Sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, falling across the blond man’s profile.

That face was absurdly handsome. Every line looked as though it had been carved by an artist’s own hands, and paired with his slightly pretty-boy complexion and meticulously groomed hair, he looked at first glance like a statue that had come to life from a national art museum.

Especially the instant he opened his eyes.

Sunlight poured into a deep lake, instantly shattering the solemn aura sealed there for a thousand years. Along with those mercilessly opening eyes came an overwhelming sense of icy indifference.

He stared at the ceiling for a long while first, as though contemplating the profound truths of heaven, earth, the world, and the universe itself. No emotion stirred within those sapphire-blue eyes. They were calm to the point of freezing.

No one knew how much time passed before he finally tilted his proud head slightly and looked toward the beauty quietly seated beside the bed.

“Mortal, upon entering my presence, how dare you not kneel?”

“Hm?”

“No... I mean, can I touch your black stockings?”

Silver-white hair swayed lightly.

Before the true ice lake could fully freeze over, the man who had just been contemplating the profound truths of heaven, earth, the world, and the universe immediately revealed a fawning grin and grabbed hold of the overlapping black stockings.

The exquisite smoothness and softness instantly set one’s imagination running wild. It made a person feel that perhaps this truly was the profound core of the universe!

“I actually preferred the arrogant version of you from a moment ago.”

Celicia rested her jade-white hand beneath her chin and nodded slightly.

“How about you go back to that?”

“H-how could I dare?”

Muen blinked rapidly, his smile becoming even more “sincere.” If he were not still sitting on the bed, one might even have seen the phantom image of a golden retriever tail wagging behind him.

“Heaven as my witness, how could I possibly say something like that to my dearest, most beloved Cia? I was just groggy from waking up and misspoke.”

“You wouldn’t dare?”

“That’s right. You know me. I’m the most timid person alive.”

“Timid?”

“Mhm, timid, extremely timid.”

Muen nodded repeatedly. “Calling me cowardly as a mouse wouldn’t even be an exaggeration!”

“Heh.”

A cold laugh.

The moment Muen sensed the atmosphere turn dangerous, his head instinctively shrank back and every hair on his body stood on end.

Yet his hands continued stroking those black stockings back and forth, hoping that the superb finger techniques he had honed through constant practice might dissolve her killing intent.

“Heh. If anyone else in the world claimed to be timid, I’d probably believe it a little. But hearing you, Muen Campbell, say that? I wouldn’t dare believe it.”

“...”

Alright then.

Apparently finger techniques were useless at a time like this. Perhaps if he went a little further and launched a surprise attack straight for the heart of the enemy, it might work—but before that happened, he would probably experience just how terrifying those taut, powerful black stockings could be in another sense.

Muen obediently knelt upright like a little boy who had done something wrong.

Celicia shot him a cold glance. Even though his hands were still causing trouble, at least his attitude... seemed acceptable enough.

“You do look rather timid right now.”

“See? I told you—”

“But what about when you ran alone into the enemy kingdom’s capital? Back then, I didn’t see even the slightest trace of timidity in you.”

Celicia narrowed her cold eyes.

“Uh...”

Muen’s smile stiffened. He searched desperately for a good excuse... but genuinely could not find one.

After all, infiltrating enemy territory alone could hardly be described as “timid.”

“...I’m very sorry.”

In the end, Muen could only lower his head and apologize.

“And when you went alone to contend with the infamous Salvation Society? Was that also being timid?” Celicia asked again.

“...I’m very sorry.”

“And leaving behind our hundred-thousand Imperial army and the Church’s elite forces? Handling everything by yourself?”

“...I’m very sorry.”

“And forcing us to help assassinate a Temple Archbishop by acting first and informing us afterward? When you came up with that plan, did you also think you were timid?”

“...I’m very sorry.”

“Is that the only sentence you know how to say?”

A trace of irritation appeared on Celicia’s icy face.

“Muen Campbell, where did all your slick talk go?”

“To be clear, I’ve never been slick-tongued. Everything I said before genuinely came from the bottom of my heart...”

“Hm?”

“No... very sorry...”

Muen immediately lowered his head again, revealing a bitter smile.

“Because apologizing is all I can do. What else can I say? I really was too reckless this time. I completely fell into the Salvation Society’s trap from the very beginning.”

Thinking about it carefully, if he had maintained closer contact with Celicia and the others from the start—one side inside, one side outside, comparing information together—they might have quickly exposed the truth of this city and never fallen into the mistaken theory of “real and fake.”

But there were no what-ifs.

Not even his power over time could rewind things that far back.

“So you understand what consequences your stubbornness could have caused?” Celicia asked coldly.

“I understand.”

Muen lowered his head in shame.

“I could have been used by the Salvation Society and caused even more disastrous consequences. One wrong move, and the entire game might have been lost.”

“I’m talking about you.”

“Huh?”

“I’m talking about you. If something had happened to you because of this, do you know what the consequences would have been?”

“Me?”

Before Muen could fully grasp the deeper meaning behind her question, he suddenly felt his head pulled into a warm embrace.

Though the girl’s voice remained cold, like winter snow and ice—

That warmth alone was enough to soothe a weary heart after a long battle.

“A lot of people would be heartbroken, Muen.”

Celicia spoke softly.

“You should understand by now that your life no longer belongs solely to yourself. Your family, your friends, those who respect you, those who have placed their hopes on you... and those who love you. They... would all be heartbroken.”

The ice lake remained still.

Yet Muen could clearly sense the ripples trembling beneath its depths.

Because he was pressed directly against that heart.

Thump. Thump.

It was beating very fast.

Yeah.

Without realizing it, his life had long since become tied to countless bonds. His life and death no longer belonged to him alone.

“Sounds like I’ve become some incredibly important figure.”

Muen smiled lightly.

“But I don’t think I heard the thing I most wanted to hear.”

“What... hm? What are you doing?”

Muen suddenly released the black stockings, wrapped both arms around her waist, and with lightning speed pulled Celicia directly onto his lap.

The sudden movement made Celicia let out a brief, adorable yelp utterly unbefitting her status, though it vanished so quickly it almost felt like an illusion.

The height difference now forced Muen to look up at her, but after his gaze swept past those two soft, rounded peaks, it felt like standing atop a mountain overlooking a far more beautiful landscape.

Muen stared directly at Celicia’s lovely face.

“What about you? Were you worried about me?”

“Why would I worry about you?”

Celicia slightly raised her pale chin and looked down at him arrogantly.

“Really...? Then what about everything you just said...”

“I simply think that as the Empire’s future prince consort and my future husband, constantly throwing yourself into danger like this makes the Empire look incompetent. It’s embarrassing.”

Celicia gave a cold snort.

“Is that so?”

Muen blinked.

“Why does it sound like I’m some pampered little housewife? You really weren’t worried about me at all?”

“Of course not. I would never—”

Celicia tried to reject him coldly again, but when she saw the puppy-like anticipation in Muen’s eyes, her voice suddenly softened.

“However...”

“However?”

“If something truly had happened to you... I probably would have buried this entire kingdom, along with the Salvation Society, beside you.”

The softness in her voice lasted only an instant before coldness returned once more.

Yet that coldness felt like snowfall descending at exactly the right moment amid a blazing inferno, intoxicating beyond reason.

Muen finally understood why domineering CEOs had been so popular in his previous life.

Who wouldn’t love this? He genuinely felt like becoming a pampered little housewife himself.

“I love you to death, my Cia.”

Muen immediately kissed her.

For Celicia, no matter how worried or displeased she had been with Muen’s actions, this separation had not truly lasted very long. At most, only a month or two.

But for Muen, those thousands of repeated timelines had stretched the dimension of time unbearably long.

Which was why the instant he saw Celicia again, he could barely suppress the turbulence in his heart.

“Mmh...”

Perhaps sensing Muen’s burning emotions, Celicia rarely skipped the usual tsundere resistance and simply allowed him to kiss her directly.

Heat and cold collided violently, producing an even fiercer reaction between them.

The sweetness he had not tasted for so long awakened senses numbed by countless deaths. Electric sensation spread through every inch of his body. It began as a shallow brush of lips before quickly deepening into hungry entanglement.

Muen gently pried open her teeth, and that little tongue immediately came forward on its own. As always, it initially tried to assert dominance and seize control, only to be gradually toyed with by Muen until it unconsciously surrendered everything.

Lips and tongues intertwined, saliva exchanged. Shamefully intimate sounds utterly unbefitting a noble empress gradually filled the quiet room.

Wet, sticky kisses.

And yet they were irresistibly intoxicating.

“Hah...”

No one knew how long passed before they finally separated, though a transparent strand still connected their lips—much like the hazy ripples now spreading through the girl’s gradually melting eyes.

“Where is everyone else?”

Muen asked.

He remembered that Anna, Liya, and An had all been together with Celicia, yet now he saw only her. That made him a little curious.

The others knew he was here. There was no way they would not come immediately.

“Hmph.”

Celicia gave a light snort. Mentioning the other women at a time like this clearly displeased her, but she still answered:

“They naturally have their own work to do. Saint Blancfazesiya is in complete chaos right now. Even restoring the most basic order requires endless work. Assign them even a little responsibility, and they’ll be busy enough to lose their minds.”

“...I see.”

The corner of Muen’s mouth twitched. He could roughly guess what Celicia had done.

Anna was technically the Empress’s subordinate, so there was no avoiding certain tasks. As for the Church side... that went without saying. The cathedral must have been drowning in problems right now. Liya, and An as her attendant nun, would be even busier.

“You’re terrible...”

Muen rubbed against Celicia intimately.

“But is this really okay? If things are this busy, then at a time this important, you, Your Majesty the Empress...”

“What could possibly be more important than punishing you? If I don’t properly punish you now, next time you’ll probably dare challenge an Evil God by yourself.”

Celicia rolled her eyes at him coldly.

“Punish me? How?” Muen stiffened slightly.

“That depends on your comprehension.”

“My comprehension...”

Glancing at the tightly shut door, Muen knew there was no way he would be leaving this room today unless he satisfied her properly, so his thoughts spun rapidly.

“Alright then. I accept my punishment, Your Majesty.”

As he spoke, Muen leaned back slightly, lifted Celicia’s black-stockinged foot into his hands...

...and gently kissed it.