The energy of four distinct colors seemed to be alive, swirling around in unique patterns. The sight was both terrifying and mystical.

"Does it... hurt?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine. But I must admit, I feel a bit embarrassed revealing myself like this in front of Your Majesty the Empress."

The Empress's unease quickly dissipated, thanks to Kishiar's words, which somehow seemed even more awkward than when he had strolled barefoot around Tainu's party. Nonetheless, the overwhelming sensation she felt from simply watching remained.

"Does Baron Aile know which color represents which energy?"

"Of course."

Yuder proceeded to explain the colors and locations of each energy, saving the red energy that cautiously moved along his hand for last.

"And this is the energy of the Awakener. While the energy in most people is usually located below the abdomen, Commander's energy moves in a form that not only fills the vessel but also envelops and protects the surrounding force. This differentiates him from other Awakeners."

"I see. The vessel..."

The Empress's gaze shifted towards the massive conglomerate of energy that seemed lodged at his core. Long-standing emotions were revealed in her eyes as she looked at the red energy that solidly enveloped and supported the turbulent vortex. Seeing the actual entity causing suffering and leading her husband, the Emperor, towards death did nothing to uplift her mood.

Yuder ignored her expression and continued to explain his earlier attempts. The Empress's expression returned to normal upon hearing that he had successfully drawn his energy into Kishiar's body using his abilities.

"Truly remarkable."

"Then I shall conclude the demonstration here."

The light faded from Yuder's hand, and everything vanished as if it had been an illusion. Kishiar sat up and smiled.

"It feels like I've grown more accustomed to controlling it over time. The strain on my end also seems to have lessened. Are you alright?"

"I am fine, fortunately."

"You might be fine, but it must have drained you. Here, have something to eat."

Kishiar casually handed Yuder a bite-sized snack. Coincidentally, it was the last one left. Yuder hesitated momentarily, but the Empress, still lost in the lingering awe of what she had just seen, was not watching them.

"..."

"Don't worry. It's very delicious with the chocolate. You haven't eaten at all while talking, have you? Go ahead."

Just as Yuder succumbed to Kishiar's tempting whisper and put the snack in his mouth, the Empress abruptly looked up. After an awkward exchange of glances in silence, she finally spoke.

"You don't have to sneak food. I brought it for both of you to share."

"Sneak? I openly offered it out of concern for my assistant, who seemed drained."

Kishiar feigned ignorance effortlessly.

"In that case, will one suffice? Would you like to fetch the next plate for you yourself?"

Since the maids who usually perform such duties were outside while they were demonstrating their abilities, only the three of them were left in the reception room. Kishiar rose gracefully from his seat, wearing a sly smile.

"Of all the commands I have received from Her Majesty today, this is the one I was hoping least to hear."

He lifted the empty plate with the tips of his fingers at a perfect angle, stood up straight, and walked away without making a sound. His posture was so impeccable that Yuder briefly questioned his eyes; if not for his appearance, one might have believed him to be a servant from any palace.

"The Duke has always been able to disguise himself as any rank of palace official if he puts his mind to it. You probably won't find another imperial family member who can mimic a servant so perfectly in all of Orr's history," the Empress said with a faint smile and a sigh, almost immediately after they were left alone. Her voice carried a sense of familial warmth that was different from the Emperor’s. It was the voice of someone who had spent a long time with Kishiar, her real family in many ways.

"In truth, there are matters I wish to discuss alone with you, Baron. I temporarily dismissed the Duke for that reason. Is that alright?"

"Yes, of course."

Kishiar had probably departed so obediently because he already suspected the Empress's intentions.

The Empress looked into Yuder’s face for a moment as if selecting her words, then seemed to make up her mind.

"Baron, the truth is, my background is quite flawed. Officially, I am recorded as the second child and first daughter of the Duke of Herne, but that record only dates back to when I was 12. Do you understand what that means?"

A person who was recorded as a child of the Duke’s family at 12 years old—that was simple enough to understand. It meant that the Empress was adopted into the Duke’s family quite late.

'I hadn't known that before.'

The Empress continued her story with a faint smile, noting Yuder's composed expression.

"The Herne family is renowned for their scarcity of daughters. For decades, they hadn't even produced a single Empress because daughters were so rare. I was adopted from a distant branch of the Herne family because I had a slight talent for magic, to fill the symbolic position of a potential Empress Consort. No one thought that I would actually stand where I am now. Even the Herne family didn’t wish for such an outcome."

A shadow flickered over her cold yet candid expression.

"From then until now, the only ones who have stood by me are His Majesty and the Duke of Peletta."

The weight of her words was enormously heavy.

"No matter how much you've shared about yourself, Baron, I find it difficult to form a full judgment about you. Perhaps it's because I sense that what you possess is not solely comprised of what you've shown."

Yuder's heart raced a little faster than usual.

"Nonetheless, I have felt the Duke's reason for choosing you, and I've felt the sincerity of your loyalty to His Majesty. That is enough for me to accept you."

"..."

"So, the reason for this rather dull conversation is to ask if you have the confidence to walk a path like mine—or even a more difficult one. Right now, everything might seem smooth, but life is rarely so accommodating."

The Empress posed her final question with a palpable certainty in her voice.

"Do you have the confidence to stand by the Duke’s side, even then?"

The question came more from Kishiar's family than from the Empress of the Empire. What answer should he give? Yuder closed his mouth, lost in thought.

Initially, his mind had flitted through exemplary answers that were as apolitical as possible. But seeing the calm yet anxiously honest emotion in the Empress's eyes, those thoughts gradually faded away.

He had no desire to offer such a candid answer to someone who was willing to reveal their own weaknesses and faults just to hear it.

"Any answer I give you will likely not bring you much comfort," he said cautiously. "However, there is one thing I can say."

"And what would that be?"

"I want to be part of the Empire's future that the Commander envisions. That's why I've come this far, and for that cause, I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"..."

"Without him, there is no future that I desire."

For a moment, the Empress felt an indescribable shiver at his brief statement. A chilling sensation flowed down her spine, rendering her incapable of any thought.

The weight in his seemingly emotionless voice felt prophetic.

It was stifling, the sense of something unspeakable contained within his words, something she could not begin to guess at.

Staring into his eyes, dark as the depths, the Empress found herself speechless for a long while.

"I've brought new refreshments, and the tea has been freshly brewed. The chief maid is asking if she may enter now," said Kishiar as he returned, pushing a small cart adorned with silver. Only then did the Empress regain her composure. Instead of answering whether the maid could come in, she quietly observed the two men seated before her.

"Your Grace."

"Yes."

"You've brought a most remarkable assistant."

"Is that suddenly a revelation?"

Despite the cryptic conversation they'd just had, Kishiar only chuckled casually. The Empress gave a small, relieved smile. Strangely, she felt more at ease.

"Before I go, I'd like to share some news that came through Herne’s family intelligence network. While it may not concern His Majesty directly, it could be relevant to the Cavalry, so it may be of use."