It was like a scene from a dream — utterly unreal.

The blade that had moments earlier been pressed to Ailie’s neck was now rolling across the floor, while the unknown assailant stood frozen to the spot, bathed in golden light.

The same was true of the other thieves who had been facing Ricciardo and Liton. It was as though time itself had been brought to a halt.

Beyond the shattered window, white snow drifted down from the sky.

Ailie had thought winter was drawing to a close. Yet a cold gust of wind blew snowflakes into the tower and the sudden chill made her shrink back without realizing it.

Then—

The most surreal presence of all stepped closer.

Pale blue eyes settled quietly on Ailie, and the depth of concern in that gaze was something she could no longer ignore.

Benate slowly reached out and pulled Ailie into his arms.

“…If I had known this would happen.”

Then, in a low voice, he spoke.

“I should have forced my way out, no matter what it took…”

The end of his words trembled.

What was he regretting?

Ailie wondered, her mind still dazed.

“In truth… I meant to endure and wait. For a long time.”

“……”

“But I can’t anymore. I’m sorry—I don’t have that kind of patience after all.”

She had thought it was all an act.

She had hated that voice, as if affection were merely performed, those eyes filled with concern that felt grotesque and false—

And yet…

“Rather than lose the Empress, I’ll choose to be hated.”

Why did a grief that could not possibly be real seep into her heart?

“Please—wherever you are, stay somewhere I can see you.”

“…Your Majesty.”

“Save me. Please.”

A sorrowful voice brushed against her ear.

He offered no explanation, only words she couldn’t understand. Now, he was pleading for salvation.

Yet it was Ailie who had nearly died.

Both before the regression and just moments ago.

So why was Benate saying such things?

His face was hollow, as though he hadn’t slept in days, and his voice trembled on the verge of breaking, as though he might cry at any moment.

‘Why?’

Questions drifted through her mind, and memories that had tormented her countless times before intertwined.

Was all of this really just an act?

Did he not want to stain his flawless empire?

Or was it because losing the Empress to a band of thieves would damage his reputation?

Or was it because the consequences might affect Donata, the woman he loved?

None of it made sense.

If it was all an act, the cold emperor would never reveal such weakness. No matter how convincing the performance, he would never beg an empress in name only to save him.

Or was this yet another attempt to display false affection in front of others?

No, Benate’s voice was barely more than a whisper, soft enough that only Ailie could hear it. Liton and Ricciardo were standing too far away to come over and Breni was slumped against the wall, sobbing.

There was no way any of them could hear him.

Was he trying to deceive Ailie once again?

By exposing his most wretched self?

Had all of this been planned from the beginning?

‘…I don’t know.’

She couldn’t tell.

What Benate was thinking.
What kind of heart had driven him to say those words.
Whether what filled those pale blue eyes was truly worry and regret.

Everything was too difficult.

Even her own wavering heart.

***

Shortly afterwards, the knight commander who had accompanied Benate arrived, bringing the incident to an end.

The golden light restraining the thieves emanated from a defensive magical artefact that had been passed down through the imperial family. Fortunately, it held until the knight commander reached the scene, preventing another violent clash.

Only after Ailie had been safely settled inside the carriage did Benate finally let out a long, heavy sigh.

Who would have imagined that the empress herself would storm a thieves’ hideout to rescue her maid?

‘Had I been even a moment later, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.’

It seemed nothing short of miraculous that Benate had reached the tower at exactly the right moment.

He had set off for Erdei to look for the Empress, who had failed to return to the imperial palace. En route, he had somehow noticed an unremarkable carriage, and, despite the objections of the knight commander, he had charged straight into the tower.

If even one of those things had gone wrong…

‘I don’t even want to imagine it.’

Benate shook his head, his expression hardening.

The snow that had started falling just before he entered the tower had become heavier, blanketing the ground thickly. He paced through it, trying to steady himself; his footprints crossed and overlapped repeatedly across the white expanse.

In truth, he had agonized over the decision.

Should he continue waiting for Ailie in the imperial palace, or should he go out and search for her himself?

After all, the leave had been intended for recuperation. He had insisted on it himself, hoping that the Empress, who had suddenly begun to avoid him at the start of the new year, would calm down.

So he had planned to wait. Quietly. Without pressing her. From a distance.

But he could no longer endure it.

‘Disgustingly selfish.’

He had been afraid.

The thought of never seeing the Empress again had shattered what little sanity he had left. Waiting felt like he was slowly losing years of his life. This gnawing anxiety would never fade unless he saw her return safely to the imperial palace in a carriage with his own eyes.

Perhaps his fear was evident, because the knight commander tried to reassure him. After all, the deputy-commander was accompanying her, so there was no need to worry.

Yes, the deputy-commander had been with her. Benate knew that perfectly well — he had assigned the escort himself.

‘And yet it’s taking this long, even with the deputy-commander. A full day has passed. If something had happened to the Empress, would you take responsibility for those words?

His retort had been sharp.

By then, he could no longer think rationally. What if… what if perhaps… Uncertain possibilities flooded his mind, leaving no room for calm.

In the end, Benate broke his resolve, unable to endure the wait any longer.

Rather than lose Ailie, he chose to be hated.

Ultimately, that decision saved her life.

“Your Majesty, it would be best to depart before it gets any later.”

After speaking with the coachman, the Knight Commander approached to deliver the message.

They had originally intended to wait until the snowfall eased, but if they lingered any longer, night would fall. It would be better to return to the imperial palace before then. In any case, the distance from here to the capital wasn’t far.

Benate nodded.

As the knight commander turned away to give instructions to the coachman, Benate asked a quick question.

“How is the Empress…?”

If he was that curious, he could have gone to check himself.

“She seems much calmer than before.”

“That’s a relief.”

“If Your Majesty stays by her side, she’ll likely regain her composure even faster.”

“…That won’t happen.”

It had been selfish enough to chase her all the way here. He had no intention of disturbing her rest either. Anything beyond that would be greedy.

Benate passed by the Empress’s carriage without so much as a glance, heading towards his own.

Then he stopped.

By chance, his gaze fell on an unfamiliar figure seated beside Ailie.

Opposite her, he expected to see the deputy-commander and the maid.

It was the vivid red of the stranger’s hair that drew his attention — it was so striking that it felt strangely familiar.

That shade of red immediately brought to mind the Duke of Alvaro, whose domain lay not far from here. However, the duke himself was not so tall, and his eldest son — the young duke — had always been slim with sharp, angular features.

Even if the young man had recently taken up swordsmanship, Benate had seen him barely two months ago.

Could a body really change that much in such a short time?

So who exactly was sitting beside the Empress?

“Knight Commander.”

Benate stopped in his tracks.

The carriage was right in front of him, yet his feet wouldn’t move.

“Who is that red-haired man sitting beside the Empress?”

“Oh—that’s the second son of the Duke of Alvaro.”

“Second son?”

The second son?

Benate sifted through his hazy memories. On further reflection, he remembered hearing that the second son of the Duke of Alvaro had studied at the Brice Swordsmanship Academy.

So that man must be Ricciardo Alvaro.

They used to visit each other often when they were young, although that was a long time ago. They were the same age and had probably been fairly close.

‘That aside.’

Who Ricciardo Alvaro was didn’t really matter.

What mattered was why he was occupying the seat beside the Empress.

And after pushing the maid aside, no less.

“Are they already acquainted?”

“When I asked the deputy-commander, he said they’ve been childhood friends.”

“……”

“Does that bother you?”

Benate was momentarily at a loss for words.

A childhood friend?

He had never heard that the Empress had a childhood friend. If so, that meant Ricciardo had known Ailie longer than Benate himself ever had.

‘That’s… not a pleasant thought.’

Of course, the Ricciardo Benate remembered wasn’t foolish enough to covet the Empire’s Empress right in front of the Emperor.

But how much time had passed since then?

‘…Enough time for a person to change.’

Benate bit down on his lower lip, unease tightening in his chest.

“Well, there’s no need to concern myself. Alvaro isn’t far from here, is it? He’ll get off soon enough.”

“I’m afraid not. He said he’s heading to the imperial capital.”

“To the capital? Why?”

“He intends to join the Imperial Knights. Apparently, he’s already received the deputy-commander’s recommendation.”

The Imperial Knights…

Benate’s thoughts raced. At first, he had been startled by the mention of the capital, but if Ricciardo was joining the Knights, perhaps there was no real need for concern.

In any case, no one could join the Imperial Knights without his final approval. Even if Ricciardo were too capable to be rejected — a fact acknowledged by all — there was no obligation to assign him as the Empress’s guard.

In the carriage, he could simply ask the maid to switch seats so that the Empress could rest more comfortably.

“Oh, and I’ve heard that Her Majesty stayed at the count’s residence the entire time she was in Erdei.”

At that, as if driving the final nail in, the knight commander added the remark.

Benate, who had been about to move on, turned back.

Then, without hesitation, he strode toward the Empress’s carriage.

—Clunk.

As he opened the door, pale rose–colored eyes met his.

Thankfully, she didn’t avert her gaze or shrink back.

Benate’s eyes shifted next—to Ricciardo, seated beside her.

“We didn’t have the chance to exchange proper greetings earlier, given the circumstances, Prince Alvaro.”

“No, the fault is mine. I should have greeted Your Majesty first.”

Ricciardo replied with an easy smile. His clear, pitch-black eyes met the Emperor’s without wavering.

Caught between the two, Ailie glanced back and forth, offering an awkward smile.

“I didn’t realize you had already returned from your studies abroad. It’s been a long time.”

“Yes. It truly has. We used to see each other often.”

“That was in the past. Now, more importantly—”

Benate, who had been speaking without expression, let out a small laugh.

It wasn’t a pleasant smile. More like a scoff—or a hollow chuckle.

“Would you mind moving? It seems you’ve mistaken your seat.”