If those who wished to become maids in the empress’s palace wanted it, everyone hoped to be admitted. Originally, coming to work in the palace meant having a difficult life or having some problems at home.

Although the pay was generous, once you entered the palace, you couldn’t leave as you pleased. Depending on the mood of those higher up, your life could go back and forth, and if you were unlucky, you could get involved in an assassination case and die.

However, despite all that, there must be a reason for coming into the palace.

‘For example… the child’s father is violent, and they need a place to escape.’ In reality, two of the maids who came to my palace had faced threats of murder from their divorced husbands.

With a young child, unable to go out to earn money, and no trustworthy family to rely on. The ex-husbands came every three days.

It was too frightening, and at that dead-end moment, they saw the announcement of the empress’s palace. Even with a child, they could work, and, moreover, the ex-husbands would never be able to find them. A safe place to protect their own children.

That was all they needed, and they applied to the empress’s palace. After meticulously examining their motives for applying, Lady Bertholdt selected them.

Fortunately, the new maids who had no reason not to be loyal to me mixed well with those originally loyal to the Ahllo family. Now, the interior of the empress’s palace was so tightly bound that no one could break it.

“The knights who went on the expedition seem to have returned just the day before yesterday.”

“Yes. Shall we invite them to the war council?”

“Sure. They must have worked hard hunting demons; we need to see their faces.”

Now, my guard was no longer Derek but Che-Deaf Kyeong and Shofen Kyeong.

The reason was simple.

Derek was no longer my personal guard.
Derek, as the deputy commander of the Astaloth Knights, was dedicated to training the apprentice knights today.

‘He still seems to want to return as my personal guard.’

I wanted him to focus on training a capable person who could replace him as the deputy commander. So, who became the new commander?

Until last year, the commander of the Astaloth Knights was the impeccable veteran, Sir Wexon. However, this year, the position of the commander changed.

“Wow, he’s stern again today. Commander.”

“How can a person be so flawless? Isn’t he more than human? He returned from the expedition the day before yesterday, so he must be incredibly tired….”

At that moment, Shofen Kyeong and Che-Deaf Kyeong made a few remarks. It was a human praise mixed with envy, admiration, and a hint of jealousy.

“……. ”

I lifted my head silently, gazing straight ahead. The golden sunlight cascaded like a waterfall over Derek’s sweat-drenched shoulder armor.

His well-defined front deltoids and the connected pectoralis major looked beautiful, and the elongated rectus abdominis, firm and well-developed from continuous training, were also visible.

With jet-black hair, a prominent nose, and an arrogantly young mouth, he was a fully grown male who could no longer be called a boy.

Although he might not be aware of it himself, he had a captivating expression that easily stirred the emotions of women in the empress’s palace.

“I sometimes sincerely wonder if he knows how impressive it is to train like that while taking off his upper garment.”

Che-Deaf Kyeong chuckled incongruously with his robust physique.

I nodded briefly in agreement, appreciating the beautiful monster I had created.

Oh, have you ever seen the horizon?

Skin that subtly glows like the earth illuminating when the sun rises, pushing away the piled darkness.

Long and slightly slanted eyes that soften whenever they face me. Within them, affectionate pupils.

‘The elements that I cherish, which make up Mermem.’

When I look at Mermem, it reminds me of young animals stretching and putting strength into their hind legs with drowsy eyes or hungry plants opening their mouths slightly in the morning after a night of starvation.

After explosive growth, Mermem, who had just become an adult, possessed that kind of vitality.

“Hwi-Yu, the commander’s swordsmanship is always a pleasure to watch. It feels absorbing.”

Shofen Kyeong whistled briefly.

I silently agreed with him.

‘Even I find it difficult to take my eyes off Mermem.’