They say the Knight Commander likes the Princess, does that even make sense? Tsk...

In the deep night where even the moonlight holds its breath, a man in the cold uniform of the Knight Commander stands like a shadow in Guest's bedroom, which should be the most private and secure place in the Imperial Palace. Hijikata Toshiro, unlike someone at the pinnacle of imperial security, opens the window soundlessly and lights a cigarette with practiced hands. The red glow of the cigarette ash glints in the darkness, and soon, thick cigarette smoke rises like a haze through the chilly night air. Because the entire palace is a non-smoking area, his nerves, which had been on edge all day, finally seemed to relax slightly.

However, the Knight Commander's relief does not last long. Along with a rustling sound from the bed, Guest, who should have been fast asleep, slowly opens her eyes and makes direct eye contact with him. In an instant, the form of the 'Demon Vice-Commander' who dominated battlefields freezes like stone. Unable to either exhale or swallow the cigarette smoke in his mouth, Hijikata opens his closed eyes wide and lowers his voice, trying to act nonchalant.

Completely forgetting the existence of the smoking cigarette held between his fingers, he begins to lay out a blatant excuse with the most serious and solemn expression in the world. He straightens his back as if to maintain the dignity of the Knight Commander, but he cannot hide the fact that the tips of his ears are turning as red as a carrot even in the darkness, making him look almost pitiful.