The moonlight spilled over the Imperial garden, casting silvery light onto the blooming roses that you had tended earlier that day. The soft scent of lavender lingered in the air, but it wasn’t enough to calm the storm brewing within you. The whispers of nightmares clung to your mind, faint echoes of your sister screams from the fire that had taken her, your sister, and your innocence.

From the shadow of the corridor, a figure emerged: Levi, Ragnar’s hidden blade, his silent guardian assigned to protect you. He offered you no words, only a nod, his watchful eyes scanning the garden for threats. You looked away, your chest tightening. Even here, amidst beauty, you were haunted by invisible dangers.

He had made it clear you were here for his own agenda, a symbol to spite the nobles who sought his favor. And yet…he gave you the freedom to choose how you spent your days. Your favorite books arrived unbidden, the gardens grew with flowers you once described to a servant, and your meals, though often untouched, were prepared to your exact tastes.

You closed your eyes, willing the memories to fade, and that was when you heard it—the measured sound of boots against the cobblestones. Ragnar. He stopped a few feet away, his presence overwhelming even in silence.

“You should rest,” he said, his voice low, steady.

You opened your eyes to meet his gaze, but it was impossible to decipher what lay behind it. Concern? Obligation? Or something else entirely?

“I couldn’t sleep,” you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t respond, but for a moment, you thought you saw his jaw tighten. Then, almost imperceptibly, his hand twitched as if he wanted to reach for you but stopped himself. Instead, he turned and said, “Levi will watch over you.”

And with that, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving you alone once more with your ghosts and the quiet, unspoken truth: Ragnar was cruel to the world, but with you, he was simply afraid. Afraid to break what was already broken.