When Fernando returned to the office, the knight waiting in front of the door bowed in silence.
While we went inside and sat down, the driver immediately reported the surveillance.
"Your Majesty and His Majesty did not show any special movement except for the four-day banquet schedule."
Julia knew that the knights only escorted me outside the imperial palace.
But even inside the palace, the knight secretly followed her footsteps.
Fernando, who opened the document he was reviewing again, shook his head as if to continue.
"Also, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but you have accompanied the priest twice on the promenade."
"priest?"
Fernando took his eyes off the paperwork and looked at my article. The knight nodded and continued.
"Yes, it was the priests who visited for the Crown Princess' birth mass. One was a young priest, and the other was a young priest. The terrain was difficult to access, so we could not overhear the conversation."
Fernan nodded carelessly and made a chin to get out. The reports so far have been nothing special.
The knight, who politely remained silent, immediately left the office.
After the article disappeared, Fernan looked at the paperwork again and reviewed the report that had been delayed for a while.
Time passed and he looked up just after reviewing all the files.
Fernan, who opened his eyes slowly, leaned on the backrest and pondered for a moment.
'I'll be by your side.'
'I won't think about divorce any more.'
Recalling what Julia had said one day, he revealed a subtle expression on his face.
Her heart was shaken for a moment at those words, but I didn't think it was her sincerity.
It may be that he is deliberately trying to deceive him in order to escape the situation.
Fernando lightly stroked my face with a large hand.
Not yet. Still, I wasn't sure that she would be completely by my side.
So, I have no choice but to keep an eye on her out of sight until I'm sure.
Fernando slowly closed his heavy eyelids.
His eyes were darkly closed because he had not slept properly for several days.
* * *
Julia only woke up the next morning.
I heard that Fernan had moved me last night, but she didn't respond.
After letting Melissa out for a while and left alone, Yulia took out the pendant she had hidden in the drawer.
And he took the pendant straight over the beads he had hidden in his arms. It was to confirm Cedric's message.
As Cedric said, as the two relics got closer, light began to slowly spread from the marble.
The marble cracked into pieces with a crackling and cracking sound. At the same time, small shards of glass were scattered in the air.
A small note was left in the place that was left.
Julia opened the note with a slightly nervous face.
[A monastery in the Ladel district, west of the Grand Duchy's Central Square.]
The letter stated that Cedric was going to stay in the monastery for a long time after finishing his tour at the Imperial Palace.
So if you go there, you'll be able to meet him anytime.
It was added that if she succeeded in escaping the siege, Cedric would accompany her directly from then on.
[No matter how long it takes, we will be happy to wait for you, so please don't be in a hurry.]
Julia revealed her warm eyes. It was as if a sweet and youthful voice could be heard, just like in the Imperial Palace.
Julia, who folded the letter and kept it, put together her future plans for a while.
There were still knights who were assigned to her as an escort.
Let alone running away, even if they escape the castle in the name of going out, they will surely follow her.
'… What should I do?'
I've been trying my best so far, but Fernan still doesn't seem to believe me.
I couldn't figure out what more to do here.
'Cedric said he would come to the monastery in a week.'
Julia looked into the air with a stiff face. All I could do for now was to convince Fernando. He had no choice but to create a situation where there would be no doubt even if he inherited the knights.
Julia caressed the pendant on the table.
However, if it doesn't work no matter what, this time, even at a risk, I was going to use this power.
So early in the evening, snow began to fall on the estate like a heavy snowfall.
Yulia, who was going up the stairs after eating, was momentarily taken away from the snow through the glass window.
Then I heard someone's footsteps.
"I see you, Rain. Have you been at peace?"
Then, when I turned my head, I saw a man with thick gray hair. It was Rockman, the long-time doctor of the Grand Duke.
"What are you doing at this hour?"
When Yulia nodded and asked a question, Rockman gave a polite answer.
"I am going to the bed for a while at the call of Your Majesty."
Julia's eyes widened for an instant. It was at that moment when he wondered why he did not appear in the dining room.
A man who never seemed to suffer from a minor illness must have been ill.
"Then I will go in. Please have a relaxing evening."
After she said nothing more, Rockman politely said hello and then disappeared.
Yulia, who even climbed the stairs, stopped for a moment while trying to enter the hallway where the bedroom was.
While hesitating somewhere, she unknowingly turned to where Fernando's room was.
In front of his bedroom, which arrived with an unknown feeling, Julia stood still.
'… What am I doing now?'
Mumbling to herself, she shook her head and turned around again. It didn't matter to me whether he was sick or not.
The moment he took his steps so calmly, he heard the sound of something breaking inside.
Julia stopped in shock and looked back.
"… majesty?"
I hurried to the door and tried to call him, but there was no answer from inside.
Hesitating, Yulia opened the door slightly. As she cautiously stepped inside, she was greeted by her dark room.
"uh… ."
The sudden darkening of my vision made it difficult to distinguish objects.
Julia stuttered and walked towards the bed. She then tapped something in her under the bedside table.
Upon closer inspection, it looked like a broken glass of water. This was probably the identity of the noise I heard a while ago.
Yulia raised her gaze again and looked at Fernando lying on the bed. He was lying on his back with his eyes closed.
"Sir, are you okay?"
There was no answer from him. Julia hesitated and reached out his hand.
It had not been long since he had washed his hair, and his messy hair was slightly wet.
He touched his forehead, but it didn't seem like he had a fever.
However, with his eyes closed, there was some kind of fatigue on his face.
"… what?"
Just as I was contemplating whether I should call the doctor again in case I didn't know, Fernando tossed and turned slightly.
Julia lowered her head slightly and checked the sound of his breathing. Seeing the sound of her breathing evenly flowing, she seemed to be in a deep sleep.
The glass shards scattered on the floor looked like he had dropped a glass of water on the bedside table in his sleep.
Julia, who was about to summon the attendant, suddenly stopped because she felt that the glass had to be removed. Then she turned again and looked down at him.
Laying down with only one robe on, he looked a little disheveled as usual. At the same time he seemed somehow helpless.
After looking at him like that for a long time, Yulia impulsively pressed her forehead lightly.
It was because of the inherent desire to straighten this wrinkled eyebrow every day.
The hand that was gently pressing the forehead like that naturally came down to the corner of his cheek, and then fell off immediately.
Yulia let out a silent sigh and turned to go outside.
And at that moment, a large hand grabbed her and pulled her towards me.
"ah!"
Julia, who was lying on her face as if being held in his arms, froze for a moment.
He looked up carefully to see if he was awake, but he still had his eyes closed.
Julia struggled a little to get up. But his tight arms around his waist did not budge.
"majesty?"
I tried to call him carefully, but his closed eyelids didn't move.
Something similar happened to me in the past. Could this be this man's sleeping habit?
Yulia tried to move her body again with a troubled face. Again, he didn't seem to want to get up so easily.
"… ha."
After a small sigh, Yulia released her strength from her body.
Naturally, as I leaned my head in his arms, I could feel his heartbeat through my body. For some reason, it seemed to fluctuate irregularly.
She looked up at him and then opened her mouth in a quiet voice.
"majesty."
He still didn't answer. Julia calmed her breathing and opened her mouth again.
"… Fernan."
The first name I heard aloud fell down with a very unfamiliar sound.
Suddenly, several memories came to mind. From the day he first met him to the day he got married.
he won't know What did that first meeting mean to Julia, even though it was old and not fading?
How happy she was when she met the warm man in her memory again.
As much as I walked the wedding road with him, maybe I was happy too.
That's why this man's harsh attitude hurt me more than anything else.
It is foolish, but it will be difficult to forget this feeling easily.
Because my feelings for him were like a treasure that I had treasured since childhood.
So Julia had to leave this man even more.
I wanted to completely let go of this feeling that binds me and tramples me, and I want to live comfortably even for just one day.
Even if it was a vain hope, if I dreamed of such a life, I could survive the present.
With her eyes closed, Yulia repeated over and over that everything would be fine.