WTSP - 36

“…Ha, Ophelia.”

“Serdel?”

Caught off guard by his sudden appearance, I didn’t even notice that he had called me by my name rather than my title.

Judging by the beads of sweat rolling down Serdel’s forehead like pearls, he must have scoured every corner of the forest searching for me.

Though I expected someone to come looking for me, never in a million years did I think it would be him …

A confusing mix of gratitude, guilt, and embarrassment swirled within me.

“A-ah, I was just about to head back…”

Before I could finish my half-hearted excuse laced with truth, Serdel pulled me into a tight embrace. It was so forceful that it nearly stole my breath away.

Stunned, I blinked my long lashes. Was he worried about me? Through our contact, I could feel his heartbeat pounding fiercely against mine.

It felt surreal, as though only the two of us existed in this space, much like that day when the rain poured down relentlessly.

‘So, he’s human after all.’

An oddly sentimental thought crossed my mind amidst the situation.

Feeling his heart racing, I realized that despite his cold-blooded reputation, he was no different from anyone else—a person with emotions.

I cautiously raised my hand to stroke the nape of his neck. Any hesitation about touching the Emperor vanished like a mirage the moment his warmth reached me.

“…I’m fine, Your Majesty. Thank you for coming to find me.”

“You constantly exceed my expectations, don’t you?”

Though his words carried a hint of sharpness, his tone was gentle, prompting me to chuckle softly. His concern, veiled behind such indirect phrasing, was so quintessentially Serdel.

With a low sigh escaping his lips, Serdel slowly released me.

Only then could I take in his features properly—the emerald eyes brimming with complexity, the dark strands of hair dampened by sweat…

‘This stubborn heart refuses to calm down.’

Even in this moment, I couldn’t help but find him undeniably attractive. My own heart raced wildly, sending heat creeping up the back of my neck. Flustered, I turned toward Theo, rambling nervously.

“Ah, um… Th-there’s something I need to clarify—”

“E-Empress? Did you say ‘Your Majesty’?”

Terrified by the sudden appearance of Serdel and the knights, Theo trembled uncontrollably.

Perhaps he mistook them for people who’d come to harm him. I gently patted his shoulder, speaking in a soothing voice to reassure him.

“It’s okay, Theo. Don’t worry. These people aren’t mages—they’re not here to hurt you.”

“Y-Your Majesty?! Could it be that you’re the Emp—?”

“Yes, but there’s no need to be afraid. See? They won’t harm us.”

Theo stared at me wide-eyed, his pale face reflecting shock as he looked between me and Serdel, whose piercing green eyes and black hair mirrored his own.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t formally introduced myself earlier. There hadn’t been time during our frantic escape, nor did I want to burden him with information that might cause fear.

He didn’t need to know everything yet. Or at least, that’s what I told myself.

Switching his gaze between Serdel and me, Theo began trembling violently before collapsing onto his knees. His expression screamed terror.

Startled, I crouched down to lift him, fearing he might faint.

This is why I wanted to keep things quiet.

“P-Please forgive me! I d-dared to call someone of royal blood ‘Sister’! I-I didn’t mean any disrespect! Please spare me—I’ll never do it again!”

“This is getting out of hand. Stand up, Theo. I never intended to scare or tease you. I’m the one who should apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. Whether I’m royalty or commoner doesn’t change a thing, alright?”

“R-Really…? Will you let my brother live? And my mother too?”

Hearing him speak stirred waves of pity and anger within me. This boy, who prioritized his family’s safety over his own, clearly came from a loving home.

Though reuniting him with his brother was impossible now, I yearned to see him safely returned to his parents’ arms as soon as possible.

“…I promise.”

I whispered softly, gently stroking his tear-streaked cheek.

“And this boy is?”

“He’s someone I found outside the forest. Explaining everything here is difficult, but to summarize, there seems to be an organization conducting magical experiments on people. Clearly, they’re not affiliated with the palace. There may be over a hundred victims… We need to send knights immediately to investigate, Your Majesty.”

“…Wait. Are you saying the Empress personally infiltrated such a place and rescued this child alone?”

I nodded, quickly relaying the details I’d observed—approximate location, number of guards stationed, etc. Of course, I omitted mentioning spotting Theo’s brother among the bodies.

After hearing my report, Serdel gave Commander Harpin a grave look.

“You heard her, Sir. Take all available knights and investigate where the Empress described. Since they’re mages, avoid dangerous confrontations if possible. Reinforcements will arrive shortly. Proceed discreetly.”

“But, Your Majesty. Leaving you and Her Highness unguarded is far too risky. At least four or five knights should accompany you.”

Serdel frowned slightly.

“The entrance is right ahead—it’ll take less than ten minutes…”

“Your Majesty.”

“…Arguing with you wastes time. Fine, do as you suggest.”

Meeting Harpin’s resolute expression, Serdel sighed and gestured dismissively.

Though I hadn’t met Harpin many times, each encounter reinforced my impression that he knew exactly how to handle Serdel. Perhaps their bond as lord and knight ran deep.

With a faint smile, Harpin bowed deeply to both of us before leading ten knights deeper into the forest.

“A loyal knight, isn’t he? He knows how to handle the Emperor.”

“More like he manipulates him effortlessly.”

“Well, he certainly looks fond of you. Remember when he showed mercy and spared him in the garden?”

“I have no interest in staining my hands unnecessarily. Besides, replacing the Commander of the Knights would be troublesome.”

Despite his nickname, “The Black Wolf Without Blood or Tears,” this response seemed somewhat contradictory. Shrugging, I chose to remain silent.

For now, I was simply comforted by his presence beside me.

Meanwhile, Pompoo, feeling left out of the conversation, landed sulkily atop my head. I’d momentarily forgotten how much he disliked Serdel.

Pompoo flicked the tip of his tail against my scalp, expressing his discontent.

“It’s okay, Pompoo. I’ll play with you later. Let’s return to the palace first.”

“So that fluffball still lives. For something classified as a dangerous creature, he’s surprisingly pathetic without your attention.”

“Poom… Purrrr, poom…”

His tone was so matter-of-fact it was hard to tell if he was mocking him. Noticing Pompoo’s once-fluffy fur turning into icy spikes, I rolled my eyes and stepped between them.

Honestly, dealing with these two feels like raising teenagers. Neither acts like cats or dogs; instead, they act like rivals itching to fight whenever they meet.

Initially, I thought it was just Pompoo’s one-sided hostility, but now it seems more complicated.

“How about signing a peace treaty? One of you freezing or exploding seems inevitable.”

“Well, before that—what’s that thing on the boy’s wrist? Looks like handcuffs.”

“Oh, it’s a mana control device. Only mages can remove it, and brute force won’t work.”

“So this boy can sense mana?”

Serdel eyed Theo with intrigue.

Never in his wildest dreams could any commoner child imagine receiving the full attention of the Emperor.

Theo, who had just calmed down, began trembling again, likely seeing Serdel as a ruthless predator ready to devour him whole.

Though Serdel wore what he probably considered a kind expression, a boy under ten wouldn’t recognize it as such.

I jabbed my finger lightly into Serdel’s side and whispered discreetly.

“Your Majesty, he’s still a child. Be gentler.”

He furrowed his brow, looking utterly baffled.

“I don’t know how to be gentler. Is my effort invisible to the Empress?”

“Can’t you see he’s on the verge of tears? I just managed to calm him down!”

The knights present, overhearing our exchange, shared expressions of shock. Clearly, no one spoke to Serdellius Carlot this way.

Carefully concealing my fingers, I gestured toward Theo. Causing further shock wouldn’t help anyone.

“If you can sense mana, does that mean you’re a mage?”

“Y-Your M-Majesty… I-I can sense mana b-but… magic… I…”

“Magic?”

“Uh, I h-haven’t learned yet… To learn requires money… Hiccup.”

As the conversation dragged on, Theo’s voice quivered like a goat hiccupping uncontrollably.

…Nothing has improved. Facing Serdel’s earnest but unsuccessful attempt, I swallowed a sigh.

“We’ll hear the rest later.”

Holding Theo’s still-trembling hand, I caught the eye of one of the knights.

“Could you guide us to the exit?”

“Ah! Yes, of course! Your Highness, and Your Majesty. Please follow me this way.”

The scruffy-haired knight pointed politely to the right, fully alert. As always, Pompoo nestled comfortably into my white hair, finding solace.

Though my heart ached to uncover the truth and reunite this young boy with his family as soon as possible, the blazing sunlight remained painfully bright today.

Taking a step forward, I walked alongside Serdel toward the hunting grounds’ entrance.