Ilarid felt as if she had become a piece of meat. A situation where she would be brutally butchered, torn apart by him, and perfectly digested. She shook her head involuntarily. No, that’s not it, I will never break down in front of you.

However, her determination shattered in the face of force. Though drunk, Cledius was overwhelmingly dominant in the power dynamic. He grabbed Ilarid’s wrist and pulled her towards the bed.

“Let go!”

But her cry scattered in the air. This was the plan from the beginning.

Ilarid struggled to detach herself and tried to escape from the bed. Cledius pinned both of Ilarid’s shoulders to the bed and began speaking urgently.

“Listen carefully, Ilarid. It’s the only way for you to survive as the Empress.”

Although the words sounded almost desperate, there was no way language coming from such a coercive environment and posture could be pitiful.

“Have a child.”

“… Don’t be ridiculous.”

“If you have a child, we can subdue all the nobles. Moreover, the Empress’s presence and power will become formidable. You already know this, Ilarid.”

It was a sentence that came to mind even with eyes closed, having written it countless times in manuscripts. The Empress shall produce healthy offspring to continue the imperial lineage…

“Cledius, you seem to be forgetting something.”

Ilarid’s blue eyes shone brightly in the darkness.

“I have no intention of handing over what you want.”

The heir to the throne, the position of Emperor, and even the Empress ‘Ilarid’.

“So live forever in regret.”

The last words trembled slightly but struck Cledius like a dagger.

Eternity was infinite, but regret could not be eternal. It was merely a fleeting past. Cledius murmured quietly as if engraving an unfamiliar word. And he had to face the oncoming anxiety.

Ilarid is trying to escape from him.

Eternity and regret. They didn’t fit together at all, like oil and water. Especially in a world without Ilarid. He gritted his teeth as if his jaw would dislocate.

“… Do as you please. We’ll see who collapses exhausted in the end.”

Cledius’s hands tightened. The outer garment had already been stripped off and fallen to the floor. The more fiercely Ilarid resisted, the more persistently he entangled her.

She didn’t want to cry over this, but tears fell involuntarily. Does anger make one cry when it reaches its limit? Ilarid managed to free one hand and struck Cledius, who was pressing down on her.

The sound of the slap echoed quite loudly. It felt like time had stopped. Cledius froze, unable to process his turned head.

She didn’t miss that opening. Without time to wipe away her tears, she dashed towards the balcony. Cledius urgently chased after Ilarid, but her actions were faster.

“Don’t come near me!”

Ilarid precariously climbed onto the railing. One wrong move and she would fall down at any moment.

A teardrop fell like a pearl from the tip of her chin. Silent anger and sorrow stained the balcony. Cledius stared blankly at Ilarid, unable to approach.

“… Ilarid.”

Ah, this feels quite familiar. Ilarid bit her lip as she realized the familiar situation.

After sending Melpiram away like that in the past, she had stood alone on the Empress’s balcony countless times.

Should I just fall and die? Would I die if I fell from this height? If I disappeared from the world like this, I wouldn’t feel the choking sadness or pain anymore.

But the person who held back Ilarid then was none other than the child.

She had to protect it. Let’s live at least until giving birth, no, until it comes of age. She had to comfort herself like that while cradling her gradually swelling belly.

The child left. The small child who never even cried properly while alive. After sending it away, she lived holding onto only the hatred engraved by Cledius.

Now it’s different. She can’t die. There are too many people who believe in Ilarid and remain by her side. She had let go of the hand of hatred long ago.

The reasons for Ilarid to live grew one by one until finally reaching Lebel. The person who first inscribed the ticklish word ‘love’ and who was the present that had walked from the past.

Her mind was strangely peaceful. Somehow, it felt like Lebel would be below the balcony. Since climbing up went smoothly, wouldn’t it be possible to catch someone falling?

Groundless belief brought courage. The future Ilarid would probably say it’s not courage but recklessness if she heard this.

But thanks to that, the present Ilarid could smile in front of Cledius. No more tears fell.

She slowly looked up at the sky. There was no moon today, but stars densely filled its place. It was a suitable day for hiding oneself.

“I’ve stood here many times, Cledius. You probably never even imagined it.”

Cledius realized the seriousness of the situation. The alcohol’s effects disappeared in an instant. Though there was no wind, the whirling situation before his eyes made his mind dizzy.

“Ilarid, come down.”

“And then what if I come down?”

You’ll drag me back to bed. You’ll try to dominate my body and mind over and over to fulfill your own greed. So I intend to resist until the end.

“… You can’t confine me.”

The strength suddenly drained from Ilarid’s arms. Not just her arms, but strength gradually left her entire body. She felt an almost magical force as if someone was pulling her from behind. Ilarid closed her eyes and naturally leaned back.

The silver waves fell downwards.

“Ilarid!”

He desperately reached out his hand but couldn’t reach her. The fleeting smile on Ilarid’s face as she fell gouged Cledius’s heart.

Why did she smile at that moment of all times? That beautiful curve was close to joy stemming from composure without the slightest lingering attachment.

Cledius barely walked towards the balcony. An eerie silence followed. Hoping the worst imaginable situation hadn’t unfolded, and if by some miracle there was one, may it be directed towards Ilarid.

But Ilarid was nowhere to be seen.

Like a ghost, she had disappeared without a trace.

**

An untimely emergency descended upon the imperial palace.

The imperial guards who received Kailem’s orders moved swiftly and discreetly at the same time. The order they received was astonishing.

Find the Empress who has disappeared within the imperial palace.

It was surprising enough that the gentle and virtuous Empress had disappeared in the middle of the night, but the fact that it happened within the imperial palace was even more astounding.

Confusion also engulfed the Empress’s quarters due to the Empress’s sudden disappearance. The head maid set out to search outside the Empress’s quarters along with the maids and guards.

Cledius returned to the now empty Empress’s quarters. The bed sheets were all crumpled, nakedly revealing traces of what had transpired. Only the white outer garment that had fallen below wandered, having lost its owner.

“Ilarid.”

If she had fallen, there should have been at least a small trace left. But there was nothing right below the balcony. No signs of damaged or disturbed grass could be seen.

His wife had truly vanished without a trace, as if she had sunk into the ground.

Was he bewitched? It might be so. From the moment they first met until now, perhaps he had gone mad over the woman called Ilarid all along. Cledius clutched the outer garment Ilarid had left behind.

“… I didn’t want to do it this way.”

Blaming it on alcohol was a poor excuse. The trailing end of his desire to keep her by his side had blinded Cledius.

A faint scent of roses wafted through his breath. A woven fabric of warp and weft. Ilarid’s fragrance permeating it still felt vivid as if she were nearby.

Deep wrinkles formed on the white outer garment. If only she could have been so easily held in his hands. Even if difficult, he had hoped she wouldn’t slip away.

“Why can’t it be me?”

I was the one who first noticed you and took you into my eyes. He laid the outer garment on the bed as if laying Ilarid down.

The emptiness of not obtaining what he desired most turned into anger. He didn’t need to look to know which direction it was headed.

‘Lebel.’

Even uttering that name was grating. The inside of his dry, chapped lips stiffened.

Whether he was actually with Ilarid or not wasn’t important. What Cledius needed right now was a target for venting his anger.

Once that thought occurred, there was no reason to hesitate any longer. Cledius left the Empress’s quarters and headed towards the mercenary camp, leading the imperial guard forces.

**

What thoughts crossed her mind as she fell?

The last sight Ilarid saw was the array of stars dotting the pitch-black night sky.

Cledius’s cries calling out “Ilarid!” barely registered in her ears. What thoughts would he have seeing his wife falling? Ilarid closed her eyes watching the sky grow distant.

There was no sensation of hitting the ground. No pain at all. Instead, she only felt someone’s warmth and strong hands.

When she opened her eyes again, Ilarid’s gaze met Lebel’s.

“… Thank you.”

“Why on earth…!”

But he was the type of man who acted faster than words. Before asking for reasons, he needed to hide her body immediately. Lebel swiftly assessed the blind spots and moved while carrying Ilarid.

Soon, Cledius’s shouts and the noisy movements of the Empress’s quarters’ maids echoed like an echo. Ilarid, cradled in Lebel’s arms, couldn’t say anything.

It was a reckless and foolish act. What if Lebel had been far from the Empress’s quarters… She quietly grasped Lebel’s collar. His eyes were not looking at Ilarid but vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

Currently, Lebel was in a situation where perfect concealment was impossible. The words ‘imperial guards’ and ‘search’ were clearly heard amidst Cledius’s shouts. He would probably mobilize all the forces within the imperial palace to find the missing Ilarid.

‘This is troublesome.’

Should he inform Ilarid of this fact?

But doing so would naturally reveal that his physical condition was at its worst. He didn’t want to show that he was in pain either. It would only be an obstacle in Ilarid’s path.

Eventually, the surroundings grew quiet. Ilarid spoke first.

“I’m sorry.”

“Please never do that again. Do you know how much I…”

Lebel was on the verge of suffocation due to the emotions rising to the tip of his chin. He couldn’t continue his next words.

What were your feelings at the moment of falling? He embraced Ilarid again. He was afraid she might sink into the ground if he let go even for a moment.

It seemed like it would come back even if he closed his eyes. The back view as she fell, relaxing her body with a thud. The waves of hair and white nightgown billowing upwards.

It was a familiar posture, as if she had attempted and thought about it many times. Fortunately, he had been on standby below just in case.

The sound of insects was the only disturbance in the silence. Ilarid quietly raised her arms and embraced Lebel’s neck.

“I promise. I won’t do it again.”

“… Yes.”

“I felt like you would be below.”

Where there is light, there is always a shadow. Now, Lebel is always present by Ilarid’s side. The layers of trust had unknowingly bound them tightly together.

“I… cannot always be by Your Majesty’s side. So…”

Ilarid’s nape and shoulders gradually became damp. Lebel’s body trembled slightly, filled with anxiety.

The words “It’s okay” wouldn’t come out. Ilarid could only quietly pat Lebel’s broad back while embracing him. Following Ilarid’s touch, his trembling slowly subsided.

“… Search parties will be deployed. It’s dangerous to stay here, so we should move.”

His face looked clear in the darkness. Ilarid gently wiped his cheeks. The damp sensation spread along her palm lines.

“Even so, we’re still inside the imperial palace. There’s something I learned related to the greenhouse incident last time.”

The fact that the imperial palace is quite large, and there are quite a few places Cledius might not have thought of.

Ilarid spoke in a deliberately cheerful voice, partly to change the mood.

“We’re alone again in the middle of the night. Since it’s come to this, shall we solve a ghost incident?”

“I’ll follow you.”

The two stepped out of the shadows. Though it was a pitch-black night without even a light, they weren’t afraid. How many steps had they taken? Ilarid suddenly stopped and grabbed Lebel.

“Your Majesty?”

“There’s something we need to do first. Let’s go to the camp.”