Carl, who had returned to his room alone after defeating everyone, stood there nkly for a while. It may be a familiar scene, but everything felt unfamiliar in the emptiness without his mother.


    Carl walked slowly, sweeping his hand over the desk where he had been drinking tea and talking with his mother, and over the chair where she had been sitting. Then he went over to the bed and felt for his mother''s ce.


    Carl found traces of his mother.


    He rummaged through his mother''s clothes in the closet, looked at her jewelry in the dresser, and opened the box where she kept the many letters he had sent her and looked inside.


    "… … ."


    Carl looked quietly at the letters he had sent, then took them out one by one and checked the envelopes. The envelopes, carefully opened so as not to break the wax, were full of traces of Lilly''s handling. Sitting alone in this small room, she had read, re-read, and re-read the letters Carl had sent her.


    Carl also kept all of Lilly''s letters.


    When he returned to Himmelnst time, he had left the box containing the letters in his room. Carl took out all the letters, checked their contents, and put them in a box in the order they were exchanged.


    Memories rose faintly like fog.


    After organizing everything, Carl, who was holding Lilly''sst letter in his hand, took it out and read it carefully again, as if he would never forget, as if he would remember forever.


    Carl carefully ced the letter in an envelope, making sure that the thread, cut by someone other than himself, was properly intertwined.


    "Now, let''s talk."


    At Carl''s words, a ck shadow rose silently behind him.


    Click.


    Carl carefully caressed the envelope, ced it in the box, and closed the lid.


    "There was a gaze that followed me since fall two years ago."


    "… … ."


    Cami did not answer, but listened quietly to Carl''s words.


    "At first, you must have thought about killing me."


    "…yes."


    Cami answered quietly.


    It was a voice like rain seeping into dry soil.


    Carl got up slowly and looked back at Cami. From the moment Carl barely touched Cami''s shoulder, she had been watching him.


    But now Cami could barely reach the tip of Carl''s chin. In just a year and a half, the small, skinny boy had grown into a strong young man.


    "That day, in winter."


    Carl slowly extended his hand. His fingertips touched under Cami''s chin, then lifted it slightly.


    Cami''s face, always white from hiding in the shadows, looked straight up at Carl, and her jewel-like hazel eyes met his.


    "It was you after all."


    "… … ."


    Carl looked down at Cami, who didn''t answer. It felt like the pure white skin was sticking to his hands.


    Her slightly thick ck eyebrows were sharply raised, her eyshes voluminous, and her pretty eyes with slightly nted corners shone with a deep luster.


    The smooth curve from her temples to her chin was elegant, and her slender chin fit perfectly in his hand.


    Carl lifted Cami''s chin with his hand, slowly running his fingers through her hair, looking at her forehead covered by her flowing ck hair.


    "… … ."


    "… … ."


    Cami didn''t move.


    "Why?"


    On that snowy winter day, Cami, disguised as an old woman, changed her attitude toward Carl after meeting him.


    At some point, Carl started to feel less ufortable when he sensed her gaze. This menacing Master, the darkest de of Adrian, feltpletely unthreatening.


    "Why did you save me?"


    Even to Adrian, she saved Carl, who was the most disturbing person, worried about him, and even screamed when he was in danger.


    "...you…."


    Cami''s lips moved slowly.


    "…I will be emperor…."


    She had just grabbed the strongest string.


    "Then, why… … ."


    Carl slowly moved his hand, tucking Cami''s ck hair behind her ear.


    Just like the neat and white forehead, the white ears had a noble feel to them. Cami''s lush eyshes fluttered slightly as Carl''s hand brushed her ear.


    "… Youforted me, right?"


    Carl''s hand left her curly ck hair and stroked Cami''s ear. Cami''s eyebrows twitched.


    "…because you seemed like you were going to fall apart."


    If the man who was to be the emperor were to copse like this, it would be a waste to help him.


    "Then."


    Carl slowly tilted his head and looked at his hand slowly descending. The hand that ran down her hair brushed the nape of Cami''s neck and then fell away.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Carl''s eyes looked back into Cami''s hazel eyes. Cami''s neck tightened slightly, and her eyes avoided Carl''s, then blinked and looked at him again.


    "… Not really… … ."


    The words that came out like breath had a slightly wet feel to them, and seemed to have a faintly sweet scent.


    Something stirred in the silence.


    But the moment Carl turned his head and looked at the room filled with traces of his mother, everything came crashing down, like a sigh lost in a dream, like a mirage seen through hazy eyes while hot and feverish.


    Cami took a silent step back, putting some distance between herself and Carl. Her sharp jawline was slightly shaded by force.


    "Are you going to betray your master and follow me?"


    Carl''s voice was indifferent, without the strange expression from a moment ago. His eyes, looking back, were also just calm.


    Cami blinked once and spoke with equally emotionless eyes.


    "If you ept."


    Cami pursed her lips.


    Carl looked down at her face quietly. The startled face he had seen in Ishu, the face like the misty pond he had seen just now.


    And the face he saw now, cold and stubborn. It seemed as if Carl could already tell what her real face was.


    "Who did you betray?"


    "As you know, your older brother, Adrian."


    Carl''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Cami knew that it was Carl''sughter as ''the hungriest beast that aspires to the throne.''


    Because she had been by Carl''s side and seen his every move.


    She had seen Carl suspect and be wary of Adrian without any basis, and she had seen him easily ruin Adrian''s ns that looked into the distant future even though there was no way to find out. Like a god, or like a devil.


    Cami knew. She knew that Carl knew.


    Carl reached out again and gently cupped Cami''s chin. Cami''s small face fit perfectly into his slender, elegant, yet powerful,rge hands. Cami didn''t even blink.


    "What is your name?"


    "Cami. Bloody ring finger Master."


    Cami spoke frankly to Carl, looking straight up at him, making eye contact.


    "Cami. From this moment on, you are mine."


    But when Carl said that, Cami felt a burning sensation on her hand.


    Her eyshes fluttered and she tried to avert her eyes, but strangely, she couldn''t escape from Carl''s hand that was holding her gently. If it were Master Cami, she would be able to shake it off easily.


    Carl slowly tilted his head and put his mouth next to Cami''s ear.


    "Tell me everything you know about Adrian."


    His breath and soft voice tickled her ears, so Cami turned her head away from him, straining the back of her neck.


    Carl looked at his empty hands for a moment, then dropped them nonchntly and looked down at Cami.


    Cami was clearly agitated. She realized something was wrong, but she knew there was no turning back now.


    Soon, Cami began to tell everything she knew about Adrian. As if she had been waiting for this moment, as if she had prepared information about Adrian to convey to Carl.


    Cami''s attitude resembled that of those who had sumbed to Carl''s demonic charisma, but there was a subtle difference that could not be fully exined in words.


    ''It''s already quite different from the original.''


    Carlpared Cami''s story with the original and found something regrettable in hearing about Adrian''s revised n. Cami told everything she knew. And Carl could tell from the way he slowly turned his head and looked out the window that he was deep in thought.


    He could read her thoughts and intentions from her little actions.


    "Adrian is suspicious of you and is wary of you."


    Cami wasn''t particrly surprised by Carl''s words after a brief silence. She wasn''t stupid; she already guessed that much.


    "For the time being, follow Adrian''s orders and do as he wishes. I will also act as I have done so far."


    "Not killing him… is… scary… ."


    Cami, who had been stammering and trailing off, closed her mouth. She stepped back with a puzzled look on her face.


    "Yes, Adrian has something to do. And you can talkfortably."


    "… … ."


    He told her she could talk freely, but Cami didn''t respond.


    "Do you want to know? What is Adrian''s role?"


    "… Are you going to tell me…?"


    Cami hesitated and tried to speak calmly, but her words ended up trembling.


    "Yes. Because you are mine."


    "… ."


    "Adrian must lead those who follow him and kill Aric."


    Cami didn''t answer, but Carl spoke coolly. He said he would kill Aric, who had done so much for him and had Lilly ced in the imperial tomb.