“Let me get straight to the point, Karsten.”

“What is it?”

“That young lady, Laterna… is she truly your sister?”

At Gabriel’s question, Karsten was struck speechless for a moment.

‘How did he find out?’

The thought flashed through his mind, but soon he remembered the hunting tournament. That day, when he had been caught in sudden rain and a difficult situation—Gabriel had appeared unexpectedly.

‘So he must have seen something then.’

If he denied it now, Gabriel’s suspicions would only deepen. After sorting through his thoughts, Karsten finally spoke.

“You’re right, Gabriel. What you suspect is true.”

“You…!”

“She isn’t my blood sister.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened in shock. He had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed from Karsten’s own lips left him at a loss. For a long moment he wrestled with his thoughts before finally asking:

“Then why… why did you make such a choice? What did you intend to do later?”

It was hard to imagine Karsten—so meticulous in all things—making a decision like this without reason. Gabriel’s chest burned with unease, desperate to know his intent.

“Do you realize how dangerous this is—”

“My mother does not have much time left.”

At the mention of his mother, Gabriel’s words faltered.

“You know this as well as I do.”

Indeed, it was no secret among the nobility. Following the sudden death of Karsten’s father, his mother also fell seriously ill. Inheriting his title so abruptly had been a heavy burden, and now having his mother confined to her sickbed was more than he could bear.

Gabriel looked at him with something close to pity.

“It may sound like an excuse, but I did this for my mother’s sake.”

At last, Gabriel began to understand. However, even if he could sympathize, it wouldn’t change the reality of the situation. He pressed his fingers to his brow, wondering how it could ever be resolved.

“But now… I’m no longer certain it truly was for her sake.”

Karsten let out a bitter smile.

“Seeing her fading like a candle in the wind, I acted out of pity. That’s all. But now, looking at the situation I’ve created… I realize the one whose life flickers like a dying flame is Breti.”

At the unfamiliar name, Gabriel’s gaze grew uneasy.

“Breti…?”

“That’s the girl’s name. The one standing in for Laterna.”

The memory of Karsten kissing Breti came unbidden to Gabriel’s mind. He could recall the earnest light in Karsten’s eyes at that moment perfectly clearly.

“And Gabriel, there’s something I need to tell you.”

For reasons he could not explain, Gabriel suddenly didn’t want to hear it. He averted his gaze.

“Breti… she’s the one I’ve given my heart to.”

The confession hit Gabriel like a blow, as though the ground beneath him gave way.

‘Ah… of course.’

He realized, more sharply than ever, that he too had been carrying feelings for her. But what man wouldn’t? Warm, sincere, and composed—who could help but love her?

Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut.

“Karsten, have you forgotten the law?”

His words were sharp and almost taunting. He wanted to remind Karsten that a relationship like that was impossible. He wanted to cast the slightest shadow of doubt over his proud, unwavering face.

“I haven’t forgotten.”

As expected, Karsten’s lips twisted into a rueful smile. Gabriel felt a flicker of triumph at the sight—but alongside it, a piercing ache in his chest.

‘Even if their bond cannot last, that doesn’t mean I have a chance.’

He, too, was bound by the same laws. Whether Karsten and Breti were engaged or not, his own fate was no different.

Above all, Gabriel knew how this tragedy would end.

He had seen his parents’ deaths up close, and the memory weighed heavily on him. Even in death, his mother had not been granted peace. She was branded a shameless temptress for daring to ensnare the Emperor despite her lowly birth.

‘Gratia.’

Much of the Emperor’s cruel reputation was cemented by his own actions, such as his refusal to let her go and the tension in his relationship with the Empress.

Gabriel did not want to see his best friend suffer the same tragic fate.

“Karsten.”

Gabriel called him with a look of firm resolve.

“Think it over once more.”

“What should I think about?”

“The proposal I made to you before.”

“……”

“I asked if you’d consider publicly announcing your sister as my fiancée.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Karsten’s jaw tightened. His expression hardened like stone. Yet Gabriel pressed on, refusing to stop.

“If she’s just your sister’s stand-in, all the more reason you should do it.”

He tried to convince himself that he was doing it for his friend’s sake, but deep down, he knew his own desires were intertwined with the decision. If she continued to live as Karsten’s sister, then perhaps one day the opportunity would fall to him instead.

“At least this way, the situation won’t spiral—”

“Gabriel.”

Karsten’s low voice cut sharply through the air between them.

Only then did Gabriel’s gaze lift to meet his.

“I just told you.”

At the sight of Karsten’s unyielding face, Gabriel’s fingers stilled.

“I carry her in my heart.”

The clarity of his words made Gabriel bite down on his lower lip.

“I believe I was perfectly clear.”

“……”

“Or did you fail to hear me?”

How could he declare his feelings so boldly? Gabriel suddenly tasted bitterness at the back of his tongue.

“…No.”

He had hoped Karsten’s affection for the girl might be fleeting—yet it seemed far deeper than he had feared.

“I’m only speaking out of concern because you and that woman will suffer as a result.”

“That much suffering is to be expected.”

Karsten’s expression softened slightly as he answered.

“For now, I intend to send Breti back to her rightful life.”

“Do you think it will be so simple?”

“I will do everything in my power to make it so.”

His voice brimmed with conviction.

“I can’t allow Breti to remain exposed to danger any longer.”

Hearing this, Gabriel felt an inexplicable sense of loss. The difference between them was stark—Karsten acted, while he could only stand by.

“But even if she does return to her own life, that still won’t give you the right to be with her.”

Gabriel’s words once again sought to provoke.

“…I am a b*stard, Gabriel.”

But what followed was a confession that struck him like thunder.

“A b*stard?!”

Gabriel’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“W-what are you saying all of a sudden?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

“Karsten…?”

“I am not my mother’s true-born son.”

Gabriel and Karsten had been friends for years, but Karsten had never spoken about his birth. He had always considered it a stain on his name. However, as his parents — the people who had raised him with love — had chosen to conceal it, he had also accepted their silence.

“Before he got married, my father was in love with someone else. She was a commoner. They had promised to marry each other, but it ultimately never happened.”

“…”

“I was born between them.”

However, now that he had someone to protect, Karsten no longer feared exposing his disgrace. Even if his shame were laid bare before the world, he would do it for Breti’s sake.

“My mother treats me as if I were her own flesh and blood, but blood is thicker than water.”

Karsten’s lips curved into a bitter smile.

“If what you’re saying is true, then I have even less of a right, don’t you think?”

Gabriel realized then that there would never be a chance for him. Karsten was ready to risk everything for Breti.

“…Very well. If there’s anything I can do to help, just tell me.”

It was the only answer he could give—to support their path forward. Yet even so, Gabriel could not soothe the ache gnawing at his chest.

“By the way, Gabriel.”

At the sound of his name, Gabriel turned. Karsten’s face bore a gravity altogether different from moments before.

“It isn’t sure… but there is something you ought to know.”