It was a moment of checking each otherâs minds that they had wanted so badly, but she was distracted by something else and didnât realize it.
But before she said anything, Aiden went first.
âI had no intention of deceiving or testing Vivian, it was all because I was a terrible coward.â
ââ¦â¦.â
âYou always do something to apologize for.â
Aiden took one of her hands and said, kissing the back of her hand.
âIf you donât mind, would you listen to me?â
ââ¦of course, Iâve been waiting.â
She replied grunted and frankly, and Aiden smiled tenderly.
He took her hand, leading her out of the study and toward the basement. It was meaningless to hide it anymore since the key was caught anyway. Rather, it was time to be honest with Vivian in order not to fall apart.
She was only a little relieved when she let herself into the basement without hesitation. At least the human body isnât here. Because of what it would mean. Of course, she believed there wouldnât be, but it was inevitable that she couldnât relax until she checked it with her own eyes.
Aiden put the key in the basement door and opened the door. The clatter and the lock clearly rang in her ear. Vivian looked a little frightened, but she didnât stay and followed his lead. Inside the basement was heavily submerged in darkness and silence.
Vivian paused to recall the cry of an animal she had heard before at the basement door. However, she was so nervous that she couldnât hear the smell of the beast or cry today.
Aiden skillfully walked inside with a lamp hanging on the wall. Vivian paused for a moment at the unique smell of a very familiar old book before the bright light lit up the basement.
It was the smell of colored paper. She muttered without realizing it.
âThe smell of booksâ¦â
âTo be exact itâs the smell of documents.â
âWhatâs this place for?
âThis is where Iâve organized the documents that Iâve processed so far. Itâs a polar secretary that no one else is allowed to see except me, but if it is Vivian it doesnât matter.â
At that, Vivian put the documents back on the bookshelf that she picked up without thinking.
She enjoyed the thrill of buying gold books through a secret route, but that didnât mean that she could sneak a peek at the unidentified polar secretaries.
No matter how much the owner of the document allows. She asked, holding the fragrant flower in her arms with a tense face.
âWhat exactly do you do?â
âCurrently, I am in control of District 23. It is also called the Lawless Zone.â
ââ¦â¦â
Her steps came to a standstill.
âThe master of the underworld?â
âItâs called that too.â
âOh, my God.â
It was more than she thought. Vivian kept her mouth shut with only one exclamation.
Lawlessness, literally an area where the laws of the Empire are not accepted. And being the master of the underworld who ruled it, it was so high that it was hard to imagine. No, maybe itâs right to say that itâs far too low.
If the peak of light was the emperor who ruled the empire, the peak of darkness was the master of the underworld. It was only a rumor, but there was a saying that he ruled the underworld and held the palace and shook it.
No matter how widely rumored that Grand Duke was a nightmare, it was a completely different matter from being the master of the underworld. Even if it was a nameless Grand Duke, the Imperial family was the Imperial Family. How can the Imperial family, who symbolizes the blood of God and the light, claim to be the dark?
Thatâs why none of the Empireâs people could relate the Black Duke to the Underworld. It was more persuasive to say that the rumor that he was a crazy murder.
âWhen the hell did it start?â
âItâs not been more than a decade since Iâve killed a sublet owner. Iâve been doing similar things for a long time, so I just got a superficial position.â
Kill, you killed him.
âYou did kill him, so youâd be there in his position.â
The underworld owner couldnât have followed the hereditary system. It was the world of beasts that were weakly carnivorous. The world of biting if you donât bite. Vivian, who had never been involved in that world before, knew that much.
Aiden is the owner of the lawless land. The one whose hobby is reading books is the owner of the lawless zone?
Vivian nodded slowly. Suddenly, her body creaked as if she were under-greased.
âBut there were things that were going on before that.â
âUh, whatâs going on?â
Aden smiled bitterly at the apparently frightened look.
âHe was before His Majesty was crowned, even before he became an adult. He was young.â
Vivian nodded, recalling the image of the boy he saw at the ceremony.
âHe was the only one who was treated in the red because I was treated like a bum and drove all sorts of rumors, but that didnât mean he had no enemies. Itâs hard for a young emperor to build an empire with his own strength, Vivian. Especially those who have never experienced such failure as His Majesty. I stood in the back and helped him to not let his self-esteem break down in shock.â
Lead them not to go astray, advise them to make more advantageous choices, and deal with those who show disquieting movements.