“Now, I didn’t say it because I hoped you wouldn’t remember that time. Young you were in pain and difficult.”

“…….”

“I didn’t want you to remember the young you who cried, broke the ice of the river with your small hands, went into a frightening forest path to find something to eat at the end of hunger. A young you with no one to hold because you were too scared.”

“…….”

“I didn’t want you to remember the young you who gnawed at your hair at night when the mice that ate your hair appeared.”

I pulled away from the embrace and looked up at Revampel. He was still smiling. But there was no loneliness in him that he couldn’t remember.

“Terry, I always want you to be left with good memories. I didn’t want to make you recall the bad memories of that time. So I didn’t say it, and that’s why it’s okay.”
“……Revampel, you’re such a fool.”

“You don’t need to try to remember, and there’s no need to feel frustrated. It’s enough for me to remember when we first met. Terry, just smile happily by my side now. I stand in front of you as an emperor for your smile.”

How could this be?

I was tongue-tied in the face of Revampel’s blind love. Suddenly, Revampel’s voice, which wanted to hear the words “I love you,” seemed to pass through the wind.

I lifted Revampel’s chin with my fingers and pulled him closer.

“I love you.”

Revampel smiled at my love confession. Then, he answered with his head tilted slightly.

“I loved you first, and I love you more.”

As his warm breath descended over my lips as if to comfort,

“What are you two doing?”

A familiar voice intruded between us. Startled, we turned our heads without moving.

“……I came because I thought it might be dangerous.”

When I turned my head, there was Karian with a stiff collar, just like before.

“Oh, brother.”

Karian’s face quickly darkened as he saw the passionate actions of his younger sister with his own eyes.

Karian’s red eyes scanned my hand around Revampel’s neck, Revampel’s hand wrapped around my waist, and Revampel’s hand that hugged my waist.

“The really dangerous one is here.”

Karian walked over briskly and separated us. Then, he looked at Revampel as if he were looking at a lecher.

“I clearly said, kissing should be, should be with permission.”

“If I ask for permission every time, there won’t be time to rest. Are you okay with that?”

“No!! My sister’s lips will wear out!!”

The two of them lightly bickered.

But Karian, who fought to protect me, didn’t summon the spirits, and Revampel, who countered, had a smile on his face as if he found it amusing.

‘When did they become so close?’

Surprisingly, I just laughed watching the two people who get along well.

Viscount Liraneph was secretly confined to the annex. Raven said that his elderly father suddenly fell ill and had to leave for treatment.

While the nobles were puzzled by the sudden turn of events, there were no people who dared to investigate.

Jae-rim, who was informed of the situation, told his family to stay away and quickly returned.

Until Jae-rim arrived, our task was clear.

‘The viscount has to confess everything.’

I envisioned various situations in my mind and approached the bedroom window. After confirming that there was no one around, I directed my sacred power towards the garden.

I was practicing, gradually increasing the size every day.

“Ha.”

I confirmed that the plants in the garden were thriving and withdrew my hand. At the same time, Clint, who was walking from a distance, appeared.

He seemed to be patrolling around my bedroom. Clint walked as if on guard, and soon he stopped in front of the flowers he wanted his family to enjoy.
He stood there for a long time without a single movement, like a tree rooted in place, before he turned away.

‘He must want to kill Viscount Liraneph.’

Geneva, who made his family more precious than life itself. And Viscount Liraneph, who worshipped Geneva’s will.

For Clint, whether it was Geneva or the viscount, they were both people he would want to kill. However, he endured because he had sworn loyalty to me.

‘…Just in case, if, by any chance, the flowers there must not wither even after I die.’

After confirming that Clint had disappeared into the distance, I closed the window again. After a short wait, Revampel, who had finished his task, came to the bedroom.

“You don’t have to worry about the viscount. For a while, the spirits of Prince Karian will hide and guard the vicinity of the annex.”

“…Is it okay?”

“What?”

“Revampel, it’s where you spent your time. Don’t you have memories there… I wonder if it’s okay to confine the viscount in such a place.”

Revampel laughed bitterly at my question. Sitting on the bed where I was sitting, he nodded.

“The good memories to bring from there are all you, Terry. That’s enough.”

It was approaching midnight. I touched Revampel’s unchanged hair with my fingers.

“If I hadn’t come as a candidate for empress, would we have never met?”

“No. I would have found you no matter what.”

“You kept looking for me?”

Revampel grabbed my hand, which was stroking his hair, and pressed his lips to the palm of my hand.

“Of course. Because when you were young, you didn’t say where you came from, I personally met all the nobles of this empire to make sure.”

I see. When I told him to get married, he called all the nobles and rejected them.

I smiled and placed my hand on Revampel’s chest. After doing it every night, it seemed that it would change after a certain amount of time.

Sure enough, as soon as I put my hand down, Revampel’s hair began to change. To my surprise, I calmly infused sacred power into it.

In the past, his hair would have changed as soon as I used sacred power, but now it was different. Although I used sacred power, his hair color did not change.

It was as if it couldn’t be helped at this level.

“It seems to take longer lately.”

Revampel examined me suspiciously. It seemed to be a glance of concern, wondering if I was having a hard time or if I was hurting somewhere. I couldn’t help but smile and assure him that I was okay.

“I deliberately slowed down to try adjusting my power.”

Revampel looked at me with a doubtful eye. However, he couldn’t refute anything since he, without sacred power, couldn’t know.

After a while, when Revampel’s hair returned to black and the seal that appeared on his body disappeared.

After a very long time.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course, I’m fine. Go wash up.”

“Wash up?”

“Because Karian came earlier and interrupted us.”

“….!”
Revampel widened his eyes, then hastily left the bedroom after saying to wait for a moment.

After confirming that Revampel had left, I frowned. It felt like my stomach was turning inside out.

I approached the window, hoping to catch a breath of fresh air. The garden outside the window, as if mocking, had withered away quickly.