"Well then, you’ve already finished. Would you like another slice?"

"I’m oka—"

Yuder didn’t even get to finish answering before he saw a new plate gently floating through the air from behind.

With it already placed in front of him, there wasn’t much point in refusing. Yuder let out a small sigh and opened his mouth.

"…It feels a bit awkward eating alone. Shouldn’t you have some too, Commander?"

At that, Kishiar’s eyes sparkled oddly with joy—completely opposite of the reaction Yuder had hoped for.

"Is that an invitation? I’d be delighted."

"……."

Kishiar happily fetched a new fork. Watching him, Yuder suddenly realized something.

‘Now that I think about it… have I ever invited him to anything before?’

In their relationship, Kishiar was usually the one to suggest such small things—walks, meals, almost everything. The only time Yuder had ever offered food first was when they’d suddenly ended up at the cabin during his heat, and he had hastily prepared the fish and berries Kishiar had caught.

‘Even that... barely counts as an invitation.’

Yuder came to the belated realization that, regardless of the intense emotions he felt toward Kishiar, he’d never really treated him as someone he could casually offer something to. They might’ve been different in status and rank, but considering how close—no, how deeply intertwined their bodies and hearts had become—it was strange that such a thing was rare. Especially given that he’d exchanged plenty of small gestures with his fellow Cavalry members who could be called friends.

Granted, even back then he had rarely been the one to give something first—but at the very least, when he received something, he considered it only natural to return the favor, even by doing something like revising their training regimen. He didn’t feel burdened by it.

To him, those actions had always felt completely normal. But perhaps Kishiar had seen things differently—and that thought made Yuder’s chest tighten a little.

‘Just because I never did that in my past life doesn’t mean I had to keep doing it this way now…’

Whenever he thought about offering something to Kishiar La Orr, what came to mind first was the memory and emotion of rejection. That was probably the biggest reason he’d only ever received, never given.

But now, the Kishiar sitting in front of him looked genuinely delighted just from the simple offer to share the cake he’d brought.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t worry, there’s plenty left. I won’t eat too much, so relax."

Kishiar’s matter-of-fact response, delivered with wide, innocent eyes, snapped Yuder out of his thoughts in an instant.

"I wasn’t staring because I was hungry… And more importantly, why are you even doing this all of a sudden?"

"Helrem came by to nag me."

Kishiar answered with a small laugh.

"Said you looked thinner than when you were in the capital and asked what your master was even doing. And he had a point. We’ve had so much going on lately that we haven’t taken the time for moments like this. I gave it some serious thought."

"What are you even…"

As Yuder frowned in disbelief, Kishiar sighed dramatically and cupped one cheek.

"And it’s not just Helrem. Our rather intense pharmacist scolded me outright when she came looking for the Archmage’s brooch. Kanna Wand, Ever Beck, even that quiet Kachien Bollenvalt and the timid little mage Alik all said something similar in their respective reports. Can you believe that?"

"I mean… I’m an adult who can eat on his own. I’ve eaten properly, and it’s not like my body’s changed dramatically. Why would they all—"

"Because they all know my aide tends to be harsh on himself."

Kishiar cut him off with a gentle smile, leaving Yuder momentarily speechless.

"When you care for someone deeply, worrying about them comes naturally."

"……."

"And I do, too."

Yuder looked down at the unfamiliar fork in his hand and exhaled slowly. He just couldn’t win against this man.

When Kishiar went that far, rejecting him simply because it felt embarrassing or awkward wasn’t something he could bring himself to do.

"Fine. Bring however much you like. I’ll eat it all."

Kishiar burst out laughing at Yuder’s overly solemn answer. Yuder didn’t understand what was so funny, but he did think that it had been a while since he’d seen Kishiar laugh like that—and it was a nice sight.

After that, Kishiar unhesitatingly brought over five different slices of cake and assorted pastries, all at once, and began explaining what had solidified his belief that Galexantr Balfos was undeniably a traitor.

"As you probably guessed, it had a lot to do with the previous 'game.' When you retrace the events from back then—the worst choices made, and the so-called solutions—you start to see new information in our current situation that could’ve been missed."

"Then where do you think Galexantr Balfos intended to send the Red Stone?"

"It wasn’t to one of the four Duke Houses."

Kishiar replied evenly.

"They were probably curious about it, sure—but not desperate enough to take the risk, nor did they find it all that alluring. From their perspective, it was more profitable to let His Majesty recover the Red Stone and bring it back to the capital without lifting a finger."

The four Duke Houses might have been quick to seize any chance to undermine Kishiar or the Cavalry, but when it came to the Red Stone, they had no reason to take that kind of risk. Yuder agreed.

"That makes sense. Then it must have been a foreign power."

"More specifically, I believe it was the Southern Nation."

Kishiar’s words marked a clear declaration, identifying the long-shrouded enemy even after two lifetimes.

"Many of the signs Suns witnessed matched the traditional signaling system used in the South—natural cues and gestures. They’re not typically used for military purposes, but that might’ve been precisely why someone like Galexantr, a citizen of the Empire, could’ve been taught to use them for secret communication."

"How do you even know that kind of thing? Did you investigate it?"

"Not for this. I already knew."

"How?"

"When Nathan and I wanted to play secret pranks as kids, we needed codes smart enough to fool even the palace’s sharpest minds."

Kishiar smirked slightly.

"Back then, we thought it was so cool and clever. We used hand signals from foreign games that others looked down on, or implicit codes unfamiliar to most of the Empire, to sneak out of the palace and have fun."

Thanks to that, Kishiar said with a laugh, he was able to narrow down the suspects quickly after his conversation with Suns—proof that such childhood antics had their uses after all.

In that laughter, Yuder could glimpse a trace of the playful prince Kishiar had once been.

Yuder stared down at the five empty plates in front of him, lost in thought.

‘So… in the end, it’s the Southern Nation again.’

Had Galexantr Balfos in his previous life also been a Southern spy? Was that how he’d used their support to push out Meghna and seize the position of Southern General?

‘I can’t be sure… but thinking about it, that alliance wouldn’t have been a bad deal for either party. Balfos got a general’s seat he never could’ve earned through proper channels, and the South gained freer access to the Southern region.’

The Southern Nation had long been probing the Empire’s southern ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) borders. That’s why the Southern region had, in secret, the highest concentration of Southern nationals and mixed-blood citizens. Even the recently captured Aton and the merchants allied with the South had originally been based there.

Though Balfos as General had clashed with the Cavalry and failed to respond swiftly during the Southern Catastrophe, in hindsight, there was one thing he’d put effort into:

When Emperor Kachian began seeking diplomatic relations with the Southern Nation, it was Balfos who acted as the primary liaison.

He held a position capable of representing the Emperor’s will, understood the Southern region better than anyone, and was the least politically controversial figure to take on the task. It had seemed like an obvious appointment—and he’d actually done the job quite well.

Considering that the Southern Nation’s first step toward exchanges with other countries north of the desert had been through the Or Empire, it had been a remarkable achievement.

‘On top of that… they realized the usefulness of Awakener abilities just as fast as we did. They might not have organizations like the Cavalry, but if there are more powerful Awakeners like Aton and his men out there, we can’t be sure what they’re capable of.’

Plenty of foreign powers had secretly tried to get their hands on the Red Stone—but none with the years of preparation and precision the Southern Nation had shown.

What had once seemed like obsessive persistence in Yuder’s previous life now struck him as something far colder and clearer—something he could feel in his bones.

He looked down at the last empty plate and spoke.

"Looks like I’ve got one more question to ask Aton."

 

****

Not long after, a new guest arrived.

It was Princess Mayra, the First Princess of the First Duke’s House, bringing news that the official funeral for the Second Prince of Ashlav would finally be held. Dressed in proper mourning black with a short veil, she placed the letter directly on Kishiar’s desk.

It was a traditional noble’s funeral invitation, sealed in a black envelope adorned with white leaves—a symbol of etiquette when formally inviting an honored guest to a loved one’s final journey.

"It’s been a while, Duke Pelleta. I trust you’ve been well?"

"Of course. But you seem rather worn out, Princess. Are you all right?"

"I wish I could say yes, but unfortunately not."

Princess Mayra’s lips twisted faintly beneath her veil.

"My father has finally arrived, sure—but an unwelcome guest came along, and things have gotten quite noisy."

"An unwelcome guest?"

"The youngest son of House Diarca, apparently."