Translator: yun

I instantly disassociated Danes face from his. I couldnt express how grateful I was to him for being so aggressive.

Really?

As the grip on my neck tightened, I smiled.

What should I do then?

Just then, I spotted a stalk hovering in the air. Vines rushed out from the ceiling and the ground before wrapping themselves around his arms.

W-whats this?

I smiled.

Amor. So, you were watching.

The vines revealed their sharp thorns. It only took an instant. The ground shook once more before he found himself unable to move from his spot.

Deros.

I smiled at the trapped man.

Thats too bad. Because I do have a templar who is only willing to protect me.

The vines blocked the hands reaching out to me. Continuing to stare at him, I slowly started speaking.

Who do you think will actually be the one left with regrets?

This time, I tilted my head.

Dane left on his own.

At my request. Though I didnt mention the last part.

I think its a relief that there will no longer be family or relatives who would only force duties upon him.

Keu you!

Thats rude. To address a princess so directly. You should learn to be more polite.

I gave my neck a light pat. I couldnt feel any pain even after he grabbed my neck so tightly.

If you continue treating me like this, youd only get punished.

For the people I loved.

Listen closely, Deros.

I slowly distanced myself from him before smiling.

There were too many crooks in this world. One example would be the man in front of me, who had kidnapped innocent women for the family I belonged to.

Youll only regret it if you touch me. Though Ill still make sure you regret it even if you didnt.

Deros gritted his teeth.

A meaningless threat.

He glared at me frighteningly.

Princess, you have ruined our long-cherished wish. We will not forget this grudge.

I let out a loud laugh.

Well, getting threatened by someone tied up like that isnt as scary as you think, Deros.

I then slowly turned my head.

Lets see where the bomb falls if you touch me.

Those who carry out lowly deeds would definitely pay a fair price.

I was going to make sure of it.

I curled my eyes.

I squeezed the bracelet once. Once I touched it, the plants that had tied themselves around Deros unravelled.

Once he was released, Deros only glared at me before retreating. Just then, I heard the rustling of leaves before a dark shadow appeared out of nowhere and followed after him.

They appeared before me on purpose.

They were warning me that they could kill me silently at any time. I slowly narrowed my eyes.

I see that hes still doing dangerous things.

Amors voice could be heard from the bracelet.

Brother.

You should only be getting hurt once or twice. How long are you going to keep me worried like this?

I raised my arm.

But Im not hurt.

Should I just fall for the obvious lie?

I laughed at how I could tell what his expression was from his voice alone.

For a while now, the Emperors Shadows have been given special privileges so he now has more authority than ever.

Yes, I heard. I even heard he would be given special pardon for a while and the right to take immediate action in order to capture the remnants of the coup, right?

Correct. Its because he knows that well, he showed himself in front of you.

Thanks to someone who showed up in time, I didnt get hurt, right?

It sounds like you want me to only watch you for the whole day.

Oh dear. You caught me.

For a moment, Amor remained silent.

I can do that if you want.

He murmured quietly.

Really?

Yes.

I caressed the bracelet lovingly for a moment though he would not be able to see it.

I got a little angry just now but its gone almost instantly now.

I grabbed the bracelet before whispering.

Thanks to you, Amor.

The dreadful discomfort I had after meeting Deros was disappearing little by little.

Come to think of it, Ive awakened. Youre the only one who hasnt seen it yet

I wonder what expression was on his face now. The emperors surveillance on us was indeed tight. To be exact, Deros, who held a grudge against me, was the one watching us and he was thorough. Moreover, I would occasionally spot Hernans bird in my gardens.

He had to hide the fact that he had gotten healthy and I had to hide my awakening. Ultimately, we decided to keep our distance for a while. He might have respected my decision, but, well, how did he feel about it?

You didnt manage to see me through the plants, right?

Right. I didnt bother to look since you were with your patrols. If I use my powers, I might get in between your friendships.

That meant Hernan must have seen me by now too. But out of respect for me, he didnt try to sneak a look.

He and I remained silent for a while.

Fiddling with the bracelet for a moment, I suddenly spoke.

Should I come find you today?

Afterwards, I added.

No. I will come find you.

What?

I already gave Deros a warning today.

I was planning to go see Amor today so Castor and Hernan would soon find out.

Come to think of it, theres no need for us to distance ourselves.

Didnt you say itd be better to be more careful?

Its because I miss you.

I laughed.

Didnt you miss me too, brother?

Amor momentarily did not reply to my laugh. In a little while, instead of the voice I had been waiting for, I heard his breaths.

Ha I really cant win against you.

So, your answer?

It sounded like his breath had hitched.

You really forge your own path. Do whatever you want.

Sprouts from the bracelet twined around my fingers before flowers blossomed along their stalks.

When can I ever win you?

It was a response so lovely only he could make it

That very night.

I waited for the moon to rise before heading out. At this point, I could even leave the palace with my eyes closed.

I wonder if theres going to be any surveillance.

I stared into the darkness. Curiously, it looked brighter than it did yesterday. Even though it wasnt in the middle of the day, it felt as if my back had been illuminated.

The fact that templars had different physical abilities to that of average people seemed to hold true.

Through Amors powers, I managed to change my appearance using the divinity I had before my awakening but my physical abilities remain the same to a certain extent.

My grip got stronger too.

I clenched before unclenching my fist. In fact, it wouldnt matter to me if someone was hiding in the forest.

The Forbidden Forest.

Somewhere anyone without a drop of Imperial blood will get lost in.

In other words, as long as I was in the Forbidden Forest, they couldnt chase after me.

After a while, I slipped through the fence. Sure enough, I could hear grass rustling behind me.

Growl. I could hear sounds of a beast from a distance. I hastened my pace.

I quickly arrived at Amors palace through the stele. I rushed past the back door that he had left open just for me.

Ah. Come in.

I found him sitting on his bed and leaning against the headboard with the window wide open. But unlike how he normally was, he was dressed loosely. I didnt know where to place my eyes as his long hair fluttered in the wind with his chest half-exposed. And yet he was languidly aloof to it all. At the same time, the sentimentality he hid before could be seen at first glance from his occasional glances towards me.

If it hadnt been for his fluttering sky-blue hair, I would have thought I was staring at a finely crafted sculpture.

Amor smiled widely as if noticing my gaze was on his open shirt.

I didnt have clothes that fit me.

Me too.

I see.

Out of habit, I sat at the foot of his bed. But he easily grabbed my hand before lifting me up and sitting me on his bed.

Ive always wondered this but why do you always sit on the ground?

Ah. Its just a habit. Since youre always in the bed, brother. I can see your face best when I sit below the bed.

He scrunched his face momentarily.

You can see me well even when you sit on the bed.

He then lowered his head and headed towards me.

And this way, youre closer to me.

Hup, please dont come close to me.

It wouldnt be good for my heart. Soft greyish-green eyes could be seen right in front of me. His eyes curled gently.

When you tell me not to, it makes me want to come even closer.

What a stubborn bull. His lips brushed against my eyes. It tickled.

Didnt you say you had something to show me?

As soon as I came, he wanted to talk business. He was impatient too. I pulled back from him with a big smile. I had already come wearing loose clothes under my hood for this very purpose.

Dont be too surprised. No, you wont be surprised.

Why?

Nothing much had changed.

He rested his chin on his hand before saying that he would judge for himself with a smile.