Without thinking, her hand went to the dandelion-shaped earring in her right ear.

The communication device button activated and the earring glimmered, but she was too focused on the lesson to notice.

When Minoel succeeded in piping cream in a circle around the edge of the cake layer, Shiloh gave a light nod.

“You’re doing well, so let’s raise the difficulty a bit. We’ll add another cake layer and try making a design with cream on top. Watch me carefully.”

Shiloh piped small rounds of cream along the top edge of the carrot cake, each slightly larger than a thumbnail.

“Oh.”

“Want to try?”

“Yes.”

Minoel picked up the piping bag with enthusiasm and began piping, but the sizes were uneven and the shapes were rough.

In the end, Minoel bowed his head as if giving up, and Shiloh burst out laughing and patted his shoulder.

“You have to release the pressure partway through after you pipe.”

Shiloh wrapped her hands around Minoel’s hand holding the piping bag and continued.

“Release the pressure when I signal with my hand.”

“Understood.”

A smile spread slowly across Shiloh’s face.

“Oh? It’s starting to work? Good.”

She had been holding Minoel’s hand and guiding the piping, but now she let go and watched his work.

At that moment,

She sensed a presence behind her for some reason and turned around without thinking, then startled violently.

“When did you get here?”

Kyle had appeared out of nowhere and was standing there, staring intently at the two of them.

Shiloh hurried over to him.

“I think that’s a question I should be asking.”

He crossed his arms and answered in a flat, settled voice.

“Did I summon you, Your Majesty?”

Shiloh’s eyes went wide.

She remembered belatedly that she had accidentally touched the earring while teaching Minoel.

And that if the words ‘good’ or ‘great’ were recognized by the communication device, the gate would open on its own.

Shiloh made an awkward expression.

“It was an accident during the baking lesson……”

“I know.”

Shiloh shrank her shoulders at the curt reply and stole a glance at Kyle.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be careful not to let it happen again.”

“Is that a new employee?”

Kyle glanced at Minoel and asked.

“Yes. I need to get him up to speed quickly, so I was in the middle of training.”

Kyle nodded slowly, his expression still stiff.

“Carry on with what you were doing.”

Kyle waved his hand at Shiloh with an indifferent expression, gesturing for her to go back.

“Are you leaving?”

“I’ll wait. I have something to say too.”

“Please say it now.”

“Don’t mind me.”

“……”

“Keep going with what you were doing.”

Despite telling her not to mind him, Kyle didn’t take his eyes off her.

“Yes…… then……”

Shiloh answered with a nagging feeling and went back to Minoel.

Minoel leaned over and mouthed ‘who is that?’

Shiloh mouthed back ‘investor.’

Minoel had only recently come to the Amondi Empire from Belmae and didn’t recognize him as the emperor. He simply looked dazed at the fact that a man this perfectly handsome existed.

Kyle had told her to teach comfortably, but for the entire lesson he stood with his arms crossed like a supervisor, watching Shiloh and Minoel.

In the end, apparently uncomfortable under the sharp gaze, Minoel glanced around and quietly stood up.

“I think I should probably head home early today. Thank you for teaching me.”

“Already? Take care, Minoel.”

After seeing Minoel off, Shiloh approached Kyle like someone being led to the sl*ughter and pressed her hands together like a penitent.

“I’ve taken up Your Majesty’s time.”

“Do you always smile that much?”

“Pardon?”

Shiloh’s eyes went wide at Kyle’s blunt voice.

“You were smiling a lot just now.”

“I do tend to smile a lot…… why do you ask?”

Kyle looked away and cleared his throat.

“Nothing. Never mind…… don’t go out alone late at night for a while.”

“……”

Shiloh blinked, not understanding.

“This morning I saw an article in the Imperial Gazette about a stranger who tried to drag a woman away and was caught.”

Shiloh stared at Kyle blankly, then nodded as if she understood.

“Yes……”

“That’s what I waited to tell you. Crime against women has been getting bad lately.”

“……”

“Do you have anywhere to go at night?”

“I was planning to go to the night market the day after tomorrow…… I need to buy baking ingredients I couldn’t get last time because of the heavy rain.”

“I’ll come by that night.”

“You’re busy. I can go alone.”

“Did what I just said about it being dangerous go in one ear and out the other?”

He scolded her in an utterly cold tone.

“I’m sorry.”

“Clear your schedule for after you’re done that day.”

Kyle left only what he had to say and disappeared again in a gust of cold air.

Pop.

“Is he upset with me about something?”

Shiloh stared blankly at the spot where he had vanished and blinked slowly.

*

The night market spread out beneath a glittering canopy of stars was loud with the chatter of merchants and onlookers.

Shiloh had felt awkward walking side by side with Kyle at the night market and kept trying to put distance between them, falling further and further behind.

The image of Kyle in a black hooded tunic and mask, and Shiloh hunched and trailing behind him, was a peculiar one.

She had been to the night market with Kyle before, but that was when she hadn’t known he was the emperor. Now the situation was different.

Shiloh often found herself startling for no reason and tensing up repeatedly when she was with Kyle.

Kyle’s transformation into an eagle signified his latent holy power manifesting at its maximum.

When the power to control it failed to grow alongside the holy power, it was like becoming an animal that followed only instinct with no reason.

In other words, like a beast hunting prey without mercy, there was a risk of slaughtering even innocent people.

The horrifying hunting scene of an eagle she had seen in a documentary came to mind.

Chasing a fleeing deer at speed and tormenting it cruelly, or lifting the body of a large crocodile out of the water with relentless, savage precision.

Shiloh shrank her shoulders and flinched all over.

Even when she felt she had grown a little closer to Kyle, the moment it crossed her mind that he was someone who could kill her, he made her uneasy.

At that moment,

Kyle, who had been looking back at Shiloh, stopped and began matching her pace.

“Is my stride too fast, or do you not like walking beside me?”

There was a hint of displeasure in his blunt voice.

“Why would I not like it.”

“You seem uncomfortable around me.”

The remark hit the mark and a rambling excuse came out.

“It’s a misunderstanding. The night market has so many unusual things that I get distracted and my pace slows……”

Shiloh finished her answer and stole a glance at his face.

Kyle was as unreadable as ever.

The night market in Somnia, the capital of the Amondi Empire, opened roughly once every two weeks.

As the sun began to set, merchants put up tents and laid out all manner of spices, foods, and fabrics from overseas, as well as charming handmade goods.

Occasionally rare foods were sold as well.

It was a visually entertaining place and popular as a date spot for couples.

‘Why of all places did I end up here with him……’

Shiloh swallowed a sigh and turned her head toward a merchant calling out.

“Grilled duck feet, delicious!”

“Oh, grilled duck feet.”

Shiloh turned to look at the merchant cooking the grilled duck feet on an iron plate.

Kyle followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of the duck feet being basted with soy sauce, then looked away.

“Dreadful. Humans really are a cruel species.”

Kyle murmured quietly with a slight frown.

Was he empathizing with the grim fate of a fellow bird?

But Shiloh, remembering the original story, swallowed a scoff.

‘You’re crueler, though……’

After that, Shiloh bought a few spices for her bread and turned to head back to the shop.

At that moment, Kyle, who had been walking with his eyes forward, suddenly said out of nowhere.

“You don’t have to be uncomfortable around me.”

“……”

“I’m more ordinary than you’d think.”

Shiloh thought to herself.

‘How could I possibly manage that?’

But what came out was different from what she felt.

“I’m not uncomfortable at all. You make it easy.”

Shiloh pulled up the corners of her mouth, but her eyes stayed the same.

“Good to hear.”

Kyle said it without feeling and kept his eyes forward.

‘How did I end up here alone with this man?’

Shiloh let out a small sigh and her expression grew increasingly troubled.

According to the original story, he was supposed to meet Rowella and fall in love.

Which meant she had assumed she would never catch his eye.

But he kept worrying about her safety and health, remembered she was going to the night market and came to carry her bags, and now even telling her not to feel uncomfortable around him……