From that day on, she worked harder at the housework to avoid being abandoned, and squeezed in part-time jobs in the early mornings to contribute to the household.

When she became an adult, she got into university on her own and became independent, but she had always lived with a hole in her heart.

Perhaps because of that, even though the time they had spent together was short, Shiloh had grown deeply attached to Shuriel, who gave her such warm love.

Being with her made Shiloh feel that her unremarkable self had value.

Shuriel listened to what she had to say and was always on her side, cheering her on.

“Are you still carrying the medicine I told you to keep with you?”

She suddenly pulled Shiloh’s arm and whispered in her ear.

“……”

The thought of the contraceptive made Shiloh flinch and flush.

“Why did you even think to include something like that. It’s embarrassing……”

“Shiloh, I want you to have lots of experiences in love.”

“……”

“You never know how things will go. I got swept up in the moment and ended up like this……”

Shuriel seemed to think of someone and stopped herself, then let out a sigh.

“Never mind. If I hadn’t met him, I wouldn’t have had you. Even if I could go back, I’d have to meet him again.”

She stroked Shiloh’s hair and smiled with a tinge of bittersweet sadness.

“……”

She had grown up in a conservative household that taught young ladies to be careful even about physical contact with men. Stifled by that atmosphere and never having developed a discerning eye for men, she had fallen for the charms of the scoundrel Baron Hamford. She discovered she was pregnant early in the relationship, and only later realized what a terrible person he was, but she married him out of a sense of responsibility.

The husband’s gambling, fraud, and affairs wore her down until she lost her health along with everything else.

The lessons she had drawn from her own life had made her unusually progressive in her values, even by the standards of the Empire’s citizens.

“Your daughter is this lovely?”

A middle-aged woman with hollow cheeks and brown hair came over with wide eyes.

“Say hello. This is my friend, Lady Carol. And this is my daughter, Shiloh.”

“How do you do.”

“My daughter makes absolutely extraordinary bread.”

“Oh, really?”

“She runs a confectionery too. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“What a talented young lady.”

“Mother. You don’t have to go that far.”

Shiloh tugged at Shuriel’s arm, embarrassed by the endless boasting.

In this world, many people looked down on nobles who made bread. There were even those who considered a noble actively pursuing business to be vulgar.

Even the transmigrated Shiloh had sometimes shrunk under that atmosphere. Watching Shuriel brag about her daughter without a moment’s hesitation made something warm stir in her chest.

She thought she understood, just a little, what it felt like to be loved simply for existing.

‘Please stay as my mother for a long, long time.’

Shiloh prayed silently.

‘Could I not stay just one night?’

‘It’s convent policy. I’m sorry.’

After barely an hour’s visit, Shiloh had to turn and leave under the watchful eyes of the nuns.

It was already dark, and she had wanted to stay even one night, but the convent said they were already providing lodging for the poor and had no empty rooms, and they would not allow it.

With no other choice, Shiloh said a reluctant farewell to Shuriel, boarded a night carriage, and dozed her way home.

*

Lemiere watched Kyle carefully as he reviewed state affairs and spoke with caution.

“Your Majesty. The confectionery’s bread was sold out again today and I was unable to purchase any. My apologies.”

“……”

“They say it will be available again in a week.”

Kyle stopped turning pages at the unexpected news.

“You have important matters coming up as well…… shall I issue an imperial command for the baker to prepare bread separately?”

Kyle thought of the event she had mentioned holding the week before the fasting day.

The discounted bread sale had clearly drawn a flood of customers. She would have been overwhelmed trying to meet the demand on her own.

He didn’t want to make things harder for her.

“That won’t be necessary.”

Kyle replied without expression.

“Are you certain?”

“Is a few days without that bread really going to change anything?”

“That may be so, but……”

“It seems undignified for a ruler to be too fixated on a mere bread.”

“Then I will follow Your Majesty’s wishes.”

Lemiere bowed and withdrew.

The moment the door closed, Kyle let out a quiet sigh.

It had only been three days since he last ate Shiloh’s bread, and the withdrawal was no small thing. But to preserve the dignity of an emperor, he steadied himself and forced his thoughts elsewhere each time the urge surged up.

He even spent time sparring with the knights to suppress what he could only call a craving for bread.

He found it absurd himself, but while he was focused on training, he could forget about bread.

The moment training ended, the maddening appetite came rushing back.

‘Just hold out a few more days.’

It was getting late, and Kyle finally rose from his seat.

He walked to his bed and pulled his shirt up over his head.

The candlelight cast a faint glow over his well-defined, well-proportioned body.

Below his navel was a long scar roughly the length of a calf.

It was the scar from his jousting injury.

Around the grotesquely split flesh, red raised tissue and smooth, glossy nodules were mixed together.

Since the hideous scar had formed, he had become so averse to showing his bare body that he bathed alone.

But on the night before something important, he had a habit of stripping off his clothes to sleep, as a way of freeing himself from the weight of it all.

He lay n*ked on the bed, pulled the blanket up slightly, and forced his eyes shut.

*

Shiloh was sleeping soundly when a tapping at the window made her stir.

She sat up and opened the window, and a pigeon fluttered inside with a letter tied to its ankle.

“What is this?”

She untied the knot at the pigeon’s ankle where it had landed on the table and removed the letter.

“Melsus Convent?”

A bad feeling clenched her heart and her vision swam.

It was a letter from the convent where Shuriel was staying.

She tore the envelope open without even thinking to use a knife on the wax seal.

“……!”

The color drained from Shiloh’s face as she hurriedly unfolded and read the letter.

*

Early morning, just before dawn.

Kyle and roughly a hundred men gathered at the Maonerr Forest hunting grounds.

Gulp. gulp.

Kyle, damp with morning dew, stood at the front and drank down a fermented cactus spirit in one go.

The rest of the men followed and emptied their cups.

The ‘Monster Hunt’ tournament was a centuries-old tradition of the Amondi Empire. Originally its purpose had been to purify demonic energy, but at some point the men who risked their lives to compete had begun to reveal their ambitions for wealth and glory.

The winner of the ‘Monster Hunt’ could claim all the monster stones collected by participants in the hunting grounds.

Monster stones were a byproduct of slain demonic beasts with no special function, but they could be processed into gemstones and traded at high prices.

On top of that, the winner earned the title of the strongest man in the Empire, making it a prize worth having twice over.

Count Erald, seated on horseback, whispered to Duke Ethan nearby.

“I pray for your victory, Your Grace.”

“……”

Ethan said nothing and let a thin, cold smile settle on his lips.

No one had ever stopped Kyle from winning the ‘Monster Hunt.’ But after seeing Kyle fall to Ethan at the jousting tournament, the other young men had found new hope.

The hunt began and people scattered in small groups.

Kyle had gradually separated from the others and gone deeper into the forest alone when he sensed a faint demonic energy somewhere and pulled back on the reins.

He leapt from his horse, tied the reins firmly to a nearby old tree, and surveyed his surroundings.

Woof! woof!

He turned toward the direction where a jet-black hunting dog was barking frantically, and sure enough, a thick fog hung there.

“This way.”

Kyle murmured and stepped into the fog.

His vision went white in an instant, and the hunting dog disappeared from sight.

At that moment,

Grrrr.

The sound of a monster snarling came from just ahead.

The dog began barking savagely.

Kyle drew his sword and watched every direction, but he could see nothing.

Shrieeeek.

Woof! woof! whimper! whimper!

The dog’s sounds cut off abruptly.

Thud.

Kyle sensed the demonic beast’s ambush and set his jaw.

Grrrr.

Out of the white void, a massive leopard lunged at him with venomous fangs bared.

Shrieeeek.

Just before the monster’s sharp claws raked across his eyes, Kyle swiftly stepped to the side and swung his blade in a vertical arc.