On the third day after Dahlia arrived at the Empire, news spread that she had finally regained her strength and come out of her room.
"I need to go see Lia. Right now."
At the news, Luias rose without hesitation.
However, when he arrived at the palace where she was staying, a maid carefully bowed her head and spoke.
"Her Majesty the Empress said she wished to get some fresh air this morning and has gone outside the castle."
Unable to meet Dahlia, Luias returned to his chambers and slowly exhaled.
Perhaps she was avoiding him.
Even that, he could understand.
He knew well how painful everything she had endured must have been.
Quietly, he summoned Dius.
"Dius, find out where Lia went."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Dius disappeared.
Luias stood by the window, lost in thought.
'If she left the castle as soon as she woke up… it must be something important.'
He closed his eyes. He had a suspicion.
Even if Dahlia did not say anything herself, he wanted to help her.
Several hours later, Dius returned.
"Her Majesty is searching, through informants, for someone within the territory of the Kingdom of Rubere."
"That knight."
Luias murmured softly and nodded.
"Dius. Rex. Find out where that knight is immediately. Whether he's imprisoned… or elsewhere."
At Luias's command, they moved faster than anyone else.
And a few days later, the news they had been waiting for arrived.
"We found him in the forest along the border between the Aureum Empire and the Kingdom of Rubere. But his condition is extremely poor."
Having seen the knight in person, Dius reported with a hardened expression, like someone who had witnessed a brutal scene.
Luias quietly let out a breath.
It was something he had expected to some extent. There was no way the King of Rubere would have spared the knight.
"I will go myself."
Luias rose from his seat, but Rex immediately stopped him.
"We could not determine whether the knight was abandoned there or crawled to the Empire's border on his own. It would be dangerous for Your Majesty to go in person."
At Rex's words, Luias frowned, fell silent for a moment, then sat back down.
"That man… that knight must be kept alive, no matter what."
Luias spoke in a low, resolute voice as he looked between Dius and Rex.
"Move him to a small village where no one visits. And send the most skilled physician in the Empire—one whose mouth is absolutely sealed."
Luias decided to hide him and have him treated.
For now, he did not wish to tell Dahlia of the knight's whereabouts—not until she spoke to him first.
Several days later, after hearing that the knight had survived, Luias went to see him in person.
And what greeted him was a sight so horrific that even breathing felt difficult.
The knight lay on the bed, his entire body covered in wounds.
Both of his eyes had been brutally destroyed, and white bandages soaked in blood wrapped his body.
The injuries were so severe that they were not healing properly.
Seeing the knight's condition, Luias clenched his teeth in fury.
"…How can someone be this cruel…"
Without another word, he sat quietly beside Dahlia's knight.
"Gwynnslun… that was your name, wasn't it…"
Unconscious, Gwynnslun showed no reaction to Luias's voice.
"Lia… Dahlia is now my wife. The Empress of this Empire. I will make sure she lives the happiest life here. I swear it."
Though his words were firm, a deep wound lay beneath them.
"When I realized she had chosen you… I tried to give up these feelings. But… in the end, it still came to this."
He continued speaking as he gazed at Gwynnslun's bandaged eyes.
"There was only one reason I saved you. Because Lia would long for you. Because the fact that you are alive might one day bring her comfort. So that gives her the strength to keep living.
Gwynnslun gave no answer, yet Luias remained seated beside him for a while longer.
"When your body recovers, you will be sent to a place I have prepared. Somewhere quiet, far from people. There… live silently, without ever drawing anyone's attention again."
He slowly stood.
Before opening the door, he took one deep breath.
'Please… let this choice be the right one.'
With that, he closed the door and left.
***
Luias truly cherished and loved Dahlia.
Or perhaps his feelings were too desperate, too cautious, to be called love.
"Tell the merchants to prepare only the finest. If Lia likes it, I want nothing lacking."
A piece of jewelry she glanced at in passing, a fruit she mentioned without thought—he poured his heart into everything without restraint.
If she seemed even slightly uncomfortable, he changed whatever it was at once.
So that she could live at ease.
So that she would remain by his side for a long time.
So that she would forget Gwynnslun.
"Lia, would you like to take a walk with me today?"
Luias carved time out of his busy schedule to stay by Dahlia's side.
They walked in silence, ate quietly together, and he remained beside her.
So that she would not feel lonely even for a moment.
Rumors that the Emperor was hopelessly devoted to his Empress spread throughout the Empire in an instant.
Yet Dahlia's body grew thinner by the day.
"Rex, isn't the Empress's workload too heavy these days? Lia is wasting away."
"It seems Her Majesty noticed that we tried to reduce her duties, and instead ordered us to bring every single document without omission."
Dahlia fulfilled her responsibilities as Empress.
Though Luias wished she would rest, she steadfastly carried out her duties.
But her body continued to wither, and more than anyone else, he felt—precisely and painfully—that she was slowly fading.
'…Am I keeping Lia by my side simply for my own selfish desires?'
Every night, Luias faced that question alone.
'If I tell her the truth—if I tell her about the knight… will Lia leave me? Or will she stay?'
If she left, how would he live holding onto that emptiness?
What was the right choice… confusion pressed heavily on his heart.
But the deeper pain was the sound of restrained sobs he heard every night.
Dahlia is sitting at the table, spoon suspended in midair.
Her eyes gazed blankly out the window before she quietly turned away.
No matter how hard he tried, the despair and futility of knowing he could never erase her sorrow weighed heavily on his chest.
He knew.
Though Dahlia's body remained by his side, her heart had long since gone elsewhere.
And that heart would never reach him.
***
After months of conflict and anguish, Luias finally made his decision.
That night, he carefully invited Dahlia for a walk.
Hoping she would be pleased, he prepared everything himself and walked with her through the beautiful garden, leaving behind what would become his final memory with her.
The fragrance of flowers filled the garden, trailing their steps.
Now, he had to speak.
He had resolved himself countless times, yet his lips would not move easily.
Still, Luias eventually stopped, steadied his breath, and spoke.
"…Lia. I know you've been secretly searching for that knight."
"…!"
Dahlia's eyes widened in shock, and a strange silence fell between them.
Luias smiled faintly, sorrowfully.
"I'm not saying this to blame you. The truth is… I know where he is."
"W-What? What did you say?!"
For the first time, Dahlia's eyes trembled with vivid emotion.
'Those eyes that never look at me… only light up when it's about him.'
That gaze was hateful. And unbearably painful.
Knowing that even this attention was not meant for him made his heart ache sharply.
Yet he cherished even this moment—because she was looking at him.
That truth made him feel even more bitter.
Luias confessed in a low voice.
"The reason I couldn't tell you… was because I was afraid you would leave. If I told you, you would go to him. I was terrified of that."
His words faltered. His throat tightened.
"But watching you wither day by day hurt even more. So…"
He could not finish the sentence.
Letting her go—speaking those words aloud—was too painful for him.
"I hid him. When I realized you were searching for him, I sent people first."