The eastern wing's reception hall of the royal palace was bathed in the brilliant light of an ornate chandelier. White and gold furnishings were arranged in perfect order, and vivid tapestries hung upon the walls. Beyond the windows, the nightscape of Fortina, the capital of the Granveria Kingdom, stretched out in all its glory. Yet Selina Verdia's gaze was not drawn to such opulence. "Did you hear? Selina Verdia is apparently the top candidate for the Emperor's betrothal." Whispered voices echoed behind Selina. A gathering of noble daughters. Ever since the grand audience where the Emperor had taken notice of her, the eyes upon her had shifted dramatically. "The Emperor must have taken a liking to her." "She wasn't even that famous before..." "Maybe she used some trick with her mirror-reflection magic?" Selina brought her teacup to her lips with grace, listening to the murmurs around her. She wore the perfect mask of a noble lady, her emotions carefully concealed. Yet her mind remained coldly analytical, dissecting the situation. (So isolation is inevitable after all.) The Verdia family was one of the Six-Winged Council. Certainly, they were prestigious. But because of their "unique mirror-reflection magic," they were always regarded with wariness by other nobles. The power of reflection—the ability to mirror and mimic an opponent's magic—made House Verdia simultaneously a family to be feared. "I look forward to working with all of you," Selina said quietly. The noble daughters around her offered artificial smiles. Their true thoughts remained hidden. But Selina understood. None of them intended to open their hearts to her. They merely showed respect on the surface because she was favored by the Emperor. Selina spent the evening in the reception hall, participating in conversation, offering appropriate responses, conducting herself flawlessly. But it was all performance. Her true self was not here. Eventually, the social hour ended. Selina departed with confident strides. She walked the corridors and descended the stairs. The high walls of the palace seemed to symbolize her solitude, surrounding her completely. In her previous life, she had friends. A normal life. People to laugh with. But in this world? (I'm desperately trying to avoid destruction, yet I have no allies.) Selina's amber eyes dimmed slightly. To the palace gardens. The night air touched her skin pleasantly. The moon shone brightly overhead, its pale light gently illuminating the nocturnal world. She sat beside the fountain. The gentle murmur of water echoed through the silence. Here, for the first time, Selina removed her mask. No one was watching. No one was here. "The moon is beautiful," she whispered. Her true thoughts. Or rather, a fragment of them. The only honest words permitted in this world. Silence stretched on. Under the moonlight, Selina gazed at her own hands. On her left wrist, the crest of House Verdia was inscribed. Its faint glow reflected in the lunar rays. Then it happened. "Wandering the night gardens alone shows a lack of caution." A low voice. Selina's shoulders stiffened slightly. She turned, and standing before her was— Vald Granveria. The Emperor of the kingdom. His silver-gray hair, cut short, gleamed in the moonlight. The slightly wavy locks gave him a composed appearance. But his eyes. Those deep crimson eyes gazed directly at Selina. A single scar marked his forehead. A small jeweled earring adorned his right ear. Everything seemed more vivid in the moonlit night. Those deep crimson eyes. The coldness she had felt in that grand audience hall. The depth. The solitude. "Your Majesty... why are you in such a place?" Selina rose and offered a respectful bow. But Vald raised his hand. "That is unnecessary." With those words, Vald sat beside the fountain. Next to Selina. A small distance. Perhaps a meter. Yet the space between them was charged with tension. "I too wished to be alone. The palace is suffocating," Vald said quietly. Selina's breath caught. The Emperor revealing his true feelings. Impossible. Yet his voice carried no calculation—only sincerity. "Your Majesty feels... suffocated?" Selina asked, her words polite but her heart stirred with surprise. "You feel loneliness," Vald said, his gaze fixed upon her. Those deep crimson eyes seemed to see through everything. Selina found herself at a loss for words. She tried to deny it, but— "Do not lie. Your eyes speak of solitude." A direct hit. Selina's heart leaped violently. "So do I," Vald said, looking up at the moon. His profile, illuminated by moonlight, appeared as cold and sorrowful as ice. "This position is nothing but loneliness. Everyone sees me as Emperor, not as a person." Vald's voice remained cold and measured. Yet something churned beneath it. The solitude of childhood. Distrust born from betrayal. And still, the complex desire to protect the kingdom. "Your Majesty is also... alone," Selina whispered. Words that came from her heart. Her eyes meeting those deep crimson ones. "Yes," Vald answered. A long silence followed. Under the moonlight, the two sat side by side. The murmur of the fountain. Distant sounds from the castle. And their breathing. They understood each other's solitude. A moment not in the original story. An emotion not in the original. Selina's heart began to sway in an unexpected direction. "You are different," Vald said after a time. "Different in what way, Your Majesty?" "Your eyes hide something. Yet you still possess a true heart. That is why I feel I can speak to you." Vald's voice carried a hint of warmth. He had sensed something special in Selina Verdia. "With you... I think I could speak more." Vald rose to his feet. Selina's heart pounded fiercely. Why? She realized her heart was being shaken by this Emperor. "It grows late. Return to your chambers." With that, Vald began to walk away. But after a few steps, he turned back. "Selina. With you... I think I could speak." In his eyes, the faintest warmth had kindled. A subtle softness reflected in those deep crimson irises. After Vald departed, Selina sank down beside the fountain. She placed her hand over her heart. It beat with fierce intensity. "This is... surely not..." She whispered. She had intended to show no attachment to the Emperor, to maintain distance and avoid destruction flags. But when those deep crimson eyes had gazed upon her, her calculations shattered. They had been such lonely eyes. Eyes as lonely as her own. Selina looked up at the moon. Her face was solitary. Yet it carried, just barely, a hint of warmth. The long night heralded the beginning of an unexpected emotion.