Before leaving Pasium’s hideout, Sikar Blake, suspecting someone might be deceiving him, held everyone’s hands and reviewed their memories.

Thanks to that, he learned that Jeremi Iker had actively helped him.

“You went to great lengths, Jeremi.”

Jeremi, who didn’t know Sikar could read people’s memories, asked with a puzzled expression.

“Yes?”

“I heard it from Vika Lamberst. That you even abandoned Roen for our sake.”

“That’s not quite right. I merely believed Lady Roen would understand me. And indeed, Lady Roen did understand me.”

“So you thought that once I woke up, I’d build a temple for Roen.”

That was a conversation exchanged only between Jeremi and Roen herself. Thus, Jeremi asked, looking embarrassed.

“H-how did you know that? That was clearly a conversation between Lady Roen and me…”

Sikar flinched momentarily but quickly composed himself with sharp wit.

“Vika heard it and told me. As you know, Vika has sharp ears.”

Jeremi immediately understood and accepted this explanation, nodding his head.

“I see. Now that you’ve heard it, I’ll shamelessly make a request. I’ll be fine, but if Lady Roen is ever expelled from the Grand Temple, please build her at least a small temple… No, even just a small altar.”

“You’re treating a High Priest like a petty person. Even if Roen defied the Temple’s orders, they wouldn’t exile a mid-ranking priest over such a matter.”

“If Duke Blake says so, then it must be true.”

“Exactly. So don’t worry too much. And whether Roen is expelled or not, I’ll repay you for helping me.”

Knowing Duke Blake’s generosity, Jeremi naturally felt hopeful without even trying. He would have declined if Sikar offered repayment to him personally, but since he didn’t want Roen to suffer harm, Jeremi didn’t refuse.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“I should thank you. Thanks to you, I wasn’t dragged off by the priests.”

“Then I shall return to Lady Roen now. I’m also worried about her.”

Kian Blake, who had been listening nearby, suddenly stuck his head in between them.

“Since Sir Jeremi helped my father, I can’t just let it pass. I’ll have a carriage prepared for you—please take it.”

“Ah, no, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t refuse.”

“T-then I’ll take the carriage you provide and return it afterward.”

“If that’s more convenient for you, then by all means.”

“I’m deeply grateful, Your Majesty.”

Kian also offered Pasium a small reward, but since Sikar insisted he would handle the reward himself, Kian took the money back.

As soon as they exited Pasium’s hideout, Reidox was waiting for them ahead.

Reidox bowed low toward them in greeting.

“I heard Your Grace was gravely ill, but seeing your much healthier face now is heartening.”

The Sikar of old would have immediately snapped, “Stop fooling around,” but this time, he quietly patted Reidox’s shoulder.

“It’s heartening to see your face again after so long.”

Reidox bowed his head toward Sikar, who was patting his shoulder, smiling brightly.

“That might be the warmest thing I’ve ever heard from Your Grace.”

“Weren’t you the one I used to comfort quite often not long ago?”

In truth, after Seo Yeon disappeared, the person who comforted him the most, and who ran alongside him searching for her traces, was none other than Sikar.

Remembering that time, a small ripple stirred in Reidox’s heart. Come to think of it, Duke Sikar had always been the greatest source of strength for him.

Suddenly, he felt regretful realizing he himself had offered no help at all.

“Sigh… I haven’t been of any help to Your Grace.”

“That’s right. No, worse than no help—you told my son our location, so you only caused trouble.”

Of course, Sikar was joking, but Reidox took it seriously.

“Now that I think about it, that’s true. I’m sorry. Your Grace gave me great strength, yet I offered none in return…”

Sikar had only meant to lighten Reidox’s heavy mood. But seeing him lower his head with such a serious expression, Sikar felt slightly flustered.

Still, Sikar wasn’t the type to gently soothe someone. He simply used straightforward words to smooth Reidox’s frown.

“If your goal isn’t to fluster me, then stop making that face.”

Reidox quickly relaxed his expression and smiled awkwardly.

“My apologies, Your Grace.”

“Then prepare to depart now.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Following Sikar’s orders, Reidox prepared to leave and bid farewell to Jeremi.

Pasium came outside to personally see off those he had grown fond of during their time together.

Clearly, not long ago, Pasium had been an enemy they fought against—yet now they received his help and even his farewell. Yura found this situation pleasantly strange.

“People’s fates are truly unpredictable, right, Sikar?”

As if waiting for this moment, Sikar gently patted Yura’s head.

“Right. So we don’t know either. Therefore, just follow what I say.”

“I never said I wouldn’t follow you.”

“But you never said you would, either.”

Yura sighed and looked toward the carriage waiting ahead.

“Let’s get in the carriage first. We’ll talk once we reach the palace.”

In truth, Yura had been so anxious about being caught by priests along the way that she hadn’t even registered Sikar’s words.

Sikar, however, sensed Yura’s feelings as if by instinct.

“You know your worries show clearly on your face? Probably why, even when they thought I was dead, Kian didn’t dare let it show to you.”

Sikar seemed to be right. Recalling that time, Yura remembered how Kian kept glancing at her—and her ears turned red.

“Yes… So that’s why Kian was so careful around me. Phew… I really was a terrible mother.”

At Yura’s sigh, Sikar gently stroked her back.

“The kind of trouble you’re worrying about won’t happen. Just relax.”

“That’s not something you can guarantee.”

“Even the Grand Temple wouldn’t dare search a royal carriage carrying the king.”

It made sense. No matter that the king’s adoptive father was a fugitive pursued by the Grand Temple, they wouldn’t dare chase the king’s own carriage.

Thanks to Reidox’s advice that the hideout might be crowded, multiple royal carriages had arrived together.

Thus, one carriage carried Jeremi heading toward the Grand Temple, while another carried Vika, Durion, and Reidox together.

With Pasium waving goodbye, his face melancholy, the royal carriages departed immediately.

After returning to Recador, Sikar stopped Reidox, who was about to head straight back to Yukandar.

“Shouldn’t you greet Lord Valije?”

“I should exchange deeper greetings with Your Grace, so I’ll postpone mine for now.”

But Sikar grabbed Reidox’s arm as he tried to leave.

“Don’t do that—come and greet him together with me.”

“I’ll greet him next time, together with Lucy.”

But Sikar, feeling awkward about greeting alone, didn’t immediately let go of Reidox’s arm.

“You’ll probably feel more comfortable with me there than greeting him with Lucy.”

Seeing Sikar clinging to his arm and refusing to let go, Reidox finally guessed why he was acting this way.

“Though it was Your Grace who actually saved Lord Valije, you seem awkward about greeting him in person.”

“…This is my first time doing something like this—it’d be stranger if I weren’t awkward. So come with me.”

Reidox took Sikar’s hand and gently removed it from his arm.

“I wouldn’t dare intrude where I don’t belong, Your Grace. I’ll take my leave now.”

As Reidox turned to go, he glanced back at Sikar standing there with a crestfallen expression and added pointedly,

“And if I do meet Lord Valije, it’ll likely be during the formal introduction. I suppose Your Grace will be present for that as well.”

His meaning was clear: no matter what, if he met Valije, he’d be meeting Sikar too—so he had no reason to feel awkward.

In truth, however they met, Reidox had no reason to feel awkward at all.

Since this was Sikar’s first time meeting someone like this, he walked toward the palace alone, tense and nervous.

Yura, who had arrived at the palace earlier, changed clothes before heading to the room where Princess Veronia and her husband were staying.

Durion and Vika also changed clothes and prepared to greet Valije.

The two came out early and sat waiting in the main hall.

Vika, exhausted from the long journey, wanted to rest—but since this involved meeting the royal consort, he couldn’t skip the greeting.

“I’m tired. When is the Duke coming?”

Unlike Vika, Durion was nervous at the thought of meeting the royal consort.

“What kind of person is Lord Valije?”

“Well, he’s the king’s biological father, obviously.”

That wasn’t what Durion meant—he felt frustrated.

“I mean, is he cold, kind, amusing—something like that?”

“He’s a frightening man. He especially dislikes people who meet his gaze directly—so be careful.”

Though Vika was joking, Durion took the warning seriously.

Shortly after, Sikar entered, saw Durion and Vika dressed neatly, sighed, and headed upstairs.

Durion thought Sikar had sighed at the sight of him.

“Does my outfit look strange to Your Grace?”

“Did the Duke sigh because of us?”

“He sighed at us? I thought he sighed at me.”

“Knowing his personality, he’s probably sighing because he wants to avoid the awkward greeting with Lord Valije.”

“Is that so? Then it has nothing to do with me.”

Shortly after, in the main hall, the Blake Duke and Duchess stood facing Princess Veronia and her husband.

Meanwhile, Vika and Durion sat at a distance, watching this awkward meeting.

Of course, only Sikar was feeling awkward.

Yura stood watching the couple with moved eyes.

“Welcome, Your Highness, Lord Valije. We’ve prepared dinner for us to share together—please proceed to the dining room. His Majesty has a dinner engagement with officials today and will arrive a bit later.”

“Very well.”

Sikar didn’t move immediately, but when Yura took his arm, he walked along awkwardly, as if being dragged.

Durion, who had been repeatedly lifting and lowering himself from his chair while waiting for the right moment to greet Valije, tilted his head in confusion as they simply walked into the dining room.

“Are we not supposed to greet them?”

“We’ll greet them after eating.”

Durion stared blankly at Vika as he stood up to head for the meal, then stood up to follow.

“You were just waiting here?”

“I was watching you get nervous like a fool.”

Durion followed behind Vika, who was giggling as he walked, his face flushed with irritation.