Translator: Hye; Editor/PR: Hye
“What…just now…what did you just say…?”
Arnoa came out of the study, leaving Vainas behind, who was too stunned to digest what he just heard.
Crash–
After a while, she heard the sound of a teacup crashing into a wall, but she didn’t bother to look back.
‘A behavior that doesn’t suit the queen.’
It wasn’t a bad result compared to the investment. The defective sapphire ring, which was the investment, was full of scratches that one couldn’t even sell it, but it wouldn’t come off easily once it was put on.
But she still had a long way to go.
‘I’ve endured it for two years.’
She reminded herself of the past. Perhaps because she was so patient, Vainas thought she was just a pushover wife who would take all the kicks and beatings.
It was fun to hit and kick those who don’t resist. And since nothing interfered with him and Larissa, he had yet to consider a divorce.
Of course, there was no reason.
Therefore, Arnoa planned to provide a reason for Vainas to divorce her in the future.
‘I don’t have much time.’
In order to do so, there was someone she had to meet right away.
Arnoa walked quickly and returned to the bedroom. Before entering, she ordered the maid to call someone.
Creak–click.
The moment she was about to close the door and fall into the bed.
“Grrr–”
She heard a familiar cry.
“Bel?”
On top of the bed was a new appearance of a large, familiar beast stretched out. White shiny fur with black patterns, half-closed silver-gray eyes, and a thick, fluffy tail.
It was a breathtakingly beautiful, pure white leopard.
“You’re here early?”
Arnoa’s face brightened. She sat down on the bed and faced the leopard in a good mood.
“Purr–”
When Arnoa unconsciously reached out her hand and brought it to his ears, the snow leopard closed his eyes. Cats and animals like the back of their ears to be touched, so it seemed to be an instinctive reaction.
Perhaps because she knew who he was, the feeling of pressure when they first met disappeared.
“…You’re like a cat.”
She thought he was cute, so when she said that, he suddenly opened his eyes again and blinked a few times.
“Grrrrrr–”
He shook his head once, changed his attitude, and groaned as if dissatisfied. Then he lifted his body with a puff.
The snow leopard’s head approached Arnoa’s face in an instant. From a distance less than a span away, she saw two large white fangs through his slightly opened mouth.
“Hic.”
When Arnoa drew a breath in a moment of surprise, his silver-gray eyes were bent like a human laughing. At the same time, the snow leopard’s new form returned to the appearance of a wizard she remembered.
“That’s bold.”
Bel said with a smile as if he was satisfied with her reaction.
“How bold of you to stroke the Lord of the Magic Tower’s head?”
His burdensomely handsome face was still too close to her.
‘He said you’re an immature little brat.’
Arnoa recalled Anakin’s words with an absurd look. She said after organizing her surprised expression.
“You liked it too.”
“Nonsense. I don’t like such childish contact.”
“Oh, really?”
Even though he was a genius wizard or the Lord of the Magic Tower, contrary to rumors, he’s completely like a child. It’s good for others to be afraid of him, but it was quite a sight as he couldn’t bear himself being doted on.
“There’s a predator’s instinct, so it’s dangerous if you just touch carelessly.”
He said with a more serious face.
It didn’t seem to be a complete lie.
“The spirit is a white leopard…”
Arnoa muttered to herself.
Since the wizards have special souls, it was said that their appearance was made into a single animal and that people with good abilities could turn into that form.
If the soul was a predator, it might be true that it has its own instinct as a predator.
“Spirit…Yes, that’s right.”
Bel spoke softly.
For a moment, she felt like he was avoiding her eyes, but Arnoa dismissed it as an illusion.
It could transform because of the spirit.
Whether he was the Lord of the Magic Tower, he was still a human, not a god.
She hasn’t heard of any person who can change shape into several animals.
“The 26th Lord of the Magic Tower must have liked beasts.”
She said again.
The spirit was half-natural, while the influence of the parents determined the other half.
Bel’s mother was the 26th Lord of the Magic Tower and an archwizard, so she guessed she wouldn’t make her son’s not to her liking.
“What…as you can see.”
Bel avoided her eyes again and said, leaning over the bedpost that reached the ceiling as if it bore him. His drooping posture was not much different from the leopard’s figure she saw a while ago.
“By the way, I tied up the messenger’s feet. They lost their way in the Forest of Demons so they can’t reach Dirhan within a month.”
He changed the subject.
“That fast?”
He said it would take about two days, but he came back in a day and a half after finishing what he needed to do.
“…What should I do now?”
When Arnoa nodded, Bel asked again.
“It’s still a long way to go before the guest arrives…”
Arnoa said, looking at Bel, who had already leaned comfortably on the bed. He was listening anyway, so she thought it would be better to ask now.
“Tell me how Luciano and Arien died.”
Bel’s eyes, which had been loosened as he drowsed, became clear again.
It was an unexpected question for him.
“…Are you curious about the story?”
“A little. Just to make sure?”
Her expression didn’t seem to change much. Only her deep blue eyes shone sharply.
“It was not entirely clear.”
Bel answered briefly while Arnoa nodded.
It was expected.
There were many people who wanted Luciano’s death.
The families of the women, who were thrown out the next day after spending the night with him, the nations dissatisfied with the empire, the nobles dissatisfied with his policies.
However, Arnoa guessed in her mind who would actually carry out the assassin.
Archduke Aciliere, who led the war by commanding the Imperial Army in Kesman in the northern part of the continent. He has the strongest motivation to kill Luciano and was actually capable of doing so.
Archduke Aciliere of the Imperial Family’s indirect line and his daughter and deputy, Roxanne Aciliere, have long wanted to kill Luciano and use a puppet to conquer the imperial power.
“What are you doing in the Kesman War to have so much time to spare…? He must have planned the assassination from a distance.”
“War?”
When Arnoa feigned a laugh, Bel asked curiously.
“It’s nothing.”
Arnoa shook her head and focused on thinking about the assassination again. What was strange, however, was the fact that Arien, Arnoa’s second brother and the next in line to the throne, also died.
A weak and stupid monarch.
He was indecisive and couldn’t decide anything other than his lunch menu. So without a doubt, he was perfect for being a puppet to the throne.
If it was an enemy of the Imperial Family, he’s the next emperor that everyone wants. Because of him, Arnoa never thought that she or Vainas could be considered emperor.
“…Did Arien die the same way?”
She asked Bel again.
It wasn’t a sorrowful look. She just looked unconvinced.
Bel looked at Arnoa again. He’d thought about it for a long time, but she’s really a strange person. Although she’s a queen who suffers from a cruel king, she was much calmer than he thought.
“…It was a poison disguised as medicine, and Prince Arien took a bite.”
“That’s very like him.”
Arnoa said, clicking her tongue.
It made sense now.
The assassin didn’t mean to kill Arien. They just didn’t know how stupid he was.
“…He must be the only fool who’s such a glutton that he’ll steal his brother’s medicine.”
When Arnoa sneered, Bel raised his eyebrow.
“You don’t seem to have much affection for your brothers.”
“Because I didn’t like the room they gave me.”
“If you fought over a room…isn’t it a common sibling quarrel? Which one did they give you?”
“The top floor of the palace’s outer tower.”
Bel furrowed his eyebrows.
“If it’s the palace’s outer tower…”
“It’s a place where those who have committed sin to the Imperial Family are locked up.”
Arnoa said with a smile.
“There were charges of treason. It’s common for the emperor’s half-sibling.”
“Didn’t you grow up with Anakin?”
“Oh, you know that? But that was when my father was still alive.”
She shook her head and said.
“I was sent to my mother’s family to keep me from being hated by Luciano, but after his ascension, well, it was all for naught.”
“Still, was it worth living there? Seeing you talk about it, you seemed indifferent.”
“Ah…except I didn’t know how many more days I could live…”
“You were threatened?”
Bel, who did not know the exact meaning of the palace’s outer tower, frowned.
“And except that my maids were dragged and probably killed…”
“The people on your side died?”
“Well…the view was nice. The window was a little small.”
Bel was speechless for a moment when she spoke lightly and shrugged her shoulders as if it were all in the past.
She seemed honest and was already used to covering up her emotions.
The determination he saw in her eyes on the day they first met, or the anger that seemed more faint, was now hidden and invisible.