“Try this. Just one bite, and your sugar— I mean, your energy will surge!”

She handed him a cute sandwich filled with fresh cream, grapes, strawberries, and other fruits, though her wording sounded a bit odd.

Aiger, who wasn’t fond of sweets, frowned but didn’t outright refuse.

It wasn’t that he hated them enough to reject what was offered, just that he didn’t particularly enjoy them.

Taking a big bite of the sandwich that looked sweet enough to make his tongue tingle, he chewed.

As expected, it didn’t give him a sudden burst of energy, but the mental fatigue that had slightly narrowed his perception seemed to ease.

Raylin, observing Aiger’s expression closely, subtly pushed another sandwich toward him.

Even the most ferocious beast would mellow when full… No, rather, people tended to be more generous when they had eaten well.

So surely, he wouldn’t hold a grudge over the minor rudeness of her cutting him off.

The second sandwich contained coarsely mashed potatoes, boiled egg whites, crispy bacon, and finely chopped carrots, making it enjoyable to chew.

Seeing Aiger accept and eat whatever was given without a word, Raylin unknowingly smiled in satisfaction.

This was kind of fun. She could almost understand why mother birds kept returning food to their nests…

But the next moment, she felt Kertan’s blank stare land on her temple, making her embarrassed.

How could she possibly compare Aiger to a fluffy baby bird accepting food? That was a terrible analogy.

No, rather than a baby bird, he was more like a vicious bear—one reigning over the mountains before hibernation.

‘Hmm. Maybe vicious wasn’t quite right?’

Though he wasn’t the deranged lunatic the rumors claimed, he wasn’t exactly merciful or righteous either.

And yet, perhaps due to her bloodline and status as a lady of Greuga, he had never once treated her harshly or even furrowed his brows at her.

If he was displeased, at most, he would slightly knit his brows or let out a faint sigh.

So, he wasn’t that fierce after all.

‘Hmm, maybe just a bear?’

‘Wait, no. He’s too agile to be a bear.’

‘Hmm… Among top predators, a black…’

Her endless train of thought was abruptly cut off by Kertan’s voice.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Lady of Greuga.”

With an expression stiffened by barely restrained tears, Kertan stood up.

“Thank you.”

With no elaborate words, only pure sincerity, he deeply, very deeply, bowed to the two of them.

He had received an immeasurably great favor.

So, of course, he had to say it.

“I don’t know how I can ever repay this kindness. But in place of my sister, I will do anything—”

Kertan trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, and pressed his lips together tightly, unable to open them again.

Because a question had suddenly jabbed at his mind—or rather, his heart.

Anything? Could he really do anything?

If it had been before finding his sister, then yes. He could have truly done anything to find her.

But not now.

His precious family, whom he could never afford to lose again, had returned to him.

So saying he would do ‘anything’ was a lie.

Yet he also couldn’t turn his back on the kindness that had reunited him with his sister.

Kertan didn’t know what to do.

A heavy silence settled between them.

No one spoke.

Raylin glanced at Aiger, but he remained expressionless, leisurely sipping his tea, making it impossible to read his thoughts.

“No, not something like that.”

Raylin hastily waved her hand. If she left it alone, she might end up hearing far too vivid accounts of his past, filled with blood, flesh, and spilled intestines.

“What about memories from your childhood with your younger sister?”

“Ah, if it’s something like that…”

Despite his appearance resembling a Doberman renowned as a military dog, Kertan was obsessed with sweets and could effortlessly share small stories.

Would this be called having a ‘charming’ personality?

As Raylin observed how ‘comfort’ and ‘tension’ intermittently crossed his demeanor, she reaffirmed the old saying that you must experience a person to understand them.

She had met and spoken with him before her regression.

However, their encounters had been so infrequent that they could be counted on one hand, and whenever they did meet, they only talked about Catherine.

So, she had never imagined that he would be such an unexpectedly good conversation partner.

In the original novel Re.Vil.Bre, the character Kertan is described as immensely taciturn. The only times he speaks even a little are in front of his younger sister.

Even though the novel had the hashtag #ReverseHarem, Kertan wasn’t even the actual male lead who ended up with the protagonist, Catherine—he was merely one of the many fish in her pond.

The storyline involving Kertan and his younger sister lasted only one episode, so his screen time was naturally limited.

It felt like she had discovered something she hadn’t noticed before—something that, while too trivial to be called a treasure, was still enjoyable.

Raylin couldn’t hide her amusement as she watched Kertan continuously munch on sweet treats, stuffing them into his mouth like a squirrel storing food in its cheeks.

Naturally, Kertan also picked up on the subtle shifts in her mood.

At first glance, he seemed like someone who neither spoke much nor had a keen sense of awareness. But from a very young age, he had lived a life where failing to read the moods of others meant he wouldn’t survive.

Sensing emotions, gauging reactions, and reading the atmosphere were as instinctive to him as breathing.

However…

“That bastard won’t listen no matter what I say!”

“Ugh, there goes the mood again.”

“Shouldn’t he have gotten the hint by now? Losing once should’ve been enough.”

During his gladiator days, many had described him as stubborn beyond reason. He knew what they thought, yet he never let it bother him.

As Kertan expressed ‘comfort’ more frequently than ‘tension,’ their conversation became increasingly lively.

“Are you talking about the village we lived in as a child?”

“Yeah. Do you ever think about going back?”

While Raylin was unexpectedly engaged in idle and trivial conversation with Kertan, something she never expected, Aiger remained silent.

It wasn’t just that he had closed his mouth and focused on something else—he was quietly watching them, his mind occupied with thoughts about the two of them.

No, rather than mere thoughts, it was closer to inner turmoil.

Why the hell did he feel so irritated?

He had been fine until he had eaten the sandwich Raylin pushed toward him.

It tasted decent, but what pleased him more was that she didn’t even bother checking if it was poisoned before offering it to him.

Yet, strangely, now he felt as if someone were deliberately tugging at his nerves.

No, it wasn’t just tugging—it felt more like someone was scraping at his patience, testing his limits.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t realized that guy could be so talkative.

Well, it wasn’t as surprising as watching him devour sweets, but still…

Aiger tapped his teacup briefly, his gaze fixed on Kertan.

He couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of his irritation, but Kertan was undoubtedly the cause by process of elimination.

‘But why all of a sudden?’

It would be the former if he had to decide whether he liked or disliked Kertan.

Kertan didn’t ramble needlessly, didn’t provoke fights upon sight, and never questioned orders.

By Aiger’s standards, Kertan was reasonably skilled and tactful enough to integrate well with his subordinates without causing unnecessary friction.

There was no reason for Aiger to dislike him.

No superior would dislike a competent, diligent subordinate with a good reputation.

At least, that had been the case until now.

But at this moment, Aiger felt an overwhelming urge to remove Kertan from the scene.

Not just to send him away—but to erase his presence.

Yet instead of acting on this impulse, Aiger leaned more profound into the sofa.

He wasn’t so insane as to eliminate a capable subordinate because of a fleeting urge.

Not yet.

Was it because of his lack of sleep?

His worsening insomnia was gradually, yet surely, eating away at him.

He was aware of it himself.

If this continued, he would inevitably lose his mind.

But not yet.

Crossing one leg over the other, Aiger slowly tapped his thigh with his fingertips, then twisted his lips at the sudden thought that arose.

Maybe there was never a reason at all.

Perhaps it was simply because his personality was irredeemably vile.

His deep blue eyes froze colder than a midwinter night.

He was already well aware that his character was neither righteous, pure, nor upright.

“You are the seed of a demon!”