“I’m fine.”

“You’ll faint again if you keep this up.”

“Then let me faint.”

Ail continued trying to slide his hand under Ruth’s clothes while licking his jawline. Ruth frowned slightly as he grabbed his arm to stop him.

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“If you keep this up, you might not wake up this time.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t die.”

Ruth clicked his tongue at Ail’s baseless confidence.

“Who decided that?”

“I did.”

“Honestly… Move aside.”

“No.”

Ail’s obstinate reply was starting to irritate Ruth. He was worried sick, and yet Ail, the one he was concerned about, was behaving as if nothing mattered. It was infuriating. He could barely stand without gasping for breath—what exactly was he planning to do?

“You’re going to kill yourself like this!”

“It’s fine. If I do die, you’ll be labeled as the crown prince’s murderer and executed soon after. Or worse, if I die during sex, you’d probably want to bite your tongue and end it before anyone finds you. So, it doesn’t really matter.”

The image Ail painted made Ruth go pale. That was the last thing he wanted. Why did he have to wake up now and cause such chaos? With a serious tone, Ruth asked him,

“Do you really need to risk your life for this right now?”

“Yes.”

Ruth debated whether he should use force to push Ail away. His injuries were no small matter, and since he had just woken up, it wouldn’t be difficult for his to overpower him. After a moment of consideration, he concluded that restraining him might be the best option. Resolute, he placed his hands on Ail’s shoulders. Just as he was about to push him away as he leaned in for another kiss, the door suddenly swung open without warning, and someone rushed in.

“Your Highness, there’s—”

Kamiel barged in unannounced, panting heavily as if something urgent had happened. But when he saw the two of them tangled together on the bed, holding each other, his mouth fell open in disbelief. He stared at them for a moment before speaking sharply.

“What are you two doing?”

Ail, unfazed by Kamiel’s rare display of irritation, replied nonchalantly.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Do you even realize the state of your body? And Ruth, what are you doing? His Highness just woke up! This could end very badly!”

Ruth, who had never seen Kamiel so agitated, blinked in confusion, unable to reply. This wasn’t his fault, yet he was being scolded as if it was. He wanted to explain, but the murderous look on Kamiel’s face rendered him speechless.

“The knights Order have arrived. They’ve also brought urgent news.”

“Tell them to come back later,” Ail said dismissively.

“You said yourself that you would leave this place tomorrow. They claim their news is pressing.”

While Kamiel explained, Ail, undeterred by Kamiel’s presence, kissed Ruth’s cheek. Kamiel’s expression darkened at the sight.

“Your Highness, I’ll fetch Kaelen and Lord Jessie’s messenger. Please prepare yourself properly. And Ruth, you’re going to take charge of the Knights Order. Five knight orders are here, and there’s no one else suitable to command them. We need to leave via Vera tomorrow, so coordinate with their guide to chart the route.”

At this, Ail frowned at Kamiel.

“I thought I told you to handle it.”

“I stepped down from the front lines long ago. Ruth, who was a commander until recently, is far more suited for the role. Besides, the Third Order is among them, so there’s nothing more to discuss. Additionally, neither of you will be allowed to stay together until His Highness receives a clean bill of health from the royal physician upon returning to the imperial palace.”

Kamiel’s firm declaration made Ail’s face twist with displeasure.

“Since when did you start giving me orders?”

“Starting now. Until Your Highness is fully recovered, as your brother-in-law, I will act as your guardian. Ruth, get up.”

Sensing his chance, Ruth gently pushed Ail aside and stood up, straightening his clothes. Ail, who had been enjoying himself until then, looked displeased, but he couldn’t argue further since everything Kamiel had said was true. Besides, the most urgent task at hand was leaving this place.

As Ruth quickly put distance between them, Ail shot an annoyed glance at Kamiel. However, Kamiel ignored him and turned to Ruth, speaking firmly.

“Go outside and organize the knight orders.”

Ruth nodded and quickly left the room, even taking care to close the door quietly behind him. Kamiel watched Ruth’s retreating footsteps until they faded, then stepped closer to Ail.

“There’s more. Along with the knight orders, items sent by Leysha have arrived.”

“What are they?” Ail asked.

“They were delivered by a messenger from Lord Jessie. For more details, you’ll need to hear from him directly. According to the messenger, Leysha managed to steal secret documents and letters from Lyman.”

Hearing this, Ail’s expression grew calm as he focused his gaze on Kamiel. Kamiel met his eyes and continued.

“Additionally, it seems we’ll have to cross the mountains tomorrow instead of using the Norman River bridge.”

Cross the mountains? Ail narrowed his eyes, puzzled by the unexpected suggestion.

“Why?”

Crossing the Norman River would lead east to Vera, which was the fastest route to return to Karileum. Even during the rainy season, Clozium was renowned for its sturdy construction, and there had never been reports of bridges or fortresses collapsing.

“The bridge is impassable.”

“Why?” Ail pressed.

“… It’s completely gone.”

At Kamiel’s answer, Ail looked at him incredulously.

“Collapsed?”

“Something like that.”

“Something like that?”

“… Literally blown away.”

“Blown away?”

“Yes. For the details, you’ll need to ask Lord Jessie. I only caught the gist from the knights who just arrived. They said the bridge was destroyed shortly after they crossed it.”

“Destroyed?” Ail’s voice carried a tone of disbelief.

For a perfectly intact bridge to suddenly explode, something unusual must have happened. Come to think of it, when Kamiel entered the room earlier, he hadn’t knocked or confirmed anything before barging in. That was a clear sign that Kamiel had been deeply flustered.

“Summon Jessie,” Ail ordered.

After instructing the servants to clean the messy room, Ail moved to the adjacent chamber. He intentionally sat by the window, casually glancing outside as he waited for Jessie. While Rejin was away visiting his family, Ail shamelessly acted as though he owned the mansion. Despite his arrogance and blatant disregard for rules—behaviors that should have earned some rebuke—most of the mansion’s attendants had unconsciously started treating Ail like their master. Perhaps due to his imperial heritage, Ail naturally exuded an air of authority wherever he went.

Through the window, Ail could see Ruth greeting and embracing the knight orders outside. Since most of them were Ruth’s peers, the camaraderie was understandable, but the sight made Ail’s stomach churn. He felt particularly irked when Ruth shared a long hug with Kaelen, and then Kamiel and Elsen joined in, chatting animatedly.

“When did that bastard show up?” Ail muttered.

He hadn’t realized that Elsen and Kasha, two people he loathed, were also in the mansion due to Kasha’s injuries. It only made his desire to leave this place more urgent. Being around them drove him crazy. Especially Kasha, whom he considered dispatching an assassin to eliminate the moment they returned to Karileum.

With irritation evident on his face, Ail glared at the group outside. Despite the late hour, the setting sun began to peek out faintly, casting a red glow over the scene. The fading light made Ruth’s face look even paler. Ail clicked his tongue as he noticed the scar on Ruth’s face. Just then, Kamiel touched Ruth’s face with a concerned hand, as if seeing the injury for the first time.

Ail seethed internally, cursing Kamiel, You’ll be a father in two days, as he stared out the window, even as the door behind him opened. He knew Jessie had entered but didn’t bother to acknowledge him.

Jessie, noticing Ail’s gaze and demeanor, walked over and glanced out the window himself. He smirked. “Looks like newlywed bliss.”

Ignoring the probing remark, Ail refused to spare Jessie even a glance. Undeterred, Jessie began his usual teasing.

“I was starting to wonder if things would ever settle between you two, considering how hostile it was before. Did you use some kind of love potion? I’m surprised Ruth came around so easily. Considering he went as far as escaping the palace, he must have really hated you.”

Jessie’s words struck a nerve, hitting Ail where it hurt the most. Though he wanted to ignore the provocation, Jessie’s increasingly insolent behavior forced Ail to respond. With a cold smile, Ail finally turned to him.

“At least I know who leaked the map. If you want to live a long life, keep your mouth shut.”

“Who stole it? Was it Kamiel?” Jessie asked with feigned innocence.

Ail scoffed. “Do I look that naive to you? I’ve kept quiet because you’ve been useful up until now, but don’t assume that will continue forever. You’ll pay the price for stealing the royal family’s secret map.”

Jessie shrugged nonchalantly at Ail’s threatening tone. “But there’s no proof.”

“Proof can be fabricated.”

Seeing the murderous expression on Ail’s face—so different from the one he wore around Ruth—Jessie decided it was time to stop teasing him. Ail was the kind of man who would keep someone alive only as long as they were useful. Once that usefulness ran out, he wouldn’t hesitate to fabricate evidence, gather witnesses, and erase them entirely. Knowing when to retreat was the mark of a wise man.

“Leysha sent some items with the knights I dispatched,” Jessie said, skillfully shifting the topic.