Kyle Letius, who took the territory of Charliee, was praised as an excellent emperor. This was because the young emperor in his thirties accomplished what his ancestors had failed to do for hundreds of years.

From that day on, Letius’s troublemaker was promoted to the greatest Letius.

Upon returning to the imperial palace, Sieghart first sought out Kyle Letius. It had been a while since he achieved his feat, yet the foolish emperor was still trapped in that day. It was said he had been holding feasts non-stop for ten days.

Kyle Letius noticeably brightened upon seeing the large figure walking down the end of the corridor. He gulped down the remaining wine on his lips and opened his mouth, which reeked of sweetness, to shout.

“My dog has come!”

The women clinging tightly to the emperor’s side shifted their gaze along his soft fingers. Finally, their eyes fixed on the rough man in front.

To think that the Asthart duke, notorious for being cold-blooded and haughty, would be called a ‘dog’ by the emperor. It would normally be quite an insult, yet the other party bowed silently as if accustomed to it.

At the emperor’s words to leave for a moment, the women pouted as if regretful. They hinted at wanting the order withdrawn, saying there was nothing they shouldn’t hear and not wanting to leave.

However, the emperor, for some mysterious reason, dismissed the women he had been doting on day and night for ten days.

Kyle still had not acknowledged the man’s greeting.

“I have come to receive my freedom.”

After a while, Sieghart, who had managed to keep his stiff neck upright, opened his mouth.

Having turned Letius’s disgrace into the great Letius, it was time for the dog who helped the man to gain freedom as well. He wanted to cut off the leash that bound him and begin his belated atonement.

However, Kyle Letius’s reaction was strange.

“That’s troublesome.”

He scratched his cheek with an annoying expression.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“I said it’s troublesome.”

The emperor, who had uncrossed his legs, now brought the other leg up and folded it over his knee.

“What if you go out and spread rumors about my achievements as if they were your own?”

“That won’t happen. Your Majesty should know that I wouldn’t do such a foolish thing, given that you understand my circumstances.”

Even if he could take credit for Letius’s achievements, Sieghart would not claim the merit.

It would be like killing the exterminated Callent Count family twice.

“Still, you never know, right? For someone who would do anything for revenge, you might even turn your back on your own family to ruin Letius.”

“Don’t be unreasonable. If you’re so worried, we could draft a new contract.”

Sieghart growled lowly. Hatred lurked in his angry eyes. It seemed he was threatening not to talk nonsense.

Always quick on the uptake, that one. Kyle muttered softly before shrugging his shoulders spitefully.

“It would be stupid to throw away a useful dog after buying it. It’s better to use it a bit more, isn’t it?”

“I’ll say it once more. Don’t be unreasonable. Clearly back then-!”

“Back then, what?”

Deep ambition settled over the blue eyes. The man’s voice, which had been responding seriously without laughing, suddenly sank.

Kyle snorted at Sieghart, who was stubbornly mentioning the contract from that day.

“Sieghart Asthart, I’m so sorry about this. It seems you’ve been tricked again by that damned contract.”

If it was a mistake to hastily write a contract then, now it was a mistake to make a verbal agreement without writing anything down.

Kyle Letius babbled nonsense about how this was better, saying that if he had written a contract like the previous emperor, he would have bound not only Sieghart but his descendants to the Letius imperial family, and that he should be grateful for his mercy.

However, if there was one thing Kyle Letius overlooked, it was that Sieghart Asthart, chosen by Enoch Callent, was a person made up solely of revenge.

Having completed his mission, he had no reason to remain loyal to the imperial family. Even if penalties from the imperial family were imposed on his life without regrets, he had nothing to fear.

Kyle Letius, irritated that the once obedient dog had begun to rebel, called him in a year later and proposed a secret deal.

“I’ll be considerate. Shall I put it more simply? It’s the emperor’s mercy given to a son of a bitch. If you bring me what I want, I’ll give you the freedom you desire.”

Along with a final act of mercy that he would cut off the leash if the man succeeded in his bet.

“Get married. To the flesh and blood of the royal family you destroyed with your own hands.”

Attaching the ridiculous condition of marrying the daughter of his enemy.

Marry the royal family he had exterminated? As Sieghart pondered whether he should even attempt a marriage with a non-existent corpse, one woman came to mind.

A princess who had escaped in place of the maid he had saved.

It wasn’t particularly difficult to conquer Tisha Winter as his own. For him, who had been toyed with by the imperial family for fifteen years, six months of effort was easier and simpler than anything.

“This trust could determine my life or death, so I can’t give it recklessly. And I…”

“…”

“I have no intention of marrying you.”

On the day he boldly sought out the woman, the princess of Charliee, in the guise of Tisha Winter, coldly rejected his proposal.

The pile of marriage proposals at the duke’s residence had formed a tower. Young ladies who wanted to create even a subtle connection lined up, saying they wanted to visit the mansion every other day.

Yet, to reject a man who came forward to marry with mere reasons of ‘trust’ and ‘life and death’. It was foolish and unreasonable for a woman who was barely surviving by taking on menial tasks in this small house.

“The imperial family is my enemy. If you thought I would gladly accept your love, which was once close to my enemy, you are mistaken. I don’t believe your love is real, and even if it were, I cannot accept it. Ever.”

It was only later that he realized the woman’s true feelings and hurried to soothe her.

“…Are you saying you had nothing to do with that day’s tragedy?”

“Yes, I swear that day’s tragedy had nothing to do with me.”

Lying was an easy thing. Just recite words opposite to the truth with three inches of tongue.

After that day, Sieghart visited the house every day without fail, forcibly spending time with Natasha who rejected him.

“I clearly told you I don’t like it.”

“Then I answered that I can’t help it even if you don’t like it.”

For a week, Natasha still rejected Sieghart. He thought she was quite a stubborn woman.

“…Don’t you get tired, Your Grace?”

“How could I tire of coming to see you, Natasha.”

A month. The sarcastic voice had softened a bit. It was a small change for a month’s effort, but Sieghart was somehow glad.

He had never felt a sense of accomplishment even after completing difficult tasks, but the strange sense of achievement arising from his relationship with the woman stimulated him.

“From today, please help with the housework.”

“…What’s this?”

“Since Your Grace visits the house every day, you’re one of the members, so I’m asking you to do your duty.”

Two months. The woman who had let down her guard placed a mop in the man’s hand. He had the illusion that Natasha’s nonchalant appearance as she showed him where to mop looked cute.

“The faces of my family are now blurred. I can’t even remember what voice they whispered to me with… Hey, Sieghart. What on earth can I, left alone, do?”

“Be happy.”

“…”

“Be eternally happy, with me.”

Three months. The woman had a nightmare. She spouted the abominable words of missing her lost family while in the arms of her enemy.

The seed of the enemy who killed the man’s family cries sadly saying she misses her family. It should be a detestable thing, yet the first emotion that overcame Sieghart was not hatred but sympathy.

I must be crazy, to think I want to wipe away that woman’s tears.

“Your hand is surprisingly warm.”

“Surprisingly? Did you think it would be cold?”

“Well, Sieghart is a man of the North after all.”

Four months. The woman allowed skin contact. Their hands clasped while looking at the night sky were as hot as a fire pit. It was clear that continuing to hold on would cause injury, yet Sieghart refused to let go of the flame until the very end.

“If you don’t close your eyes.”

“…”

“It will be very embarrassing.”

Five months. The two kissed. The woman seemed to have already fallen for him enough, so why did he have to disgustingly kiss the daughter of his enemy?

Is this a procedure for the plan, or an act of instinct?

Even knowing that where the woman stepped was a pit, Sieghart jumped in without hesitation.

“Come with me, princess.”

“…Your Grace?”

“Now you really must marry me.”

And six months.

The man finally succeeded in his plan.

Sieghart knew that what filled his heart was a wrong feeling, yet he couldn’t give up.

He felt guilty for using the innocent princess who didn’t know the cruel truth as a sacrifice, but then he tried to stop his sympathy by remembering the ten-year-old boy who knew nothing.

However, once his gaze was fixed, it wouldn’t easily fade, and at some point, he found himself constantly watching Natasha.

It was then that Sieghart finally acknowledged his feelings.

Damn you, Sieghart Asthart. Despite dedicating fifteen long years to Callent, you’ve turned your back on your beliefs for mere six months of emotion. You’ve been defeated by just one woman.

Ah, Enoch… Why are you betraying your family?

She’s the daughter of your enemy, young master Callent! Are you going to disappoint your nanny?

At some point, the voices of his family and nanny began crawling through his mind all day. Sieghart Asthart, who had been running towards them for fifteen years, became unforgivable for falling in love with the enemy’s daughter.

Sieghart distanced himself from his wife for three months. Telling himself that if that woman didn’t linger before him, this passionate feeling would surely cool down soon, he immersed himself in work instead of his wife.

Yet, unable to quench his thirst, Sieghart finally accepted his pure love. At the same time, he brought forth the desire that had been hidden behind his thirst for revenge.

I want to live like a human. I want to embrace this precious feeling I’ve realized for the first time.

Having decided to accept Natasha Asthart, he ascended to the wedding altar.

His excitement for the fruition with the woman intensified. He might have even thanked God for being able to abandon the name Enoch Callent and share the name Asthart with this woman.

Until he saw that woman’s red eyes.

‘Why, you ask? Because the count fell for Charliee.’

‘W-what do you mean… Aagh!’

‘Be grateful that you can meet your end by the hands of the Charliee royal family.’

Until he encountered the last remnant of the Charliee royal family.