When he first met Theodor von Ilmos at the age of fourteen, Kallian’s first emotions were a sense of loss and disappointment.

“So you’re the famous hunting dog?”

With those words, Theodor carelessly brandished a wooden sword and challenged Kallian to a fight.

At the age of twelve, Kallian had managed to change his identity with the help of a nobleman who knew his true origins.

Instead of the name Elsen, he was given the surname Icerick, the name given to illegitimate children in the Grand Duchy.

From there, it was not difficult to become a knight’s apprentice.

Kallian learned to move his body more quickly than others. He had no choice – if he couldn’t adapt quickly, he wouldn’t survive.

With this skill, he proved himself and eventually earned a place as a Knight Apprentice of the Grand Duchy.

One day, during a jousting tournament, he managed to score points against knights five or six years his senior. The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess could not hide their admiration and praise for Kallian.

“My goodness. How old did you say he was? To be so skilled at such a young age – remarkable.”

“The future of Ilmos looks very promising indeed.”

“Come to think of it, isn’t he about the same age as Theodor, dear?”

“If he keeps growing like this, he could be Theodor’s personal guard.”

Theodor was deeply offended by what he saw.

It wasn’t that he was deprived of praise from the Grand Duke and Duchess, but he absolutely hated the idea of his parents’ sweet words being directed at someone else.

“Ah, yes. I remember seeing you at the jousting tournament.”

“……”

“I hear you’re the most skilled of the new apprentice knights lately.”

“Yes.”

Since it was the truth, Kallian answered without hesitation. This seemed to irritate Theodor even more.

“But you’re still just an apprentice, which means you need proper training as a knight, don’t you?”

“……”

“Allow me to grant you the honour of sparring with me.”

Kallian had heard much about Theodor’s skills and personality.

He constantly challenged knights of his own age who were known for their skills, but they would openly let him win, knowing full well that he couldn’t even wield a sword properly.

Meanwhile, as the beloved only son of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, they arranged for him to be formally given a Knight’s title, even though his victories had no real merit.

“Why are you just standing there?”

“The young master said he wanted to spar with you.”

Urged on by the older knights, Kallian finally stepped into the arena and faced Theodor.

At that moment, a wild, untamed emotion surged through him – one he hadn’t even known was there.

‘Should I just kill him?’

He could do it right now. He could end it all in an instant.

Kallian was born to put an end to the bloodline of the Usurpers, including Theodor.

If he could do that, perhaps it would all – this endless cycle of vengeance – finally come to an end.

“Haah!”

Theodor lunged forward, swinging his sword at Kallian.

But his attack was weak, lacking both power and precision.

Despite the serious expression on his face, his features twisted in irritation and frustration the moment he realised Kallian wasn’t moving.

Behind Theodor, the older knights watched in despair.

“Let him win!”

“Don’t fight back!”

“If you beat him, the young master might have you killed!”

It was unbearably senseless.

To think that he had been born to kill someone like that.

A worthless brat who did nothing but take out his frustration on knights who deliberately lost just to satisfy his fragile ego – someone who was not even worth considering as an opponent.

A worthless man who did nothing but take out his frustrations on knights who deliberately lost just to feed his own ego – someone who wasn’t even worthy of being called an opponent.

At that moment, images flashed through Kallian’s mind – his mother slowly fading away, his newborn sibling who never had a chance to live, his father’s piercing gaze whispering revenge over and over again, and the faces of Dylan and the others who had been loyal to him for generations.

All these people – all for the sake of eliminating this pathetic man…

At the very moment that the deepest, most primal urge stirred within him, Kallian nudged Theodor with his wooden sword without even realising it.

Clang!

“…….”

Thud.

Everyone fell silent as Theodor was pushed backwards and collapsed to the floor.

For a brief moment, flames of anger blazed in Theodor’s eyes.

Kallian stood still, his fingertips twitching slightly, making no response.

Just then –

“You… you little…”

“Young master.”

“Oh no, young master! My apologies. This boy doesn’t know any better yet.”

From the corner, Ruben – who had been training with the other apprentice knights who knew Kallian – rushed over in a panic.

“Please let this go, young master.”

“The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess would surely wish the same.”

Theodor, who had been ready to lunge at Kallian with his sword, hesitated and looked around at the watching eyes.

For some time now, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess had instilled in Theodor the idea that to become a great Grand Duke, he had to maintain his dignity in front of others. They had also taught him not to vent his anger recklessly.

“You are quite capable, I see.”

And so Theodor said.

As long as people were watching him, he knew he had to control himself – at least on the surface.

Kallian also replied calmly.

“I apologise.”

“No. Someone like you is certainly worthy to be my guard.”

“…….”

“I will ask my father’s permission.”

And with that, Theodor made Kallian his personal guard.

Then –

“Your Grace… No, Father. I have something to ask.”

“Yes, Theo. What is it?”

“As far as I know, those who serve as a Grand Duke’s guard must have resistance to poison.”

“That is correct.”

“Please have my knight undergo poison training.”

“Hmm. Yes, if it’s for you, then it must be done.”

So Theodor took his revenge on Kallian.

Every day Kallian was forced to ingest poison, to endure the agony of his insides being torn apart, to learn once again the meaning of helplessness.

He wanted to rush forward and behead Theodor, but then he asked himself – did any of this matter?

The insignificant weight he had felt when he had pushed Theodor back still haunted him.

Did he really have to go through all this just to end the life of someone like him?

‘What was the point?’

Everyone he cared about was already dead – was there really any point in revenge?

The weight of the small coffin continued to press down on him, and with each passing moment, the relentless emptiness consumed him further.

‘Would killing the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess really change anything?’

“You did it, Lord Kallian!”

“Congratulations!”

But even though he had set a trap and orchestrated their deaths at the hands of bandits, the emptiness remained.

Among the few Avengers, including Dylan, who rejoiced in their victory, Kallian simply looked up at the sky.

The cold, lifeless bodies of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, their eyes still fixed on him, did not even register in his mind.

That emptiness remained even after he had marched in Theodor’s place and wiped out the northern bandits who had terrorised the region.

It remained even after Theodor came of age.

And it remained even after Kallian himself had become one of the core leaders of the Ilmos army.

***

And then the woman appeared – suddenly, as if she had fallen from the sky.

“D*mn that Kartan imperial family.”

In truth, Kallian learned of the princess’s arrival a little later than he should have. He had been too busy fortifying the northern borders, which Theodor had long neglected.

The more capable Kallian became, the more Theodor’s incompetence grew.

Believing that Kallian would take care of everything, whether he acted or not, Theodor became even more negligent and lazy.

There was no one left in the world to keep him in check. The former Grand Duke and Grand Duchess had long since been buried under the cold earth.

With no real motivation to govern the Grand Duchy properly, Theodor gradually began to fixate on things that were completely unimportant to Kallian.

One of them was Princess Leanne.

“They must be looking down on me.”

“…….”

“They sent a princess, but not Leanne? And they expect me to accept this as royalty?”

Theodor had only recently begun to push for a marriage alliance with the Imperial family.

Thanks to Kallian, Ilmos had gained a significant advantage in the territorial wars that were still allowed. In exchange for obeying the Imperial decree to cease all territorial conflict and expansion, they sought to consolidate their dominance by marrying the Grand Duke to a princess.

From Kallian’s point of view, this was unnecessary.

Theodor had plenty of options besides Leanne.

The most logical choice, in Kallian’s view, was to marry the daughter of a nearby Great Lord, rather than rely on an Imperial family that was still unstable.

After all, the Kartan Empire was not an ancient dynasty with deep historical roots, and for the time being the power of the Great Lords remained stronger than that of the Imperial Family.

Instead of focusing on the Imperial Family, it was far more practical to form a marriage alliance with a nearby Great Lord to counter the more immediate threats from Seor and the neighbouring nations.

“If anyone is to marry me, she must be a true princess. Not a bastard born to a servant, but a legitimate princess born to the Empress.”

But Theodor only wanted Leanne. Once he had her in his sights, no other woman could possibly meet his standards.

“How dare you insult me, the Grand Duke of Ilmos…?”

But the Kartan Imperial Family confounded his expectations. Instead of Leanne, they sent an illegitimate princess – someone he didn’t even know existed.

And so Kallian finally saw the princess, albeit belatedly.

It was in the wedding hall, where Theodor had failed to appear. Kallian had gone in his place to deliver the message that “His Grace is not coming today”.

“…….”

“Your Highness, it would be better if you went inside now.”

“But we do not know when His Grace will arrive.”

The woman who said this to the maid, who gently suggested she rest, stood in the quiet sanctuary, bathed in the light pouring through the windows, wearing a wedding dress that seemed to weigh her down.

The woman in pale pink looked small and fragile, with a pale complexion. And…

With a face that looked as if it might collapse at any moment, she stood firmly on her two legs.

“He’ll come eventually.”

There was a trace of hope in the woman’s words, and something resembling affection in the expression on her face. At that moment, a strange tightness settled in Kallian’s chest.

A sharp sensation ran down his spine. A rage he had never felt before, and never thought he was capable of, spread through his mind.

A sudden urge to approach her forcefully, to ask her why she was behaving so foolishly, to question why she was going so far, hit Kallian with full force. He didn’t know why. 

In the woman’s behaviour, Kallian might have seen a reflection of himself – obediently submitting to Theodor.

“Hah.”

A short, frustrated sigh escaped Kallian’s lips as he put his hand to his chest and turned to leave. The next day he heard that the woman had been standing there all along.

“…….”

The image of the woman, standing and bathed in light, lingered in his mind. Her pale, resigned face even appeared in Kallian’s dreams, tormenting him.

Kallian woke up the next morning. He realised that he had woken up with an *rection. From that moment on, a series of disturbing nightmares began.