Ikar gazed intently at the peacefully sleeping face of Renéve, his chin resting on his hand.

“She said just to have some tea…”

Murmuring softly, Ikar reflected on the recent events.

The sight of her whimpering as she struggled against the bindings around her neck.

The moments when she glared at him fiercely, much like a sharp-eyed cat.

It was all because he forcefully pushed Renéve, who pleaded for a break.

How stimulating it was for him to see her cheeks flush with a rosy hue and her tearful gaze fixed on him…

She seemed oblivious to how provocative it was for him.

Each time he witnessed such a scene, he felt a pleasurable shiver down his spine.

Even in ordinary times, Renéve would reveal a cynical side of herself. She seemed unaware of it, though.

And he particularly enjoyed seeing that expression on Renéve’s face, the one she only showed to him.

So, in the end, not letting Renéve rest until she fell into a deep sleep was Ikar’s own clever trick.

She seemed unaware of this as well.

As Ikar recalled the situation just before Renéve fell asleep, the passion he had suppressed for so long began to rise again.

With her right there, it wouldn’t be easy for him to calm down.

“…”

Ikar let out a groan of frustration, shaking his head to dispel his impure thoughts.

However, as if drawn by a magnet, his gaze once again glued to Renéve’s sleeping face.

Closed eyelids with long, lush silver eyelashes.

A straight nose that started just below her forehead and extended gracefully.

And cream-like soft, smooth lips.

There wasn’t a single place that wasn’t lovely.

“Ha…”

A sigh escaped involuntarily just from looking at her.

Ikar spent a considerable amount of time unconsciously examining every corner of Renéve’s features.

In the midst of that, he recalled the words of some wandering mercenary, whose face he could hardly remember now.

‘High-born ladies have hair as soft as their skin.’

At that time, Ikar had wrinkled his brows at the boastful mercenary.

But now, he felt curious.

Ikar tentatively reached out and intertwined his fingers through Renéve’s hair.

The sensation of the strands winding around his fingertips was as soft as touching silk.

“…It’s true.”

At that moment, he thought the mercenary wasn’t just showing off.

Back then, Ikar couldn’t comprehend their discussions about spending a night with noble ladies.

After all, mercenaries were mostly men, given the nature of their dangerous and rough work.

Whenever they escaped from life-threatening situations and wanted to eat something in the evening, inevitably, discussions about women arose.

Now he understood that it was their way of relieving tension.

Vanein had shown some interest at the time, but Ikar hadn’t understood or empathized with them.

However, things were different now.
It was when he was somewhat obsessively brushing Renéve’s hair.

“……Hmm.”

Renéve’s silver eyelashes trembled.

‘…Could it be?’

He wondered if his actions had awakened her from her deep sleep, so Ikar’s movements stopped abruptly.

Then, he stared at her, holding his breath.

Soon, the corners of Renéve’s mouth slightly curled.

‘Is she having a pleasant dream?’

Fortunately, it seemed she hadn’t woken up.

‘No, maybe it’s better to wake her up?’

Ikar was momentarily caught in conflicting emotions.

Having taken a short break, it seemed okay now to get up and face her…

While entertaining that thought, Renéve cutely wrinkled her nose.

As if she sensed Ikar’s current thoughts and wanted to express some discomfort.

However, it was only for a moment.

Soon, her expression relaxed into a comfortable one. Watching her peacefully sleeping, Ikar regained his composure.
To let her sleep deeply until the morning.

Today was a somewhat special day for her, so there was a reason to make an appointment to meet her, not on any other day.

Renéve’s emotional change after Hwangbi’s execution weighed on his mind.

It bothered him.

He, too, had a similar experience with Renéve in the past.

It’s about revenge against the object of resentment.

He vaguely remembered hearing about a ruthless animal that pushes its offspring off a cliff.

The animal selectively raises only healthy offspring that has climbed up the cliff with difficulty.

Could he have been inspired by that?

The former Emperor Sande Baschke deemed him still needing protection and expelled him from the imperial palace at a young age.

He even sent a pursuit squad.

Immediately after being expelled, his anger towards the emperor was quite significant, but Icar lived trying not to pay much attention to him.

Then, one day, the imperial knights came to him.

Unlike him, who was in a combat stance, the imperial knights confirmed their unarmed status.

Of course, at first, he considered it a plan to make him drop his guard before attacking.

After all, he was no longer a defenseless child.

However, when they kneeled with their heads bowed, he was quite perplexed.

Brimming with pride, the imperial knights of Baschke were known for their high self-esteem.