In the quiet garden of the imperial palace, the laughter of Leon and Aurora echoed softly as they played together. Their childish joy briefly brightened the otherwise cold and silent atmosphere of the palace.
From a distance, Emperor Regulus stood watching them.
Beside him were Darius and Rigo.
Each of them observed the children with very different expressions.
A faint smile appeared on the Emperor’s face as he watched his daughter laugh. It was a rare sight on the face of a ruler known throughout the Empire as cold and ruthless.
The calculating sharpness that usually filled his eyes had softened, revealing a glimpse of humanity hidden behind the pride and authority of an emperor.
He turned slightly toward Darius.
“My original plan was to send Rigo and that new boy on a mission,” Regulus said calmly.
“But… perhaps we can wait a little longer.”
Rigo, standing beside his father Darius, watched Leon with an expression even he could not fully understand.
Something strange stirred inside his chest whenever he looked at that boy.
Leon was supposed to be like him.
A young assassin.
A weapon of the Gelar Clan.
Yet something about Leon was different.
Leon’s eyes were sharp and determined, much like Rigo’s own—but unlike the other children of the clan, Leon’s eyes were still alive.
They still held curiosity.
Emotion.
And even happiness when he laughed with Aurora.
Rigo felt something tremble faintly in his chest.
An emptiness he had never noticed before seemed to shift within him.
How is that possible? he wondered.
How can a child trained to kill… still show that much humanity?
A sudden urge rose inside him to stop Leon.
An assassin should not behave like this.
He was about to step forward—
But suddenly the Emperor raised his hand.
Rigo stopped immediately.
He glanced at Regulus in confusion, but the Emperor’s gaze alone was enough to silence any questions.
Rigo stepped back again, his face returning to its usual emotionless mask.
The Emperor, as if sensing Rigo’s thoughts, briefly glanced at him before stepping forward toward the two children.
He walked slowly, an unusual smile resting on his face.
A smile perhaps only Aurora had seen before.
Leon had just helped Aurora up from the grass after they had both fallen during their game.
Then he noticed the Emperor approaching.
His body instantly tensed.
But he forced himself to remain calm.
Aurora, on the other hand, immediately brightened.
“Father!” she exclaimed happily as she ran toward him.
The Emperor gently caught her hands and bent slightly to look at her.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked warmly.
His tone was completely different from the cold authority he used when commanding nobles or soldiers.
“You both look very happy.”
Aurora nodded excitedly.
“This is Leon, Father! We were playing hide-and-seek! I found a really good hiding spot!” she said proudly while pointing toward the bushes.
The Emperor glanced toward Leon.
His eyes showed hidden curiosity beneath his calm smile.
“Leon,” he said slowly.
“What do you think of the palace?”
Leon bowed respectfully.
“Your Majesty,” he answered carefully.
“The palace… is incredibly beautiful.”
The Emperor nodded slightly.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
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“You are an intelligent boy, Leon.”
“And strong enough to draw our attention.”
Behind them, Rigo stood beside Darius, watching carefully.
Something felt strange to him.
How could the same man who commanded countless assassinations speak so gently to his daughter?
To Rigo, the Emperor had always been the symbol of merciless authority.
A ruler who ordered death without hesitation.
Rigo glanced toward his father, hoping for some explanation.
But Darius remained perfectly still, his expression empty.
To Darius, none of this was unusual.
Emotion had no place in duty.
Rigo quietly exhaled, forcing away the confusion rising in his mind.
He tried to focus only on the present.
The Emperor turned back to Aurora and gently stroked her hair.
“Aurora, my dear,” he said softly.
“So Leon is your friend now?”
“It’s nice to have a friend, isn’t it?”
Aurora nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, Father! Leon is very kind and fun! I like playing with him!”
The Emperor chuckled softly.
“Very well. I will let you two continue playing for a while.”
“But not too long, alright? The palace has many rules, and you know your father still has work to do.”
Aurora nodded, though a small hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes.
Moments like this were rare.
Moments when her father smiled.
Still, she smiled again and grabbed Leon’s hand.
“Come on!” she said excitedly before waving to her father and running back toward the garden.
Leon glanced once more at the Emperor and bowed respectfully before following her.
It felt strange to see such a gentle side of Emperor Regulus.
In his past life as Rigo, the Emperor had always seemed cold and emotionless.
As the two children ran off, the Emperor watched them quietly.
Then he turned back toward Darius and Rigo.
“I can take Leon on that mission now, Your Majesty,” Darius said.
The Emperor raised his hand slightly.
“No need to rush,” he replied.
“Let them be children for a little while longer… before our world claims them.”
Rigo silently observed him.
To Rigo, emotions like affection or compassion were weaknesses.
He couldn’t understand how the Emperor—who had sacrificed countless lives for power—could show such gentleness toward his daughter.
But Rigo said nothing.
He knew better than to question the Emperor.
Orders were orders.
Understanding them was unnecessary.
Regulus glanced at Rigo.
“Rigo,” he said calmly.
“Sometimes this world is crueler than we imagine.”
“But children like Aurora and Leon… still have time to experience happiness before it is taken from them.”
“Do you understand?”
Rigo nodded without expression.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor smiled faintly before turning away.
“Prepare the mission, Darius.”
“We will send them when the time is right.”
Darius bowed slightly and followed the Emperor.
Rigo remained standing alone.
His gaze drifted toward the garden where Aurora and Leon were still playing.
Their laughter echoed through the air.
For a brief moment, Rigo felt something unfamiliar.
Something close to…
envy.
How can they be so free? he wondered.
How can they laugh like that… as if the world has no weight at all?
He quickly pushed the thought away.
I’m not a child anymore.
I don’t have time to understand things like that.
Meanwhile, Leon suddenly froze.
He had overheard the Emperor’s conversation with Darius about the upcoming mission.
The words “mission to eliminate bandits” struck him like thunder.
Memories from his previous life flooded back.
Flashback
Inside the dark cave corridor, the only light came from flickering torches mounted along the walls.
The flames trembled weakly, like dying stars.
Rigo stood among the bodies of dead bandits scattered across the ground.
His blade dripped with fresh blood.
A cold satisfaction filled his chest.
The mission had gone perfectly.
The bandits threatening noble trade routes had been eliminated.
Just as he turned to leave—
He heard a faint sound from a darker tunnel.
Thinking it was a surviving bandit, Rigo approached carefully.
When he entered a hidden chamber—
He froze.
Inside were prisoners.
Men.
Women.
Even children.
All bound and injured.
Terrified.
Without hesitation, Rigo killed the remaining bandits guarding them.
Then he turned toward the prisoners.
His face remained emotionless.
His orders had been clear.
Leave no witnesses.
To him, they were simply another part of the mission.
Without hesitation, Rigo raised his blade.
And began killing them one by one.
Screams echoed through the cave.
But Rigo felt nothing.
Compassion was weakness.
He was the Emperor’s blade.
And his duty was to kill.
When the cave fell silent, he simply turned and left.
The mission was complete.
Present
Leon snapped back to reality.
His chest tightened painfully.
In his past life, he had never thought about the consequences of that massacre.
But now he understood the truth.
Those prisoners had not been random captives.
They were noble families kidnapped by bandits.
The bandits had intended to demand ransom.
But Rigo had slaughtered them all.
The nobles loyal to the Emperor lost their families.
Their grief turned into rage.
Their loyalty shattered.
Many withdrew their support from the Empire.
That incident became one of the sparks that weakened imperial authority and accelerated the coming rebellion.
Leon swallowed hard.
Regret burned inside him.
I cannot repeat that mistake.
This time—
He would save them.
Then another thought struck him.
Why wasn’t I executed for that?
He clearly remembered the Emperor’s anger.
The massacre had been a terrible mistake.
A mistake worthy of execution.
Yet instead of death, the punishment had been mild.
Restrictions.
Additional instructions.
A temporary ban from solo missions.
Leon shook his head.
Perhaps it didn’t matter now.
He turned back to Aurora.
“Aurora,” he said gently.
“I have to go now.”
“There’s something very important I must do.”
Aurora looked confused.
“But you’ll come back, right?” she asked anxiously.
“We’ll play again later… right?”
Leon smiled softly.
“Of course.”
“I promise.”
“Thank you for being my friend, Aurora.”
Aurora smiled in relief.
“Alright! Don’t take too long!”
Leon nodded.
Then he ran toward the palace corridor where the Emperor, Darius, and Rigo had gone.
When he caught up to them, he called out loudly:
“Your Majesty, please wait!”
The three men turned.
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, surprised by the boy’s boldness.
“Leon,” he said calmly.
“What is it?”
Leon bowed deeply.
“Your Majesty… please allow me to join the mission.”
“I want to prove that I can be trusted.”
The Emperor studied him carefully.
Beside him, Darius and Rigo watched silently.
Rigo looked particularly surprised.
Just moments ago this boy had been laughing with Aurora.
Now he was volunteering for a deadly mission.
“And what makes you believe you are ready for such a mission?” the Emperor asked coldly.
Leon raised his head.
“I know I am still young,” he said firmly.
“But I want to prove that I have the same determination as the members of the Gelar Clan.”
“Allow me to join, and I will do my best.”
The Emperor considered his words.
Then a faint smile appeared.
“Very well,” he said at last.
“You may join.”
“But remember—this is not a child’s game.”
“Every decision you make there may determine life or death.”
Leon bowed deeply.
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
Beside him, Rigo watched Leon quietly.
Something about this boy continued to disturb him.
Leon was unlike any assassin Rigo had ever known.
Even unlike himself.
Darius nodded.
“Then prepare yourselves.”
“You will depart tonight.”
Leon exhaled slowly.
Relief filled his chest.
But more than that—
This was his chance to correct the mistake of his past life.
This time…
He would save the innocent.
And perhaps prove that he was more than just a weapon of death.
Deep in his heart, Leon made a promise.
He would change the Empire’s fate—
Starting with this single mission.
