But Cedric’s heart had changed a long time ago. Now, when he looked into Anita’s eyes, he could no longer find it in him to speak kindly. Those eyes, which had once brought him warmth, now twisted him inside out. Whenever he saw them, he found himself unable to stop himself from spitting out cruel, venomous words.

And yet, one thing remained the same. He still took pleasure in those eyes that looked only at him.

Why was that? Perhaps it thrilled him to see them wounded, breaking a little more each time. Despite scornfully claiming to find it unbearable, he couldn’t look away.

“I don’t know what you expect from a brief, long-past encounter. But you’d better stop. It’s getting harder to overlook.”

He wanted to crush her until she was of no further use to him, tearing her apart piece by piece until she shattered completely beneath his hands.

Yet even as he felt momentarily satisfied, an unpleasant dissonance rose within him — a feeling he couldn’t name, almost like disgust with himself.

His brow furrowed unconsciously as he reached out towards her. Tears that had gathered in Anita’s eyes finally slipped down her cheeks, falling one by one from her chin.

“……This face suits you better. Better than when you lift your head and pretend to be shameless.”

Why was he touching this woman? Cedric couldn’t fathom it. His brows furrowed in irritation, yet he couldn’t bring himself to take his hand away. Instead, he brushed his thumb beneath Anita’s right eye.

“Still, I’d prefer you be careful in my quarters. I don’t want traces of you staining the floor. It’s revolting.”

From a distance, it might have looked like a tender gesture — a man gently comforting his crying partner. But the malice in him was unmistakable; his breath still reeked of venom.

He took in the sight of his wife, lying there broken like a shattered doll. Or rather, the woman who dared to call herself his wife.

How long had he stood there like that? Eventually, Cedric withdrew his hand, took out a handkerchief, and scrubbed his fingers as though trying to erase the contamination. Then he tossed it to the floor as though it were filthy.

Anita’s gaze followed the crumpled fabric; her eyes were hollow.

“Go back. Return to your chambers and stay there quietly. If you do that, at least—”

Her shoulders slumped, drained of all strength. The sight no longer amused him; the thrill was gone. He felt only dull annoyance as he dismissed her. Then, almost as if to assert his dominance, he offered empty reassurances that sounded more like threats.

“……You’ll be safe.”

But even as he said it, Cedric knew her safety would be short-lived. Because someday, inevitably, he would be the one to destroy it.

“Ce—Cedric.”

He had just finished speaking and was about to leave when something unexpected happened. Anita reached out and grabbed his sleeve, her voice trembling.

He had expected her to collapse like a lifeless shell, but there she was, clinging to him. This unforeseen act sent a sharp wave of irritation flaring up inside him once more.

“How many times must I tell you? Mind your—”

Just then, a hurried knock interrupted him. Under normal circumstances, the well-trained servants of the palace would never dare act so rashly. Cedric stepped in front of Anita, subtly shielding her, and ordered.

“Enter.”

A chamberlain rushed in, voice taut with urgency.

“Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor has sent word. You are to come to the Central Palace immediately together with Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

··· ✦ ···

“For such a trivial matter, you’ve turned the palace upside down? Have you lost your mind, Crown Prince?”

The Emperor’s thunderous voice filled the hall. He had summoned the Crown Prince and his wife upon learning that Cedric had ordered Renee’s arrest for insulting the Imperial Family.

The reprimand continued relentlessly for an hour, until a fit of coughing forced the Emperor to pause. When he finally caught his breath, he looked at Anita. Her face was pale and drawn, and he sighed and clicked his tongue.

“Judging by the Crown Princess’s face, I can tell this ordeal has wounded her deeply.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty.”

“Crown Princess, I have already ordered your handmaiden’s release. You need not worry, return to the Crown Prince’s palace at once. She will be waiting for you there.”

Perhaps concerned that Anita looked on the verge of collapse, the Emperor softened his voice and gently urged her to leave first.

At his command, she bowed respectfully and turned to leave. As she did so, the Emperor noticed her eyes linger briefly on Cedric. With a sigh of pity, he looked hard at his son.

“Cedric.”

After Anita departed, a long silence fell between father and son. As always, it was the Emperor who spoke first. He cleared his throat twice, sighed, and continued in a stern tone.

“I’ve already ordered that all of the Crown Princess’s belongings you seized for ‘investigation’ be returned. The inquiry has long been concluded, what reason do you have to keep another’s property in your possession?”

“Your Majesty—!”

“And another thing!”

Cedric raised his head, his voice sharp, but the Emperor cut him off with a thunderous command.

“Be silent and listen!”

The Emperor’s voice filled the chamber.

“Did you forbid the statue of the goddess from being displayed in the Crown Prince’s palace? What were you thinking? Laxion recognizes the followers of Asteria as its own people. I have therefore decreed that such objects, including the statue, shall not be banned.”

“The Crown Prince’s palace is my domain. It falls under my authority.”

Cedric retorted immediately. The Emperor’s gaze turned cold.

“Is that so?”

“……”

“By your logic, the entire Imperial Palace falls under my jurisdiction. Each palace lord may exercise certain rights, yes, but none that stand above the Emperor’s authority. No matter how much you claim it as your domain, it is not beyond Laxion’s law.”

Cedric fell silent, though the defiance in his eyes remained. The Emperor looked as though he might raise his voice again, but a sudden fit of coughing stopped him. Even saying a few words had left him breathless.

“Cedric.”

“……”

“How long will you go on like this? Enough. You know what it is I wish from you.”

The emperor took a sip of water and spoke more gently. Although angered by his son’s disobedience, he could not wholly condemn it. After all, hadn’t he himself inflicted an irreparable wound on the boy?

As a parent, however, he had to guide his son back onto the right path. The emperor hesitated for a moment, then decided to confront his son gently.

“…I am not entirely without doubts about that assassination attempt against you.”

He referred to the earlier attempt on Cedric’s life. Despite the marriage, the incident had put a strain on the alliance with Callithea. The faction that had advocated for good relations with Callithea and Asteria,  the Empress’s faction, which was politically opposed to Cedric had been weakened, as had other groups. Observing these changes, the Emperor had questions. Had a Callithean guest, fueled by fanaticism and animosity towards Asteria’s enemies, recklessly attempted to harm the Crown Prince? Or had the Empress’s faction or another party entirely acted for some hidden reason?

“Still, I entrusted the investigation to you because I trusted you. I knew how those under you might behave, but I believed in you, so I left it be.”

Despite his lingering doubts, the Emperor decided not to pursue the matter any further. Whatever the truth, his eldest son, the Crown Prince, had been put in danger during an official event. Even if the balance of power among Laxion’s rival factions had shifted slightly, supporting the Crown Prince was the right thing to do.

“I will not investigate that matter further. However, Cedric, you must stop using that incident as an excuse to mistreat your wife. I will not permit such conduct as occurred today.”

The Emperor could not tolerate the Crown Prince’s degrading treatment of the Crown Princess under the pretext of the incident. He had always thought highly of Anita and believed that she was a suitable match for his son. In his eyes, she was a fitting wife, why was his son treating her so poorly?

“Cedric.”

“……”

“Above all, unity is what matters. If all you seek is to destroy the other, the weight of that ruined other will eventually crush you.”

Taking a broader view, it is clear that the Crown Princess played a genuinely important role in maintaining harmony in Laxion. The Emperor hoped that Cedric would cherish Anita as he once did, and that they would live as a loving, harmonious couple.

This had long been his hope and remained his earnest desire. It was also what he had wanted for his former companion.

“…This was also your mother’s wish.”

Muttering to the silent son, the Emperor trailed off. Cedric, who had been listening quietly, bristled and fired back at once.

“You shouldn’t say that.”

“…….”

“If you intend to besmirch my mother like that, then you should have left me to die.”

“Cedric! You’ll say anything.”

“It’s not untrue!”

Cedric no longer even pretended to be obedient. Unable to contain his rising anger, he shouted at the Emperor.

“Mother always despised hypocrites and she fought against them her entire life!”

“No, that’s not true. Ines always sought harmony, even with the followers of Asteria. That’s why she kept such a wide circle of people around her…”

The Emperor stopped mid-sentence. He realized, too late, that what he had just said was something his son could never accept. As expected, Cedric froze, his expression turning to ice.

“She met a miserable death because of them.”

That single, frigid remark rendered the Emperor speechless. His hands trembled as he struggled to form words, but Cedric’s next line cut him off.

“You don’t need to remind me. I remember well enough.”

“Cedric!”

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Without waiting for permission, Cedric turned his back on the Emperor. The older man tried to call him back, but was seized by another coughing fit, which prevented him from speaking.

··· ✦ ···

The servants hurried to follow the Crown Prince as he stormed out of the audience chamber. However, he sharply ordered them to keep their distance — guards and attendants alike.

Just as he arrived at the palace, a low rumble of thunder split the air. The dark, heavy sky above looked ready to pour with rain at any moment. A flash of lightning tore across the clouds, searing his vision white.

‘Your Highness, I will give you a choice. You were born with the blood of a heretic and deserve to be punished for it. However, you have always said that you want to stand with the Princess of Callithea.”

The voice echoed through his mind, stirring up an old memory he had long since buried. He saw pale golden hair flickering before his eyes and heard a gentle, lilting voice whispering from the past.

“Ugh—!”

“Your Highness!”

Dian, who had been following at a distance, ran over to support Cedric when he started to stagger. However, Cedric brushed his hand away indifferently and continued alone, his steps unsteady.

He walked like that for some time until he finally reached the palace entrance.

The first drops of rain began to fall just as he ascended the steps, his stride steady once more.

“Now, say it clearly. You will be his chosen one, won’t you? You will, won’t you?”

The voice echoed in his head like rain seeping through his skin — cold, relentless and impossible to shake off.

Memories poured down just as relentlessly, soaking him to the bone and warping his features.

They were so vivid and haunting that he could barely bring himself to look straight ahead.