The Emperor stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window.
The wrinkles carved by time showed he was well past middle age, but his sharp eyes still held the clarity of youth. He gripped his hands tighter behind him.
“Are you there?”
Though he spoke to an empty room, it wasn’t silence that answered. A figure stepped out from the shadows that veiled the wall.
“You called, Your Majesty?”
One of the Emperor’s personally managed shadows knelt on one knee behind him, head bowed.
“They say the Daimon Count’s entourage arrived in the imperial capital today.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Investigate.”
The Emperor’s dark eyes gleamed sharply.
“Find out exactly what they know. Every last detail.”
Those piercing eyes were anything but clouded by age.
A twisted smile curled on the Emperor’s lips.
***
Meanwhile, Shekina and her group explained they had encountered a band of thieves on their way, which left them in such a disheveled state. Shocked, Benita immediately arranged for them to have lodging and called for a physician.
But… would just an encounter with bandits really leave them that filthy? The grime looked oddly familiar—like something he’d once seen on the body of a monster in the North.
Was it just his imagination?
Regardless, Benita was thrilled to see Shekina again after so long, and he sincerely hoped the group could get some proper rest, at least for tonight.
Thanks to Benita’s kindness, Shekina had cleaned herself up and changed into soft, cozy nightwear. She threw herself onto the bed and muttered,
“I was seriously shocked earlier.”
Dehan, who had been standing guard by the window, tilted his head at her words. Shekina added.
“I mean Benita. What the heck happened to him? He got so big!”
“So big…?”
Dehan blinked slowly, recalling Benita’s face. It had been ten years. He definitely looked different now. Was that what Shekina meant?
“He’s taller and his features are more defined now, but… is that what you’re referring to?”
“No, not that!”
Shekina sat up abruptly and exclaimed,
“He’s acting weird! Like, how do I put it… he’s trying to be all suave or something. He’s not cute anymore, he’s trying to come off all cool and serious. Didn’t you notice?”
“Ah.”
Dehan furrowed his brows slightly.
– Ahem. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? How have you been? As you can see, I’ve changed a lot since we last met. What do you think? My body’s stronger, and I look more handsome now, right?
Yeah, he’d made odd comments and even struck strange poses.
Dehan gave a quiet nod.
“He definitely did.”
“In my memory, he’s still that snot-nosed little prince.”
“I think so too. But technically, he is a prince now.”
“I know. I’m just saying… it was annoying.”
“Yes.”
Dehan nodded in agreement, glancing at Shekina, wondering if she was upset. But she didn’t seem angry—just grumbling a bit. Seeing that, he finally felt comfortable enough to ask the question that had been on his mind.
“By the way… is our job done now?”
“Our job?”
“Escorting priest Yuriel safely to the capital.”
“Hmmm…”
Shekina thought for a moment, then flopped back down on the bed.
“Honestly, this is where the real challenge starts.”
With a long sigh, she added.
“The Emperor probably won’t want to make Yuriel the next Pope. He’ll definitely oppose it.”
“…Why?”
“Because Yuriel has no ties to the Emperor.”
Dehan pondered her words, then gave a small “Ah,” touching his chin as understanding dawned.
“Previously, the imperial power was overshadowed by the temple, but now the Emperor holds stronger authority. So he likely wants to put someone he favors on the Pope’s seat to solidify control over the power structure… Is that what you’re saying?”
“You’re sharp. Teach you one thing and you figure out ten.”
Shekina chuckled as she looked at Dehan, who gazed back down at her with a more serious expression.
“So, what should we do?”
Shekina blinked a few times with her large eyes.
“I have no idea.”
“…What?”
“Arthur said he’d take care of it, so we have to trust him. There’s nothing I need to do right now.”
Even the system window hadn’t popped up, so she wasn’t sure what her next step should be.
Which is why Shekina was lying there with a rare sense of ease.
Dehan stared at her quietly for a moment, then let out a soft laugh as he slowly approached.
“Lady Shekina,”
He gently sat beside her on the bed and said.
“You seem more at peace than before.”
“Hmm?”
Shekina tilted her head back to look at him, and immediately noticed the soft smile on his face.
“Before, it felt like you were shouldering everything alone. But now… it feels like you’re sharing that burden.”
“……..”
“I’m glad. It feels like the others are really helping you now… and that you’re starting to trust them, too.”
Shekina felt a little embarrassed. She had to admit, seeing everyone taking care of things on their own in the skipped scenes had definitely eased her mind.
Because of that, she wasn’t as tense as before. She could finally focus more on herself.
‘So this is what it means to trust others.’
As that unfamiliar feeling settled in, Shekina absentmindedly played with her fingers and muttered,
“Well… I guess everyone’s grown up now.”
Dehan let out a quiet laugh.
To his eyes, Shekina was still quite young. Yet she spoke like someone so much older. Dehan couldn’t help but feel both sympathy and admiration for her.
So he gently placed his hand on her small palm and said.
“I like you.”
“What the—! A confession? Out of nowhere?!”
“Because I like you.”
“Ugh, seriously…”
Caught off guard by the sudden confession, Shekina turned away, her face flushed bright red. But she didn’t pull her hand away from his. Maybe… because she’d missed that warmth. Feeling her heart race, Shekina squeezed her eyes shut.
“Then… while we wait for Arthur to take care of things, how about we go explore the capital?”
Then Dehan leaned in close and whispered to Shekina.
“Just the two of us.”
“……”
If she agreed here, it would basically turn into an actual date.
Shekina suddenly recalled that, in both this life and the last, she had never gone on a proper date with Dehan. Every time they were about to get closer, something would happen—usually involving her untimely death.
‘But this time… maybe it’s okay?’
Feeling a fluttering warmth in her chest, Shekina pursed her lips slightly.
‘No, something could still go wrong, so maybe I should wait…’
Still, she really did want to go out. Just the two of them. No worries, no obligations—just a carefree time.
“Hmmm…”
She sat up from where she had turned away, and looked at Dehan. He was watching her with wide, sparkling eyes, like a puppy caught in the rain—and it was just too cute. Shekina couldn’t help but laugh.
“You do know you’re handsome, right?”
“Not as cute as you, Lady Shekina.”
“Shut up.”
Flustered, Shekina pressed her warm cheeks with the back of her hand and avoided his gaze.
“Well, going out… let’s—hm?”
Suddenly, something brushed past her ear and disappeared.
“Did you hear that?”
“A sound?”
They both fell silent and perked up their ears—and right then, they could hear a faint tone, like a notification sound.
“It sounds like the communicator.”
“Oh! The one my uncle gave me!”
Shekina quickly sat up and rummaged through her pack, pulling out the communication orb. As soon as her hand touched the round crystal, it gave a loud hum.
[Oh, oh! It’s connected! Martin, it’s working!]
“Uncle?”
The crystal lit up to reveal a disheveled Lyat.
[Baby?]
Then Martin appeared—also looking like a total mess.
Shekina and Dehan’s eyes widened in alarm.
What happened? Did someone attack the Demon King’s castle? Was it Lucifer?
“What’s going on…?”
[Shekina, listen carefully.]
Lyat was staring through the orb with an uncharacteristically grave expression.
Shekina swallowed hard.
And then she heard the words.
[The Demon King is super pissed right now.]
…Huh?
[Don’t come back for a while.]
