Chapter 2
“How is His Majesty’s condition?”
“It’s not a situation where we can completely let our guard down.”
“Then, what about their side?”
“They’ll probably try to make the most of this opportunity.”
The man receiving the report had a deeply troubled expression on his face. The person standing across from him also failed to hide his concern.
After a moment, he cautiously suggested a solution.
“Wouldn’t it be better to bring him over to our side completely? He would certainly become a great source of strength.”
“You know as well as I do. Ever since that incident, he has continued to stay away from the capital, and he has removed himself from all matters.”
“That’s true. Considering his personality…”
“There is one thing that works in our favor. They won’t be able to do anything about it either.”
Soon, the man was left alone. He began dealing with the documents piled high on his desk one by one.
As if this was simply part of his familiar routine, his red eyes calmly scanned through the papers.
Then, the pen that had been moving smoothly suddenly stopped.
‘But I can’t just sit back and watch this happen.’
Perhaps thinking about the conversation they had just shared, his concerns only grew deeper.
Soon, as if he had reached a decision, the man picked up his pen again and resumed handling the documents.
“Beilin, sorry to interrupt you while you’re working. Do you happen to know where the lubricant is? I’ve searched everywhere, but I can’t find it.”
It was another ordinary morning at the Duke of Seireld’s estate.
While Beilin was already busy with her duties from early in the morning, one of the servants approached her and asked.
“It’s on the second shelf of the third rack in the second storage room.”
“I knew Beilin would know. How do you remember even the smallest details? Anyway, thanks for telling me.”
Beilin paused slightly at her colleague’s final words, then smiled as if nothing had happened.
“I suppose I naturally memorized it since I often take care of organizing that area.”
No one noticed her brief hesitation.
She resumed moving her hands and continued hanging up the laundry.
At that moment, she still had no idea about the dark clouds approaching from afar.
Bang!
After finishing all her duties, Beilin was in the library when the sudden loud sound shattered her concentration.
‘That sound…’
She put down the pen in her hand and looked outside the window.
Thunder and lightning filled the sky, and raindrops had begun to fall.
Beilin stared blankly at the rain for a moment before suddenly remembering the laundry left outside. She hurriedly rushed out.
Far away, she saw her colleagues already outside collecting the laundry.
She quickly joined them and helped before rushing back inside the castle.
The small raindrops soon became heavier, and before long, rain poured down violently.
“If we had been even a little later, we would have looked like drowned rats.”
“Exactly.”
While they brushed the rainwater off themselves, the butler approached.
“It’s raining quite heavily. Could you take some cloaks to the knights guarding the entrance?”
“I’ll go.”
Feeling apologetic for being the last one to come and help with the laundry, Beilin volunteered. She put on a cloak to protect herself from the rain and headed outside.
In truth, Beilin did not like the rain.
More accurately, she hated it.
Whenever it rained, the memories of the past that she desperately tried to forget would naturally resurface.
Beilin unconsciously touched her left eye, where a scar remained.
The wound had completely healed, but whenever it rained, that place strangely felt like it was throbbing.
‘Don’t think about unnecessary things.’
She pushed away the memories of the past and hurried forward.
Because the garden was so large, it took several minutes before she finally reached the entrance.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Please take this.”
“Thank you.”
Along with the cloaks, she handed the knights towels she had brought so they could at least wipe the water from their faces.
“It’s raining quite heavily.”
“It certainly is. Since this place is surrounded by mountains, the weather changes so unpredictably. On a day like this, any guests who planned to visit probably won’t come.”
After finishing her brief conversation with the knight, Beilin was about to return when a strange sound reached her through the heavy rain.
Looking carefully through the rain, she saw a figure riding a horse approaching the duke’s castle.
However, the person was also wearing a cloak, making their face impossible to see.
‘I wasn’t told that a guest was coming today.’
Soon, the mysterious visitor dismounted from the horse.
As if noticing Beilin, he stopped several steps away from her.
Feeling the stranger’s blatant gaze fixed on her, Beilin spoke first.
“Who are you? This is the castle of the Duke of Seireld.”
“I know that.”
A low, deep voice mixed with the sound of rain answered.
Judging by his tone, speaking informally to others seemed natural for him.
At the moment the man looked down at Beilin, the red eyes hidden beneath his cloak became faintly visible.
‘Wait… red eyes?’
A memory flashed through Beilin’s mind, sending chills throughout her body.
‘No way… That’s impossible.’
At that moment, the knights guarding the entrance approached him.
“Are you a guest who has an appointment with the Duke?”
“No. I did not inform him. Could you tell the Duke that I have arrived?”
The knights hesitated slightly when he called Haren without using any honorifics.
“May we ask who we should say has arrived?”
“Ah… I hadn’t thought about that.”
The man muttered to himself, but for some reason, he could not easily answer.
The knights did not lower their guard.
“If the Duke sees my face, he will know.”
“We cannot allow someone whose identity is unclear into the castle.”
Seeing the man appear troubled, Beilin stepped forward after a moment of hesitation.
“I will guide him. The Duke is inside.”
When the man’s gaze turned toward her, Beilin slightly bowed her head and walked ahead.
Seeing that she seemed to know him, the knights did not stop the man from following her inside.
Beilin felt his presence behind her and pulled her cloak deeper over her head.
Her hands hidden beneath the cloak trembled from the rising tension.
‘If my memory is not wrong…’
Then, as if she found her own thoughts ridiculous, she gave a bitter laugh and shook her head.
As if such a thing could never happen in the first place.
She could feel the man staring at her back, but she forced herself not to turn around.
Because she did not want to meet those red eyes again.
After arriving inside and removing her cloak, Beilin finally saw the man clearly.
He also removed his rain-soaked cloak, revealing his face under the bright lights.
The man possessed an appearance that would make anyone turn their head at least once.
Mystical gray hair, paired with crimson eyes that somehow felt both matching and strangely unnatural.
And the cold atmosphere surrounding him even while simply standing still made it clear that he was far from an ordinary person.
‘So it really is him…’
At that moment, perhaps because he had also been looking at her, their eyes suddenly met.
“Ah, that is…”
Fortunately, the butler approached them at that exact moment.
“Beilin, did you deliver it properly? The person standing behind you is…”
The butler stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the man behind her.
Since Beilin was standing with her back toward the man, she did not notice that he had made a silent gesture telling the butler not to say anything.
However, as if he understood that silent message without seeing it, the butler smoothly explained.
“He is someone who came to see the Duke.”
“I will guide him to the Duke. Could you prepare some warm tea?”
“Yes, Butler.”
Beilin greeted the two of them and happily left the place.
She did not notice that the man continued watching her until the very end.
“Please follow me.”
The butler hurriedly guided him toward where Haren was.
While following behind him, the man spoke casually, as if they had known each other for a long time.
“It has been quite a while since I last saw you.”
“Yes. When you were in the capital, we met quite often. But I must admit, I was truly surprised. You came so suddenly.”
“There were some circumstances.”
Soon, the butler arrived in front of Haren’s office, knocked, and spoke.
“Duke, may I enter?”
“Come in.”
“It has been a long time, Duke Haren.”
Haren, who had been working, immediately raised his head at the familiar voice.
“How did you come here…?”
He stood up, unable to hide the shock on his face.
The fact that this man was standing before him was that unbelievable.
After staring blankly for a moment, he quickly composed himself and greeted him respectfully.
“I greet His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Aivan Jaines, the small sun of the Empire.”
The man receiving Haren’s greeting was Aivan, the Crown Prince of the Jaines Empire where they lived.
Because he and Haren had been close since the past, Aivan also had a warm smile on his face as he looked at him.
“I don’t even know how long it has been.”
“It has already been several years since I last saw Your Highness.”
The two men sat across from each other on the sofa in one corner of the office and talked about the years they had spent apart.
“How is the Imperial Palace? Ah, and His Majesty…”
“I left the matters of the palace to someone I trust. And as for His Majesty… I cannot say that his condition is good.”
“I see.”
Haren already knew some things about the Emperor’s condition, but hearing it directly made worry wash over him.
After all, he and the Emperor shared a very close relationship.
To change the heavy atmosphere, Aivan asked about him instead.
“How have you been, Duke? I was worried after we parted ways like that last time.”
A shadow briefly crossed Haren’s face, but he soon smiled calmly.
“Thanks to you, I have been doing well.”
Aivan also knew about his circumstances, so he did not ask further.
At that moment, the door opened with a knock, and Beilin entered carrying steaming tea.
She carefully approached and placed a cup in front of Aivan.
However, she did not even look in his direction.
When she placed the tea in front of Haren, their eyes met, and Beilin slightly nodded to show that she was fine.
For a brief moment, an unknown conversation passed between the two of them.
