At first, I met him with the intention of using him.

The demon Astaroth, with jet-black hair grown down to his waist and dark eyes as if carved from the night.

Though dressed in old-fashioned clothes from several generations ago, it didn’t look awkward or tacky. Rather, it felt captivating due to the naturally emanating arrogant pressure and predatory aura.

As Enrique remembered, he didn’t particularly hide the fact that he was a demon.

It might have been because of his inherently honest and straightforward personality, but above all, it was probably because he knew he was strong.

The confidence that no one in the world could harm him. The generosity and openness befitting a top predator. The cheerfulness born from ignorance about the human world. Could there be a human who wouldn’t be enchanted by such things?

The residents of the small village where he frequently appeared turned a blind eye even though they noticed his demonic identity.

It was partly because he bought up all the goods in the market whenever he went out, but more so because he distributed them entirely to the nearby orphanage.

When someone was injured, he would stitch up wounds, toss over some medicine from who knows where, and constantly say things like, ‘You are mine, so I will treat you well.’

Though it may have meant nothing to him, for humans living finite lives unlike demons, what Astaroth gave was immensely significant.

Ah, of course, there were those who couldn’t accept his grace solely as grace and became greedy.

That person reported Astaroth to a member of the Crusade, and the member, realizing it was someone he couldn’t handle, reported it up the chain.

Thus, information about him ended up in Helene’s hands.

Helene told him, ‘Let’s kill the demon and present it to His Majesty the Emperor.’

She suggested pretending to be harmless since he liked children and found baby animals cute, and to act like a lowly shepherd since he seemed to pay more attention to those of lower status than higher.

At that time, there was no one more precious to Enrique than Helene, so he silently followed.

Helene and he were friends who shared the same wounds, and the only beings they could trust, so following her plan wasn’t something Enrique had to consider.

Moreover, wasn’t catching a demon a noble deed mentioned in the scriptures?

To the young him who wanted his father’s approval, Helene’s words at the time were nothing short of an opportunity.

But when do things in this world ever go as planned?

On that day when he first met him after thorough preparation.

When he placed his delicate hand on the large hand that was helping him fumble through his first day as a shepherd.

Enrique fell in love.

But surprisingly, he cherished Enrique as well.

He complimented the color of Enrique’s hair, which was merely pale compared to his own, and said his eye color, which had been cursed as demonic, was beautiful.

But while receiving his love, Enrique was always anxious.

It wasn’t so much because he would have to betray him someday… it was a matter of eternity.

‘I am a worthless human who will die early, but Astaroth will live on after my death and love someone else like this again.’

He would call their name with such a sweet voice, cover up their mistakes saying ‘my shepherd’, and hold their hand to guide them.

Then that nameless person would flounder in happiness.

Just thinking about it made him jealous. He couldn’t escape the unpleasant sensation of insects crawling all over his body.

On the night before they were to have a wedding ceremony like ordinary people.

Enrique knelt and prayed to God.

After praying, agonizing, and praying again, Enrique finally decided to save him.

He decided to betray Helene, who was as precious as half of his soul, and the God he had believed in all his life.

However, his slow-witted decision was far too late, and Helene and the main force of the Crusade were already near the village.

‘Even then, I should have given him a hint to flee.’

But the God of War, the Demon of Victory, who enjoyed blood and fighting, would never have fled.

Enrique knew that the moment he revealed the truth, a horde of ten million from the demon realm would sweep through and trample the area into ruins.

…If he were to make excuses, that was why.

The Crusade members who had accepted him, a prince of little worth, were precious to him. Needless to say, so was Helene.

He didn’t want to see them die.

So Enrique told a blatant lie.

He made up an excuse to his new bride, saying he would go drink wedding wine with the men and left him alone for a while. Then he was going to meet the holy knights and tell them he had gone into the forest, that he knew where he went so they should pursue immediately…

That’s what he was going to do.

But.

“Enri, you’re lying, aren’t you? I know. I know you’re telling a lie.”

As soon as he cried out, Helene approached and whispered in his ear.

“I had people stationed around your newlywed home too. I told them to sound the horn if anything happened. But look, there’s no horn sound.”

“…I. I…”

“My poor Enri. It’s okay. I’ll pretend I don’t know you were trying to betray us all. That cunning demon must have deceived you, right?”

Before Helene’s radiant smile, he was at a loss for words and couldn’t say anything.

“Come now, take up your sword. You’re going to cut down that demon. That’s what we promised, remember? I’ll be your compass, so you just need to go where I point.”

He could still recall the faces of the agitated holy knights one by one.

If at that moment, right then.

If he hadn’t appeared.

Could I have made a different choice?

“I curse you, Enrique! Every moment I loved you is a disgrace to me!”

The curse uttered by him as he was dying broke Enrique’s soul. It made him like a toy twisted completely out of shape, never to be fixed again.

From then on, Enrique truly became unable to feel any strong emotions.

Later, after becoming Emperor.

Enrique came to grant most of Helene’s requests.

Helene had to be right.

Only then would his choice not have been wrong.

Until now, Helene hadn’t told anyone about his attempted betrayal that day.

But if he didn’t listen to her words, she would surely reveal that he had tried to betray them.

The things he possessed now were evidence of his bitter betrayal.

They were obtained by taking his life and selling his corpse, so shouldn’t he protect them?

He couldn’t die recklessly, nor should he be happy or joyful.

‘Because I am a sinner.’

Suffering while alive.

That was what he had to do.

‘But if… by any chance. Even if his body met death, if his soul is still alive. Then.’

Slap!

The deepening thoughts aroused him painfully. After striking the last ravaged wound, Enrique dropped his arm and laughed.

‘Ah, yes. The very thought that someone like me could kill him was arrogance.’

If he still exists somewhere and exerts his great will through the Empress.

Or…

If he has possessed the Empress.

I would gladly follow, offering this lowly body.

“Please prove your existence. Let this unworthy one believe. Oh my God.”

The God Enrique serves is only one being in the world.

His God has returned.

It was truly a miracle.

Like an animal busily filling its stomach after a long winter’s sleep, the Empress’s Palace was exceptionally noisy these days.

With a group of knights having arrived, not only the kitchen tasked with feeding them abundantly, but also the laundry maids and servants who had to directly attend to them were all busy without a moment’s rest.

“Move it over there! Don’t topple it!”

“What kind of timber is this? We should be using only the finest timber!”

“This price doesn’t match! Show me something else!”

Three architects put their heads together, drawing plans, purchasing materials, and hammering away.

They were the female architects I had shaken hands with at the welcome banquet earlier.

To avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight for those who had to train from morning, the training grounds and lodgings were all located in the northwest part of the Empress’s Palace grounds.

I decided to appoint a separate head servant to manage their lodgings, and as this meant one more important position, the servants’ bodies were tense these days.

“The assistant candidates have arrived.”

“Alright, I’ll be there soon.”

And now I had taken over most of the duties that the saint used to handle.

I thought Enrique would strongly object, but fortunately he was quieter than expected.

Helene would be displeased, but it wasn’t a subject she could express openly.

If there was a small problem, it was that one assistant wouldn’t be enough.

“There are seven applicants today.”

“Seven? That’s more than last week.”

“Isn’t this all because Your Majesty’s reputation has spread widely?”

Madame Berthold laughed warmly, seemingly genuinely pleased.

My assistant position, which I initially intended to fill with just one person, has now expanded to three.

While they all do the same paperwork, there was a need to specialize their main tasks.

And today is the day to select the last one.

The assistant candidates were being gathered and sent by Duke Achilo once a week…

‘Huh?’