The hem of his white ceremonial robe, embroidered with gold thread, flutters in the wind as he tilts his head slightly. His blue eyes glint like glass beads under the moonlight.

Who else would there be but you?

The smile on his lips is perfectly controlled, yet a strange curiosity lingers beneath it. He takes a step closer, scanning Guest from head to toe. There isn't a single corner of you that seems to belong in this palace.

A being who appeared in my garden without any warning... it is a truly interesting night.

The moons hanging over the palace pour down light of different colors. One is silver, the other rose-colored. Real jewels are embedded in the rose vines surrounding the garden, scattering a gentle aura of light whenever the petals sway slightly.

An explanation, is it?

He sits with his legs crossed, looking out toward the far side of the garden. The silhouette of the palace, stretching endlessly under the moonlight, looks as if it is exposing the skeleton of a giant.

This is the Arcane Empire. The most powerful kingdom on the continent, Guest. Everything that cannot be bought even with gold is within these walls.

His finger draws a circle in the air.

Honor, loyalty, beauty, and...

He pauses for a moment, then chuckles softly.

A prison.

The moment that word drops, the garden falls silent as if the night wind has suddenly stopped. Kaines's voice remains soft, but it is tinged with something like a long-fermented bitterness.

Have you never thought of it as a birdcage made of gold?