Abella turned her head.

A long figure stood under the streetlamp. The man who was tilting his head said confidently, “Why are you out here alone? It’s dangerous.”

The man who frowned and hurriedly snuffed the cigar in his hand, revealing his face from the darkness.

“…… Cade?”

“Yes. Where are you going? You don’t look well.”

“I……. was just walking.”

She didn’t want to say anything. And she had the certainty that even if she didn’t say anything, Cade would know.

Only after Cade ruffled his hair to get the cigar scent out did he come to Abella.

“You can smell it, but please bear with me for just one day.”

“…… Have you ever smoked a cigar?”

“Just……. Sometimes.”

Cade shrugged his shoulders and held out his hand to Abella.

“Come here. I will take you.”

“I want to walk.”

“I’ll walk you home.”

Cade grabbed Abella’s hand and pulled her closer. Like he was pulling her out of the dark.

“What happened to your face?”

“I? I am perfectly fine.”

Abella wiggled her hand. However, Cade did not let Abella pull her hand away. He rather tightened the bond by interlacing his fingers between hers. Then he looked down at Abella and smirked at her. The hustle and bustle of the city dispersed like the background, and Cade’s boyishness stood out.

He always appeared like this when Abella needed him. It was said that if coincidences overlap, it was fate.

Abella’s eyes clouded.

In fact, she may have been waiting for someone to hold her like this, to call her, to treat her kindly.

Maybe it was because it was Cade, so it was more emotional.

Cade was the only person in the villa who held Abella. He was the only one…….

Tears streamed down Abella’s cheeks.

Salty tears wet the ground.

Cade froze like ice, and he opened his mouth as if nothing had happened.

“I came out today because I have something to look into. I can’t trust the nobles. If you want to remove the mist from Timur, don’t you have to remove their palms first? Timur was too old. Only the people of Timur know that they are sinking slowly because of custom.”

Cade’s voice continued quietly. It was a string of words that really meant nothing. It was just to hide Abella’s cry.

Cade gave strength to his hand, which was holding Abella. Like he would never let her go.

“It seems to be getting better little by little. Little by little, new forces are coming in. I’m going to put them in the center. I threw out the useless and made space. At first, it’s a small job, but later, you won’t know, right? If it doesn’t work out, I’m thinking of relocating the capital.”

Cade has reduced state secrets to casual chatter. However, Cade couldn’t stop anything from becoming useless in front of Abella.

“Abella. If what I’m doing succeeds, you won’t have to live such a suffocating life anymore. No one will talk about the Day of Skellus. Once the bridles on you are lifted, you will be able to do whatever you want.”

Abella held her breath and wiped away her tears.

Cade’s words flew into her ears like scattered mist, unable to seep through. Nevertheless, Abella was comforted by Cade’s body temperature and his voice.

Cade did not stop talking about things like taking care of her.

It would be dangerous for him to wander around alone like this as the emperor, but he just kept by Abella’s side. Eyes watching them will be hidden here and there. There was no way that Cade was sent by the guards alone.

Nevertheless, Abella felt ‘comfort’ rather than ‘monitored’. Abella was protected by them.

So she cried to her heart’s content. The long road had an end. Her feet were swollen and her legs were numb. It was the first time she had walked this long since the day she fled from Timur. Nevertheless, Abella felt regret.

Cade pretended to know Abella’s tears when she arrived at Amerigo’s mansion.

He wiped Abella’s tears with the back of his hand.

“Are you done crying?”

At the sound of the sweet voice, Abella pouted her lips and nodded her head.

“Yes.”

No questions asked, that’s all.

Cade smiled softly with the moonlight behind him.

Cade straightened Abella’s hat.

“…… Are you going to the Imperial Palace now?”

“Then. Can I stay here?” Cade asked mischievously.

“You can if you want.” Abella finally let out a small laugh. “…… Thank you, sincerely.”

Abella let Arsene go.

Arsene, which she was holding, was nothing but an illusion of hers. He was the enemy Abella had to drive out with all her might.

And Abella let Amerigo’s relatives go.

It wasn’t difficult for her as she had never been deeply in love with them in the first place.