Pitter-patter. The rain hitting their shoulders grew increasingly rough.

Those who arrived after trudging through the rainy path were the information officers who had departed for boundary sector 1.

“Charlotte.”

Benjamin took off his robe and shook the water from his wet hair. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at Pyotr, then his gaze naturally shifted to Charlotte.

“You’re soaked through.”

The head maid turned pale.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Majesty!”

“Bring something to cover up with. The wind is still cold.”

As the maids left to fetch blankets, Pyotr gave a brief salute.

“Greetings to His Imperial Majesty.”

“…You seem to be having difficulty moving.”

His gaze turned to the cane.

Pyotr gripped the arm holding the cane tighter. Blue veins bulged on his wrist. His body leaning on the cane was already tilted to one side, and his left ankle was visibly twisted outward.

“Are you able to move well?”

“My body is still clumsy, that’s all. I’ll recover soon, so please don’t worry.”

It’s also questionable how he made it through the rainy path in that condition.

“Y-Your Majesty! You’ve returned!”

The head chamberlain came running out of the palace upon hearing of the Emperor’s return.

As the coachman led his warhorse, Benjamin took off his gloves and handed them to a servant. The servant tucked away his gloves.

“Weren’t you scheduled to return tomorrow?”

“The schedule changed.”

“The messenger just arrived so we were late in confirming your return. We’ve prepared fresh clothes for you. Please come inside.”

As he took off his robe, rainwater dripped down. Benjamin shook off the water and fixed his gaze on Charlotte.

“Is this a habit of yours?”

“It’s an unintentional coincidence.”

“If it’s this kind of coincidence, you should be careful not to let it happen too often. You often show this appearance when I’m away.”

The maids brought blankets and covered them.

“The weather is bad. I advise you to retire for the day.”

Pyotr narrowed his eyes.

“This father will take his leave now. I shall visit again when the time comes.”

The servant standing next to Pyotr swallowed a hiccup.

The servant who had accompanied him from the manor trembled and convulsed. His body stiffened like a dry tree.

The arm holding the cane scraped against the floor with a clack.

“I’ll be going now.”

That servant hurriedly followed behind the head of the family.

[This is the timeline separator]

“The Tuter family’s carriage has just left the imperial palace.”

The information officer bowed his head.

“Have someone keep an eye on the Tuter family. We need to look into them a bit more.”

Benjamin quickened his pace.

Puddles formed under his feet. A damp moisture seeped into his boots. His footprints were clearly imprinted along the path he walked.

The bedroom door opened.

Charlotte turned at the sound. As she wiped away the moisture on her cheeks, a towel dropped on top of her head.

“You’ve become a drowned rat.”

The chill from outside clung to his hands.

He pressed down on Charlotte’s head with his heavy hands.

“Weren’t you scheduled to arrive tomorrow?”

“I wrapped up the schedule as soon as we finished collecting the monster corpse samples. If I had delayed that schedule even a little more, we would have had a rough time.”

The towel blocked Charlotte’s view. Because of that, she was able to speak while avoiding his gaze.

“…I thought your return would be delayed further due to the rain.”

“When I leave the imperial family for too long, you’re always in this state outside my sight.”

Benjamin clicked his tongue in displeasure.

“You’re a complete mess inside and out.”

“That tone says you’re quite displeased.”

“I rushed through the rain, only to find you in this state.”

Benjamin pulled down the towel that had been covering her eyes.

“I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.”

Her wet hair was disheveled and tangled.

“Your complexion looks dark.”

“You mean my father?”

“He was limping, his ankle twisted outward. Just like someone whose ankle bone had been completely dislocated before.”

Even if you straighten your back, you can’t hide how your body’s center is tilted outward. When your ankle is twisted, your body’s center of gravity shifts accordingly.

He recalled the head of the Tuter family as he spoke.

“He’s been going out less lately, and his sickly appearance was evident.”

“So his illness wasn’t a lie after all. Considering his usual temperament, he’s not the type to set foot in the imperial palace looking like that, so I wonder what change of heart he had…”

Charlotte traced her lips and gave a sardonic smile.

“It’s quite different from my memory.”

He was someone who had been slowly destroying himself, eating away at his own flesh.

As if he had reached the end of that, he looked a complete mess.

“However, as if that appearance is his true form…”

Is it an illusion that he’s regained his balance?

Charlotte trailed off.

Her eyes stung. As she pressed the back of her hand against her eyelids, his arm fixed her chin in place.

“Let me see.”

“I think some dirt got in.”

It had been like this for a while now. He peered into her bloodshot eyes and caressed her eyelids.

“It’s because you were outside for so long.”

His calloused hand brushed over her eyelids. The rough touch made her skin feel coarse.

The chill from outside still clung to him.

As she shivered at the coldness, his gaze fell on her shoulders.

“Is the bath not ready yet?”

“It has just been prepared. Please warm yourself up first, Your Majesty.”

The head maid carefully approached and urged.

“I should wash up first then.”

Charlotte’s complexion had already drained, turning pale white.

[This is the timeline separator]

The head maid pressed a towel against her wet hair.

Wearing a white nightgown, Charlotte dozed off leaning against the back of the chair.

Setting down the towel, the head maid brought a comb and brushed her hair.

The woman reflected in the mirror was noble, even with her pale complexion.

Her neckline was slender, and even without wearing a single common necklace, it carried weight.

The head maid glanced sideways at the mirror as she continued brushing.

“Has she fallen asleep?”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll put her to bed. You may go.”

The head maid set down the comb.

“Then I shall take my leave.”

Benjamin slipped his arm under Charlotte’s waist and lifted her up.

A sleeping person’s weight usually becomes heavier. Yet the Empress, lacking even that weight, only instilled doubt of ‘Is this alright?’

‘She’s lost even more weight since I left.’

He had been with her throughout the bath. He knew well how thin and delicate that body was.

They had warmed her rain-soaked body with hot water, and Charlotte had dozed off after bathing.

‘…Is it just my imagination? She’s been sleeping a lot more as we’ve entered the active period.’

Benjamin laid Charlotte down on the bed. The bed sheets sank beneath her, and Charlotte, turning to her side, buried her cheek in the blanket.

When he placed a pillow behind her neck, a faint sigh escaped.

“I didn’t do anything.”

He had simply been by her side.

Benjamin had only guarded that place.

That was his role.

‘Her neck is so thin too.’

Benjamin wrapped his arm around Charlotte’s shoulders and leaned down. As he inhaled the scent clinging to her nape, he ran his fingers through her dark red hair, caressing it.

“I have a meeting with the information officers, so I need to go. You sleep first.”

Benjamin kissed Charlotte’s cheek buried in the blanket.

As he exited the bedroom, servants followed. The head chamberlain brought his outer garments and helped him put them on. He neatly fastened the cuff buttons.

“All the information officers have arrived in the office.”

Benjamin headed in that direction. Rosquella approached and joined him.

The office was filled with stacks of documents. The conference table stretched out in a long line, with several information officers seated.

“Is the monster corpse examination finished?”

“It just concluded. A monster core was present. With a diameter of 1cm, considering it’s the early active period, the progression speed is fast.”

The monster corpse placed in the storage container had a black tinge. It meant it had been corroded by poison.

“Do you remember the ancient covenant?”

“…You mean the treaty that drove out black magic and monsters?”

“It was a covenant and a taboo, and the executors of the covenant bound each other’s souls as proof. The living above ground, the dead below. Not to interfere with each other, not to mix with each other, but to be divided.”

The executors of the ancient covenant designated this land as an inviolable realm, placing a taboo to prevent those creatures from setting foot on this land.

Monsters are drawn to poison, and poison originates from black magic. As black magic was driven from this land, all monsters were also driven underground, and that balance had been maintained until now. But lately, those creatures have been crawling above ground.

“Someone is disregarding the taboo of the ancient covenant.”

“…”

“Trying to draw them up above ground.”

It was something strictly forbidden by the ancient covenant.

A covenant so familiar that everyone had forgotten about it,

A role that had become blurred because its existence was taken for granted.

Because it had always been there, everyone forgot, and the value of the covenant dulled.

“Dispatch the Imperial 3rd Knight Brigade to boundary sector 1 of Poputa. Have information officers accompany the subjugation team to report on the situation in the Poputa area.”

After everyone left, Benjamin remained alone in the office.

The ink from the documents smeared and spread on his wrist. As he rolled up his shirt, furrowing his brow, the office door opened. Rosquella knocked on the doorframe with the back of his hand to announce his presence.

“The weather is terribly humid.”

“…Indeed, it’s been raining all day.”

“It’s always like this at the beginning of the active period, isn’t it? There have rarely been good days. It’s fortunate the paths haven’t frozen over.”

The office felt damp and heavy due to the rain.

Rosquella took out a handkerchief from his jacket.

“Wipe off the ink first. If you leave it too long, it won’t come off.”

Benjamin wiped off the ink with the handkerchief and ran his hand through his short hair.

“Even if your mind is troubled, you mustn’t show it outwardly.”

Rosquella closed the office door and organized the documents.

“Are you worried?”

“About what?”

“The subjugation.”

“Didn’t you just say to hide it even if my mind is troubled? Why are you asking?”

“I’m just asking as your confidant.”

“Subjugation is a familiar task, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“But a small variable has been added, hasn’t it?”

“As you said, it’s small. If it’s small and trivial, nothing will change.”

It was a familiar routine to dispatch subjugation teams and carry out missions as they entered the active period.

Rosquella opened and closed his mouth.

“You leave me at a loss for words.”

Benjamin languidly fingered his wrist.

His eyes sank low.

It was an arm that would never be free of scars and calluses from constant fighting.

Charlotte was in stark contrast to him.

“I see hesitation.”

“Is that so?”

“The person who only looked forward is now constantly looking back.”

“Perhaps it’s because someone left behind is being trampled on.”

Hesitant ankles grew heavier, and footsteps turned to look back.

“You have the expression of having missed something.”

“Perhaps that’s the right way to put it.”

“What’s been missed can be retraced.”

Rosquella approached and asked.

“…Is the Empress being trampled on?”

“It seems so”

“Is it because of that grave?”

“It’s a place touched by those who stood close to death. It was a place she shouldn’t have touched, an area she shouldn’t have been able to reach even if she stretched out her feet.”

Yet Benjamin couldn’t shake off this feeling.

“I feel as if she is standing right next to death.”