Ruben Castle.

Kashar was sitting in his office, scanning through documents.

The reward he received for leading the war to victory was not just a title.

Along with an enormous bounty, a portion of enemy territory that had entered the Rihart Empire fell into his hands.

His castle stood in the capital, while at the edge of the empire lay a share of the former Bladis territory.

Kashar rolled businesses using the large sum and empty land to rake in gold.

It wasn’t because he had an interest in business, but because the more he inflated himself, the more it helped to irritate the Empress’s mood.

Kashar’s pen-wielding movement paused for a moment.

His gaze was fixed on the record of a woman named ‘Eileen Hallen’.

‘Second daughter of Baron Hallen. Entered the palace as a maid at the young age of 12 and promoted. Strong desire for power, it says.’

It was content he had already examined several times.

The Hallen barony was a humble family that didn’t even possess a territory.

Eileen had entered the palace wanting power, but ended up in a pathetic state serving a commoner concubine.

Moreover, after the concubine died, she was left in the cold palace with the princes.

“For someone with a high desire for power, she seems to care for the princes.”

Young royalty without backing is useless.

Mihail’s investigation report included the twin princes as well.

‘Though it seems she might be after the royal maintenance expenses for the princes.’

But for that to be the case, the princes were sincerely following Eileen.

Before he knew it, Kashar was recalling her.

‘Darling, she says.’

The image of Eileen acting boldly while clearly showing signs of being terrified was vivid.

He had never seen such a strange woman in his life.

This wasn’t her only eccentricity.

Eileen’s cooking itself was a cure for madness.

‘I’m maintaining my sanity without eating the Alubi fruit.’

At first, he thought that woman was just an antidote to the poison of the Alubi fruit.

But the more he knew, the more special it was.

Eileen’s food went beyond the role of an antidote; it was medicine that controlled madness itself.

His head was clear even without taking the fruit.

His sense of smell and taste remained paralyzed, but he could definitely feel her cooking.

‘The five senses might gradually recover too. Furthermore, it might even be able to cure the madness itself.’

Madness was a curse, and there was no medicine for curses.

But Eileen was different. He had a feeling that she could cut off his leash.

There were already more than enough reasons to have her.

If there was anything peculiar, it was that Eileen’s food was bringing back his past.

‘…Why are those memories coming back?’

When he recalled the seaweed soup, he also thought of the food his mother made when he was young.

Former Empress Viviana was rumored to be mentally unstable while alive. And that was true.

‘She claimed to be someone else and made unidentifiable food, they say.’

It was right after Kashar was born.

Viviana would use an unknown language, and sometimes invade the imperial kitchen to make unidentifiable food, saying the food didn’t suit her taste.

Moreover, what was most problematic was.

‘I didn’t give birth to a child!’

Viviana pushed away Kashar, whom she had cherished so much.

Because she terribly despised her own child, Kashar could count on one hand the memories he shared with his mother after she went mad.

But there was a time when she came to him with food.

It was Kashar’s third birthday.

‘Try this.’

Something like seaweed was floating, and it was green like soup.

Those who served Kashar all thought Viviana was poisoning her son.

Despite the dissuasion around him, Kashar put the food his mother made into his mouth himself.

The taste of the soup that touched his tongue was strange. But there was no poison.

Kashar emptied the bowl in front of her.

Viviana, who had been watching Kashar eat, stroked the child’s head.

There were no words of birthday congratulations.

Only.

‘I’m sorry.’

Leaving just those words, Viviana never came to see Kashar again.

After that, Viviana’s symptoms gradually worsened, and coinciding with Kashar’s madness, she was dethroned as empress and confined.

The food made by that maid brought back old abstractions.

Perhaps his recollection of the past was due to an attraction born of necessity.

‘So you must become mine.’

Useful things should always be kept within reach.

Whether it’s material things or living beings.

‘I wonder how she’ll respond.’

He had given her time because she asked, but it was really just a grace period; in the end, it was a decision made on his terms.

But if she were to refuse, he thought it might upset him in its own way.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s suspicious. Could it be the Empress’s scheme?”

Mihail cautiously opened his mouth.

He had personally prepared the investigation report.

There was no connection between the nanny Eileen and the Empress, but it was very suspicious that there was a woman who could affect Kashar’s condition.

“Shall I tell you something interesting? That woman doesn’t even know what she’s doing.”

“What do you mean by that…”

Mihail asked in surprise. Then his face became one of disbelief.

“It means she doesn’t even know she’s affecting my illness.”

Kashar smiled with curved eyes.

If she had known that she could make a cure for madness, she would have made demands and more.

But Eileen was desperate to escape from his hands, let alone make demands.

‘That won’t do.’

He crushed the purple fruit in the glass dish. Sticky juice dripped onto the desk.

The poison that had been preventing madness until recently was now useless.

“It seems I can hold out for about a month if I eat her cooking.”

It meant he would go mad if more time passed than that.

“Then taking the fruit again…”

“Why would I do such a useless thing when I have something this interesting right in front of me?”

Kashar said as if he had heard something quite amusing.

His five senses still hadn’t returned. It meant that only Eileen’s cooking was the solution.

“I have to capture her slowly. So she can’t run away.”

Was it because her reactions were so amusing?

It would be nothing to imprison the nanny of the cold palace, but he didn’t want to go about it easily.

“I’m having so much fun these days.”

Madness. The damned disease that dethroned him.

Before going to war, Kashar made an ancient oath with the Emperor.

It was an oath no different from a leash; if the Emperor commands, he would die and disappear.

But the Emperor’s side also set a condition.

‘I shall release you when your madness disappears.’

If the Emperor doesn’t remove the oath even if Kashar’s madness is cured, the Emperor will die.

The proof of the oath was engraved on Kashar’s back.

Inside the mysterious circle was a red moon pattern.

The clean disappearance of this pattern would be proof that the madness was cured.

“…It’s so fun I want to cut off her head.”

The Empress was also his enemy, but his hatred for the Emperor was deeper.

Kashar kept laughing.

While he was spewing laughter, it was Mihail who was sweating profusely.

He was the one who had been supplying the Alubi fruit to Kashar until now.

Mihail felt uneasy seeing his lord no longer taking the fruit, while also wondering if he was already insane and making excuses about Eileen to spout nonsense.

From Mihail’s standpoint, it was also joyous for the leash around his lord’s neck to be removed.

But it was hard to believe that the key to a problem that had remained unsolved for so long was a suspicious woman.

“Why don’t you just make her a cook? Deliberately keeping her as a lover… Is it because of Empress Wayeno?”

Wayeno had declared that she would find Kashar a companion.

The Empress had recently selected a woman from a family to her liking and called for Kashar.

Of course, the promise fell through, but this was just the beginning.

If the Empress’s person became the Duchess of Bladis, it would be a great advantage for her.

Except for the Empress, there was no need to keep Eileen as a lover, and Mihail couldn’t understand at all why Kashar was trying to take a strange path when there was an easy one.

“That’s enough now. I didn’t know it myself, but I already had a long-time lover.”

“What? What do you mean…”

Mihail asked in surprise. Then his face became one of disbelief.

“She says we’ve been together for 3 years. I was the only one who didn’t know.”

“You don’t mean Eileen Hallen, do you? She’s an even stranger woman than I thought.”

At the words ‘strange woman’, Kashar couldn’t hold back his laughter this time.

After chuckling, he tapped Eileen’s name written on the investigation report with his fingertip.

“It’s okay to be a little crazy to be my lover.”

Kashar’s attention was focused on Eileen again.

He muttered to himself while rubbing Eileen’s portrait.

“I have to make her take responsibility for her own words.”

Having finished his thoughts, Kashar stood up from his seat.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s almost time for the appointment.”

Although the outcome was already decided, he was dying to know what kind of answer she would give.

Kashar boarded the carriage heading to the imperial palace.

A moment later, upon arriving at the imperial palace.

As he was walking through the rose garden.

“Um, Your Excellency.”

It was a woman’s voice.

When Kashar raised his head, a lavishly dressed young lady blushed on both cheeks.

“Jeiana Enders greets you.”

She was the daughter of Count Enders. And Enders was pro-Empress faction.

‘A woman sent by the Empress.’

There was originally an appointment here.

He had allowed it, judging that if she was rejected in an open place, she wouldn’t be bothersome for a while.

“I heard you were busy then. I was very disappointed not to see you. But I’m so happy that you’ve shown your face like this.”

Jeiana smiled brightly and stuck close to Kashar’s side.

She is certainly a beautiful woman even among the many beauties of high society.

But she didn’t capture his attention.

“Seeing you up close like this, you’re even more wonderful. Actually, I saw you attend a party a few years ago, but I was too shy to greet you.”

Kashar made the judgment that she was an old-fashioned and talkative woman.

As he was about to brush past Jeiana.

Jeiana blocked his way, fearing Kashar might leave.

From afar, it looked as if they were about to embrace, so close were they.

Just as Kashar’s brow was about to furrow, a scream was heard from far away.

“Darliiiiiing−!”

“…?”

A figure that ran like lightning separated the two.

“What’s this sou… Kyaaa−!”

Jeiana screamed as she was pushed back.

Kashar blinked slowly. In front of him stood Eileen, fuming.

“H-How could you…”

Eileen’s voice trembled.

Soon after, tears poured from her green eyes.

“How could you cheat on me!”

The resounding voice echoed throughout the rose garden.

The attention of the nobles who were taking a stroll was instantly focused on the three people.

“How could you do this to me?!”

The woman who had pushed Jeiana was crying in Kashar’s arms.

Jeiana, who had barely gotten up with the help of a maid, tried to retort sharply but.

“How dare you…!”

“Say it with your own mouth! Is this the end of our 3 years of love? Were all those sweet words you whispered to me lies?”

The woman was completely ignoring Jeiana’s words and saying only what she wanted to say.

Kashar looked at the woman in his arms. He knew it was Eileen, but for a moment he thought it was a different woman.

Long brown hair reaching the waist and green eyes were a common combination.

But today was somehow different.

Eyes larger than usual, long eyelashes trembling delicately. His gaze went to her cherry-colored lips.

“Please answer me. Okay?”

Eileen pleaded.

As she tilted her head, her hair fell to one side, revealing her slender neckline.

The pearl necklace around her neck and the matching earrings, the yellow dress emphasizing her slim waist, were all gifts from Kashar.

And all the items were contributing to making Eileen look like a tragic heroine.

Kashar swallowed his laughter.

Eventually, his hand wiped away Eileen’s tears and cupped her cheek.

“Calm down. That woman just suddenly spoke to me.”

“Liar…!”

The voice blaming him while sobbing was quite pitiful.

Eileen was reproaching Kashar but couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Anyone could see it was a lovers’ quarrel.

“What should I do to make you believe me?”

Kashar removed the hair stuck to her cheek as if regretful.

He was a swordsman who wielded a demon sword, but infinitely delicate to the woman he loved, he lowered his head.

“I won’t believe words like yours…!”

A shadow fell over Eileen’s face.

Their lips were close enough to almost touch.

Eileen, looking surprised as if her mask had cracked, opened her eyes wide.

Looking infinitely innocent, she called Kashar’s name.

“…Kashar?”

It was a trembling voice.

His lips stopped just before touching.

A moment later, Kashar’s face moved away.

Eileen’s face was bright red.

Kashar stroked her flushed cheek and said.

“Do you believe me now? That you, Eileen, are the only one for me.”

“…I’ll believe you.”

Eileen, unable to meet his eyes as if embarrassed, slowly nodded her head.

The two seemed trapped in their own rosy world.

And Jeiana, who had watched this entire lovers’ quarrel from the closest vantage point, eventually staggered from shock.

“Oh my, young lady! Someone please help here!”

Jeiana’s maid and palace staff hurriedly transported her away.

She had left, but many onlookers still remained.

Kashar embraced his embarrassed lover and covered her body with his cloak.

“Did you expect this?”

Eileen’s face was even redder than before.

Her face looked more like she was embarrassed to the point of madness rather than angry. Kashar barely swallowed his laughter and spoke in a soothing voice.

“I shall serve you until your anger subsides. So forget about that pumpkin-like woman from earlier.”

As he whispered sweetly, Eileen panted as if unable to handle it.

It was quite an immediate reaction.

He guided her with his arm around her waist.

“Shall we go now? We were originally supposed to meet in the Street of Prosperity.”

Kashar acted nonchalantly as he led Eileen out of the rose garden.

Those remaining couldn’t take their eyes off the departing lovers’ backs.