Detecting Ilarid’s trembling, Cledius sat on the bed where she was lying.

Trapping her body with both arms, he murmured in a low voice.

“Why.”

She remained motionless, examining Cledius’s expression. But his face was obscured by his hair.

“Do you want to know what happened?”

Cledius gently pulled down the outer garment covering Ilarid.

The corset that had been constricting her body was gone. The navy dress and white underskirt she had been wearing were both stained with blood and torn to shreds.

Perhaps this man had not administered an antidote, but injected poison instead. Unable to do as he pleased, he might intend to forcibly take her after rendering her immobile.

Ilarid barely shook off the oncoming fear and glared at Cledius.

Finally, Cledius faced Ilarid. He covered her again with the outer garment, his mouth closed.

His eyes, which always shimmered ominously, seemed particularly subdued today.

“Don’t worry. Nothing happened that you would need to fear.”

It was a different tone from when he used to drawl while meticulously using formal speech. But Ilarid still did not lower her guard.

“As for the antidote and all, I had to undo the corset first because there was bleeding. I tore the clothes in a hurry, but. I’ve disinfected the wound temporarily, so make sure to show it to the royal physician.”

Uncharacteristically, his explanation was quite long. Whether he was nervous or rambling excuses was unclear. At Ilarid’s suspicious gaze, he sighed and blurted out:

“…I have no desire to embrace a patient.”

“How… unexpected.”

Ilarid managed to force out. Was the man who had massacred the Empress’s family and still persistently demanded conjugal duties now planning to take a moral stance?

Cledius raised his hand and placed it on Ilarid’s forehead. As if checking for a fever, his hand lingered there for a while.

“You must have heard that bastard’s voice in your dreams.”

It was a gray voice devoid of any emotion.

Despite his wife uttering another man’s name in her unconscious state, the result was unexpectedly different.

Was he forcibly hiding it, or did he truly feel nothing? Cledius tidied Ilarid’s disheveled hair with a rather gentle touch.

“But I’d like you to remember that we’ve spent far more nights together.”

And he immediately whispered in Ilarid’s ear.

“I’m quite familiar with your body.”

He knows when she faintly trembles at his touch, when she averts her gaze and closes her eyes in certain situations.

He knows the shadow that faintly creases her brow beneath her neat forehead, the lips that are bitten and filled with blood with each movement, and the bed sheets that crumple under his hands.

Above all, he knows how she’ll react when he whispers words like this.

“…Shut up.”

An unpleasant laughter, like metal scraping glass, echoed along Ilarid’s earlobe.

“Yes. This is how my Empress should be.”

Come on. I’ve been waiting for you to say this, Ilarid.

“Conjugal duties will be impossible for a while, so one of your worries has disappeared.”

He had demanded it persistently, considering it the only time he could possess Ilarid. She complied with the conjugal duties without much resistance. That, too, was a quality of a wise Empress.

Of course, her physical condition was terrible, so the royal physician’s cautions always followed.

Because of this, conjugal duties were limited to only a handful of times a year. It was probably the best excuse she had barely managed to create by deliberately bathing in cold water and skipping meals.

Cledius always had to endure his thirst. But he didn’t want to force a relationship. He could have easily done so, but his pride and last remaining courtesy held him back.

Despite the fact that demanding conjugal duties itself was already an act of violence, Cledius failed to recognize this.

A foolish and short-sighted Emperor. Ilarid glared at him with all her might.

She didn’t want to crumble because of such things, no matter what.

“If you use all your strength in your eyes, you might not be able to get up at all.”

Even now, she was probably barely holding onto her fading consciousness while confronting Cledius.

“I worked hard to detoxify and save you, but I don’t even get a word of thanks. Quite disappointing.”

“Who… asked you… to save me…”

“Sleep a bit more. It’ll take more time for the medicine to take full effect.”

Cledius raised his hand and covered her eyes. Once again, pitch darkness filled her vision.

It was rare for him to use this semi-formal speech pattern, so she couldn’t quite get used to it.

There had never been a time when they spoke comfortably within the Imperial Palace. When she was the Crown Princess, the Empress Dowager watched the two with piercing eyes, and after becoming Empress, she couldn’t bring herself to speak casually. Rather, she became even more polite and drew clear lines.

Ironically, after the tragedy, they began to speak informally while being hostile to each other.

But it was never comfortable. Had they become numb after being whittled down countless times?

More importantly, where was this place? It definitely wasn’t the Academy.

Ilarid tried to look around, but it was impossible under Cledius’s hand. Was this the Emperor’s secret space? She had only heard of such a place but had never seen it even once.

‘It’s either inside the Imperial Palace… or the space connected to the greenhouse Lynette mentioned before.’

She tried to hold on until the end, but sleep gradually overtook her.

How did the Academy inspection conclude? What about the plans they were supposed to discuss? And the students? She didn’t want to lose consciousness again, but at that moment, her eyes slowly closed.

Cledius faintly smiled, feeling Ilarid’s eyelashes tickle his palm.

When her movements finally ceased, he slowly removed his hand from her eyes.

My brilliant green shade. You, who rushed into the center of my desolate life in silence.

“…I’ll be with you until your last moment.”

So please, live long.

**

When Cledius left the Imperial Palace, it was nearing dawn.

It was rare for fog to settle in the palace, but today an unusually hazy atmosphere lingered inside. Cledius carried Ilarid out of the secret space.

Fortunately, the antidote had done its job in Ilarid’s body.

By the time she had fallen back asleep, both her breathing and pulse had stabilized. Of course, she would need to rest and recover for a while.

As he exited the main gate of the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Guard, servants, and maids who had been waiting withdrew in an orderly manner.

It was a magnificent sight piercing through the fog. This was just a small part of the Emperor’s power that no one could question.

Those gathered bowed their heads in unison at the sight of the Empress in the Emperor’s arms.

The Emperor’s navy ceremonial robe covering her body and her silver hair cascading like a waterfall shimmered white even in the dawn mist.

Peering through the fog, Lebel was nowhere to be seen.

‘At least he knows his place.’

The corners of Cledius’s mouth curved into a satisfied smile. At best, he would be hiding in the shadows of the Empress’s Palace, waiting for Ilarid.

‘Or… he might follow under the cover of fog.’

Ilarid was still asleep. Cledius turned and ordered the servants and maids following him:

“Everyone, withdraw. I’ll go alone.”

The blue dawn mist was suitable for hiding one’s body. Lebel quietly followed the two people ahead.

More precisely, it was one person.

Ilarid, cradled in Cledius’s arms, showed no movement. It was impossible to tell whether she was simply asleep or unconscious.

But if something had happened, the royal physician would have rushed into the Imperial Palace immediately.

If she was being carried to the Empress’s Palace in Cledius’s arms, her condition must have stabilized.

If he were to rush out now and attack the Emperor…

“Refrain from foolish actions.”

Cledius abruptly stopped his steps. And without turning back, he spoke. As if he had known all along that Lebel was following.

Red eyes pierced through the hazy mist and looked back at Lebel. At the same time, Ilarid, cradled in his arms, faintly came into Lebel’s view.

Ilarid, with her hair flowing long, being carried like a doll. It was the first time Lebel had seen the young lady in such a state, an unfamiliar sight.

“Do you understand now? Your position.”

The acrid smell of fog entered his lungs. Lebel remained in the fog, unable to approach Cledius. Cledius continued speaking in an emotionless voice.

“You can’t do anything.”

A pitiful state where you can’t step forward for your loved one, can’t save them, and can only hide in the fog and watch.

‘Know your place.’

Within Cledius’s indifferent voice lay pervasive mockery.

For the first time, the emotion that enveloped Lebel’s skin was anger.

‘And you, have you won the heart of the one you love so much? Aren’t you rejoicing at gaining even this much, clutching onto a piece of rotten, festering hatred?’

But after the suppressed anger came sadness. Painfully, everything Cledius said was true.

Lebel stared blankly at the mirage-like Emperor and Empress.

“Her Majesty the Empress…”

“As you can see.”

Cledius displayed Ilarid as if he was doing a great favor. Even in the hazy fog, she alone was clearly visible.

The Emperor’s navy ceremonial robe covering Ilarid. It looked like a clear mark of ownership, as if indicating she belonged to the Emperor.

Ilarid was still the Emperor’s wife. As long as she didn’t leave her position as Empress, she had to exist within Cledius’s grasp.

Despite the blurriness of the surroundings, a clear line was drawn that couldn’t be crossed.

Lebel was in the shadows, and Ilarid was in Cledius’s arms, in the sunlight.

Cledius glared at Lebel before leaving the spot.

Instead of the subtle fragrance that always emanated from Ilarid, the smell of blood wafted over. Lebel’s eyes closed involuntarily at the unfamiliar scent.

He could do nothing.

Though he had escaped his slave status, he was no match for the Emperor. It was a reality he knew painfully well, but facing it was still difficult.

Why is resignation so hard?

Lebel was left alone in the fog. He couldn’t bring himself to head towards the Empress’s Palace.

When they arrived at the Empress’s Palace, everyone was in tears.

Had they all stayed up all night? Cledius quietly observed the Empress’s attendants.

From the head maid to the menial maids, they all looked terrible.

He headed straight to the Empress’s bedroom without even receiving guidance from the head maid. It was a place he could find with his eyes closed, having visited so many times.

The bedroom was a place he always wanted to be together, but couldn’t.

Countless nights spent together, remaining only in the past.

He laid Ilarid down in the place where those traces must have been forcibly etched.

“The Empress needs rest for a while. Head maid, discuss and adjust the Empress’s schedule accordingly.”

“…As you command.”

“It’s not severe, but there’s a penetrating wound near the waist. Call the royal physician to properly disinfect it, and avoid tight clothing around the waist for the time being.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The maids bowed deeply. Then they hurriedly approached Ilarid, who had been laid on the bed.

Lynette ordered the maids to bring warm water and towels. They needed to wipe off the dried blood stains first and change her into new clothes.

Ilarid’s appearance was miserable. The traces of torn clothes and corset, cut to restore blood flow, hinted at the urgent situation at the time.

Seeing such a sight, one couldn’t help but feel scared. Lynette anxiously arranged Ilarid’s clothing and instructed to bring new clothes.

‘Surely nothing really happened…’

“Nothing happened, so don’t worry.”

As if her mind had been read. Lynette was startled but pretended to be nonchalant as she tended to Ilarid.

Soon, warm water was brought. The head maid and maids began wiping Ilarid’s body with wet towels without hesitation.

Cledius stood beside the bed, staring intently at what the maids were doing. He seemed determined to witness everything happening to Ilarid with his own eyes.

However, to completely change her clothes, they would have to expose her naked body.

The maids noticed the Emperor’s gaze and hesitated.

It was understandable when he had carried the Empress himself, but why was he still staying to watch even after his task was done?

Despite the maids’ silent signals, Cledius showed no sign of leaving.

“…Your Majesty. I beg your pardon, but I would like to say something.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Alice put down her wet towel and stepped forward.

‘I would like to say’? Was she going to speak without even asking for permission? Truly an impertinent maid. Cledius glared at Alice with displeasure.

But something was strange. Those green eyes seemed familiar. He narrowed his eyes and overlaid someone else’s face with a subtle expression.