The shining empire, Edenbell.

A place where, due to its climate characteristics, crops and fruits ripen in every region all year round. Thus, it is a place completely unrelated to the words hunger and starvation, and always peaceful.

Edenbell, which everyone covets.

However, the atmosphere of Edenbell, or to be precise, the Imperial Palace, has recently been turning fierce.

Once again, without fail, it was because of Sinclair Butler, who had returned alive.

It was no exaggeration to say that if Elaina held half of all the petty rumors circulating in the empire, the other half was Sinclair’s responsibility.

The man who killed the concubine favored by his father, the Emperor, in the middle of the Imperial Palace and was stripped of his position as Crown Prince overnight.

An incomparably cruel murderer. A prince possessed by madness and out of his mind. A man abandoned even by his father, the Emperor, and always attacked by his half-brother.

With such a person returning alive again this time, the atmosphere could only become ominous.

However, unfortunately for the Emperor, Sinclair was not the type to be intimidated by people’s stares.

Today was no exception.

“I don’t know where the rumors started from, but it’s already a big fuss.”

Greeting Sinclair, who had returned to the Prince’s Palace, was the guard knight Schuler, who had arrived earlier and was waiting for him.

“What is it this time?”

Sinclair made his characteristic expression of annoyance and crossed his legs, and Schuler shrugged his shoulders and continued.

“Everyone is speculating about what wish Sinclair-nim will ask the Emperor to grant.”

That damned wish.

In fact, the reason the Emperor had promised to grant Sinclair’s wish, which was not in his fate, was because he thought Sinclair would never be able to return alive.

As Sinclair began to gradually increase his size, the Emperor, gritting his teeth, sent Sinclair to war with an enemy nation, which he had postponed as a last resort.

[Your Majesty, are you telling me to go out and die now?] [It is for the protection of the empire. If you have any remaining thoughts of the Imperial Family, go out and fight with your life on the line.]

Sinclair still vividly remembered how absurd those words were.

[I apologize, but Your Majesty seems to think I have seven lives. There has never been a single time when I fought without risking my life.]

But Sinclair knew very well.

No matter how ridiculous a battlefield the Emperor drove him to, he had no choice but to go to war.

[Since you are driving me to this deadly situation, shall I also put forth a condition this time?] […Condition? What condition are you talking about? I am giving you, who are nothing but a disgrace to Edenbell, a golden opportunity to prove your imperial bloodline with my own hands!] [Yes, well, if you look at the big picture, it’s not much different. Your Majesty has driven me out to die, making all sorts of excuses, but if I, who thinks of the Imperial Family more than anyone else, go out and fight with my life on the line, achieve victory, and return, I ask that you grant me one wish. Could it be that you can’t even do that? For your son who is gratefully accepting that golden opportunity you mentioned and going to war?]

However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, the Emperor accepted Sinclair’s condition.

Of course, he blatantly did petty things like drastically reducing the number of supporting soldiers so that Sinclair could not return alive.

But despite the Emperor’s efforts, the demonic Sinclair had indeed returned alive this time as well.

Schuler was right. People who had heard the rumors were all talking in unison. Just like Melvin and Melissa had done.

[He must be trying to become the Crown Prince again. Pushing aside Hister-nim.] [No, he might even ask to inherit the throne. He’s brazen enough.] [But His Majesty is still alive and well, so no matter what…] [That’s really ignorant talk. Isn’t he the kind of person who would do that and more?]

Anyway, people’s opinions ended with “Sinclair, who can never become the next emperor as long as the current Emperor is alive, will use his wish to scheme and take the throne.”

The Emperor thought the same. Believing that the returned Sinclair would plot to kill Hister and demand the position of Crown Prince, he even assigned more than half of the knights guarding him to Hister for the safety of his beloved son.

But everyone’s expectations were beautifully off the mark.

Because Sinclair’s wish was something no one in this world could have imagined.

[I think it’s about time for me to get married.]

Although Sinclair had lost his position as Crown Prince, he was still a member of the Imperial Family, and it was a promise made in the Emperor’s name.

So even if Sinclair asked for the daughter of some great family, there was no excuse to refuse.

Moreover, it was obvious that he would expand his political connections and grow his power by combining with the aristocrats in such a way. In the end, he would use them to strangle Hister and the Emperor. The Emperor was truly frustrated.

…Until Sinclair uttered his next words.

[Since I am a son who is being told to go out and die in a roundabout way, you shouldn’t care much about what kind of woman I want. Whether it’s a prostitute from a pub, a gypsy from the streets. Or… a crippled bastard daughter of an aristocratic family.] [Wha-what?] [It doesn’t matter anyway, does it? If there is a flaw in my wife, it would be a very good thing for Your Majesty.]

“It seems the rumor that I wished to marry Elaina hasn’t spread yet.”

“It appears so. But that won’t last long either. Within a few days, the entire empire will be in an uproar.”

Schuler smiled faintly at the obvious situation.

“So, did you have a good conversation? Sinclair-nim.”

Then, unlike before, he asked in a voice full of worry.

“You did properly deliver the marriage proposal, right?”

Schuler knew better than anyone what kind of person his superior was. That’s why he asked with even more concern, but for some reason, there was no answer.

I should have gone with him after all. Schuler regretted it belatedly, but it was already spilled water.

“How did the task I ordered go?”

“Ah, here it is.”

Sinclair, who had been lost in thought for a moment, changed the subject and asked.

What Schuler handed over were documents that were neatly organized at a glance.

Sinclair quietly received them and began to read slowly.

– Elaina’s mother entered the Aswald family as a concubine, but died of illness in the year Elaina Aswald turned 4.

“……”

– As a result of the investigation, there were rumors at the time that “she was actually poisoned by the Countess, not died of illness,” but there was no way to prove it.

“You were right, Sinclair-nim. They say she became a burden to the Aswald family at a young age.”

Schuler clicked his tongue as if he felt sorry and spoke, and Sinclair read the documents without any answer.

Not long after that, his gaze stopped at…

– At the age of 7, she permanently injured her right leg. However, the exact reason for this was also unknown.

“There were constant rumors among the people. There’s a story that she was running away after being beaten by the drunken Count and fell down the stairs… and there’s also a story that Leila Aswald and the Countess ganged up and broke her leg with a club.”

“……”

“Unless we hear it from her own mouth, we won’t be able to know the exact truth. But what’s certain is that Elaina Aswald became a completely different person after injuring her leg. Just like now.”

Schuler made a pitiful expression.

“Before that, she was quite a lively and bright child for her age. Really…”

When there was no response despite his continued report, Schuler narrowed his eyes. Then he quietly waited for his superior’s answer.

“…No.”

But the answer was not easy to understand.

“Pardon?”

“It wasn’t because of the Aswald family that she ended up like that.”

What does this mean again? Schuler made a very puzzled expression, but Sinclair had already put down the report. And soon he looked at him and continued.

“You can go now. I need to rest a bit.”

“Ah, yes.”

Anyway, it’s not that Schuler had no doubts about this marriage either.

He couldn’t understand at all why Sinclair was making such a choice and throwing away the opportunity to ask the Emperor for a wish, and he couldn’t figure out the reason for wanting to take Elaina, who had nothing to offer, as his wife.

But Schuler couldn’t ask about those things. The Sinclair in front of him seemed somehow…

In a very bad mood.

And suddenly at that.

Schuler knew very well that at times like this, he had to obediently listen to him.

“Then I will take my leave now, Sinclair-nim. Please rest well.”

So he politely bowed and carefully left.

Soon, a heavy silence like lead settled in the large room, and Sinclair, left alone, stared at Schuler’s report on the table with his mouth tightly shut.

[Then, are you thinking of running away? It would be impossible with those legs.]

Then, he recalled the words he had said to Elaina.

Also…

Those legs.

Unlike the intact opposite leg, the muscle was subtly missing.

Barely visible under the hem of the old dress.

Over Elaina’s pitiful legs, the plump, intact legs of a young child overlapped.

And at the same time, the leg that was stuck between huge rocks without a single gap flashed by.

[Don’t leave me alone…]

Even the scream that couldn’t be more miserable.

[Help me, Ren!]

“Damn it.”

Sinclair, who let out a short curse, soon closed his eyes tightly with a face crumpled like a piece of paper.

As if believing that by doing so, he could escape from the memories of the past.