In an unexpected continuation, Evelia flinched for a moment at the unannounced voice. However, quickly identifying the owner of the voice, she turned her head with a fresh expression.

“Why bother saying, ‘Let’s go somewhere together’ out of the blue?”

Evelia retorted with a somewhat strained tone. The depth of emotion in her voice was not nonchalant.

Well, it had been several days since she had been left alone to sleep. It was reasonable to think that her heart might be aching.

“Yeah, you’re right. It seems like I’ve been living too hard as an emperor these days.”

Khalif responded with a sheepish expression but a nimble comeback. The reason why he had no choice but to leave her alone was too clear, but he didn’t want to discuss state affairs in front of Eve, which would only be an excuse to seek unconditional understanding from her.
He approached her with an affectionate smile, and each time, the twitching corners of his mouth seemed adorable in his eyes.

Closing the distance in an instant, he pulled her into a tight embrace without any hesitation. Unlike the expected reaction, her obedient gesture of being embraced was incredibly adorable.

“Can’t sleep?”

He asked, briefly brushing his lips against her nape. Then, he felt a small head move up and down on his shoulder.

“I dozed off while waiting. Felix appeared in my dream.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He asked how I’ve been with a mischievous smile, but after saying that, he just smiled without saying anything. So, I wanted to ask why he’s just smiling, but I woke up by then.”

“So, did you come here because you miss him?”

Khalif, who silently listened to Evelia’s words, asked in a teasing tone.

“Honestly, I do miss him a bit. After all, Felix saved us.”

Evelia’s whispering voice trembled slightly with a hint of nostalgia. Wanting to see another man. In different circumstances, it would have been an unacceptable statement, but because the subject was Felix, Khalif couldn’t say anything.

This place, where Evelia and Khalif were now standing, was where they fiercely battled against the evil aura that devoured Ustia in the past. It was the place where they could feel Felix’s presence for the last time.

Felix, who willingly became Khalif’s sword that day, emitted a powerful blue light and vanished along with the evil aura. Afterward, he couldn’t be found anywhere.

Perhaps, Khalif thought, he might have been sealed again. He even tried to visit the place where he first found Felix, but he wasn’t there.

The fact weighed heavily on his heart, but Khalif didn’t give up.

He ordered Jade Caroline to thoroughly investigate the entire empire. At the same time, he asked for information about unknown caves or discreet places throughout the empire.

Although he didn’t explain the detailed reasons, it was an order based on the expectation that Felix might be dormant in some undisclosed location.

When Jade returned, Khalif planned to visit those places one by one based on his reports. Until then, discussions were underway with the courtiers to build a temple for him in place of the prince’s residence.

Although the Balestropa Empire had only heard about the existence of gods through oral tradition, there was surprisingly little resistance, perhaps due to the calamity that befell the Sun Emperor couple.

As long as there was no objection, a temple would soon be erected at this location. It was planned to be completed before the temple, and if he could find Felix before then and present him as a gift, it would be all the better.

A sincere wish, accompanied by a bitter emotion, surged, but Khalif deliberately smiled, giving more strength to the arm that held Evelia.

“He must be sleeping somewhere.”
“When we first met, you said you were the one who awakened Felix, right?”

“Yeah. During the war with the Elia Kingdom, I retreated to a rugged mountainous area due to being pressed for a while. He was sleeping in a hidden cave there.”

“So, could he be sleeping in a similar place again?”

“Wouldn’t that be the case? Perhaps, he’s sleeping soundly without knowing that we’re worrying like this.”

“Hmph. If it’s Felix, he might be doing just that.”

At Evelia’s joking remark, Khalif felt relieved as she burst into laughter for the first time. Only then did Khalif feel a sense of peace in his heart.

It was always the case, but at some point, Khalif became more attached to Evelia’s smile.

When they were together, she usually said she was happy, but Khalif could only be sure that she was genuinely happy when he saw this kind of unpretentious smile.

“It’s getting late; shall we go back to the bedroom, Empress?”

“For some reason, my legs feel a bit sore today. Will you carry me back, as always?”

In response to her playful and exaggerated treatment, Evelia replied in a familiar and haughty tone. Khalif, who pretended to hesitate for a moment, laughed brightly and nodded willingly.

“Why not.”

He hugged her waist tightly, then firmly supported her buttocks with both hands.

As she was embraced securely, she naturally buried her face into his neck. Her warm breath filled with vitality gently embraced his tired body, relieving the fatigue that pressed down on his shoulders.

It was always like this. After dealing with official affairs all day and returning, Khalif would regain strength by inhaling Evelia’s warmth and breath.

Now, it had become a natural and trivial routine for them. However, precisely because it was natural to be together, each day became extraordinarily precious to them.

Therefore, Khalif couldn’t afford to spend a single day in vain. He did his best every day to love her more than yesterday and made efforts to convey his feelings. Just like now.

“Eve.”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

The laughter, seemingly drunk with sleep, pleasantly filled Khalif’s ears. So, he whispered once more.

“I love you, Eve.”

Saying it several times was not enough. Therefore, he whispered it every day, and the next day, he whispered it again.

Khalif hugged Evelia, giving her even more strength, and embraced her tightly without any gaps.

Today, too, being able to be with her, it was a perfectly happy night.