The Emperor lived in the innermost part of the Imperial Palace.

The space where he lived was very serene and calm, as if its silence was a law in itself, and it was intensely dazzling.

Squeak.

What greeted me as soon as the door opened was the majestic ceiling mural that filled the area above my head. As if the bedroom existed solely for that mural, the interior of the room itself was terribly simple.

Nevertheless, it was easy to understand why, since the value of the furniture itself was the time it had probably withstead in this bedroom.

“Come closer.”

It was a voice like a decrepit old tree.

Soon the chamberlain emerged in front of me. Following Royal etiquette, he led me forward as I kept my head bowed.

“Raise your head, Viscount Weatherwoods.”

The Emperor, whom I met for the first time in 14 years, was a man lying sickly in bed.

The sharp and cold gaze I had seen in the painting was nowhere to be found, and his face, darkened as if he’d been poisoned, showed no signs of vitality.

The man who’d stolen Mephisto’s heart without the knowledge of the Magic Alliance and was leading the resurrection experiments.

The Man who ascended the throne with the Silent Faction on his back.

Emperor Ashernik.

But the Emperor who faced me in actuality was really weak.

‘He’s just living on, awaiting meaningful results from the resurrection experiments, is that it?’

That was doubtful. Because I could not find any such desires in those blurred, hazy eyes.

The Emperor called out to me with a weak voice.

“Viscount.”

“Yes.”

“You’re a lot younger than I expected.”

“Yes.”

“I hear you’re the sister of the nation’s salvation, the hero, Andert Fager.”

“That’s right. I’m his older sister.”

“I can’t believe that. How old is the Viscount this year?”

I answered by adding the time of the past 14 years to my age before I met Rue.

“I’m thirty-two.”

“As expected, it is still unbelievable. But still, I can see it is not a lie from your eyes. At least your eyes show your age, if nothing else.”

I was a little surprised since this was my first time hearing such words.

“Moreover, your eyes are truly very clear.”

I’d come here considering him an enemy, so it felt a bit strange receiving such humane compliments from him on our very first meeting.

“You’re Majesty’s eyes are clear too.”

“What did you say? Ha… Hahaha! Cough, cough.”

The courtier standing behind the bed shot me a glance as if to say, “Don’t bother the emperor with unnecessary talk,” but that hadn’t been my intention.

“Someone once told me. The root of all illnesses is worry and anxiety.”

“I agree.”

“I didn’t call on you for some great matter. The Weatherwoods are one of the few prestigious families deeply rooted in the Empire’s history. Since you’ve become the new head, I thought it was only fitting to greet one another as fellow heads.”

“It’s an honor.”

“As you can see, my body isn’t very well, so it is hard for me to appear at formal dinners. I hope you will understand, Viscount.”

“Yes.”

“It hasn’t been more than a few minutes since I met the Viscount, but it feels like I’m talking to a soldier.”

“I hear that quite often.”

The courtier shot me another glance. What did he want me to do? Not even answer back?

“Are you enjoying the hunting competition?”

“Yes.”

“The Duke of Zenail seems to be assisting you well.”

Huh. To think that news of my relationship with Raphael has reached even the Emperor’s ears. People’s interest in romance and politics was terrifying indeed.

“So, which way does your heart lean, Viscount?”

As expected, court gossip was truly scary! Even the emperor is asking such a question!

“Of course, I’m leaning towards taking first place in the hunting competition.”

“You seem to be quite slick, contrary to your appearance… it’s late, but I do apologize for your brother’s death.”

“I just take pride in it.”

“Thank you for saying that. With the sacrifice of Andert Fager, the continent regained peace. This historic fact will be passed down through generations. Everyone, including me, feels gratitude and remorse towards your brother, Viscount Weatherwoods.”

It wasn’t the first time I was in a conversation that involved talking about my past. But today, for some reason, my heart felt heavy, as if a large rock had been placed on it.

“Andert was bestowed a title by the former Emperor. Did you know?”

“I vaguely heard about it.”

“It’s a posthumous, unique title, so it’s a pity you can’t inherit it.”

“That’s alright.”

The maid had mentioned that the posthumous title was only for one generation. It was intended to prevent the misuse of the deceased’s title.

‘Unexpectedly, the Emperor is interested mostly in Andert.’

There were a few things I’d come to realize while living my life as Daisy Fager, and one of them was that people were surprisingly not very interested in the dead.

The same was true for nobles.

While the influence of being ‘Andert Fager’s sister’ played a significant role in their attention towards me, the title of ‘the woman chosen by Raphael’ had a greater impact.

Furthermore, such reactions were beneficial to me in their own way.

“If you continue to be involved in such gossip, His Majesty the Emperor might summon you.”

“Just for something like this?”

“Of course. His Majesty the Emperor is also human. It’s a way to maintain decorum rather than personally coming to find you and verify the rumors. If such an opportunity arises, never let it slip away. An intriguing story may also move the Emperor’s favor too.”

When rumors spread, the Emperor would look for me.

It was also for that purpose that I did not correct the nature of my relationship with Raphael in public.

However, the Emperor seemed to have little interest in my affairs. Rather, our conversation revolved around Andert.

If one considered the other person’s status, it wouldn’t be that strange, but things were different now.

‘Was it the Emperor who called me here, or Natasha?’

If this conversation was reaching Natasha’s ears..

‘It would be better to induce her to bite on a more secure bait.’

After a brief fake cough, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“Well…”

“Speak.”

“It’s just a very silly hypothetical situation, but if my brother were to come back alive, is he guaranteed to be treated as a hero and live the life he couldn’t enjoy?”

The emperor stared at me without saying a word.

I pretended to be burdened by emotions and quickly lowered my head, avoiding his gaze.

“You’re stating the obvious. If Andert Fager were to come back alive, I, the Emperor, would personally host a banquet. There would be no happier occasion than that.”

“Thank you. Your words alone put my mind at ease.”

“Now, the hunt will begin soon. It was a short but pleasant conversation, Viscount. You may leave now.”

As soon as the Emperor’s subtle command fell, the chamberlain chased me out of the bedroom.

Thanks to that, I ended up standing alone in the middle of the vast hall with a servant attached to my coattails.

I retraced my steps along the corridor that the servant guided me through.

A never-ending red carpet stretched out before me.

Silk curtains adorned with golden embroidery.

A quiet path devoid of any signs of life.

Only the sound of my breaths.

I exhaled slowly and turned my head to look out the window. A large cloud drifted lazily, covering the sun.

It felt as if I was in my hometown, Queen Island.

Queen Island.

My hometown.

Suddenly, this place where I stood felt incredibly unfamiliar to me.

‘How did I, who lived on that small island, end up here?’

Viscount Daisy Weatherwoods, who’d just finished having an audience with the Emperor. What a strange sentence.

I’d always thought that during the four years I was absent from this world, many things had changed.

But upon reflection, the person who had changed the most was me.

Not just my name, but my face and everything I had had all been altered. It meant that the bitterness I felt wasn’t just because my surroundings had changed.

‘Then what is the cause of this feeling?’

I have a lot of work to do.

With a clear sense of purpose, I’d become someone who has gained and lost a lot.

Yet, there were times when I doubted why I was making such efforts, whether the path I was walking was right, and if the choices I had made were correct.

Even during those days I roamed the battlefield. Even now.

‘Am I scared?’

No. I couldn’t afford to feel such emotions when I had so many things to deal with.

‘Then am I tired?’

Can I say I’m tired when I haven’t even properly done anything yet?

‘Why do I still not know myself very well?’

I’d definitely crossed two walls. Was that not enough for me to know ‘myself’ perfectly?

With those questions in my mind, I turned my head again.

There was a man standing in the light.

That was it.

At the end of the path I walked, there stood a man enveloped by the autumn sunlight.

His face was not clearly visible due to the bright light.

But before my eyes could recognize his face and my nose could sense his scent, I was already running towards him.

“Rue!”

No matter what face or name I had, and no matter what land I was in, he was always there.

To my wizard.