Chapter 6

Caisar closely examined the bloodstains in front of him. The marks were a clear indicator that the intruder had fallen. Did they manage to get back up?

“There’s a set of footprints over here,” Robel called out.

The footprints were definitely heading toward the fallen intruder. Someone must have helped them up and carried them away.

Caisar turned his head toward the end of the dark path. The footsteps lead to Princess Melody’s residence. His sharp mind quickly came up with a possibility for who the mysterious figure might be, but he shook his head to clear the thought.

“Someone within the palace is helping them. We need to declare an emergency,” Robel urged.

Caisar nodded. “I’ll speak to His Majesty directly. Put the knights and soldiers on high alert.”

“Yes, sir!”

Although it was quite late at night, Emperor Urubasi readily accepted Caisar’s request for a private audience. A fierce aura emanated from the captain as he entered the throne room.

“Have you come from a battle?” the emperor asked.

Caisar bowed respectfully.

“An intruder appeared at the Northern Gate, but we lost them. I apologize, Your Majesty. They sustained a deep wound near the hip, so they couldn’t have made it very far.” He paused. “I believe someone inside the palace is helping them.”

“Did you say the Northern Gate?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The emperor bolted from his chair, and with a panicked voice, asked, “And you said you wounded the intruder?”

Without thinking, Caisar lifted his head to see the man’s face contorted with anxiety.

“How... How badly were they hurt?”

The emperor’s dramatic reaction made little sense to Caisar. It almost seemed as if he was worried more about the intruder’s safety than the security of the palace.

“Did they sustain any other injuries?” Urubasi pressed.

Confusion filled Caisar’s clear blue eyes. His face stiffened.

“They weren’t hurt elsewhere, though they seem to have lost a significant amount of blood. I have suspicions that they’re an Oddity, Your Majesty.”

The emperor’s beard trembled. He blinked rapidly and sucked in several deep, painful breaths. After calming himself, he dismissed everyone in the room but Caisar. Once the servants and officials had left, he turned to the captain and in a low voice issued a command. “Stop the search.”

Caisar was taken aback.

“You will stop the search and never speak of this again,” he ordered.

“Your Majesty, the intruder—”

“Caisar Bethel.” The emperor’s deep voice cut him off mid-sentence. Determination shone in the ruler’s eyes, showing that there would be no argument. “I will not explain my reasoning to you. There was no intruder. An Oddity never entered the palace, nor has anyone been hurt. Do you understand?”

“Yes... Your Majesty.”

“You may leave.”

“As you command.” Caisar bowed again and turned to leave.

The emperor gave him one last piece of advice. “And there’s no need to be so vigilant at the Northern Gate.”

Caisar spun to face him.

“The level of security shown by your predecessors was enough. Nothing more or nothing less.”

Caisar slowly bowed his head and left the room. His mind was in turmoil, causing him to trudge along more slowly than usual. The emperor clearly knows about the intruder... and he seems to care for them. Who could it be? He carefully ran through his theory once more in his head.

In the throne room, Emperor Urubasi slowly rose and poured himself a drink. Wearing a mournful expression, he emptied the glass.

“Gabrielle, I must keep our promise...” he murmured. The news of their daughter’s injury weighed heavily on his heart.

* * *

The next morning, Melody was unable to get out of bed. The maids who had arrived in the morning were puzzled by the sight, wondering why Princess Melody seemed to be in so much pain. In all their history of attending to her, they had never seen her look so ill.

“I’ll call a doctor, Your Highness,” a maid said as she drew open the thick curtains.

“No... Please don’t. Just leave me alone,” Melody responded, her voice weak.

The maid glanced at Melody with concern. Others might call Melody a “crazy flower” or gossip that she had lost her mind, but she was personally fond of the princess.

She wasn’t the only one, however. The last thing the five maids working for Melody wanted was to be transferred to another royal residence. Melody was sweet and kind, and her home was full of warmth.

“It really seems like she’s in pain...”

“Claire is the same way. She can’t get up either.”

“Since Her Highness asked us to leave her be, let’s just tidy up and make some soup.”

The maids began bustling about the building. Melody’s residence was small and modest, but their diligent care kept it feeling warm and cozy. As they went about their duties, they continued to mutter about it being a rather unusual day—but it soon became even more unusual as a certain someone arrived.

“Inform Princess Melody Corbella that Caisar Bethel seeks an audience with her.”

At the entrance of the building stood a stunningly handsome man dressed in a royal guard’s uniform. The maids’ eyes widened and they were sent scrambling.

One maid cautiously approached Caisar. “We’ve sent someone to notify the princess. Please wait a moment.”

After a short while, the maid who had gone to fetch Melody came dashing down the stairs. She relayed the princess’s message with an apologetic look. “Her Highness says she’s not feeling well and it would be difficult to meet today.”

Caisar looked up to the second floor with an inscrutable expression. He couldn’t insist on meeting the princess if she was ill. “I understand. Tell her I’ll come again.”

“Yes, sir. Please take care.”

The captain turned around and left Melody’s residence.

When he was gone, the maids shared an inward scream. “Oh my god! I can’t believe Caisar Bethel was here to see Her Highness!”

Caisar came the next day, and the day after that as well. Each time, Melody refused to meet him. The maid tasked with conveying the princess’s refusal was beginning to become embarrassed, yet Melody’s health showed no signs of improving.

Each time he was turned away, Caisar Bethel would leave without much fuss. Despite being refused an audience on every single visit, he still came back to Melody’s quarters the following day. His visits were always around the same time, too.

“He’s relentless,” Melody remarked to a nervously fidgeting maid. “Too relentless. At this point, he should be too upset to come back. Don’t you think so?”

“Well, um... You do seem a bit better today, Your Highness,” the maid responded. “Maybe you should meet him. If you turn him away today, he’ll probably be back tomorrow anyway.”

Melody nodded in agreement. She was growing restless and could hardly bear staying in bed any longer. Thankfully, her Oddness was halfway replenished. The power took quite some time to recover, so she kept a mental note that she should avoid exhausting it to keep this from happening again.

She got out of bed. “Bring me a dress today. Nothing too clingy.”

“Oh my! You’re not going to wear pants?”

Melody just smiled, unable to tell the maid about the unhealed wound on her back. “I’m meeting the empire’s most handsome man. I had better wear a dress, at the very least.”

The maid burst out laughing and scurried off like a squirrel.

Melody gingerly stretched her arms above her head, her radiant blue eyes glinting. “Ugh, Caisar’s much too quick to catch on... Guess I should get ready to be interrogated by my future husband.” What do I do now...? Well, there’s only one thing to do. Act innocent.

The “palace” where Melody lived was more akin to an ordinary house than a real palace. Inside, she waited for Caisar’s arrival.

After several days, Caisar’s diligence had finally paid off. He found himself sitting inside Melody’s reception gallery, which was also more modest than its name suggested.

Regardless, the palace maids had found ways to make it welcoming. They displayed flowers in vases, covered the chairs with clean white cotton cloth, and ensured the curtains were drawn back to let in sunlight. They always kept the room ready to host any visitor who might stop by.

Unfortunately, Caisar didn’t have much appreciation for such details. He was willing to meet Melody anywhere, even out on the street. As long as he could see her, nothing else mattered.

A maid brought in a cup of steaming tea, which Caisar sipped out of courtesy. As he set down his teacup, the door opened. He rose from his seat, his eyes quickly scanning the face and torso of the person entering.

Melody was wearing a sky-blue dress. Donning a dress instead of her usual pants seemed to have transformed her into an entirely new person. Her face seemed different, as well—perhaps slightly paler than usual.

“Greetings, Your Highness.” Caesar gave a polite bow.

“Hello, Captain Caisar,” Melody replied, taking slow steps. Each step caused her pain, indicating a serious cut. Claire could handle minor injuries without leaving a trace behind, but this injury was sure to leave a deep scar.

Ah, how will I explain this scar after getting married? She was already concerned about explaining herself to a man who was still unaware that they’d be getting married.

Caisar observed Melody’s walk. She held her upper body straight, taking slow and elegant steps. Her posture was flawless—oddly flawless, considering that he was looking at Melody Corbella. She was likely keeping her back straight in an attempt to minimize movement, and her careful steps seemed to be aimed at reducing the pain that shot through her body as each foot hit the floor

Caisar had witnessed Melody’s normal stride several times before. She usually moved briskly, taking quick and confident steps. Her movements now are entirely different.

“Please have a seat,” Melody offered, slowly lowering herself into a chair.

Agh! The moment her butt touched the seat, she almost screamed. Cold sweat ran down her back. She unconsciously clenched her fists tightly and swallowed the pain, lips trembling. Could the wound have burst open? This was a mistake... I should never have agreed to meet him today.

“Are you quite all right?” Caisar asked.