"Hah… I am back at the Royal Palace."

Amon let out a quiet breath as he walked through the vast corridor, his footsteps echoing faintly against the polished marble floor.

Beside him, Selena walked with her usual calm composure, her posture straight, her expression unreadable.

"Did you miss it?" she asked casually. "You had stayed here only for one night."

Amon smiled faintly. "Yeah. I remembered it clearly."

Selena glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "And even in that time, you made quite a mess. Don't do that again. Sneaking around the palace at night."

Amon flinched slightly at her words before retorting with a small frown, "Of course I won't do that again. And also, it was not that big of a mess. I was just lost."

"It seems like you are really good at going to unknown places unknowingly," she replied in a flat tone.

Amon scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah… it really does seem like that."

Soon, they stopped in front of a familiar door.

Selena gestured toward it. "You remember this, right? It's the same room where you stayed before."

Amon nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Yes, I do. Thanks for today, Senior."

Selena gave a small nod. "Hm… no need to thank me. Get fresh and come down. We will have dinner together."

Amon straightened slightly and gave a playful salute. "Roger that!"

Selena turned and walked away without another word, her footsteps fading into the distance. Amon pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was just as he remembered, spacious and neatly arranged. A king-size bed rested against the center wall, its soft sheets perfectly laid out. A small table stood beside it, with a softly glowing lamp casting warm light across the room.

To one side, a glass door led to a small balcony.

Through it, the evening sunlight poured in, painting the room in shades of orange and gold.

Amon stood there for a moment, taking it all in.

Then he let out a quiet breath.

"…not bad"

Without wasting time, he moved toward the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of running water filled the room. Steam slowly rose as he stepped under the warm stream, letting the heat wash over his body.

For the first time in a long while, there was no tension in his muscles, no lingering danger in the air, no need to stay alert.

There was only warmth and peace here. This palace was one of the safest places in this kingdom. So no need to worry about anything.

He closed his eyes as the water ran down his face, washing away the exhaustion that still lingered deep within him.

Minutes passed like that.

When he finally stepped out, his body felt lighter and totally refreshed After drying himself, he changed into his casual clothes. They were simple and comfortable.

Then, without thinking much, he walked over to the bed and dropped onto it.

The mattress sank softly beneath him.

"…Damn, this is comfortable."

He stretched slightly, staring up at the ceiling. A calm silence filled the room. And slowly, his thoughts began to drift.

Everything… felt perfect. He was back to his kingdom. He was finally safe. A faint smile formed on his lips. He had survived that island.

Not just survived, he had grown stronger.

Much stronger than before.

Soon, he would break through to the next rank. Soon, he would return to the academy.

His second year at the academy would start next month.

A new beginning. And not just that… His smile deepened slightly. He had someone now. Someone important.

Scarlett.

Her face appeared in his mind, the way she looked at him, the warmth in her eyes, the way she smiled very softly between her cold expressions…

The memory of her lips on his lingered. Amon chuckled softly under his breath. "…Yeah… everything really is perfect."

He even had a place waiting for him now. A home in the Astron Dukedom. A new village and a place where he could return to. For someone like him, who had never truly had a home…

That meant more than anything.

But then his expression slowly shifted. Another thought surfaced. It was about Malphas.bThe memory of that man… his final moments… his sacrifice.

Amon's eyes softened slightly.

"…I still have to go to the demon kingdom."

He needed to return Malphas's belongings. To his family. That was something he couldn't ignore.

"…I'll do it," he muttered quietly.

After resting for a while, Amon slowly sat up.

"…Time to go."

He stood, stretched lightly, and walked out of the room. The palace corridors were quieter now. Night had fallen.

Soft lights illuminated the halls, casting long shadows across the marble floor. Servants moved silently here and there, attending to their duties.

Amon walked steadily, occasionally glancing around. "…Where was the dining hall again?"

He scratched his cheek slightly before stopping one of the servants and asking for directions.

After being guided, he continued walking and soon arrived at the grand dining hall.

The doors were already open.

Inside Selena was already seated. She sat calmly at one side of the long dining table, her posture straight, her expression composed.

Amon walked in and pulled a chair beside her before sitting down.

"This place hasn't changed at all," he muttered lightly, glancing around.

He remembered clearly.

The last time he had been here. The queen had been present. He turned slightly toward Selena. "When did you come?"

Selena replied calmly, "Just now."

Amon nodded.

Soon, servants entered and began placing dishes on the table—rich, aromatic food filling the air with its scent.

"The food looks tasty. Can't wait to eat this. Even the smell coming from it is amazing."

"Eat as much as you want. Don't hold back. After all we are only three people here, who will be having dinner." Selena said while looking at his direction.

Amon, who was busy watching those dishes, suddenly stopped. He turned his face to her.

"Three of us…that means your moth-" Before he could complete his sentence.

The door opened once again.

Amon's gaze shifted instinctively. And then he saw her.