The tea room, adorned with luxurious carpets and cushions, featured an enormous tapestry that seemed like it had taken at least 10 years to create.

“Is this from Father or the Emperor?”

Rohana asked nonchalantly, removing the teal veil that had been covering her face.

“Who sent it?”

“Sister.”

Brandt looked exhausted. His short black hair was slightly disheveled from the hot weather, and his eyes were a little sunken.

“I have something to say, so I came in person.”

Was he expecting her to believe that he came all the way to Shatonwell alone, knowing where she was? Narrowing her eyes, Rohana spoke calmly.

“Speak.”

The servants brought out a tea with a unique aroma.

“I’m sorry.”

In that moment, his stiff expression twisted awkwardly.

“After all, who else but me is to blame for you entering this contract marriage?”

The Aurelia kidnapping incident. A long-forgotten memory resurfaced from far away. What would have happened if Brandt’s operation had succeeded and he had really “taken care” of Aurelia?

“In the past, I even blamed you for His Majesty changing his mind like that.”

With a pale face, he rubbed his hands together and spoke in a troubled voice.

“I’ve always been a little lacking since I was a kid, haven’t I?”

“No need for that kind of talk. Everyone just made different choices.”

A silence followed.

“I thought I’d left you with enough to live a life without envy…”

Rohana continued speaking.

“Why do you look so unwell?”

Brandt, staring at his sister, slowly opened his mouth.

“Sister, let’s go back.”

Rohana turned to look at him. A question she had wanted to ask for a long time suddenly burst out.

“To where?”

Brandt’s eyes shook dramatically at the question.

“I’m working hard to make a place for myself.”

Unexpectedly, words she had never spoken to anyone slipped out.

As children, they had been such close siblings. Rohana had always done her best, feeling sorry for her little brother, who had borne the brunt of their shared troubles in her place.

But now…

“Brandt, do you know what I’m thinking right now?”

Her brother’s face darkened.

“I’m constantly thinking about who’s behind you. Why did you come here, without even a letter? Who among your entourage poses the most danger?”

Her violet eyes blinked with a complicated expression.

“And you must be wondering: what is my sister thinking being here? Does she want something? Could she really have fallen for that man?”

Brandt’s face cracked.

“Our relationship has already come to this. I won’t even pretend to be a good sister to you after betraying the family. So, you should abandon me, too. Don’t feel sorry for me. After all, I’m just a traitor to the family.”

Brandt’s gaze darkened. Rohana spoke as if reflecting on the past years sincerely.

“No matter how ruined things are, there’s still enough wealth that even your grandson couldn’t squander it all. Just live comfortably. However you want. Don’t worry about me.”

“I don’t know how Delcliff tricked you, but…”

“Don’t worry or threaten me by saying I’ll die if I stay here, that I’ll be in danger when the war starts because I’m in a precarious position.”

“That kind of lust can burn out at any time.”

“I know.”

Cutting Brandt off, Rohana interrupted.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Are you saying you love him enough that it doesn’t matter?”

Seeing her brother’s twisted expression, Rohana remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“No.”

Her butterfly-like eyelashes fluttered.

“I don’t do that anymore. It’s something that will never happen to me.”

In her past life, from her parents, her husband, and now in this life, from her fiancé, and once again from her family—love, that common yet renowned thing, always seemed to pass her by.

“I’ll protect my own life. I’m working hard to be able to do that. If I fail and die, that just means my fate ends there.”

Rohana spoke calmly, holding back the emotions that almost poured out like rapid-fire.

“So, even if his feelings for me burn out, it doesn’t matter.”

‘But, I hope they don’t.’

Though she didn’t say it aloud, just thinking about it made her chest sting as if a wound had been opened. The siblings’ eyes met.

“So, stop threatening me. And even more so, stop worrying.”

Her voice was calm as it echoed.

“Stay for the banquet. Queen Isla personally requested it.”

As Rohana slowly rose and left, closing the door behind her, Brandt remained seated without moving. Just then, a soft tapping sound was heard from the window.

Brandt let out a pained sigh as he dragged his heavy steps toward the window.

***

“Her Majesty Queen Isla is quite amusing, isn’t she?”

Rohana’s voice was deliberately bright, exaggerated as she avoided mentioning her brother.

It was obvious to Kaiden that she was deeply unsettled. Internally, he clicked his tongue.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were on such good terms with Shatonwell?”

Though he didn’t know what had been said, all Kaiden wanted to do was send Brandt back to the capital immediately.

“It’s a secret from the capital and the Empire.”

Ah, Rohana said, matching Kaiden’s words.

“It’s also Heath’s hometown.”

“With Heath? No wonder you seemed so close earlier…”

“Hmm.”

Kaiden acknowledged her with a nod before continuing.

“Queen Isla inherited the throne from her father, and she lost her husband early. He had been ill for a long time—the Duke of Selzer, that is.”

Rohana nodded while fidgeting with her hands, avoiding eye contact for some reason.

Kaiden slowly approached her and quietly grasped her hand. As expected, her hand, though not frail, was trembling with anxiety.

“Rohana.”

Kaiden gently pulled her toward him.

“What did your brother say to you again?”

His face held a calm expression. Rohana, with her lips closed, forced an awkward smile and averted her gaze again.

As she sat on the long bench, absentmindedly fiddling with arrows and a quiver, Kaiden sat next to her. His firm thigh, almost inhumanly solid, brushed against hers.

“Stop.”

Kaiden turned toward her.

“You can stop worrying.”

For a moment, Rohana furrowed her brow.

“Do you not know me at all?”

Once again, she found herself holding her breath under the peculiar, overwhelming pressure Kaiden exuded.

“I’m far more meticulous and relentless than you think. I’ve thought of countless ways to keep you by my side, at least until that day.”

Suddenly, his face was close enough to touch. Though his eyes were downcast, not looking directly at her, the proximity was still irresistibly alluring.

“Politics or whatever—just as you were outmaneuvered before, I’m also quite familiar with it.”

‘In fact, none of it really matters. I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way.’

Swallowing his true thoughts, Kaiden smirked slightly, lifting one corner of his mouth.

“Was I really ‘outmaneuvered’?”

With a faint smile and a raised eyebrow, Rohana’s expression seemed a bit more spirited.

“Let’s call it a draw.”

Kaiden’s large, yet delicate fingers encircled her slender waist.

“So, you can relax and just ‘date’ me.”

Previously, when asked if she would go through with the marriage to Bardi, she had answered that it wasn’t a romance, nor something she had any control over.

The fact that he remembered that remark.

“Kaiden, let’s not promise anything.”

Rohana started to feel afraid she might end up hurting him.

“I made that promise long ago.”

Kaiden stood up. The unusually tall man crouched down again, sitting on the floor in front of her, looking up at Rohana.

“It seems like you keep forgetting who you made that promise to.”

Rohana wore an uneasy smile. Seeing it, Kaiden grew more certain.

By early summer, she would try to leave. He could tell just by looking at her expression. He had known even in the heat of the moment when she gasped for breath.

She wasn’t comfortable here.

She was always afraid, even at his side.

Though he thought he could kill anyone who got in the way, there was one person he couldn’t stop. He could never kill Rohana.

As his thoughts grew increasingly complicated, Kaiden feigned ignorance and stood up.

“There’s still some time before dinner.”

Rohana looked up at him.

“Shall we practice swordsmanship for a bit? Heath was saying you were overworked the other day.”

As his sculpted body moved fluidly, raising the sword, the muscles in his arms and chest stood out clearly beneath his thin shirt.

“Shall we?”

Tilting his chin slightly, Kaiden helped Rohana to her feet. As he tossed the sword that was right beside him, she barely managed to catch it.

“Um, this is too heavy for me…”

“Oh, my apologies…”

Kaiden extended his long arm to grab Rohana’s harness, which held both her bow and sword. With a deft motion, the sword effortlessly slid back into its sheath as if it had been sucked into his hand.

“Here.”

His hand, which had wrapped around hers to hand her the sword, briefly enveloped her small hand before releasing it.

“Magic swordsmanship isn’t just about technique. If you focus, you can surpass mere ‘skill’.”

With a sharp clang, Kaiden skillfully deflected Rohana’s attack.

“You’re doing well.”

For some reason, Rohana felt on the verge of tears and began moving her body quickly. Every time their swords clashed, a bright white light flared up. She was exerting too much force.

In an instant, as Rohana lost control, the blade slid up to the hilt of her sword. Just as she was about to get hurt, Kaiden threw his sword aside and caught her.

“Careful.”

The same stable arms and broad chest that had caught her on the stairs earlier.

The overwhelming sense of safety made the walls she had built inside her heart feel like they might crumble.

It was at that moment. As Kaiden, who had embraced her from behind, leaned in, he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

“Shall we skip the dinner?”

Rohana chuckled lightly, thinking how unusually playful Kaiden had been today.

“No, let’s go.”

Seeing that the heavy atmosphere she had carried earlier had eased a little, Kaiden quietly felt a small sense of relief that no one else could notice.

As he watched Rohana leave first, Kaiden sent a carrier pigeon to the information network in the capital. He needed to be informed about the current situation.

He had to find out why Brandt Hanover had shown up here alone.