“I will bring in a consort, as the Empire needs an empress. I have a promise to keep with Salina as well. But I have no need for concubines. And Ruth will not become part of the imperial harem. He belongs in the Northern Palace, and he is the only one I will consider as my partner. No one else will enter my chambers in the future.”

With his smile wiped away, Ail declared this with a cold and expressionless face, as if he had removed a mask. His stance was firm. Though polite, his attitude toward his mother, Adiba, was merciless, revealing his true self. Astonished, Adiba asked again.
“What are you saying?”
“Mother, simply focus on maintaining your position. I am the next emperor, and I am currently acting as regent. With Father’s consciousness fading, I am effectively the emperor and the head of this imperial family. I will no longer listen to you. It is my role to make decisions. Everyone in this Empire will follow my will, and those who defy me will not be forgiven—even if they are close kin.”

For a moment, Ail’s golden eyes glimmered with a chilling intent, as if they could freeze everything they touched. Adiba felt a shiver of fear, akin to terror. She had felt this before. She had seen those frozen eyes once in the past.

When Ail was a very young child, Adiba had taken him on a summer vacation. The emperor could not accompany them due to urgent matters, and an assassin had infiltrated the villa during their stay. It was a quiet rural village, and the modest scale of the villa made it easy to breach. While fleeing down the hallway, a knight guarding them was struck by the assassin’s blade and died. Shocked, Adiba had held Ail close, but he showed no reaction to the dying knight. He neither cried nor appeared frightened, merely watching the blood-soaked death with detached calm.

In that moment, Adiba had been more terrified of Ail’s expressionless face than the assassin pursuing them. Fortunately, knights had arrived quickly, saving them, but she could never forget that day. Ail had been young, but old enough to comprehend danger. Yet he had not been fazed by the assassin’s blade or the sight of death.

Since then, Adiba had distanced herself from her son. She couldn’t truly love him. Though he represented her future, interacting with him filled her with fear. That fear had persisted even as Ail grew, and it had proven justified.

Ail had not changed. Something was clearly broken in him—whether it was his heart or his mind.

“There is a banquet, so I must prepare. Let us discuss this further tomorrow,” Ail said as he rose.

Adiba, stiff with tension, slowly stood up.
“Tomorrow… Let’s talk tomorrow.”
“Yes.”

With polite courtesy, Ail bowed deeply, offering a slight smile as he waited for her to leave. Watching her brilliant yet cunning son, Adiba began walking out with heavy steps. She had birthed a monster. A sudden chill ran down her spine. Hastening her pace, she left the room, as if afraid to remain in the same space with him.

Ail, still seated, watched her departure with cold eyes. He knew he had made a mistake. He bore no particular ill will toward his mother. She was, after all, his biological parent and part of his support network. Damaging their relationship was neither necessary nor wise. In fact, it was imperative to maintain their alliance. Giving her what she wanted and ensuring her cooperation was essential.

However, he could not tolerate interference regarding Ruth. Suggesting that Ruth should leave the palace was absurd. It would never happen. Not while Ail lived, nor while Ruth breathed. Not until Ail grew tired of him. Until then, Ruth must remain alive in this palace.

Ail was well aware that Ruth’s existence was not beneficial to him. A leader needed a spotless reputation as much as competence. While a male lover might be tolerated, it wouldn’t earn respect. People would gossip behind his back. For now, as the crown prince, such indiscretions were dismissed as youthful folly. But things would change after his coronation. Once he inherited the emperor’s crown, Ruth’s presence would become a liability. That was why Ail had planned to eliminate him.

Up until a month ago, he had intended to kill Ruth after his coming-of-age ceremony, erasing him entirely. Ruth was a potential blemish on his legacy.

But he couldn’t do it. How he wished he could. When he thought Ruth might leave, rage consumed him. When he believed Ruth might truly escape, his mind flipped. He lost all reason, even forgetting his ambitions, in his frenzy to stop him.

Looking back, it was laughable. He couldn’t kill Ruth. Even the thought of Ruth disappearing from his life made him dizzy. During the moment he nearly killed him, fear paralyzed him.

He couldn’t let him go. Not now.

If he had to part with Ruth now, Ail would either go mad or die.

His chest tightened. A familiar ache returned. Just thinking about Ruth was painful.

While Ail ran his hand through his hair, a servant waiting outside cautiously knocked on the door. It appeared to be one of the attendants responsible for his ceremonial attire.

“Come in,” he said, standing up.

The door opened, and two attendants carrying a chest of belts and accessories entered, followed by Meril.

“What’s the matter?” Ail asked, frowning at Meril, who was supposed to be in the Northern Palace. Bowing cautiously, Meril replied,
“Lord Ruth has not eaten again today.”

Since their fight the day after the coming-of-age ceremony, Ail had spent every night in the Northern Palace. At the same time, Ruth had begun a hunger strike. Previously, he had merely reduced his activity and skipped occasional meals. Now, he was deliberately fasting. Even last night, despite the commotion Ail caused trying to force-feed him, it had been futile. Ruth wouldn’t even meet Ail’s eyes anymore.

“A hunger strike?” Ail muttered.

By today, it had already been four days. Surely, his limits were approaching. Ail thought hunger would eventually compel him to eat, but it seemed this could drag on longer than expected. At this point, forcing him to eat was the only option.

“Prepare a meal. I’ll head to the Northern Palace before the banquet begins.”

If he starved to death, it would be a catastrophe. Since giving up all expectations for him, Ail had only wished for his survival. There was nothing left for him to offer—no sympathy, no affection—so as long as he remained breathing, that was enough. But realizing this left a bitter taste in his heart.

To give up on each other, fight, rebel, and hurt each other… Ail found it all disturbingly tragic. This wasn’t what he had hoped for when he confined Ruth to the palace. He hadn’t wished for mutual hatred, blame, and conflict.

All he had wanted was to breathe.

“Crazy…” he muttered.

“Excuse me?” Meril asked, startled by Ail’s sudden outburst. He quickly dismissed it with a quiet, “It’s nothing.”

Caught in a tangle of his own thoughts, Ail mocked himself. Why is it that I feel like I can’t breathe without him? He’s just an ordinary man, one among countless others. The only thing unique about him is how he stirs my emotions.

Still, he wanted Ruth to live. That was the contradiction. No matter how often he told himself Ruth was insignificant, his heart wouldn’t listen. Over and over, dozens or even hundreds of times, he repeated to himself that Rus was nothing to him, yet his chest ached every time the man came to mind.

That was the most tormenting part of it all for Ail.

It was late at night. After finally leaving Chelin behind, Kasha arrived at Camiel’s mansion and waited in the parlor for him. Kamiel had been busy reviewing documents in his study when Kasha arrived. Sitting quietly and sipping tea, Kasha took a moment to observe the room, nodding slightly as he assessed his surroundings.

Having exchanged letters several times, he had a sense of Kamiel’s personality through his writing and penmanship. However, meeting him in person was necessary to solidify his impression, so he scrutinized the house first.

The parlor and mansion’s atmosphere were understated yet elegant. For someone married to an imperial princess, Kasha had expected something grand and ostentatious, but the simplicity and modesty were a pleasant surprise. The staff, too, were polite and composed. From the ambiance alone, Kasha felt he could infer the sincerity and gentle character of the household’s owner.

Hearing the door open, Kasha stood quickly as Kamiel entered the room. Offering a slight bow, Kasha greeted him. Kamiel responded in kind, bowing politely in return.

“Welcome. My apologies for keeping you waiting—I had some matters to attend to.”

“Not at all. I’m grateful you agreed to meet me despite my discourteous late-night visit. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the time earlier due to an unexpected obligation.”

Kamiel noticed that Kasha’s composed demeanor and soft-spoken manner felt oddly familiar, reminiscent of someone he once knew. He couldn’t help but smile wryly as the image of an old friend crossed his mind.

Although Ruth had described Kasha as a mischievous rascal, in reality, Kasha exuded a dignified and refined presence. He carried himself with the poise of royalty, making it hard to reconcile this man with the unsavory reputation of a brothel owner.

“Please, have a seat.”

Kamiel gestured for Kasha to sit, and he obliged with practiced ease. Watching his movements, Kamiel followed suit and took his place across from him.

“You’ve come a long way. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Not at all. It’s only natural.”

After exchanging formalities, Kamiel broached the main topic.

“I apologize for saying this after your long journey, but meeting Ruth in person may be impossible at this time. I’m currently under house arrest, and even if you gained access to the imperial palace, entering the Northern Palace is nearly impossible—if not outright unthinkable.”

As he succinctly explained the situation, Kamiel began assessing Kasha in return. Just as Kasha had been observing him, Kamiel sought to gauge whether Kasha was trustworthy.

Hearing Kamiel’s explanation, Kasha smiled gently.

“That’s fine. I didn’t expect to meet him through normal channels anyway. Before coming here, I met with several nobles from the Clozium region as well as a few members of the Karileum imperial family, attempting to establish connections. It quickly became clear that meeting Ruth directly would be nearly impossible.”

His polished handwriting matched his voice—eloquent and sophisticated. Listening to Kasha’s smooth pronunciation and refined tone, Kamiel became increasingly aware that this was a man accustomed to interacting with high-ranking nobility. The realization heightened his trust and admiration for Kasha.

“So, do you plan to leave without meeting him?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I’ll climb the wall if I must.”