On the morning of the funeral, Rohana awoke to a sound she had become familiar with. As expected, the bed beside her was impeccably neat, with almost no trace that anyone had slept there.

Rohana focused on the sound that had woken her. It was singing, much closer than yesterday.

Whenever she heard that sound, something bad tended to happen. With a growing sense of unease, she furrowed her brow and got out of bed.

When she stepped into the sitting room, Kaiden was already dressed and sitting elegantly, looking picture-perfect.

“You’re awake,” his now-familiar deep voice quickly dispelled the last remnants of her sleep.

“Yes.”

Rohana pulled her robe tightly around herself and sat across from him. Though the black formal attire he wore for the funeral wasn’t much different from his usual clothing, it somehow seemed heavier.

“Something feels off,” Rohana was the first to speak.

“What do you mean…?” Kaiden asked.

“I’m hearing that sound again. Every time something bad happens, I hear it…”

“Perhaps a Caladrius is nearby?” he suggested calmly.

“Yes.”

Kaiden stroked his chin thoughtfully and let out a short, quiet breath.

“Yesterday, you mentioned Aurelia didn’t appear at the Modin Trading Company.”

Rohana nodded at his question. After much fruitless worrying, she had told him about her failure to meet Aurelia at the Modin.

“I sent a messenger bird last night,” Kaiden continued.

“A messenger bird?”

“I wanted to check the situation in Nopthal. We need to find out where those two went. Iz will verify it and report back.”

Rohana nodded silently again. Her unease remained. She rarely felt such a strong sense of foreboding.

The fact that Bardi had invited them in the first place felt like an obvious trap. Even though they had come prepared, seeking to solidify their position as members of the imperial family, it didn’t mean they weren’t anxious.

Were they really trying to put Kaiden in danger by claiming political legitimacy?

They had done the same in the Battle of Shatonwell. Laying traps and waiting was Bardi’s specialty.

‘Maybe we should turn back…’

“Rohana.”

The sudden sound of her name snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Rohana.”

She flinched but still didn’t turn to look at him. Kaiden called her name again, seeing her lost in thought.

“Ah…”

As she reflexively opened her mouth to say something, Kaiden gave her a faint smile.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

Without realizing it, Rohana let out the breath she had been holding.

“If Bardi has laid a trap, we’ll just avoid it, like last time.”

His overly nonchalant tone made Rohana narrow her eyes as she replied, half-jokingly, half-seriously, “If it hadn’t been for the Caladrius, who knows what might have happened.”

Even now, the memory of him falling off the cliff sent a shiver down her spine.

“There is something, though,” Kaiden leaned in, his smile returning as he moved closer. Caught off guard, Rohana froze as he spoke.

“You’re here.”

Rohana, momentarily holding her breath, relaxed her tense expression and gently pushed him away.

“You didn’t used to be like this…” she muttered.

“Indeed,” Kaiden agreed, as if he were talking about someone else. His expression then cooled slightly as he looked out the window. He straightened up, as if about to stand.

Rohana, watching him in his mourning attire, spoke without realizing it.

“Kaiden.”

His gaze shifted back to her.

“I truly feel sorry for the passing of the late Emperor, beyond everything else.”

She meant it. Kaiden paused, leaning back against the sofa.

“Come to think of it, I guess I am family,” he said with a bitter smirk. His expression wasn’t a smile, and Rohana felt the weight of it herself.

“Did you ever stay in contact with the late Emperor?” she asked.

“Well…” Kaiden thought of the letters he had always burned.

“I’ve always been curious.”

Without realizing it, he spoke honestly to Rohana.

“Curious about what?” she asked.

“How much he knew. About me, about his son Edwin, about my parents.”

For a moment, a sorrowful glint appeared on Kaiden’s normally composed face, and Rohana was reminded of the boy she had encountered long ago.

“You never tried to find out?”

“If I did, it would have looked like I was dissatisfied with the Empire.”

Kaiden’s answer was straightforward, and Rohana nodded, understanding.

“I had to pledge my loyalty without question, and at the time, I meant it,” he continued.

“I never thought about starting a conflict again. Though now the Kark people may believe I’ve been waiting for this day my entire life.”

He added with a slight smile, “And the Arin people must think so too, no doubt.”

Rohana quietly nodded in agreement.

“But this is how it turned out,” Kaiden said softly.

“The Empire is on the verge of collapse,” she replied.

Kaiden raised an eyebrow, and Rohana quickly shook her head to clarify.

“Not because of you, but because of the circumstances. Even without you, the Kark tribe would have had no choice but to rebel.”

Their past experiences had made that abundantly clear. The birds chirping outside briefly filled the silence.

“It’s a shame you never got to ask him.”

“You probably thought it wouldn’t matter what answer you got,” Rohana remarked.

Kaiden looked at her intently for a moment.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing,” he said, dismissing the thought.

Kaiden shook his head with a smile. He didn’t believe that saying anything more could further capture her heart. Still, whenever she so easily understood his feelings like this, it stirred something deep inside him.

‘Do you even know, even a little?’

Kaiden smiled again and shook his head.

“You must be tired. Rest a bit more,” he said as he stood up, suggesting that Rohana get some more sleep.

“No, I’ll get ready too,” Rohana replied firmly, her voice resolute. Kaiden felt his chest stir again, but this time it wasn’t the unsettling kind.

Though he said he trusted her, he had no intention of dragging her into the fight.

As Kaiden opened the door and stepped outside, he spotted Heath in the distance, calmly eating biscuits.

He had a favor to ask of him.

***

The summer sunlight shone through the gaps in the stained glass, filtered by a somber black veil.

Although it was the protocol for the imperial family, this was the first funeral of its kind. Typically, it would have been the Empress who led such an important “family matter,” but as everyone knew, Bardi Rentworth, the second emperor of Ardgold, did not have an Empress. Nonetheless, the preparations appeared flawless and without fault.

When Rohana and Kaiden stepped into the room, packed with Arin people, the crowd’s eyes locked onto them, sharp and unyielding.

The murmuring fell silent in an instant, only to resume as soon as they began walking again.

The room was adorned with white tulips instead of the red ones usually used for celebrations. A deep hole in the golden-banded floor of the cathedral marked the place where the coffin would be laid to rest.

“Oh my, how…”

Occasional murmurs were quickly silenced by others, and the sting of betrayal seemed more directed at Rohana than at Kaiden.

Worried that Rohana might be nervous, Kaiden glanced down at her, but her face was calm and composed.

They were guided to the front, the same place as during the rehearsal—seated behind and to the right of Emperor Bardi. Once seated, the emperor finally entered. A solemn funeral hymn began to play, and the coffin of the late emperor followed shortly behind.

“We gather here today to…”

The bishop began his speech. Kaiden let the words flow in one ear and out the other, recalling the conversation he’d had with Rohana that morning.

‘Indeed.’

Bardi rose when it was his turn, scattering white roses onto the coffin now laid in the grave.

‘I didn’t ask because even if I did, the answer wouldn’t have mattered.’

Kaiden’s footsteps echoed loudly.

‘We were never in a position to even ask questions of each other.’

The white tulip petals scattered over the coffin where the late emperor lay seemed as futile as their relationship had been. The sound of people quietly sobbing filled his ears.

‘How could things have been different for us?’

For the first time, something genuine and sorrowful stirred from deep within him. Kaiden furrowed his brow and tried to harden his expression.

Once he returned to his seat, the music played again. The choir’s grand yet quiet hymn filled the silent space with an almost unsettling beauty.

That’s when it happened.

Rohana suddenly grabbed Kaiden’s elbow.

“Rohana?” he whispered.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a flicker of unease.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“The sound is too loud. Just like before. At least in the capital or somewhere nearby,” she whispered in a small voice.

“It’s alright. For now, just…” Kaiden began to reassure her.

“I don’t think…”

But at that moment, the harmony of the choir wavered. The faces of the people watching the door noticeably stiffened. Some gaped, while others, those more faint-hearted, seemed on the verge of collapsing.

Bardi turned to look, and Kaiden and Rohana followed suit.

At the door stood a person who should never have been there.

Or rather, a person whose presence couldn’t be explained.

“Aurelia.”

Rohana’s voice escaped in a near whisper, barely more than a sigh.

Dressed in a stunning black gown, her golden hair flowed like waves down over her chest.

“Well, isn’t this interesting,” Bardi remarked, his voice pulling Rohana’s gaze back to him. Her eyes met his cold, blue ones.

“Very interesting.”

Rohana furrowed her brow and turned back toward the door.

Aurelia slowly bowed in greeting.