Yerena’s anger was clearly visible on her face. But Roshan read it and still shamelessly continued.

“So couldn’t you just overlook this once?”

“……”

“I’ll discard my real name. I’ll live as Kian. With that name.”

For the future emperor of the Empire to discard his name—anyone would be shocked to hear it. But Roshan was confident. If Yerena permitted, if she forgave him even slightly, even as small as a grain of millet, he was willing to change even the name of the Empire.

“I’ll change these eyes too. I’ve already found a way. I’ll become that blue-eyed guard knight you imagined.”

The medicine to change eye color was inherently toxic and had major side effects. But Roshan thought it wouldn’t matter even if he went blind.

“Of course, I know these things won’t forgive my sins. But couldn’t you give me just one chance, just one chance to atone?”

“……”

“Please…… I’ll make sure the name of the heinous invader who invaded the Sedas Kingdom never reaches your ears.”

The nonsense continued, not worth listening to. Yerena’s boiling emotions suddenly cooled. What was this man babbling about? Her anger reached its threshold, and she momentarily forgot how to express it.

“I’m sorry to say this.”

“……”

“I have committed an unforgivable sin.”

Of course, Roshan also knew his words would sound like nonsense to Yerena. But he couldn’t find any better solution than saying these things.

‘I left Sir Frederick a choice. So please leave Juul and Jael, those children, alone.’

He could have used what had been left in Frederick’s possession, but having already been exposed, he didn’t want to commit any more deception. So he begged and begged again.

How much time passed like that? The sun that had been high in the sky slowly disappeared beyond the horizon. Roshan’s voice also began to crack. But the listener merely breathed with difficulty, pushing away the apologies drilling into her ears.

Roshan despaired at the princess’s hatred, which showed no movement, no gap. What if she only wished for death like this? What if she never looked back at him?

Roshan stopped begging for forgiveness. The despair that bloomed within began to eat away at his already crumbling inner self.

‘……I really am the same person.’

Indignation took root in the cracks throughout his heart. It sprouted, its stem grew high, and it bloomed. Then it soon bore fruit and dropped the emotions inside.

“I know it’s a sin to have dared speak of love given my position. But……”

Roshan’s red eyes met Yerena’s blue ones. Looking at Yerena’s affection for him, which had completely disappeared though it had clearly existed even when her eyes were cloudy, he tightly clenched his hands resting on his knees.

“Everything I said to you was sincere. That at least wasn’t a lie. So……”

“Crazy…… crazy man.”

Yerena cut off Roshan’s words. She couldn’t listen any further.

The enemy before her had toyed with her in the palm of his hand for years. He had deceived her countless times, whispering lies.

Yet with that history, he spoke of sincerity? Deception and love couldn’t occupy the same space. At least not for Yerena.

“You’re sorry to me?”

“……”

“You spout such words while mocking me to the end?”

The corner of Yerena’s mouth twisted. She laughed with a deflating sound, then cackled loudly. But strangely, her high laughter sounded like crying. And as if that were true, tears poured from the princess’s eyes.

After a while, Yerena, who couldn’t even move properly with both arms tied, suddenly stopped laughing. She looked at Roshan with a cold face again, then slid her gaze away. Her face, blankly staring at the ceiling, had already lost its emotion.

“Roshan Vistius. What sin have you committed against me?”

“……”

“Your Highness, the great crown prince of the Vistius Empire. You’ve only done what you’ve always done. So why are you sorry? Suddenly? Just to me?”

The kneeling invader trembled his shoulders at the princess’s words. It was true. How many people had been in the same position as Yerena? But he had never felt sorry for any of them. He had never once thought of asking for forgiveness.

Only to the princess before him did he want to endlessly bow, apologize, and seek forgiveness. So that he could continue the conversations and embraces they had shared until recently.

“Don’t do this. What’s wrong with playing with a mere prisoner from a defeated country like a toy? Who would dare say anything if you laughed at the sight of a stupid prisoner who fell for lies and spoke of love to her enemy? Who would dare accuse you of wrongdoing?”

“Lady Yerena, I……”

“Stop!”

Just as Roshan tried to make some excuse to Yerena, who was muttering without even looking at him, the quiet princess raised her voice again.

“Stop it! Please stop imitating that person……”

A momentary confusion flashed in her blue eyes filled with moisture. And Roshan noticed it.

Hope filled his chest. The princess had not completely abandoned it yet. It was clear that even though she had realized that the guard knight and lover who had protected her was the same person as her enemy, she had not completely erased that false person from her heart.

‘……That’s enough.’

Even excluding his innate divine power, Roshan was an excellent commander. He had outstanding talent for quickly identifying and exploiting the opponent’s weaknesses. He decided that no matter what Yerena said, he would continue to act like ‘Kian.’

Perhaps Yerena also noticed that something had changed in the man’s eyes. Her eyes trembled and she bit her lips. Then she asked Roshan in a low voice,

“Are you…… truly sorry to me? Do you feel that emotion?”

Her voice, softer than before, was somehow sweet. Remembering the voice that had told him she loved him before the deception was discovered, Roshan nodded.

“Then kill me.”

“……”

“If you’re truly sorry to me, end my life like you killed my family. Make it so I can no longer see you!”

But the words that came out, as if to cut off Roshan’s expectations, were cruel. For the first time since entering the room, Roshan gave Yerena a sharp look.

“I cannot do that, Lady Yerena.”

“……”

“Have you forgotten our promise? Didn’t you say you would live no matter what happened?”

“Ha!”

Yerena snorted at Roshan, who mentioned their promise from that day. When the man before her recited such things, her mind became clear. She glared at her enemy and spoke deliberately,

“The person who made that promise with me doesn’t exist in this world. The very existence was a lie. So what use is a promise?”

“……”

“I don’t want to talk with you anymore, so kill me. If you don’t want to do it with your own hands, just watch. I’ll take care of it myself.”

Roshan had already heard about the princess’s several s*icide attempts. Sparks flew from his red eyes. He raised one of his kneeling knees. Then, looking down at Yerena from above, he shed the shell of Kian.

“……That won’t work.”

Though angry at the woman who spoke of death so easily, the greater his anger, the colder his head became. Thus, the invader found the best he could do right now, even as he felt his blood boiling.

“Princess. You still have many precious things.”

To keep the woman alive, some level of threat was necessary. But that role had to be played by Roshan Vistius, the invader and enemy.

“Let’s talk about the Sedas Kingdom first.”

Roshan brought up the Sedas Kingdom. Immediately, Yerena raised her upper body and focused her gaze on him. Roshan smiled somewhat sadly. He faced the princess.

“Do you know how your homeland is doing now? Many things have happened.”

Roshan explained in detail what had transpired in the Sedas Kingdom. From the civil war that led to the execution of Brick, who had only recently become king, and his mother Bianca, to who the new king was. And how the kingdom’s people felt about it all.

Yerena widened her eyes to their limit at the news of Brick and Bianca’s deaths. The deaths of two people who shared her blood yet could be called enemies. She didn’t feel relieved. But she felt no sadness either. She was simply shocked.

“All your close blood relatives have died. But didn’t you care for the entire Sedas Kingdom?”

“……”

“Well, even if that’s not the case, let’s see…… Yes. What about your friend Pria? Your maid Liri? Jana? Their daughters and sons? And many other people?”

The invader, who had been carefully examining the princess’s expression, now mentioned her friends and acquaintances. When these people, whom she only felt grateful and sorry for, came from Roshan’s mouth, Yerena opened and closed her mouth.

She needed to tell him to leave them alone. But wouldn’t that be playing into his hands?

“If no one else, at least Pria…… Lady Irzen cared deeply for you. Seeing how quickly she sent a reply after receiving your letter.”

Another deception was revealed. The letters Yerena had sent to her friend Pria. Pria had replied to her. But he must have intercepted them. He knew about the existence of replies that she had never received. Yerena’s breathing grew rough.

“You……!”

As Yerena suspected, Roshan had intercepted Pria’s letters. He hadn’t shown them to the princess. He didn’t want her to have a place to attach her feelings, as she would not focus on him. It was a petty and childish thought.

“Princess. Value your life. You still have many things you care about. And……”

The invader threatened the panting princess without hesitation. Yerena’s eyes reddened. At the same time, the man frowned as he looked at the tightly pulled ropes on both wrists.

Roshan placed his hand on Yerena’s shoulder and applied pressure. Her back pressed firmly against the bed. The rope around her wrists also found some slack. Only then did he continue speaking.

“……Don’t you need to take revenge?”

“……”

“Do you plan to give up when the enemy who slaughtered your family is right in front of you? Hmm?”

It was a clear provocation. But she couldn’t help but fall for it. The thought of stabbing a sword into the enemy’s neck. The mere imagination inflamed her emotions.

Roshan let out a low laugh as he rose from his seat, seeing the will to live return to Yerena’s eyes. Then he bowed deeply with utmost politeness.