The Empire has been enjoying a long period of stability, with no wars and no demons. And in this stable state of affairs, the Emperor enjoys a strong position of authority, supported by the two dukes under him, both of whom have wealth and honor comparable to that of the Emperor himself.

Even in such a stable empire, there is an important secret that only the emperor and the two dukes know.

‘Only a person with unusual abilities will make the mighty imperial family and the two dukes comfortable, and that person will determine the rise and fall of the empire’

To a casual observer, this myth would seem to be the work of an aristocratic faction or temple to keep the powerful imperial family and the two dukes in check. But that’s not the real story behind the story.

At the founding of the Empire, there was a woman, the first Duchess of Astina.

She had a unique appearance and possessed a unique ability. Outwardly, she was the Duchess of Astina, but in reality, she held control over the first emperor, the first Duke of Astina, and the first Duke of Carlisle.

The history he had explained to Ria, the officially recorded history of the Empire, had been a smokescreen by the First Emperor to conceal the Duchess’s abilities and her relationship with them. It was a secret that only the imperial family and the two ducal households were supposed to know.

Why they wanted her so badly, why they hid her abilities and their relationship, was because her unusual abilities stabilized them, and they wanted to protect her from any possible danger.

Whether or not it was true love between them is impossible to know now. It happened too long ago. That’s why, until now, Eden only thought of it as a secret and unofficial foundation myth between the imperial family and the two dukes.

The fact that no woman with a unique ability like the first Astina Duchess had appeared since the empire’s foundation also contributed to his belief.

But now, such a woman had appeared.

If he didn’t know better, he wouldn’t have thought much of it, but now that he had experienced it firsthand, he understood why the royal ancestors were so hung up on the first duchess, why they concealed her ability and their relationship even at the cost of tarnishing their own reputations.

Breathing and moving have become so comfortable to the point of doubting how he had lived until now. In fact, he instinctively feel that if he were to swing a sword in this state, he would be stronger than before.

That was how good it was. …And that’s why it was that dangerous.

“Ria, you have to promise me, you won’t use this power on anyone but the three of us. You won’t even tell anyone.”

“Huh? Uh-huh, okay.”

If the royal family finds out, they will surely try to take her. No, it won’t just be the royal family. It’s better if it’s the royal family. If there is someone else who wants her, they will try to protect Ria since they are also part of the myth. If one of the noble houses or the Temple finds out, she is in danger, for they are the ones who keep the Imperials and the two dukes in check.

Of course, Eden has no intention of giving her up to either side. He hasn’t even had her yet. It will be up to him to have her body, to share his feelings with her.

With the thought of protecting her and the growing desire to possess her, Eden suddenly had a realization in his mind. His heart started beating faster and faster.

He finally thought of a way to have her.

***

It was late at night when Rune returned to the mansion from the palace. As soon as he entered, he bumped with Eden, who was waiting for him. Rune frowned slightly, as this was the first time Eden had ever remained in the mansion until this hour. His heart thumped with anxiety as he instinctively sensed something.

“Where’s Ria?”

“She got tired, took medicine, and went to sleep early.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“Because I need to talk to you.”

Narrowing his eyes, trying to guess Eden’s thoughts, Rune soon walked towards the reception room. It was a gesture indicating his willingness to engage in the conversation. When he reached the room, they stared at each other, not even paying attention to the teacups the butler had so quickly left.

“What’s this about?”

“It’s about Ria.”

As soon as she was mentioned, Rune’s demeanor became intense. Eden continued at a slow pace.

“Healing magic.”

“…!”

“You already know about it, don’t you?”

“You don’t…, you don’t mean…….”

“Yeah. Ria said I looked tired, so she used it on me.”

Rune’s lips tightened as he heard the words. It was a mistake. He should have told her to keep the ability a secret from the start.

“The myths of the imperial family and the two ducal houses, do you remember?”

“…….”

“Judging by your lack of response, I guess you knew all along.”

“Eden Carlisle. In case you haven’t gotten the memo that you can be around her these days, she’s my girl.”

Eden laughed in disbelief, and Rune immediately unleashed a barrage of sharp words. It was as if the beast had bared its teeth to defend its mate.

“Knowing that she has that ability won’t change anything.”

“Does it?”

But if he had intended to step back, he wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. Baring his teeth like an adversary, Eden spoke.

“What if the palace finds out?”

“…”

“No, it’s better if it’s the imperial family. What if the other nobles or the temple find out? They would naturally think they could gain power from her that rivals the power of the royal family and two ducal houses.”

Eden’s words were entirely accurate. The details of the myth were known only to the direct descendants of the imperial family and the two duchies. However, there were those who somehow found out about the unique ability of the first duchess at that time.

Fortunately, those individuals were all punished back then, so the secret had been kept until now. It was another part recorded only in their family records.

The problem was, would it be different now? If news of a woman with a unique ability spread, even if they didn’t know the exact details of the myth, people would investigate more and more. After all, even if they didn’t know the exact secrets of the myth, they would assume that the great power of the imperial family and the two dukes came from her. Like those punished a long time ago.

In that case, Ria would be in danger.

“You alone can only protect her so much. Imagine if she, left alone in the duchy, were abducted all of a sudden.”

It was a somewhat realistic assumption to dismiss as nonsense, but Rune could only bite his lip harder in silence.

“I feel horrible just thinking about such an assumption. My heart would ache and tremble. I believe yours would too.”

“……What do you want.”

“I want to protect her too.”

That was the main point. The main topic of this conversation. And the meaning of ‘protect’ was not merely the simple dictionary definition.

“The empire allows for a polygamous system.”

“Ha.”

As expected.

“Now, are you talking about sharing her?”

“Yes.”

“Cut the bullshit. There are limits to what I can tolerate.”

“So, can you protect her well?”

“…”

“You can’t do it alone, Rune Astina.”

Damn it.

Curses involuntarily burst out. There’s no way he can protect her alone. Nothing Eden said was wrong. He knows it, and that’s why he’s so confident. Rune, who knew the limits of protecting her alone, could only grit his teeth and refrain from rebutting.

“You have a choice. Satisfy your greed and increase your chances of losing her, or giving up exclusivity and ensuring her safety more securely.”

Faced with a choice that seemed to be a foregone conclusion, Rune washed his face dry. A million expletives flew out of his mouth in the midst of a situation not unlike the one they’d had when they were trading herbs.

Eden watched and waited patiently, already knowing the answer Rune would choose. A few days ago, Rune had shown concern when he saw Ria injured. The reason for such a strong reaction from Rune was unclear, but ultimately, Eden believes Rune was terrified of Ria getting hurt. Eden felt the same way now.

“Ha, damn it. Fine, protecting Ria is more important.”

He chose the latter.

“But what if she rejects you?”

“I’ll make sure she doesn’t.”

“…If you do what you say you’re going to do, and she hates me too, I will kill you for sure.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to be hated either. You just do what I say.”

At Rune’s threat, Eden just shrugged. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be hated. He was certain that Ria wouldn’t push them away.

Just like the relationship between the first duchess, the emperor, and the two dukes.