The imperial palace, inside a grand banquet hall where an intricately patterned tapestry hung before transparent glass windows, gathered all those who had participated in yesterday’s hunting competition.
On the podium, Ileon Gredrick seated upon a golden chair announced the winner of the hunting competition.
“The victor is Count Nathan, who hunted two intermediate-grade monsters and five low-grade monsters. Count, please step forward.”
Count Nathan stepped forward with a satisfied expression.
Ileon handed Count Nathan a jeweled box.
“We promised a wish to the winner. Count, do you have any desire?”
“Your Majesty! Merely receiving Your Majesty’s grace is already a great honor to my family. How could I possibly dare to ask for anything more?”
Hearing Count Nathan’s words, Ileon smiled contentedly.
“Such a noble attitude. Still, how could I give nothing to the winner? I shall grant you one hundred slave servants, one hundred personal attendants, and an entire island.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Dietrich Calypso realized that Ileon, wary of him, had chosen someone else—specifically one of his longtime royal aides—as the winner, yet he said nothing further.
In truth, Dietrich had slain Ileon’s subordinates and even wiped out all the high-grade monsters to deliver a warning to Ileon.
As Dietrich had anticipated, Ileon, cautious of him, had declared another as the victor.
“Dietrich.”
At the clear voice reminiscent of dewdrops clinging to grass blades, Dietrich’s expression softened.
Celia Brillion leaned against Dietrich’s chest, gazing up at him.
Dietrich lowered his head and wrapped his arm around Celia’s shoulders.
They exchanged glances, smiling gently at each other.
“…….”
On the podium, Ileon’s expression stiffened as he observed the scene.
“Your Majesty.”
Though he heard his aide calling, Ileon’s gaze remained fixed in one place.
‘Princess Anastasia… and Dietrich.’
The two were no longer pretending to be lovers.
Perceptive as he was, Ileon quickly realized it.
They truly understood each other. Otherwise, they couldn’t possibly smile so brightly.
Where deep darkness had once been, a new emotion—happiness—had sprouted.
Ileon felt his mouth dry as if scorched.
“Your Majesty.”
When the aide called again, Ileon slowly turned his gaze toward him.
“Yes, I must continue my speech.”
Muttering quietly, Ileon rose from his seat.
“Everyone has worked hard hosting the hunting competition. Tonight’s banquet will continue until dawn, so please eat and enjoy yourselves to your heart’s content.”
As Ileon’s speech ended, the crowd erupted into enthusiastic applause and cheers.
Just before leaving the banquet hall, Ileon’s eyes swept over Celia one final time.
The woman who had once glared at him with hatred and resentment now smiled radiantly like a blooming flower whenever she looked at Dietrich.
Her fresh green eyes gently nestled within delicate eyelids.
Her red lips curved into a sweet, bashful smile, making her dazzlingly beautiful.
Even after he had stripped her of everything, she could still smile so brightly.
Ileon could not name the strange emotion he felt when looking at her.
Did he truly wish for her complete ruin?
Or perhaps…
Then, Dietrich raised one hand, placing a barrier over her head so Ileon could no longer see Celia’s face.
Dietrich’s cold gaze locked onto Ileon.
Merely meeting his eyes sent a chilling aura, as if one’s skin would be torn apart.
“Duke Calypso, you seem quite discontent. Do you have something you wish to say?”
Ileon deliberately spoke in a casual tone to Dietrich.
Dietrich had already returned to a composed expression and bowed respectfully.
“Your Majesty, how could I ever dare?”
“…….”
“I am the commander of the Imperial Knights, and Your Majesty’s loyal servant.”
Outwardly, it sounded reasonable—but every word was a complete lie.
Ileon’s eyes narrowed.
“I thought you were simply resentful about not being named the winner.”
“The one who announces the victor is Your Majesty, who rules over all. How could you possibly consider the feelings of someone as lowly as me?”
Dietrich’s words struck right at the core.
Ileon realized he had lost the composure he once had.
He had become anxious, hasty.
‘Why?’
Ileon felt both confusion and exhilaration at the sight of the figure from prophecy alive and standing before him.
‘…This isn’t good.’
Ileon decided to abandon his original plan of observing the two for a longer period.
“I hope you’ll put in a bit more effort at the next hunting competition. Perhaps then, victory may be yours.”
Composing his emotions, Ileon smiled slightly at the corners of his eyes.
“Until then, I wish you both a pleasant time.”
Ileon resolved to act swiftly before it was too late.
Turning his body, Ileon quickly left the banquet hall.
“Why wasn’t Duke Calypso the winner?”
“Perhaps he wasn’t in good condition and couldn’t hunt much.”
“Is that so…?”
A few participants questioned why Dietrich hadn’t won, but they had no way of knowing the true circumstances.
Dietrich felt no need to explain anything to them.
“The banquet is over. Shall we just leave? I’d prefer being at your estate.”
At Celia’s words, Dietrich nodded.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
[This is the timeline separator]Someone blocked the path of the two as they exited the banquet hall.
A man with platinum hair, snake-like golden yellow eyes, corpse-pale skin, and mischievous lips. Dressed in a lavish outfit of silver-threaded veil fabric with a golden sash around his waist, a black earring dangled from one of his ears.
“…Arthur Servantes, what is it?”
Dietrich stepped forward, shielding Celia.
Arthur’s gaze fell upon Celia’s hand, still linked with Dietrich’s.
“You’re Dietrich Calypso, I presume.”
Arthur murmured, unable to tear his eyes from Celia’s pale white hand.
“You’re not a Sword Master. Are you something even greater?”
“…….”
Dietrich stared back at Arthur with indifferent eyes.
“I should’ve killed you before you grew stronger. How dare you covet what’s mine.”
Arthur cracked his neck with a loud snap, revealing bloodshot eyes.
“You engraved a damn artifact onto that dagger? Cast protective magic to block my clones? A human who can craft artifacts without even being a mage? I’ve never heard or seen such a thing.”
Arthur roared, looking as if he wanted to kill Dietrich right then and there.
Hearing Arthur’s words, Celia finally understood why he had never harmed her until now.
Dietrich had taught her dagger techniques so he could naturally pass the dagger to her.
Celia tightened her grip on Dietrich’s hand and smiled brightly.
“Thank you, Dietrich.”
Dietrich turned and pulled Celia into his embrace.
Silver hair wound around Dietrich’s fingers as Celia buried her head against his chest.
Watching this, Arthur’s mouth emitted a grinding, crunching sound of teeth clashing.
“I’ll make you part of my special collection too. I’ll pluck out those crimson eyes that look just like fresh blood.”
Arthur laughed darkly.
“Go ahead. If you can.”
At Dietrich’s calm words, the smile vanished from Arthur’s face.
“The one who will die next time won’t be me—it’ll be you.”
“…….”
Glaring at Dietrich as if to kill, Arthur suddenly blinked his eyes wildly.
Snatching something quickly off the floor, Arthur shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
“My Anastasia. We’ll meet again soon.”
With those words, Arthur slipped away like a serpent, vanishing from sight.
[This is the timeline separator]A vast, pitch-dark secret chamber.
Arthur had secretly installed this chamber within his room in the imperial palace.
Unlike his main chamber, which was filled with his elaborate collection, this place held no preserved specimens at all.
This dark space was specially prepared by Arthur—exclusively for Celia.
Arthur extended his hand toward the candle hanging on the wall.
Whoosh—
Flames burst from his palm.
He lit the candle.
The flickering flame revealed, at the center of the dark chamber, a birdcage made of silver.
Inside the cage, tall as a human, was completely empty.
After extinguishing the flame in his hand, Arthur pulled a small preservation frame from within his clothes.
Inside the palm-sized frame lay a single strand of silver hair.
The silver hair he had just picked up from the floor.
Arthur took out a vial filled with a red liquid.
“Hah.”
The liquid was poison.
“For you, my beautiful one, yes? I’ve taken care of all the wicked things that threaten you.”
Arthur spoke to the strand of hair inside the frame as if it were Celia herself.
“And yet you don’t know… you only look at that bastard!”
Arthur’s voice grew increasingly agitated.
Veins bulged on his pale neck.
“Anastasyyyyyaa!”
Arthur screamed, clutching his face.
His pupils unfocused, trembling violently, Arthur caressed the preservation frame holding Celia’s silver hair and murmured.
“I really didn’t want to use this method… truly.”
Arthur grinned eerily, his eyes vacant.
“All of this is your own doing.”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
