“Damon. Select knights to monitor Elysia, but only choose those who have favorable feelings toward her. Even if she can’t go to the library, fill her side with sentimental knights who can help her by bringing her books.”

“Understood.”

“Lars. From now on, don’t do anything that Karad could use against you. Even if Elysia grows frustrated that she can’t speak with you either, do nothing except hold her silently. And you mustn’t tell her about my intentions.”

“Brother!”

“You may leave, Damon.”

“Yes.”

After Damon left the room and the door closed, Claes placed his hand on Lars’s shoulder.

“We need to find the Demon King’s altar that appeared in the book’s incident so we can expose the dark mages’ spy before His Majesty passes away.”

“…Brother, please listen to what I have to—”

“No, first hear me out to the end.”

“…”

“If we apply the murder case Elysia mentioned to the dark mages’ recent surge in sacrificial offerings, there will come a moment when they need to make a sacrifice within the imperial capital. According to records stating that one could gain the Demon King’s power by offering sacrifices at the central altar drawn massively within the capital, the dark mages must be aiming for this with their offerings.”

Lars watched his lips intently.

“So prepare the knight order to capture the highest-ranking dark mage when that moment comes. I’ll disguise myself as a dark mage to catch their spy. If I disguise myself using information learned from the subjugation, it’ll be flawless. Moreover, since the information we learned with Elysia’s help wasn’t shared with the knight order, disguising myself as a dark mage will be easy.”

“…”

“Lars. Though I may seem cold-hearted toward Elysia, I’m trying to spare her from even more painful ordeals. If Karad becomes Crown Prince, Elysia will merely repeat the role of breeding vessel and walk the exact same path our mother walked. I’m trying to prevent that.”

Lars could only hang his head sadly at Claes’s words. Elysia was staying in the palace trusting only him and Claes, but if even that support disappeared, she might wither away from loneliness.

‘If it comes to this, it would be better if I used my own power to help her escape the palace and live hiding her identity in another country.’

Lars thought this but couldn’t bring himself to express it aloud. Claes loved Elysia too much—if she disappeared from his side right now, he’d obviously fall apart. Even if he couldn’t exchange a single word with her, at least connecting their bodies would be somewhat better…

‘No. That won’t last long either. Last time, his complexion looked pitifully poor just because he couldn’t properly speak even one word with her. Claes probably thinks His Majesty’s passing is imminent. That’s why he’s taking this approach.’

Lars slowly opened his mouth.

“Brother Claes. Do you believe His Majesty will pass away in less than a month?”

Claes slowly nodded.

“Duke Serow and the Empress can only scheme if they find something to exploit. So I can only hope Elysia endures well during that time. The moment I ascend to the throne, I’ll reveal that the contradictory oracle was false and announce that she will be my one and only Empress, so there’s no need to worry about what comes after.”

“…Then, please promise me one thing.”

“What is it, Lars?”

Lars spoke firmly.

“If two months pass and His Majesty still hasn’t passed away, I will help Elysia escape to another country. I can’t bear to watch her suffer any longer while remaining in the Imperial Palace.”

“…”

Claes’s eyebrows twitched, but he only crossed his arms.

“She can speak, and if it’s Heritail Kingdom next to Seherta, they use the same language, so I’ll give her a magic scroll to help her cross the barbed wire fence beyond Saraum Village. Even if this incurs His Majesty the Emperor’s wrath, I cannot stand by and watch Elysia’s suffering.”

Claes’s eyes closed slightly. After remaining still like that for a moment, he nodded and opened his eyes. Then he answered seriously.

“Alright. Let’s do that. I’ll pretend not to know. But if that plan is discovered, I’ll pretend to pursue her so she won’t be hurt by the pursuers, shooting blunt arrows without tips. So that no one in front of me would dare threaten her with a sword and drag her back.”

“Understood. Thank you, Brother.”

“No. You’re better than me… I think you’re the only one who truly understands her suffering.”

Lars shook his head.

“Aren’t you also working hard for Elysia, Brother? And if you lose the Crown Prince position, if Brother Karad ascends to the throne that way, Elysia will obviously become a breeding vessel who can do neither this nor that. So, Brother, you must defend your Crown Prince position no matter what.”

Claes agreed with a resolute face.

“And about when she’s discovered… I don’t have one, but Karad will obviously bring the treasure His Majesty the Emperor bestowed upon him. You know that Karad received the ‘Net of God’—a net that never misses any target—as a reward for his achievements, right?”

“Yes. I’ve heard of it. I heard those caught in it feel minimal pain…”

Claes shook his head.

“That net inflicts maximum pain on those who use magic. If Elysia uses the magic scroll you give her, it will cause pain intense enough to make her faint instantly.”

“Ah…”

Seeing Lars’s eyes cloud over, Claes immediately added:

“So I’ll plant someone in Karad’s estate to cut the net somewhat in advance. Though she won’t be able to escape if caught, the improperly connected Net of God will only cause the minimal pain that non-magic users experience.”

“Thank you.”

“No, this is something I must naturally do. If I can’t rescue Elysia from her suffering, lowering the intensity of the trials she’ll face is the only thing I can do.”

“Brother…”

Claes placed his hand over his chest with a pained expression.

“It breaks my heart that there’s nothing else I can properly do for Elysia besides this. Lars, I’ll leave the escape route and everything else entirely to you. Please help her escape without being discovered by me or others.”

“Leave it to me, Brother. I’ll meet your expectations.”

As soon as Lars finished speaking, the sound of bells came from the distance. It was the sound announcing 9 PM. Claes lowered his eyes gently with a complicated expression.

Though it was late, he wanted to see Chohee’s face. It pained him that there was nothing he could do for her. Claes lamented his lack of freedom and turned his steps toward the detached palace.

* * *

Chohee felt the gaze looking down at her and lifted her eyelids.

In her hazy vision, she saw a handsome man with silver hair. Chohee drowsily reached out her hand and caressed his cheek. He pressed his lips to that palm with a soft kiss.

‘There are knights outside, so Claes can’t speak…’

Though they’d removed the maid, it would be difficult to win over multiple knights, not just one. Chohee pitied Claes’s situation and stroked his other cheek with her palm as well.

“…”

Claes’s lips moved slightly, but he didn’t say anything. Trying to read his lip movements failed. Though she understood the language of this dream world well, she didn’t have enough knowledge to recognize the shapes of pronouncing letters.

Chohee slowly sat up. Claes took her arm and gently supported her. Chohee hugged his waist tightly.

“…”

Claes also hugged Chohee tightly. Like lovers. Well, she was going to be his one and only wife. Since Chohee understood Claes’s situation, she understood that he would silently take her and leave like usual.

But now it is different from the past.

With no maid present now, Claes had no intention of treating Chohee merely as a breeding vessel. He gently stroked Chohee’s long black hair and pressed their foreheads together.

“…”

When she kissed Claes’s lips, he gazed at Chohee with warm eyes. Chohee gained courage and wrapped her arms around his neck. Then Claes smiled softly and slowly laid her back down on the bed.

Without words between them, Claes removed the muslin dress Chohee was wearing. Though the detached palace had no separate heating and cooling system, despite being June, it wasn’t hot inside. Rather, it was pleasantly cool.

“You’re beautiful, Chohee.”

Claes traced his fingers along the lines of her body, starting from her full br*asts. After stroking her slender waist several times with the back of his hand, he cupped her cheeks with his palms and kissed her. While deeply pushing his tongue inside, he unbuttoned his clothes one by one.

The thick sensation touching her mucous membranes elevated her mood. After moving between her teeth and caressing the roof of her mouth with his tongue tip, he came down and coiled his tongue up like vines. As thick saliva dripped down, Chohee swallowed it while savoring the rose scent.

“Mmm…”

A delicate m*an flowed out. Claes’s hand was already resting on Chohee’s chest. When he kneaded the br*ast flesh that spilled out even when held with one hand to a slightly stinging degree, pleasure transmitted directly to her head.

“Haa. Hng. Ahh.”

“Does it feel good, Chohee?”

Claes whispered in only the smallest voice and undid his buckle. His *rect member popped out from the lowered front of his pants and struck Chohee’s v*lva. Chohee flinched and groped Claes’s chest. The feeling of his firm yet thick chest plate transmitted directly to her palm.

“Hehe.”

Claes gathered Chohee’s br*asts together and squeezed them so the cleavage deepened even more. As the soft br*ast flesh changed shape softly under his hands, pressed together with the other br*ast, his member filled with so much strength it felt ready to burst.

“…”

So lovely. As expected.

Claes took one of Chohee’s hands and made her grasp his member. When she touched the massive member that couldn’t be fully grasped with one hand, Chohee’s face flushed pink.

But Claes didn’t stop there and used her small hand to make her touch everything from the tip of his c*ck to the base. As the soft palm’s touch reached his scrotum, though he felt ready to c*m immediately, he endured with superhuman patience.