Chapter 4: Regression – (4)

After our lips parted, we gazed at each other without saying a word.  

No, perhaps we couldn’t speak.  

The lingering sensation of that first kiss was too overwhelming.  

“…Was it good?”  

At Ilia’s trembling voice, I could only nod as if entranced.  

It was a sensation so intense that I would never forget it, even if I were reborn.  

“Then I’m glad.”  

Ilia blushed and smiled brightly at me. I could only stare at her, dumbfounded.  

Under my gaze, Ilia awkwardly opened her mouth.  

“Then… shall we go? I think you’ve decided on a destination.”  

“You… knew?”  

I didn’t know how much Ilia knew or what she was aware of.  

But for some reason, a foreboding premonition made me ask.  

“A telegram came from the First Prince while you were out.”  

“…”

Ilia already knew that the rebellion plan had reached the Emperor’s ears.  

There was no other way to explain it.  

“Why didn’t you flee first?”  

“It’s too late to run now. Even a Master would find it hard to shake off the Emperor’s Shadows.”  

I knew that too.  

If the Obsidian Knights were the Emperor’s public hounds, the Emperor’s Shadows were the ones who carried out all the dirty work in the shadows.  

They were skilled in tracking, surveillance, assassination, manipulation, and all sorts of espionage and intelligence gathering.  

‘That’s why I asked my brother for help.’  

The Obsidian Knights and the Shadows had some similarities and had cooperated often.  

That’s why the Serigard family knew the capabilities of the Shadows better than anyone.  

That’s why I thought Serigard, and my brother, could hide Ilia from the Emperor’s Shadows.  

“And I couldn’t leave you alone, could I? You’re the one I lo—”  

I covered Ilia’s mouth.  

Ilia, surprised by my action, blinked and removed my hand.  

“Why…”  

“…Please don’t say that.”  

If I heard that word, so enchanting, my resolve might weaken, so I decided to block my ears.  

Even though I had sensed her feelings, that word held too much meaning.  

“…Alright, I understand.”  

Ilia’s expression darkened as she spoke.  

It was clear that I had hurt her.  

‘…I’m sorry.’  

That was all I could say.  

Since I had taken Ilia’s first kiss, it was only natural that I should take responsibility for her. 

But the responsibility I knew was only to buy her time by sacrificing myself.  

“…You, don’t tell me…”  

Ilia wasn’t a foolish woman.  

Over the past three years, she had learned much about me, even if she didn’t want to, and could read my thoughts from my actions.  

Her next words pierced through my plan with brutal clarity.  

“…You’re planning to sacrifice yourself, aren’t you?”  

The silence was long, but eventually, I had to answer.  

“…Yes.”  

“…Can’t we go together?”  

“…No.”  

If I didn’t stay to protect Rigmond’s castle, the Emperor would notice.  

He would realize that information had leaked from somewhere.  

And of course, he would suspect my brother, who was connected to me by blood.  

If that happened, both Ilia and I would die.  

And my brother too, for that matter.  

It was only the worst-case scenario, but it was a reasonable assumption.  

The Emperor was far from ignorant; he was downright ruthless.  

All his actions so far had been too rational and justified in the eyes of outsiders.  

It was a better judgment for him, who was capable and had little controversy, to succeed the throne rather than a young prince in the event of the Emperor’s death.  

Marrying the younger sister of his deceased brother to the second son of Serigard was a way to create a strong ally to prevent the reach of his brother’s enemies from extending to his niece.  

The war he waged to unite the empire, plagued by various suspicions and poor harvests, ultimately served to strengthen the empire.  

From my perspective, there was no fault in his actions.  

That’s why there was no chance he would overlook anything.  

“…So one of us has to die.”  

I could only nod at Ilia’s words.  

If one of us survived, it would be seen as luck.  

But even that had a chance of being discovered.  

The thought of both of us surviving was nothing more than a hopeful assumption.  

“…”

Ilia was silent for a while.  

I had no way of knowing what she was thinking.  

Her eyes were deeply sunken, and no readable emotions were visible.  

She had changed completely from the woman who had so openly expressed her feelings three years ago.  

“Let’s go to the place you’ve decided on first.”  

“Understood.”  

Ilia and I slowly began to move.  

It seemed that if I moved, Ilia would follow.  

I suddenly felt the emptiness between my arms.  

…

The place my brother had told me about was located on the outskirts of Rigmond’s territory.  

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary house, but inside, it was filled with all sorts of communication equipment and old papers.  

It was easy to deduce that this was where Rigmond’s spy had been staying.  

Of course, the person who greeted us wasn’t the spy.  

My brother was thorough and had sent someone he trusted to meet us.  

“Long time no see, sister-in-law.”  

“Just call me by my name, like when you were a child.”  

“I prefer that too.”  

She had the rare black hair and purple eyes uncommon in the empire.  

As the title “sister-in-law” suggested, she was my brother’s wife.  

At the same time, she was also the vice-captain of the Obsidian Knights.  

My father had passed away while serving as the captain, and my mother had died giving birth to me, so I had grown up among the Obsidian Knights.  

Among them, the person closest to a mother figure was her, Layla.  

Layla turned her head to look at Ilia.  

“So this is the rebellious young lady our Aren is fond of?”  

“Layla, calling her that right from the start…”  

“The word ‘fond’ seems a bit off. It’s ‘mutual,’ you know.”  

“…”

I was at a loss for words.  

It was as if she was outright declaring her love.  

Though it was Ilia who said it, it was my face that turned red.  

“Bold, I like it. So, Aren, is the plan to take the young lady and go?”  

“Yes, I’ll be staying in Rigmond.”  

At my words, Layla looked at me with sad eyes.  

Her expression was so similar to my brother’s—no wonder they were married.  

“You…”  

“I… have to die here. Please tell my brother to make it as painless as possible.”  

Layla laughed awkwardly.  

“…I’ll make sure to pass that on.”  

Layla raised her hand and ruffled my hair.  

When I was young, she had looked down at me, but now I had grown so tall that she had to look up.  

“Hey, can’t you kneel when your big sister ruffles your hair? It’s already sad enough that I’m short.”  

Layla’s height was 155 cm, below average.  

“Sorry, I don’t mind the ruffling, but I’ve sworn to only kneel for Ilia.”  

I rolled up my right sleeve to show Layla the knight’s oath on my wrist.  

“Ha… how are you and your brother so alike…”  

Layla spoke in an exasperated voice.  

My brother had a lot to do with her saying that.  

‘Who would have thought he’d swear an oath to Layla instead of the Emperor…’  

It was fortunate that the previous Emperor had allowed it; otherwise, my brother’s head would have been cleanly severed that day.  

‘Thanks to that, we survived under the current Emperor.’  

It was truly an astonishing twist of fate.  

My brother, who had defied Serigard’s traditions out of love, had ended up preserving Serigard.  

“Is my brother doing well?”  

“I just saw him earlier. He’s fine. Still as monstrously strong as ever.”  

My brother was strong.  

Being a Sword Master was a given, but he was also an incredibly powerful figure among Masters.  

Even Layla, who was a Master and stronger than me, had never beaten him, so his strength was beyond words.  

“Is Melanie healthy?”  

“My daughter? Of course she is. She’s already causing a fuss about wanting to wield a sword. She’s nothing like you were when you were young.”  

“Haha… I wasn’t very fond of swords, was I?”  

For the next few minutes, Layla and I caught up.  

There was nothing special.  

It was just everyday things.  

No complicated political talk, no sentimental farewells.  

I knew it was Layla’s way of showing consideration.  

She had no intention of stopping me.  

She was just trying to lighten the mood a little.  

“Well, I’ve said all I needed to say. I shouldn’t intrude on the lovers—no, the couple’s private time anymore. I’ll step aside.”  

I had no strength to argue and could only say, “Understood.”  

“You have plenty of time, so talk things through properly so you won’t have regrets.”  

As she disappeared from sight, Layla’s voice carried a hint of bitterness.