Yuder’s brow twitched sharply.

“I’ll overlook the word ‘fool,’ but I can’t agree with terms like ‘defective.’”

“Haha. I don’t think that made me a worthless person either. But the world didn’t see it that way. Let’s say it was the perspective of those on the outside.”

“I’d love to know who those ‘outsiders’ were.”

“Hm. Why? What would you do if you found out?”

Kishiar chuckled and asked teasingly. In Yuder’s mind, several rather gruesome torture and execution methods flashed by in rapid succession. He swallowed the entire disturbing list and answered calmly, as usual.

“...They sound like someone I’d deeply disagree with. I’d just like to remember their name well.”

At that, Kishiar’s eyes curved with a low chuckle. With a look more sincerely delighted and clear than at any point in the conversation so far, he whispered,

“Thank you. Truly. But the one who called me a defective product died a long time ago.” 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

“...”

“Inella la Orr, the Empress Dowager. She was one of the people I’d hoped to show that I had recovered and become healthy as an Awakener... It’s a pity she passed away before I could.”

Of course. If someone had said something that cruel, it had to be royalty. The list of candidates had already been short.

‘Inon’s report mentioned she spent years clashing with the former Emperor over Kishiar’s succession. Said they never got along to begin with.’

While Yuder was going over the information he knew about the Empress Dowager, Kishiar gently stroked the back of his hand.

“If only I could’ve shown her that someone was angry on my behalf... that would’ve been satisfying. Suddenly, I regret not getting the chance.”

“If she’s dead, that doesn’t mean you can’t show her. If you’d like, I can dig up her grave anytime. Just say the word.”

If Kishiar wanted it, what was digging a little dirt?

Yuder already knew where the Orr imperial family’s ancestral tombs were—he’d seen them in his past life. Sneaking in at night and flipping just one of them wouldn’t be difficult.

Kishiar’s eyes widened slightly before he leaned back and burst into laughter. Whatever it was about Yuder’s words that set him off, he laughed long and hard—until tears welled up, and he wiped them away, catching his breath.

“My God... to laugh like this, at a time like this. Everything I was taking seriously now feels absurd.”

“I was completely serious, though.”

“I know. That’s why it made me laugh.”

After that, the tension around Kishiar visibly softened.

“Anyway, returning to what we were discussing earlier... Even if we set aside the word ‘defective,’ I don’t think we can ignore the fact that there’s something clearly wrong with this bloodline.”

“You mean the vessel issue.”

“Yes. When it first started, they said a case might appear once in several centuries. But over generations, the frequency increased. My predecessor, the last Duke from the royal family, died only thirty-three years ago. And in my generation, both His Majesty and I had vessel issues. So clearly...”

It wasn’t hard to imagine what might happen if they produced another generation. Kishiar didn’t finish the sentence, but his lips curved slightly.

“That’s why His Majesty considered adopting early on. I agreed with both Their Majesties on that decision.”

Knowing the high probability of passing on this pain, and with no way to solve it, having children under such circumstances would be selfish. That’s the conclusion the three of them had reached.

“When I met the child they wished to name heir, I felt even more certain it was the right choice. Unlike those obsessed with bloodlines, I believed—no, I knew—we could truly love each other without sharing blood. We could pass on our values, goals, and hopes through that bond.”

But that child died. And with that knowledge, a faint sadness slipped into Kishiar’s eyes.

“...It’s a shame. We don’t know if His Majesty and I regained reproductive ability after awakening... but even if we did, I have no desire to bring someone into the world just to suffer what I did. That’s my personal reason. And with everything else that needs to be considered now, that conviction is even stronger. I think Their Majesties still feel the same.”

“I see. I understand what you mean.”

“Does that answer your question?”

“Yes. I feel much clearer now.”

Knowing each other’s thoughts—whatever they may be—brought a sense of peace. Kishiar, too, gave a slight smile, as if he felt the same.

“Right. A solution for Second Trait Awakeners who want children... I hadn’t thought that far ahead. That was short-sighted of me. Once we resolve the heat cycle issue, I suppose we’ll have our next goal lined up.”

“There’s almost no precedent, and no research has been done. It’s an uncharted field, even in the previous game.”

“True. But it’s better to start preparing early. Hmm... where should we begin?”

Whenever he talked about future plans, Kishiar’s eyes sparkled like the sun. In those moments, it was as if none of his burdens existed—he became a boy shining with nothing but hope.

Watching that face gave new color to everything Yuder had thought of as mere duty. He’d experienced it several times already, and yet it never ceased to amaze him. He looked quietly at Kishiar’s face for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes. Then... after your heat ends, let’s discuss it further.”

A heat cycle didn’t mean the end of everything. Yuder’s words carried the message that they would get through it, and afterward, they’d move on to build something new together.

Sensing the meaning in those words, Kishiar suddenly pulled Yuder’s hand tightly toward him. Like a knight from long ago, he bowed his head and pressed his lips to the back of Yuder’s hand. Amid the warmth of breath against his skin, he whispered:

“...Yes. Let’s do that.”

***

Without ever letting their guard down—yet without losing composure—Peleta kept steadily doing what needed to be done.

“Baron Aile.”

“I’ve already told you, Sir Zuckerman, that ‘Sir’ is more than enough.”

Holding a stack of papers lightly in one arm, Nathan Zuckerman looked straight at Yuder with his usual stoic expression. He exhaled quietly, then gave a small nod.

“If you insist. Sir Aile, I’ve brought new letters from the Northern branch.”

“Ah. I should’ve gone myself. Thank you.”

Yuder briefly skimmed through the letters Nathan handed him. The reports from stationed members, following Kishiar’s orders, all stated that there were no problems for now.

‘As expected. The North’s been quiet ever since that one appearance... But that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down. Staying ready is still the right choice. Looks like they’ll need to endure a bit longer.’

Yuder was just about to put the letters down when he noticed that Nathan Zuckerman hadn’t left yet. He turned his head.

‘Hm?’

“Is there something else? If it’s about the Commander’s condition...”

Kishiar hadn’t entered heat yet, and was still working in his chambers. Yuder had even delivered the morning reports to him earlier. Was there something Nathan hadn’t heard?

But before Yuder could finish speaking, Nathan shook his head.

“I’ve already been informed about that. This is something else... I heard you helped Commander Weliven earlier.”

“Ah.”

Technically, handling reports from the Cavalry was Yuder’s main task, but since those didn’t take long, he’d had nothing else to do while down at Peleta. A few hours ago, while making his habitual rounds inside and outside the castle, he’d run into Weliven.

Weliven had been in the middle of discussing the rotation and training schedules for knights being sent out on distant deployments. It was a tricky problem that required juggling many people’s circumstances—and judging by his expression, it was giving him a serious headache.

Yuder had dealt with similar issues countless times during his time as Cavalry Commander.

‘I only chimed in with a few suggestions when we crossed paths. Maybe he saw it as an outsider meddling.’

Just as Yuder began to worry about that, Nathan bowed his head respectfully.

“Thank you.”

‘...Huh?’

“Peleta’s Knight Order frequently dispatches members far away, so balancing rotations and training has always been a long-standing issue. It wouldn’t be right to trouble His Grace with something so trivial, and Commander Weliven has been quietly struggling with it for some time. I’m not much help in that regard myself.”

“...”

“We didn’t think anyone from the Cavalry would understand such concerns, but the advice you gave was extremely reasonable and clear when we went to verify it. It’s going to be a big help.”