The ship returned to the capital after a night’s journey.

As if the incident from the previous night was a lie, the white ship gleaming in the morning sunlight created a picturesque scene blending with the surrounding waves.

The ship slowly approached to dock in the river. As it reached the pier, a long hissing sound of steam being released was heard.

Litania, who had been gazing down at the faintly shimmering river water, turned her head to look at those descending the stairs.

Ferus, who was leading the way, looked surprisingly fine, while Vapor following behind had dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept.

It seems that, as Orbis had said, Vapor had been managing Herna’s condition instead of Ferus.

“It looks like Vapor had a hard time.”

“As did you.”

Orbis wrapped his arm around Litania’s shoulders. She glanced at him with coy eyes but didn’t push his hand away.

“That’s right. I had a tough time. It was terrifying.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t rescue you sooner.”

Litania shook her head slightly at Orbis’s response. She now knows he is clearly different from before when he could only watch her in danger.

“Mmm. Thank you for saving me, Orbis.”

Litania gently rested her head on Orbis’s chest. Her long hair tickled his cheek slightly.

‘How strange. I thought pushing him away was the right answer.’

She had thought it would be awkward and uncomfortable to face him after parting like that, but now being like this with Orbis didn’t feel strange at all.

She wasn’t sure if it was the physical contact from the night before that had softened her emotions, or if the foolish wall of pride she had put up to deceive herself had been stripped away after nearly dying and coming back to life.

“You’re not pushing me away now. Is this my reward?”

“Let’s say it is.”

“You’re still narrow-minded.”

“If you know that, be quiet. You’re a gentleman, aren’t you?”

When Litania retorted sharply, Orbis laughed leisurely and embraced her. As his strong arms wrapped around her, Litania melted into his embrace, burying her face in his chest.

“Litania. If we don’t leave the room soon, we won’t arrive at the Imperial Palace on time.”

“Being like this with you feels nice.”

“That makes me happy to hear.”

A low rumbling sound was heard.

“Litania. How long will this reward last?”

“Who knows.”

“If you don’t decide, may I take as much as I want?”

“How much do you want?”

“A lifetime.”

A cool voice moistened her ear. She felt the flowing water filling her heart to the brim.

Litania closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Even in moments of anxiety, smelling this man’s refreshing scent immediately calms her down.

Or, in another sense, it makes her unable to calm down.

“Aren’t you asking for too much?”

“I saved your life, can’t I make a request?”

“A gentleman doesn’t ask for compensation when being considerate to a lady.”

“But he can capture a lady’s heart, can’t he?”

“I haven’t had my heart captured by Orbis, you know? I just said being held feels nice.”

“Does that mean something else?”

“It means something else.”

“I see. Then.”

Orbis swiftly lifted Litania into his arms. As he carried her towards the door, the cabin door opened on its own.

“Orbis?”

“If we don’t disembark, people will come looking for us.”

As they passed through the corridor and emerged onto the deck, Litania felt the gazes of those around focusing on them. She buried her face in Orbis’s shoulder as if hiding from those stares.

“You said it felt nice earlier, why are you being shy now?”

“I don’t know, put me down.”

“I’ll have to refuse that request, my capricious friend.”

Orbis walked through the busy crew members exchanging glances and descended the disembarking stairs.

A breeze carrying the scent of early summer blew by. There was no trace left of the frozen ground’s appearance.

As soon as her confinement as a special envoy for the national marriage was lifted, Herna was imprisoned in the underground dungeon on charges of attempting to assassinate the Imperial Princess once again.

There was no trial. The circumstances were too obvious – she had not been injured in the leg, and had brought a sword disguised as a cane. Moreover, Herna herself did not deny the charges.

However, as public sentiment was only now being rectified due to the joyous occasion of the national marriage, it would not have been good to further escalate an internal issue within the Imperial family.

That’s why Emperor Ferus quietly summoned Litania.

“I am here to see Your Majesty.”

“Mm.”

As if he truly intended to have a private conversation, neither the Empress nor any secretaries were present in the audience chamber. Litania stepped forward and sat facing the Emperor.

The audience chamber was quiet and Ferus’s expression was dark, but Litania was not particularly tense. She knew what he was going to say.

“What do you want done with Herna?”

“As long as she’s alive, she’ll continue to curse me and try to kill me.”

“……”

“It’s a capital offense. And for the second time at that.”

The late Emperor, until his last breath, protected Herna. Even while receiving Litania’s resentment.

But Ferus is different. Although he considers Herna as his sister, he’s not the type to be bound by familial affection.

“But now is not a good time. The border dispute has just been resolved and the national marriage has been arranged. It wouldn’t be good for news of killing within the Imperial family to spread.”

“Your life was threatened. It’s your decision to make.”

“If I say I want Herna to be executed, will you do it?”

“……It would be difficult right away.”

It was an unexpected answer. The reason for Ferus’s dark expression wasn’t because he felt sorry for Litania or because he was at a loss on how to cover up this incident.

It was because he thought he might have to send his own sister to the execution ground by his own hand.

“I don’t like Herna. I don’t need to understand someone who hates me so much that they try to kill me.”

“That’s right.”

“But if I actually see her dying, I don’t think I’ll feel relieved.”

She hated Herna. That greed of trying to take what others have without thinking about what one already possesses was truly sickening.

Litania didn’t think Herna would repent even if she received severe punishment. Even if she were to be on the execution ground.

So Litania decided to think about her own feelings.

“Orbis told me that I’m afraid of corpses.”

At the mention of Orbis’s name, Ferus’s eyebrow twitched. However, he didn’t immediately rebuke, but waited for Litania’s next words with his lips tightly pressed.

Unlike before when he would explode at the slightest provocation, it seemed he had gained quite a bit of patience.

“I don’t want to become someone who rejoices in another’s death. Just because I resent Herna doesn’t mean I want to become a person who needs to see the corpse of someone I resent to be satisfied.”

“Then, what do you want?”

“I’d like her to be sent to a different world than mine.”

“……”

“But since that’s not possible now, let’s make it so that I never see her for the rest of my life.”

Life imprisonment in the underground dungeon.

She would spend the rest of her life without ever seeing the light of day.

Probably, she would curse and resent Litania for the entire time she’s confined there. But that didn’t matter.

Rather than living with the guilt of killing Herna and being responsible for someone’s death, Litania wanted to imprison that person in a despair they could never escape from for life.

That was the first ‘revenge’ she chose.

“I don’t like spending time on people I dislike. Just thinking about them makes me feel bad.”

“Will that be enough for you?”

Ferus’s stern expression softened a little.

It was a look mixed with relief that he didn’t have to kill his own sister, and regret towards Litania.

Seeing that, suddenly a good idea came to mind.

“Of course it’s not enough. I was really scared then.”

“Uh……”

“I still feel chilled sometimes when I close my eyes, like I’m in cold water. The kidnapping incident during last year’s hunting festival also comes to mind, and my chest feels tight. And that’s not all. Even before that, at the ball……”

“Al-alright. Then what more do you want?”

When Litania suddenly started pouring out words rapidly, Ferus cut her off, seeming a bit flustered.

“I need someone to protect me.”

“Should I increase your guards?”

“No.”

Litania shook her head.

“I want to remarry Orbis.”

His expression, which had relaxed slightly, suddenly froze. For the first time in a while, his brow furrowed deeply and his ash-colored eyes blazed with killing intent.

‘Why does he dislike Orbis so much… I think I understand, though.’

Litania wasn’t one to be scared by Ferus’s frown. She shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking.

“The time I felt safest was when I was in Yongseong.”

“He’s the most dangerous.”

“I know. That’s why to avoid the most dangerous person in the world, the only way is to become one with that person.”

“Have you been bewitched by him again?”

At Ferus’s words, Litania made a contemplative expression for a moment, causing him to frown.

“I can’t allow remarriage. The first order I gave after becoming Emperor was ‘the divorce of Imperial Princess Litania and Marquis Orbis Reberto Aeternitas’.”

Ferus rubbed between his brows and let out a small sigh.

“I won’t revoke it.”

“Then would it be okay if the name is different?”

“What?”

“Your Majesty’s order was ‘the divorce of Imperial Princess Litania and Marquis Orbis Reberto Aeternitas’, so it should be fine if Orbis is not ‘Marquis Orbis Reberto Aeternitas’, right?”