Aira stood frozen in the middle of the bustling Inner Palace Market.
The mysterious blond man had already disappeared into the sea of people.
Slowly, she turned around. Her heartbeat skipped.
The emperor stood only a few steps away. His expression was as cold and unreadable as ever. His crimson eyes swept toward the direction where the blond stranger had vanished before finally settling on her.
The air around them seemed to grow several degrees colder. Every merchant nearby instinctively lowered their heads. Even the imperial guards stiffened. No one dared utter a single word.
Aira forced an awkward smile.
"...Your Majesty."
Silence.
The emperor took one slow step forward. Then another. His gaze shifted toward the barbecue skewer she was awkwardly hiding behind her back.
"..."
She quickly moved it farther out of sight.
"I-I just wandered off for a little while..."
"You disappeared."
His voice was calm.
Aira instinctively straightened. "I apologize. I didn't realize I had wandered so far. I only wanted to explore the market for a little while." She lowered her head slightly. " I'm sorry."
"You fled."
The emperor's tone remained cold, almost as though he were accusing her of committing a crime.
Aira swallowed. "I prefer the word... wandered."
"You fled."
"..."
She sighed in defeat. "...I didn't flee, Your Majesty. I just wandered a little."
"Tsk."
The emperor stopped directly in front of her. His piercing crimson eyes never left hers.
"Do you know the identity of the man you were speaking with?"
Aira blinked. She didn't know why, but the weight behind those words made her hesitate. There was unmistakable anger beneath his calm voice.
"...That handsome blond man?"
The instant those words left her mouth, the emperor's expression darkened even further.
Aira immediately realized what she had just said. "E-Ehem... I mean, that kind gentleman I happened to meet."
She awkwardly raised the barbecue skewer. "He recommended this grilled meat to me..." she said with a sheepish smile. "...and he has excellent taste. It's really delicious."
The emperor's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "And you accepted food from a complete stranger?"
"...Yes?"
"What if it had been poisoned?"
Aira blinked. "Poisoned?" She looked genuinely confused. "But... why would he poison me?" She tilted her head. "I don't think he had any reason to do that, Your Majesty."
Silence.
The emperor simply stared at her.
A strange thought suddenly crossed Aira's mind.
Wait is he... jealous?
No. Impossible. This was the emperor. The walking iceberg. He probably didn't even know what jealousy was. Maybe he just wanted to remain the only handsome man around. Yeah. That's probably it.
She nodded to herself as though she had solved a great mystery.
"You were smiling while speaking with another man."
Aira stared at him blankly.
"...Excuse me?"
"You seemed..." His gaze briefly shifted toward the street where Jacob had disappeared. "comfortable with him." He looked back at her. "Do you realize how dangerous it is to speak with another man besides me? Or are you simply too naive to understand how important you are to this world?"
She pointed at herself.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"And he's a dog." His voice turned even colder. "A cunning dog. Do not approach strangers so carelessly."
"Hey! I didn't approach him. He was the one who approached me!" She pouted.
Why is the emperor suddenly this grumpy?
"Whether you approached him or he approached you," the emperor replied coldly. "you should not casually speak to or attempt to seduce a stranger like that man." He clicked his tongue. "He's dangerous. That dog has rabies. Stay away from him next time."
She opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Nothing came out. Finally, she let out a dramatic sigh.
"Your Majesty..." She pointed toward her own face. "Have you forgotten something?"
"What?"
"I'm wearing a disguise."
The emperor remained silent.
She spread both arms. "Everyone sees me as an old man." She looked at him as though stating the most obvious fact in the world. "So tell me, how exactly am I supposed to seduce someone while looking like somebody's grandfather?"
Silence.
One nearby merchant quietly lowered his head even farther, pretending he couldn't hear anything.
Aira continued grumbling under her breath. "Honestly. I still don't understand how everyone in this world even knows the word seduce. It's a world filled almost entirely with men."
She frowned thoughtfully. "Does everyone just wake up one day magically understanding romance?"
"It doesn't even make sen--"
Flick.
"Ow!"
Aira yelped, clutching her forehead as she glared at the emperor. "What was that for?!"
The emperor slowly lowered his hand.
"Idiot woman."
"..."
"...Excuse me?"
"You assume I know nothing."
"I—"
"You taught me."
Aira froze. "...What?"
The emperor met her gaze without the slightest hint of embarrassment. "You taught me how to kiss."
Her face exploded crimson. "W-Wait!"
"You also taught me about affection."
"I..."
"You introduced many concepts previously unknown to this empire."
He leaned slightly closer. "So do not assume I am ignorant."
Aira's entire face burned.
"You demonstrated what seduction is." He paused. "Or have you forgotten?" His crimson eyes locked onto hers. "I can kiss you again right now... if you need a reminder."
Slowly, he leaned closer. His expression remained as cold and composed as ever. Yet somehow for that brief moment, he looked dangerously handsome.
Wait...
What am I thinking?!
She immediately buried her burning face in both hands. I'm never escaping this memory. Never.
The emperor straightened. "There is only one woman capable of stirring the hearts of our people."
His crimson eyes remained fixed on her. "The Woman of the Prophecy."
Aira slowly lowered her hands.
"...That sounds like an unreasonable amount of pressure."
"It is simply reality."
Before she could argue again, the emperor reached for her wrist. His grip was firm, yet surprisingly gentle.
"We are returning."
"...Already?"
"Yes."
"But I only just started exploring!"
"You wandered away."
The emperor remained completely unconvinced. Without another word, he turned toward the captain of the imperial guards. His voice became colder than ice.
"Find him."
Every knight immediately dropped to one knee.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
"He has blond hair."
"Crimson eyes."
"He escaped toward the eastern quarter."
"Seal every exit."
"No one leaves the Inner Palace grounds without my permission."
The captain struck his fist against his chest.
"We will capture him immediately."
The emperor cast one final glance toward the distant rooftops.
For the briefest moment. His calm mask cracked.
"...Damn wolves." His voice was barely above a whisper. " should have eradicated their kind long ago." Then his expression returned to its usual icy calm.
No one reacted.
Except Aira.
Wolves?
She frowned. What wolves?
She slowly turned toward the direction where the mysterious blond man had disappeared.
Just...
Who exactly was he?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elsewhere...
Several streets away, a lone figure sprinted effortlessly across the rooftops.
Imperial knights flooded the streets below, searching every alley and marketplace. Yet none of them ever thought to look upward.
The blond man crouched atop the edge of a marble archway, quietly observing the commotion beneath him. His crimson eyes lingered on the emperor standing in the distance. A slow grin spread across his face.
"So..It really is her."
At first, he had only suspected it.
The sapphire necklace. The emperor's unusual behavior. The frantic panic of the imperial guards after she disappeared. But the emperor's reaction had erased every remaining doubt.
The Woman of the Prophecy had truly appeared.
"...Interesting."
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"I only spoke with her for a few minutes...and His Majesty nearly declared war."
His grin widened.
"How possessive."
A soft rustle echoed behind him. Four figures landed silently on the rooftop. Each possessed the same crimson eyes. Each moved with supernatural grace.
One crossed his arms. "Jacob."
Another let out a relieved sigh. "You took longer than expected."
A third looked toward the imperial palace. "Did you find her?"
The fourth smiled knowingly. "Judging by that smile, I'd say you did."
Jacob Reinhart turned toward them. A satisfied smile rested on his face.
"I found her."
All four wolves immediately straightened.
"...Really?"
Jacob nodded. "The prophecy was true."
One stepped forward eagerly. "What was she like?"
Jacob looked back toward the palace. A soft laugh escaped him.
"Nothing..like I expected."
The others exchanged puzzled glances. "Was she beautiful?"
Jacob smiled mysteriously. "I couldn't see her real face."
"What?"
"She was wearing a magical disguise." He paused. "But..her eyes. They were impossible to mistake."
Another wolf frowned.
"And the emperor?"
Jacob laughed again. "I've never seen him look at anyone like that."
"What do you mean?"
Jacob's crimson eyes gleamed with amusement. "As though the entire world already belonged to him and someone had dared reach out and touch what was his."
Silence settled over the rooftop.
Finally, one of the wolves spoke.
"So..."
"The prophecy has truly begun."
Jacob slowly nodded.
"Yes."
His gaze drifted once more toward the imperial palace. "We'll meet again..."
"Woman of the Prophecy."
"And next time..."
A playful smile curved his lips.
"I hope we'll have enough time for a proper conversation."
Far below, bells rang throughout the imperial capital. Hundreds of imperial knights continued searching every corner of the city. But by the time they reached the rooftops...
Jacob Reinhart and the other wolves had already vanished without a trace.