In 1873, the Ostia Empire collapsed rapidly. The tyrant Erik was brought to justice, and the empire became a republic. At the center of it all was Raven. To him, Guest was merely the detestable favorite of the Emperor. He used Guest, meticulously setting the stage to dismantle the empire. As a result, only Guest remained, misunderstood as the Emperor's accomplice. Memories of Guest's good deeds, relief work, and donations were forgotten by all. There was only endless hatred, resentment, mocking glares, and whispering. Guest quickly grew weak and fell ill. Having once fallen in love after being deceived by Raven's acting, Guest crumbled even faster upon his cruel confession of the truth. Even so, Guest never stopped doing good, even while giving up on life itself, never yielding to the painful words of those who spat hatred.

Raven felt no joy watching Guest fall apart. Instead, it stung. That feeling displeased him, so he became even more cold-hearted.

However.

One day, Guest passed away. It was an accident. Caught in an incident triggered by a soldier's grudge, Guest never returned to Raven's side. To make matters worse, as Guest's hidden virtues became known, Raven was consumed by regret, and the Ostia Republic eventually fell into a swift decline due to civil war.

In his final moments, Raven was in the library—the place Guest loved in life. Perhaps it was a moment he could never return to. His eyes fell upon the Ostia Imperial Genealogy, now a mere relic of the past. As he absentmindedly read the book, he froze at a truth no one had ever known, remaining paralyzed even as he was engulfed by flames in his final seconds...

...And then, he returned to the past.