Although the rain had lessened somewhat, it still stung as it struck her cheeks.

The sharp, cold sensation flowed down Ilarid’s cheeks and jaw. Her neatly styled hair was now quite disheveled from alternating between running and walking.

Being a cloth doll, it would surely be soaked and ruined by the falling rain. It would be good if it didn’t wash away somewhere.

Ilarid bit her lip hard as she quickened her pace. She could hear Lynette’s footsteps following in the distance, but didn’t bother to look back.

‘You’re a bad mother, aren’t you?’

How could one forget the day their child died?

With each damp step, traces of self-reproach were scattered. Whether from the rain or tears, her eyes kept stinging. She raised her hand to rub away the hazy mist filling her vision.

Ilarid feared most the fading of memories of those who had died.

She hated losing memories, but forgetting was even more unforgivable.

Her pace gradually slowed. Just a few more steps and she would reach the child’s grave. Ilarid deliberately closed her eyes tight and reopened them, finding it difficult to face the child’s gift that would have changed so miserably.

“Oh…?”

There was an umbrella spread open over the child’s grave.

The black umbrella was slanted over the tombstone, blocking the falling raindrops. Thanks to this, neither the tombstone nor the doll placed on the altar were very wet.

Was it placed there before the rain started? As if someone had predicted it would rain.

“Oh my, Your Majesty the Empress, why are you walking so fast? And you’ll catch a cold! No coat, no umbrella!”

Lynette rattled off a string of nagging as she held an umbrella over Ilarid and helped her into a raincoat. Then she shifted her gaze to follow Ilarid’s to the child’s grave.

“Oh my, it seems someone came by.”

“Whoever it was… there’s someone else who remembers the anniversary.”

I thought everyone had forgotten. Raindrops flowed over Ilarid’s bitter smile.

‘Better than me, even bringing an umbrella.’

Ilarid approached the tombstone. Her clothes, already soaked, clung uncomfortably to her legs and arms, but she paid no mind as she crouched down in front of the stone.

Reaching out slightly to touch the toy, it wasn’t very wet considering the amount of falling rain.

Who could it be? If they had been here, Ilarid might have forgotten her dignity as Empress and hugged that person tightly.

It was truly someone to be thankful for. They must know that Ilarid leaves toys on the birthday.

“I’ll leave it for a few more days.”

Ilarid murmured as if to herself. It had always worried her. As if rushing to burn it just 3 days after gifting. As if fleeing from remembering and recalling.

Lynette, holding the umbrella behind her, simply listened to Ilarid’s words without adding any of her own. What comfort could one add to another’s immeasurable sorrow?

“Later, I’ll come again.”

I’ll come more often, not just on birthdays and death anniversaries. Ilarid quietly repeated to herself. Then she gently stroked the tombstone sheltered under the umbrella.

The tombstone, which should have felt cold, held a faint warmth thanks to someone’s care and consideration.

**

When Kailem Western appeared in the long corridor of the Imperial Palace, people nearby froze instinctively, unable to move.

Though wrinkles were gradually increasing on his face, he was still very much active.

From the previous Emperor, to the Empress Dowager, to the current Emperor, the Captain of the Imperial Guard remained unchanged as “Kailem Western”.

Some complained about the fact that a commoner without even a proper title was the Emperor’s closest aide. There were still those who refused to acknowledge his abilities.

But when faced with Kailem’s force, those words were swallowed back. Intimidated by his frightening aura, people only grumbled their complaints quietly behind his back.

Kailem was on his way to the office, summoned by Cledius. Encountering Ilarid from the opposite direction, Kailem greeted her with a proper bow.

“Your Majesty the Empress, a peaceful afternoon to you.”

“It’s been a while, Kailem. A good afternoon to you too.”

Under Ilarid’s gaze, a few strands of his graying hair were visible. He had been in service to the Imperial family since his youth until now.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the prestige of the Imperial Guard had risen thanks to Kailem. His thorough separation of public and private matters, and his exemplary attitude of incorruptibility were acknowledged even by factions dissatisfied with him.

Of course, the current Imperial Guard’s image had greatly declined due to some nobles muddying the waters.

No matter how hard Kailem Western struggled, it would be difficult to completely change the current Imperial Guard.

He was the most important key in Ilarid’s plan. The one who guards and assists the Emperor most closely. No different from Cledius’s right-hand man. If she could recruit him, Ilarid’s planned task would become much easier.

But nothing was as obscure as Kailem’s true thoughts. One who shows unlimited loyalty to the Imperial family while receiving subtle contempt from the nobles. Might there not be another secret hidden beneath that calm exterior?

If he had married, it might have been easier to become acquainted with his wife and persuade her. Surprisingly, Kailem was still single.

“Then… excuse me first.”

He disappeared towards the Imperial Palace. The sound of his straight footsteps gradually faded away.

His uniform always pressed like a knife’s edge and his posture never deviating an inch. Truly worthy of being everyone’s role model.

Though his status was somewhat flawed, he must have received many marriage proposals in his younger days. But why?

“The Captain of the Imperial Guard? I heard he was married.”

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it. I thought he had lived his whole life alone.”

When Ilarid brought up the topic of Kailem to the maids, some of them approached her with sparkling eyes. Lynette was among them.

“Actually, I heard he was widowed quite early. Was it two years after the wedding? They say his wife passed away from illness.”

“That’s different from what I know…? From what I heard, she passed away just a few months after the wedding.”

“There’s also a story that they never married, and it ended as just unrequited love?”

“I see…”

A widower, was he? The rumor circulating among some people was that he was a lifelong bachelor. It must have been a marriage from his youth, and since he never spoke of it himself, groundless rumors were bound to spread.

He was truly a man surrounded by diverse rumors. As Ilarid listened to each of the maids’ stories, she noticed something strange.

“But how do you all know so much?”

Everyone just looked at each other, not daring to speak first. In the end, Lynette took the lead.

“He’s quite popular among the palace people.”

“Kailem is…?”

Ilarid recalled Kailem’s appearance again. The color of his hair and beard slowly turning gray, the wrinkles of age etched on his face. He clearly looked middle-aged at a glance.

Of course, those who were originally beautiful don’t completely lose their former radiance even when hit directly by the passage of time. Following the natural principle that a handsome man becomes a handsome middle-aged man as he ages, Ilarid and the maids nodded their heads involuntarily.

“Do you all think he’s handsome?”

Ilarid asked the maids and servants attending nearby. As if they had much to say, a maid who had been watching cautiously from the side chimed in.

“He’s neat, dignified, and above all, he treats us girls kindly too. He never raises his voice carelessly. And…”

The maid hesitated for a moment, glancing at the Empress and the head maid. Ilarid nodded, indicating it was alright to speak.

“Honestly… he’s handsome.”

Pfft. The maids, Lynette, and even Ilarid couldn’t hold back their laughter. While everyone covered their mouths to laugh, the maid hunched her shoulders, wondering if she had said something wrong.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn…”

“No, you’re right. Despite his age, the only one in the Imperial Palace boasting of a handsome and neat appearance is the Captain of the Imperial Guard, Kailem Western.”

Lynette had laughed so much that tears formed in her eyes, and she pressed her fingertips horizontally near her eyelashes. In the slightly relaxed atmosphere, everyone added a comment.

“He must have been a real beauty when he was young, right? He’s still so handsome now.”

“Ah, if only I were ten years older, I’d throw myself at him right now.”

“Oh hush, you wouldn’t even have a chance to squeeze in. Seems he was very close with his late wife.”

“How do you know that, Head Maid?”

“There’s a locket pendant he always carries.”

That locket pendant kept near his heart. Usually, people put bone fragments, hair, or portraits in them to remember the deceased.

Probably inside that pendant are his late wife’s hair and portrait. While Ilarid was lost in thought, the maids gathered in small groups to continue their conversation.

“I once saw him take it out and look at it. He must still miss her.”

“Can we receive such love before we die?”

“What use is love received after death? It only has meaning if you receive it abundantly while alive.”

“But isn’t it a bit thrilling to know that someone is thinking of you when you’re no longer in this world?”

“How would you know as a corpse? How could you feel anything buried in the dirt?”

Excitement rippled among the ceaselessly chattering maids. A devoted love willing to die for you, an eternal love promising to remember even after death. No word as easily evoked passion as the word ‘love’.

“Your Majesty the Empress, what do you think?”

“Well, I…”

Can one continue to love and think of those no longer in this world? Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. She thought of her dead family members one by one. And the child who departed without even receiving a name.

Ilarid always dreamed. Sometimes nightmares of the past, sometimes bittersweet fragments of memories like last time. But dreams only show things of the past. Sometimes she wished they would appear before her, even as ghosts.

‘Not once have you come to me…’

Such unkind people. Noticing Ilarid’s darkening expression, Lynette quickly sent the maids and servants out.

“Those tactless… I’ll caution them separately.”

“No, it’s fine. It came up naturally in conversation.”

Lynette glanced towards the door, waiting for the sound of footsteps to fade away. As if about to share some secret, she kept watching outside cautiously.

Finally, when all was quiet, Lynette lowered her body towards Ilarid and whispered.

“About the matter you asked me to look into before.”

“You mean about the daughter of Count Darrent. Did you find out?”

“It took some time moving discreetly. But…”

Lynette moistened her lips for a moment. Though only the two of them were in the room, Lynette’s cautious behavior suggested the situation didn’t look good. She raised one hand as if to whisper directly into Ilarid’s ear, lowering her voice even further.

“They say she can’t be seen.”

“She’s completely disappeared from the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes. The final disposition was made not by the Empress, but by His Majesty the Emperor himself. But there’s no trace of it anywhere. No records of her leaving the Imperial family, nor of her staying inside.”