“Still, I don’t want to forcefully avoid His Majesty. Isn’t it common not only to His Majesty but to everyone? Whether it’s business or personal friendships. There’s nothing wrong with people forming relationships.”

“Did you not understand what I said? Because I’m getting terribly angry.”

“I’m sorry, but there are cases where the oracle is wrong.”

Annie swallowed her breath slightly. She couldn’t get over it without saying the words she wanted to say.

Her heart ached over the little child she was watching; even as an adult.

How would it feel to a person who has to avoid the same person regardless of their age?

“And His Majesty is not as vicious as you say. Whatever has happened in the past, whatever rumors may have been, he’s the kindest business partner I have ever had.”

“You know what will happen to His Majesty?”

Robbie’s face quickly turned red. He tried to contain his anger, but there was a rumble between his teeth.

At that moment, a hypothesis ran through Annie’s mind.

‘No way… Does the messenger of the gods have a secret power?’

It may not be a completely wrong hypothesis. In retrospect, it was strange. Even before Ejed was born, the stigma of being an oracle and a ‘tyrant’ spread throughout the empire.

As if Ejed wanted that to happen or as if someone had deliberately planned it.

Annie’s eyes deepened. When she sees the look of Robbie, who was urging her now, she couldn’t help but guess that this person did that.

‘There were rumors that His Majesty lost his parents early and followed Robbie like his parents…’

Now, he may have been trying to repay his favor for Robbie, who took care of him.

Then he may have served as a non-executive power under the pretext of that sincerity.

‘Maybe the good deeds of the past may have been hidden because of this person’s oracle.’

It was the exemplary virtue of the monarch to establish a shelter for abandoned dogs and to participate directly in work that would benefit the empire.

But if even that fact had been hidden, he might have continued to keep an eye on Ejed.

No matter how much of an emperor he is, he is younger than Robbie. Annie had a hard time hiding her wretched heart.

“…. How hard must it have been.”

Such a person was always nervous and hid himself, and he could not even express his love properly. She doesn’t know how much of it was true or false, but Ejed’s suffering was evident.

Robbie said in a firm voice as if to give strength to the bizarre hypothesis.

“So if you say not to meet, then we don’t meet. Is that it?”

She was so frustrated with the sadness that she felt nauseous.

‘I thought he was happy because he was the Emperor…’

She remembered him trying to cover his face as much as possible even when he went to the theater, even wearing a hat or mask.

Ejed alone must have suffered so much now that his parents left early.

Moreover, he avoids everyone, and he has no one to share his heart with.

“Are you ordering me now?”

No matter if he was a messenger from the gods, he had no right to force the people of the empire.

“What?”

“And I also want to say something.”

Annie retorted.

“Don’t harass His Majesty with an oracle.”

***

Too much.

Annie admitted that her behavior against Robbie was too much. She didn’t even know the authenticity of the oracle, and there may be some truth in the rumors.

‘But His Majesty has been nice to me.’

That was the reason Annie argued with Robbie. To her, he was always kind.

Robbie was furious at Annie’s steadfast attitude, but she had no choice but to refute it.

When she returned to her office after the battle, Annie laid her forehead on the desk.

“His Majesty was nice not only to me but also to our Lang. He gave her expensive dog chews…”

Annie, who was muttering to herself, said, ‘Oh.’ exclaimed in exclamation. She’s been taking care of him lately, so she can’t even take care of Lang.

‘She needs to exercise.”

Annie roughly cleared her desk and went out into the garden. However, Lang’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where did she go?’

“Lang, Lang, where are you?”

After several calls with no answer, Annie gave up. But then, she heard Lang barking.

“Bark! Barkbarkbark! Bark!”

It was weird.

Lang’s bark was louder and more lively than usual.

‘Who’s here?’

Curious, Annie followed the sound and saw someone standing at the front door.

Annie rubbed her eyes without realizing it.

“Uh…”

She saw Jade holding Lang over the iron bars of the front door. Behind him were the two aides with solemn faces.

Surprised, the aides did not know what to do and just stared.

“Good girl, Lang.”

Ejed, who couldn’t find Annie, still gave a good look at Lang. Lang was happy too, so she rubbed her face at him and was delighted.

Ejed grabbed Lang’s head with both hands and kissed her forehead. Its appearance was the same as the attitude Jade had towards Lang.

Annie was somewhat disappointed.

‘They’re the same thing… Why didn’t I find out? Were my eyes just hallucinating?’

She used to feel proud of herself, but she became ashamed of herself again and again. That’s probably why—the reason for the heat rising on her face.

“Ah. Your Majesty, Lady Dsev is here!”

Ejed, who put his hand on Lang’s head, got up. He faced her.

Annie, who met him, smiled awkwardly.

“It’s been a while. Your Majesty. How… have you been doing?”

‘Maybe Robbie didn’t argue with His Majesty?’

Ejed opened his mouth as he looked up at her with an anxious look.

“Annie.”

Annie listened to his soft call.

No, that was the answer.

“Annie. I’m here to see you.”

Hesitation disappeared from the red eyes.