Asha’s eyes met his, but she gracefully passed by him with a light nod of her head.

Once she completely disappeared from his sight, Karaf closed his eyes and absorbed the sunlight with his whole body, savoring the words she had said.

A butterfly not bound to a single flower… what a brazen woman.

He was not used to others’ goodwill.

Those who showed me goodwill all had something they wanted or harbored malicious intent to harm me.

Surely she was showing goodwill because she wanted something from me.

If she didn’t achieve her goal, she wouldn’t be mine, and if she did, she would leave without regret.

Just like everyone always has.

That’s why I wanted to make her hate me, who showed me false goodwill.

It might be easier for me if she hated me.

Then I could hate the minority without any guilt.

Minorities are entities that deserve to be hated…

But why?

Thinking about being hated by the butterfly, there was a tingling around my heart.

Remembering my mother, who was the butterfly of the previous generation, Karaf’s face turned slightly bitter.

I wanted to find a way to bind her to me so that the butterfly couldn’t leave my side.

He slowly opened his eyes and said,

“……Duran.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I have an order for you.”

Duran respectfully extended one arm forward and bowed his head.

“Please command.”

“Monitor the butterfly’s every move and report to me. Whether it’s her childhood, what she likes and dislikes, weaknesses, or anything charming, bring everything to me as you gather information.”

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

Duran could not know what he was thinking right now, but he could feel that his feelings towards the butterfly had changed from when he first saw her in reality.

Karaf lowered his eyelids slightly and took an ice cube with a trapped cherry from the wine glass into his mouth.

Red lips sucking ice from a glass cup, and the seductive clavicle, created a strangely alluring atmosphere.

Usually impatient, he would have crunched the ice, chewing the contents within, but now he slowly rolled the coldness with his tongue, melting it little by little.

“Captain……”

Gebe, who entered after pulling back the white tent, stopped at the door with a regretful face.

In the dark tent where the light did not enter, Jackal was there.

He was sitting alone in a corner on a wooden box, hands clasped over his knees, with his head bowed down.

He had been in that state continuously since the day Asha was captured in the palace.

Gebe, holding a bowl of rice, spoke standing.

“Please eat something.”

“……Leave.”

A voice as low as a cave was heard. Gebe sighed once and spoke strongly.

“You must come to your senses, Captain, so that that damn lieutenant may alleviate some guilt!”

At those words, Jackal paused for a moment and then jumped up from his seat.

Watching him leave the tent without a word, Gebe followed him with concern.

As they came out, they immediately saw the lieutenant, kneeling on a snow field mixed with dirt, head bowed down.

Jackal only looked down at him silently.

The lieutenant was blaming himself severely for dozing off while keeping watch over Asha that day.

Fortunately, he did not fall into a deep sleep and was able to notice Asha’s disappearance quickly, but still, it was a fact that due to him, Asha was taken to the palace by a hair’s breadth.

The lieutenant, pressing his forehead to the ground, spoke in a tearmixed voice.

“Captain…… Please do not forgive me……”

Gebe looked at him pitifully from behind Jackal.

The lieutenant’s face had become pale and sallow over the past few days, the whites of his eyes burst with blood vessels, turning red.

Jackal, his eyes darkened, opened his heavy mouth.

“……Come in. I need someone to discuss with.”

At those words, the lieutenant slowly raised his head.

Jackal went back into the tent without looking back.

As the lieutenant staggered to his feet, Gebe quickly came to his side and supported him.

Gebe patted his shoulder without a word and returned to his comrades.

As the lieutenant entered the tent, Jackal looked up at him with a wornout face and said.

“I’m not blaming you. Even if you hadn’t changed the guard, Asha would have tried to leave us in some way. She would have decided it was okay to sacrifice herself rather than hurt us. Because she’s that kind of woman. A woman who doesn’t care about her life, caring for others’ lives first……”

Jackal’s face was infinitely bitter as he finished speaking. The lieutenant bowed his head, unable to respond.

“But we are responsible for failing to rescue her. To you, and to me.”

Jackal raised his head and spoke with strong eyes.

“We will rescue Asha from that damn tyrant at the flower ceremony.”