“On the border between the Halin Empire and the Lucifon Empire, an entity that is neither beast nor man has appeared, its entire body clad in pitch black. The sacred scriptures bequeathed to us by the Goddess call it a ‘demonic beast.’”
“Yes, I received the report.”
“Take charge of the delegation for Lucifon’s Foundation Day celebration this time. I wish to see that beast with my own eyes.”
The Pope spoke in an amicable tone.
“I merely obey Your Holiness’s commands, as always.”
Luand bowed his head.
The Pope looked down upon his loyal subordinate with pride, patting him on the shoulder.
“You are truly dependable. Under the pretext of the Foundation Day festivities, make certain to secure that beast before the Lucifon Empire can claim it. Keep an eye on the Emperor of Lucifon as well. He came of marriageable age long ago, yet he obstinately refuses to wed. Uncover the reason behind it.”
“As you command.”
Luand answered earnestly.
Tearing his mind from his thoughts, Luand halted before the audience hall. An attendant pushed the doors open in silence.
Stepping inside alone, Luand walked slowly across the long white carpet extending toward the imperial throne.
Portraits of former emperors lining the walls seemed to stare down at him, their gazes piercing straight through him.
He kept advancing until Emperor Gray came into view.
The young monarch wore a languid smile, yet an overwhelming, peerless presence hung about him.
“Luand Oferian, Commander of the Holy Knights of the Halin Empire, presents himself before Your Majesty the Emperor of Lucifon.”
“It has been quite some time, Commander.”
“Thank you for remembering me.”
“How could I ever forget the only man to achieve the rank of Sword Master in the Halin Empire?”
The Emperor gave a radiant smile, but his eyes remained cold.
They seemed to ask: Why on earth has Halin’s sole Sword Master come here?
Yet Luand feigned ignorance, returning a calm gaze.
“It is nothing more than a hollow title.”
Their eyes met fiercely in midair—clear sky blue against an abyss deeper than a starless night.
Luand was the first to lower his gaze.
Only then did the Emperor inquire in a casual voice,
“His Holiness the Pope is well, I presume? As always.”
A faint thorn laced the Emperor’s tone, but Luand answered without expression,
“Yes.”
“We received His Holiness’s gift in good order. Please convey my gratitude for such a generous offering of holy water; it will be of great help to the Empire.”
“I shall deliver your words faithfully.”
Silence fell between the two men once the pleasantries were through.
“Have you ever witnessed our empire’s Foundation Day celebration?”
The Emperor broke the silence, studying him intently.
“This is my first time. I am looking forward to it immensely. Ah, would you permit me to stroll near the Imperial Palace grounds?”
Luand asked as though the thought had just struck him, deftly concealing his true purpose.
“Permitted.”
“Thank you very much. If you will excuse me, I shall take my leave.”
Luand bowed once more.
“Commander. You truly intend only to stroll and enjoy the festivities, with no other motive… Is that so?”
“Most certainly.”
At his answer, the Emperor flashed a bright smile, his eyes narrowing.
“You may go.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
With the audience concluded, Luand passed through the white marble corridors and left the main palace.
His calm gaze settled on the vibrant flower gardens.
The path leading toward his assigned quarters was immaculately landscaped wherever his eyes fell—much like the striking beauty of the Emperor he had just met.
What was the meaning behind that Emperor’s final smile? It stirred a prickle of unease within him.
Yet there was no way he could have read his true thoughts.
Convinced it was merely his imagination, he caught the faint, familiar scent of blossoms carried on the breeze. He instinctively turned his head.
In that instant, his footsteps ground to a sudden halt.
A woman stood beneath a tree of lush green foliage. Even from afar, her beauty caught the eye.
Why couldn’t he tear his gaze away from her?
In a fleeting second, her face overlapped with that of a girl he had never been able to forget.
A presence he had never once dared look upon directly.
A princess whose eyes sparkled as though dusted with stars, bearing a luminous smile capable of captivating hearts.
“Princess…”
Startled by the word that slipped unconsciously from his lips, Luand clamped a hand over his mouth.
‘The deepest annex of the palace, the Astral Palace she never leaves… There is no way she could be here.’
Yet despite that reasoning, his feet carried him toward her of their own accord.
Just then, their eyes met as she glanced around, looking as though she were waiting for someone.
Clear eyes, blending soft violet and faint sky blue, took him in entirely.
‘Ah… Could there truly be two women in this world with such eyes? Impossible.’
Luand roughly ran a hand through his hair and slowly closed the distance between them.
A voice inside his chest screamed: Turn back! Ignore it and keep walking!
Yet his feet defied him, carrying him straight toward her.
His eyes locked with those of the Princess, who barely reached his chest now that he stood directly before her.
When he merely stared down at her in silence, she blinked in bewilderment.
He had believed he would never see her again, yet that little princess had blossomed into a breathtaking young woman standing right in front of him.
“Prin—”
Slap.
Luand stared in sheer astonishment at the Princess, who had slapped her hand firmly over his mouth.
“Who are you? No, I’m not her. That’s…”
The Princess whispered in a flurry of panic, glancing around nervously lest anyone see them.
Didn’t she realize that reacting like this only confirmed his certainty?
The Princess remained as utterly innocent now as she had been in the past.
Meanwhile, Dalia—having never seen this man before in her life—clamped both hands over his mouth, her eyes darting frantically about.
She had merely been waiting for Moni, but then this strikingly handsome stranger had appeared and stared at her without pause, so she had seen no reason to look away.
After all, Cole had once told her that whoever looks away first in a staring contest is the loser.
‘I should have just lost…’
She had engaged in a pointless stare-down, and now her identity was practically blown for nothing.
His clear, pale blue eyes continued to gaze down at her unblinkingly from above.
“I apologize for being so rude at our first meeting, but I really am not a Prin—that.”
Even while staring right into his eyes, she couldn’t decipher what was going through his head in the slightest.
‘Is he furious because I suddenly silenced him?’
“I’m going to let go now, so please don’t misunderstand. Understood?”
Dalia slowly pulled her hands away, watching his reaction warily.
Yet the man only continued to stare at her in complete silence.
Because he offered no answer, she had no idea whether he had even understood her words.
“Why are you here?”
After standing in endless silence, the man’s lips finally moved.
His tone carried a familiarity suggesting he knew her intimately, making Dalia fluster as her long eyelashes trembled.
“Do you know me?”
“Did you not remain inside the Astral Palace? Prin—”
Clack!
A second muzzle over his mouth.
“I am truly sorry, but I really am not that person! So please, stop calling me that, you’re making me terribly flustered!”
Dalia stammered on the verge of tears, stamping her feet in distress.
As for the man, he remained entirely still, showing no displeasure whatsoever even as she covered his mouth a second time.
“I’m going to remove my hand now, so please be careful with your words. If you understand, could you nod your head?”
Yet the man merely continued to gaze at her in silence.
‘What do I do? This man is unbelievably stubborn.’
Just as Dalia opened her mouth in agitation to speak, a familiar voice drifted from behind.
“That amounts to a crime.”
Dalia jumped like a rabbit caught by a hunter and whipped around.
There stood the Emperor, arms crossed, slowly shifting his chilly gaze between her and the man standing beside her.
“I am honored to see Your Majesty, but… wh-what do you mean by that…?”
As Dalia stammered with a thoroughly flustered face, the Emperor’s sharp gaze settled on her hand, which was still plastered over the man’s mouth.
“Are you not holding a man’s mouth shut in a secluded place like this?”
“It isn’t like that at all…!”
Dalia protested with an expression of sheer injustice, slowly lowering her hand.
After all, it was broad daylight…
True, she was covering the man’s mouth, but—
