Parnes revealed his inner feelings and seemed greatly surprised.

His face flushed red, showing embarrassment, and he turned his head away.

Kasallin was equally shocked. Unless her ears had deceived her, what Parnes had just said sounded unmistakably like a confession.

Kasallin wanted to grab him and ask what he meant.

Before she could open her mouth, Parnes, unable to hide the complex emotions flickering across his face, rubbed his face dryly.

“…I got carried away for a moment. Please forgive my rude words.”

“Your Majesty.”

“I’ll go clear my head. You must be tired from the long walk, so rest early.”

He left the room with words so polite they felt distant.

Kasallin sat blankly on the edge of the bed, staring at his retreating figure disappearing down the dim hallway.

Leaning sideways on the bed, Kasallin slowly closed and opened her eyes, waiting for him, until she unknowingly succumbed to sleep.

The only sound in Princess Relen’s office was the scratching of a sharp pen nib on paper until the door burst open roughly.

Princess Relen, seated at the desk, and Aster, organizing books on one side, turned their heads toward the same spot simultaneously.

At the wide-open doorway stood Shallen, his face flushed red, panting heavily. Behind him, the servants and knights fidgeted, unsure what to do.

Barging into someone’s room without permission was blatant rudeness, but since the intruder was the king, Princess Relen and Aster stood and observed proper etiquette.

“We greet Your Majesty. What brings you here so early in the morning…?”

“I think you, of all people, know exactly why I’ve come all this way.”

Shallen’s voice was thick with anger. Aster set down a book and approached him.

“Your Majesty. Please calm down and compose yourself.”

Shallen stared at Aster incredulously.

“Come to think of it, you were so loyal to me before, ready to give your all, but as soon as she returned, you’ve been glued to her side, never leaving.”

Aster quietly lowered his gaze without responding. Shallen, as if unwilling to look at him any longer, turned sharply and approached Relen.

“Cancel it immediately.”

“Cancel what?”

“What else? Provoking the Renel Empire by citing dusty old documents. Are you out of your mind? No one sane would do something like this!”

Shallen shouted, his voice filled with anger, anxiety, and a subtle emotion somewhere in between. Relen responded without missing a beat.

“You’re misunderstanding. I’m not suggesting war but proposing a detailed discussion in a neutral zone. It’s something we had to do eventually.”

“Discussion? That’s a nice word. There’s probably no more convenient term in the world. But everyone knows, don’t they? When both nations gather with armed knights wielding swords and shields, it never ends in mere talk.”

“The Ardenya region belongs to us. It’s been called a neutral zone, but in reality, the Renel Empire has been in effective control. How long must we let the Renel Empire take our share while we watch their every move? Are you perhaps afraid of the Renel Empire’s emperor, Your Majesty?”

At Princess Relen’s final words, a fire blazed in Shallen’s eyes. She had precisely struck at the root of his inferiority complex.

Aster, quietly observing the two, subtly stepped back, his eyes shifting.

Princess Relen continued.

“If you meet the emperor on the battlefield, do you feel deep down that you’re certain to lose, that you could never defeat him with a sword?”

“You call me ‘sister’ and show respect, acting as if you’re the real king of this country. If you’re disregarding me, that’s truly regrettable.”

“Who in the world could disregard the great King? If you feel disregarded, that’s your own insecurity. If you want to shake off that feeling, prove yourself.”

As Princess Relen stepped forward boldly, Shallen instinctively took a step back.

“All you need to do is break free from the chains binding you, believing you can’t defeat the emperor, and show everyone you’re a brave and bold monarch by clashing swords openly.”

“If I know you’re trying to use me, why should I do it?”

As Shallen growled, a flicker of disappointment crossed Relen’s face.

“Then there’s no choice. I’ll have to appoint someone else as commander. But if I do, the Renel Empire’s emperor will look down on you even more, mocking you for hiding behind your vassals, clinging to your throne as long as possible.”

The moment Kasallin’s name left her lips, Shallen trembled as if struck by lightning. Princess Relen whispered.

“I’m certain that if Your Majesty stands boldly before the emperor, the Renel Empire’s empress will see you in a new light.”

“If you keep trying to manipulate me with your glib tongue, I won’t forgive you as king. Don’t think I can’t punish you just because we’re siblings.”

The moment Shallen turned away, as if he had nothing more to say, Relen sighed and spoke.

“…I understand. If it’s come to this, I have no choice. I’ll go to the battlefield. Since I started this, I’ll take responsibility.”

Shallen’s polished black boots halted on the gleaming marble floor. He let out a hollow laugh, as if he hadn’t expected her to go that far.

If a healthy, able-bodied king let his sister lead the knights into battle in his place, nothing could be more humiliating. In the Kan Kingdom, women were seen as beings to protect.

Shallen’s clenched fists trembled violently before he released all strength.

“You’re truly something. You’ve always been extraordinary, but I never imagined you’d corner me like this.”

“I’ll say it again: this isn’t about fighting among ourselves but about protecting the royal family’s honor. And I said I’d go.”

“As if you could go. And as you said, it’s only a matter of time before Kasallin finds out. A king so terrified he sends his sister to the battlefield? If Kasallin thinks of me that way, I truly couldn’t bear it…”

Shallen’s voice trailed off into a sob-like murmur. Princess Relen, watching him with a complex expression, let out a quiet sigh.

Shallen brushed back his fallen bangs with a troubled hand, staring into the empty air. Then, as if resolving something, he muttered to himself.

“Fine. Even without you, something like this might have happened eventually.”

Shallen vividly recalled when Emperor Parnes, in a rage, held a blade to his throat. He had clearly said: no matter how many months or years it takes, I will kill you.

This might be the only chance to settle the messy emotional residue with Emperor Parnes.

Rose paced the room anxiously.

With each step, light and shadow alternated across her face.

She was still torn between Princess Relen and Shallen.

She had given the royal archive key to Princess Relen in exchange for future assurances, but she still wasn’t certain it was the right decision.

No matter which path she took, she couldn’t shake the feeling that a bad outcome was inevitable.

Rose bit her fingertips compulsively, thinking. Would it be better to go to Shallen first and tell him everything truthfully?

As she wrestled with questions that yielded no clear answers, a servant spoke from outside the door.

“Your Majesty, the Queen. His Majesty the King is here and wishes to see you briefly.”

Rose stopped, her expression showing that the inevitable had arrived.

She said she’d come soon, then checked her appearance in the mirror before heading to the adjacent tea room.

Shallen sat in a shadowed spot. He gazed at Rose entering the room with an expression that showed little change.

No words passed between them until Rose bowed and sat across from him. A heavy silence weighed on their shoulders.

“Quite unexpected.”

Shallen was the first to break the silence.

“To be honest, I thought you were just an innocent person who knew nothing. I was certain you’d never turn your back on me. But it seems I was gravely mistaken.”

Shallen spoke with a voice tinged with skepticism. His eyes, sunken with sadness, also flickered with a spark ready to explode.

“I trusted and cherished you. My promise to stand by you through any hardship wasn’t a lie. But you’re making me miserable like this.”

Rose was surprised. In the past, she would have feared his hatred, but now, strangely, her heart was calm.

Instead, the more she faced him, the colder her heart felt, as if doused with icy water.

Why? Was it because she could now accept that his words held no trace of sincerity?

“Your Majesty. There’s something you need to know first.”

So Rose decided to test both herself and Shallen.

If he reached out warmly after hearing this, she would take his hand.

But if he scorned her and acted selfishly, she would abandon him immediately and help Princess Relen. Without hesitation, Rose continued.

“I’ve lost the child.”