I grabbed my quill pen to begin writing the letter, then froze.

'Hm… what do people normally talk about with their fathers?' In my previous life, I was raised by a single mother. In my present life, I had an awkward relationship with my father. 'I don't think Merilyn can help me with this, either…'

I was deep in thought when I noticed my father's disciple staring at me with curiosity. "What?" I asked.

"What are you doing?" he replied with anticipation.

"Oh, I'm writing a letter."

"To whom?"

"To my father."

His gaze softened slightly at my answer. "I don't think that's necessary."

I wanted to counter him, but it occurred to me that he was my father's disciple. He probably knew more about him. 'I don't have any expectations… but…' I set down my quill pen and called out to the man.

"Hey." Although I wasn't sure if he was going to ignore me again, he responded quickly, as if he was in a good mood.

"Yes?"

"What do you usually talk about with my father?"

"You mean my master?"

"Yeah."

He stroked his chin with an upright posture for a while, then leaned back on the couch. "I'm not sure. We don't talk much."

I was disappointed by his abrupt answer. 'Well, both of them aren't talkative, so that's to be expected.'

After deciding that it was futile to rely on others for this matter, I began to write the letter by myself. 'In my previous life, I volunteered for public institutions and had a lot of experience writing for official matters, as well as writing with penpals. It should be fine.'

My letter was completed not long after. 'This should be good, right?' I read through it and didn't find any mistakes. 'Since I worked hard, I'm going to eat something delicious now.'

As I silently praised myself, I heard my father's disciple speak behind me. "Are you really going to give that to him?" he asked with surprise.

"Yes," I replied earnestly, then took another look at my letter.

Dear Father,

How have you been? To think that I'm all grown up with my 19th birthday around the corner… Time flies by, doesn't it? During the hectic years that have passed by, it's common to forget important things.

Did you not lose your pendant a while ago? I just want to let you know that I had it. I should've given it back to you earlier, but this was delayed due to unavoidable circumstances. I hope you understand. These cufflinks are a gift for being patient with me.

I apologize again for not returning your pendant earlier due to personal reasons.

Sincerely,

Jubelian Eloy Floyen.

'I think this is good. I admitted my faults and asked for forgiveness, so he cannot be angry at me.' The letter was also clear to the point, so I was certain that my father was going to let this incident slide.

"His reaction would be an interesting sight to see." My father's disciple smirked, but I assumed he just envious that I was able to write an acceptable letter without his help.

"I'm going to go to his office and come back. You know what to do if someone tries to enter the room, right?"

"Whatever." Despite his response, he nodded at my request. After his initial hostility, it was a little odd to see him show some consideration for me.

* * *

Duke Regis Floyen visited the emperor's office even later than the scheduled time and bowed at his superior.

"Your Majesty."

"You came later than I told you to," the emperor scolded Regis, who wore an indifferent expression.

"Yes."

'What a shameless person.' The emperor became irritated by Regis's stoic confidence, which never wavered even in unfavorable circumstances. He struggled to maintain his composure before speaking.

"So, did you figure out the vile rat who is behind all this?" the emperor demanded.

Regis smiled instead of revealing the truth. 'Max had also called my daughter a rat… I guess this is retribution.' He had known for a while that the assassinations were the work of his one and only disciple, who was skilled at both swordsmanship and manipulation. Although Max despised the emperor and hoped that he would clash with his master, he miscalculated Regis's patience.

"I could not find who was behind the assassinations."

The emperor frowned. "Are you serious? If you didn't accomplish my order, then why…"

As he angrily went on, Regis recalled his disciple's words: "Are you possibly afraid of a weak guy like him?"

'No, I'm only letting the emperor live because it's not the right time yet,' the duke thought. When that time came, his prey wouldn't be able to run away no matter how he tried. 'Soon,' he promised himself. Then he looked at the emperor with calm, blue eyes that didn't betray a hint of anger.

"Don't you know why, Your Majesty?" Regis asked.

The emperor found it difficult to breathe under Regis's burdensome gaze. 'Is he trying to start a rebellion…!' Overwhelmed by fear, he wasn't able to respond for a while. It was Regis who finally broke the silence.

"As long as I stay at the Imperial Palace, they won't attack you."

There was no sign of reproach in his calm voice, but the emperor, who had felt the weight of his monstrous energy, felt as if he had heard a thousand criticisms from him. He clenched his fists with resentment.