“That doesn’t seem like something you should ask.”

He answered roughly and picked up the newspaper. Reading the newspaper for a while, he casually asked.

“But why exactly ten steps?”

“What?”

“Before, in Landhill, you read me a biblical passage.”

“Ah…”

At Carson’s question, Ines put down the pen she was holding and laughed deeply. As she recalled that day, a smile naturally spread across her face.

The temperature at that time, the sweet smell, and even the wind that cooled her chest vividly came to mind. And even his beautiful face, holding her portrait and tilting his head.

Back then, Ines was walking on a dreadful cliff. If Carson were to say that she was the only one who walked with him then, what expression would he make?

“Ten steps are too easy.”

Looking at him with a playful smile, Ines laughed endlessly.

“No, no. At the time of building the temple, the concept of numbers in that world was only up to ten. Because there were only ten fingers. I couldn’t imagine any number beyond that.”

“Is that so?”

Carson, with a face that was not easily understood, rummaged through the newspaper. Watching him like that, Ines felt her heart swell. She hadn’t expected to have time to seek his understanding about her blindness.

“Yes, so the number ten signifies perfection.”

It was the same for Ines. The number ten Carson mentioned represented perfect safety to her.

“Saying ‘let’s walk ten steps together’ means, let’s be together forever. Holding hands means I will go anywhere with you. Even if it’s to the end of the world. Even if it’s inside the gates of hell.”

Ines felt a little breathless.

Going back in time, on the day she met him again for the first time, Carson had held her hand in the water. It was the same in Korneo Square. Running towards her who was bleeding and fallen, he had unconditionally reached out his hand to Ines.

And each time, she had clasped Carson’s hand. She was always ready to follow him wherever.

“It’s a bit strange.”

“What do you mean?”

It’s somewhat romantic, he said with a face that seemed blurry at the end, folding the newspaper he was looking at. When their eyes met in the air, Carson smiled gently.

“You might think that way. But never use it when proposing.”

“Why?”

This time, Carson firmly frowned. Watching him do that, Ines found it strangely fascinating.

“Because the next verse… doesn’t suit the occasion.”

“Is that so?”
He set the newspaper down with a loud thud and stood up from his seat. Twisting his broad shoulders to put on the clothes handed to him by the attendant standing beside him, he neatly adjusted the well-positioned garment and smiled at Ines before walking towards the door.

Following the order not to see him off, Ines just stood up and slightly bowed her head.

“I’ll be back.”

The man walking away had a perfect silhouette even from behind. The aura created by Carson Von Raymond, who only followed him, remained.

Watching the flawless figure of the man disappear between the closed doors, Ines had an indifferent look. Then, she quietly repeated the next verse that he hadn’t asked.

“One who desires too much will eventually return empty-handed. One who desires too much… will eventually return empty-handed.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

As Carson entered the meeting room, he immediately threw off the jacket he was wearing. Today’s meeting was sure to torment people.

There were only two items on the meeting agenda.

Both were related to the Swenden Marquisate.

The old foxes seemed to accept Swenden becoming a marquis, even becoming a Count’s family’s retainer. However, they vehemently opposed Swenden becoming the Lord of Landhill.

They packaged it quite convincingly, saying it stirred greed since it was the wealthiest territory in the empire.

Moreover, the Emperor’s blatant intentions also ignited the nobles’ interests. Though he hadn’t openly declared to make Ines Swenden the Empress, the Dukes and major nobles rushed in with their eyes aflame.

“This is an act that disrupts the noble order.”

“Is that so?”

Carson’s attitude remained consistently stoic. He casually observed the appearance of Duke Mansuet, the de facto representative of this meeting. Mansuet, who was unmistakably the representative of this meeting, kept silent throughout the session.

Duke Mansuet was a descendant of the Suns, the imperial family’s bloodline.

The dukes in this country were divided into those who became dukes through the imperial family and those who didn’t. He was the leader of one of the two duke families that had supported the Keynes Empire for generations.

Rumors circulated that just one word from him could shake even a new Emperor, so his prestige surpassed the imperial family.

The Emperor might change, but Mansuet remained unchanged.

The duke was recognized as part of the imperial faction generation after generation but didn’t openly support the Emperor. However, there was no disagreement that he had watched over and grown alongside the real power, the Empress.

So, Mansuet was the biggest mountain Carson had to overcome.

When Mansuet, who had been keeping silent, pushed his chair back a bit, Count Cebenon’s mouth, who had been speaking until then, closed.

Carson found it quite amusing.