It was the Empress’s question—whether there was someone she had feelings for.
Part of her wished Seiana would be conscious of her, but Seiana was firm.
“Absolutely not.”
It was a relief that even ‘Ro’ didn’t qualify, but it also meant Seiana didn’t see him as a man.
Raymond felt disheartened.
Silence settled between the two, but it wasn’t silence for Raymond.
[Is this just Raymond’s one-sided love?]
[How insolent.]
[In the past, she wouldn’t even be worthy of being a prince’s match.]
[…No. If I lose this child, Ray might be unhappy for the rest of his life.]
It was because the Empress’s complicated inner thoughts kept spilling over.
Her expression gradually hardened.
[I wanted to keep things as smooth as possible.]
[But there’s no choice. I’ll have to force her to stay by my son’s side.]
The Empress was determined to bind Seiana to Raymond, by any means necessary—even if it meant exposing that he had supernatural powers.
Raymond’s heart dropped.
He didn’t want Seiana to know he was a monster.
One could say, “She’s already dead, what does it matter?”
But he still wanted her to believe he was a good person until the very end.
But once the Empress had made up her mind, she was unstoppable.
Just as her mouth was about to open—
‘No!’
Something seized the top of his head and yanked hard.
His body shot up into the sky.
The surroundings spun rapidly, and when he came to, he was back in the forest where the demon’s nest was.
“Gasp!”
“Raymond!”
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Aries’s startled face.
She was looking down at him.
‘Wasn’t I dead?’
Unlike his light, spirit-like state earlier, he could now feel the weight of his body.
“Are you okay? I rushed over at the sound of screaming. Grandpa Violets is seriously hurt, and you…”
“I… I have to go.”
“What? Go where?”
Aries tried to stop him, but Raymond had already teleported away.
Because he had traveled such a great distance in one jump, his head was ringing.
A sharp whine pierced his ears, and his forehead and nose throbbed as if they would crack.
He felt like he might collapse with a nosebleed any moment, but Raymond forced his heavy steps forward.
Thankfully, the Empress’s palace was nearby.
“That’s enough.”
When he interrupted the Empress just as she was about to say something to Seiana, she turned to him with a face filled with shock and terror.
The other palace servants instantly dropped flat on the ground the moment they noticed him.
Some didn’t just kneel—they collapsed completely as if fainting.
Raymond laughed as he saw the terrified, frozen Empress.
If she could, she would have pressed her forehead to the ground like the others just to avoid looking at him.
But, unfortunately, being a fellow royal prevented her from doing so, and he mocked her for it.
Meanwhile, Seiana, absurdly, was also about to kneel like the others, making Raymond chuckle.
He had clearly told her she didn’t have to, but it seemed she was still conscious of appearances.
“Let’s go.”
He lifted her up just before she could bow and pulled her along.
Seiana hesitated, unsure if she should leave the Empress behind, but when Raymond gently pulled her forward, she followed.
Her hesitant steps naturally smoothed out when no one stopped her.
Raymond headed in a direction where he was unlikely to run into people.
He didn’t want Seiana to witness others screaming and collapsing just from seeing him.
‘Where should I take her?’
Despite how large the imperial palace was, there wasn’t a suitable place to take Seiana.
He had his own palace, which was well-maintained, but completely devoid of people.
Seiana might find it suspicious.
Just as he was pondering what to do, the hand holding Seiana’s was tugged sharply.
“Seiana?”
“I’m hungry.”
“What?”
“I didn’t even get to take a bite of the main course.”
“S-Sorry…”
Seiana pouted playfully and glanced at him.
Now that he thought about it, the food had still been on the table.
Realizing he had interrupted her meal, Raymond apologized in a fluster.
Seiana finally smiled.
“What about you, Ray?”
“Me?”
“Did you eat?”
“Not yet…”
In truth, he had eaten, but only bits of dry rations outside.
It wasn’t a real meal—just enough to stave off hunger.
Seiana looked at him with sympathy and then grinned.
“Then let’s go to my house. Let’s eat there.”
Though Raymond lived here, and she could have asked him for food, Seiana insisted they go to the Count of Estarote’s residence.
It seemed she thought Raymond was being excluded from the palace due to his bad relationship with the Empress and the recent attack incident.
‘Not entirely wrong…’
But the meaning was slightly off.
It wasn’t neglect—it was more that no one knew what to do with him.
Still, Raymond welcomed Seiana’s concern and nodded.
The whole way to the count’s mansion in the carriage, Seiana stayed close to him as if to comfort him.
‘I’m not in pain?’
When he had teleported to the Empress’s palace, it had felt like his body would be torn in half.
But now, he felt at peace.
No headache, no ringing ears.
Normally, after using his power, he’d have to rest a long time just to calm his body—but now, within minutes, he had completely recovered.
‘I really do need Seiana.’
When he was with her, everything felt easier.
His body, his heart—everything.
When Raymond leaned his head against her shoulder like a child, Seiana gently rested her head on his.
All the turbulence inside him had stilled, but his heart was still pounding like it would burst.
Raymond’s sudden appearance nearly caused a stir at the count’s mansion, but thanks to Sincere stepping in and managing the situation, it ended as just a small incident.
“Ahem, it would have been better if you gave us notice before arriving…”
“Oppa! I dragged him here on purpose!”
When Sincere grumbled, Seiana defended Raymond, insisting he wasn’t at fault.
Sincere gave her a betrayed look.
After a late lunch, the two spent time together just like usual—sitting close, chatting warmly—until they welcomed the Count home from work.
“Why!”
Today’s not a day he was supposed to come!
The Count had dropped by after work to give his daughter a kiss, but when he saw Raymund sitting next to her, he jumped in shock.
“The Empress called me to the Imperial Palace, and I ran into her there. We came back together.”
“The Imperial Palace? The Empress called you?”
The Count’s eyes narrowed.
His expression was almost accusatory, as if suspecting Raymund had somehow moved the Empress himself.
But Raymund, who had nothing to hide, simply shrugged.
Seyana tried to keep him for dinner.
But joining a family meal would have clearly made everyone but the two of them uncomfortable, so he declined.
“Next time. I have something I need to do today.”
“Hmm… If you must. Alright. Take care.”
After being seen off, Raymund climbed into the carriage.
As soon as he got in, he used teleportation and arrived at the Imperial Palace.
His head throbbed a bit, but it wasn’t a long-distance jump like earlier, so he could endure it.
Raymund appeared in the Empress’s chambers.
Startled, the Empress, who had been resting alone, flinched when Raymund suddenly materialized.
She managed to stifle a scream, but her face was visibly filled with fear.
Raymund smiled as he saw it.
If only you had stayed by my side, even if you feared me…
The first time she cast him aside, it felt like his world was collapsing.
He had wanted to regain the unconditional affection, missed the warmth that used to embrace him.
Despite his body being in pain from his awakening ability, he had still gone to see her—but the door to the Empress’s quarters never opened.
Even though it used to always be open.
Becoming an awakened didn’t give him horns or wings.
Nothing about him had changed—
But everything around him did.
In the end, Raymund had no choice but to change because everyone else rejected him.
If they abandoned me…
Then he had to abandon them too.
Holding on stubbornly would only leave him hurt.
If only, back then, someone had reached out to him when he was at his lowest…
Now, even if they acted kind, it was just for their own satisfaction.
Besides, it wasn’t even what he truly wanted anymore.
Raymund looked down at the Empress, who had gone stiff with fear.
Perhaps it was because she was sitting on the sofa—though she was certainly an adult and bigger than him—he thought she looked small.
Or maybe, she’s just become smaller in my heart.
And as her place in his heart shrank, one person came to fill the space entirely.
Raymund wanted to be a good person to that one person.
Not a terrifying, frightening monster.
“Don’t do anything.”
Raymund warned.
The Empress’s eyes trembled slightly, as if she instantly realized what he was referring to.
She looked incredibly wronged, yet she couldn’t even make an excuse out of fear.
Since just this wouldn’t be enough of a warning, Raymund had no choice but to add: “Please, make sure I never have to use my power on the Empress.”
Since his awakening, there had been only one time he used his ability of domination.
He had been in so much pain and frustration.
He used it on the nanny who had taken care of him since childhood—just to make her look at him.
Even as she cried in terror, she stayed by his side as ordered.
That grotesque sight had been shocking even to the young Raymund.
He had wanted to release her from the domination, but he had no way to undo the power.
As long as she stayed near Ray, she couldn’t ignore him.
So eventually, she had no choice but to retire.
That memory had deeply instilled in Raymund a rejection of his own power.
He had sworn never to use it again.
But if the Empress kept acting on her own selfish desires, then even Raymund wouldn’t be able to help it.
Perhaps the threat worked—The Empress’s expression shifted.
The look of resentment disappeared, and all that remained was fear, as though she were looking at a monster.
Raymund couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m satisfied as things are now. There’s no need to try harder.”
“I like the way we are now.”
He couldn’t say he held no resentment.
But maybe, if they kept going like this, the time would come when it didn’t matter anymore.
So he hoped she wouldn’t bring up the past and try to act caring again—
Because he didn’t want to be given hope only to be abandoned once more.
Having said that, Raymund vanished.
He returned to his own palace.
The Empress, left alone, looked at the spot where Raymund had been and sighed.
That wasn’t the face I wanted to see.
She had just wanted to make him happy… but she had failed.
Unable to hold back, she buried her face in her palms.
But no tears came.
Because the one who should be crying wasn’t her.