“I’m tired of pretending not to know while knowing, living in fear that my knowledge might be discovered.”

Tears that had been held back flowed down her cheeks once again.

She thought fate was only cruel to her, but it seemed not. Because of her, Killian’s fate seemed to have become even more chaotic, harsh, and severe. It was painful, feeling like she had sinned against him.

“Please let me live being able to tell the person I love that I love them, let me live as a father to my child. I wish to live as a normal, ordinary person like that.”

“Killian… I, I…”

What right did she have to let him live? This was too much. Veronia thought Killian was far too good for her.

So she couldn’t give any answer. She just kept shedding tears endlessly.

“Just say you will, Your Highness.”

“…”

As Veronia was moving her lips but unable to give any answer,

Bang, bang, bang. With the sound of rough knocking, the door swung open. And there stood Onyx.

“Nia!”

“…Onyx?”

“…”

The gazes of the three people tangled messily.

Onyx’s eyes capturing the scene in the room grew almost to the point of bursting. Veronia was standing there crying, and Killian was kneeling on one knee in front of her. It was a situation that could be roughly guessed.

Killian and Onyx’s gazes met in a straight line. Killian sent an intense look saying not to interfere, then immediately turned his head back to look up at Veronia. And in an earnest voice, he urged:

“Hurry.”

In his gaze directed at her, there was a desperation beyond yearning. It was a desperation so great that Veronia couldn’t measure its size. It was a desperation so great that even Killian himself couldn’t know its end.

“…Alright.”

At her words that finally burst out, Killian’s face looked as if he had gained the whole world. And he placed a long kiss on the back of her hand that he had been holding all along. With all his sincerity, with all his devotion.

Seeing the two of them, Onyx’s chest felt like a rock that had its edges chipped off after being hit by a sharp chisel. Thump, thump, a huge chisel was mercilessly striking his chest.

But Onyx knew well. That this was not a place where he could interfere.

‘Still… I can’t just stand still like this.’

He wanted to give Veronia a choice. He couldn’t just let her take Killian’s hand without any alternative. He couldn’t let her fall into this fire pit like this.

Thump, thump, as Onyx slowly entered the bedroom, he spoke nonchalantly.

“I was worried after just receiving a letter. I’m glad I came to see.”

Killian, who had already risen from his spot, and Onyx’s gazes clashed in a straight line again. This time, Onyx had no intention of backing down. Maintaining eye contact, Onyx continued his next words.

“Nia, I’ve narrowed down a few places where you can leave right away. You just need to decide. Then we can depart immediately.”

At Onyx’s words, Killian lightly curled up one corner of his mouth and smiled. It was like a smile of victory. This time Killian spoke.

“We’re in the middle of talking about our family’s future, so I’d appreciate it if outsiders didn’t interfere.”

“What? Family’s future?”

A surprised Onyx looked at Veronia. She looked back at him. And with her eyes, she said, ‘That’s how it turned out.’

‘I was a step too late. Damn it!’

Onyx clenched his molars and shut his mouth. He was furious but held it in. He wanted to rush over and snatch Veronia’s hand from Killian’s grasp, but he had to hold back. He knew well that now was the time to step back and wait.

Meanwhile, Killian kissed the back of her hand again with a relaxed smile on his lips.

“Then I’ll come to pick you up at this time tomorrow, Your Highness.”

“…Don’t call me Your Highness. You said you’d treat me as Nia.”

“Yes, alright. Nia.”

“…”

“Well then.”

With that farewell, Killian left the house. He had many things to take care of today. He had to prepare to welcome Veronia and Jediel.

Killian immediately mounted his horse and spurred it on, galloping away at full speed.

After riding like that for about 10 minutes, Killian gradually slowed down and stopped his horse as he reached a small hill after passing through an open space at the entrance of the village.

Dismounting from the horse, Killian walked steadily towards the entrance of the hill, leading the horse. Killian, who had been walking until tall trees surrounded him, finally stopped and called out to the air.

“Yasen, come out.”

As soon as his order fell, one tree shadow rippled fluidly, took on the form of a person, and a person appeared right away. It was a shadow knight wearing a black mask.

“You called for me, Your Excellency.”

“You heard everything, so you understand, right?”

“…”

The shadow knight Yasen just nodded his head heavily once without answering.

As a knight who always followed and guarded Killian hidden in the shadows from the moment he left the duke’s residence, he had heard every word of the conversation with Veronia earlier.

“This is the first order I’m giving in 5 years.”

“Command me, Your Excellency.”

At Killian’s authoritative voice, the shadow knight bowed his head respectfully. The knight’s eyes sparkled.

Five years ago, Yasen had been hired by the Crown Prince to attack Killian during the hunting festival.

But after the operation failed, it was Killian who saved Yasen when he was about to be killed by the Crown Prince trying to eliminate witnesses. Since then, to repay the life debt, Yasen had volunteered to be Killian’s guard knight.

But for the past 5 years, Killian had not given any orders to Yasen. He didn’t stop Yasen from following him around and guarding him either. He just kept him by his side and watched.

But today, for the first time in 5 years, Killian was giving an order to Yasen. Naturally, Yasen’s heart was pounding with excitement.

Killian looked at Yasen and gave the order carefully:

“From now on, you must protect not me, but Imperial Princess Veronia and her child.”

“…”

Yasen’s eyes wavered for a moment, but he soon regained his composure. He had expected this kind of order since he heard the conversation between Killian and Veronia while hidden in the shadows.

“We can’t let the Empress Dowager find her. And we can’t let her disappear like this either. This will be the first and last order I give you. You must protect Her Highness at all costs. Do you understand?”

“I will obey your command, Your Excellency.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“…Yes.”

Counting on me? That’s nonsense. My life has already belonged to Your Excellency since 5 years ago. Yasen bowed his head, holding onto feelings he couldn’t express.

Yasen, who had been keeping his head bowed, only raised it after Killian had completely disappeared. And he immediately hid into the shadows.

After Killian left, Veronia told Onyx about the conversation she had with Killian.

The fact that the Empress Dowager was looking for the silver-haired healer and that the Empress Dowager would stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

That if it was just Veronia alone, she could run away and hide again, but she didn’t want to pass on a life of hiding to Jediel as well.

After hearing Veronia’s story, Onyx’s face twisted grimly. The situation was worrying from start to finish, and there seemed to be no certain and safe solution anywhere.

However, Onyx thought that Veronia entering Killian’s mansion was also a dangerous choice.

“Is that the best option? Isn’t it like jumping into a blazing furnace with both feet?”

“…I don’t know.”

Veronia bowed her head deeply and expressed her honest feelings. Her slumped shoulders looked more fragile than ever, making her pitiful.

“Even if you hide in an iron-clad security mansion, it’s still the Drea ducal residence. It’s the house of the highest nobility in the empire. It’s a place the imperial family keeps an eye on, a place the people of the empire are interested in.”

Onyx expressed his worries out of frustration. He wanted to dissuade Veronia from deciding to take Killian’s hand. For her sake. And for his own sake.

Veronia spoke in a gloomy voice.

“Killian found out. That Jediel is his son.”

“What does that matter? Why? Is he going to play dad now?”

“…”

“Nia, you need to come to your senses and make the right choice. Before being that man’s child, Jediel is first and foremost your child, Nia.”

“But no matter how much I think about it, the safest place for Jediel seems to be the Drea ducal residence.”

At Veronia’s last words, Onyx swallowed a sigh. It seemed Veronia was leaning towards entering the Drea ducal residence. But Onyx wanted to prevent that at all costs.

‘Veronia… please…’

He hated the idea of losing Veronia to Killian more than death itself. Only then did he have to fully admit it. That he had developed tender feelings for Veronia.

‘Tender feelings… feelings of liking…’

It was an embarrassing thought even to himself. The relationship had started as a simple client and employee relationship. But as time accumulated, deeper meanings were added and affectionate feelings grew. Memories piled up.

‘But it seems I’m the only one being tender, which is a bit frustrating.’

Onyx inwardly mocked himself. And he found it strange that the more his feelings for Veronia deepened, the better he could read her expressions.

‘That’s unmistakably the face of someone in love.’

Perhaps Veronia had been wearing the same face continuously for the past 5 years, Onyx thought bitterly. It seemed Veronia had always been reminiscing about Killian and longing for him.

‘Well, she must have been reminded of that guy every time she looked at Jediel.’

Onyx intended to watch quietly for now. Of course, he needed to make thorough preparations behind the scenes. The situation could change drastically at any time. So that he could take her hand immediately when she asked for his help.