“Is it possible you didn’t know until now?”

“Well, there’s a possibility she’s such a shallow person.”

Olivia shrugged her shoulders as she completed her sentence.

“But to reveal such a low character in front of me? Calling the imperial princess for an unpleasant conversation from the morning?”

Not to mention, she didn’t even greet the emperor who had arrived earlier.

“Whether the Duke of Hainder’s character sinks or not, her competence is beyond doubt. So.”

“The Duke’s behavior is strange.”

When Cryer took Olivia’s words, she furrowed her brow instantly.

“Yes. There’s that too. She accepted too quickly.”

For an early morning, without an appointment, it was too bland a reaction for her to have chased after the emperor and princess.

“When you look into it, the Duke was right.”

At that, Cryer twisted his lips.

“Well, it’s part of the Norden kingdom now.”

“Yes. In fact, when I went to the Norden kingdom, the crown prince personally mentioned your return, but I suppressed it. It’s quite a big problem.”

After saying that, Olivia lifted her chin arrogantly and added,

“If it wasn’t for me, no one else could have done it. It would have blown up as an issue of national pride.”

“That’s true.”

Cryer, elbow on the armrest, tilted his head slightly.

“There’s no other tyranny like this.”

“The difference in power is just……”

Interrupting her speech, Olivia, whose eyes glazed over, shook her head vigorously.

Standing in front of the monster who alone brought down the empire, who singlehandedly started and ended the continental war, talking about power and whatnot.

Olivia, who had lifted her chin high, quickly lowered it and spat out in dissatisfaction,

“It’s thanks to that tyranny you’re in the empire. Don’t call it tyranny, I don’t like hearing it.”

Although the person saying this had mentioned ‘tyranny’ several times, Cryer didn’t bother to point it out.

Because the complacent Olivia was very cute.

“Anyway, the Duke was right, and I was in a position to force. Even if it was the crown prince of the Norden kingdom, the Duke of Hainder could have been more forceful with his words.”

“There was an imperial command, and I chose accordingly?”

“The justification is with the Duke. You are a knight. A knight.”

Cryer took Olivia’s words.

“Must follow the orders of their lord. I am neither a knight nor a slave.”

It was a low voice that flowed from the bottom of a well that was so deep, you couldn’t see the bottom, so dreadfully deep that you felt you might get sucked in.

The empty crimson eyes were staring not at what was in front of them, but at something far away.

Probably at the Norden kingdom, no, at the past.

Olivia, who was quietly watching those eyes that were like glass marbles, suddenly stood up.

There had been moments like this before, and there would be more to come.

When he himself sinks into himself, stands alone in a place where even anger, hatred, resignation, and despair have disappeared.

The surroundings of Cryer looked distorted, and it was not just a feeling.

The aura of the man who far surpassed humanity was rising from his body like a faint mirage.

Any ordinary, no, one of the few strong men on the continent would feel a terrifying fear the moment they touch that aura.

If it were an ordinary person, they would scream right there and then.

But Olivia, who was slightly below average in physical ability, did not hesitate and reached out to him.

“Cryer.”

From the blue eyes of Olivia, who held his cheeks with both hands, a fire bloomed, starting to sprout one or two flowers on the empty, crimson earth.

“Look at me.”

Cryer, entranced with the familiar pain from the brand, focused on her small touch, a whisper that could hardly be heard.

“I will survive. And you will be free.”

Even though she couldn’t be sure of anything, Olivia assured.

Her voice, the scent of roses permeating stronger than ever just beneath his skin, her soft hand that was completely different from his own.

All his senses were wholly directed towards her.

In that moment, she alone became his world.

Cryer couldn’t even remember whether this sensation was love or not.

He didn’t know love even from his lost past.

Just that she was like lightning.

An unexpected blue lightning that pierced him unforgettably, and struck deep into Cryer’s heart.

How much time would have passed for Cryer, for whom a second felt like an eternity?

Olivia, stepping back, let go of his cheek.

“Okay, it seems you’re back to your senses.”

That might have been all for her.

Just an intent to bring him back to reality, who seemed out of his mind.

But….

As he watched her small back turning away from him and moving away, Cryer’s Adam’s apple moved greatly.

It was just two steps. Despite such a short distance, his mouth felt parched as if it was burning as she moved away.

And the next moment.

His crimson eyes sank deeply, terribly deeply.

Olivia, who had turned her back on him, naturally did not see Cryer’s eyes, and when she sat on the sofa and faced him, his eyes were already back to normal.

“First of all, remember that the Count of Hainder is suspicious. About the incident yesterday.”

Having said up to there, Olivia rose.

“Let’s go to the office. There’s paperwork about yesterday’s incident, too.”

Heading casually towards the door, Olivia’s expression changed oddly.

“What is it all of a sudden?”