. Quite endearing.

* * *

A maid prepared tea and left the room, leaving just the two of us. It was a comfortable atmosphere for a conversation.

“So, what’s the issue this time?”

Davi looked at me askance, arms crossed. Despite his earlier reluctance, he seemed quite ready to listen.

“I was blackmailed by the prince, so I had to break up with my partner, and I even got a proposal for rebellion.”

“You’re dropping bombshells so nonchalantly.”

I felt it was safe to confide in Davi. Being a saintess somehow made it seem alright, an inexplicable sense of trust.

“Anyway, to rectify the situation, we need to reconcile the prince and the crown prince. I have a plan, do you want to hear it?”

“Go ahead, let’s hear it.”

I laid out my strategy to Davi.

After hearing it, Davi looked incredulous.

“That’s the worst.”

“Is it that bad?”

“It’s too obvious, making it even worse.”

My plan was to create a ‘coincidental’ situation where Irmin and Jamon could have a conversation together, preferably at a place filled with their memories.

I thought that reminiscing might help break the ice. I thought it was a fairly good plan, but Davi was very pessimistic.

“If they’re already not on good terms, just putting them together won’t necessarily lead to a productive conversation.”

“The prince is quite sensitive, he might engage in conversation if approached the right way.”

“I doubt it. Would someone considering rebellion really soften that easily?”

That was a valid point. Jamon wasn’t foolish, and if conversation could have solved things, it wouldn’t have escalated this far.

“We need to understand the real reason behind the rebellion. Is it because the crown prince’s capabilities are not satisfactory, or is it simply personal dislike?”

Now that I think about it, I hadn’t really delved into the details.

I pondered for a moment.

“Maybe it’s the latter?”

“Rather than speculating, we need a concrete answer.”

“I can get that easily. Do you want to stay here for a few days?”

“I have my own matters to attend to.”

“Even if it’s for the peace of the empire?”

I wasn’t wrong, and Davi couldn’t argue, so she just clamped her mouth shut.

With a displeased expression, Davi said,

“…Just a few days.”

As expected, Davi was quite adorable.