“How did you end up choosing the path of a priest?”

To Evan’s question, Liese spoke in a calm tone about why she decided to become a priest and what her family environment was like.

As he listened quietly to her words, Evan wondered why his heart felt so cold.

A desperate feeling rose from within, choking his throat.

‘I want to be a fence.’

He wanted to embrace her lonely life, that no one had protected.

But isn’t this an unrequited love? It was just his feelings.

How could he win her heart? Evan was troubled.

“I talked too much about myself.”

He looked down at Liese’s face, smiling awkwardly.

Her round eyes drooped down adorably. He felt an urge to hold her in his arms.

‘It’s straight ahead.’

Even if Liese knew his feelings, felt burdened, and left, he couldn’t do anything.

An uncontrollable flame surged in his heart.

“Not at all. I’ve always been curious about how you became a priest.”

“Oh, you were?”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Evan’s steps gradually slowed until he finally stopped.

Liese, who had been a few steps ahead, also stopped and turned to look at Evan.

“Yes. Perhaps from the moment I first saw you, I had you in my heart.”

Her pupils wavered.

“I like you. Liese.”

***

The next morning, under the clear winter sky, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the imperial palace gate.

Duke Noah Diaz, with his dark skin and dark red hair, got out of the carriage.

The guards bowed their heads towards him, and he nodded back.

As he passed through the gate into the palace, he squinted against the breaking sunlight.

‘There’s only one reason they’d want to see me. Ariel Clark.’

Noah was curious, too. What was the relationship between the two?

Would their relationship be the same as it was before time turned back? Judging by Leopold’s expression that day… something must have changed, for sure.

“His Majesty is waiting for you. I will guide you.”

When they entered the building, Chamberlain Richard greeted him.

Two shadows moved side by side on the white marble floor, and only their footsteps echoed in the corridor.

Richard stopped in front of a large golden door. Noah naturally stopped behind him.

Knock knock.

“Your Majesty, Duke Noah Diaz has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please come in, Duke.”

Richard opened the door, and he could see Emperor Leopold Diaz sitting at his office desk.

Noah approached him with large strides.

“It’s an honor to see the glory of Atlan.”

“It’s good to see you again, Duke Noah.”

Leopold’s voice passed over Noah, who was bowing, emotionless, and dry.

Noah straightened up and looked into Leopold’s eyes.

“How have you been?”

“Not so well, thanks to you.”

Leopold and Noah were cousins, but they didn’t have a close relationship. In fact, they barely faced each other.

Noah’s father, Davis Diaz, was the half-brother of Emperor Arthur Diaz and had been brutally defeated in the struggle for the throne.

In exchange for sparing his life, he stayed in a small mansion in the capital without claiming any imperial rights.

Duke and Duchess Davis Diaz did not participate in any social activities.

However, when rumors spread that Leopold was a bastard, they made efforts to ensure that their son, Noah Diaz, could receive an imperial education. This became possible thanks to the vehement protests of ministers, who argued that a mere servant’s child could not ascend to the throne.

But Noah rarely attended classes at the palace. He could not enter the palace except when Emperor Arthur Diaz tested him to check his learning status.

Thus, it was reasonable to consider them as strangers to each other.

“…”

A sharp tension flickered in Noah’s calm eyes. He sensed the uncomfortable emotions in Leopold’s tone.

“What brings you back to the capital without any notice?”

“Is there something wrong with me coming here when I have business?”

“You’re not unaware of the current situation. Are you so carefree to leave it to your subordinates?”

Annoyance was evident on Leopold’s indifferent face.

“If it’s about the demonic beasts, you don’t need to worry. Even if they wreak havoc on the border regions, Atlan won’t be threatened.”

“How can you be so sure?”

At Leopold’s question, Noah Diaz’s lips stretched with confidence. This subtly irked Leopold.

“Because I’m here. Oh, and my knights are guarding it now.”

Noah felt a strange pleasure seeing the deepening wrinkles on Leopold’s forehead.

Seeing the emotions on the face of a cold-blooded man made him feel like he had won before the game even started.

Besides, Leopold was the one who sent him to White, one of Atlan’s poorest territories with its cold climate and barren soil.

Noah couldn’t like Leopold even if he wanted to.

‘When I first stepped into White… I never dreamed things would turn out this way.’

Noah arrived in White on a snowy winter day.

Amidst the biting cold, he toured the domain without fully recovering from his travel fatigue.

That winter’s unexpected cold wave was harsh on White.

Houses were filled with cries as they ran out of harvested grains long ago, and children and women peeled tree barks with frostbitten hands for meals.

It was common for fingers to rot away to some extent.

Noah thought he had to save the White domain first before even thinking about saving the Atlan Empire. If he couldn’t take responsibility for one domain, he couldn’t justify dethroning Leopold Diaz, which fueled his resolve.

He dared not call high mages from the capital for fear of news reaching the palace. Instead, he paid a large sum of money to local low-ranking mages to lay the foundation for the White domain.

During this process, Noah met Diaton, a wandering black mage in the border region. He was moved by Diaton’s offer to solve the fuel problem during winter.

But Diaton suddenly made a nonsensical remark at their meeting.

‘Diaton told me right away when we met, that I had regressed.’

Then, Diaton used mana to stimulate the memories sealed within Noah’s subconscious.

Sparks flew as mana, like electricity, flowed through his brain.

Soon, he remembered why he had turned back time and all the processes involved.

He realized why he felt an unreasonable dissatisfaction whenever he saw Leopold and sent applause for Leopold’s decision to send him to the White Territory.

Afterward, he protected the base of the dark mages until Diaton could restore the powers he had in his previous life.

Not only that, but he also let the demonic beasts created by Diaton and his subordinates run rampant in the border area, as long as they did not cross over to the Atlan Empire.

At least, he had to properly protect Atlan so that he would have something to say when he met Leopold, and not lose face.

Thus, he grew the power of the dark mages while waiting for the right time to reunite with Ariel Clark, spending each day in anticipation.

Finally, he returned to the capital. He rushed over after hearing that Ariel, who hadn’t shown herself for ten years, appeared in society.

For several days, he sent people to watch Ariel’s movements. When he heard that she was heading to Norca, he immediately followed her to create a coincidental meeting.

But it was none other than Leopold, Leopold Diaz, who took Ariel away from his arms.

The heart he had been looking forward to reuniting with her shattered into pieces.

‘In my past life and even now, you make me feel like a worthless being. I’m even more infuriated by the fact that it wasn’t your intention. Seeing your face contort like this seems like I’m finally getting rewarded for my hardships.’

Noah smirked as he stroked his chin.

‘What’s the meaning behind that arrogant attitude?’

Coldness enveloped Leopold’s face. When his anger surged, mana burst from his body and swirled around.

“You’re a person who knows that the power of dark mages is growing, should you be so confident? I’ve heard reports that there are limits to the military forces of the White Territory.”

Noah, dropping his arrogant expression, continued in a serious tone in response to Leopold’s question.

“It’s still bearable, Your Majesty. I wanted to try and solve it with my own strength as much as possible. If there was even a slight risk of demonic beasts invading the empire because of my inadequate abilities, I would have rushed to you immediately.”

Strange. His words seemed devoid of malice… Leopold felt uneasy.

“…What were you doing in Norca before?”

“I went to meet a friend. But do I need to inform Your Majesty about my personal life as well?”

Leopold stared at Noah with narrowed eyes.

‘It’s strange that you don’t hold any grudge against me.’

But to trample on the emperor’s authority with such words. Leopold’s anger reached its peak.

Mana burst from his body and flowed towards Noah. The crimson mana that seemed painful just by touching finally enveloped his body.