“Are… are you sure you removed it completely…?”

At Aris’s terrified question, Kalaian bit his lower lip slightly as if trying to hold back laughter. He carefully tidied Aris’s side hair and was about to pull away. The smile on his lips hardened.

“Your cheek…”

“Yes?”

“…It’s nothing. I have been giving you a lot of work lately. I’ll let this one slide as a special case.”

Aris, who had been anxious the whole time, brightened up.

“Thank you…!”

“You should go back inside now. I hear that with the increased sunlight these days, people can get heatstroke. We can’t have our precious talent that we worked hard to bring here getting sick.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind…”

To think he would be this attentive just to increase labor productivity. He was a scary person. Although she wanted to rest here a bit longer, Aris reluctantly got up from her seat.

“Then I’ll be heading back now.”

Kalaian nodded lightly instead of saying goodbye. Aris turned around and fled with a disgruntled feeling.

Such bad luck. To run into Serena and then Kalaian of all people.

Aris lamented inwardly as she crossed the imperial palace garden. It seemed like she had rested enough, so it might be good to go back now.

* * *

In the dead of night, a chilly wind swept in through the wide-open curtains and window. The atmosphere in the room was equally cold.

But the breathing sound echoing in that cold room was panting, in contrast to the chill. The man sweating coldly kept muttering in his sleep.

“Aristena…”

The knight watching this scene from the side couldn’t bear it any longer and poked the sleeping man’s shoulder with the blunt end of his scabbard. After doing this for a while, the man finally woke from his nightmare and opened his eyes.

He frowned as he identified the object that had woken him.

“…What kind of disloyalty is this?”

“You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up.”

The man sat up and ran his hand through his silver hair. He let out a sigh. Kalaian’s eyes were still sunk deep in anxiety, as if trapped in that nightmare.

“When did you arrive, Mishuan?”

Kalaian asked, looking at the blonde knight. He could see the window wide open behind him. No wonder it felt cold.

But he was too hot to argue. His body felt like a furnace and drenched in cold sweat. It was always like this when he had this dream.

“I just arrived.”

Mishuan held out a clean handkerchief. Kalaian took it habitually and wiped his forehead.

“I was waiting for you to come.”

“For someone who was waiting, you were sleeping quite well. When will you stop having that dream?”

“How would I know? I don’t like it either.”

“Didn’t you once say you wanted to meet her even if it was in a dream?”

Kalaian poured water from the jug on the bedside table and drank it. Mishuan leaned casually against a nearby drawer as if it were his own home and watched him.

“So you finally came looking for her, and now you can meet her again. I don’t understand why you’re still having such nightmares.”

“…It’s not a nightmare.”

“That’s your opinion. We usually call that a nightmare.”

Mishuan commented dryly. Kalaian glared uncomfortably at him, who showed not even a speck of courtesy, and said,

“So, report.”

“She encountered Serena Frencia at the imperial palace.”

Kalaian’s expression hardened severely at those words. Mishuan continued his report.

“They shook hands and parted ways. It seemed they exchanged greetings.”

“…I see.”

Kalaian recalled Aristena he had seen during the day. Her cheek was slightly swollen.

“Did Serena Frencia do anything else?”

“No, from what I saw, it was just a handshake and greeting.”

Although he knew she had grown strong enough not to be bullied by that woman anymore, his eyes sank coldly. Mishuan grimaced at his expression.

“Surely you’re not thinking of getting rid of Serena Frencia again? That woman is quite a valuable asset. In preparation for the upcoming event…”

“……”

“You’re not listening to me.”

Mishuan clicked his tongue at Kalaian, who seemed to be lost in other thoughts.

Kalaian was considering what he could do for Aristena. Expelling or eliminating the bothersome Serena Frencia.

But he actually knew. The Aristena who had exchanged letters with him for 5 years now had the strength to protect herself.

So the best thing he could do for her was for himself to disappear…

But that wasn’t easy. Although he tried not to approach her for personal matters, when he saw her peaceful face basking in the sunlight, he found himself reaching out before he knew it.

It was always like that. Even when he didn’t need to intervene, he made up excuses to go see Aristena’s face.

Sometimes by bringing materials himself instead of sending a servant. Other times by personally delivering news that could have been sent by carrier pigeon.

Despite desperately trying not to approach her for the past 5 years. His resolve crumbled just because she was now within a few steps’ reach.

Thinking of how she would be pained every time she saw him, he felt like grabbing his own collar wasn’t enough.

How could someone as selfish as himself be by her side?

“…Keep an eye on Serena Frencia if she tries to approach Aristena.”

Mishuan lightly rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes already seemed to be saying ‘kill her’.

He wondered if that woman had done something to Aristena when he wasn’t watching.

Mishuan lamented, shaking his head. Kalaian was truly a foolish man.

“If people knew the great hero of this country was like this, they’d all be shocked.”

“…What hero.”

Kalaian smirked at the knight’s muttering.

He hated the word ‘hero’ that clearly referred to him. Although everyone considered him a hero. Only he himself thought differently.

He had failed, and it was irreversible. Despite his desperate struggles, all that remained was despair.

What he had achieved under the name of hero was merely a hell disguised as victory.

Collapsed castle walls. Burned villages. Rotting corpses at every step, the stench of decay, a broken peace…

Kalaian’s face contorted as he recalled the horrors of the past.

“No one knows who the real hero is… So at least I must remember.”

“……”

“This can never be just a nightmare.”

That victory, which was close to a crushing defeat, was a miracle achieved through someone’s noble sacrifice.

Only he remembered. That there was a true hero in that despair.

That his proud hero should have grasped the honor of victory.

* * *

“…I overslept, what should I do.”

Aris, who woke up later than usual, was startled when she checked the time. No wonder the birds were singing ominously.

Aris greeted a heavier morning than usual with a sluggish body.

Ever since she transferred to the research department at the imperial palace, she had always had insufficient sleep because she had to investigate materials all night, and her fatigue was no joke.

After finishing washing up in the bathroom while bustling about the spacious mansion, she was shocked when she looked in the mirror.

“I look very tired…”

Looking at the shadows under her eyes, Aris thought about just taking the day off. She had already overslept, her body was lethargic, and she had no energy…

As she was having these weak thoughts, Aris immediately slapped her cheeks with her palms wet with cold water.

“No, Aristena. Let’s endure just for today. We’ll have a delicious dinner after finishing work today.”

After sternly scolding herself in the mirror with a fierce expression, Aris washed up cleanly and got dressed.

She gave up on breakfast after trying. Whether it’s due to fatigue or stress, the food just wouldn’t go down.

Aris left the house with her usual brown leather crossbody bag on her shoulder.

‘It’s nice that the imperial palace is so close.’

Once outside, her mood lightened in the fresh air. Aris, who quickly arrived at the East Wing 2 of the imperial palace, opened the door of her research room wide, flooding the space with sunlight.

Just as she was about to hang her heavy crossbody bag on the coat rack right next to the door…

“Isn’t this too much for a research room?”

A voice came from the reception sofa in the research room. Aris was startled and looked over. A tall beauty with dark green hair was sitting with her legs crossed, waving her hand.

“Miss Frencia…?”

“Good morning, Miss Eldeiz.”

Serena, who greeted her lightly, picked up the teacup on the table.

‘Why is this person here?’

Momentarily confused, Aris’s gaze stopped on the teacup Serena was holding.

Her eyes widened. It was the teacup set she had bought and shared with Belle as a token of friendship, which she cherished. As her gaze continued to linger on the teacup, Serena smiled brightly.