As Aila growled, baring her teeth like a dog, the Emperor stepped backward, clutching his chest protectively.

“My chest…! How dare you inflict such humiliation on me!”

“So, you’re not going to follow me?”

When Aila snarled fiercely, the Emperor, still hugging his chest tightly, flinched but then shouted loudly with dignity.

“Don’t order me around! I never said I wouldn’t follow you!”

The Emperor continued to hold his chest preciously as he followed behind Aila.

He held his head high with dignity, but having already been intimidated once, he quietly did as he was told when Aila handed him a burnt pot and ordered him to hold it up, though he had initially intended to resist.

Even after confirming that the Emperor had raised his hands, Aila’s anger hadn’t subsided. She exhaled sharply through her nose and turned around. Her head ached from all the cleaning that needed to be done.

The only broom was left in half, and the walls, bedding, and even the mirror were all blackened. One side of the roof had collapsed, but fortunately, the other side was intact.

“I shouldn’t curse.”

Though they would have to stay in the storage shed for a while, the house didn’t need to be completely rebuilt.

“I should be patient since my siblings are here.”

But unable to contain her anger, Aila whipped her head around.

The Emperor startled and covered his chest.

“How dare you look at me with such eyes!”

Aila spoke aggressively.

“Stand up straight for your punishment!”

The Emperor raised his hands again but protested fiercely.

“What did I do wrong? I did as you told me! The cooking and cleaning were perfect, and I’m holding my hands at a perfect angle right now!”

He was very confident.

“Tell me to put my hands down! I’ve done nothing wrong!”

As he tried to lower his hands without waiting for a response, Aila gritted her molars and said:

“Keep them up straight if you don’t want to be thrown out.”

The Emperor frowned and spoke in a weighty voice.

“Don’t order me around. I was going to do that anyway without you telling me.”

The Emperor raised his hands high again.

“You Tar…”

‘You Targaniel. Whether you’ve lost your memory or not, you really know how to irritate people?’

The words rose to her throat, but she swallowed them.

Targaniel. The name of the enemy emperor she had heard so often it was tiresome. Aila realized she had almost made a mistake and closed her mouth, then quickly changed the name.

“Tael!”

“Tael? Is that my name?”

He pondered for a moment, then smiled.

“I like it.”

His expression made Aila even more furious inside. She wanted to throw him out immediately but restrained herself once more.

She couldn’t bring herself to send Tael back to the enemy country. If he returned, the terrible war would start again.

He was an emperor, so she should treat him well, but her insides were boiling too much to be nice.

Because of the Emperor, she had to throw away many things in the house, causing considerable loss.

Not just the house, but the entire country was in shambles because of Tael.

‘I need to get my money’s worth.’

Emperor or not, she needed to recoup her losses.

‘His memory might never return.’

Aila smiled maliciously.

If so, she would work him forever.

–

One must clean up one’s own mess. Therefore, Tael, who had collapsed the roof, had to work for Aila and her sisters.

“Sweep.”

Aila handed Tael a broom. The storage shed needed cleaning.

“Don’t order me around. I was planning to sweep my sleeping place anyway.”

Tael took the broom and swept back and forth, but nothing was being swept up. Though he was clearly sweeping, the dust seemed to be accumulating more.

“Hey, can’t you sweep properly?”

“What is the standard of ‘properly’? This is my way.”

His voice was as resolute as if he were creating laws for the great empire.

His sweeping was even more resolute. Resolutely terrible.

Dust flew around Tael, making the floor even messier.

He moved the broom roughly, claiming to sweep dust around objects, but ended up knocking everything over. A water bottle broke with a loud crash, but Tael seemed pleased.

“Oh, I see I’m doing very well since I’m even cleaning with water at the same time.”

Seeing his confident demeanor, veins popped on Aila’s neck.

“Are you playing around?”

“Would anyone play around with such dedication?”

He smiled as he admired his handiwork.

“I must be destined for greatness.”

He was already someone great. He just couldn’t sweep.

“Don’t tell me you can’t even do this?”

“Can’t you see I’m doing it? Stop talking nonsense.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Aila grabbed Tael’s hand. Tael flinched in surprise, but she didn’t care. All she could see were broken items and the messy floor.

“Like this! Like this!”

She moved the broom back and forth, holding Tael’s hand.

“You need to gather the dust to one side! Don’t spread it around!”

After doing this for a while, Aila looked up with a strange feeling and found Tael quietly looking down at her with very suspicious eyes.

“What?!”

“I understand. I’ll try to do it properly.”

Contrary to his words, Tael couldn’t do it properly, and as night fell, Aila grew increasingly tired.

Between cleaning and supervising Tael’s work, it was hard to tell who was the slave.

Aila was determined to get her money’s worth and didn’t want to give up, but by bedtime, she was completely exhausted. Yet her resolve only strengthened.

‘I’ll teach him again tomorrow! Somehow, I’ll teach him and recoup all these losses!’

Aila reinforced her determination with a grim face until she laid out a large blanket in the storage shed.

Though she was furious, when her siblings entered the shed, she smiled warmly and laid Serna and Melia down. Then she sat beside them and patted the space next to her.

“Tael, come sleep here.”

Tael looked at Aila with those suspicious eyes from earlier.

“You want me to sleep next to you?”

He frowned seriously.

“You? With me?”

“What, should I have you sleep next to my siblings? If you don’t want to sleep here, get out.”

At those words, Tael, though still suspicious, obediently lay down next to Aila.

“You don’t actually want to lie next to me, do you?”

Aila kicked Tael lightly, pushing him to the side.

“Just shut up and sleep.”

After Aila lay down, Melia, who was lying right next to her, whispered:

“Sis, will the brother stay with us?”

“Hmm, I don’t know? Maybe for a while?”

“But why is he staying with us?”

“Well…”

Aila recalled the wars that had occurred in neighboring countries. The days she had trembled in fear hearing stories of other countries being conquered one by one.

The conquered countries were ruthlessly plundered, and their ruling classes were all killed by Tael’s hand.

Those places were no longer countries. The land itself was enslaved to Arniel, and only suffering remained on the devastated soil.

This was because not even a blade of grass would grow where the Emperor of Arniel had passed.

Those were truly frightening days, but now it was okay. As long as Tael was here, there would be no war. So Aila would not have to face such things.

“Just because he’s an important person.”

The core of the Great Empire, Arniel.

“He needs to stay with us for now. For now.”

The cruel and great Emperor, Targaniel.

For the peace and safety of the world, the Emperor of Arniel needed to be here.

–

The next day, Tael’s cleaning skills were still terrible, but thanks to Aila following him around and cleaning up after him, the results were good.

Tael’s confidence increased, while Aila grew more tired.

Even when the haggard Aila was about to go out, she was determined to take him along, and he marveled at his own skills that seemed to excel at everything.

“You probably couldn’t do anything without me.”

With cleaning tools and a shovel in both hands, Tael was leaving the house when he saw something and stopped. Melia was playing with foxtail grass at the bottom of the wall.

Tael approached and said:

“Little one. I remember the favor you did me by helping me escape last time.”

At Tael’s voice, Melia looked up and smiled brightly with round eyes.

“Yes!”

“Tael!”

When Aila’s voice was heard, Tael narrowed his eyes.

“It’s hard to believe you’re sisters with that woman.”

Tael shuddered slightly.

“To think someone so fierce exists.”

“Hehe. Isn’t it great?”

“Tael! Come quickly!”

At the voice calling again, Tael’s heart grew anxious.

“Well, I’m going. Take good care of the house.”

“Okay! But, brother.”

“?”

“Does my sister like you?”

“What…?”

“It’s the first time my sister has brought someone home.”

Tael snorted with confidence.

“It’s not easy to see a man like me.”

“Sister says you’re an important person to her.”

“…”

“She told me that too! Hehe, Melia is a ve-ry important person, and she stays with sister because sister loves her so much.”

Melia, who had been giggling, suddenly realized something and shouted loudly:

“Ah! You must be here because you like my sister too!”

“I’m here because I like that woman…?”

Tael was dumbfounded. Aila, who had been waiting impatiently, approached and reached out to grab his ear.

“You rascal. Trying to avoid work by using tricks!”

Even as he was being dragged by his ear, Tael muttered in shock:

“I like her…?”