Fortunately, by the time we entered the conference room, most of the discussions had concluded.

Hades nodded his head in satisfaction at the conclusions and dismissed all the officials present.

The room emptied quickly, and soon it was just the two of us remaining.

“Now we can finally have a proper conversation.”

His eyes, the color of amethyst, focused on me. I then realized. Hades had not attended the meeting, which he could easily have avoided, for its own sake. His true intent was…

‘To be left alone with me.’

I opened my mouth slowly.

“Do you not like Amy?”

“I don’t.”

Hades didn’t deny it.

“But since you intend to keep her by your side, I will not argue about it.”

“If it’s not about Amy…”

Hades stared at me.

“It’s about you.”

I swallowed dryly.

“Surely you won’t ask me to become Donovan’s saintess again.”

“I won’t.”

Hades shook his head.

“Why would I ask you to do something you don’t want?”

In his brief response, I sensed explicit consideration.

“But the fact remains that I can’t leave you as you are.”

I licked my lips.

“Anyway, I won’t be staying long.”

Hades’s eyes hardened.

“People are unpredictable.”

I took a deep breath. Perhaps now was the best time to explain my plan. Leto and his party would arrive soon.

“Your Majesty, I…”

“The envoy, I invited specially because of you.”

“!”

My eyes widened. First, I was surprised that the envoy wasn’t here solely because of his connection to Shuzhechen, and second, I was surprised by the casual tone Hades had unconsciously used.

Realizing it a moment too late, he cleared his throat and continued.

“When the injured knights recover, they’ll see to you. I had doubts about your ability, but now that I’ve seen it with my own eyes… you might have some hope.”

I stared at Hades intently. Iscariel wasn’t just an envoy; he was one of Leodel’s most formidable figures, and countless nobles in the empire eagerly awaited treatment from him.

Even if he had a connection with Shuzhechen, coming to Donovan wasn’t an easy choice.

One question naturally arose.

“Your Majesty, if it’s not rude to ask…”

“Hades.”

I blinked slowly. Why did Hades want to be called by his name at such a moment? Well, there’s no reason not to.

“Yes, Hades.”

I took a brief pause.

“What offer did you make to the envoy for him to come?”

The corner of Hades’s mouth slightly lifted.

“An offer he couldn’t refuse.”

“!”

“Don’t worry. It’s within my means to handle.”

I pursed my lips.

“What if he can’t cure me? I think he won’t be able to.”

I had a reason for being so certain. Iscariel was powerful, but considering Leodel’s robust system, the odds of him curing me were extremely low.

Above all, I wasn’t sick; I was cursed. How could an envoy cure me? Though a cleric could mitigate the effects of a curse, it wasn’t impossible but…

‘If so, Denesor would have told me to find a cleric long ago.’

Hades lowered his head.

“We’ll have to wait and see. In any case, as long as you have years left, I don’t want to see you misunderstood.”

“It’s a misunderstanding you created in the first place.”

“…Yes.”

Hades surprisingly admitted.

“It’s my fault.”

My mouth opened, then closed. Hades Croitner was admitting his own mistake. Was I dreaming?

He leaned towards me, closing the distance between us. A scent of snow and ice came from Hades. My body began to shiver as the cold air seeped from his breath.

“Angelica.”
He called out to me in a solemn voice.

“Allow me to rectify my mistake.”

“How can you…?”

I was genuinely puzzled. Could this tangled situation be undone?

The reason Hades had offered the highrisk card of the ‘Saint of Donovan’ was presumably to restore my honor.

“We need the help of Lord Byungbaek.”

“Is it okay to rely on that man’s assistance?”

Though Hades seemed to hold Lord Byungbaek in high esteem, I couldn’t agree. The fake Byungbaek had perfectly mimicked my brother.

If the real Lord Byungbaek didn’t usually behave this way, there would be no reason for the imposter to act like a scoundrel.

Hades chuckled.

“You really do dislike Lord Byungbaek. But give him a chance, too.”

“…”

“It’s not just him who made things go awry against my brother’s will.”

I looked up at him. There was sorrow in Hades’s eyes.

“You’re not at fault, Hades. You know that, right?”

“I know that. But it is my father’s mistake, so it’s my responsibility, too.”

I unconsciously moved closer to him. Even Hades’s coldness now felt familiar to me. Besides, I now realized that touching his skin felt warm.

“If that’s the case, Tobias is also responsible.”

“I am my father’s heir.”

Hades quietly retorted.

“I’ve inherited all of his legacy, so it’s also my duty to resolve his faults.”

I kept my mouth shut for a moment and looked at him carefully. Hades genuinely believed that. That all the faults of his predecessors were his own responsibility.

‘…So this is Hades.’

A person suppressed by an excessive sense of responsibility. And also, a person who took responsibility even for things he didn’t have to.

A longstanding mystery seemed to unravel.