“How have you been?”

When Heath closed the door with an obviously displeased expression and left, Rohana was the first to speak.

“Since we are now blood relatives, I thought it was right to invite you…” Bardi leaned back in his chair, gazing at Rohana.

“Yes.”

When Rohana gave only a brief response and said nothing more, Bardi spoke again.

“You were probably the one who wanted me to come, weren’t you?”

Rohana lifted her large, deep eyes to meet the emperor’s gaze.

“Kaiden would never have wanted to come. He’s quite emotional, you know.”

At Bardi’s words, Rohana unconsciously adjusted her posture.

“I pray for the eternal peace and rest of the late emperor.”

It was the customary imperial greeting. Rohana mentioned the late emperor while watching Bardi’s expression. Could it be, as Franz said, that Bardi had truly done something to the late emperor?

Though she didn’t think he was incapable of it, now that she was seeing him in person, she wanted to confirm it herself.

“It was his time to go.”

At Bardi’s words, Rohana exhaled deeply.

“May I ask how he passed away?”

Bardi’s brow furrowed slightly, as if her question was odd.

“What are you curious about? Do you believe the rumors circulating among the Kark tribe too?”

“What rumors?”

Rohana asked genuinely, not knowing what he meant. Bardi let out a small, incredulous laugh.

“It’s always the same kind of stories. That I somehow had a hand in the late emperor’s death.”

“And you didn’t?”

For a moment, their eyes clashed, sharp and fierce. His large, piercing blue eyes bore into Rohana, narrowing after a tense silence. Rohana did not avert her gaze either.

After a brief silence, Bardi spoke first.

“Why are you doing all of this?”

He asked earnestly, as if truly not understanding.

“Why do you stay in such an uncertain position? If you would just come back, you could stay safe and comfortable by my side.”

Rohana didn’t feel the need to respond to the latter part of his statement and instead said what she wanted.

“This is a war that the Empire can stop if it chooses to.”

Bardi, seeing that his words weren’t reaching her, tilted his head to the side, as if no longer expecting anything from the conversation, and listened to her words.

“I don’t know much about the Unification War…” Rohana continued, “but I believe there must have been a reason why the Kark tribe wasn’t completely annihilated and why Shartonwell’s independence was acknowledged.”

Bardi’s eyebrows twitched.

“If you would offer opportunities to those who’ve been marginalized for absurd reasons…”

“To those who use magic,” Bardi cut her off, pressing his thick fingers firmly against his furrowed brow, glancing at her through his fingers.

“Is such consideration even possible?”

“Magic—”

“Magic ruined everything.”

“What exactly did it ruin?”

Rohana asked out of genuine curiosity, leaving Bardi momentarily speechless.

He knew the truth. Before the Unification War, when the Arin tribe couldn’t become the ruling power, magic was like an insurmountable wall to them.

“Wasn’t it because the Arin tribe, who couldn’t use magic, resented the Kark tribe?” Rohana countered, her remark causing a subtle crack in Bardi’s composure.

“Ha…”

In fact, she was right. It was the reason his grandfather, his father, and even he himself had always harbored such hatred toward magic users.

He also knew the Arin tribe felt the same.

“Just because someone is weak doesn’t mean they have to stay weak forever.”

Bardi said quietly.

“And being unable to use magic doesn’t make them weak, either…”

“Rohana, you don’t understand.”

Bardi’s voice trembled. The unexpected vulnerability in his tone made Rohana stop speaking for a moment.

“If we lose to them, do you know what will happen to us?”

“Maybe a more reasonable world will—”

“No.”

Bardi’s voice suddenly boomed.

“Rohana, you’re too naive. There’s no way Arin and Kark can live without shedding each other’s blood.”

Their eyes locked in a tense standoff.

“You must stand with the Arin tribe, Rohana. If you don’t, no one—no one with Kark blood—will be able to protect you.”

Bardi spoke calmly.

“And I’m telling you this as a friend, from the bottom of my heart.”

“I don’t need anyone to protect me.”

Bardi frowned, then raised his eyebrows at her reply.

“That’s right. You have that enormous bird, don’t you?”

He still found it hard to believe that the trap they had prepared all winter had been ruined by that one bird. Bardi gritted his teeth.

“Fine, do as you wish.”

“Yes.”

Rohana’s indifferent response made Bardi chuckle softly.

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“It feels like this is the first real conversation we’ve ever had.”

There was no denying the truth of his words.

“I haven’t been honest either,” Rohana admitted.

It was true. Ever since she had been possessed, her main focus was survival, and she had acted accordingly. Even after she became his lover, part of her mind had clung to the belief that their relationship would keep her alive.

If he hadn’t been her means of survival, would her feelings for him have persisted?

She didn’t know.

Rohana thought to herself with a bitter smile.

“You always seemed like you were hiding something from me—something I didn’t know.”

Bardi smirked as he spoke.

“So that’s how it is.”

“Even now, that feeling hasn’t completely gone away, but you seem a little more honest.”

Rohana couldn’t find the words to respond and merely let out a soft sigh, averting her gaze.

“Since we’re being honest, can I ask you one more thing?”

Rohana looked at Bardi.

“What’s your relationship with Kaiden, really?”

At that moment, Rohana’s thick eyelashes trembled slightly.

*Knock, knock.*

The sound of a knock interrupted the tension between them, and the door suddenly swung open.

“It’s incredibly rude to enter a room where the emperor is without waiting for permission,” Bardi remarked.

As if he hadn’t heard Bardi at all, Kaiden simply bowed politely in greeting. With his face cold and expressionless, Kaiden signaled for Bardi to leave without speaking.

Bardi clicked his tongue, clasping his hands together before standing up.

“Take care of yourself, Rohana.”

Rohana also rose to see him off. At that moment, Kaiden quietly closed the door in front of Rohana. Bardi gave Kaiden a puzzled look as he followed him out.

Rohana, too, was somewhat surprised, watching the closed door with a curious expression, wondering why Kaiden would accompany Bardi.

***

“Let’s have a quick chat,” Kaiden said.

“What’s this? You’re actually speaking to me?”

“I have a request to make.”

“You don’t even want to use formalities anymore, do you? Considering you’ve rebelled against the Empire.”

“There’s no need to waste time, especially since you invited me yourself.”

Kaiden’s low voice caused Bardi to let out a low, incredulous laugh.

“I’m not interested in granting any requests.”

“I’m just saying it. At least, I can bring it up later if necessary.”

Kaiden’s tone, as if explaining things to a child, caused Bardi’s previously laughing face to harden.

“Stop approaching my wife when I’m not around.”

Bardi let out a disbelieving noise, looking up at Kaiden.

“I never thought I’d hear something like this from you.”

“Even the children in the capital know you’re about to attack me as a traitor.”

Seeing the look of mock disbelief on Bardi’s face, Kaiden gave a calm smile.

“So, politically, it’s too dangerous for you to be seen acting like you’re meeting with a traitor’s wife.”

“Just say it plainly.”

Bardi’s growling voice sharpened Kaiden’s expression slightly.

“What I’m saying is, don’t do this again.”

Although Kaiden spoke bluntly, instead of feeling relieved, Bardi felt even more enraged.

How dare he.

“It might look like a cheap political move, so I’m advising you to be careful,” Kaiden said, his tone returning to its usual cold detachment. “Unless you want to go down in history as the ‘former emperor’ who threatened his rival’s wife.”

“You insolent…!”

Bardi, suddenly aware of the eyes on them, lowered his raised arm. Kaiden watched him without flinching.

“So, by coming here, are you really declaring war on me?” Bardi asked.

“At this point, wouldn’t it be a bit embarrassing to call it that?” Kaiden replied before continuing, “So why did you bother inviting me?”

Bardi couldn’t answer. The reason felt too ridiculous, even to himself. Besides, he never expected Kaiden to actually show up.

“I heard your grandfather sent you a letter,” Bardi suddenly said, his emotions surging.

“So, you invited me to the funeral because of that?”

Of course not. Bardi thought back to his encounter with Lazar. He didn’t have to believe that crazy Kark tribe magic user, but his words had been too tempting. Too sweet to resist.

As Bardi struggled to answer his own question, Kaiden finally made his exit, taking measured steps.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“What did the letter say?”

Bardi instantly regretted asking, biting his lip in frustration. Kaiden, looking at the emperor who was trembling with suppressed emotion, answered calmly.

“It asked me to forgive everything and come back.”

Kaiden’s voice was steady.

“But he was asking for something I could never agree to.”

Bardi squeezed his bright blue eyes shut, while Kaiden turned and headed toward his private quarters.

In the distance, the sound of thunder echoed across the sky.