Consecutive questions revealed the absurdity. Calyss, with a skeptical look, was now shamelessly smiling.

“No.”

If she were a noble, she would have to spew hypocritical words that were not in her heart.

But Cloe couldn’t bring herself to tell a lie. If she showed positivity, it would ruin her credibility to see Jane, who was living like her parents were dead, in the palace.

“Do I have to protect the twilight of a woman who tried to harm my people?”

“Isn’t that the right thing to do? You and Helena at least have memories of living in the same house!”

Calyss seemed determined to prove that his words were coming out as intended.

Living in the same house, huh?

“Memories?”
A short sigh ended, and a sneer appeared on her face.

“Do you see me as a fool?”

“Fool? Talking about human decency…!”

“Even at the Duke’s house, didn’t you turn away from the Duchess’s end? To boldly demand mourning on that subject, it’s either shameless or audacious.”

“…….”

“Is the Duke special in both aspects?”

The laughter on the spoken lips lingered for a very long time, only disappearing when Cloe turned away from him, trembling with shame.

Left alone, Calyss groaned along with the wind’s will.

In his hazy mind, Cloe’s voice floated. Her cold voice was sharp like pointed glass, as if sharp fragments were flying towards him.

“I, I… It couldn’t be helped. I have to live too. It’s not my fault. How can Helena’s death be my fault?”

Calyss also struggled endlessly. He thought he should beautifully decorate the final moments of his beloved wife.

However, reason confronted reality. The instinct to survive actively denied that one who had lived was condemned to live.

“That woman always blamed me for the worsening situation. She always exaggerated my fault and made me the only one at fault! I want to become a good person, but she’s turning me into a villain!”

With an angry face, Calyss stared silently at the place where the woman disappeared.

Damn Cloe!
His small stature made the gaze directed at him unnecessarily domineering, as if looking down on a lower life form.

‘Right now, it’s probably because she thinks I killed Helena. As always, she’s trying to turn my mind like a devil. To instill guilt in me, to make me not realize that she is the culprit…!’

Veins grotesquely popped on Calyss’s pale forehead. His restless hand, in a continuous motion, gripped the blue vial inside his jacket as if about to crush it.

When the smooth clouds were completely engulfed by darkness, and the bluish moonlight was the only illumination.

Kun, dressed in jet-black armor like mine, finished preparing for the expedition.

Today, he planned to go deep into a specific place. Since the risk factor was high, he even properly equipped himself with a helmet, which he usually complained about as uncomfortable and left it behind.

With the helmet attached to his side, Kun peeked outside the barracks. The cold wind penetrated through the armor, biting to the point of making a rustling sound.

A momentary, vague sense of unease engulfed him. It wasn’t just because of the severe cold, unlike usual. It was Kun’s intuition, derived from experience, following the instincts of a beast.

Without a doubt, in normal circumstances, the Kun of the usual times would have passed by such a situation nonchalantly. It was natural. In front of him, any formidable danger became an insignificant case.

However, right now…

“Kun?”

Cloe was there.

Waiting for him alone at the barracks, exposed to various dangers.

“Shall we just rest at the barracks today?”

“Yes?”
“Just, for a change of pace.”

“…Here?”

“Yeah.”

The sturdy helmet that was snugly on the side was soon lifted onto the desk. It was a clear expression of refusal.

“But Kun has stepped up as the representative of the Friede Empire. As other knights of Friede are diligently participating in the extermination, Kun, who is suitable for the role, should do the same.”

Cloe treated Kun as if he were a child throwing a tantrum because he didn’t want to go to school. Her gentle voice gently coaxed the other party.

He still hesitated, but whether he understood that Cloe was right or not, he eventually rose from his seat.

Kun, who participated as the representative of Friede in the hunting festival, was absent for the day. Truly embarrassing.

‘I should instruct Winter to protect him strictly.’

Unconsciously, Cloe held the helmet in her hand.

Approaching her after neatly folding his crumpled cape, Kun raised his head to her.

“A kiss.”

“…”

“You should greet me, Cloe.”

While saying the same words as yesterday.

“…You’re not even asking now?”

“Why would I? It was a clear request.”

The man had turned into a whiner who would only go to school if given chocolate as a snack.

She sighed very briefly, then nodded her head.

And without giving Cloe a chance to place the helmet on the table, a deep kiss followed.
Due to the helmet in her hands, there was no room to grab the opponent. However, the ignorant opponent continued to push against her large body, making it increasingly difficult to regain balance.

Her wavering body suddenly lifted. Hovering in the air for about half a turn, her back was now against the wall.

Naturally spread legs slipped between the opponent’s arms. Successive exposed pelvic bones collided with Kun’s pelvis.

The helmet, which she had been holding tightly, finally fell to the ground. The empty hands that had been floating in the air soon seized the thick nape of Cloe’s neck.

In a short moment, the intensified Kun adhered more firmly.

“Ah, uh… just a moment…”

“Why, Cloe. If you’re going to forcibly send someone who doesn’t want to go outside, you should give them a reward.”

Kun stared at the demon stones gathered on the ground. The large and brightly colored demon stones shone brilliantly in the moonlight.

However, it fell far short of satisfying the man. Kun had to take down the actual ringleader, not these small fries.

‘He said it’s hard to find the source for several days…’

Kun glanced down subtly. The wounds from a few days ago had not healed, and his hands were throbbing.

At this point, he wondered if he should use his own blood as a tool. Of course, it wasn’t about making small cuts like when confronting Cedric; he needed to cut a finger to make it effective.
Maybe someday that trivial word would heal; considering it as if being deceived, he thought of just letting it slide. It’s more painful and annoying to engage in senseless arguing here for days with harsh words.

The decision to dismember the body ended quite monotonously. It was when Kun took off his gloves and drew his sword.

“Your Majesty!”

A knight holding the flag of Freid approached from a distance.

Even after facing the sovereign, he did not lower himself from his words. It seemed that he was only panting on top, wondering why he was in such a hurry.

“Lady, Lady Cloe…!”

And when his mouth finally opened, an ominous premonition engulfed Kun.