Chapter 171: Side Story 27 

Jeremiah swallowed hard, suppressing the lump rising in his throat. Why did it hit him like this every time? Even though he knew all too well that keeping Alexa by his side was nothing more than a cruel, self-inflicted hope. He had chosen this for himself.

After a long silence, Jeremiah finally opened his mouth.

“How am I doing? I should be fine by now, right?”

Alexa extended her hand toward him. A tiny needle pricked Jeremiah’s fingertip and quickly withdrew. A clear drop of crimson blood fell onto a handkerchief. Alexa let a drop of medicine fall onto the bloodstain and nodded.

“Mm. You’re fine. The poison’s completely gone. You can move now.”

“That’s a relief. It’s about time I stopped pretending to be sick.”

Jeremiah slowly pushed himself upright. Maybe it was because he hadn’t moved in so long, but his body felt foreign and stiff. Alexa quickly stepped in to support him. He clenched his jaw. Movement was difficult, and his whole body groaned with resistance.

But the hardest part was…

‘At least this way… I can touch you.’

The thought alone made him ashamed of himself.

“Oof.”

Jeremiah sank into a chair. Fortunately, his upper body moved without much trouble. He sipped the tea slowly.

“My legs feel weak.”

“That’s because you were lying down the whole time. That poison was incredibly potent. Master said if you moved too early, it could spread further through your body, so you had to rest. Is becoming Emperor supposed to be this hard?”

Alexa pouted and poured more tea into his cup.

“Drink a bit more.”

Jeremiah gave a faint smile and nodded. He wondered what kind of face Alexa would make if she ever found out that he’d taken that poison on purpose. That all of it, his suffering, the danger, had been just to bring Alexa, Ysildus, and Terrun back to the capital.

“You know the tea helps with detox, right? It’s best to keep drinking it for a while.”

“Got it.”

Jeremiah gave a slow nod.

“…So, are you heading back now?”

“Where to?”

“Weren’t you going to return to Thersion once I recovered?”

Alexa sat across from him. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head.

“There’s still a lot I want to do here. And a lot I need to learn. Plus… I think this place is kind of fun.”

A blush crept up Alexa’s cheeks.

The real meaning behind her final words was a secret known only to her. How was she supposed to admit it was because dating was easier here? Alexa parted her lips.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

Jeremiah let out a small sigh of relief.

“For now, I think it’s best if we keep my recovery a secret.”

“I know what you mean.”

Alexa nodded solemnly. Jeremiah gave her a faint smile.

“Can you call Ysildus for me? I have something to discuss with him.”

“Okay!”

As she turned to leave, her skirt fluttering, Alexa paused briefly.

“Congrats on your recovery, Jeremiah. I hope you don’t get sick again. And no more scary stuff like drinking poison, okay?”

“…If I ever get hurt or sick… you’ll come to me, no matter where you are, right?”

“Of course. But don’t let that happen again.”

“Even if I’m not hurt or sick… will you still come see me?”

“What are you, a kid? You don’t even have a fever. What are you talking about? Obviously. You can come see me, or we can come see you.”

It’s not like they were in different worlds, even if it was far.

Alexa replied lightly and flashed a bright smile. Jeremiah must have been upset about having to part ways after being together for so long. That’s all Alexa thought it was as she waved and left the room.

Click.

That was the sound of Jeremiah’s first love coming to a complete end.

Some time passed.

Click.

This time, the door opened, and Ysildus returned. It might as well have been the sound of a new world opening. Jeremiah gestured for Ysildus to sit across from him.

“What happened with Count Jertho? Weren’t you planning to dump everything on him?”

“Would I fail at something I decided to take on?”

Ysildus smiled sweetly.

“We need to keep an eye on how Count Jertho moves. He’s like a snake. You never know what he’s plotting behind the scenes.”

He fiddled with the teapot on the table. It still held warmth, so the tea inside hadn’t cooled yet. Tilting his head slightly, Ysildus looked Jeremiah straight in the eye.

“Sometimes, I think you’re deluded, Jeremiah.”

“What?”

“Did you forget I don’t take orders from you? You’d do well to remember who’s trying to put you on that throne. Without me, you wouldn’t be here.”

“I know.”

Jeremiah cut him off. His eyes were tinged red as he looked at Ysildus.

“I know too, Jeremiah. This is just… we’re friends, right?”

“So?”

Ysildus frowned. His response was icy. Jeremiah stuck out his tongue and gave a teasing grin.

“So be nice to me. Take care of my work for me, too. I’m still supposed to be pretending to be sick.”

“Hah?”

This little fox.

He’s stopped playing tricks on Alexa and started doing it to Ysildus now. Ysildus ran a hand down his face.

“Be careful.”

“Of what?”

“You never know when I might change my mind.”

“A loyal wolf wouldn’t do that. It’s humans who betray. But I only have you, so there’s no one to betray. I’m going to be Emperor, Ysildus.”

“So?”

“Temperchi and Thersion will raise the empire to new heights together. And I’ll need you for the rest of my life.”

Friendship over love. Jeremiah gave a radiant smile.

“I really, really treasure our friendship.”

Ysildus rose from his seat, his face cold. Just because Jeremiah was sick, he’d let it slide, but now he was pushing it. Ysildus glanced at the table and poured tea into Jeremiah’s empty cup.

“Drink it while it’s warm.”

His tone was frigid, but his words were warm.

* * *

Alexa hummed to herself. Jeremiah was steadily recovering, and surprisingly enough, things with Ysildus were… progressing in unexpected ways. And then… 

A completely unexpected guest arrived.

“…It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

It was the Queen, who had been in hiding. Jeremiah’s mother, whom she’d only heard about in passing. Behind her, Alexa saw Cornelly lying in a sickbed. The child must have been injured, prompting the Queen to come in person.

“Thank you for looking after my child. You see, the attendants I have aren’t treated well in the imperial palace. It’s hard for them to get proper care.”

The Queen gave a faint smile. Just one sentence revealed everything about her status in the palace. As someone confined, she likely received no real respect. Even now, the patients waiting to see Alexa were clearly watching the Queen with wary eyes. A maid who had been tending to the clinic hurried over.

“You came early. And that person over there, too, has been here since this morning.”

The maid gestured toward a woman who had received medicine for stomach troubles the previous day. For some reason, she was standing awkwardly close to the wall.

“Ahem. The medicine you gave me yesterday worked well… I was hoping to get some more.”

Alexa realized she needed to restore order. One thing at a time.

“Your Highness, this is a clinic, so patients come first. If it’s not too discourteous, may I see the patients first?”

“Of course. I only came to express my gratitude. Please take good care of my Cornelly.”

The Queen set a heavy-looking pouch on the table and walked away with graceful steps. Cornelly, his cheeks red, peeked his head out from under the blanket. He seemed happy to have someone visit.

Alexa gave the maid instructions about Cornelly’s medicine, then gently took the stomach patient by the sleeve.

“This way, please.”

“Yes.”

Alexa glanced behind her. If they spoke quietly, the others wouldn’t overhear. She swallowed hard and asked the woman, “Just now… it seemed like you were trying to avoid the Queen. Was I right?”

“…Ahem.”

The woman averted her eyes.

“Frankly, the Queen holds an awkward position in the royal family. Back when the previous Emperor was alive, she was treated like a pariah, just a hostage used to secure the Ninth Prince. People avoided her, afraid they might get caught up in something if they got too close.”

The woman scratched her cheek with an awkward expression, clearly uneasy about bringing this up.

That’s basically bullying as a group.

No, Alexa, this is the medieval era. The Emperor’s word is law. Don’t judge too harshly!

“But things are different now. The Ninth Prince is set to become Emperor… yet even though he’s been in the capital for a while, he hasn’t visited her. So people are watching and waiting.”

“Oh…”

These kinds of conversations were tough. Back in Thersion, if you didn’t like something, you said so, and if you did, same thing.

What could Jeremiah be thinking about the Queen? Was there anything Alexa could do for him?

Her gaze fell on Cornelly for a moment.

Could Cornelly… be the key?