TILLY'S HEART broke for Kiho when she saw the pained look on his face.
"Did the emperor only take me in because he needs me and not because he cares for me?" Kiho asked in a broken voice. "Then, everything he has done for me until now has only been for show?"
Oh, Kiho…
She suddenly felt guilty. Maybe she could have said it to him more gently. Or perhaps, she shouldn't have said anything at all until she was sure about his real identity.
"I'm sorry, Kiho," she said while cupping his face between her hands. "Everything is just my speculation. I have no proof that the emperor has only been using you all this time. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything yet. I was so thoughtless…"
"No, you're not. You did the right thing, Tilly," he said, putting his hands on top of hers. "We should always share this kind of thing with each other. After all, this is our fight for our family."
