Levanfell’s eyes, hidden behind his gloves, flashed fiercely. Jaerim was taken aback by his unusually serious expression and rushed to his master’s side.

“Who’s acting strangely? Did something happen with the Empress? Or did you notice anything suspicious during the wedding?”

Indeed. Things had been going too smoothly lately.

While some welcomed the Empress’s return, there were undoubtedly forces resisting the balance of power.

Though the continent was under a fragile ceasefire following the peace treaty, it was like walking on a tightrope.

The continent was all too accustomed to invasion and plunder.

If something was not in one’s hand, it would quickly reveal its nature and seize it.

However, they were quiet about the Emperor’s wedding. Jaerim found that even more bothersome.

“Your Majesty. If you tell me, I’ll check the situation. Please let me know.”

“I… don’t remember anything.”

“What?”

Was he poisoned?

Jaerim had seen Levanfell, who had been exposed to death from a young age, countless times. Even a moderate poison wouldn’t have affected him.

He must be really solid.

Rising from such a crisis. That was the job of the Chief Assistant.

Jaerim looked at Levanfell with a grim expression.

In his mind, various forces, neutral nobles, nearby countries with whom he had maintained good relations, and countries that would help them if needed were all floating around.

“Speak, Your Majesty. As long as I’m here, you won’t lose,” Jaerim confidently said. Levanfell, who had been staring into space, looked up at him.

His eyes, usually profound, looked dull.

Even in the face of anything. Even when he was nearly killed by his mother, his eyes never clouded. But now, they were.

He’s scary.

Jaerim swallowed dryly, waiting for Levanfell’s next words.

“… Teriella has… ”

The Empress. The Empress’s name was mentioned.

Could it be her? No. She seemed fine when he met her earlier through the maid.

Was all that an act? If so, it’s an impeccable performance.

As Levanfell uttered each word, Jaerim envisioned all kinds of scenarios in his mind.

What if the Empress was the enemy? What if she had approached Levanfell with other intentions all along?

Levanfell sighed deeply.

Jaerim felt sorry for Levanfell, his longtime friend, master, and ruler of the empire, who now looked defeated.

As he was about to comfort him, Levanfell spoke.

“… Teriella touched me, but I don’t remember.”

And the words that flowed from his mouth were entirely unexpected.

“Teriella definitely touched me. That much is clear. But after that, I have no memory, Jaerim.”

“…”

“I think I closed my eyes and opened them, and it was morning. Ha. I’m going crazy. I must be a fool for closing my eyes on such a day.”

Something really is strange.

“In the morning, Teriella’s expression was really… Ha. She seemed to be forcing a smile. Yes. She would. I’m really…”

Levanfell glanced at the decorative sword hanging on the wall.

“I deserve to die.”

“You’re talking about… the wedding night?”

“What else could be bigger than that?”

Levanfell looked at Jaerim with incredulous eyes, as if asking, “Is there anything bigger than this? Are you in your right mind?”

They say everyone changes when they get married. Even the Emperor is no exception.

Jaerim gave up on understanding Levanfell and smiled slightly.

The many forces and nations that had appeared in his mind were now laughing and waving at him.

“Yes. Keep pondering it alone.”

Just as Jaerim was about to turn away disdainfully, Levanfell spoke again, very seriously.

“No, Jaerim. I’m serious.”

“Yes. Very serious. So serious that you should ponder it alone.”

Jaerim turned his back and returned to his seat, continuing his work in place of the stilldistracted Levanfell.

But Levanfell still wore a serious expression.

Certainly, here’s the translated passage:

‘I truly lost my memory. I wasn’t asleep.’

As if someone had intentionally cut it, the memory was severed. Levanfell stared into the void.

If the saintess had tampered with his memory…

‘Ha. How awful must I have been?’

Dark clouds gathered over Levanfell’s face.

I returned to the main palace bedroom from the empress’s palace.

And first of all, I changed the hamster house for Mew, who might return at any time.

Even though it’s a place where a god sleeps, it seemed wrong that there was not a single gem, so I added some.

I asked the maids to fetch a hamster bed, and I requested a new hamster wheel made of gold.

‘Perhaps by doing this, the thought of destroying the world will disappear?’

I happily looked at the hamster house sparkling with gems and tapped the empty house with my finger, humming altered lyrics to a song.

“Hamster, hamster. I’ll give you gems. Erase the destruction.”

Then, from behind where I thought no one was, a soft voice sounded.

“Teriella.”

Had my name ever felt as soft as warm milk? It felt like pouring a lump of sugar into my mouth.