Deep underground in the imperial palace, there was a private vault for storing the personal assets of the royal family and the high nobility.

Each family could have only one vault, and the ownership of each vault was kept strictly confidential. It was an ideal condition for hiding ill-gotten wealth.

Of course, that was not its original purpose.

“At the end of Mother’s letter, there was information about the unique number for the secret vault and where the key is buried. It was under the tree I used to love climbing when I was young.”
A faint smile briefly crossed his face as he spoke. It was a smile born from the happiness of his short-lived childhood.

“When I would climb the tree, Mother would be restless below. I saw it as proof of her love for me, so I climbed higher with the intent of making her worry. After Mother passed away, I naturally stopped looking for that tree. There was no one left to worry about me getting hurt, after all.”
In any case, after more than a decade, he found the key under that tree. He then successfully infiltrated the secret vault and opened his mother’s personal safe.

What he discovered there, along with the entire estate of the former empress, was a glass bottle containing dozens of pills, and a parchment scroll that detailed their formulation and efficacy.

Even as he saw the meticulous details on ingredients and mixing ratios, written in the handwriting of his healthier days, Hersis could hardly believe it.

Is this really possible? How on Earth did Mother come to know about something like this?
“I only found out later, but it seems Mother had a keen interest in herbalism. She enjoyed mixing ingredients, distilling, fermenting, and experimenting. That must be how she discovered it.”

What was born through countless trials and errors was a crystalline substance that could momentarily turn one into a completely different being.

“In any case, that would be my last trace in the palace. After taking just one pill, my appearance changed instantly. It was a very easy and simple transformation….”
Liz knew better than anyone that the statement was false. The painful process was far from easy or simple.

“I managed to leave the palace through that path, but I couldn’t go too far. The farther I got, the more it seemed like the opportunity to return to the palace would be lost forever.”

So, he thought of a way to live near the palace and came up with the idea of entering a noble family as a slave.

The method was not difficult.

A wicked hobby of the noble ladies he had once heard about from Ishar came to mind at just the right time.
Wealthy noblewomen who had become widows would bring in young male slaves with ambiguous looks into their homes, making them work until they came of age, and then afterward… have them serve in bed.

There was no reason to hesitate, as there would be at least a year without such duties.

When the time for that kind of service came, he decided he would think about it then.

Whether to run away, silently end his life, or… perform the service. There were plenty of options.
Thus, he changed his name from Hersis to Kain and willingly entered the life of a slave.

And fortunately, he fell into the hands of a woman who had no need for nighttime service.

She had raised the price solely to win a competition with a rival woman, and, having won him at such a high cost, didn’t lay a hand on him but gave him to her daughter.

That daughter was you, “Liz Berium.”

The wind blowing from the end of the road once again scattered the hem of Liz’s robe.

The cold that seeped into her clothes made Liz’s shoulders shiver.
Then Kain removed his robe and wrapped it around Liz’s back for an extra layer.

Whether it was because of the robe or the warmth from his large hand gripping her shoulder, Liz felt that the weight of his past, which had burdened her, had lightened a bit. It gave her the courage to ask.

“When do you plan to return to the palace?”

“Well.”

‘Well?’

Liz looked puzzled.

Shouldn’t he be preparing to return to the palace by now?

Especially since not even half of the enthronement period was left.
“Didn’t you bring me here with the intention of returning?”

“Hmm. No.”

Around the time a puzzled expression deepened on Liz’s face, Kain continued his words.

“I just wanted to see you after a long time, and also wanted to ask how you know about my real identity… two birds with one stone.”

By now, Liz was slowly becoming uneasy.

“You’re not thinking of not going back, are you?”

“……”

No… no answer!

Liz felt her heart sink.

Silence from Kain was generally a sign of affirmation.
What went wrong and where, she wasn’t sure, but one thing was certain.

This man, unlike in the original work, didn’t seem to have a strong resolve to return to the royal family.

‘Wh… why?’

Liz’s purple pupils shook violently. Then, a soft voice pierced through the darkness and burrowed into Liz’s ear.

“Do you want me to go back soon?”

“……”

This time, it was Liz who remained silent.

‘Why is he asking me that?! Why would my opinion be important?’