(From Blue''s Perspective)


    "Haa..."


    I panted, waking up suddenly. I had fallen asleep while working. It was a dream. This time, I saw his face.


    I saw my father''s face.


    He was smiling at me. But that smile was as heinous as it could be. And it was scarilyforting. Was it because his face was exactly my face but a male version? He looked just a bit more than thirty which was scary and unsettling as well. But he called me his daughter when I looked like his little sister.


    He called me his daughter again and again and smiled at me. That was all the dream was about.


    "Are you alright, Your Highness? Was it a nightmare?" Calix asked. "I did not wake Your Highness up since you looked exhausted. Moreover, you don''t have a meeting as well."


    I noticed that there was a nket around me. It must be Calix''s work. Calix grabbed me a ss of water and I drank it quickly.


    "Let me help you, Your Highness," he muttered and helped me wipe my sweaty face. "Did you have a nightmare, Your Highness?"


    "Kind of...," I mumbled. "Still no report from Luc?"


    "No," he shook his head. "I went to ask Lord Reece, but nothing."


    "How long has it been since they left? Fifteen days?"


    "Thirteen, Your Highness. The team sent a report, but we have got nothing from Lord Luc."


    ''I don''t even know what is going on there. The main report is about Lacuna''s condition right now. But Luc is supposed to tell us about what is going on with Lacuna''s King.''


    "And has Deme back yet?"


    "No. It''s been only two hours since His Highness left," he said.


    Dem had taken Athena to the duchy. It was supposed to be me, but I had vomited twice in the morning. Even if I said I was alright many times to Dem, he did not listen to me and made me stay back.


    The maids had been making quite a fuss as well. They believed I was pregnant and I got morning sickness which was definitely not the case since I had vomited due to the number of chips and salsa I hadst night. I ate them right before Dem and I had sex. I felt nauseous that night but managed to fall asleep. Then, in the morning, right after getting up, I vomited.


    "And about the rumor, Your Highness..."


    "I am not pregnant," I dismissed. Calix had been trying to ask me this for a long time, but did not. Finally, he managed to gather the courage. "The maids just assumed."


    "Oh, I see. I thought so too. Or, Your Highness and His Highness would look very happy. Rather, today, you looked rather exhausted and down."


    "You are pretty observant, aren''t you, little boy?"


    "Please don''t talk like that, Your Highness! It hurts my honor as the youngest knight...!"


    "Haha, alright, I won''t," I chuckled. "Anyway, I will work a bit more. Remind me when it''s time for dinner."


    "I always do."


    Athena and Abel were officially adopted and Dem took Athena to the duchy so she could start living with her new family. I met Abel briefly, but he was not talking too much. Perhaps he was not the social type. The duke was very excited. Iris also was happy that they got two children, but sometimes, her face would turn gloomy as if she was fighting her urge not to be sad.


    I could understand her feelings. She loved her husband, but she was not his mate and thus, the duke could not understand his feelings for her and always felt distant. Their sex life did not work out as well. If they could not even sleep with each other, then how were they even going to have children together? Iris could not even confess her love for him because she knew he would not be able to reply.


    The duke also valued his work more than his married life. It was unfair to Iris.


    But I believed it was partly her fault too. Before she married him, she knew that the duke had a mate and they would not be able to have a perfect married life. Yet, she proposed to him, let it be a joke. If she turned her back on love and tried to find happiness instead, she would not have to face this life. Love would not stay forever if someone tried to give it up wholeheartedly.


    It would not have been easy to give up the love that had been in her heart for a long time, but at least, she would not have to live a depressed life.


    I hoped Athena and Abel would be able to bring her somefort and happiness. Life was not about having a romantic partner only, after all.


    "That said, I invited Ruby to have dinner with me, right?" I asked as I suddenly remember. I hadpletely forgotten about it after working for too long.


    "Yes, Your Highness. Please be at east. I will tell you when it''s time," Calix said reassuringly.


    "Haa, alright. I will take your word on that. Just make sure to remind me when it''s time," I said.


    "Yes, yes, I will."


    Calix was more trustworthy when it came to usingmon sense and helping me with practical matters. Perita was the aggressive type. But she was very adorable as well as Calix.


    I started working again. After the encounter with Lady Caerlion, I had been having nightmares and that dark mage had beening to my dream more often. Today was the first time I saw his face. No, it was more like he showed me his face.


    Dem said he would take care of the matter. I asked him many times what he did, but he never told me. It had been thirteen days, but I had no idea what he did. But he told me what he found out from her.


    Lady Caerlion confessed that after I got pregnant, they found out about it through Ezekiel who was told by his sister. Ezekiel''s sister had been the Imperial Doctor at that time. She had been the first person to find out that I was pregnant. Lady Caerlion and Uncle Victor knew about Isaac''s n. Though Lady Caerlion was against it because she did not want to risk it, Uncle Victor supported the n.


    Then they got the news of Isaac''s death. The next day, a man wearing a blue hooded cloak and a golden mask came to their mansion. He did not reveal his identity, but he was the one who told them about my past. Uncle Victor was nning to use my past against me because that man told them that I was traumatic.


    Dem told me that he read all of her thoughts when he asked her these questions, but found nothing else. She truly had no idea who that man was or why he told them about my past.


    I did not know where Lady Caerlion was right now. Dem did not tell me that. He only said that she was alive and she would not bother me again.


    I did not like the fact that he was going that far for me. But I was the one who gave him permission to do so. If I said otherwise right now, that would be contradicting my past decision. Besides, it was pointless to argue with Dem.


    "Your Highness, it is time," Calix said after an hour or so.


    "Can you check if Ruby is here already? Or, I will go when shees."


    Before Calix could leave, a maid announced that it was time for dinner and the mistress of the magic tower was here. The time after I had gotten sick because of overwork, all the employees had been very cautious about making sure that I had my meals in time and I rested enough. I had a feeling that it was Dem''s work though no one told me.


    I asked Dem too, but he just shrugged and said they were only doing their job.


    "Let''s go then. I don''t need to change, do I?"


    "No, but wash your hands and face before eating," Calix reminded.


    "Geez, you don''t need to remind me that. That''s amon thing to do," I muttered.


    Calix escorted me to the dining hall and said goodbye for the day. "Her Highness, the Queen is here!"


    "How have you been, Your Highness?" Ruby asked as soon as I entered.


    "I am fine. What about you?"


    "I am well too. Thank you for asking."


    "It must have been hard to be alone," I said. "I wish I could just make Luc stay, but it was necessary."


    "It is no problem, Your Highness. His work as the master of the magic toweres first. It''s not like I am going away," she said.


    "Well, I guess that''s true."


    ''But it''s surely true that you feel lonely.''