Initially, Lian had planned to kill Rethe without arousing her suspicion, and then take Hailla as his own. He warned Rethe never to see Hailla again, claiming that this was to avoid arousing her suspicions. However, in order to maintain appearances, he would still have to allow them to meet regularly for about a year.

By placing her in the temple and administering a combination of slow-acting narcotics and other drugs, he could gradually wear down her body. Given her fragile health, there was no guarantee of a full recovery even if she entered the temple — something that Hailla could accept, even if it wasn’t ideal.

Lian intended to take his time and carefully orchestrate events so that Hailla would come to terms with Rethe’s death. This would enable her to grieve properly and eventually turn to him for support.

However, he now felt that the timing for elimination might have to be brought forward. Of course, since the enemy’s true intentions were still unclear, he couldn’t act rashly.

“She might be the next one after Tassen.”

In any case, it seemed likely that Rethe’s elimination would have to come sooner than originally planned. Veridian let out a sigh-like laugh.

“Alright then. Let’s hear it.”

A brilliant plan to kill the Duke!

The two talked at length all through the night. They discussed the meticulous plan of a son intent on killing his own father.

—

Returning home in the early hours, Lian smiled slightly as the smell of stew greeted him at the door. As always, it was a meal that Hailla had prepared for him. He quickened his steps, expecting to see her sitting at the worn table around the corner. The house was small and humble — just a few steps brought him to the kitchen. But the table was empty.

She wasn’t home yet. She always waited for him. Judging by the lack of a message from her loyal subordinate, who had been assigned to keep an eye on her, nothing had gone wrong. He slowly walked over and ran his fingers across the wooden countertop that Hailla touched every day. The familiar sensation of her touch came to mind, and he sighed with satisfaction.

“Are you really okay?”

He suddenly recalled what she had said as she left the house a few days ago. Her lips had trembled, unable to form the words properly, which he had found endearing.

Recently, she had subtly asked questions about Tassen, taking deep breaths afterwards. Today, she bit her lip so hard that Lian frowned. When he asked if she thought it was horrifying that he was about to kill his father, she turned pale and shook her head.

“There are other ways. If you’ve decided to commit murder because of me…”

He hadn’t realised she was thinking like that. Her hesitation was so endearing that he waited a moment before speaking again. However, then she let out a quiet sob.

“I was so focused on saving my sister that I didn’t think. But now I keep wondering… What if, because of me, you’re killing a father you could have just ignored and never seen again? I don’t want that.”

She shut her eyes tightly, as if regretting her scattered words.

Lian didn’t quite understand her feelings, but he wasn’t displeased. He let out a short laugh.

“It’s not because of that.”

“Really?”

“I’ve been planning this for a long time.”

That wasn’t a lie. He had started plotting to kill his father while they were still living together in the mansion. What he was doing now was simply the next step in a long, drawn-out process. Even if he hadn’t met Hailla, he would have killed Tassen eventually.

“It’s just that Rethe’s condition isn’t good, so I’m bringing things forward a bit. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m sorry.”

In truth, it wasn’t because of Rethe; he was acting in accordance with the agreement he had made with the Emperor. However, he deliberately chose words that would make her feel guilty. While making serious preparations for the job, he often used Rethe as an excuse when speaking to Hailla.

“Is it dangerous? Are you really just going to set fire to the basement and leave? There’s definitely a door down there, and it’s definitely safe, isn’t there?”

“We’ve hired plenty of assassins. Don’t worry. Truly, all I’ll be doing is setting the fire. I even made a promise to His Majesty.”

Of course, the emperor knew nothing about the plan, the assassins or the fact that Lian intended to start a fire and escape. In reality, Lian intended to poison whatever it was that Tassen cherished so much that he never allowed it to leave the underground chamber before setting the place alight.

Tassen would undoubtedly try to retrieve it himself. The special poison, which caused paralysis on contact, would prevent him from escaping the flames. Ideally, his respiratory system would fail before then, resulting in a quicker death.

Lian slowly walked over, thinking coldly, and ran his fingertips across the edge of the wooden counter. But just then, he sensed a presence in one of the rooms. Not Rethe’s. Was Hailla home after all? A strange suspicion rose within him as he opened the door to find a woman standing motionless inside.

“Hailla?”

It was her. She stood motionless in front of the bed, her face blank and dazed.

“Why are you just standing there?”

In response to his quiet question, she slowly lifted her head and met his gaze. Lian took in her unfocused eyes and briefly imagined how he might appear reflected in them. But that idle thought evaporated the moment her full lips parted.

She looked as though she wanted to say something, but only mouthed the words. A strange sense of unease crept between them. When her expression finally twisted and tears began to spill, Lian asked again, this time more urgently.

“Did something happen?”

“…”

“Hailla.”

For some reason, his mouth went dry. He scanned her from head to toe, then took a step forward and cupped her cheek with one hand.

“What’s with this state of yours?”

Looking closely, he could see that her chin and the backs of her hands were scraped, leaving the skin red and sore. Was it that woman again? He had no doubt that Rethe had hurt her. Otherwise, why would his woman be in such a pitiful state, crying like that?

He wanted to kill her immediately. If he could have, he would have stormed into the next room and strangled her right then and there. As fury surged through him, Hailla mumbled something in a damp voice. Barely holding on to his self-control, he tried to pull her gently into his arms to reassure her.

But Hailla moved first, her golden hair fluttering as she threw herself into his embrace.

Startled, his shoulders flinched upwards. She buried her face in his chest and rubbed her cheek against his. Only then did Lian hold her close.

Had he ever seen her cling to him so desperately before? She clung to him as though driven by obsession, as though the world would end if she let go. So desperately. So adorably.

“Did Rethe throw something at you?”

He asked in a low voice. She simply nodded and held her breath. Her shallow, ragged breathing made her sound like a child. Without thinking, Lian let out a soft laugh and stroked her long hair.

“What was it about this time?”

She was the kind of woman who endured her family’s cruelty as if it were normal. He couldn’t understand it, but she was the woman he loved. He now realised that he would have to accept it until he managed to pull them apart.

“She was just so cruel today, and we fought.”

“You fought?”

It was unexpected. She had never defied Rethe before. She wasn’t just obedient; she practically grovelled. He couldn’t immediately fathom why.

“She hated me so much that we ended up fighting.”

Lian sighed and ran her fingers through Hailla’s hair again. It was clear that Rethe had gone too far with her words this time. Hailla wasn’t someone who got angry easily.

“I love my sister so much. She’s so precious to me. I can’t live without her — she’s family. But I guess she doesn’t feel the same. I suppose she just hates me…”

Her body went limp and slid down against his. Lian quickly scooped her up and sat her on the bed.

“I want to die.”

For a moment, he doubted his ears.

“Hailla.”

“I want to die. I want to die, Lian.”

She was a woman who always stood firm. She always lived on the edge, always a step from her limit. But he’d never thought she’d talk about death.

What should he do?

Lian was the kind of man who could exploit her despair for his own benefit. He paused for a moment, contemplating the best course of action for their future together. Just as he was about to speak—

“If you betray me too, I won’t be able to go on.”

“You will. I know you will.”

He muttered, gripping the front of his shirt as though possessed.

“So…”

Her golden eyes were wide and gleaming as they locked with his. They were the eyes of someone determined to bewitch him.

“So tell me you won’t. If you’ve done something wrong, just tell me now. I’ll forgive you. I’ll forgive you for everything, because what matters is what comes next, okay?”

What on earth had Rethe said to drive her to such heartbreaking madness? Even then, Lian found her eyes captivating and gently touched their corners. Then, with a calm face and the voice of a knight making a solemn vow, he whispered.

“Don’t worry, Hailla.”

After all, the self-deception of which you are unaware is bound to disappear one day.

“I keep my promises. No matter what happens, I’ll never betray you. How could I ever do that?”

He firmly believed that the betrayal he was committing now would make them stronger as a couple one day.

“Don’t cry.”

And so, Hailla had no reason to cry. Fearing a sin she would never commit was futile. Feeling no guilt whatsoever, Lian held her tightly and whispered words of love.

Hailla didn’t say a word. She simply stayed quiet. She burrowed into his arms, wrapping her arms around him from behind and hugging him even tighter. Lian took this as a silent answer.

After that, she said nothing more, lying down on the bed to rest. Lian asked the subordinate assigned to Hailla if anything had happened, then went to see Rethe. He was relieved to hear from the servant that there had been no incidents outside. However, when Rethe told him that Hailla had said she wanted to die, he had to suppress the urge to kill her.

And so, the day ended.

As always, Hailla clung to him for support, seeming even more afraid and unstable than before.

However, after that day, which ended in lukewarm silence, Hailla changed. It was as if she had frozen in a single moment in time. Until the morning Lian left for the duke’s estate, she remained lifeless, as though her soul had vanished. Nevertheless, he believed that time would heal her. Once he had eliminated the duke, he planned to live with Hailla and gently coax her back to health.

What he didn’t realise was that he was looking at someone whose heart had begun to rot. It was a mistake he would regret for the rest of his life.