Dietrich’s face, which had been expressionless just moments ago, contorted horribly. He looked down at her with a fierce gaze mixed with anger and resentment.

An immense killing intent that seemed capable of slicing through the air overflowed from his red eyes that had appeared empty.

Even though the murderous intent directed at her looked as if it would tear her apart at any moment, Celiya was not afraid of Dietrich.

Was it because she wasn’t afraid of death at all? Or was it because he was the only man who didn’t look at her with lustful eyes?

Or perhaps… because her ability didn’t work on him?

“You.”

Dietrich walked into the iron cage. He bent down and roughly grabbed Celiya’s shoulder. His grip was so fierce that Celiya thought her shoulder might come off at any moment.

However, before her shoulder could be torn off, Dietrich released his hand first.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice your intentions? Did you think I couldn’t read your thoughts of wanting me to kill you?”

Dietrich, having withdrawn his killing intent, lifted one corner of his mouth. With his back to the torch, lifting only his lips in a smile, he looked like a dazzlingly beautiful demon.

It was said that demons take on seductive and beautiful forms to bewitch people. Celiya had never seen such a handsome man in her life.

In this tragic world that only thought of exploiting her, the only one she could communicate with was Dietrich, known as the emperor’s mad dog.

However, Celiya thought he would kill her even if he just said so. Wasn’t that why he had bitten everyone?

Regardless of how handsome he was, Celiya did not trust the human race.

But what came out of Dietrich’s mouth was the opposite.

“I won’t kill you.”

Celiya looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Why? There’s nothing good for you in keeping me alive.”

“…”

“With a face that looks like you’ll tear me apart at any moment, why are you trying to keep me alive? What does my ability have to do with you?”

Instead of answering, Dietrich stared intently at her face. His gaze swept over Celiya’s round forehead, her green eyes like fresh leaves, and her red lips.

“Reason?”

He murmured lowly. At the same time, a thick uniform was thrown over Celiya’s body. The black uniform, the same color as his hair, was adorned with numerous medals.

It was the uniform Dietrich had been wearing until just now.

Celiya looked alternately at Dietrich and his uniform with a puzzled expression.

“Why are you giving this to me…”

He stood up and answered before Celiya could finish speaking.

“Your life is mine. That’s the only reason I’m keeping you alive instead of killing you.”

…As if. While he wants something from me, that’s why he’s keeping me alive.

Celiya grasped the uniform he had given her. Wrinkles formed as the oversized garment was caught in her hands.

“How do you know about abilities?”

Dietrich’s pupils narrowed for a moment as he stood there in just his shirt.

“If you want to know that…”

Trailing off, Dietrich bent down. He took the uniform from Celiya’s hands and draped it over her shoulders.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Celiya’s nape. The red handprints he had left were still visible on her neck.

Dietrich said nothing. Instead, he began to fasten each button of the uniform Celiya was wearing with his own hands.

Celiya looked at Dietrich with an uncomprehending expression as he methodically buttoned each one with dry eyes.

Only after fastening the last button did he pull away from Celiya.

The large uniform, fitting Dietrich’s build, covered Celiya’s entire body with room to spare.

“Do as I say. Everything, from what you eat to how you act.”

With those words, Dietrich stood up. Turning his back, he locked the iron cage where Celiya was imprisoned and said one last thing as he looked back at her.

“It would be better not to take off the uniform. With that clothes on, there won’t be any deranged individuals thinking of doing something to you the moment they see you, like earlier.”

Celiya had already unbuttoned a few buttons, thinking of taking off the uniform. Dietrich’s eyes filled with contempt as he looked at her.

“…If you want to experience something like earlier again, just wear your chemise.”

“Anyone would think you’re my husband or something.”

Dietrich’s contemptuous gaze was joined by disgust towards her. Celiya inwardly clicked her tongue at the stinging gaze that felt like being pricked by needles.

In any case, he seemed to know more about abilities than expected, so there was nothing to gain from continuing to antagonize him.

Just as Dietrich wanted something from Celiya, she wanted something from him as well.

“Button it up properly. Don’t make me have to do it again.”

He looked ready to enter the iron cage again if she didn’t comply.

“Alright, alright. I’ll wear it properly.”

Celiya shrugged and rebuttoned the uniform. Only after confirming that she had fastened the buttons carefully did Dietrich turn and disappear back the way he had come.

After making sure Dietrich had left, Celiya looked down at the uniform she was wearing. She had expected it to smell of blood, but surprisingly, the uniform had a fragrant scent.

It smelled like soap mixed with roses, or perhaps a woody scent reminiscent of lush forests and trees.

Celiya frowned and muttered to herself.

“…There couldn’t be a scent more unsuited to that person.”

* * *

As Dietrich left the prison, he encountered an unwelcome figure in the corridor.

“My lord, where are you going in such a hurry?”

The person before him was someone who, unlike the perpetually expressionless Dietrich, had a talent for turning people’s insides out with his constant smiles.

With his neatly swept-back blonde hair and purple eyes, he was also the only heir left by the incompetent emperor.

“…Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

It was Crown Prince Jeremy.

There had been many women bearing the emperor’s seed and children before, but they had all been killed by the empress. The empress who gave birth to Jeremy had fed the emperor infertility drugs, and the emperor died without ever realizing this fact.

Unlike the incompetent emperor, his only son was far from incompetent, taking after his mother in cunning if nothing else.

“It seems you’ve just come from the prison.”

Jeremy smiled brightly as he blatantly looked Dietrich up and down. He didn’t seem to care about his father’s death in the slightest.

“Where did you leave your uniform? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you without it.”

“Your concern is far too generous, Your Highness.”

At Dietrich’s words, Jeremy lightly tapped his cheek with the back of his hand. It was an action like handling a pet dog, but Dietrich’s expression remained unchanged.

“Indeed. It should be generous. Now that your master, my father, is dead, aren’t you my dog now?”

“…”

“I’ll forgive you for not wearing your uniform with my great magnanimity. But there’s one thing I’m curious about…”

Jeremy trailed off, smiling widely with crinkled eyes. Whenever he smiled like this, bad things tended to happen.

“Without even my permission, you threw that woman in prison? And even thoroughly controlled the prison so no one could enter?”

As expected. Dietrich had anticipated that Jeremy would find fault with this. While he had succeeded in manipulating the incompetent emperor to his liking, Jeremy was not as easy an opponent as the dead emperor.

Jeremy had disliked Dietrich from the beginning. When Dietrich had just entered the imperial palace, it was Jeremy who had ordered a male servant to kill him.

This was even before Dietrich had shown any particular talents. Just because the emperor had taken him in, he had tried to kill him, truly befitting the blood of an empress who left no loose ends.

However, he had failed to assassinate Dietrich. Despite countless assassination attempts over the course of ten years.

The imperial knights followed Dietrich more than the emperor. Dietrich’s swordsmanship skills, innate leadership, and charisma had made them that way.

Now that imperial power had weakened as much as it had, nothing was more threatening to Jeremy, who would ascend to the throne next, than Dietrich’s military power.

“To whom are you referring when you say ‘woman’, Your Highness?”

Dietrich asked Jeremy back with an expressionless face.

“How can you pretend not to know? I’m talking about the angel of Brillion.”

“…Ah.”

Dietrich slowly closed and opened his eyes as if belatedly understanding.

“It seemed clear that imperial authority would fall if the woman who assassinated the emperor was not imprisoned, so it was an unavoidable action taken for the dignity of the imperial family.”

“Unavoidable? Are you asking me to believe that now?”

“Then, please teach this inadequate one yourself, Your Highness. How do you think I should have handled the woman who assassinated the emperor?”

“You’ve just admitted your own inadequacy.”

The smile disappeared from Jeremy’s face in an instant.

“Truly, you’re a useless dog.”

Despite the insulting words, Dietrich’s expression remained unchanged. Looking at Dietrich’s inscrutable face, Jeremy furrowed his brow sharply. However, he quickly smoothed his furrowed brow and smiled faintly.

“Come to think of it, you must have seen the angel of Brillion in person. I’ve only heard rumors, never seen her in the flesh.”

Dietrich gave no answer. As if he wasn’t at all curious about why Celiya had assassinated the emperor, Jeremy smiled sinisterly and asked,

“So, how was she? As beautiful as the rumors say?”