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nIt was a moment of checking each other’s minds that they had wanted so badly, but she was distracted by something else and didn’t realize it.

nBut before she said anything, Aiden went first.

n“I had no intention of deceiving or testing Vivian, it was all because I was a terrible coward.”

n“…….”

n“You always do something to apologize for.”

nAiden took one of her hands and said, kissing the back of her hand.

n“If you don’t mind, would you listen to me?”

n“…of course, I’ve been waiting.”

nShe replied grunted and frankly, and Aiden smiled tenderly.

nHe 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.

nShe was only a little relieved when she let herself into the basement without hesitation. At least the human body isn’t here. Because of what it would mean. Of course, she believed there wouldn’t be, but it was inevitable that she couldn’t relax until she checked it with her own eyes.

nAiden 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 didn’t stay and followed his lead. Inside the basement was heavily submerged in darkness and silence.

nVivian paused to recall the cry of an animal she had heard before at the basement door. However, she was so nervous that she couldn’t hear the smell of the beast or cry today.

nAiden 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.

nIt was the smell of colored paper. She muttered without realizing it.

n“The smell of books…”

n“To be exact it’s the smell of documents.”

n“What’s this place for?

n“This is where I’ve organized the documents that I’ve processed so far. It’s a polar secretary that no one else is allowed to see except me, but if it is Vivian it doesn’t matter.”

nAt that, Vivian put the documents back on the bookshelf that she picked up without thinking.

nShe enjoyed the thrill of buying gold books through a secret route, but that didn’t mean that she could sneak a peek at the unidentified polar secretaries.

nNo matter how much the owner of the document allows. She asked, holding the fragrant flower in her arms with a tense face.

n“What exactly do you do?”

n“Currently, I am in control of District 23. It is also called the Lawless Zone.”

n“……”

nHer steps came to a standstill.

n“The master of the underworld?”

n“It’s called that too.”

n“Oh, my God.”

nIt was more than she thought. Vivian kept her mouth shut with only one exclamation.

nLawlessness, 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 it’s right to say that it’s far too low.

nIf 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.

nNo 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?

nThat’s why none of the Empire’s people could relate the Black Duke to the Underworld. It was more persuasive to say that the rumor that he was a crazy murder.

n“When the hell did it start?”

n“It’s not been more than a decade since I’ve killed a sublet owner. I’ve been doing similar things for a long time, so I just got a superficial position.”

nKill, you killed him.

n“You did kill him, so you’d be there in his position.”

nThe underworld owner couldn’t have followed the hereditary system. It was the world of beasts that were weakly carnivorous. The world of biting if you don’t bite. Vivian, who had never been involved in that world before, knew that much.

nAiden is the owner of the lawless land. The one whose hobby is reading books is the owner of the lawless zone?

nVivian nodded slowly. Suddenly, her body creaked as if she were under-greased.

n“But there were things that were going on before that.”

n“Uh, what’s going on?”

nAden smiled bitterly at the apparently frightened look.

n“He was before His Majesty was crowned, even before he became an adult. He was young.”

nVivian nodded, recalling the image of the boy he saw at the ceremony.

n“He 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 didn’t mean he had no enemies. It’s 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.”

nLead them not to go astray, advise them to make more advantageous choices, and deal with those who show disquieting movements.

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