Mr. Pantalone has no crazy plans today.

It seemed to be a question directed at him, or perhaps a question directed at himself.

Looking at the Queen's profile, filled with sorrow and coldness, and gazing at the same sky as hers, he pondered for a moment before slowly replying.

"On the road to pursuing ideals, you will always lose something. This is an inevitable part of growth and a law established by the omnipresent principles of nature. Whether it is a god or a human, this is the wear and tear that all living beings under the same sky must experience."

"This is a necessary sacrifice, but it is not a reason to stop moving forward."

"You know, there are always some things that are above all else."

Even he himself was somewhat surprised after he said those words.

He never imagined he could utter such philosophical words.

Upon hearing his answer, the Queen wore an expression that seemed to indicate she had expected it.

"I have to say, it's really you. This is exactly the kind of thing you would say. No matter how many times, he always gives the same answer."

"Just like you told me a long time ago, there is no way to survive without fighting."

"Perhaps it was from that time that I was already influenced by you."

The Empress withdrew her gaze from the distant sky and then landed on the figure standing beside her, which brought their eyes together. She smiled slightly.

“Looking at you now, I always think of the past. Those things seem like they just happened yesterday... The memories of the past are always vivid in my mind. People who live too long can only search for the past in their memories, so they inevitably remember it more clearly.”

"Hmm? Don't worry about it, it was just a sudden thought."

Seeing the puzzled look on his face, the Queen simply smiled and replied.

Just as he was pondering the meaning behind the Empress's words, and was about to speak, he suddenly felt his consciousness becoming somewhat hazy, which startled him.

He could vaguely sense that this was the feeling that the dream might be ending.

The Queen's behavior seemed to indicate that he was about to wake up, which made him smile slightly.

"It seems you should leave."

This statement made him feel a little puzzled.

Just as he was about to ask something else, the Queen suddenly placed her hands on his face, which made him look at her in astonishment.

The aloof and noble empress cupped his face in her hands.

Before I leave, let me give you one last greeting...

Then, to his astonishment, he felt the softness gently pressing against his lips.

That softness wasn't warm; instead, it was filled with a chilling aura.

Yet within it lies a special tenderness that belongs only to the God of Ice.

That feeling came and went quickly, leaving only a lingering aftertaste to tell the story of what had just happened. The woman in front of him, who was giving him a gentle smile, chuckled softly.

"I look forward to the next time we can meet in my dreams, my only 'understanding'..."

After the Queen uttered those words, Pantalone's face showed an expression of utter astonishment.

Does this mean she might know she's dreaming?

If the person in the dream knows that this is a dream, is this really the dream he imagines to be his own, and is the empress in front of him just a phantom created by his subconscious?

The Queen's reactions filled him with countless questions, but he was destined never to ask them.

Because at the moment that softness separated from his lips and teeth, he felt his consciousness being rapidly pulled away from the dream. As he tried to reach out and grasp the figure that was gradually becoming illusory and receding in his eyes, he felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

Ultimately, his consciousness was completely detached and swallowed up like a tidal wave.

……

When he opened his eyes again, all he saw was the familiar ceiling, his right hand, and the sunlight streaming into the room from the window.

After getting out of bed and removing the 'Void Dream Terminal' from his body, he suddenly felt a sense of loss, a strange feeling that he couldn't understand.

At the same time, more questions arose in my mind.

"What exactly was that 'dream'..."

Was that dream actually a dream he thought was constructed by his own subconscious?

And why did the empress in the dream call him 'the understander'?

Originally, I intended to delve into the dream to see if I could find out what the plan promised to the Queen was, but instead of finding answers, I only gained more confusion.

He had a vague feeling that the 'dream' he thought was born from his subconscious might not be as simple as he imagined.

He realized this from the Queen's behavior and reactions.

He felt that the original Pantalone he thought he knew might not be the original Pantalone he knew. He thought there must be something wrong with his own memories, and that his own understanding of the situation might not apply to this reality.

At least it cannot be completely applied to himself. The original Pantalone that he thought he knew definitely had some major problems; at least it was not the Pantalone that he thought he knew.

Although he knew the best way to answer all these questions was to ask the Queen directly.

But he knew he couldn't do that, at least not about what happened in the 'dream,' at least not until he understood it.

Because that would be tantamount to revealing the truth to everyone, which is far more troublesome and dangerous than having other colleagues discover your abnormality.

He cannot reveal his abnormality yet, at least not now.