Ridrian spent five hours letting out his pent-up anger, but he was nowhere near appeased. He was seated in his library, mind swimming in thoughts as he clutched a bottle of hard liquor called Borestan firmly in his hand. He shook his head in disappointment, not understanding why his knights had messed up.

It was the first time in a very long while that the emperor had fun, and he could even say that he doesn't remember laughing as much as he did ever since he sent her away.

A smile crept to his face thinking about how he had spent the whole day with his doll, and how embarrassed she looked when she dropped her bonnet. His smile faltered, however, upon recalling the green dress the doll wore. Out of all the clothes here in the palace, he didn't think she would pick that one.

When he was still a prince, the green dress was the first and last clothing Ridrian had given Liliana. One that he spent all his allowance on. It was a rather simple dress she couldn't wear when entering the palace, so she decided to wear it instead on the day they were supposed to go on a picnic.

But she wasn't able to wear it even once before she left.

Seeing the doll wearing the same dress he gave Liliana made him feel like he was back to his childhood. The tone of his voice also changed, no longer bearing the same intensity as it did back then, and it was all thanks to you.

It was pretty much a pleasant day. Even if the doll did not speak and had an expressionless face, the Emperor was somehow able to figure out what she was thinking about.

Ridrian also couldn't believe how upset she had gotten over a mere handkerchief.

The doll's way different from Liliana, but he didn't have it in himself to be bothered like he used to. And in fact, he found the doll a little bit cute.

Before, he was instantly filled with anger the moment he felt a doll was different from Liliana, urging him to lose his sanity and by the time he regained his bearings, the doll was already shattered in his hands. He was so sick and tired of it, so he always made it a point to refuse a doll when one was presented to him.

Sometimes, the doll he currently has would get a little bit annoying, but not enough to make him angry. Perhaps the doll's emotionless face helped quell his anger. At first, he intentionally told the doll an exciting story to see how she would react, but his efforts were only futile since it did not elicit any emotion from the doll. It remained impassive as ever.

He also remembered how disturbed he had gotten when he thought the doll was taking pity on him on the second day. But the thought quickly dissipated as soon as it had come. He realized the doll's face was just stony, and he was simply imagining things.

There were times when he wondered if the doll was even a living, breathing person, which led him to asking the doll purposely in an attempt to figure it out. The doll always answered by nodding its little head, always calm even if it was a little apprehensive.

He didn't mind the lack of answer, as long as it does its part.

The emperor was relaxed these days because of the good sleep he's been having. He gulfed another shot of his drink, smirking at the burning sensation snaking down his throat. He went to Leslie's Garden earlier to get a much needed respite from the preparations for the war and the oncoming prayer festival that took most of his time. And of course, an assassin was waiting for him there. Could they stop it with their attempts already?

The emperor laughed, but his smile did not reach his eyes. He stared at a distance from where he sat, thinking deeply to himself. Why are they after me?

It's already been five years since he ascended the throne. He had purged those who dared defied him during his first year and disposed of those who disobeyed him. He was widely known to be the strongest knight of the Empire, even much stronger than the distinguished commander of the royal guards, and yet they had sent an assassin. What a waste of life.

"Your Majesty, are you all right?" Raven asked, organizing the documents set before him as he glanced at the Emperor. Prior to this, Raven had all of his servants out of the room. His servants would rather be intrusive to him.

Ridrian threw him a glance. He gulped down what remained of his drink on an empty stomach before placing the empty crystal glass down on the desk. The dull thud echoed in their ears.

"Is the doll clean?"

Raven raised his head. He was surprised momentarily at the sudden question and nodded. "We looked into it and there's nothing huge to be concerned about. Is there something bothering you?"

If there's nothing wrong with the doll... How come the poisoned arrow was directed at her? Were they trying to make the emperor lose his sanity by killing the doll?

It doesn't matter how much you try to stay quiet, this is an Imperial Palace where dozens to hundreds of people go out and about. There was a high chance that the doll's existence was divulged by someone in the palace, and the thought rippled an uncomfortable sensation across his chest.

How dare they touch something that's mine. The emperor' eyes seethed sharply.