"Sit."
It was late at night.
The twin moons cast a calm, white light over everything and their glow gently illuminated the darkened room inside a palace of pure white stone.
The master of that palace, surrounded by silence, gave a quiet order.
His voice, calm and without any emotion, echoed softly through the room.
Somnus had summoned three of his most trusted subordinates to his private chamber.
The moment they heard his voice, they sat down on the sofa without hesitation.
They had known him for years and understood well that their master disliked wasting time with formalities like politely refusing once before accepting.
It was better to follow his words the first time.
With a blank expression in his amethyst-colored eyes, Somnus looked at the three people in front of him.
The strange cold light in his gaze didn't flicker.
"The Prince of Darkness, has lost all memories of this world. As of now, he's nothing more than a child from another world."
Somnus delivered the truth in a clear, simple tone. It was a fact he had kept hidden, even from those closest to him, ever since the boy had awakened.
"That is… I mean, my apologies..."
The man who opened his mouth to speak seemed shocked, almost panicked.
It wasn't like him to question Somnus's words or show such a reaction. But the shock was too much.
The other two also looked stunned, unable to fully grasp the situation, their confused faces completely unguarded.
"If it's just memory loss, I've heard that time can sometimes fix it. Or maybe, with Your Majesty's healing magic…"
"It's already been fifteen days since he woke up. There's no sign of improvement. I've tried using magic while he was asleep, when his resistance was weakest, but his automatic defense spell blocked everything. Even if the magic had reached him, judging by what I sensed, I doubt it would have done any good."
Somnus spoke in a detached voice, responding calmly to the suggestion made by one of his subordinates, who had now regained his composure.
Then, his lips curved slightly into a faint smile.
Li Shen believed he was waking up every day.
However, in truth, he would often sleep for two or three days straight after only staying awake for a few hours.
If he found that out, would he once again show those strange new expressions?
Those expressions Somnus had never seen before on that familiar face…?
While Somnus was quietly lost in thoughts about the one he cared for, a rare and gentle smile appeared on his face.
Noticing that unusual smile, one of his subordinates opened his eyes slightly in surprise before asking a question.
"The condition of the Prince of Darkness, has caught the attention of the people in the other two continents as well. What do you plan to do? Will we be making an official announcement?"