The interlude continues the story of the unnamed slave and the queen, exploring how their relationship deepens and transforms the slave's emotional state. After decades of carefully cultivated apathy, the slave finds that caring for the queen shatters his numbness. Every act of violence the king commits against either of them becomes more painful because of their bond. The queen urges the slave to show restraint when the king brutalizes her, asking him who wins if the king kills him. Reluctantly, the slave does not fight back.

However, the slave's hatred does not diminish—it festers over years and decades, consuming him entirely. Meanwhile, the king grows increasingly paranoid as rumblings of rebellion build beyond his walls, and the Kejari tournament approaches, which represents an opportunity for his enemies. The king's desire to control those within his domain becomes ever more merciless, requiring constant reminders of his own power.

The slave begins to formulate a plan. What starts as a buried fantasy becomes an inevitability. He starts listening to whispers from the city and learns of a promising Hiaj warrior—a blond vampire known for his brutal ambitions. At the first trial of the Kejari, the slave is allowed to attend alongside the king. He watches the queen adjust her hair to cover the bruises on her throat, watches the blond warrior brutally dispatch his enemies in the colosseum, and watches the king struggle to hide his fear. In this moment, the slave sees his opportunity at last: the kingdom is already primed for destruction, and he is ready to provide the spark.