"..."

Vili wondered if he was under some kind of strange spell, such as being able to be discovered if he fell from a height.

In this situation, ignoring magic won't help.

The sound of hurried footsteps, accompanied by the clanging of armor and weapons, came from outside the window. Presumably, the king's guards had been drawn to the scene.

He was left with only two choices: either surrender or be bold enough to take the king hostage right there in the heart of the palace.

"His Majesty!"

There was a rapid knocking at the door, but without the king's order, they dared not barge in.

For Willie, there is both good news and bad news.

The good news is that the king standing before him is none other than His Majesty Atheran, who had vowed to marry him just an hour earlier.

The bad news is... the other party clearly doesn't recognize him.

"Waaah..."

Vili covered his face, unwilling to face it.

He only knew that he would one day travel to the past and meet Atheran, but he never expected their first meeting to be like this.

Why has he never mentioned this before?!

The greatest monarch in Celdos' history was wearing a soft, well-fitting nightgown, his dark, curly hair cascading freely over his open chest, revealing his excellent physique.

Hearing the knight's call from outside the door, his gaze remained fixed on Vili without even blinking, and his voice was low and languid.

"It's nothing, you may leave."

Even though there was still a large hole in the roof of the palace and the loud noise from before still echoed in everyone's ears, the guards left without any objection once the king gave the order.

This is enough to demonstrate his unparalleled dominance.

But Vili would never think he was being arrogant, because at that moment, the silver sword by the man's bedside was trembling slightly, and the moonlight shining down revealed its sharp, cold gleam.

What kind of good person would hang a sword on their bed while sleeping?!

Besides, isn't Aetheran a magician?

It wasn't until today that Willy realized he didn't seem to know much about his "marriage partner."

Thinking of this, he subconsciously looked down at his right hand, and sure enough, the ring on it was gone.

After all, that thing was given to him by the person in front of him in the future, and it doesn't exist now... And for such an important object, the power of spacetime probably automatically makes corrections.

The clothes he was wearing and the cloak on his back were still on him, perfectly intact.

The problem is...

How is he going to get back now?!

As if he had finally observed the person in front of him enough, His Majesty the King parted his lips slightly.

"As an assassin, you're not qualified to cause such a commotion."

As he spoke, he sat up straight, reached out and grabbed the black cloak on the back of the boy sitting on the bed, and examined it closely.

This thing is made of the finest material, woven from moonlight and stars. Its surface is as smooth as silk, with soft down adorning the edges. It feels as if it still carries the warmth of a young boy when you touch it.

For some reason, a piece was missing from the tail of the cloak, and its shape was irregular, as if it had been torn.

Vili watched his movements quietly, without making any rash moves.

The person before him seemed no different from the person in the future, but his intuition kept screaming danger in his mind.

This is a ferocious beast that has never retracted its claws. The blood of its prey has stained its bones, and the flesh and soul of its prey still remain between its teeth.

He is a sharp sword that has been drawn from its sheath, its edge fully revealed.

Because of the sudden shift in time and space, the system seemed to be rebooting and was unable to provide him with any useful information.

Aetheran didn't seem to need Vili's response; he simply stroked his cloak gently with his hand.

"This is a very rare item. If it is not the royal family, only noble families with long-standing traditions are qualified to make it."

"However, it's too big for you."

As he spoke, he suddenly leaned forward, getting very close to Vili, his breath hitting the boy's face.

Willy didn't move, but he seemed quite satisfied with the reaction, a smile appearing in his eyes.

His Majesty the King reached out and slowly approached the boy's neck, untying the knot.

During this process, whether intentionally or not, his hand inadvertently touched Willy's Adam's apple, startling the latter into widening his eyes.

Despite wearing even thinner clothes than Vili, his hands were burning hot, the touch like a brand.

Wait... a brand?

Vili froze, instinctively letting his magic flow to examine his soul, and sure enough, he saw a glaring mark on it.

"..."

Looking at the serious-looking man in front of him now, he felt as if everything that had just happened was a hallucination.

What is a drawn sword? A lurking beast?

He's just another pervert.

Vili sneered.

He actually branded him with his own mark on their very first meeting—what a hypocrite!

Aetheran, however, did not notice the change in him and remained as dignified as ever.

"Who sent you?"

"Moskowitz? Greenwood? Landrum?"

He rattled off the names of several prominent nobles, but Willy remained unmoved until—

"Russell?"

"..."

Although Vili only unconsciously twitched his eyelashes, Atheran noticed it keenly and immediately stopped calling out names.

"It's the Russell family? I thought they were one of the few loyal ones..."

Aetheran touched his chin, looking somewhat troubled.

Seeing that if he didn't speak up soon, the original owner's ancestors might be killed, Vili finally moved his lips.

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