In the space filled with silence, the gazes of the two people clashed strongly. Neither was willing to look away first.

‘Why on earth is he looking at me like that?’

Ibnel became curious about the meaning behind Shuher’s gaze.

“Why have you been staring at me like that? More importantly, I’d appreciate it if you could let go of me.”

Shuher complied with her request and loosened his grip on her chin.

“It’s irritating.”

“What do you mean?”

Being told outright that she was irritating, she naturally felt displeased. If anything, that should have been her line.

Shuher spoke frankly and without reserve about what he felt when looking at her.

“Everything, from beginning to end. That look in your eyes, your way of speaking, as if you had anticipated this situation. It seems more rational to think that someone else came in place of the original young lady.”

As she gazed into his pitch-black eyes like the night sky, Ibnel felt as if she might unknowingly speak, as if enchanted.

Who was inside the outer appearance of the noble young lady.

It was natural for him to have such suspicions, given that he had heard from Lia about how this body had been before. Therefore, she absolutely must not show any openings.

She had to prevent the disaster of having everything exposed to the man before her.

“I was abandoned and lived outside of everyone’s attention. So isn’t it more rational to think that not all information about me is true?”

Shuher could understand and accept that much. Nevertheless, there was one thing he still couldn’t comprehend.

“Then what about that marksmanship? You seemed quite skilled in handling a gun.”

“I was interested, so I trained in secret whenever I could, away from people’s eyes.”

“A young lady?”

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t? I just did it because I liked it.”

There was no lie in those words, so Ibnel could say them confidently. If she had simply practiced shooting for visible results, she wouldn’t have attained this level of skill.

Shuher still had unresolved doubts, but in fact, all of that was now meaningless. And the woman before him seemed to still be unaware of the reason.

“You clearly said it. What connection do we have with Aodin and all that. Even though the young lady’s reputation is not good…”

“Regarding that… I apologize.”

When words of apology immediately came from Ibnel’s mouth, Shuher couldn’t hide his puzzled expression. How could she apologize so readily now, when she had been so sharp in her criticism before?

Reading his thoughts from his expression, Ibnel also wore an embarrassed look. But soon, her eyes became serious.

At that time, due to the situation, she hadn’t realized it, but now, thinking calmly, she understood that she had said something she shouldn’t have.

She was angry that Lia had been put in danger, but regardless of that, what was wrong was wrong.

“I was excited then and spoke without thinking. It was something I shouldn’t have said.”

It was a mistake the usual Ibnel would never make. But given the situation, and with Aran’s matter coming to mind, she had failed to maintain her composure.

“Are you now begging for your life like this? Since you’ve survived anyway.”

“No. I’m acknowledging that I was wrong.”

Despite his deliberately provocative words, her gaze as she looked at him didn’t waver in the slightest.

That made him feel even more rebellious. From Shuher’s perspective, Ibnel was no different from an enemy.

“What’s your intention in saying such things?”

Ibnel honestly shared the emotions she had felt in that critical moment when Lia was on the verge of being torn apart by the demonic beasts.

“When I faced the fact that I couldn’t even protect one of my own people, I felt emotions that are indescribable in words. Helplessness, a sense of defeat, even self-contempt. Because if it wasn’t for me, Lia wouldn’t have had to endure such hardship.”

It was an emotion she had felt keenly when she had to helplessly let Aran go.

Then suddenly, this thought occurred to her. ‘Perhaps it was the same for this person who is the emperor.’

“I thought that Your Majesty must have faced an even deeper despair. If you had to watch your country’s people dying before your eyes. Of course, I dare not presume to fathom the depth of it.”

As he watched her calmly express her thoughts, Shuher clenched his fists on his knees.

Then, unable to control the rising emotion at her last words, he roughly pushed Ibnel’s shoulders, pinning her down on the bed with his arms.

Ibnel was momentarily taken aback, but upon seeing his turbulent black eyes, she fell silent. What he showed was an anger whose depth couldn’t be measured.

“Those are not words for a young lady of Aodin to utter. It seems Aodin has already forgotten the bloody tragedy that occurred here 20 years ago.”

‘Bloody tragedy?’

Of course, Ibnel had no way of knowing. What specifically had happened between the two empires in the past.

Thinking she was pretending not to know, Shuher’s chilling voice reached her ears.

“The number of demonic beasts suddenly increased, and the Caries Empire was pushed to its limits. In the end, we had no choice but to request help from the Aodin Empire. We gave them everything they wanted, from imperial heirlooms to anything else, to secure a promise. That they would help us.”

But once again, Aodin broke that promise all too easily.

“Yet they never showed up. Later, we found out they had been enjoying banquets all night long. While we fought for days on end, coughing up blood and piling up mountains of corpses. It was the Emperor of Aodin and the Estela Ducal family who orchestrated this.”

To him, it was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Even the desperate sight of his father kneeling and begging for help.

“We lost a lot that day, but we realized something very important. That we would never rely on that damned Aodin again, that we would somehow survive with Caries’ strength alone. So don’t you dare talk as if you understand everything. I’m barely restraining myself from killing you right now.”

From Shuher’s deeply angry appearance, one could almost see the desperate times that the Caries Empire must have gone through.

In the end, they had regained peace through their own strength alone, but no matter how much time passed, the wounds and pain they had suffered would not easily disappear.

Ibnel, being strictly speaking in a third-party position, could empathize more. Even about the situation Aodin was currently in.

“So now Aodin is being punished, having lost all its abilities. I think it’s only natural in a way.”

Even as she spoke her thoughts to the end, she didn’t avoid Shuher’s eyes.

‘She’s not afraid at all.’

Even now, even though she had nearly lost her life to demonic beasts, her eyes had never once shown fear.

Shuher was still irritated by that. Those red eyes calmly gazing at him even when he said he could kill her at any moment.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I don’t care how Your Majesty chooses to retaliate against Aodin. But please spare Lia at least. She’s just a child who followed me.”

“Why should I bother to do that?”

“Kill me instead.”

Those words extinguished even the anger that had been rising within him. She was a woman he simply couldn’t understand.

He withdrew his arms that had been caging her, and Ibnel, sitting up, gazed at him unwavering.

“Do you truly mean that?”

“Yes.”

Ibnel was willing to give her own life if it was the only way to save Lia. After all, it was a life that should have ended already, so there was nothing to regret if she thought of it that way.

“If you kill me as an example, you can clearly show Aodin that Caries is no longer what it used to be. Isn’t that a sufficient exchange? If you send my maid back, I don’t mind even if it’s seen as a mere venting of anger.”

“Giving up your life for a single maid…”

For her, who had lived in South Korea, social status was not an issue at all. It was for Lia, who had cared for her when everything was unfamiliar and lonely.

Perhaps it was also a way to alleviate, even slightly, the guilt of not being able to do anything when her younger sibling died.

“She stepped up to protect me even when her own life was in danger. So I too want to save her, just as she did.”

“Even at the cost of your life?”

“Yes, if that’s the way to save Lia.”

Coldly considering her own worth, that was all Ibnel had to offer.

“As Your Majesty knows, I have nothing to give but my life. My life isn’t precious because I’m a noble, nor is hers cheap because she’s a maid.”

While it was a very natural thing to say from her perspective, it wasn’t for Shuher. After all, in this world, there was a clear distinction of social status.

And if one were to reverse what she had said:

“By the young lady’s logic, the value of my life and yours would be the same.”

“Fundamentally, yes, but if one of us had to die between Your Majesty and me, it would be right for me to die. Your Majesty leads the Caries Empire, while I am someone who could disappear without much consequence.”

The more Shuher listened to Ibnel’s words, the less he could grasp what kind of person she was. She seemed naive as if ignorant of the ways of the world, yet she also accurately understood her own position.

She was the first person to fall outside his range of expectations.

“Are you not afraid of death?”

“It would be a lie to say I’m not. But if it can save Lia, I can accept it humbly. Because it means there’s at least one thing I can do.”

After silently listening to her words, Shuher opened his mouth.

“I will spare that maid.”

“Really?”

Ibnel’s face brightened at his answer. But Shuher’s words didn’t end there.

“And I won’t kill you either.”

“Why not?”

She couldn’t help but be surprised by this unexpected statement.

After throwing her to the demonic beasts as bait, and even saying he could kill her at any moment until just now, why did he suddenly change his mind?

Instead of answering, Shuher grabbed Ibnel’s wrist and stood up. He then led her to a full-length mirror on one side of the room.

“What are you doing?”

“Look in the mirror.”

At his words, Ibnel turned to the mirror without thinking.

As she passed the platinum blonde hair she still wasn’t used to, her eyes met with her reflection in the mirror, and unfamiliar eyes showed surprise.

Soon, with a look of disbelief, she approached the mirror and placed her hand over her right eye in the reflection.

If Ibnel’s eyes weren’t deceiving her.

“Why is my eye…”

Something must have happened while she was unconscious, for her right eye, which had been blood-red, had changed to white as if all its color had been stolen.