Her heart dropped with a thud.

“I’ll come find you after the war ends.”

Kaiden spoke calmly, gazing at her with his usual composed face, as if he were casually suggesting they go somewhere tomorrow. His voice was nonchalant.

“Why are you so surprised?”

A faint, melancholic smile tugged at one corner of his lips, yet his tone was filled with confidence.

“I said I would let you go, but I never promised not to come looking for you. So I don’t see any issue with this…”

It wasn’t a joke or an impassioned declaration of love, but a simple, straightforward confession. Rohana couldn’t react. The intense thoughts that had been swirling in her mind only moments ago suddenly felt distant, like they belonged to another world.

“I probably shouldn’t have said anything. If I knew you’d freeze up like this…”

Kaiden stood up as if it were nothing. Standing in the now much darker garden, he held out his hand.

“Shall we? It’s getting late.”

Without a word, Rohana stood up and took his hand.

She didn’t want to say anything just then. It seemed Kaiden also found the silence enough.

Though the evening breeze had turned cold, there was still a trace of spring in it, and somehow, that was comforting.”

***

“Long time no see.”

A bright voice rang out. Though, in truth, it hadn’t been long at all. They had actually been seeing each other far too often.

“Yes. Please, take a seat.”

Wearing the signature black cloak of R.D., Aurelia had her blonde hair tied up high. As she sat down with a lively movement, her hair swayed with her.

Franz sat next to her nonchalantly, while Kaiden and Heath, who had already been seated, stared at them without much reaction.

“I’ll get straight to the point,” Aurelia began.

Kaiden gave her a nod to continue.

“I don’t need to explain who I am to the people here. You’re all well aware.”

Kaiden narrowed his eyes and fixed her with a piercing gaze, clearly signaling that he had no patience for unnecessary words. But undeterred, Aurelia pressed on.

“With Nopthal backing Shatonwell, relations with the Imperial Palace have already become awkward, haven’t they? I believe, or rather R.D. believes, that we need to seize this momentum to secure our allies.”

“If you don’t get to the point right now…”

“I’m going to the capital,” Aurelia said abruptly.

“What?” Heath responded incredulously, while Kaiden clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

“Exactly what I said. I’m going to rally support.”

Rohana squinted slightly, as if beginning to understand.

“Are you going to play the role of the pitiful, devoted former empress who was betrayed by her beloved just because you’re of the Kark race?” Rohana said.

Kaiden leaned back deeper into his chair, and Aurelia raised her chin slightly.

“Are you doing this just to secure more financial backing?” Rohana guessed, recalling how Aurelia had managed to pull in most of the trade routes once managed by the Duke of Hanover to fund the war effort.

Aurelia nodded.

“I’m asking because I don’t know—just how much more money does this war need?” Rohana asked.

“There’s enough funding,” Kaiden answered quickly. “Franz has the southern region under control.”

“Then, what you’re planning isn’t necessary right now,” he said firmly.

“It’s R.D.’s decision.”

“It’s a waste of time. Do you really think the capital’s financiers are going to care about you? Most of them are of the Arin race. In the end, you’re still Kark,” Heath said, creating an uncomfortable silence.

“If this is R.D.’s unilateral move, and you’re going to proceed regardless of my objections, then do whatever you want,” Kaiden said flatly, causing Aurelia to raise her eyebrows slightly.

“There’s still something more important to discuss. We’re not finished here,” she said.

“What else is left?”

“I’d like to take someone with me,” she said.

Kaiden tilted his chin down, looking at her with a ‘go on’ expression.

“I’d like the Duchess of Delcliff, Rohana, to accompany me.”

At that, everyone’s eyes turned to Rohana, except for one person: Kaiden Delcliff.

His gaze, which had been cold earlier, had turned absolutely frigid as he glared at Aurelia and Franz, his eyes flicking between them.

“Me?”

“Weren’t you going to join us here anyway?” Aurelia said, drawing out her words before continuing.

“After all, aren’t you the ‘Duchess of Delcliff’?”

Rohana recalled the moment after Jody’s incident when she had confronted Aurelia. Back then, as the empress, Aurelia had been so furious at Rohana’s provocation that she had slapped her. Now, Rohana pressed her lips together and smiled slightly.

“It’s difficult for a Kark to ask an Arin to join a battle on behalf of Karks, but…” Aurelia continued, “if an Arin who stands with the Karks does the convincing, wouldn’t that change things?”

Rohana remained silent, listening to her. She had come to understand the unjust suffering of the Kark people, ever since the incident with her nanny and right up until now.

Why did the Arin empire persecute the magically gifted to such an extent? What was the emperor thinking during that war of unification?

At one point, she had almost considered asking the former emperor, who had nearly become her father-in-law.

“No,” Kaiden said abruptly, standing up so forcefully that his chair scraped the floor.

“I wasn’t asking for the Duke’s opinion,” Aurelia replied sharply.

“I’m the leader of this war. If I say no, then it’s no.”

“I haven’t given my answer yet,” Rohana interjected.

“Rohana, stay quiet,” Kaiden snapped, his voice cold and commanding.

Rohana frowned slightly, but Kaiden seemed indifferent, maintaining his stern and hostile expression.”

“You think it’s not enough that you’ve made yourself a figurehead to raise funds, now you want to drag Rohana into this too.”

“In the end, war is about money and manpower, and since we lack the people, we at least need money,” Aurelia replied.

“Rohana won’t be able to convince anyone. Speak sense.”

“She’s not incapable of persuasion,” Aurelia said, but it was Rohana who quietly added this, drawing cold stares away from Aurelia and toward her.

“This is not the time to talk about your capabilities.”

“This war involves me too. I have my own duties.”

“Your duty is to stay quiet and escape to safety.”

“Who decided that? I don’t remember hearing it.”

As the tension between them mounted, Heath cleared his throat awkwardly.

“All the personal history, the broken engagement, the issue with Princess Serin, and the matter with Caladrius…” Rohana listed, but Kaiden’s expression remained unmoved.

“This is my business too.”

“Rohana.”

“What I do or don’t do is for me to decide.”

Faced with this undeniable statement, Kaiden let out a heavy sigh. She was right. Even though Rohana Hanover seemed to waver at times, she always saw things through to the end. Knowing this, Kaiden often found himself trying to impose his will on her, despite understanding that she was not easily swayed.

“Step outside with me for a moment.”

At Kaiden’s words, Rohana stood up immediately. The two quickly walked through several chambers to a small meeting room.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’?”

“You and I cannot fight this war together.”

Rohana’s face hardened, but Kaiden showed no concern. Feeling like she had no more ground to give, Rohana spoke up.

“If that’s how you feel, why say you’ll come back for me? Why make such promises about obsession?”

Kaiden’s expression turned colder.

“I understand that you want to talk about my safety…”

Rohana continued, her voice softening slightly.

“But if that’s truly what it’s about, then I wish you’d just say so.”

Kaiden furrowed his brow, his face stiffening as though he had just heard something he didn’t want to. With a more determined look than before, he finally opened his mouth.

“You shouldn’t trust me.”

Rohana already knew this. She had thought it through for a long, long time.

“It’s not about safety.”

In that moment, a chill passed over Kaiden’s eyes, his high nose casting a shadow over his intense gaze, making him look even more threatening. His face showed that he had made up his mind.

“Then what is it?” Rohana asked quietly.

“I can’t promise to protect you as an Arin during this war.”

A crack formed in Rohana’s heart, which had unknowingly harbored expectations toward Kaiden.

I see.

Rohana remembered her helpless death at his hands in the original story. Thinking back, Kaiden in the original novel had also been a terrifyingly cold mastermind, though not a cruel man by nature. He had simply killed her because it was necessary for winning the war. Perhaps, even in the novel, Kaiden had felt some sadness as he killed her.

At that moment, a strange sound echoed from the hallway. The hurried footsteps of many people could be heard, followed by doors slamming open as if they were searching for Kaiden and Rohana.

“Kaiden!” Heath’s voice rang out.

“What’s going on?”

Kaiden, who had momentarily softened his demeanor, opened the door to ask, but the atmosphere was heavy. Even Rohana, tense with worry, froze. Kaiden stepped in front of her protectively and asked again.

“What is it?”

Heath’s expression was grim. Why did he look so shocked?

Rohana’s gaze shifted to the figure behind Heath, dressed in red—a messenger from the imperial palace.

“The imperial palace,” she whispered.

“I come to deliver a message directly,” said the messenger in red as he knelt, offering Kaiden a golden scroll sealed with a black emblem. Rohana looked around quickly. Aurelia and Franz were nowhere to be seen, as if they had hidden themselves.

Kaiden slowly unrolled the scroll.

Rohana knew exactly what the black seal signified.

Oh no.

“His Majesty, the former Emperor, has passed away.”

As the messenger recited the message, Rohana stared blankly down at him.

“The Emperor invites Duke Delcliff and the Duchess to attend the funeral.”

It was a provocative invitation.