A few days later.

　　Brianne had to hear unbelievable words from Kavil.

　　“I have just come from having the maid who told you about the History Hall and the guard who opened the History Hall’s doors beheaded.”

　　Kavil’s touch as he stroked Brianne’s bright golden hair was gentler than ever, and his voice was so soft he might have been her own father. Because of that, Brianne almost mistook his words for praise for Mielo and the guard.

　　“Your Majesty. Was that a joke?”

　　Brianne tried to brush it off. Gazing at him as she waited for Kavil’s answer, her green eyes shone like gems.

　　“Mmh. Of course not.”

　　Kavil shook his head and smiled brightly. He seemed in an exceedingly good mood.

　　“When have you ever seen me joke with you, Brianne?”

　　His fingertips, which had been fondling Brianne’s golden hair, slowly began tracing her neck and collarbone.

　　“I knew it. Blue suits you far better than red, Miss Paradia.”

　　The good-hearted Mielo, who had made such a fuss while hanging a beautiful gem around Brianne’s neck.

　　She took pride in her work and gave it her absolute best, more than anyone else. Having realized early on what she was good at, Brianne had felt envious of the girl, and at times found her admirable. For Brianne had yet to think deeply about her own talents or what she wished to do.

　　“Why? For what reason did you make such a decision… Mielo was…”

　　The maid’s only crime had been being the sole person in this bleak imperial palace to wish for Brianne’s happiness.

　　“That girl and the guard committed no crime, Your Majesty. So why… why did you…”

　　The stammering Brianne ultimately burst into tears.

　　Kavil stared intently at the delicate side profile of Brianne as she wept.

　　When he first heard that Brianne Paradia was wandering near the History Hall, he had no intention of severing their necks. No one could enter that place besides himself anyway, and Brianne was a child who didn’t even know what purpose the History Hall served. In fact, out of the books kept there, there were barely ten she could read. Thus, Kavil had nothing to worry about.

　　“It is reported that she entered the History Hall together with Grand Duke Heisack.”

　　However, the report that followed drove Kavil to a fit of rage.

　　My Brianne, alone with that damned Johannes?

　　Inflicting such extreme punishment on the guard and Mielo had been little more than a simple outburst of anger.

　　“Brianne, why are you crying? As if weeping like that will reattach their severed heads.”

　　Kavil consoled Brianne. His face was shamelessly devoid of any sense that he was at fault for her grief.

　　“Crying won’t undo your rashness, will it?”

　　Kavil’s tone was tender and soft, yet clearly placed the blame on Brianne, snapping her back to reality.

　　Two people lost their lives over my paltry curiosity.

　　Kavil is furious with me. He vented his desire to wring my neck on their lives instead. And the Emperor is warning me that he can lightly choke out my life at any moment.

　　“I shall forgive you this time.”

　　Noticing that Brianne’s weeping breath was turning into terrified trembling, Kavil wore a dignified smile.

　　“However, if you make the same mistake again, there will be no second chances. Do you hear me, Brianne?”

　　Kavil whispered as he wiped away Brianne’s tears, but Brianne merely buried her face in her hands and trembled silently, offering no answer whatsoever.

　　Kavil found it strange.

　　He had expected her to cry out that everything was her fault and beg for forgiveness for her foolishness, but she did not. Ultimately, he could not see her groveling at his feet as she usually did.

　　However, he decided to generously overlook her insolence for today. For her, it must have been her first terrifying experience of having her own mistake be paid for with someone else’s life.

　　“Your position is not merely to provide amusement for me at night. Brianne, you would do well to consider your role a bit more carefully. From now on, your weight of responsibility will become heavier than it is now.”

　　Kavil’s embrace as he held Brianne was warmer than ever.

　　Such warmth was unfitting for a murderer who felt no hesitation in taking human life.

* * *

　　The day before that.

　　“Why did you let her in there?”

　　It was the first time Kavil had personally visited the Heisack Manor since a spring day thirteen years ago, when Johannes’s mother and Kavil’s aunt, the Grand Duchess of Heisack, was still alive.

　　“To personally come all the way to this humble place and demand to know whether I lusted after the Emperor’s concubine… There ought to be a limit to how wretched a man you try to make me out to be.”

　　Johannes scoffed.

　　“Cut the bullshit and answer my question! Why did you take her in there!”

　　Enraged, Kavil grabbed Johannes by the collar.

　　Johannes knew Kavil very well. He was not a man to fly into such a rage over a mere woman. His desires were far greater and stronger than merely possessing a woman sexually.

　　There must be something in the History Hall that woman shouldn’t see.

　　Johannes thought as he stared intently at Kavil, who had lost his mind and was flying into a rage.

　　“Hearing that the Emperor’s concubine interested herself in the place after rumors of splendid books being kept there, I merely wished for her to hone a wider variety of studies.”

　　Johannes answered calmly, pushing away the hand that was grasping his shirt front.

　　“Ah. Or perhaps it was not studies, but positions?”

　　“…What?”

　　Failing to understand his words immediately, Kavil asked back with a furrowed brow.

　　“Did you not know? That she enjoys reading erotic novels.”

　　Johannes sneered once more.

　　A surge of displeasure washed over Kavil’s distorted face.

　　How dare you discuss Brianne’s tastes? And how on earth did you find that out?

　　Kavil wanted to demand answers, but he held back. He did not want to react the way Johannes intended. That was the one thing he refused to give him.

　　“There’s no way such a thing would be in the History Hall. Why didn’t you placate her appropriately and send her away?”

　　“I am neither a wet nurse nor a sitter.”

　　Johannes wore an expression of genuine disgust.

　　“What did she read?”

　　Belatedly realizing he needed to maintain his dignity and decorum as a sovereign, Kavil asked. Yet he still failed to conceal his angry tone.

　　“Isn’t it obvious? The books printed in the imperial language there can be counted on one hand.”

　　When a useful answer finally came from Johannes’s mouth, Kavil’s expression finally softened.

　　“She roughly flipped through a few book covers and left almost immediately.”

　　“Which ones did she skim, and how many?”

　　“Ha. Do you think I checked every single one? I tell you once more, I am not that woman’s sitter.”

　　It was Johannes who creased his brow in displeasure at Kavil’s command.

　　“I do not know what she read or when she left. I have no interest in her whereabouts. That woman maintained a grand attitude throughout, incapable of even offering a word of thanks for letting her into that space.”

　　Johannes snarled as if the Kavil before his eyes were Brianne herself.

　　“Your Majesty would do well to mend that woman’s manners. To see a mere concubine act as haughtily as if she were the Empress was quite a spectacle.”

　　After spouting words designed to rub Kavil’s nerves raw, Johannes let out a languid sigh.

　　“Safe travels. In the future, I would appreciate it if you summoned me to the palace rather than coming here.”

　　He then went through the trouble of personally opening the room door and gestured with his chin, as if to tell him to get out immediately.

　　“Isn’t Max’s memorial day approaching soon, Johannes?”

　　However, Kavil seemed to have no intention of leaving this antique yet gloomy mansion.

　　At his new topic, Johannes’s blue eyes gleamed murderously.

　　“If that child were alive, he would have celebrated his eighteenth birthday this year.”

　　This time, Kavil began provoking Johannes.

　　“Do you think you have the right to speak that name?”

　　Indeed, Kavil’s effort paid off. Johannes, who had remained steadfast, lost his composure at the sound of that single name.

　　“Why shouldn’t I have the right? I am his older maternal cousin. You know it too, Johannes, don’t you? That child followed me more than he did you, his own brother.”

　　“Shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!”

　　Johannes shoved Kavil. Kavil instantly fell, and Johannes, climbing on top of him, swung his fist.

　　Thwack!

　　His solid fist slammed heavily into Kavil’s left cheekbone.

　　Thwack! Thwack!

　　The second punch struck slightly lower, and the third hit the exact same spot.

　　“How dare you! Trash like you, how dare you!”

　　Just before Johannes’s fourth punch could land on a defenseless Kavil, Kavil’s guards, who had been hiding somewhere, appeared like lightning and restrained Johannes’s limbs. Then they began brutally beating his entire body.

　　“Ugh…!”

　　Just as Johannes’s short groans and the heavy sounds of beating settled low over the desolate manor…

　　“Stop.”

　　When Kavil elegantly raised his right hand, the soldiers surrounding Johannes quickly fell into formation and stepped back. They were no ordinary guards. They were undeniably highly trained elite operatives.

　　He wiped the blood from his lip, split by Johannes’s blow moments ago, with the back of his hand. Touching the torn flesh, he let out a shallow grunt, then twisted his lips wickedly.

　　“Johannes, it has been a very long time since I was thrashed so mercilessly by you. Mmh, let’s see. Was it the day Max died? Twelve years ago? No, thirteen?”

　　“Shut your mouth, you goddamned lunatic! Don’t bring that name up with your filthy little lips!”

　　At Kavil’s provocation, Johannes roared fiercely like a rabid hound.

　　“Johannes Heisack.”

　　Kavil grabbed Johannes, who was held down at his feet by the guards, by the crown of his head and yanked it up. His neatly groomed black hair was disheveled by Kavil’s brutal grip.

　　“You really do resemble my late father so much. Among all things, what reminds me most of him…”

　　Kavil’s eyes fixed obsessively on his blue eyes.

　　“…is those eyes of yours.”