“Your Majesty.”

Brandt knelt down to offer his greeting.

“The council has decided that you must return to the capital now. The military has also confirmed that the attacks by the ‘White Bird’ have ceased.”

Reports like this had been coming for quite some time.

“And what do you think about it?”

Bardi suddenly furrowed his brow.

“Can we really leave your sister behind here?”

Brandt’s eyes, which resembled Rohana’s, wavered.

“You’ve heard about the current situation, haven’t you?”

“Y-yes, I have.”

“So, if I leave here alone, how will your sister manage on her own in this place crawling with Kark people?”

“His Grace, Duke Kaiden Delcliff, is royalty. I believe he is fully capable of keeping the Karks in check.”

“And what if I don’t trust him?”

Brand looked flustered at the Emperor’s words.

“T-that is…”

“Enough, for now.”

There were tasks to be done in the capital. Returning here was something that could be done at any time.

“Tell them to prepare.”

Brandt nodded and opened his mouth.

“Yes, Your Majesty. And I will visit my sister in the morning.”

Bardi snorted at the unnecessary comment.

“Do as you wish.”

Neither this one nor that one seemed capable of doing anything properly, always concerned with their own interests. Even cursing at them didn’t bring any satisfaction.

Just thinking about Rohana lying in Kaiden’s private chambers made his blood boil.

Remembering the outrageous behavior of that man earlier made him want to immediately execute several of the nearby attendants to vent his anger.

But this was Nopthal, and the imperial guards alone were not enough to deal with the magic users who infested this place. He hadn’t fully worked out how to proceed.

Most importantly, if he wanted to decisively deal with Kaiden and the Karks, he needed to align himself with the broader flow of events.

Now was not the time for rash actions.

In a way, Bardi thought, everything had fallen into place just perfectly. This time, he would seize what he had always wanted.

***

The unusually bright moonlight poured in through the tall windows that stretched two stories high. Kaiden sat still in the reception room, lost in thought.

His mind was tangled with thoughts about what he should do next and regrets about what he should have done differently.

Then, he heard the quiet sound of the door opening behind him. Kaiden stood up. Rohana stood there in a simple, white nightgown.

“You shouldn’t be up yet. I can…”

“You asked me what I wanted.”

He faced her under the moonlight for the first time in a long while. Her ebony hair, which fell loosely without any adornment, gleamed in the light.

It was just like when they were younger. This time, it was she who was badly hurt.

“Are you really going to give me everything I want?”

Their gazes locked. A flood of thoughts rushed through Kaiden’s mind. The words he needed to say for her safety were clear.

‘Leave this place.’

Soon, this will be a battlefield. Head south to Shatonwell or anywhere else that’s safe.

But her violet eyes ensnared him, and he found himself breathless. Just as before, her gaze alone revealed her true intent.

She had no intention of backing down.

“Yes.”

He wasn’t sure if the words that came out were for her or to fulfill his own desires.

“Then let’s proceed as planned.”

Her whispered words echoed in his ears.

“Prepare me.”

Her cold hand gently brushed his arm. A soft groan escaped from Kaiden’s lips.

“Let’s see what happens when an Arin possesses magic.”

A calm smile played at the corners of Rohana’s lips. The expression on Kaiden’s face, as he looked down at her, was unreadable.

As she turned to walk away, his arm wrapped around her, pulling her back. The sound of his heartbeat reverberated down her back and along her waist.

“Rohana.”

Her heart clenched at the pain in his voice.

“There is one problem.”

His strong arms, solid as steel, held her tightly.

His broad shoulders and body enveloped her, his arms crossing her torso and circling her waist.

Slowly, Rohana turned her body. She pressed her face into his wide, firm chest but then lifted her head to meet his downward gaze.

“What problem?”

When her pale fingers caressed his face, he closed his eyes. A low whisper escaped from between his lips.

“This problem.”

The moment his intense gaze met her violet eyes, he moved closer.

Rohana willingly accepted his breath. It didn’t matter. Whatever happened next, whatever path their future took—this was never a relationship that could be explained rationally.

His kiss was gentle, entirely different from before. Even their breathing passed cautiously between their lips.

His large hands, wrapped around her waist, held her as though she might break. It was extreme carefulness.

Between kisses, he pulled away slightly, as if acknowledging her tears. His soft lips tenderly brushed the corners of her eyes, taking in her pained breath.

Rohana leaned into him entirely. With his warmth, the coldness finally began to melt away. Kaiden effortlessly lifted her in his arms.

After gently placing her on the bed, Kaiden finally broke the kiss. Looking down at her, Rohana whispered.

“What are we doing?”

“Shh,” Kaiden hushed her with another brief kiss. As he gently pushed her soft hair behind her ear, Rohana turned her head in that direction and closed her eyes.

“Don’t think.”

Kaiden slowly lay down beside her, wrapping himself around her. Rohana shivered.

“If you cry, that’s fine too.”

At those words, tears finally spilled from Rohana’s eyes. Kaiden held her close to his chest, like soothing a child.

Her sobs scratched at Kaiden’s heart. Under the moonlight, the crying Rohana was the same girl from back then.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before. Apart from his parents, no one had ever seen him as an equal. After all, he was a half-blood who didn’t belong to either side.

Kaiden whispered silently to himself the words he couldn’t say, words he never could say:

‘I thought you were an angel.’

He was overwhelmed by the simple fact that among the living, there was someone who wanted to help him.

‘You would never know how much that moved me, to the point I wanted to cry.’

‘You don’t realize what you mean to me, how much power you have over me.’

‘You don’t know.’

Kaiden gently stroked her hair.

There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.

As he quietly exhaled, Kaiden accepted his uncontrollable feelings.

***

For three days, she slept nonstop. Marie opening and closing the curtains was her only clue that it was morning.

At night, Kaiden visited, and the scent of gunpowder, sweat, and a snowstorm clung to him.

Each time, she felt him sitting silently by the bed, and she drifted into an even deeper sleep.

Sometimes he would wake her.

“Sister, I’ll come back for you soon.”

Brandt’s voice came to her like a dream.

“Rohana, the Emperor and Empress are returning to the capital.”

Kaiden’s voice explained.

Rohana nodded from beneath the white blankets, unable to shake her fever. She vaguely heard the low murmur of conversation between the physician and Kaiden as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

Eventually, the fever broke. When she finally opened her eyes, it was midday, and the sun was high in the sky. Rohana sat up. It was time to regain her strength.

She took her first steps outside her chambers in what felt like forever. Heath, who had been standing guard at the door, looked up in surprise and quickly closed the book he was reading, standing up.

“My Lady!”

Rohana stood elegantly, dressed in a simple blue gown with her hair neatly pinned up. The beads around her collarbone shimmered with her movements.

“It feels like it’s been a while, Heath.”

Heath’s face brightened noticeably, though his faintly sad smile and the shadow in his eyes told Rohana that the search for Emily had made little progress.

“Heath, may we go to the library?”

Heath naturally offered his arm. Rohana smiled and took it.

“But before that.”

Heath placed his other hand over Rohana’s arm and stopped.

“Lunch?”

Rohana laughed softly.

“It’s my duty to watch over you, my lady, especially these days.”

As Kaiden’s most trusted subordinate, Heath was no less formidable than him. She felt a little guilty that he had been assigned to such a mundane task.

“Aren’t you bored?”

At Rohana’s remark, Heath chuckled lightly.

“No, not at all. Besides, with the Emperor and Empress gone and the capital soldiers too, it’s wonderful just to be with you.”

Rohana nodded at his honest comment. Even when she had been bedridden with a high fever, Bardi had insisted on coming to see her.

“Rohana, just wait a little longer. I’ll be back soon.”

The thought of his grating voice made her skin crawl. She felt as if her newly recovered body might relapse.

“It’s truly wonderful.”

It was genuine. Heath seemed to understand, and he smiled faintly.

“But I do think you should rest a bit more,” Heath said as they sat in the dining room. With his long hair tied loosely in a half-ponytail, he looked a little different from usual.

His soft, delicate features and slightly droopy eyes, always wearing a gentle expression, were comforting to those around him.

“I’ve rested enough.”

Rohana hesitated briefly. She decided it was better to discuss the matter of magic with Kaiden first, so she set that aside and thought of another question.

“Heath, may I ask you something?”

Rohana sipped her tea.

“Of course, my lady.”

Heath replied with his usual relaxed manner, putting people at ease.

“What kind of person is Empress Aurelia? I don’t know much about her besides that she’s the only daughter of a southern baron.”

This time, Heath’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“I heard from Kaiden that Aurelia might be involved in recent events. It’s only suspicion, but still.”

Rohana’s expression darkened. She remembered the moment when she had asked Jody why she had set the fire. At that time, Jody had clammed up at the mere mention of Aurelia.

“What’s the situation now?”

“My lady…”

“It’s fine, really.”

She truly was fine. She wouldn’t tremble anymore. If she couldn’t stop the original course of events, she would destroy the plot entirely if necessary.

Faced with Rohana’s determined expression, Heath reluctantly began to speak.

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