Villain: After I died, all the heroines cried themselves to sleep.

Rhodes looked up at the throne.

The empress sat there indifferently, not looking in their direction.

After the head maid finished conveying the Queen's decree, she left without a word.

Rod looked back at Angela and Luna.

The two men also heard the head maid's words and stared intently at Rhodes.

"Teacher, are you going to have a secret rendezvous with Her Majesty the Queen?"

"Teacher, if you don't want to go, I can help you refuse."

"..."

Facing the intense gazes of the two men, Rod felt a cold sweat break out on his brow.

He shook his head, trying to appear calm.

"I cannot refuse Her Majesty's invitation."

"Why not? The teacher just needs to stay by my side."

Anjie raised a strange smile.

"That's right. If Her Majesty the Empress wants to harm the teacher, let her step over my dead body first."

Luna also made a somber declaration.

"..."

The problem is, I want to go...

Rhodes muttered to himself.

He glanced at the system taskbar.

Protect the Empress's life.

[Escape the palace with the Empress.]

Having learned from the mistakes of the Golden Generation, he was unwilling to repeat them and neglect the system's tasks.

According to his deduction, if anything could truly threaten the Empress's life, the most likely scenario is tonight.

"Your Majesty may be in danger tonight; I need to go to her side to check on her."

Rhodes lowered his voice and told the two the truth.

"Teacher, there's no need to worry unnecessarily. Her Majesty the Queen will be fine."

Anjie said calmly.

"Compared to the Queen, your safety, teacher, is the most important thing."

Luna gripped Rod's arm tightly.

Both of them showed strong resistance.

Although the system didn't give any hints, Rhodes had a feeling that he had reached another crossroads in his destiny.

Choosing to stay will maintain the current balance.

Choosing to leave may lead to an uncertain future and an unpredictable outcome.

"I'm sorry, but I have my reasons for doing this."

Rod cruelly rejected Ange's pleas to stay and broke free from Luna's grasp.

He looked toward the throne, but the Empress had already left her seat at some point.

Looking down at Ange and Luna, Rod stopped pretending to be indifferent and revealed a genuine smile.

"Don't worry, I will definitely come back to you once this is over."

"teacher……"

Ange and Luna stared blankly.

Rod nodded to the two men and quietly left the banquet hall.

……

As you step out of the banquet hall, the festive hustle and bustle fades away.

Snow was still falling from the sky.

Rhodes turned toward the inner court, where the head maid was waiting under a tree at the crossroads.

"Professor Rhodes."

She bowed to Rhodes, and then led him into the inner court.

"Is Her Majesty's security adequate?"

"Professor, rest assured, the banquet did not affect His Majesty's security. The inner palace female guards and the outer palace guards are all on duty as usual, and the head guard and I are also on alert."

The head maid didn't know why Rhodes asked this question, but she still offered an explanation.

The head guard is a master swordsman of the highest rank, the head maid is a first-class sorcerer, and the empress herself also possesses the strength of a first-class sorcerer.

Almost no one could threaten the Queen's life.

Soon, the two arrived at the Queen's palace.

The head maid stopped at the door and asked Rhodes to come in by himself.

Rhodes entered the bedroom.

The balcony door was open; the Queen was not in the bedroom.

Rhodes went to the balcony and saw that the Queen had taken off her precious jewelry and luxurious dress, and was standing barefoot on the balcony in a pure white nightgown, enjoying the breeze.

The evening breeze lifted her hair, causing it to dance naturally.

"His Majesty."

Rhodes bowed to the Queen with utmost care.

"Professor Rhodes, you've arrived? I thought you were going to refuse me and stay at the banquet to accompany your two disciples."

The Queen glanced at Rhodes from the side.

A subtle, enigmatic smile played at the corners of his lips.

"Your Majesty's invitation is so kind, I do not wish to refuse."

Rod answered calmly.

"Don't want to? Or can't you?"

The Empress sneered and continued.

Come on, let's watch the snow together.

Rhodes naturally wouldn't refuse, and he strode over to the Queen's side.

Following the Queen's gaze.

The towering palace walls shut out the lights of countless homes, leaving the royal courtyard empty and silent, with only the snow falling and swirling in the air.

"Does Your Majesty wish to leave the palace?"

"Leave the palace? Why leave?"

"I believe His Majesty is in danger; someone may be plotting against you."

"Did you hear this from someone else?"

The Empress suddenly said.

Rhodes looked at the Queen with some surprise.

Previously, the Empress had denied having a second personality, but now she has actually brought it up herself.

"Hmph, so you really care more about that cowardly me. That's just her paranoia. No one can assassinate me."

The Queen turned to face Rhodes.

"This is so boring. I'm going back to my bedroom. Do you want me to walk back barefoot?"

"..."

"Hold me."

"...Yes, ma'am."

Rhodes bent down and lifted the Queen up in his arms.

The Queen stretched out her smooth arms and wrapped them around Rhodes' neck, letting him carry her back to the bedroom.

Even after Rhodes placed the Queen on the bed, she still did not let go.

"I'm asking you."

The Queen lay on the bed, gazing at Rhodes.

Am I beautiful?

"……beautiful."

"Previously, a foreign minister colluded with a foreign country to try to promote a marriage alliance between the two countries. I wiped out his family and sent a large army to annex that greedy foreign country."

"..."

"But I am the last remaining member of the royal family, and one day I will need to have children to continue the royal bloodline."

"His Majesty……"

"Shut up, I didn't give you permission to speak."

The Empress forcefully interrupted Rhodes.

Her gaze gradually turned cold as she continued speaking to herself.

"Your itinerary during this period has been under my surveillance. This includes your search for the ends of the world and your cohabitation and travels after your return."

"Should I congratulate you, Professor Rhodes? Congratulations on finding your fiancée and lover. Are those earrings and bracelets they're wearing tokens of your love?"

Why aren't you saying anything?

"..."

Rhodes calmly met the Queen's gaze.

"Your Majesty, before I departed, I also invited you to accompany me."

"It's just an excuse."

The Empress scoffed.

"You know perfectly well that I make all the decisions about the empire and it's impossible for me to leave the palace for an extended period of time."

"No one can stop Your Majesty from leaving if you wish."

"Would you abandon your disciple?"

"……I won't."

So stop saying meaningless things.

The Queen stared intently at Rhodes.

"I have always remembered the promise you made to me. I'm giving you a chance: will you return to your two disciples, or will you stay and stay with me?"

As she spoke, she instinctively tightened her grip on Rod's neck.

"I will stay by His Majesty's side."

Rhodes answered without the slightest hesitation.

He had originally planned to stay and protect the Queen in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

Upon hearing Rhodes' reply, a satisfied smile finally appeared on the Queen's lips.

She suddenly turned around and pinned Rhodes down.

"In that case, stay tonight."

The Empress looked down at Rhodes, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

"..."

Rhodes appeared calm on the surface, but was actually panicking.

Is this the beginning of a reverse takeover?

The Empress forcefully pulled Rhodes into bed with her, and they lay down together.

She turned to her side and rested her head on Rhodes' arm, then pulled up Rhodes' other arm and covered herself with it.

The two of them fell asleep in each other's arms.

Silent all night.

Rhodes was in a deep, hazy sleep.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my chest.

He struggled to open his eyes, reached out and touched his chest, where he felt some kind of liquid.

Looking down, he saw crimson blood gushing from his chest.

Why?

Rhodes found it hard to understand.

He turned his head to look at his surroundings.

The empress lay there, her face deathly pale, a dagger lodged in her chest.

Blood stained her pristine white nightgown, blooming into a poignant blood flower.

"teacher……"

On her deathbed, she gazed at Rhodes, her eyes filled with sorrow and longing.

Rhodes wanted to save her, but he was already in dire straits himself.

He could only watch helplessly as his disciple closed his eyes and died before his eyes.

Rhodes' vision blurred, and life was slipping away rapidly.

In a daze, he saw a pop-up notification from the system.

You are paying the price for your past actions, and inadvertently seem to have stumbled upon a truth about the world.

……

Rhodes slowly opened his eyes.

The scene before him felt both familiar and strange.

It felt very familiar.

He sat up and looked around.

They find themselves in a dark, secret room.

Recalling what came to mind.

Rod muttered to himself.

"Instead of an opening cinematic, are they going for educational content this time?"