Caliph stood still in the middle of the Crown Prince’s palace. His unfocused eyes stared into the void, and the breath he had been holding leaked out.

“Sigh…”

Only then did he regain some of his senses. The fog that clouded his mind cleared, and the deeds he had committed came sharply into focus. Then, a sudden sense of uncomfortable fatigue rushed over him.

He never intended to imprison Relia from the start. He stumbled upon Relia, who was glaring viciously at Evelia, and was drawn toward them as if spellbound.

[What on earth have you done?] [Your Highness, what exactly are you trying to say to me? Speak so that I can understand…] [What on earth have you done!!] […] [What on earth have you done to not only sway the Crown Prince but also the heart of the Empress?]

If only Relia hadn’t screamed at Evelia like a half-crazed person, and Evelia hadn’t flinched and shrugged her shoulders. No, if he hadn’t hurt Evelia, he wouldn’t have lost his rationality to this extent.

But Relia was insufferably rude, and he simply couldn’t hold onto his sanity. There was nothing he could do, despite Evelia’s attempts to restrain him. He couldn’t forgive how Relia was treating Evelia so carelessly.

Finally, he issued the command to imprison Relia. It was completely unplanned.

Caliph knew very well from his previous life’s experience. The price of impulsive actions was never light.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop himself. He didn’t even regret what he had done. Yet, aside from that, he was extremely tired.

“Hoo…”

Caliph let out a sigh that had been building up to the back of his throat. Felix, who had been watching him from a distance, slowly approached him.

“…Caliph.”

Felix softly called out his name. But he did not move, his faint breath revealing how exhausted he was. This only made Felix’s already uneasy feeling heavier.

“From your tone, it seems you already know what I’ve done.”

Caliph’s voice was heard only after a considerable pause. Felix looked at him as if he had been waiting.

“You know it’s not a difficult task for me.”

“Well done. I was getting tired of explaining.”

He ended his words with a soft laugh. On any other day, Felix would have retorted in jest, but today, he simply couldn’t.
He looked incredibly fragile, as if he would crumble at the slightest touch.

“I already know everything, so I’ll put it simply. It’s a complete mess. I might have to start over from the beginning soon.”

“Kalif…”

“But I’ve held on quite a bit. Compared to my past lives, I’ve made considerable progress.”

Kalif let out a faint laugh, his head drooping weakly. He had spoken nonchalantly, but he felt suffocated.

It’s easier said than done; I was going against a whole five years. I’ve looped countless lives and shortened it to two years, then three, but it was still a significant amount of time.

Moreover, for one of those years, I had to survive the brutal warfields in place of the real crown prince, Liurian Petrov.

Kalif took a deep breath. The thought alone was horrifying, but the imminent ominous presence was all too vivid, wearing him down.

“…Will this ever end?”

With a sigh, Kalif clenched his eyes shut. Felix’s voice suddenly echoed in his ears.

“Since it’s already a mess, why don’t you just follow your heart for once? If you’re planning to loop again, what’s the harm in trying?”

It was sound advice. Yet, Kalif could only laugh lightly.

Follow my heart? I don’t even know what my heart wants anymore. How can I follow it?

Kalif swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to say. His spirit, already weighed down by skepticism, couldn’t muster any will.

Felix, who had been watching him sympathetically, let out a sigh and spoke with renewed vigor.

“If you’re going to loop again, you’ll be the only one remembering this life. No one will remember what you said or did today. Not even Evelia.”

“…”

“So why don’t you do as you wish for once?”

Felix looked at Kalif, his eyes full of sincerity. He wished Kalif would do just that. He remembered just how much effort and dedication Kalif had put into his countless lives. For once, he wished Kalif would be selfish. He had every right to be.
“Nobody remembers you anyway. You remember everything, but they don’t appreciate any of your efforts. So why do you keep trying?”

“……”

“Kalif, please, just this once, do whatever you want. Even if you have to start over and live this tiresome life again, do it without any regrets.”

Staring into the void, Kalif slowly turned his head. Their eyes met briefly, but no response came from Kalif. However, Felix knew. He knew that his true feelings had been conveyed to Kalif safely.

Felix smiled warmly, his heart full of encouragement. Just then, someone hurriedly crossed the garden.

“Your Majesty, the Empress has sent a summons for you to come to the Empress’s Palace immediately.”

Kalif looked at the servant who had approached him with newly sharpened eyes. It seemed like the consequences of his impulsive actions were about to begin.