Seeing Leia favoring Baby’s Breath, the owner asked.

“Do you know the meaning of Baby’s Breath?”

“Yes. The meaning of Baby’s Breath is…”

Leia was about to answer the owner’s question when, at that moment,

“It undoubtedly brings happiness.”

A familiar voice echoed in her ear. Startled, Leia turned around.

‘The Duke…?’

In his hands, there was already a bunch of Baby’s Breath.

“Oh, it seems that the lady who bought the flowers from the gentleman is you.”

The owner tasted disappointment in his words. However, Leia didn’t hear any of it.

Seeing Akkia for a moment felt like she was dreaming. It was the Duke who brought Leia back to reality.

“Leia, I have something to tell you.”

He stared at Leia with an unwavering gaze. His eyes were firm, showing no sign of hesitation.

The two of them stopped by the quiet lakeside where few people were around.

Leia’s gaze was toward the lake sparkling in the sunlight, but her entire focus was on Akkia.

Akkia’s eyes, looking straight ahead, seemed more resolute than ever. After a while, Leia, who had been waiting for him to speak, called out to the Duke. Akkia responded as if he had been waiting.

“I will become the Emperor.”

Leia’s eyes widened at the man’s words.

He was whispering to himself. A very frightening statement about starting a rebellion.

In case anyone might have heard, Leia anxiously glanced around. But her attention was quickly seized by his subsequent words.

“I will become the Emperor to protect you.”

“Duke…”

“My mother was assassinated by the current Empress.”

“What…?”

She had heard that the former Empress, the mother of the current Empress, had met an untimely death. But an assassination?

‘Who could have killed the Empress of the Empire…? No way.’

For a moment, a certain figure flashed through her mind. Leia cautiously asked.

“Could it be the current Emperor?”

Akkia chose a momentary silence instead of a direct answer.

“Technically, it’s the Empress. She killed our mother to make Ilay the Emperor.”
And what followed in Akkia’s words was something Leia could never have imagined.

Starting from witnessing his mother’s death in his early years to the actions he took to survive alone in the palace.

There wasn’t a single thing that didn’t ache in his heart. Leia realized why Akkia couldn’t say anything to her.

Tuck, tunk.

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks one by one.

“Don’t cry.”

Akkia stole Leia’s tears, wearing a bitter smile.

“I didn’t want to tell you this… I wanted to be a flawless man in your eyes, without any flaws.”

He wanted to appear perfect and good in Leia’s eyes. So, he had decided never to talk about the past.

But he had never dreamed that it would cause significant wounds to Leia.

“Leia, I don’t want to lose you. No, I won’t lose anything again.”

He didn’t want to lose anything precious anymore.

The end of everyone I loved was always a tragedy.

Losing my parents and even the only nanny left by my side made me want to run away.

Because they were too frightening. So, I prayed. I begged the woman who had become the Empress now to spare me.

At just eight years old, I clasped my hands together and pleaded.

How could I forget? The countless gazes that seemed to mock me as if enjoying a spectacle.

But in the end, they tried to kill me, and I survived. Only then did he realize.

Even if he lived like a dead mouse, they would inevitably try to kill him.

‘So, before they devour me, I have to devour them.’

Becoming the Emperor was not a necessity. It was just a means for revenge. The position of the Emperor meant nothing to him.

‘But now, it’s different.’

He had to become the Emperor.

‘Leia, to protect you. And to stay rightfully by your side.’

“I will reclaim everything that originally belonged to me.”

Akkia reached out both hands and gently embraced Leia’s cheeks.

“Still, will you stay by my side?”

Without even thinking of wiping the incessant tears, Leia nodded her head.

“I’ll reclaim everything that was originally mine.”

Akkia embraced Leia’s cheeks with both hands.

“Even if it’s more challenging than you imagine. You might regret it, thinking it would have been better to marry Alencia Yingshik. Still, will you choose me?”

She replied in a voice filled with choked emotions.

“…Of course.”

Leia held the man’s hands that were embracing her cheeks.

“I’ll be by your side. So…”

As if to assure him that she was no longer alone, she shared the warmth.

“Protect yourself, Duke. I’ll protect you.” No matter what tragedy comes, she will never regret it.