1.
The gaze of Everett Rohas drifted away from me almost immediately, as if his question hadn’t been intended to elicit an answer.
Everett gestured with his chin to offer me a seat, and he sat down on the sofa across from me.
“Sit.”
“Ah, yes!”
I had been standing there blankly, and only after he spoke again did I sit down.
‘I had thought about what to say for the entire week.’
But the moment I faced him, my mind felt like a void. As I took a moment to collect my thoughts, he didn’t initiate any conversation either, and silence flowed through the private room.
‘First, I should ask about Connie’s condition.’
After that, I could ask about the progress of the matter. However, Everett opened his mouth faster than I did.
“I thought you knew my true identity and were following me on purpose.”
His tone was light, as if he didn’t require a response. But because of the suspicion he had so deliberately laid bare, it felt unfair to let it slide.
“I believe it was you who showed up in the places where I usually happened to be.”
When I pointed out the order of appearance and retorted with a bit of a sting, Everett’s eyes curved into a smile. The man who had been expressionless until now suddenly looked like a rose in full bloom. It felt as if he were trying to seduce me.
‘I don’t know Everett’s intentions, but from my perspective—’
I worried that my cheeks had flushed. Just as I tried to force my gaze away from his lips, they parted again, as if he had been waiting.
“That may be true, but it’s something I experience far too often.”
It was a twisted remark, annoying no matter how one interpreted it. Yet, coming from his mouth, it sounded like a simple list of facts.
“Ah, I see.”
I replied vaguely with an awkward smile. My throat kept going dry; if I hadn’t been under his scrutiny, I would have been fanning myself. Despite my lackluster response, his smile only deepened. He leaned forward, as if whispering something secret, and asked:
“Are you hot? Your cheeks are red.”
Everett’s gaze bored into my eyes, as if searching for the fluttering of my pupils.
‘It’s because of you.’
He was a man who knew all too well that he was handsome.
‘Get a hold of yourself, Carolina. Don’t fall for the charm.’
I took a deep breath and let it out. I felt the heat in my cheeks fading slightly. Noticing that I had regained my composure, Edwin—the man behind the mask—slowly pulled back. His playful, probing attitude vanished, replaced by a tone of cold, serious business.
“Shall we talk about business now? Miss Diaz.”
***
“I thought you knew my true identity and were following me on purpose.”
Edwin spoke in a light tone while observing Ri-Na’s eyes. Her violet irises, which favored her mother’s, were filled only with bewilderment. She narrowed her eyes slightly, as if finding the thought more ridiculous the more she considered it. Her lips parted, barely visible, as if she were cursing him internally for being self-absorbed.
“I believe it was you who showed up in the places where I usually happened to be.”
She looked ready to recount every single instance if he dared to claim he didn’t remember. If his identity hadn’t been exposed, was it something else? Edwin couldn’t hold back his amusement; he smiled at Ri-Na, who stared at him as if bewitched, her cheeks still flushed from his retort. Her eyes had become a bit more dreamy, which wasn’t particularly unpleasant.
‘Is it because I lack feelings of sexual desire?’
Even when he leaned in close on purpose, there was only pure admiration in her eyes, as if she were looking at a work of art.
‘This is the first time I’ve encountered a reaction like this.’
Losing interest as Ri-Na regained her composure, Edwin sat back. He had confirmed what he needed to confirm, and although it was a pity, it was time to end this diversion.
“Shall we talk about business now? Miss Diaz.”
Being Emperor wasn’t a position where one could laze about, and it was nearly time for him to return. Taken aback by the sudden shift, Ri-Na stiffened and focused on the conversation.
“Before that, just a moment.”
Edwin rang the bell connected to the cafe to call Kyle.
“I think this conversation will take a while.”
Edwin ordered drinks for Kyle, who soon entered the private room.
“I’ll have whiskey, and for Miss Diaz, a fruit wine.”
“I believe I’ve told you several times that my shop is a cafe.”
Kyle grumbled in complaint.
“I—I’m fine.”
Whether she had a low tolerance for alcohol, Ri-Na refused the fruit wine. Edwin smiled sadly, like someone watching a person walk into a trap of their own making.
“Then, Miss Carolina Diaz, would you prefer coffee?”
Ri-Na’s pupils wavered.
“Considering the shopkeeper’s skills, I think a fruit wine that is simply poured from a bottle into a glass would be safer.”
Edwin lowered his voice and advised Ri-Na, loud enough for Kyle to hear perfectly well. After taking a sharp breath, Ri-Na said with a look of grim determination:
“I will have the fruit wine.”
“Good choice.”
Edwin signaled to Kyle again. The fact that he was the Emperor remained a secret, but that didn’t change the fact that Edwin was Kyle’s liege. Having given up on resistance, Kyle returned with the bottle and glasses.
Edwin poured whiskey into his own glass, then poured the vibrant yellow fruit wine into Ri-Na’s. He leaned back against the table, lifting his glass lightly.
“Ah, yes!”
Ri-Na lifted her glass as well. As Edwin downed the whiskey in one shot, Ri-Na brought her glass to her lips. He watched the movement of her throat with discerning eyes.
‘She drank it.’
Since Kyle had brought out a small glass suited for fruit wine, it didn’t take much; half was gone after a couple of sips. Edwin carefully examined her state and opened the conversation.
“First of all, that friend of yours, Connie, is doing well.”
He cast out the information Ri-Na would be most curious about like bait. Ri-Na, who had been savoring the sweet aftertaste of the alcohol, turned her gaze to Edwin.
“I don’t know if Kyle explained it to you, but I cannot release her right away.”
Edwin glanced away from her violet eyes, which were damp after only two sips.
“Why? The deal we made was that I would provide the evidence to catch the Duke Camelot, and in exchange, you would release Connie.”
Her tone, once clear, had softened due to the intoxication. However, the ferocity with which she questioned him remained sharp. Edwin smirked.
‘I’ve felt it since last time, but she really is dense.’
Did she think a deal with an information guild was a bargain with a market merchant? Edwin brushed off her pushback with ease.
“I heard you asked Kyle to introduce you to a person of influence who could handle this matter fairly.”
“That is…”
Perhaps she wasn’t good at lying, as Ri-Na just pursed her lips.
“Of course, you must have thought that once the Duke Camelot’s crimes were brought to light, Miss Constance’s innocence would naturally be proven as well.”
Edwin speculated on her thoughts on her behalf.
“But your evidence alone isn’t enough to fully punish the Duke Camelot. I have sent an inspection team to the Camelot estate first, so it will soon be clear whether your evidence is truly valid.”
Edwin filled their glasses again. He gestured with his chin, urging her to drink. As he drained his own glass as a demonstration, Ri-Na took hers and sipped once more. Edwin smiled when he saw that her glass was completely empty.
“When that time comes, your friend will be released as well.”
At his low, soothing voice, Ri-Na nodded, looking dissatisfied.
“You must keep your promise.”
What Ri-Na had been drinking was a high-proof liquor, even if it tasted like a beverage. She didn’t seem to have a high tolerance, yet the fact that she was holding up this well showed her mental fortitude was impressive.
Since he had come outside the Imperial Palace specifically to meet Ri-Na, he had to reap some harvest. However, Edwin hesitated before asking his next question.
‘Will she be alright?’
The fruit wine had about half left in the bottle. Edwin looked at Ri-Na’s slender wrists, then scratched his chin.
‘Her frame is half that of a normal man; the dosage of the drug will need to be adjusted.’
Giving up on pouring more, Edwin probed her with a subtle attitude.
“I must keep my promise, if only for the guild’s reputation. I’m simply verifying things since I don’t know exactly where your information came from. For instance, the method of commissioning the guild?”
The violet eyes that had been staring at him rolled away, wandering into the air before returning to him. When Edwin didn’t avoid her gaze, a flustered Ri-Na poured the fruit wine into her glass until it was full—buying time.
The bottle was empty by the time she filled her glass to the brim. As if parched, Ri-Na downed it in one go. It was a forceful, swift gesture, finished before Edwin could even stop her.
“Miss Carolina Diaz?”
Edwin called her name cautiously.
But no answer returned.
Thud.
Ri-Na had already lost consciousness.