Unintentionally looking at the marble floor, his face was covered in a pale sheen. Drool flowed through the still-open mouth due to the shock. Thick mucus covered it.

Having seen the filthy sight, Kun, who had chilled his tongue, finally left his seat.

Cedric, who had been silently listening to the departing footsteps, only raised his head after hearing the mansion’s door close.

If darkness was enveloping him quietly, the moon, previously hidden behind the clouds, revealed itself. Finally, the bluish moonlight shone down in front of Cedric.

Looking at the moonlight surrounding him, he began to marvel. The respectful admiration soon turned into bitter laughter.

“Haha, haha! Hahaha!”

The voice of the departed echoed in his mind.

“Now you have nothing. No money, no honor, and no pawns you can shake in the royal court.”

In the end, it went as the arrogant man wanted. Cedric lost, and Kun won. He lost everything, and the man regained everything. It was a truly distinct difference, like black and white.

Around that time, the words the man had said resurfaced in Cedric’s mind. We can’t be the same since we started from different starting lines.

“Why am I… Why do I have nothing?”
In an attempt to prove that the man’s words were wrong, Cedric ran so hard, but in the end, it seemed to go exactly as the man wanted, making him feel filthy.

“There is one thing left!”

Cedric’s roaring voice filled the empty mansion.

Afterward, he struck the cold marble floor. Waves spread, transmitting intense pain to his hand, but Cedric, unconcerned, repeated the punching several times.

Until blood flowed from the hand gripping the fist. Until the bones twisted entirely, making it impossible to clench the fist.

Cedric burst into laughter, looking at his shattered and messy hand. Soon, a voice full of exhilaration flowed out from his throat.

“I still have my life…! I have one life left!”

It was an incredibly sunny day, where the sparkling sun and refreshing breeze harmonized perfectly, like any other day under the usual blue sky.

However, Cloe’s day in Cloe was not as smooth as the weather today.

After being appointed as the empress of the empire, she began empress education. Originally, the education should have started when she was a prospective empress before the royal ceremony, but due to the urgency of the situation, it began after her appointment.

The title of a princess of a small country and the hostess of a duke’s mansion, once used in the imperial court, felt powerless. Worried about her humble background, the empress’s education became even more rigorous.

The education was not much different from what a kingdom’s princess or a duke’s hostess received. As the empress, she had to excel in all aspects, representing the country.

With the emperor leaving for a business trip to the Sahir Empire, Cloe, left alone, had plenty of time. As a result, she ended up using all the remaining time for education.

She spent all her time on education for several days, from morning to afternoon. And today was no different.

After the lunch banquet, when Cloe was using her break time for a sweet moment, someone knocked on the door of her personal study.

The break time was still intact. The tutor wouldn’t call her so soon.

With a curious mind, Cloe ordered the person to come in.

“Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Winter Kyung.”

The person who entered after crossing the door was an unexpected figure. The tense shoulders, which seemed to be tense until just now, relaxed. Cloe, with a puzzled mind, ordered Winter to come in with a gesture.

“How unusual for you to be here… No, what brings you here?”

Perhaps because it had been a long time since they met, the address felt unfamiliar. As Cloe, who used to speak in an old-fashioned manner, fumbled her words in a hurry, the other person, seeming appreciative, smiled faintly.

“I thought it’s been a while since I met Her Majesty the Empress. Since we haven’t met for a long time, I thought I would greet you. Is it acceptable?”

“If it’s Winter Kyung, you can come anytime.”

“Thank you. I won’t take away Your Majesty’s precious time for long.”

Polite Winter, bowing his waist, was about to take a step forward when he hesitated.
Come to think of it, Winter had rushed over as soon as the knight training ended. Especially today, when the sun was shining brightly, it was hot, and like other knights, Winter was covered in sweat.

Worried that he might emit an unpleasant odor to me, Winter unconsciously sniffed his nose. Fortunately, the smell of the guy wasn’t too strong.

“Do you have some business to attend to?”

“Oh, no. I think I got nervous without realizing it since I’m standing in front of such a beautiful person as Your Majesty.”

Winter hastily mumbled, not wanting to reveal his intention. Even though he was not someone to flatter others, compliments slipped out involuntarily.

Oh no, the sincere feelings hidden beneath were inadvertently revealed.

“Since you say so, I feel even better. The Winter Kyung I know is someone who doesn’t speak empty words.”

“You are correct, Your Majesty the Empress.”

It was fortunate that Kun, who usually stuck by the lord’s side, was not present. Otherwise, Winter’s recent actions might have seemed like rebellion.

He, who viewed all beings of different genders as nothing but young animals, wouldn’t understand the concept of respect for someone of the opposite gender.