“Sir Ivan Chester, take that man and interrogate him. If he says anything, report to me immediately.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

While Ivan Chester disappeared with the half-conscious assassin, the atmosphere in Le Deia Hall gradually returned to normal.

“Your Highness, may I step out briefly to disinfect my wound?”

Even after hastily handing over the assassin to Ivan Chester, Mathias remained calm—composed and composed again.

“Why not? Should I summon the royal physician for you?”

Following this, Mathias even inspected Callius’s wound with a gesture resembling that of a benevolent monarch. This was uncharacteristic of him.

“Thank you, but I’m fine. It’s not a serious injury.”

Callius politely but firmly declined his offer. Mathias watched closely as Leticia supported Callius.

“…It’s a lovely sight. A well-matched pair.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Leticia began to question herself—was she always this shameless? These days, every word that came out of her mouth felt like a blatant lie.

“But you shouldn’t take too long. Unless you intend to keep the distinguished guests who traveled far to celebrate you waiting.”

“Of course.”

With Callius’s succinct response, Mathias said nothing further. Instead, he even stepped aside to let them pass.

Leticia, pretending to support someone who didn’t need any help, walked past the curtains. There was no one in the inner chamber. As soon as they entered, Leticia distanced herself from Callius.

“You’re colder than I expected.”

Colder? Leticia hadn’t pushed away a patient. Was it cold-hearted to push away a fake patient? She ignored his nonsense entirely.

“How did you know?”

“Know what?”

Despite the red stains that marred his otherwise immaculate outfit, Callius still looked quite composed.

“The assassin.”

He checked the open balcony in the inner chamber, then closed the door. Afterward, he began removing his blood-stained clothes one layer at a time.

“There aren’t any clothes here…”

“I already sent for them, so don’t worry.”

How did he know the servants would lead them to this room? She briefly wondered but realized it wasn’t the important issue at hand. Leticia stared at him, urging him to answer. His shadow flickered over her crimson eyes.

“Is it important?”

“Yes, it is.”

Callius, as if unwilling to answer, countered her question, but Leticia wasn’t about to let it slide. If Callius was even more capable than she initially thought, she needed to approach him with greater caution.

“If I were Mathias, that’s what I would’ve done.”

His words carried two implications.

First, Mathias was the one who sent the assassin. Second, Callius understood Mathias’s intentions behind sending the assassin.

Only then did Leticia understand Mathias’s unusually calm behavior earlier.

“What about you?”

When Leticia asked back, one of Callius’s eyebrows arched upward, as if he found her question incomprehensible.

“Are you pretending not to know? You’re the one who understands Mathias’s true desires better than anyone.”

“What am I pretending not to know?”

Leticia had no intention of wasting time playing guessing games. His hands, which were unbuttoning his shirt, paused. His thick eyebrows remained crooked.

“He wants you. It’s obvious whom the assassin was sent to kill.”

“But if he kills you, the Emperor will think Mathias failed to tame you.”

“Exactly. So, who do you think he intended to kill?”

His tone was like that of a teacher coaxing a student who just gave the correct answer. Annoying as it was, Leticia realized the truth herself.

The assassin’s target was her. If Leticia had been injured, Mathias could have pinned some crime on Callius to get him out of the Emperor’s favor, or he could have used it as an excuse to keep Leticia confined here.

“Now you understand.”

Satisfied, he resumed unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. Mathias, who saw human lives as mere tools for his own purposes. And this man, who fully understood Mathias’s thoughts.

Even though she was the one who asked the question, Leticia couldn’t help but feel a sinking heaviness in her chest as she pieced the situation together. When Callius finally removed his shirt, his skin, tanned like autumn leaves, came into view. Leticia thought she now understood why, despite being an excellent soldier and hunter, Callius wasn’t called a knight.

The scars scattered across his body were chaotic. A knight, who values honor and knows restraint, wouldn’t fight recklessly enough to accumulate such scars. His wounds didn’t make her think about the pain he must have endured but rather about how Callius must have utterly destroyed those who inflicted them.

Even so, Leticia didn’t stare at his scars for long. Some of them were painful to look at, enough to wrinkle her brow and stir sympathy for him.

“Are my answers making you uncomfortable?”

What was uncomfortable were his scars, but Leticia didn’t deny it.

“A little. But I’m relieved to see how well you understand Mathias’s thoughts.”

Not just understanding but being able to predict his actions was a significant advantage. For a moment, though, the thought that Callius might be similar to Mathias made her stomach churn again.

Still, Callius Maxis was not Mathias. At least for now, he wasn’t aiming for Leticia’s life. That alone was a fact she could cling to. A fact that stood out more clearly than anything else.

Even so, Leticia trembled as she thought about what could have happened. Meanwhile, Callius spoke nonchalantly, as if the matter didn’t faze him in the slightest. His indifference proved that the situation didn’t stir him at all.

Leticia felt a chill run down her spine. The sympathy she had felt for his scars cooled completely. Who was pitying whom here? Just imagining Callius pondering what he would have done if he were Mathias made her shiver.

To him, Leticia’s life was likely just another tool to achieve his goals.

“Thank you for answering.”

“I doubt it was an answer worth thanking me for.”

“Thanks to you, I’ve come to my senses.”

At her final remark, Callius, leaning against the bedpost, stared blankly at her.

“I think we’ll make a good couple after all.”

A couple? What nonsense. Their relationship was nothing more than a hollow shell. Even if they shared a bed, if a knife was hidden under the pillow, they couldn’t be called a couple.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

How could he tell someone to enter without even checking who it was? Leticia clicked her tongue at his lack of caution.

But the person who entered was indeed someone Callius had been expecting.

“I’ve brought the shirt you requested, my lord.”

The attire made it clear she was a knight. But the knight wasn’t a man. She hadn’t cut her long hair, instead tying it up in a high ponytail that swayed with each movement.

The woman glanced briefly at Leticia.

“Christine, this is the person you’ll be serving from now on.”

Callius spoke as he put his arms through the sleeves of the shirt she handed over.

Still bewildered, Leticia met the woman’s gaze.

“I am Christine, madam. I will dedicate my life to protecting you.”

Dedicate her life? Who gave her permission? Leticia couldn’t believe Callius had assigned a bodyguard out of pure goodwill. Besides, wasn’t his presence enough protection for now?

The addition of a bodyguard would only restrict Leticia’s actions further. She even wondered if catching the assassin was all part of Callius’s plan to justify assigning someone to monitor her.

“Do you not like the bodyguard? Despite appearances, she’s quite skilled.”

“I’m not doubting her skills, which I haven’t even seen. I just don’t need a bodyguard right now…”

“After seeing the assassin earlier, do you still think that?”

He let out a hollow laugh, as if he couldn’t believe her.

“You can protect me yourself.”

The small buttons on his shirt were being fastened one by one by his unexpectedly long and delicate fingers. Callius paused mid-buttoning and met Leticia’s gaze.

“Isn’t that why I’m assigning her?”

“What I mean is…”

“You sound like you wouldn’t mind if I stayed by your side 24/7.”