Parnes paused briefly, as if selecting one thought from the many swirling in his mind, then wore an unreadable smile.

“I’ve cleared all my afternoon engagements. Today, I wish to spend time with you. The weather is fine—shall we take a walk?”

Was the fleeting, enigmatic glint in his eyes just a moment ago merely her imagination? Parnes had returned to his usual nonchalant expression.

Kasallin nodded eagerly.

“Very well. I was just thinking I’d like to bask in the sun.”

The two crossed the hill of the Hiss villa, heading down to the village below.

The farm path, lined with tall, horn-shaped coniferous trees, was a place Kasallin particularly cherished.

Beyond the white, splotchy-painted fence, the sounds of chickens and cows, crates brimming with fresh crops, and hunting dogs barking wildly at passing birds.

These were sights and sounds absent within the imperial palace, making them all the more dear to her.

As Kasallin strolled slowly beside the pasture, she placed a hand on her gently rounded belly.

When the child is born, she would surely bring them here at least once. Perhaps a hot spring bath together wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

“We should start deciding on a name.”

Parnes spoke after walking in silence for a while. His gaze, unnoticed until now, had been fixed on Kasallin. He seemed to have sensed she was thinking about the child.

“I thought Your Majesty had already chosen one.”

“I’ve considered a few, but I’d prefer if you, my lady, named the child.”

“Me, naming a precious prince or princess? Isn’t it customary for His Majesty to propose candidates, which are then deliberated upon by the temple?”

“It’s a precious child, so it should be you who names them.”

Parnes replied in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, as if stating the obvious. Kasallin lowered her head slightly to hide the smile creeping onto her face.

“Actually, I’ve thought of a name I’d love to give if given the chance.”

One of Parnes’ eyebrows arched slightly. He looked down at Kasallin with genuine curiosity in his eyes.

“What names?”

“If it’s a girl, Lantiss; if it’s a boy, Kayan.”

“Lantiss, Kayan… those are ancient Hismarian words meaning sea and wings, respectively.”

“Exactly. Your Majesty’s name means radiance in ancient Hismarian, doesn’t it? Together, the names would mean the sea of radiance or the wings of radiance. They signify living freely, as if spreading wings over a brightly shining sea.”

Kasallin hesitated briefly, her cheeks flushing as she continued.

“I personally love Your Majesty’s name. I think it suits you perfectly. I thought, for the child to be born soon, Your Majesty would be like a radiant sun, so I chose these names…”

Kasallin trailed off, mumbling. It wasn’t a big deal, yet she couldn’t understand why she felt so shy.

Cautiously, she lifted her gaze to gauge Parnes’ reaction, who had been silent. His eyes were slightly widened, as if startled, and his cheeks were faintly flushed.

Feeling awkward, Kasallin fidgeted with a stray lock of hair falling over her shoulder.

“Since they’re not commonly used for names, you might not like them. If you don’t, we should go with the names Your Majesty has in mind.”

“No, I love them.”

Parnes replied with a small cough. Kasallin, unable to hide her inner joy, looked up at him for confirmation.

“Truly?”

“Yes. They make the names I thought of seem embarrassing.”

“Now that you mention it, you haven’t told me the names you considered. I’ve shared mine, so please tell me yours.”

“I’ll tell you next time.”

Parnes dodged the question, averting his gaze.

Kasallin expressed her dissatisfaction, but he refused to give even a hint. Through his silver hair, his ears glowed as red as if scorched by fire.

After a long walk with Parnes, Kasallin returned to the villa and had an early dinner.

With Loren Logia’s help, she bathed and returned to the bedroom, where Parnes was sitting on the bed.

He wore a plain, loosely fitted shirt, his hair slightly damp at the ends.

Leaning diagonally against the headboard with a pillow propped up, he was engrossed in a thick book written in an unfamiliar foreign language.

His golden eyes, scanning the text, moved indifferently, occasionally pausing abruptly.

Kasallin, forgetting the water dripping down her chin, couldn’t tear her eyes away from him, his appearance evoking a young god from the founding myths.

Standing in the dimly lit room for a moment, Parnes closed the book he was reading without hesitation and spoke.

“Didn’t I tell you to dry your hair properly to avoid catching a cold?”

She thought he was absorbed in his book and had been watching him freely. Feeling her face heat up, Kasallin hurriedly looked away.

“I told Loren Logia it was enough and that she could leave. My hair is so long, it takes quite a while to dry.”

Without realizing, Kasallin rambled as she stood before the mirror. Struggling to push her damp, wavy hair behind her neck, she felt his presence grow stronger behind her.

Taking a spare dry towel from the drawer, he began gently drying Kasallin’s hair.

Each time his fingers brushed her nape, Kasallin’s shoulders flinched as if touched by fire.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve been looking lost in deep thought lately.”

“Oh…”

As Kasallin’s silence stretched, a faint trace of anxiety crossed his face.

She started to answer honestly but suddenly closed her lips. Come to think of it, hadn’t he been keeping things from her lately too?

“It’s nothing.”

Hoping he’d understand her feelings even a little, Kasallin shook her head quietly.

In the darkness, his brow furrowed silently. As she thanked him for drying her hair and turned to leave, his hand swiftly grabbed her wrist.

“Every time I can’t read what you’re thinking, I become so anxious I can’t bear it.”

“It’s the same for me.”

Turning to face him, Kasallin spoke with a hint of defiance in her tone.

“I can tell Your Majesty is carrying some worry, but every time you refuse to tell me because you don’t want to burden me, I feel unbearably anxious.”

“…”

“Of course, I understand Your Majesty’s heart. My health isn’t as robust as others, and with the high risk of miscarriage, the physician said I must stay stable. But watching you bear all the burdens alone is far more painful for me.”

“…”

His grip on her hand quietly tightened. With a nearby lamp extinguished, she couldn’t see his expression.

After a silence that felt like an eternity, Parnes spoke, exhaling as if releasing all the air in his chest.

“In truth, there’s been a slight problem in the neutral zone. There’s a high chance of conflict with the Kan Kingdom.”

“…”

“But it’s not something for you to worry about. As always, if you rest in Hissbury, everything will be resolved soon.”

He spoke defensively, as if there was no need to tell her everything.

Surprisingly, Kasallin wasn’t shocked by the mention of conflict. She had suspected as much from the recent shadows on his face and Vincent’s reactions.

“Your Majesty, as someone from the Kan Kingdom, I believe I’d be more effective in mediating if needed. More than anyone in the Renel Empire, I understand those people. I’m certain I can help.”

As she finished speaking, a half-moon, previously hidden behind clouds, peeked out softly, casting a pale light into the room.

Parnes looked at her with a face more resolute and stern than ever.

“Don’t say such nonsense. There’s no reason for you to go to such a dangerous place.”

In his agitation, he forgot formal speech and snapped at her. Kasallin didn’t back down meekly.

“You just said it wasn’t something to worry about. Yet now it’s a dangerous place? Doesn’t that mean Your Majesty could be in danger too?”

Parnes faltered briefly, as if caught hiding something, then continued stubbornly.

“It’s not dangerous for me, but for you. You, coming with me? Unless I’ve lost my mind, do you think I’d allow that?”

His voice was thick with an unidentifiable emotion, hardened into a knot.

What was it? His demeanor reminded her of a beast facing crucial prey.

In truth, his words weren’t wrong. Kasallin knew that well enough.

But how many could smile and wave off a loved one heading to a place where swords and spears fly?

Searching for words to persuade him, Kasallin realized no such words existed and silently moved her lips.

“You have no idea how much I worry about you. Every time you throw up what little you’ve eaten, every time you toss and turn in your sleep, do you know how I feel? You’ll probably… never understand.”

“Those are pains anyone carrying a child endures. But the burden Your Majesty is carrying now isn’t something to be accepted as natural.”

He looked at Kasallin with an unreadable expression. She continued.

“I know my body best. Thanks to Your Majesty, I’ve grown much healthier, and the imperial heir will surely be born safely. You don’t need to worry about the child…”

“Do you think I’m worried about the child right now?”

Before she could finish, a chillingly low voice cut through. Kasallin looked up at him, her eyes wavering with doubt.

As if spitting out each word he’d been holding back, he spoke.

“I don’t care about anything but you. My only concern is you. The only thing that matters to me, the one who occupies my heart, the one I want and desire—it’s you.”