"But what if you were hurt?!" Ren’s voice echoed in the large room.

Zayden’s lips twisted into a smile, a soft chuckle escaping him instantly.

"Wait... Are you... scared that I might have gotten hurt?"

Ren didn’t answer, catching his breath and trying to regain his composure. He quickly wiped away the tears still threatening to slip from his eyes. What was wrong with him? It felt like he was no longer the same man who would have been fine with killing Zayden if he hadn’t accepted him when he revealed his second gender as an omega.

"You... care about me, don’t you?" Zayden asked, almost teasing, his eyes searching for an answer.

"Friends care for each other..." Ren mumbled.

Zayden’s heart sank, but a little tingling remained. At least he cared—enough to be scared that he might get hurt.

A brief silence hung in the room, heavy and almost fragile, until it was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps.

A loud knock sounded, and the door swung open before Zayden could respond.

"Zayden," Soren called, panicked, his eyes darting across the room before finally landing on him—kneeling there to the ground before Ren.

The guards trailing behind the Crown Prince cleared their throats, quickly averting their gaze. Even imperial soldiers knew better than to witness the Imperial General like this, caught in a moment that was usually hidden from the world.

Ren immediately sprang to his feet, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He kept his gaze on the ground as if he was caught doing something he shouldn’t have. After all, the General sitting on the floor while he, a mere servant, remained on the bed left far too much room for gossip.

"Your guards were found passed out in the hallway," Soren stated, trying to ease the awkwardness by shifting the conversation before anyone could comment on the unusual scene.

"What?!"

Both Zayden and Ren frowned.

How could that be? These were Zayden’s personal guards—loyal, skilled, and ever vigilant. Something—or someone—from the outside must have attacked them. Suspicion tightened like a coil around Zayden’s chest. Who could it be?

Ren and Zayden exchanged tense glances, the air in the room heavy with unease.

"Sir..." A guard entered the room just then, stepping forward, voice tight, head bowed.

"The intruder... he is dead. His body was found in front of the palace gates."

Zayden’s eyes narrowed.

"What happened?"

"He must have tried to escape," the guard continued, glancing at the floor. "Perhaps he slipped from the walls. There’s no sign of anything else... aside from the fall."

Ren’s fists clenched at his sides, chest tightening.

"So he... didn’t make it," he murmured. For some twisted reason, he felt a flicker of relief. The person who tried to harm Zayden was—

His teeth sank into his bottom lip.

What crazy things am I thinking?

He scolded himself for his own thoughts.

Zayden’s lips pressed into a thin line as his gaze scanned the window through which the attacker had escaped.

"The delegation from Hianshu..." he muttered under his breath, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "They must have sent him to kill me."

Ren swallowed hard. Did that mean Henry and Loti knew about this? But... if they knew, wouldn’t they have told him? Did they also betray him?

He shook his head instantly. There was no way they would.

However... if that were the case, then at least he should try to get some information from them.

"It can’t be..." Soren murmured, shaking his head. His thumb brushed his chin as he considered possible enemies.

"Why do you say that?" Zayden demanded, folding his arms.

His brother finally looked up at him, then turned toward the window.

"Your quarters aren’t far from theirs. Why would they risk attacking you?"

"Because they want me dead," Zayden answered, shrugging as if it were the most obvious answer.

"But that would be foolish. They still need to get the children they demanded, and they still need the peace we have. If they truly wanted to kill you, they wouldn’t have done it now—not inside the palace, where they would be the prime suspects."

Zayden nodded, his arms dropping to his sides. He had been blinded by hatred for a moment.

After all, he wouldn’t want anything more than to see those High Priests executed in Revhara. That would be the perfect revenge for all his comrades who died in the war, and... for those who suffered when the Temple exiled them from Hianshu.

"Oh," Soren said, as if he’d just remembered something. "The emperor stationed servants all over their wing to keep watch. I doubt they have the guts to attempt an assassination under such scrutiny."

"Alright... I get that. But we should still keep them on our list of suspects. My knights and I will investigate thoroughly tomorrow."

Soren shook his head sharply.

"You will do nothing of the sort."

Zayden’s brow furrowed, disbelief flashing in his eyes.

"They tried to kill me."

"Right," Ren said, voice calm but firm, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes. But we can’t alert the enemy. What if the real threat wanted to distract us? Maybe he didn’t even come to kill you. One person—how could they take you down?"

Zayden exhaled sharply, the frustration coiling in his chest like fire.

Was he losing his mind? Why wasn’t he thinking clearly?

He stared at Ren for a moment, voice edged with sarcasm and exasperation.

"Ah, of course."

With Ren around, his brain couldn’t possibly function logically. Much less after having drunk so much alcohol a few hours ago.

"Did you say something?" Ren blinked, looking at him.

Zayden shook his head.

"We should keep our focus on the hunting festival. Maybe... something will happen then. Oh, and increase the security. If something happens to the Imperial General, you will all be held responsible!" Soren ordered, walking out of the room, followed by the guards.

Once the door closed, Ren quickly stepped out of the room.

Zayden didn’t stop him, though a part of him wanted to. Now wasn’t the time for distractions—not with conspiracies swirling through the palace, and threats lurking closer than anyone dared imagine.

If Ren hadn’t stopped that man, maybe Zayden would have been injured.

Again.

Although he comforted him by saying he would have been just fine, he knew deep down that wasn’t the case—not after knowing that the weapon capable of killing a demon existed in Revhara.