Other people might have overlooked it out of courtesy, but not Shuher. For him, the emperor, there was nothing that couldn’t be questioned.

“It’s not like seeing it makes it unseen.”

Under the gaze that seemed to weigh her response, Evenel Istella quickly found her words. Avoiding the issue wouldn’t make him back off, either.

“Just…”

Just then, her roving eyes caught the stars that filled the night sky.

“It’s because of the stars.”

“Stars?”

“Yes, the stars are so beautiful.”

Upon hearing her words, Shuher also looked up at the sky, but it was no different than usual. The scenery was as familiar as the air he breathed daily, so he had never thought of it that way.

“I guess the beauty made me shed tears.”

To him, her explanation wasn’t very convincing. Despite her talk of beauty, her eyes looked too sad. But this time, he didn’t press further.

“Did everyone already go back to their rooms? They were happily drinking just a moment ago.”

“I heard from Demil. You could have joined. You proved yourself during the conquest.”

“That’s a completely different matter. Seeing me would still be awkward for you.”

Evenel Istella would have liked to become friends as colleagues, but she couldn’t be that shameless, knowing the atrocities committed by Aodini.

Listening to her, Shuher felt his frustration build up. Why did she continue to act so foolishly?

“Rather, make your demands proudly. You know your abilities have value, especially after this time.”

“I can’t deny that.”

“Why did you go to such lengths today to save the knights, the Hibr ceremonial offerings? They aren’t directly related to you, and you’re certainly not on good terms. Stop glossing it over with incomprehensible reasons like ‘to save them’ or ‘to protect them.'”

Shuher wanted to hear her true feelings. The selfish desires that everyone carries deep within their hearts.

That way, he could also come to terms with it.

Faced with his question, Evenel Istella showed a moment of hesitation before throwing a question back instead of answering immediately.

“Weren’t you curious, Your Majesty? Why this ability, which had completely disappeared in the past, suddenly appeared in me?”

Shuher hadn’t thought that far. To him, the more pressing matter was how to use that ability.

But if he had to explain why.

“It might just be a coincidence.”
“At first, I thought the same. But could it be different, perhaps?”

Evenel recalled the moment when this power first manifested. At that time, she had only one wish.

“Back then, all I wanted was to save Lia. Could this intense desire to save someone else, not myself, have called upon this ability?”

“What does that have to do with the power?”

“It’s the essence of the power you possess and the ability I have. The desire to protect someone, to save them.”

Shuher was left speechless, as if he’d been caught off guard and struck. He himself, who possessed power, had never thought that way.

However, he couldn’t hastily deny it either. For reasons even he could not understand.

“If you think about it that way, it explains why Aodin lost his ability.”

Aodin had used his initial ability solely for his own benefits, having forgotten the initial sentiment that led to him being granted it. As a result, many people died.

“So I had this premonition that if I followed the path of the past Aodin, I might eventually lose this ability as well. Of course, all of this is just my speculation.”

Shuher silently listened to her words. It wasn’t entirely an unpersuasive argument. But looking at it from the other perspective,

“Does that mean Karies, who is currently ignoring Aodin’s situation, could also lose this power?”

“I don’t really know. But if there really is a being called God, I don’t think that would happen.”

“Why?”

He wanted to hear the reason for her conviction.

“Because God would have seen the path that Karies has walked so far. How much blood he has shed. So even if he seeks revenge, wouldn’t he understand? If even that is not permitted, it’s too cruel, even for a god.”

Shuher couldn’t turn his gaze away from Evenel. Whether it was due to her eyes, shining with her own beliefs, or her voice, soft yet strong-willed.

“You asked me earlier why I go to such lengths. To be honest, I don’t know. Whether it’s because of a promise to you, to prove my worth, guilt toward the Karies Empire, not wanting to become cowardly like Aodin, or simply the desire to save someone.”

Until now, Evenel had given various answers but didn’t know which was correct. However, there was one thing she could be sure of.

“None of them were lies. They are all my answers, and my feelings.”
Mulling over her response, Shuher finally raised both hands in surrender. It seemed that persistently arguing the same point would only tire his own tongue.

“Still foolishly naive, I see.”

“At least now I can laugh off comments like that. But speaking of being naive, aren’t noble families with bestowed powers like Count Peretti’s the same?”

He looked at Evenel with a questioning gaze, as if to ask what she meant.

“They protect the Caries Empire not for visible power or money but simply for a sense of duty. That makes them even more remarkable. It’s really hard to maintain that kind of mindset over a long period.”

So she couldn’t entirely resent Renel either. The sharp response he had given was ultimately to protect their homeland.

“So please express that in words at least once to His Majesty. That you’re always grateful for them protecting this empire. That will mean much more to them than money or power.”

“You talk as if you know better than I do.”

Shuher’s contentious tone was to hide his embarrassment. He didn’t want to admit that he’d overlooked something she already knew.

“You can find out with just a little observation.”

Having said all she wanted to say, Evenel walked past him. But then she remembered something she hadn’t said and turned back.

“Ah, and…”

She stopped speaking because Shuher had moved unexpectedly close. Taken aback by the unexpected proximity, she quickly stepped back.

Then her leg weakened due to the pain from her injury.

Fortunately, she didn’t end up falling clumsily. Shuher’s strong arm supported her waist just in time.