Just a few years ago, he was nothing more than a puppet Emperor who couldn’t show his presence in front of the Empress.

As an infiltrator of the Assassin’s Guild, he had been by the Empress’s side, becoming her hands and feet for over twenty years.

The reason Rix could stay by the Empress’s side for so long was solely because of his keen instincts.

He sensed danger instinctively, and his eyes were sharp to see how the direction of power changed.

And since when, his instincts had been telling him. Betray the Empress and choose the Emperor.

He could never forget the face of the Emperor who occasionally looked at the Empress with a chilly gaze.

‘Choosing the Emperor was the right decision.’

It was the first thought that occurred to him when the Emperor ordered him to kill Marquis Rodrigo, pretending to follow the Empress’s orders.

‘The empire will be in chaos in the future.’

So, one must align oneself well to survive in such turbulent times.

“Do whatever it takes to find Marquis Rodrigo’s body. Until that bastard’s body is found, do not consider him dead. Such arrogance will create consequences later.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“That’s it.”

As if finishing his words, Illei gestured for Rix to leave, and Rix swiftly disappeared as if he knew.

“I’ve served faithfully for decades, so I couldn’t comfortably close my eyes when facing death in the hands of the Empress… I don’t even know if I was the one who killed him.”

He raised the corners of his mouth, seemingly pleased with Marquis Rodrigo’s miserable end.

In the capital, the Duke of Heidern, Lea, glanced at Akia entering the bedroom through the balcony, sitting on the bed.

“Where have you been all this time?”

It had been a few days since Akia went out at night for some reason and returned after several days.

Lea started to worry if something went wrong. He returned when the worry began to creep in. As always, he was in disguise as Hector, her knight.

“There was a lot going on. Has anything happened in the meantime?”

“No. But I heard that the body will arrive in the capital three days from now.”

“It’s already happening.”

Akia walked across the bedroom, glancing at the candle about to go out. Next to it, new candles were neatly arranged.

“Why aren’t you asleep at this hour? I thought you’d be sleeping.”

“…I couldn’t sleep.”
Lea’s gaze responding to the Duke carried an unusually deep expression. No matter how much Akia confirmed that he was alive and well.

The lingering scent of burning incense and the mansion that had been on fire still haunted her dreams, making her wake up abruptly.

Perhaps due to the vivid memories of that time, she couldn’t easily fall asleep in the dimly lit room.

“Should I continue to act immersed in grief?”

As Akia nodded, Lea pursed her lips as if wanting to say something.

“Then it seems so.”

He turned away from Lea, unbuttoning the cufflinks on his sleeves. Lea’s gaze reached Akia’s broad shoulders.

Now he wasn’t the frail man anymore.

Even though he had become a man with a sturdy physique, Lea couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

She worried. What if that man got swept into danger and disappeared from her side? He had lived a precarious life, chased by dangers throughout his life.

‘Can I live without the Duke…’

From the moment she heard the news of his death until they reunited, it was a short time, but it felt like hell.

Even being alive didn’t feel like living. Cutting off one’s own existence would be more painful than anything. She didn’t want to experience that feeling again.

“Akia.”

Lea approached him and wrapped her arms around Akia’s back. Perhaps due to the sudden intrusion, Akia paused for a moment.

“…Tell me where you’re going when you leave.”

She didn’t want to be a burden to this man.

She understood that he executed his plans silently because he didn’t want to involve her in danger.

But did this man know? As much as he wanted to protect her, she also wanted to protect him.

“If you’re my bodyguard, you should tell me when you leave.”

Perhaps sensing the sincerity in Lea’s murmuring voice, Akia turned around and embraced her.

Remembering how Buttons had tentatively warned him.

“[The mistress has trouble sleeping every night. It seems she dislikes the darkness.]” “[Lea?]”

“[Yes. She brightens up the room until the morning sun rises. It’s only when the Duke is not present.]”

‘Perhaps, the trauma from that time still lingers.’

It was meant to perfectly deceive the Empress, but Akia, too, continued to be bothered by Lea.

Recalling the time when they stared into each other’s eyes for a long time, Akia gently raised his hand and swept Lea’s cheek.

As the warm tenderness slowly spread, Lea’s face was colored with a sense of relief.

“Shouldn’t I scold the insolent knight?”

Without waiting for a response, Akia swallowed Lea’s lips.

In the silent bedroom, unlike the tilting moonlight, the clocks of the two intertwined people were frozen.

And three days later, the body of Duke Heidern arrived in the capital, and a funeral was prepared for him.

At that time, no one would have known. The turmoil that would sweep through the empire after that funeral.