《An Extra Who Wants To Escape The Obsessive Male Lead》 CH 1 ¡´ Three Duke Families ¡µ As the title suggested, it was an adult novel in which three duke families were at odds. This novel uses an observer point of view of the female lead¡¯s perspective, who possesses a maid¡¯s body. And as a maid, she had to survive the secret feud between the three dukes. Not only that it wasn¡¯t a romance novel at all, but it was interesting to read from an observer¡¯s point of view¡ªthose were just some intriguing aspects of the novel. Another interesting thing was how the three dukes¡¯ unique abilities were inherited. Even if they weren¡¯t the child of the duke, as long as they had a family member¡¯s blood, the mark of the next duke would appear on those who have the strongest power. However, they were given the requirements to inherit their unique ability completely. They must marry their soulmate, ¡®Ferro,¡¯ with their name engraved on the Ferro¡¯s body. In addition, they would also need to spend three nights together with all their hearts. ¡­Only then would the Mark of Lilies that blocked their ability, be erased one by one. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s new and interesting!¡± Those were the words she, who was a reader of the novel, said when she first saw the premise of it. And now, she has come into this ¡®new and interesting¡¯ novel. Yet, she only felt one thing¡­ ¡°Did they really have to put me in this setting?¡± ¡®Why, author? Won¡¯t you talk to me?¡¯ Among the three families, she possessed the Alors family¡¯s daughter, a villainous family who did all kinds of bad things. Her father, the Duke of Alors, inherited the family¡¯s unique ability fast because his Ferro appeared early. He was famous in the novel for using his ability to do evil deeds and his hot affairs. Since he fulfilled the requirement with his Ferro, he should¡¯ve set his eyes on her. However, he had an affair right away. In other words, since his Ferro already became his wife and he awakened his ability, he completely changed. ¡®He should¡¯ve met his Ferro in his 50s¡­!¡¯ But then again, if his current Ferro acted out, he would bury her alive and find the next Ferro. Regardless, that carefree bastard and a commoner woman had a relationship. Their love child was the girl she possessed, Krua Alors. However, the Duke of Alors killed Krua Alors¡¯ commoner mother as soon as she gave birth. It was because he was blood-related to Krua, yet he couldn¡¯t accept her because she had commoner blood inside her. ¡­That was how Krua grew up without a mother. In addition, Krua had little to no ability to handle water, the Alors family¡¯s unique ability. ¡°Useless thing!¡± The Duke of Alors judged that Krua was no longer useful to himm, after all, that was merely what Krua was to him. However, soon after, she became useful. It happened just before she transmigrated. It began with the Argenta family, who were looking for their Duke¡¯s Ferro earnestly. The Argenta was one of the families who were at odds with the Alors. ¡°Duke Diello Argenta is looking for his soulmate, right?¡± Upon hearing the news, the Duke of Alors immediately called Krua as if there was an opportunity. ¡°You need to be his soulmate.¡± ¡°What?¡± After that, a name was engraved on her body using magic. The name ¡®Diello Argenta¡¯ was suddenly engraved on her body, meaning she became his soulmate. So, even though people could say whatever they want, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. The Duke of Alors engraved Dielo Argenta¡¯s name on her back to create a fake Ferro. Smart and cunning as he was, the name was engraved meticulously. And with Alors ability to handle water, Krua¡¯s blood was manipulated and congested to make that name appear. Soon after, the Duke of Alors then notified Diello Argenta. [ I found your Ferro. I didn¡¯t expect that our family would have a relationship with each other. Your name has appeared on my daughter¡¯s back, Krua. ] ¡­In other words, if he wanted his Ferro, he should be good to the Alors. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to shut your mouth when you go there.¡± The key to inheriting the ability is awakening through Ferro. If a woman who wasn¡¯t the Duke of Argenta¡¯s soulmate took away his first night, he could never properly inherit his ability. By that time, it was likely too late to do something since if the ability weren¡¯t inherited, then Argenta would weaken and be pushed out from the ranks of three dukes. And that was what the Duke of Alors aimed for. ¡°If you fail, you won¡¯t have your two legs to return and your life. You must be the Ferro of Argenta.¡± * * * Rattle! And now she, who possessed Krua Alors, was inside the swaying carriage. It took just an hour for her to get a grip on the situation. ¡°No, of all worlds I could reincarnate into¡­¡± ¡­Why did she become the daughter of Alors family, who would lie to Diello? Even if she lamented about her life, Krua Alors¡¯ reflection on the hand mirror did not disappear. A gorgeous villainess with dark purple hair and eyes was still reflected there. Even so, she liked this appearance. But as an extra, she would die soon anyway. In the original story, Diello Argenta¡¯s real Ferro suddenly appeared, and Krua Alors, who was found to be a fake, was disposed of. Not by the hands of Argenta, but by her father¡¯s hand, the Duke of Alors. In other words, the Duke would kill her before she could open her mouth. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be like that.¡± Let¡¯s change the original and survive somehow! What was strange was that there was no maid, who would be the female lead¡¯s maid, in the carriage to assist her like the original as she departed to Argenta¡­ No, she didn¡¯t exist at all. Was it because she possessed a body? At first, she thought of building friendships and getting information from her, but then again, she could turn into a threat. ¡°Diello Argenta¡­¡± He was so pure and friendly that it was questionable for a person like him to exist in a novel full of villains. Even though Krua Alors came from a family that was against him¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not something you wanted, Krua.¡± ¡­A sweet, well-mannered man enveloped her with such warm words. He was also the only man alive at the end of the novel. She couldn¡¯t possibly ruin the future of such a man with her own hands. In addition, the Duke of Alors was going to kill her if something went wrong anyway, and the ending wouldn¡¯t be good if she acted out. Then, should she seduce Diello¡­? ¡°No way.¡± If the plan failed, she would die at the hands of Alors, and if she succeeded, she would die at the hands of the angry Argenta as it was natural because she ruined his future¡­ So, what if the result was only to succeed or fail? Then, there was only one action she needed to take. * * * ¡°My name is Diello Argenta, Lady Krua Alors.¡± There was only Diello in Argenta¡¯s reception room. His black hair and pale blue eyes seemed pure and clean. Moreover, his eyes were calm and reminded her of a sun¡¯s reflection on water¡­ Was it because she was a descendant of the Alors family, who dealt with water? Even though she was weak, somehow, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off those eyes. He was dressed in neat clothes and greeted her politely even though she was the daughter of a family who were at odds with his family for hundreds of years. ¡°Your Excellency, the Duke of Argenta.¡± She opened her mouth when she heard Diello greet her. ¡­She needed to gamble. No matter how pure and friendly Diello seemed in the original, he would be angry to know that Alors tried to take away his future and destroy his family using a fake Ferro. He would heat up with anger like flames, the Argenta family¡¯s ability. And, she was the one who would be impacted by the anger directly. ¡°Yes, Lady Alors.¡± As a soft voice answered her, she closed her mouth in a straight line. The moment she entered the carriage, she couldn¡¯t back down anymore¡­ so, if she couldn¡¯t back down, then she had to face it head-on! ¡®¡­I won¡¯t die like the original, would I?¡¯ Her voice rang with determination. ¡°I¡¯m not here to be your bride.¡± As she bowed down to Diello Argenta, the necklace that was sent to Krua as a ¡®bride¡¯s keepsake¡¯ was hanging down her neck. ¡°¡­.¡± Diello Argenta¡¯s expression, who was looking at the necklace, changed subtly. Perhaps he was about to treat her politely like a guest, so his hand, which was holding a teapot, hesitated for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get married?¡± His blue eyes, that were filled with wonder, turned to her. She shook her head at his words. ¡°No, I¡¯m here to do business.¡± She risked his ability and her life. ¡°I¡¯ll act as a shield and contract wife until your real Ferro appears.¡± She didn¡¯t intend to have his first. ¡°¡­Until the real one appears?¡± Diello Argenta opened his eyes wide. ¡°Yes, until the real one appears.¡± In the original, Diello was deceived by the fake Ferro Krua Alors. His three Mark of Lilies hadn¡¯t been completely erased, only two had disappeared and his ability didn¡¯t fully awaken. Because of that, he naturally struggled in battles with other families. However, what if she twisted the original story, so he¡¯d be with the real Ferro instead of her? Diello Argenta would be reborn as a person with the strongest ability of all time with the real Ferro by his side, in addition to his naturally powerful ability. That was enough to deal with the Duke of Alors, who discarded her here. ¡°I¡¯ll help you become the strongest Duke.¡± ¡®So if you want revenge, direct it to the Alors instead.¡¯ She gazed at his eyes directly without wavering. ¡°Are you claiming to be a fake Ferro?¡± Diello Argenta¡¯s voice was soft and sweet throughout the conversation. Though the moment he said ¡®fake,¡¯ his mood seemed to change strangely in a cold way. It was that way even though Argenta family¡¯s ability was fire. ¡°Yes.¡± She replied as calmly as she could. Nonetheless, the change she felt for a moment was like an illusion as he suddenly smiled so brightly again. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you claim to be a fake even though I confirmed it with the Argenta. But if what you said is true,¡± he tilted his head slightly before finishing his words. ¡°It makes sense for Alors to deceive me. Then, we can¡¯t be talking peacefully like this.¡± Unlike his gentle voice, the atmosphere was freezing. She was in Argenta¡¯s territory. Like what he said, if she turned out to be a fake, there was nothing to say even if the marriage was immediately called off and Argenta declared war on the Alors. Of course, she could be taken as a hostage in the meantime. Trying to calm him down, she opened her mouth slowly. ¡°If I wanted to trick you, I wouldn¡¯t have said this.¡± Diello immediately stopped. ¡°I have no intention of deceiving you anymore.¡± Her heart began to thump violently as she lowered her head as low as she could. This transaction would begin now¡­ If she couldn¡¯t convince Diello Argenta here, she would die a little sooner. ¡°First, your name on my back. Would you believe me if I can prove this is a lie?¡± Diello narrowed his brows at her words. She would never know when his blue eyes, which resembled the calm sea, would be engulfed by the storm. Staring at him, she then turned around and slowly showed her back. ¡°If you want to, you can unbutton this dress.¡± CH 2 When she turned around, Diello shook his head. ¡°¡­You¡¯re asking me to unbutton your dress, even though we met for the first time?¡± ¡°I gave you the permission. More than that¡­¡± As she looked back at him, she brought her slightly lifted hand toward him. At once, she could see her reflection in his blue eyes. ¡°This is a matter of your fate and Argenta¡¯s. Shouldn¡¯t you check it yourself?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Diello paused and was silent for a moment. After a while, he stood up from his seat. Tap, tap. Turning her back on him again, the sound of his footsteps rang loudly in the room. ¡°¡­.¡± His slowly approaching hand soon touched her back. Even though he only touched the buttons, a strange warmth rose on her back. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of the tension or Diello¡¯s ability to control fire. Tuk. His hand slowly unbuttoned her dress. After a while, Krua could feel the area around her neck and back, where his name was engraved, exposed. ¡°Look carefully. It¡¯s proof that I¡¯m a fake.¡± Although she bit her lips due to nervousness, it was something she must do. She clenched her fist without realizing it. Krua Alors could control water. While she was weak and couldn¡¯t control it properly, she should be able to move the blood in her body. Even if it was hard, she had to do it! The moment she thought so, a pale blue light came out of her hand. She almost paused due to surprise because it was easier than she thought¡­ Or, was she actually better than what was described in the novel¡­? Moving blood inside her body was as simple as moving a finger. Did something change because she possessed the body? Meanwhile, Diello¡¯s expression was changing by the minute. It was natural. It was because on her exposed back, around the nape of her neck and back, his name must be blurry now. ¡°This¡­¡± If she were truly the real Ferro, his name wouldn¡¯t be blurry like this. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t have time to worry about her loose clothes, and she looked back at him. It was the right time to convince Diello again. ¡°The Duke of Alors forced me to put your name on my body.¡± With the Alors¡¯ ability to control water, there was no way they couldn¡¯t manipulate blood. ¡°It¡¯s proof that I¡¯m a fake.¡± Krua immediately gazed at his blue eyes. ¡°So, do you feel like doing business with me now?¡± Wouldn¡¯t he want to try trusting her? Bump. After she asked, she placed her hand on the table. Because of him, she felt pain as her blood was moved. Still, it was a relief because she came to her senses due to the pain. ¡°The Duke of Argenta deceived you with a fake Ferro. You must be surprised to hear it.¡± She showed him her hand and continued. ¡°In other words, not even the Duke of Alors and the Alors family knows what I¡¯ve said to you.¡± Diello stared at her as if he tried to read her thoughts before he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Fake Ferro¡­ I know Alors family is looking down on me but not this much.¡± His blue eyes stared at her. ¡°Do you think the Argenta family will release someone who deceived the head of their family?¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t let me live.¡± Even though Diello was gentle, she knew he wouldn¡¯t let her live. ¡°So I¡¯d like to offer you a deal¡­ I want to live.¡± He glanced down at the rather cold teacup at her words and asked back, ¡°So, are you saying that I have a reason to continue this marriage even though you¡¯re a fake Ferro?¡± ¡°Yes, there are two reasons.¡± When she answered him proudly, Diello raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°First¡­¡± She said while gazing into Diello Argenta¡¯s eyes. ¡°Argenta¡¯s family head is the weakest among other heads. That¡¯s why Alors, who controls water, and Cartiel, who controls wind, looked down on you. He even tries to deceive you with a fake Ferro.¡± Krua went on. ¡°If you marry me, you can pretend to be deceived by them. So, until you find the real Ferro and gain strength, I will buy you time to let their guards down.¡± It was because the moment she married him, the Duke of Alors would think Diello was deceived by the fake Ferro. ¡°And second¡­¡± She looked down at her fingertips. ¡°Argenta protects the sea, but I heard the defense is becoming difficult because of your Ferro, who¡¯s yet to come.¡± Her eyes were set on him. ¡°Until the real Ferro is found, if I could fully inherit Alors¡¯ ability, I would be able to help you protect the sea.¡± In the original story, Krua Alors was said not to be born with the ability to control water. However, the author also stated separately that their ability would be amplified if they had many sources of power. Of course, in front of a sea overflowing with water, at least, she could move a little bit of water. So with that, she could gain power. She peered down at the teacup in front of her. If she showed him how she could control water freely, Diello could be convinced. In the original, Krua¡¯s ability was so weak that she could not even move spilled water. But, when she tried a while ago, she could freely move her blood. What would happen this time¡­? Splash! The tea inside the teacup bounced and turned into a teacup shape¡­ ¡­Was this considered to be a weak ability? It was not difficult to move a cup of tea, so how come she couldn¡¯t control spilled water? Nonetheless, there was no more time for her to be surprised. She had to be a trustworthy person at this moment. Krua stared at Diello again. ¡°¡­.¡± As she moved the water, his eyes followed her movement. From his point of view, since he had to deal with endless water with fire, her ability should be coveted. Let¡¯s see. Would he fall for it? As soon as their eyes met, Diello opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Apart from your abilities, I¡¯m not a strong family head like you said. You won¡¯t be able to stop Alors even if you make a deal with me.¡± He smiled mournfully. However, that was acting. She knew he was lying. ¡°No, you can stop him.¡± She stubbornly said to him. The evidence was there even without her reading the original. ¡°You¡¯re known to be weak. If that really were the case, most of Argenta¡¯s people would have left already.¡± Regardless, Argenta still remained an influential family until now. That meant the benefit given by the Argenta family was abundant. Nevertheless, the reason why he was treated as a weak head was because he couldn¡¯t control his power skillfully. But, she knew because she read the original. He would be the most powerful head of the Argenta family in history. He merely waited for the right time to attack. Actually, she didn¡¯t read it until the end though that would be the case unless the synopsis and reviews lied. If she didn¡¯t erase his Mark of Lilies, he could be the most powerful head from the start¡­ the problem was buying time until then. ¡°The Duke of Alors is already suspicious of you.¡± People who have done bad things would understand it well. The Duke of Alors looked down on Diello but did not ignore the sense of incompatibility that he implicitly felt. Even though he was known as a weak head, none of the families had cut ties with him. So, despite the fact that the Duke of Alors was suspicious, he still daringly carried out the crazy act of creating a fake Ferro. If Diello was really weak, then he must¡¯ve wanted to take this chance to beat Argenta. Krua leaned toward him and saw his sharp jawline and high nose bridge, which seemed as if it was carved specially by God. Diello Argenta was called a handsome man because of his features since childhood. Anyway, she was almost there. It was the perfect time to convince him again. ¡°I really have no intention of seducing you, Your Excellency.¡± Diello¡¯s eyes were on her. ¡°If I take away your ability and possibility as the Duke of Alors had planned, I will become someone who won¡¯t be welcomed at Argenta and Alors.¡± She would be someone useless in Alors, and she would be known as an unscrupulous person who took away Diello¡¯s ability. ¡°What are you going to do if I didn¡¯t believe your words, even after you come here?¡± His careful gaze was on her again. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be wise enough to accept this offer.¡± Krua let out a breath. If she failed to make this deal, then it meant that she would die. Because of that, she needed to be as confident as she could. She straightened her back. ¡°Like what I said before, let¡¯s get married.¡± She needed to get married to him. ¡°Let¡¯s spend the night together like what Alors wanted.¡± Diello¡¯s expression visibly hardened, but she continued to speak softly. ¡°Instead,¡± She reached out to his pale hands. ¡°Hold my hand.¡± Let¡¯s pretend to have a night together to buy some time until the real Ferro is found. Diello opened his eyes wide at her words as Krua persisted. ¡°We¡¯ll lower Alors and Cartiel¡¯s guard until your real Ferro appears, and then you can dominate them with your real Ferro.¡± According to the original, the real Ferro appeared about two months after Krua came in as a fake Ferro. So until then, they could lower their opponent¡¯s guard. She opened her hand. ¡°You have the ability to do so.¡± This would be an attractive deal the Duke couldn¡¯t refuse. In the first place, there were many people who were targeting him, and there was no one who wanted to be on his side. Yet right now, the person who was on his side was his opponent¡¯s hidden card, Krua Alors. ¡°Is that the terms of your deal?¡± His blue eyes stared at her as she nodded lightly. ¡°Yes, in exchange for this contract marriage, please attack Alors and protect me.¡± Diello touched his mouth as if he was agonizing over it. A long silence filled the room. When she thought that his eyes, which were clearly pale blue, were a shade darker like the deep sea, Diello opened his mouth with a soft smile. ¡°Okay, you can call me Diello from now on.¡± Eventually, he held out his hand to her. ¡°Then, as promised, I will marry you, and we will have our first night together at the upcoming wedding.¡± His blue eyes closed slowly. ¡°And after that day, I will gradually lose my ability, ¡± His mournful voice rang out. ¡°¡­Pretending to lose my ability.¡± Diello, who said so, approached her. Krua was surprised and took a step back without realizing it. Still, he kept approaching her and touched her back. ¡°Please let me give my due politeness to you, lady.¡± He smiled lightly. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± At those words, she relaxed for a moment and dropped her shoulders. Tuk. The button he released himself was put back on again. When she shivered from the strange heat and tension, he took off the jacket he was wearing and put it over her exposed back, and warmth instantly enveloped her. He smiled at her, indicating that it was a deal. ¡­Hence, today marked the day the original story became twisted. CH 3 That night, Krua Alors took the VIP room of Argenta mansion. ¡°Have you checked?¡± Diello, who entered the room silently, asked. The woman in front of him bowed her head. She was dressed as a maid, but it could be seen from her swift movement that she had been trained. ¡°Yes. Your Excellency¡¯s name on her back was elaborately engraved. Like what she said, the name was blurry and will likely disappear over time.¡± Thud. Diello Argenta, who was handling the paperwork, put down his quill pen quietly. All of Argenta¡¯s informants who came inside one after another also gave the same answer. ¡°As I looked into it, it seems that the informant in Alors family also expressed that the family was too quiet even though Krua Alors awakened as a Ferro.¡± Even though Alors and Argenta¡¯s families were at odds, it was clear that if Krua had awakened as the real Ferro, there would have been an uproar since she was their daughter. At that moment, he suddenly recalled the events when he met her. ¡°Duke Diello Argenta.¡± That was how she called him. Krua Alors, who had deep purple hair, called him like that. She was different from what he had expected. Even though there was a rumor that she was someone moody who would act spontaneously, when he saw her eyes, he could see the light in them as if she was looking forward to the future. ¡°Was she acting?¡± He kept tapping his table before eventually sitting down. The Duke of Alors was someone who saw everything, including his relatives, as a chess piece. So, it was a wise choice for Krua Alors to have a card hidden from him. He thought of Krua, who proudly offered a deal with him. Several times throughout the conversation, Krua Alors stretched out her hands as if he was trying to reassure him. It was like she was trying to reassure a frightened small animal without knowing who the small animal actually was. ¡°A deal with the enemy¡­¡± He looked at the Duke of Alors¡¯ letter, which Krua Alors had brought. The marriage conditions written along with arrogant words despite sending a fake Ferro were absurd. [ First of all, 20% of the income from major mines and fertile land in Argenta territory should be paid to the Duke of Alors as expenses for maintaining the dignity of Krua, the Duchess of Argenta. ] He didn¡¯t understand why the Duchess¡¯ expenses for maintaining her dignity should go to Duke Alors. [ Please put a hundred more Alors¡¯ knights on Tila Hill between Argenta and Alors, where monsters have flocked recently. ] Tila Hill was a strategic place between the two families. If a war broke out between the families, the family that occupied that place would have an overwhelming advantage. In addition, Tila Hill was now owned by the Argenta family, yet the Duke of Alors wanted him to hand over the land. [ And once a month, can you be considerate so that Krua can stop by to visit me? ] The reason why he asked such a thing was written below, and it was absurd. [ I couldn¡¯t say that the relationship between Argenta and Alors was good, so it hurts to send my beautiful daughter away so suddenly. ] ¡°A beautiful daughter¡­¡± That was what he wrote, but he sent his daughter like that to the enemy camp as if he was abandoning her. Diello, who was reading the threatening letter, recited the sentence and laughed. It was a cold smile, completely different from the warm smile he had earlier when he faced Krua Alors. As he pulled the rope to call a maid, the maid who had already left quietly came in again. She entered the room quietly, unlike ordinary people. ¡°Vielle.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Diello gestured to the maid, who had her head down. ¡°Take care of the person who will become the Duchess. And¡­¡± He sealed the letter by stamping the family¡¯s seal on the reply to the Duke of Alors. ¡°Do what the Alors want.¡± Duke Alors had given him an interesting bride. He laughed silently, thinking about that. As he thought so, he laughed silently. * * * The preparations for the extravagant wedding soon began. As long as Duke Argenta had found his Ferro, there was no reason to delay it, so the progress was quick. The cost of the wedding was 50% Argenta and 50% Alors. It was a seemingly equal deal, but the reality was different. Unlike the one-time cost of the wedding, the benefits given to Alors were huge under the pretext of this marriage. Of course, it was only a temporary expenditure. ¡®Diello will get it again when his powers awaken anyway.¡¯ Although the importance of Ferro was great, the Argenta regarded it as a brief loan from Alors. But even so, it was natural that Argenta¡¯s servants did not immediately like Alors. In addition, many unnecessary disputes broke out, perhaps because the Argenta family wasn¡¯t quite welcoming to strangers. ¡°We¡¯d like to place an order for your wedding dress in advance. After you choose four of these designs, I¡¯ll tell them to produce it.¡± Perhaps because of the rumors about the benefits Alors got from this marriage, Argenta¡¯s servant did not treat her well. Naturally, Krua had no intention of bowing down to such people. She was the Duchess here anyway, so shouldn¡¯t she be comfortable? ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± She answered without even looking at the design of the dresses. The maid was stunned. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Usually, we need to change clothes at least five times when we get married.¡± She gazed straight at the maid. ¡°But, does it make sense that there are only four dresses? Are you telling me to wear the same dress two times? At an extravagant wedding where all the families who know Alors and Argenta come? In addition¡­¡± She pointed outside. ¡°How could you know what the weather will be like that day and yet only prepare four dresses? There should at least be a spare.¡± The weather in Argenta was famous for being unstable. It would be sunny in the morning without any clouds, but the rain could suddenly pour down. Thanks to this, Krua Alors could be in trouble for only preparing four dresses. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°And prepare at least three necklaces, shoes, and earrings that fit my dresses.¡± It would barely make a dent in her budget anyway, right? As she stared at the maid, the maid bowed her head as if she was a little embarrassed and then retreated without a word. She didn¡¯t want to be treated as weak. If such trouble came again, it seemed necessary to discipline the servants. * * * While a separate building was built only for the wedding ceremony, a banquet would be held to announce the marriage of the two families to the high society. It was, of course, Diello Argenta and her, who would be hosting the banquet today. The problem was that they were known to have a sweet marriage in high society. The fact about Ferro and the family head¡¯s abilities was a secret that only the three families and the imperial family knew about. ¡°At today¡¯s banquet, Miss Krua Alors will shine the most.¡± The maid who was touching her dress uttered. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since a marriage between the three dukes¡¯ families.¡± The maid, who introduced herself as Vielle, treated her kindly. Of course, she was well aware that it was just a facade. ¡°I know.¡± She replied, glancing at Vielle. She was the maid of Argenta and the head of the ¡®cleaning department.¡¯ However, cleaners weren¡¯t just people who swept and wiped the floor. They were meant to do the real ¡®cleaning up.¡¯ It meant that they were people who would deal with things that got in the way of the Argenta family. In the original, the girl vowed to devote her life to Argenta, so she was a person who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to put blood on her hands. Even though she was smiling so kindly in front of her now, it meant she was a completely different person from what she seemed like now. Even if she read the original story halfway through, Krua knew of that fact. Even if Diello Argenta could not make a decision easily due to his nice personality, anyone who harmed the Argenta family could not avoid Vielle¡¯s sword. In the original story, it was this Vielle who almost killed Krua Alors after she was found to be a fake Ferro. However, she couldn¡¯t do that because the Duke of Alors killed her first. ¡°Vielle.¡± Even though the original Krua was afraid of Vielle, she was in a different situation. Did Vielle already know that she was a fake Ferro? Her deal with Diello Argenta was a secret, but Vielle might know because of her position. Still, the way to find out was simple. ¡°Yes, Miss Krua Alors?¡± Since she was not married yet, she didn¡¯t call her Madame. Krua glanced up at the thorough maid before opening her mouth. ¡°Did Diello Argenta order you to serve me?¡± If he had ordered Vielle directly, it would mean that he had already shared the plan with her. Diello also knew what kind of work Vielle did. So, if she had to hide the fact that she was a fake Ferro, he wouldn¡¯t have put a quick-witted woman to her. ¡°Of course,¡± answered Vielle immediately. ¡°Even after the wedding ceremony from today¡¯s banquet, he ordered me to use my heart and soul to work to support you.¡± As she continued with a faint smile, she nodded slightly at Krua¡¯s words. Her words meant that Diello really intended to protect her when he gave Vielle to her. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be in your care in the future.¡± In addition, it also meant that she knew who she was. Vielle bowed her head. ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation, Miss Krua Alors.¡± She said it softly, but she knew that Vielle was still wary of her. After all, it was her job to be wary of outsiders until the very end. ¡°¡­.¡± Even though Krua had no intention of deceiving Argenta, she couldn¡¯t help being nervous again. While she was greeting, she glanced over the window in her room. Beyond the white walls and windows, she could see the shining sea. The view was good, although she knew that the inside of the sea was not as beautiful as it looked. ¡°That¡¯s the endless sea, right?¡± What she referred to was that sea. The sea, which was much farther than it looked, was where the Duke of Argenta had been preventing monster invasions for generations. It was Argenta¡¯s fire that constantly prevented monsters from swimming out of the sea or sticking their heads out between the mudflats. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It must be your first time seeing it.¡± Vielle gazed at her and smiled lightly. ¡°Compared to Alor¡¯s endless forest, what do you think?¡± ¡®¡­Endless forest.¡¯ It was where Alors prevented the monsters from coming in. Just as Argenta prevented monsters in the endless sea, the three Dukes surrounding this empire were defending different places. The Cartiel family probably defended the desert with its wind. It was said that this was an arrangement that had been made with the Imperial Family since ancient times since they had the power to deal with each element. There was also a rumor that the reason why each family had to defend these areas was the Imperial Family¡¯s trick to prevent them from going wild. Since they had powerful abilities, they could focus on beating the monsters instead of going wild. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Krua said it sincerely with all her heart. She actually didn¡¯t see the forest Alors defended, and she liked the view. In particular, the sea beyond this white building was very great. ¡°I heard that Alors gets tired of water, but I guess that¡¯s not it.¡± Vielle grinned softly as she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If I have the ability to control water, why would I be tired of it?¡± While she thought it was hard at first, the ability seemed like it adjusted itself to her so she could control it easily. Especially when she first used her powers in front of Diello, since then, this ability has felt more familiar. It allowed the water in the glass in front of her to move as she wanted. Crash! ¡°¡­.¡± It was clear that she was better at handling water than the original Krua. She was just going to try to control a few small drops of water, but the whole water in the glass was shaking. It seemed that controlling water was much more natural than she thought. Thinking that, Krua tried to move the water in the glass into a dolphin shape. Splash! Suddenly, a small dolphin that jumped lightly on the surface of the water disappeared back into the water as if it was alive. The whole process was strangely as easy as breathing. * * * The banquet would begin soon. With the wedding announcement between Diello Argenta and Krua Alors, the high society was in turmoil. CH 4 The reason why the high society was in a turmoil was because of their affectionate marriage since a marriage full of affection was rarely found in high society. ¡°I heard that Argenta and Alors were on bad terms.¡± ¡°Yes, the three duke families are always on bad terms.¡± ¡°So how¡­¡± It was natural that their marriage would be a story that shook the empire. It was a marriage between two conflicting families, after all, just like Romeo and Juliet. It was given to announce their relationship as an affectionate one, despite knowing it would cause a lot of turmoil in the high society. Otherwise, they had no choice but to let the outsider know about Ferro. The three duke families have an unrivaled position due to their abilities. It was a fatal weakness if it was known that their family head could not properly develop their abilities without Ferro. So, this marriage had to be an affectionate one that blossomed despite the hostile atmosphere between the two families. In short, they had to be seen as very sweet newlyweds to them. ¡°Are you confident in acting that way?¡± In the original, Diello Argenta was criticized for failing to act. The original description was as follows. ? The innocent and sweet man who couldn¡¯t lie was busy following Krua Alors around, overwhelmed by her unruly behavior. ? However, today would be different. She had no intention of letting them gossip about her and Diello. Meanwhile, the Duke of Alors kept nagging her for not being able to control her husband. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Diello Argenta¡¯s response, who smiled slightly as if he were troubled, was as expected. There was only one solution. ¡°Then, promise me one thing.¡± He needed to act. So before entering the banquet hall, Krua got very close to Diello Argenta and whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll lead, just follow me.¡± Just don¡¯t be awkward¡­ he could at least do that, right? The way to propose in this empire was unique. To be exact, the process of informing others of their engagement was unique. She thought as she walked carefully so that the white veil covering her face wouldn¡¯t fall off. ¡°The Duke of Alors¡¯ daughter, Lady Krua Alors is entering!¡± After that, she saw the nobles waiting to hear about the groom. Even though she couldn¡¯t see properly beyond the white veil, none of them wondered why she didn¡¯t enter with Diello. It was because that was how proposing worked in the Empire. It was already known that Alors and Argenta would be related anyway through gossip between the nobles. It was the job of both families, the parties of the marriage, to ¡®pretend to leak the information by mistake.¡¯ After that, when both families host the banquet, the other nobles participate as if they did not know anything. And while looking at the bride-to-be in a white veil, they begin to talk about the gossip of the two families, guessing who the groom that would take the bride. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Duke Argenta and Duke Alors would be related like this.¡± ¡°Who would have imagined it?¡± ¡°What would the Duke of Cartiel feel?¡± They were talking quietly, but she could hear everything. Since two of the three duke families that kept each other in check had become related, it was certain that the state of the remaining family, Cartiel, had become unclear. So, people were divided between talking about her wearing the bride¡¯s veil and Duke Cartier¡¯s family. ¡®Cartiel of the Wind.¡¯ Duke Cartiel was now in its heyday thanks to the powerful head of the family, Siette, who was ranked among the top five heads in Cartiel¡¯s history. It was common knowledge that the stronger the head was, the stronger the knights who received the power of Cartiel would be. The desert Cartiel defended was said to be empty of monsters due to their strong winds. The people of Cartiel Duchy were talking among themselves with serious faces. Among them, a man who appeared to be in his thirties was the great Duke Cartiel. ¡°¡­.¡± As a family that controlled wind, he often wandered around when he was young, and because of that, unlike the other dukes, he was able to befriend not only the upper echelons of the Empire but also commoners. Even so, they would have less intelligence than Argenta, who had planted their people throughout the Empire for several generations. ¡°Oh my, here¡¯s the new bride.¡± While she was looking at Cartiel, she saw young ladies acting awkwardly and greeting her. In the meantime, the nobles who came without any information were surprised to see that there really was a new bride. ¡°What kind of gentleman will lift the veil of the new bride¡­¡± Only those who want to be her husband could lift this white veil. And implicitly, it was impossible for prospective newlyweds to enter together, so the new bride had to walk alone in the banquet hall until her husband came. While struggling with the ladies who talked, the rest were still talking about who would take the daughter from one of the three duke families. ¡°The Duke of Argenta, Diello is entering!¡± Then a loud servant¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation.¡± She remembered the conversation she had with Diello before they parted. ¡°I¡¯ll lead, just follow me.¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± A black-haired young man who blushed at her words was coming into the banquet hall. ¡°Oh, my.¡± ¡°The Duke of Argenta has grown up without me knowing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The white suit had dark blue decorations, it symbolized the infinite sea that Argenta defended. In addition, the decoration also matched his blue eyes. Diello, who neatly arranged his new black hair, was going straight to me. The time had come. Krua smiled under the veil. Originally, grooms who were good at acting or funny would come to the bride after snooping around, pretending not to have found the bride. They did that just to pester the new bride. However, Diello Argenta was not a man like that. Step, step. He went straight to her and stopped in front of her. ¡°¡­.¡± The nobles who made way for him were holding their breath around them. ¡°Krua.¡± Diello¡¯s slightly quivering voice rang in the banquet hall. It may be because his acting was awkward, but it seemed to have set fire to the hearts of the nobles around him. He was like a really shy new groom. ¡°Yes, Duke of Argenta.¡± When she looked up at him, his fingertips touched her white veil slightly. Contrary to the novel description of him not being bulky, he had strong hands. When she nodded to him, who touched the veil carefully, his fingertips lifted the veil. The pure white veil that covered her neck was lifted. Then, he lowered his body and entered the veil. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Under the veil, all the other lights were covered as she could only see herself in his blue eyes. Krua¡¯s heart leaped even though she knew it was only acting. At this banquet, only the two of them know the secret of this marriage. They were accomplices from this moment on. ¡°Be my bride, Krua Alors.¡± His low voice rang through the quiet hall. As he went a little closer to her, Diello left a light kiss at the tip of her nose. Ding. The sweet sound of a bell rang through the hall. ¡°Diello.¡± As she whispered softly, Diello came a little closer to her and kissed her. It was a light kiss on the upper lip. It was also this kiss from the original that made revealed his actions. At this moment, when the groom had to show his possessive desire for the bride, he kissed her as if he were really reluctant to do so and quickly escaped the veil of the new bride. Of course, he had a reason. ¡°¡­It would be embarrassing to take away the first kiss of Lady Krua, who doesn¡¯t really have feelings for me.¡± In the original, even though he made it clear, it now had become a problem. Krua put her hand slightly on his shoulder when he was about to step back. ¡°¡­.!¡± She whispered to him. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She whispered with a voice that would only be heard within the veil before opening her mouth slightly again. ¡°I said follow my lead.¡± Uttering very quietly, Krua glanced up to face him. ¡®So, do it properly.¡¯ As she wrapped one hand around his waist, this time, she kissed his upper lip slightly with her mouth and took his breath away. On the other hand, Diello opened his eyes wide as if he was embarrassed by the surprise kiss. It was a kiss so deep that it heated up a little under the veil. ¡°Oh, my¡­!¡± People cheered. For those around them who couldn¡¯t see the inside of the veil, they would be seen as a sweet couple. Still, this was not enough. Krua whispered when their lips parted from each other. ¡°Do it boldly.¡± Diello¡¯s hand did not even cover her back yet, so she pushed his back with the hand that circled his waist. ¡°¡­.!¡± Naturally, they became closer. Only then did Diello¡¯s arm, which was wandering in the air, embrace her. ¡°Act as if you love me.¡± They became newlyweds after loving each other passionately. It should look like that, right? Come on. The last thing she saw after she whispered like that was his blue eyes that sparkled. What was he thinking? While she was thinking about that, he suddenly embraced her tightly. As if he was determined, his arms were completely glued to her waist and back. Before she could breathe in, Diello took her breath away completely. It was a kiss that was so intense that her legs became weak. ¡°¡­.!¡± She felt like she was in a daze. After a long kiss for a few minutes, he whispered to her. ¡°Like this?¡± He whispered something that was only heard inside the veil. At the same time, his blue eyes facing her were shaking slightly as if he felt bad. Krua managed to catch her breath by looking into his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re taking away my first kiss. This is what I want.¡± Diello seemed a little surprised by what she said, as if she must have read his mind. The next moment, she hugged him once again, more deeply this time. Today, they had to trick a lot of people. Even before she even had the chance to talk, Diello¡¯s powerful hands wrapped around the back of her head. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± He soon kissed her so deeply that she forgot for a moment that this marriage was a contract marriage¡ªclose and fierce enough to feel the heat even over several layers of cloth. ¡°Wow!¡± Above us, cheers and applause from the nobles poured out. ? Diello Argenta and Krua Alors were passionately in love, despite the feud between their families. ? Today was the beginning of a story that would shake the empire. CH 5 As the spectacular banquet hosted by Argenta and Alors had ended, the rumors circulating in society after the banquet hardly deviated from the expectations of the two families. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Argenta and Alors to make up.¡± ¡°The relationship between the two families has been bad for a long time, hasn¡¯t it? Especially in this generation.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, this kind of banquet¡­¡± Most of them said that but also about something else. ¡°The newlyweds looked very happy.¡± ¡°Have there been such a sweet couple in society lately¡­?¡± They were whispering about the couple¡¯s actions under the white veil. Of course, what the two talked about did not leak out of the veil. However, the images of the two whispering each other¡¯s names, embracing and kissing each other were deeply imprinted in the eyes of the people in high society. Thud. After the banquet was finished, Diello Argenta returned to the office. Naturally, it was after taking the ¡®lovely¡¯ new bride to the room. The two were now officially engaged, and even if the two stayed in the same mansion for many days, they would not be in trouble. ¡°They were convinced with your performance today.¡± Rick, the head of intelligence at the Argenta family who served him in person after returning to the office, said so. Diello nodded slightly in reply. ¡°I think it was because she was much bolder than I expected.¡± Rick replied lightly to his words. ¡°People also said Krua Alors was quite bold, but most of them are talking about you.¡± His eyes were on Rick. While this man was always blunt in his words and actions, he was more loyal to Argenta than anyone else. Rick was silent as his eyes met Diello. ¡°The nobles thought you were different from usual.¡± Diello Argenta used to always show his indecisiveness and weakness. Although he was covered inside a veil at the banquet, it deserved to be a topic of conversation because he revealed his desire to monopolize the bride. Diello nodded slightly. ¡°They¡¯d think we¡¯re a very sweet pair.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°The more rumors spread, the better. Just spread it more, but don¡¯t step out of line.¡± Argenta¡¯s intelligence reached the border of the empire. They could create rumors that didn¡¯t exist, so it would be easy to circulate those rumors and wrap them up perfectly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell that to the family.¡± The word family here was not referring to only the blood-related family of Duke Argenta, but all of them instead. Not only the knights but also the servants, the maids, and even the stableman. Plus, all those people who had a deep connection to Argenta. Those who did not betray Argenta were part of the family. It had been a tradition since the beginning of the Argenta family. Argenta family. Everyone¡¯s Argenta. Click. When Diello confirmed that Rick had left, he put his arms on the desk in the office. ¡°Sigh.¡± As he took a short breath while looking down at the table, he moved his necktie a few times to loosen it. It wasn¡¯t because he felt stuffy. It was because he was dizzy, as if he had eaten too much food. It was also not because of the circumstances that would change due to the marriage of Alors and Argenta or similar things like that. ¡°I¡¯ll lead, just follow me.¡± ¡°Do it boldly.¡± He thought of Krua Alors under the white veil, who whispered like that. ¡°Act as if you love me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a confession nor an incitement¡­ it was a kind of provocation for him. Krua Alors wouldn¡¯t have known what kind of man she was dealing with, would she? That was why she could be so bold to whisper. Of course, that was also what Diello Argenta himself was aiming for. ? Silly and indecisive Duke. It wasn¡¯t known whether he was acting or not¡­ and this young Duke who got stuck in between the three duke families suffered. ? Those who had already evaluated him were slowly getting away from him. They were not a part of Argenta family. Those who could turn their backs at any time began to contact the other two duke families, perhaps thinking that they wouldn¡¯t benefit from their master. Still, they would soon pay the price. ¡°I said follow my lead.¡± Recalling his bold new bride, a laugh flowed out of his mouth again. At some point, his fingertips that started tapping on the desk stopped. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Diello thought of Krua Alors, who walked on eggshells and came into his arms willingly. He even remembered those purple eyes. Perhaps she didn¡¯t think he would lead the kiss or that her soft lips would have been hit somewhat aggressively. ¡°Like this?¡± He remembered her lips and eyes as he took a deep breath and asked back. Her purple eyes indicated surprise. And when he kissed her really deeply, Krua Alors, who said she would lead him, collapsed really defenselessly. It was Diello Argenta himself who held and supported her weak leg. It was he, who coveted her lips under the veil until she was out of breath. ¡®¡­.!¡¯ After that, her round eyes, which seemed like a rabbit, gazed at him with surprise. ¡°Krua Alors¡­¡± He tapped the desk slowly again. She would have made some changes to her evaluation of Diello Argenta. From the indecisive and weak to the decisive and bold¡­ And Diello, after this banquet, completely revised his evaluation of Krua Alors. The Krua Alors he knew weren¡¯t like this. Depending on how she felt, she would throw away or kill her subordinates. The Alors family tradition was to kill with no qualms, and it was Krua Alors, who even enjoyed the family tradition. ¡­However, as Diello Argenta saw, Krua Alors was a completely different person. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just me that was acting.¡± Krua Alors must have been the same kind of person as him. The appearance she had shown so far was just a fake appearance to the Duke of Alors. It was easy to tell just by looking at her for a few days. ¡°I¡¯ll lead, just follow me.¡± This was what she really was. He bet it was the real her. ¡°Do it, don¡¯t do it.¡± For Argenta, she was a very good match. ¡®Do it, don¡¯t do it.¡¯ He mumbled the words again briefly and laughed. She probably didn¡¯t know which side he chose, but it was too late to regret. She had already stepped into Argenta¡¯s territory, and a deal had been struck under the white veil of the banquet. It was an irreversible deal. ¡°¡­.¡± Diello smoothed his lower lip and smiled. The corners of his mouth turned up and his eyes contained strange emotions. * * * After the banquets, the Argenta mansion had an exciting atmosphere. It was unusual that there was such excitement throughout the Argenta mansion, from Vielle, the maids, and even the other servants and stablemen. ¡°Even if the master of an ordinary family gets married, there will be no reason for the servants to get excited.¡± Even though their master gets married, the daily lives of the servants would not change, right? Besides, wasn¡¯t Krua Alors an evil girl from the perspective of the servants? She wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill her servants if she was offended. However, the people in Argenta surrounding her seemed strangely happy, even though the servants probably heard the rumor. ¡°Everyone seems to be happy about the engagement, so I feel good, too.¡± At her words, Vielle, who was taking care of the bath, smiled lightly. ¡°I think they have high expectations because of the banquet.¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re like very sweet newlyweds?¡± Splash! As Krua glanced back at her after hitting her hand on the surface of the water, Vielle nodded slightly. After confirming that there were only two of them in the bath, she whispered to her. ¡°You know the truth.¡± Vielle paused at the whisper. Krua guessed she must¡¯ve thought she wouldn¡¯t mention this herself. Above all, Vielle didn¡¯t think Krua would know that she knew that this marriage was a contract marriage. ¡°What do you think about this engagement?¡± It would have seemed very sweet to someone who didn¡¯t know the situation. Nonetheless, it was necessary to know what it looked like from the perspective of those who knew the situation. It was not just the nobles in society that she and Diello had to cheat on, but also the Duke of Alors. Yes, the Duke of Alors sent her as a fake Ferro. ¡°Make sure to seduce Diello Argenta.¡± ¡°Take away the Duke of Argenta¡¯s job.¡± It was the man who gave her such an order. ¡­She had to be able to trick him. It had to look like Diello was really into her. ¡°It was very good.¡± Vielle said and paused for a while. Putting down the bottle of perfume, she soon smiled. ¡°Even to me, to the point of being deceived.¡± Seeing her expression, it didn¡¯t seem like Vielle was lying. Thankfully, the performance seemed to have been successful. When Krua smiled face to face with her¡­ ¡°Emergency¡­!¡± There was a sudden voice and a sound of footsteps outside the bathroom. CH 6 When she came out of the bathroom in a hurry, she could see many people in the hallway. The servants who gathered there were whispering something with worried expressions etched on their faces. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± In response to her question, Vielle briefly ignored her and grabbed a maid who was passing by. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Krua glanced back at Vielle. Seeing that she didn¡¯t ask the maid what was going on, but instead asked her about the situation first, it meant that Vielle had some idea about what had happened. Still, she was in the bathroom with me all this time¡­ so how? Nonetheless, the questions in her head disappeared completely after hearing the maid¡¯s reply. ¡°Endless sea has been breached.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± She knew what that meant even if she wasn¡¯t part of Argenta family. It was Argenta¡¯s job to stop the monsters from attacking the land by protecting the endless sea. ¡­But, it has been breached? Krua¡¯s eyes quickly turned to look at the window. Even though she couldn¡¯t see anything because it was dark, if the monsters had been running a rampage and entered the land, it wouldn¡¯t have been so quiet like this. ¡°Was the line of defense completely breached?¡± As Vielle asked back seriously, the maid only shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± The maid glanced at Krua while trying to say something. She was thinking about whether she could talk in front of outsiders or not. Krua was old enough to be the hostess here, so she had to pretend to be the perfect hostess while keeping quiet about her getting divorced soon. In other words, there was no need for her to step aside just because the maid was looking at her. Hence, she stared at the maid with her arms crossed, indicating she had no intention of leaving. ¡°¡­There were two monster groups that invaded the third zone. There were much more monsters in the group who attacked the third zone than usual.¡± The maid continued. Krua thought as she listened to the maid, ¡®How can a maid in this mansion know so much about the battlefield despite not being a knight?¡¯ She didn¡¯t expect a maid to know about the issue at all. ¡°Roa, the field commander, told me to check the number of troops for reinforcement, but the line of defense was breached in an instant because the second group was overwhelmingly high.¡± This maid was not the only one. It seemed like other than the knights, the servants, and other maids seemed to be well aware of it as well. ¡°The number of monsters was much higher than usual.¡± ¡°Yes, according to the people at the scene, it seems like a group of monsters joined forces.¡± Ah, it reminded her of something. In the original story, there was a description of how the movement of monsters in the endless sea was unusual. Vielle frowned at the maid¡¯s words. ¡°The defense seemed to have been breached so suddenly, so how did they deal with it?¡± The maid bowed slightly and replied. ¡°Roa, the sinner, got into the middle of the monsters due to his responsibilities. While they were on the rampage, he rebuilt the line of defense¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t hear what she said after that. ¡­Sinner? Didn¡¯t she say Roa was the field commander earlier? ¡°I see. Where¡¯s the reinforcement?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already left.¡± Saying so, the maid lowered her head briefly and stepped back. Krua watched the maid glance at her and look back at Vielle. ¡°Why is he a sinner?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand it. Even she, who read the original story, didn¡¯t know that there would be a lot of monsters coming in. So how would a person who was defending the place know? This was nothing short of a natural disaster. It was not their responsibility. Nonetheless, Roa thought it was his responsibility and threw himself in to block the monsters. In her opinion, it was a noble sacrifice. Still, neither Vielle¡¯s expression that Krua saw as she looked back nor the others seemed to honor Roa¡¯s sacrifice. Rather, it seemed like it was normal. ¡°He didn¡¯t do his job properly. If he hadn¡¯t thrown himself in and bought time, he would have been punished more strongly due to Argenta¡¯s code of conduct.¡± She frowned a little at Vielle¡¯s words. Vielle fixed her rather disheveled dress in response before uttering in a calm voice. ¡°You must have never encountered this kind of situation in Alors, so it must¡¯ve felt strange.¡± As she gestured to the servants, those who were whispering in the hallway went away. Now there were only them in the hallway, Vielle opened her mouth again. ¡°You asked me why he was a sinner?¡± She nodded briefly. Was it true that he didn¡¯t do his job properly? And if he didn¡¯t throw himself, he would¡¯ve been punished more strongly under Argenta¡¯s Code¡­? It was beyond her understanding. ¡°Argenta has an absolute code of conduct,¡± Said Vielle as she escorted her like a knight. ¡°Do or don¡¯t.¡± As she continued, Krua opened her eyes wide, hearing those calm words. It was something she had heard and seen before. The first sentence that came out while talking about Argenta in the original story was that exact one. Even though it was a sentence that was passed by casually, it felt cruel to hear it in this situation. ¡°So, if they didn¡¯t finish their job properly¡­ it¡¯s the same as not doing it?¡± Either do or don¡¯t. When she asked back, thinking about the words, Vielle laughed. ¡°You understand quickly.¡± ¡­It seemed like it was natural to sacrifice their life if they didn¡¯t finish their job properly. It was a place where even if they sacrificed their lives to do their job, they would remain a sinner. It wasn¡¯t because she went directly out of the bath that she felt goosebumps again. It was due to that thought. She pursed her lips. Suddenly, she remembered Diello¡¯s smile. According to the original story, he was friendly. However, the Argenta family¡¯s dynamic seemed completely different from his friendly image. In such a place, his friendly personality would have been rather poisonous. It hurt her a little to think of Diello Argenta in the original story. Although she didn¡¯t read the novel fully, she could imagine what he went through. He must¡¯ve suffered under Argenta with that friendly and nice temper. Alors and Argenta families thought of life as nothing. Krua felt somewhat sick at the thought of seeing his innocent smile and how this family worked. * * * ¡°What about Roa?¡± At that time, Diello Argenta was also told about the incident. Of course, he was given much more in-depth information than what was received by Krua Alors. For example, how many monsters of what kind came in, and how the field commander Roa threw himself to stop them. ¡°He drove himself to death despite Argenta¡¯s power.¡± Argenta¡¯s power¡­ each of the three duke families had the power to control fire, water, and wind. It was known to the outside world, but there was something else that wasn¡¯t known. A person who has pledged allegiance to the head of each family could use their respective family¡¯s ability until the head themselves gain their power. Obviously, it was significantly weaker than the one received by the head though their power also depended on how strong their head was, so all of them wanted a strong family head. And now, Diello Argenta, without a Ferro, was known as the weakest of the three. Still, it was just what Diello Argenta was aiming for. ¡°What about the body?¡± As Diello asked back without changing his expression, the knight who reported it was silent for a while. ¡°It will be taken care of soon.¡± ¡°Bury him right in front of the endless sea,¡± replied Diello immediately. It had to be done so that Roa, the sinner, would defend the endless sea even after he died. ¡°Yes.¡± The knight replied and retreated. ¡°We¡¯ll need a new commander in the third zone.¡± Diello spoke and suddenly thought of his bride. They said she was in the bathroom and was surprised to hear about it. She also asked why he was a sinner with an innocent expression as if she didn¡¯t understand it. ¡°What should I do with my bride?¡± He laughed silently. Krua Alors was more innocent than he thought. * * * The hostess of each family was responsible for the internal affairs of their family. In addition, they needed to manage the family¡¯s external image in high society and knew about the rumors circulating as those could measure how good the hostess¡¯s ability was. Krua thought that was all she had to do in Argenta for a while. But Argenta, more than she thought, was a strange family. ¡°Business¡­?¡± While the wedding was being prepared, Vielle, the butler and maid of the mansion, each began to tell her about the hostess¡¯ job. Of course, she hadn¡¯t officially become the Duchess of Argenta yet, but since she was known as his Ferro, she¡¯ll have this position until the real Ferro came. Frankly, that was why she thought she would only do light work. Even though she had to deceive others as if Krua was the real Ferro, she didn¡¯t want to know too much about Argenta. If she went out of Argenta with too much knowledge, she would have the same ending as the original. At that time, she would die not by Alors but by Argenta¡¯s hand. It would be done through Argenta¡¯s cleaner, Vielle. ¡°Yes. You need to know the stuff that needs to be organized by Argenta so that you can proceed smoothly as a hostess.¡± However, Vielle was teaching her too much about Argenta. In particular, she was made known that all three duke families were families that had some influence in the underworld. She called it Alor¡¯s business, but teaching her Argenta¡¯s ¡®business¡¯ was no different from revealing the truth about the family to her. ¡°You can teach me?¡± Since it was strange, she asked Vielle again, but Vielle answered her words without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± Then, she smiled lightly. ¡°The head wished for it.¡± ¡°¡­Diello?¡± Krua raised her eyebrows slightly. Did he forget that she was a fake Ferro? He knew she had to step down when the real Ferro came later, right? ¡°Vielle, do you agree?¡± He was nice, so she thought she should listen to Vielle instead of Diello. If there were any trouble with Argenta, even without his orders, Vielle would slit their neck on her own¡­ she disagreed, right? Though when she looked up at Vielle¡­ She grinned instead. ¡°Of course, I agree.¡± ¡­What? ¡°Then, I¡¯ll teach you slowly, starting with the mercenary guild.¡± Vielle suddenly opened up about Argenta¡¯s secrets, not knowing about what went inside Krua¡¯s mind. No, if it were Vielle, she would hurt her even if Diello told her not to. However, she agreed¡­ ¡°Rest well, Lady Krua Alors. No¡­¡± She thought of Diello before they parted after the banquet. His blue eyes, which were bent slightly, seemed to be glimmering. Even his cheeks are slightly red. ¡°My lovely bride.¡± The word ¡®lovely¡¯ that he added as if he was practicing made her feel guilty. She obviously thought it was a fair deal. However, come to think of it, Diello Argenta was friendly. Krua put her finger on her forehead. Still, why did he do such a thing¡­ wait, he must be a con artist¡­! CH 7 Alors, Argenta, Cartiel. The weddings involving the three duke families have always been unique, and that was why their marriages have always been a hot topic in high society. ¡°How splendid must the wedding be.¡± The wedding ceremony of the three families who could control water, fire, and wind had their own characteristics. However, this time, it was clear that it would be more extravagant because it was a wedding ceremony with two of the families. Whumpf! Only subtle lights were still on at the wedding hall where the newlyweds would enter. The subtle light from the candle hanging upside down created a mysterious atmosphere. It was probably the fire of Argenta. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°As expected of Argenta.¡± Some of the guests kept their mouths shut as they admired it. There were people seen gathering near the Cartiel family, who were unrelated to this marriage. The group of people around the Duke of Cartiel was quietly watching the situation. And between them, water began to flow slowly on both sides of the wide Virgin Road. It was a waterway that had been prepared in advance. Of course, it was made by the power of Alors family. It was the Duke of Alors in the bride¡¯s family seat that moved it. ¡°Congratulations, Your Excellency. You¡¯ve made a good connection.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. What a happy occasion.¡± As people gathered and tried to greet the Duke of Alors at least once, the Duke of Alors was watching on one side of Virgin Road, where the bride would enter while accepting the greetings nonchalantly. ¡®Krua Alors¡­¡¯ He recited to himself the name of his illegitimate daughter. She had done a good job of getting married. If only she could seduce Diello Argenta further and take away his potential. At the thought, his eyes become sharp. If he completely ended the Argenta¡¯s head, who didn¡¯t even know how to use his power properly in this generation, also Alors family had the power of Argenta¡¯s flame, they could be the best family. He laughed silently. * * * Tap. My feet in white shoes were on the stairs. I saw the noisy guest seat where people were buzzing. The wedding would start with the bride and groom walking out from either end of Virgin Road and meeting in the middle, so maybe the Duke of Alors¡­ was there somewhere. It wasn¡¯t that hard to find him. He was always looking this way with sharp eyes. Even though I couldn¡¯t see his expression from over here because of the bride¡¯s veil, I could see Duke Alors¡¯ face. ¡®Make it happen.¡¯ As he mouthed the words while our eyes met for a moment, he soon turned his head away. So far, he seemed to think this marriage was a success¡­ In other words, mine and Diello¡¯s plans haven¡¯t yet been discovered. Next to the Duke of Alors, I could see Pentas Alors, the heir of the Alors family and brother of Krua Alors, as they sat down with happy faces. ¡­To a stranger, they would be seen as smiling at the wedding of their beloved daughter and sister. However, their heads would be filled with insidious schemes instead. In order to gain power like Alors, who did not hesitate to do evil things, Cartiel would be looking for opportunity. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough for Alors to reach out to Argenta. Since the original story revolved around the maid in Alors watching over the feud between the three duke families, there was no way that I, who had read the original story, wouldn¡¯t know that. ¡°But the seats on the groom¡¯s side¡­¡± Their faces seemed annoyed, but there was another thing that bothered me. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a wedding.¡± It was an occasion to be celebrated if we were the main character. This was a place of blessing and celebration for the whole family. Nevertheless, the seat on the groom¡¯s side was coldly empty. Under imperial law, a bouquet of chrysanthemums was located there, where only immediate family members could sit. It was because they weren¡¯t in this world any longer. The problem was that it was the Duke of Alors sitting opposite them who killed Duke Argenta and his wife, who were supposed to be sitting there. It was truly a tragedy. ¡­Did Diello know that? ¡°¡­.¡± I remembered Diello¡¯s smiling face. I didn¡¯t think he knew. Even when the author explained about Diello at the beginning of the original story, there was no mention of him knowing about his parents¡¯ death. In addition, if the daughter of his enemy who killed his parents came and offered a marriage contract, would he greet a person with such a gentle face? ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± I murmured softly. Of course, even if Diello knew the truth now, he was not in a situation where he could stop this marriage. What a poor man. I bit the inside of my lips, and my heart tightened. Alright, Diello. I¡¯ll let you help me kill the Duke of Alors! I could certainly help with his revenge. So even if this wedding was a bit of a misery¡­ I hope he¡¯d endure it. As I thought so, I clenched my fist and took another step. When I stepped with my white shoes on the Virgin Road, the water in the waterway began to sparkle under the subtle lighting. ¡°¡­.¡± And across from Virgin Road, which slowly began to sparkle, Diello was seen. Following his steps, the chandeliers that decorated the side of the waterway like vines started to sparkle. Step, step. Amidst the silence of the guests, only our footsteps could be heard. Diello, walking from the opposite side, looked neat. His slightly red cheeks and somewhat nervous smile seemed to show his passion. ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous.¡± I opened my mouth and whispered to him. I didn¡¯t know if he could hear me or not and I didn¡¯t know if others saw it, but it didn¡¯t matter if others saw it anyway. This was something that even sweet couples could say, not someone in a marriage contract. ¡°¡­.¡± Perhaps he heard me, so Diello¡¯s expression became more comfortable. And soon, when we met the Duke of Alors, we exchanged gazes. ¡°We will hold the wedding ceremony of Duke Diello Argenta and Lady Krua Alors.¡± As the officiant¡¯s voice soon rang, the words that followed were clich¨¦s. ¡°God will watch over the fate of two divine souls¡­¡± No one was interested in what they were saying. Instead, the guests¡¯ eyes were on us. ¡®Did they really get married after a passionate love? Wasn¡¯t the last engagement ceremony fake?¡¯ Those who have such doubts would be mixed among them. They couldn¡¯t help but doubt because the two pillars of the empire that had been keeping each other in check were unified in a marriage. Above all, I could feel the gaze of the Duke of Alors. These guests, and the Duke of Alors, were all those whom Diello and I had to deceive. We were indeed accomplices from now on. ¡°¡­Then, please give the new bride and groom warm support.¡± When the last words of the officiant, who had been talking for a long time, rang in the hall, the hall was lit up brightly. Not only the chandeliers surrounding Virgin Road but also the lights attached to the walls, as if they were not there before, were burning brightly under the power of Argenta. Soon, a little bud sprouted in the waterway behind us. The buds grew in an instant with the power of Alors¡¯ water, and it formed an arch above me and Diello¡¯s head. A flower that looked like Lily dropped down to Diello¡¯s head as if it was touching him. The next moment, the sparkling drops of water fell over our heads one by one as they wrapped us around. When cold drops of water reached my exposed shoulder, I shrank slightly. It was colder than I thought. When I think so¡­ ¡°¡­.!¡± I could tell because I was close by that something began to glow in Diello¡¯s shirt near his collarbone. It was probably a black lily pattern. A pattern that prevented the ability of the family head to bloom properly. If a Ferro erased the lilies, the family head¡¯s ability would be increased, but if a fake Ferro tried to erase them, the head¡¯s ability would no longer grow and stop. What me and Diello had to protect was that lily. ¡°My lovely bride.¡± Diello¡¯s blue eyes sparkled under the light. As if not wanting to surprise me, his fingertips, which touched my veil slightly, slowly removed it. At the engagement ceremony, he slightly lifted the veil of the new bride and kissed her under the veil. This time, it was different. Diello, who had taken the veil off my head, embraced me as the cold drops of water bounced off his arm. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± This time, he kissed me without the veil. That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t make a mistake. Knowing that, Diello¡¯s kiss was fierce, to the extent that I was somewhat surprised even though I knew he was doing it. Still, it didn¡¯t take as long as I expected. ¡°Ahh.¡± We took a short breath and gazed at each other from a distance where the tips of our noses seemed to touch. Fortunately, Virgin Road was wide enough for us to share a whisper. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be sweeter?¡± His breath tickled my cheek. Even though I knew all of this was fake, the reason why my ears were burning was probably because of the heat I felt. It was natural to be heated. It was instinct, and there was no need to suppress it. Also, it would be of great help to our acting. ¡°Yes.¡± Of course. I nodded slightly in reply. If he wasn¡¯t confident, I could lead. As I thought so, I slightly tiptoed and hugged him by the waist. At that moment¡­ ¡°Well, let me lead this time.¡± Diello whispered. ¡­Huh? I opened my eyes wide. Unlike before, he coveted my lips as if he was someone else. Then, his hands clasped my shoulders and waist tightly like a vine. ¡°¡­.!¡± His legs dug through my wedding dress. I didn¡¯t even have time to see how the guests reacted. As I was out of breath, my eyes gradually became blurred. I could feel the thrilling sensation that was passed down from where I was touched to around my body. He soon picked up my body that was about to bend¡­ ¡°Oh, my God!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± When he lifted me up and hugged me, supporting me under my knee, a brief exclamation broke out from the guest seat. ¡°Thank you, my lovely bride.¡± He meant for marrying him. I blushed as he whispered. ¡®What a great performance. He¡¯s doing great!¡¯ Even though it was a problem because he whispered, looking at the guest¡¯s reaction, some of them seemed to have heard him. Rather, they liked the natural conversation rather than exclaiming loudly as if they needed to listen to him. Embracing him around the neck as a compliment, I kissed his lips lightly. ¡°Wow!¡± It was a spectacular wedding that hadn¡¯t been seen in recent decades, and we had a spectacular performance. Needless to say, it was a wedding enough to satisfy the guests as applause poured out with cheers and congratulations. CH 8 In conclusion, the wedding was a success. As I expected, the weather at the wedding was viciously fickle, but thanks to the ample preparation of extra dresses, it went successfully without a hitch, unlike the original. ¡°Take care of my daughter,¡± said the Duke of Alors with a satisfied expression. Then, he hugged her tightly as if I was his precious daughter before patting Diello on the shoulder. ¡°Of course.¡± Diello replied while smiling at him. As usual, he gave him his gentle smile. ¡°I want you to forget the enmity between the two families and treat my daughter preciously.¡± Seeing the Duke of Alors laugh and say such a thing, he was truly a disgustingly brazen man. Wasn¡¯t it he who killed the Duke and Duchess of Argenta due to their relationship? ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Saying so, Diello kissed me on the forehead briefly and escorted me to the carriage. The carriage would head to a villa prepared on the edge of both families¡¯ mansions, overlooking both the sea and the forest. It was also our honeymoon destination. Click. As the carriage door closed and it began to move, I whispered to him very quietly, just in case the coachman would hear. ¡°It was perfect.¡± Diello, startled by what I said, gave my shoulders a squeeze. The next moment, he tilted his head slightly toward the coachman as if he were listening and raised his index finger in front of his mouth. ¡®He might hear it.¡¯ He smiled lightly and mouthed those words. It was a soft smile, utterly different from the nervous smile earlier. Soon, he leaned toward me and whispered very quietly. Perhaps he wanted to say something too. ¡°I¡¯m glad it went well.¡± We held each other¡¯s hands once as if we had made a promise. Now, all that remained was to keep his heart intact so that this man, who was now my perfect accomplice, could meet his Ferro. I narrowed my eyes and laughed. Meanwhile, Diello took a short breath and tried to calm down by fanning himself. He must be shy. Seeing that, my laughter became louder. ¡®Don¡¯t worry. At night, I¡¯ll just hold your hand and sleep.¡¯ * * * A long-distance honeymoon was impossible because Diello was the head of Argenta, so he could only be away for a short time. As a result, Argenta built a villa for this honeymoon as if that amount of money was nothing. Regardless, it was enough to give a honeymoon atmosphere. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Coming up to the top floor of the villa, I was amazed. Even though it was raining yesterday, I could see it well despite it being far away. On one side, I could see a forest that was guarded by Argenta, and on the other side, I could see the forest that was guarded by Alors. The forest that seemed to move due to the wind and the sea that sparkled under the sunlight was beautiful to see from afar. If I looked closely, however, it¡¯d be full of monsters. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Diello smiled, and I nodded eagerly. ¡°The wind is refreshing, and I can see it clearly. Let¡¯s eat here tomorrow morning!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to prepare it.¡± He kissed my forehead. However, I clearly felt his lips tremble a little. ¡®Please don¡¯t be this awkward¡­!¡¯ I gave him a big hug as if we were a really happy newlywed couple. ¡°I¡¯ve put all of your luggage, madame.¡± While I was admiring the view, one of the maids who followed after me and Diello said that. Some of the maids who followed us were the maids of Alors. The maids, who had been chosen by the Duke to help his beloved daughter, were to leave the mansion in three days. Still, it must be for surveillance. I thought so, but Diello was willing to let him do it. Thanks to that, we had to bring all the maids from both families to see the villa. However, the time soon came when only two of us were left. * * * Only both of us could enter the room where the first night would take place. ¡°I thought it would be small because it didn¡¯t take long to build though the villa is huge.¡± Eventually, I was able to relax a little after the maids disappeared. It was because I was exhausted from acting in love with Diello. Even when I separated from him for a while to prepare for the first night, I had to act as a nervous new bride. ¡°Even though it was built this huge¡­ I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d have to walk for this long.¡± Diello smiled perplexedly. As he came into the room and sat by the bedside, he poured alcohol. Pour. The dark red wine seemed to be prepared for the newlyweds, who might be nervous. When I entered in my gown, he was willing to stand up and welcome me. ¡°There¡¯s something to drink, so we should drink it, right?¡± Saying so, he took two identical glasses and handed me one, and drank his glass first. Gulp. I could see his adam apple move. He also looked better in a light shirt. Whether it was due to frustration or nervousness, his buttons were loosened, so the black lily pattern clearly engraved on the collarbone was also seen. ¡°We should.¡± Following him, I shook the glass a little and drank a little as well. Smelling the scent of sweet fruit with little alcohol scent, the wine tasted pleasantly sweet. After tilting the glass, our eyes met for no reason, and we burst into laughter as if we had rehearsed it. ¡°Come this way.¡± Diello beckoned to me. The bed was neatly arranged, with only a few traces of movement. A canopy for a newlywed couple who might be embarrassed was also slightly lifted and tied up. I pulled out one piece of cloth that was tied like a curtain. Thud. The heavy curtain that had been tied shook and came down right in front of me. With the curtains covering half of the bed, we sat face to face on the bed and burst into laughter again. It was comfortable because only the two of us were left. ¡°Now, then.¡± I held his hand lightly with my free hand. ¡°Tonight¡¯s work is done.¡± He then let go of my hand and took it into his own again. We decided to sleep holding hands. A smile was painted on Diello¡¯s face, who was looking at my fingertips at my words. I shrugged my shoulders at him as he kept holding my hand. ¡°Of course, I have no intention of breaking my promise. I¡¯ll do it just in case you doubt it.¡± I never doubted him, so I gazed into his blue eyes. Regardless, the real Ferro would come in two months. If he asked me how I knew that fact, I had no way of explaining it, so I decided not to say anything. I only have two months in Argenta¡­ no, I might stay a little longer, but at least it was until two months later that I had to be wary of Duke Alors. ¡°Until the real Ferro comes, good luck to us.¡± I raised my glass to Diello. Diello was willing to give me a toast. Clink! The sound of the glass bumping slightly rang cheerfully. First, I emptied the wine, and when I put the glass down on the table next to the bed, he put his down as well, side by side. After I closed the remaining curtains, the light decreased noticeably. The remaining light was probably the flame maintained by the power of Argenta. As I closed the curtains and turned around, Diello was already lying down. Only one blanket was gently removed, and both of his hands were supported under the soft pillow. ¡°Come here.¡± Tap. Finishing his words, he patted the space next to him. The blue eyes shining under the light even looked pure, and the sound of rustling fabric entered my ears. When I pulled out the blanket and lay down, I could see his eyes very close. I was the only one in his blue eyes. It should look like that to other people as well. The moment I gazed into his eyes, he blushed and turned his eyes away. ¡°Are my eyes so strange?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re beautiful.¡± I replied. At those words, Diello turned this way again. He seemed a little surprised. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can say that they¡¯re pretty even if we¡¯re not a real couple.¡± I pointed at those eyes. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful like the sea.¡± He laughed at my words. ¡°The actual sea is much more beautiful and darker than this.¡± ¡°Still, that¡¯s the color of the sea I see from afar, under the sun.¡± As he laughed again, the eyes that were bent with a slight smile looked a little dark only then because of the shadow. ¡°The sea from afar, yes.¡± Diello nodded readily. I looked into his eyes and murmured suddenly. ¡°I like this kind of atmosphere.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want us to be newlywed who shared a strong love. Nevertheless, this was a contract marriage, and it was not bad to talk to each other in such a soft atmosphere. I felt at ease. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re satisfied, Krua.¡± Hearing that, I turned my head in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re not a lady anymore.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± He whispered to me with his eyes slightly open. ¡°If we really want to look like a married couple, we have to look close to them to some extent. So let¡¯s practice.¡± I pressed his lips with my index finger. ¡°Call my name.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Perhaps because of the unexpected touch, he paused. Seeing that, I burst into a small laugh. ¡°We should get closer outside. Are you going to be this surprised every time?¡± If he did, the word that we were loving newlyweds would disappear. Thinking I shouldn¡¯t leave him like this, I pulled his hand and put it on my cheek. ¡°Practice from now on, something like this.¡± ¡°What?¡± There was a ripple in his eyes, which used t be as calm as a lake. If he wanted to do it, he had to do it correctly! ¡°Touch it like this.¡± I took his hand on my cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry if it needed to be done.¡± He was also sorry that he took away Krua¡¯s first kiss in the original, so that was why I said it in advance. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to act like a newlywed couple. Act like you really love me.¡± At my words, his hand moved a little before they gently and carefully smoothed her ears and cheeks. ¡°I know you won¡¯t break the promise anyway.¡± A person who was surprised by me touching his lips wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to me. Besides, if he wanted to inherit his ability properly, he couldn¡¯t do anything to me. And that was all the more reason why he was not going to eat me, so we simply had the safest(?) relationship with each other. No matter what kind of sweet and bizarre thing we do in front of others. Diello, who had blinked a few times at my words, opened his mouth. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± His hand moved a little more boldly at my words. The hand touching my ear then brushed my chin and wrapped the back of my neck. Conceivably because he was an Argenta, there was a strange heat in his hand. ¡°¡­.¡± Diello, who was staring at me with his blue eyes for a moment, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Krua Alors.¡± His then gently moving lips touched my index finger. Feeling his soft lips on my index finger, I felt strange. CH 9 Maybe it was because we were on the bed. Even though I knew it was just a practice, the atmosphere somehow felt strange. ¡°Krua Alors.¡± Diello suddenly called my name. ¡°Why did you use my full name? It feels weirdly distant.¡± I wasn¡¯t an Alors any longer anyway, but an Argenta. After that, I tried to erase the strange atmosphere due to his strange action. ¡°Call me Krua, Diello.¡± I thought he could do it well before, so I didn¡¯t know why he was so awkward now. Meanwhile, Diello was silent for a while before uttering quietly. ¡°¡­Krua.¡± It might be because of the dim light and a little alcohol or even the sweet smell of the wine that created this heated atmosphere. His words really sounded charming, as if it was something a groom might say on their wedding night. ¡°Good, you pass.¡± I took my hand off his lips after saying that. Nevertheless, the strange feeling still seemed to remain at my fingertips. At this rate, I thought my cheeks would turn red, so I glanced at the ceiling and lay down. ¡°As promised, I won¡¯t try to seduce you. Instead, we should spend the night together so that it doesn¡¯t look weird, just like today.¡± Let¡¯s keep practicing like this. I held his hand tightly. ¡°We should,¡± answered Diello in a soft voice, his body getting closer to mine. I didn¡¯t know whether he was still looking at me or not, but I could feel his breath on my neck, and it felt ticklish. In addition, the atmosphere felt somehow more provocative than before. After a while, as I looked at him again, I suddenly realized an important fact. ¡°Ah.¡± No matter what we promised the first night would be, there was something else that needed to be done, just in case. I turned completely to Diello. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡± As a practice, I whispered to him my little plan as he tilted his head. ¡°¡­.!¡± When Diello heard my plan, he looked at me with his eyes wide open. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t mind, Krua?¡± I nodded gladly at that. Still, he seemed a little conflicted, but I had to pull this ¡®plan¡¯ off, so I whispered a little more eagerly. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a saying in Argenta, Diello.¡± ¡°Do it or don¡¯t.¡± When Diello spoke and opened his eyes a little wide at my words, I nodded in response. ¡°So, make sure you do it.¡± Hearing my words, Diello seemed to have come to a conclusion. After a short breath, he finally nodded before gently shoving my shoulder and climbing onto me. Locked between his arms, my vision was instantly covered. * * * After the first night, it wasn¡¯t hard to act as if we were on a sweet honeymoon. It was because Diello Argenta was a friendly person in the first place, so acting was not difficult because I only had to be a little more active with him. ¡°It¡¯s nice to be secluded like this.¡± When I leaned back while saying so, Diello hugged me while blushing. He was like a shy new groom. Regardless, it seemed that he had made up his mind since the first night. Chu. He kissed me gently on my forehead. Gradually though, it seemed that he became proficient in acting. The more that happened, the more the people of Argenta began to expect. If we spend three nights together and the Diello¡¯s lilies disappear, then they would also be strong with the abilities that had been inherited. In addition, the relationship between Diello and me became closer faster than I thought. Besides, unlike the rumors about me being malevolent, I didn¡¯t behave badly so no one took that rumor seriously. Anyway, we seemed like sweet a newlywed. Today was the third day. Thankfully, it was also the last day of Alors maids¡¯ stay. It meant that from today onwards, the maids of Alors, who spied on me, would be completely gone from this mansion. Of course, since I didn¡¯t know what they would think, I shouldn¡¯t forget to act in front of Argenta¡¯s people as well. Still, it would be a little easier to breathe than before when the people of Alors were openly watching. ¡°This is Loraile tea. It will help you relieve fatigue.¡± While I was looking at a very tidy garden, Diello was in the office for a while because of Argenta¡¯s business. ¡°Your Excellency will be down soon, so please wait a little bit.¡± I smiled when I remembered his face when he left me with such an embarrassed and apologetic expression. ¡°Thank you. Can you bring this drink to Diello, too? He must be tired from work.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Vielle now called me Madam. When the wedding was held, I immediately became the Duchess of Argenta. When Vielle was about to order another maid¡­ ¡°Huaa¡­! Mom¡­!¡± The sound of a crying child was heard from afar. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I moved my gaze toward the sound. A small child could be seen trudging through the well-arranged flower beds. ¡°Sniffle¡­!¡± Then, perhaps the child saw me through their tears, they ran towards me with their weeping faces but Vielle quickly stopped. ¡°She¡¯s not someone you can approach casually. You¡­¡± Looking at her reaction, it seemed that it was not a child living in this mansion. Well, of course. Why would there be a child in a place where there should only be servants to take care of me and Diello? ¡°Help me, sister!¡± However, the child tried to run toward me, even after hearing her, so Vielle¡¯s gaze quickly scanned the child. It was to make sure that they had no weapon or something dangerous. As Argenta¡¯s ¡®cleaner,¡¯ she was probably looking to see if the child was an assassin or not. Maybe there was no visible problem, so Vielle turned towards me. ¡°What should I do?¡± It seemed that the child followed someone among the servants. As I gestured to the child, I thought I had to calm them down first. ¡°Come here. Why are you crying so much, huh?¡± When Vielle put her hands away at my words, the child immediately ran to me and hugged me, and I gazed into the child¡¯s eye. Looking at their face, it seemed that they had been crying for a long time. ¡°Mom¡­ I need my mom.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°I came here with her¡­ hehe!¡± I tilted my head at the child¡¯s words. ¡°Are there any of the servants who brought a child?¡± ¡°Not from Argenta for sure,¡± replied Vielle immediately. Meanwhile, the child¡¯s eyes started to water again. The child, who clung to me while shouting ¡°Mom¡­!¡± did not think of letting me go. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°I think the child¡¯s doing this because of anxiety¡­¡± I glanced back at Vielle, who was stroking the child¡¯s head. ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± When I wrapped the child¡¯s cheeks and soothed them gently, Vielle suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll take this child to the street. Then, it would be easy to find the child¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Madam, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± I said to Vielle, who paused in a clear voice. ¡°I believe in Alors and Argenta¡¯s people.¡± When I said I believed in Argenta, I was gazing straight into her eyes. There was no way that Alors, who had to use me, would hurt me. And, of course, there was no one in Argenta who would hurt me as the Ferro of their head. In other words, the knights who were guarding every corner of the mansion would protect me. ¡°But just in case you¡¯re worried, I won¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± I added to her while frowning. ¡°I believe in you.¡± As I winked, Vielle opened her eyes wide. ¡°What can a child do anyway?¡± ¡°Sniffle¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Then, Madam¡­¡± The moment Vielle nodded and called some maid to follow me¡­ ¡°Huwaa!¡± The child¡¯s tears burst again. Hiding their face in my dress as if they didn¡¯t like a stranger, they were shaking. ¡°Only to the main road, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Eventually, Vielle didn¡¯t order the maids to follow me at my words. Only then did the child¡¯s tears begin to subside again. ¡°Shall I go?¡± I stroked the sniffling child¡¯s head and walked. Although I didn¡¯t know the way, I was certain I could find the main road. In the meanwhile, the child stopped crying as we grew further away from Vielle and the maids. As I stopped patting the child¡¯s head by then, the child suddenly began to pull my dress. Even though I¡¯d been leading the way so far, the child suddenly led me away. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, as I didn¡¯t understand, but the child kept grabbing my dress. Seeing this, I was more convinced by the action that this kid was sent to me on purpose. There were a few facts I found suspicious. 1. The child kept sticking to me even though the security was tight. 2. There was a mud on the child¡¯s shoes even though there was no mud around here. 3. Above all, there was a pattern of Alors seen through the collar that was slowly removed as we moved away from Vielle. That alone was enough to doubt. Of course, there was a chance this child could hurt me. Even if Vielle had looked at this child, it might not be a weapon that the child had. Nonetheless, there were many people here who could freely control the wind, water, and fire. As far as I knew, there was no such thing as an ability that changes our body, so it meant that the child was really a child. Because of that, I wasn¡¯t worried about my safety. Besides, Vielle, the ¡®cleaner¡¯ of Argenta, would be following me secretly. In case of emergency, her sword would help out. The child who was leading me naturally led me to a sparse place before glancing back at me. However, the childlike appearance from earlier had disappeared out of nowhere. ¡°Ms. Krua Alors,¡± said the child with a cold voice. Naturally, the voice gradually turned into the voice of an adult woman. It seemed that she was a spy who turned into a child. The woman¡¯s wrist, which she revealed, sparkled with the pattern of Alors. Furthermore, I could feel a strong Alors power from the pattern. It meant that the duke himself engraved the pattern and sent her. While I was checking it, the woman asked. ¡°Did you spend the night with the Duke of Argenta last night?¡± ¡®¡­I never thought he¡¯d send someone to check this out.¡¯ I opened my mouth, slightly bewildered. ¡°¡­Of course.¡± Since we actually slept there holding hands, I answered right away. They didn¡¯t watch us spend the night together anyway, and we¡¯re the only ones who know the truth about last night. However, the woman asked again, reaching out her hand to me. ¡°In that case, give me evidence.¡± Seeing that she asked me for the first night¡¯s evidence, I opened my eyes wide. CH 10 ¡°¡­What kind of evidence?¡± The woman looked up at me brazenly at my question. ¡°Anything. If it can be proof that you spent the night with the Duke of Argenta.¡± At that, I tilted my head slightly as I pretended to think. ¡°Evidence?¡± What kind of evidence was usually left on the first night? I frowned with a troubled face. This was a crisis. If we had spent the real night, anything would have been left, but they literally only slept hand in hand, so I was in a trouble¡­ well, it would have been a crisis if I didn¡¯t prepare it by asking Diello in advance already. ¡°Ah.¡± I moved my hand as if I had remembered something. When Diello¡¯s face, who was embarrassed last night, came to mind, his slightly heated face, the expression of embarrassment. Tuk. And that strange feeling. As I unbuttoned one of the top buttons of my dress, the feeling of last night seemed to come back and my face flushed red a little. This may, in the eyes of the woman, be seen as the embarrassment of the new bride thinking of their first night. Tuk, tuk. After unbuttoning a couple of buttons, I pulled out a little bit of the hem. Perhaps she could see it¡­ a clear trail of pleasure was seen on my collarbone. ¡°Is this enough?¡± I uttered confidently, but I also didn¡¯t forget to pretend to be embarrassed. After all, this location was clearly a place where it couldn¡¯t be left alone. The woman stared at me and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve checked it.¡± When she turned around and used the magic tool again, she turned into a child and ran out to the vacant lot. ¡°Wow! I found the way!¡± She looked like a child to the point of giving me goosebumps. I buttoned up, and as the child left, I could see the running child being hugged by Alors maid. ¡°Oh, my!¡± The Alors maid cried, opening her eyes wide while holding the child. She then bowed to me as if she was sorry and left. ¡°¡­As I thought, they¡¯d come to check.¡± Still, I didn¡¯t know it would be this way. I fixed my clothes while looking at them. In the original story, there was no scene to confirm how they spent the first night. In the first place, everything was concentrated on the scene where Krua tricked Diello into spending the night, so I didn¡¯t even remember the content. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡± I turned around, thinking about last night. I thought it wasn¡¯t bad to prepare it due to Duke Alors¡¯ thorough personality. ¡°I want you to leave a trace¡­ about, about this much?¡± Diello seemed really surprised by what I said while pointing at my collarbone. ¡°Are you sure¡­ you wouldn¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He could do it because I told him to. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t feel strange. If they looked at it as a trace of pleasure anyway, it was fine. In the end, it was just a wound. It would get better with time and healing, so I gently hugged the back of his head and pulled him towards me. ¡°I have to be prepared.¡± I said gently, pressing him on top of me. I whispered to him over and over again. ¡°Do it or don¡¯t.¡± Besides, we needed to practice, right? After my words ended the conflict inside him, he finally let out a short sigh. ¡°Ah.¡± He, who overwhelmed my body in an instant, breathed out. I was a little nervous when he touched the collarbone that was exposed because I only wore a gown. Maybe he felt me flinching, so he grabbed me and looked at me with soft eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll start then, Krua.¡± I¡¯m sorry. Whispering so quietly, he leaned toward me. As he hugged me and kissed me slightly at the tip of my nose, Diello dug deeper and deeper into me. The breath that touched my ears, the lips that pressed gently around my neck, and his hands still seemed to be clearly felt. My clothes were pulled back, and my bare shoulders were soon stained with marks. Soon, even his body had come closer without a chance for air to enter. ¡°What¡­¡± I recalled that time and fanned with my hands again. This time, it was absolutely not what I was aiming for. Thinking of last night, the heat on my cheeks did not go away even when I fanned my face. ¡°How¡­¡± The words I couldn¡¯t bear to ask yesterday ran through my head. ¡®How is this person so good?¡¯ * * * ¡°Argenta¡¯s fence is solid.¡± Diello muttered in a low voice and stood by the window with his chin resting on his hand. He could see below through a gap in the curtain that was only slightly open. In his field of vision was Krua Alors returning to the garden. Tap, tap, tap. His fingertips, which had been tapping on the windowsill in a steady rhythm, stopped. Yes, Argenta¡¯s fence was solid. For those outside the fence, it was a truly high and solid wall, and for those inside the fence, it was a strong shield and support. ¡°Krua Alors¡­¡± She was from Alors. She had been under the command of Duke Alors, and she became the Duchess of Argenta, as the Duke of Alors had planned. Of course, she revealed that she was a fake Ferro, and she asked him to marry her under a contract until the real Ferro came. ¡°¡­.¡± Diello narrowed his eyes. Last night, his eyes, which she said were like the sea, were locked on hers calmly. He didn¡¯t fully believe in Krua yet. Despite being married, it was obviously foolish to trust her completely. Even though Krua Alors seemed to have shown her cards completely, he didn¡¯t know what else she had in mind. There were countless people in the history of the three families who hid a dagger on their backs with a smile. Krua Alors was also an Alors, one of the three families. She had Alor¡¯s blood, which was known to be cunning. They did not hesitate to use tricks to keep their opponents off guard. Diello Argenta, therefore, released her too far within the fence. In a solid fence that only moved for Argenta, she naturally stood out when she did something out of the ordinary. There were those who began to waver when they heard the news that the current head of the family was not only weak but also brought in the Alors girl. Such people were not needed in Argenta from now on. They would be dealt with according to Argenta¡¯s rules when the real Ferro arrived. ¡°Do it or don¡¯t.¡± Tap, tap, tap. He tapped the windowsill again with his fingertips. Krua Alors will have to make her position clear. If she was a person from Alors who came with a plan, she would definitely have to cheat them, and if she really came to join hands with Argenta, she would have to be an Argenta. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡± Diello leaned his head, thinking of Krua Alors, who had said so yesterday. Krua Alors, who boldly asked him to leave a mark and said she was preparing for an unforeseen situation. ¡°The Duke of Alors might suspect me.¡± And today, like what she said last night, a person really came. Diello seemed embarrassed, but naturally admired the sight of Krua telling the woman her evidence. The Duke of Alors, who tried to check the first night in such a direct way, was disgusting though it was interesting to see Krua defending herself. ¡°I wish she genuinely offered me a contract marriage.¡± He hoped it was a deal without betrayal. He was going to keep an eye on Krua Alors very closely, in the form of a shy husband CH 11 The first crisis had been overcome, and the people of Alors had returned home. Diello and I went back to the Argenta mansion as he had work to do. That night, I collapsed onto the bed, letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Sigh.¡± The sigh came out involuntarily. I didn¡¯t expect them to come and check for real! I knew the Duke of Alors wouldn¡¯t just sit still, but¡­ ¡°No, isn¡¯t it too much to ask for evidence?¡± What evidence did they expect, and approaching me with a fake child at that?! While it might have been the easiest way to lower my guard, it was still surprising to see an adult woman in that form. She came here like a child, what kind of behavior was that?! ¡°Ugh.¡± Alor¡¯s malice must be acknowledged. Knock. As I mulled over the situation, Diello cautiously knocked on the door and peeked his head in. ¡°¡­Can I come in, Krua?¡± Hey, did he think I¡¯d use this room alone then? I nodded my head. ¡°Of course.¡± He came in with a happy face when I tapped the seat next to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be with you this afternoon. There was an urgent matter on the coastal front.¡± I reached out my hand at Diello¡¯s words. ¡°Since there was an urgent matter anyway, it wasn¡¯t a problem. It would have been strange for me, who still doesn¡¯t know much about Argenta¡¯s affairs, to be in the office.¡± No matter how sweet we were as a couple, it was important for me to stay out of certain affairs. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve looked toward your office many times.¡± I continued. ¡°Really?¡± Diello blinked his eyes. What¡¯s so surprising about that? I couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. ¡°I was waiting eagerly like a new bride, wondering when you¡¯ll come down.¡± Listening to my words, Diello, who had been blinking, smiled apologetically. ¡°I came down late. I must be a bad husband.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s important is that Duke Alors wouldn¡¯t think of us as a fake couple, right?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. That was all that mattered. ¡°Ah, speaking about the Duke of Alors.¡± This was definitely information to be shared. I approached him and pointed to my collarbone. ¡°They went to check it out.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± Diello¡¯s eyes widened. After hesitating for a moment, he asked cautiously. ¡°¡­Did he do it himself?¡± His face was a little wrinkled. Hearing his question, I also frowned. If the Duke of Alors had been there instead of the woman, who would I have shown it to then¡­ him? ¡°No, it was someone else.¡± It was someone else¡­ a completely different person, a woman! I denied it vehemently with gestures and movements. Diello eventually grabbed my hand and calmed me down. ¡°I understand. I almost misunderstood the Duke of Alors.¡± He said in a firm voice. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter because he¡¯s our enemy, but a misunderstanding¡­¡± I mumbled and glanced at him. Diello was someone who actually needed to have more misunderstandings about Duke Alors. After all, he was the one who killed the Duke and Duchess of Argenta! ¡°Anyway, thanks to you, we¡¯ve passed the first crisis.¡± At my words, Diello tilted his head. ¡°The first crisis¡­?¡± ¡°They will keep an eye on me later again, right?¡± I pointed to his chest. ¡°Duke Alors is waiting for me to get rid of this lily for him.¡± That was the most important thing that Duke Alors said to the new bride. It was now clear that I would remain under surveillance for the next two months, at least until the real Ferro appeared. ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡± Diello¡¯s expression became serious. I tapped his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll maintain the same relationship until the real Fero arrives.¡± I reassured him and gave him a smile. ¡°Oh, but I just remembered something we needed to do before that.¡± It had been on my mind since the morning, especially after seeing the other Argenta maids besides Vielle. ¡°What is it?¡± Diello responded seriously. ¡°Who exactly in Argenta knows about our secret? Other than Vielle.¡± I asked, wanting to know who else in Argenta might be aware of our plan for this contract marriage. Knowing this would make my future actions easier. ¡°Ah.¡± Diello¡¯s mouth fell open slightly at the mention of Vielle¡¯s name. He seemed surprised. I guess he didn¡¯t know that I knew about her. ¡°I¡¯m not that clueless that I wouldn¡¯t notice that.¡± I crossed my arms as I continued. ¡°If your partner is such a stupid person, wouldn¡¯t it be difficult for you as well?¡± He eventually smiled as if he had lost the argument. ¡°That¡¯s right, Vielle knows.¡± He admitted it willingly. I didn¡¯t tell him that I also knew that she was a cleaner in Argenta, as that would be suspicious. Instead, I moved closer to him and whispered. ¡°Can you tell me who are the people in Argenta that I can trust for sure? That way, I could be even more careful in front of those who are not them.¡± At those words, Diello touched his chin and tilted his head. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you can rest assured, Krua.¡± ¡°Rest assured? About what?¡± ¡°At least on this floor of the mansion, there should be no need to worry.¡± This floor of the mansion? The fourth floor where this room was? Seeing that I blinked because I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, he opened his mouth and uttered something like a bolt from the blue to me. ¡°Anyone who goes up and down the fourth floor of Argenta can be trusted.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± I blinked a few more times. I didn¡¯t understand. No, I didn¡¯t want to understand. No way¡­ ¡°Do all the maids in Argenta who come up to this floor know this?¡± Even though the fourth floor was small, there were several rooms on this floor while only a few maids and escort knights managed the rooms. In response to my words, my innocent partner nodded with a silly smile. ¡°Yes.¡± Oh, this naive child. I rubbed my forehead as I looked at his pure face. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Seeing him speak with his clear voice made me feel at ease. Whoosh! At that moment, flames rose from Diello¡¯s fingertips. He turned to me and spoke. ¡°Especially if someone with this ability goes up and down the fourth floor, you can trust as they¡¯re a true Argenta.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± His clear blue eyes sparkled as he looked at me. Could people really be this naive? Not everyone in the world was kind, and people could also betray you, couldn¡¯t they? ¡°Well¡­¡± How should I start telling him? When I couldn¡¯t say anything, Diello, who had turned off the light, burst out laughing. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the possibility of betrayal from the Argenta on the fourth floor, Krua.¡± Saying so, He patted my shoulder as if to reassure me before adding. ¡°True Argenta knows that betrayal is a foolish thing.¡± I glanced up at the ceiling and then back at him. ¡°¡­Diello, everyone knows that betrayal is foolish. They know that if they fail to betray, they will die as well.¡± So, they would also know that if they succeed in betraying, they would think they were on the right side. ¡°People who betray don¡¯t always do it while thinking about their own destruction.¡± Even with my calm words, Diello didn¡¯t shake. Instead, he just gave a wry smile. ¡°I understand why you¡¯re worried, Krua.¡± He replied, looking into my eyes. His blue eyes were so clear that they almost drove me crazy. How could a person be so¡­ transparent and innocent? He folded his beautiful eyes and smiled before finishing his words. ¡°Once you get to know the people of Argenta, you¡¯ll feel a lot less worried.¡± He hugged my arm as if to reassure me. Then, he hesitated for a moment before pulling me close. As his soft lips touched my neck briefly, he pulled away. It wasn¡¯t as deep as yesterday¡¯s contact, but it was enough to surprise me. ¡°Practicing this way is okay, too, right?¡± Diello asked, lifting his face from where he buried it in my neck. ¡°Of course.¡± Of course! I tried to hide my flushed face without realizing it. Whoosh. Fortunately, the lights gradually went out as soon as I finished speaking. They were the lights maintained by the power of Argenta. ¡°Sleep well.¡± He whispered softly and laid me down on the soft bed. Soon, the room was completely immersed in darkness. * * * The next morning, I was suddenly thinking about my future action. If the real Ferro came here in the future, and Argenta started attacking Alors in earnest, I would become a betrayer to Alors. Well, according to the promise with Diello, I could only be someone who sided with Argenta. Although I would give up my Argenta title and leave the mansion, I would still lead a life closely related to Argenta. That was an inevitable thing. However¡­ ¡°You want me to do this?¡± ¡°Yes, the head asked you to do this.¡± Vielle presented a contract with a grin on her face. This was the reason why I had been worried about my future since early in the morning. CH 12 She didn¡¯t tell me what the contract was about. Instead, what I received was a contract with the name of the other party to sign with Diello Argenta. ¡°This¡­¡± If it was a contract involving the head, it must be something important. However, could they really show it to someone who would be leaving in a few months? ¡°This is a contract drawn for someone who will be leaving for another family¡¯s territory as of today.¡± As I examined the contract, Vielle spoke briefly. ¡°It¡¯s a magic contract that prevents those who were once part of Argenta from leaking its secrets when leaving this place.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Did Alors and Cartiel have something like this, too? I¡¯ve never heard of it before. ¡°The person who will sign the contract is waiting. You just need to enter the room.¡± Her voice was light, as if it was nothing. ¡°Okay.¡± When I finally nodded, Vielle gazed at me as though she was waiting. ¡°Shall we meet with them now?¡± Wait, they were already waiting? Then, there was no need to delay any longer since procrastination would only be troublesome. ¡°¡­.¡± However, as I walked while looking over the contract, I stopped abruptly. Vielle, who was leading me, turned to look at me. ¡°Madam?¡± I raised my hand in response to her voice. ¡°Wait.¡± [ Mirta, who signs this contract, cannot disclose anything about Argenta anywhere. When he tries to disclose anything about Argenta, he would feel an unbearable thirst, and if he disregards the warning and discloses it, the fire of the head will directly burn him and everything around him. ] So far, it seemed like a typical contract. However, the next passage caught my eye. [ At that time, the fire of the head will directly burn him and everything around him. Remember that. ] ¡°The fire of the head will directly¡­¡± I muttered quietly. It definitely felt different from any other paper, it was clearly a magical contract. Advertisements [ Head Diello Argenta ] It seemed that he had not yet signed this contract, so all Mirta had to do was sign it and pass it on to him. ¡°Is it common to use this kind of contract?¡± At my question, Vielle slightly tilted her head. ¡°It¡¯s not common, but it happens occasionally. Of course, I hardly ever seen anyone violate the terms of the contract.¡± At her words, I let out a short sigh without realizing it. It was because I couldn¡¯t easily imagine Diello burning a person. ¡°Is this Argenta¡¯s tradition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I didn¡¯t think it was typical of Diello¡¯s character. Still, I nodded and followed Vielle¡¯s guidance into a room. The man who was about to sign the contract had short brown hair and greeted me curtly. He then nervously looked at the document in my hand. ¡°He¡¯ll be the one to sign that contract.¡± ¡°You know how to do it, right, Mirta?¡± Vielle handed the paper I had put down to Mirta and slightly bowed. The next moment, she put a quill pen in front of him, but there was no ink. Where was the ink? Just as I was about to ask¡­. Clink. A dagger was placed next to the quill. No way¡­ As I slightly opened my mouth, Mirta decisively took the dagger and brought it to the tip of his finger. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡®It must¡¯ve hurt.¡¯ Blood immediately welled up where the dagger had touched. It seemed that Mirta had to cut his finger somewhat deeply with the dagger so that he could use the quill. Then, he picked up the quill. ¡°If you break your oath, you will come back to this place again. Of course, I believe that won¡¯t happen.¡± Vielle opened her mouth. In her hand was a paper doll that looked like a person. Just as my gaze was drawn to it, fwoosh! The paper doll caught fire. ¡°Ah.¡± I was startled and leaned back when I saw Mirta¡¯s somewhat pale face, perhaps due to the fire hitting his face. In the meanwhile, the paper doll¡¯s toes gradually turned pitch black. The contorted figure writhed in agony and gradually fell apart into ashes. ¡°Mirta, remember the oath.¡± Vielle uttered, dropping the paper doll. The fire soon slowly spread to the other paper dolls on the silver tray. ¡°I understand.¡± Mirta replied, signing the contract with a tense expression. By that time, all the paper dolls had turned into ashes. ¡°Thank you for that. And it was an honor to meet you, Madam.¡± Mirta said to me, giving a deep bow. Advertisements Even though he was leaving Argenta, he didn¡¯t seem happy about it. I looked at him and asked. ¡°But why are you leaving?¡± Why would someone that seemed capable leave Argenta? Mirta paused at my words, then opened his mouth and replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to my wife¡¯s sick parents¡¯ territory. We want to spend time with them.¡± It would have been difficult to move the sick people to Argenta. I roughly understood the situation. ¡°See you, Vielle.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Vielle replied softly. ¡°And I hope to hear good news. Mirta.¡± A gentle smile was on his face. ¡°Thank you.¡± Saying so, Mirta bowed deeply and left the room. As I glanced at his tired face, I picked up the contract. This was clearly an internal matter of Argenta, so it felt strange as if I was interfering with something that I shouldn¡¯t touch. ¡°Mirta was His Excellency¡¯s attendant.¡± On the way back to Diello¡¯s office, Vielle spoke up. It seemed like she was telling me because I was curious about it earlier. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He was his attendant. Then, Diello must have had some affection for him. It must have been difficult for him, emotionally, to have written such a cruel contract. Knock, knock. By the time I thought about that, Vielle and I were standing in front of Diello¡¯s office. ¡°Your Excellency, I have brought the contract.¡± Vielle¡¯s words were quickly met with a response. ¡°Oh, come in.¡± The low, gentle voice clearly belonged to Diello. Judging by the casual reply, it seemed he expected her to come in herself. So when I stuck my head into the room with the contract in hand, Diello flinched. ¡°¡­Krua?¡± I saw a hint of surprise in his slightly bewildered expression. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the magic contract.¡± Was this why he had been so confident the night before? Now, I know no one could easily betray Argenta. Diello, who had been lost in thought, glanced up at me with a faint smile. ¡°Oh, you received it early. Thank you, Krua.¡± After carefully examining the contents of the contract, he took a dagger from his desk drawer. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Advertisements I was the only one who gasped in surprise. Though Diello did wince as the knife cut into his finger, he did not cry out. Tap. Pressing his blood-stained finger onto the contract, he used his handkerchief to wipe away the excess blood. The pure white handkerchief was now stained with red blood. As Diello looked down at the contract, he seemed to be slightly frozen. He would¡¯ve felt uncomfortable reading it after all. His gaze remained fixed on the part of the contract that read, ¡®The head will personally burn them.¡¯ ¡°I heard that person was your attendant.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Diello replied with a slightly subdued voice as he looked up at me with a somewhat pitiful smile. ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡± His gaze shifted towards the window. The contract, which was soaked in the blood of both parties, was now being engulfed in a blue flame and slowly disappearing. I felt instinctively that the blue flame was the sign that the contract had been bound. ¡°By now, he must have gotten on the carriage.¡± Leaving immediately after sealing the contract was the rule. He stood at the window, his lips tightly sealed, unable to take his eyes off the view outside. In the end, I tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°To be honest, I was worried about betrayers yesterday. But now, I understand why there wouldn¡¯t be any betrayers.¡± I spoke, giving him a big smile. Diello looked back up at me and gave me a faint smile, a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± He replied, holding my hand that was on his shoulder and gently squeezing it. When Diello kissed the back of my hand, I could feel the warmth of his breath. ¡°Thank you for comforting me, Krua.¡± After that, he whispered in my ear. ¡°See you tonight.¡± Hearing those words made me feel like we were newlyweds. Glancing at his desk, which was piled high with papers, I realized that we really did need to see each other tonight. I grabbed him on the shoulder and left the room. Geez, looking at his personality, I could tell that the road ahead wasn¡¯t going to be easy. I knew he was talented from reading his original story, but I didn¡¯t know he was such a soft person. The road ahead would be long. CH 13 Thud. As the office door closed, Diello slowly opened his eyes that were closed. Unlike before, a cold gaze swept over the spot where the contract had been placed. Knock, knock. When he tapped on the desk, Rick silently entered the office. He already seemed to know his task with a relaxed expression. ¡°Should I pursue them?¡± Diello gave a gesture to him. ¡°Yes. Chase after the one who left a moment ago¡­ no, the one who was coerced by Cartiel, Mirta.¡± Mirta. He chuckled coldly, glancing out the window as he spoke. ¡°For a while, keep an eye on him. If he tried to contact Cartiel, report immediately.¡± Saying so, he conjured a small flame on his fingertip, only to extinguish it. ¡°Yes, understood.¡± Despite receiving a stern command, Rick replied calmly and quietly disappeared once again. Diello paid no attention to the man¡¯s reaction. He knew well who Argenta¡¯s new head of intelligence was. Mirta would now be completely within Argenta¡¯s watchful eyes. Being outside the confines of Argenta¡¯s fence meant being under even more surveillance than before. ¡°Confidence to succeed¡­¡± Diello smirked discreetly. He recalled the words left behind by Krua just a while ago. ¡°Betrayal is not easily done. One must have confidence that it will succeed.¡± His laughter deepened. ¡°Yes, Krua. Those who are smart won¡¯t betray unless they have a strong conviction of success.¡± Thud. The sound of a chair being pulled resonated in the office. He slowly approached the window and looked at the carriage departing from the mansion. He whispered as if Krua could hear him. This current generation of the Alors family seemed to have trouble handling their abilities properly. They were like a powder keg, entering a situation reminiscent of a swirling storm, so the Ferro of Alors family had come into play. Moreover¡­ the Ferro was a fake, and it maybe seemed like the head would be manipulated by Alors. No matter how carefully the family planned the fake Ferro marriage, there was undoubtedly an unsettling aspect to the situation. No one knew when the real Ferro would appear. Hence, those who wanted to cut off ties would naturally emerge, and Argenta¡¯s regulations do not tolerate such individuals. It was time to purge them at least once. ¡°It¡¯s urgent, Your Excellency.¡± Advertisements At that moment, an urgent knock resounded on the office door. As Diello was lost in his thoughts, the attendant entered and kneeled with one knee, paying respect. ¡°There are concerning movements in the fourth zone of the endless sea.¡± ¡°¡­The fourth zone?¡± After the previous third zone was breached, it was now the fourth zone¡¯s turn. He widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Field Commander Redias is requesting for his departure.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± Upon hearing those words, Diello felt an emotion that had been absent for a long time. He knew the field commander of that place, Redias, very well. Redias had made significant contributions to his upbringing after he lost his parents. Redias was a cautious individual¡­ For someone like him to personally request a departure meant that the situation was grave. Diello hastily grabbed his coat. * * * That afternoon, Diello suddenly left the mansion. ¡°He left without saying anything?¡± It was a bit perplexing. Even for trivial matters, he used to inform me, but this time, there was no sign of that happening. ¡°Yes. There seems to be a problem in the fourth zone.¡± Vielle replied curtly, not giving me any information about the head¡¯s affairs. I didn¡¯t accept the documents she presented to me and asked first. ¡°There¡¯s a problem in the endless sea?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She glanced briefly out the window. From here, the sea was visible in the distance. Of course, not including the monsters and horrors that existed there. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re concerned because of the previous large-scale attack.¡± Even though Diello seemed gentle and weak, he was originally a powerful head born with strong abilities. He wouldn¡¯t be injured in a battle against monsters. ¡°Yes, I hope he returns safely¡­¡± I finally accepted the documents related to Argenta¡¯s affairs. The title on the document folder was simple. ¡°¡­Shadows?¡± The next moment, I flipped through the pages. Besides the magic contract, it was mentioned as one of the traditions that had been there since the beginning of Argenta. Sitting next to me, Vielle explained while reading a lengthy description. ¡°Shadows are things given to the families of those who have performed missions for Argenta.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I could say it with certainty. Alors didn¡¯t have anything like this. As I was flipping through the papers, my gaze focused on one particular place. Advertisements ? Additional Shadows for this quarter. ? The names were written below. ¡°Roa¡­¡± It was Roa, who was once called a criminal. It was said that he was buried near the sea as a symbol of him having to protect the endless sea. His family also became recipients of the Shadows¡¯ support. ¡°His Excellency has specially acknowledged Roa¡¯s efforts to manage the situation until the end.¡± Vielle informed me, perhaps sensing my surprise. I smiled wryly. ¡°I thought so.¡± To my words, there was no immediate response from Vielle, as I had expected. ¡°Vielle?¡± When I turned around, she finally spoke. I briefly caught a glimpse of a strange expression flickering across her face. ¡°¡­Families supported by the Shadows can live a life of abundance without worrying about their livelihood, unlike other people in the territory. Many people in Argenta are satisfied with that.¡± ¡°Argenta¡­ but not people of the territories?¡± I raised an eyebrow slightly. I did think that not all people of the territory would receive such support. Perhaps when Vielle mentioned ¡®Argenta,¡¯ she was referring to those who work in the Argenta Duchy. If there were people who received such special treatment, wouldn¡¯t it imply a disparity among the people of the territory? However, the statistics showed otherwise. Argenta had a higher duchy ranking than any other. There was even a strong emphasis on wanting to become part of Argenta and early education for children in that regard. ¡°So, what are the conditions to become part of Argenta?¡± In response to my question, Vielle conjured a flame at her fingertips. It was the same fire that Argenta wielded. ¡°It¡¯s this ability. I¡¯ve heard that the people working in Alors or Cartiel are people with their respective family¡¯s inherited abilities¡­?¡± As if asking, she tilted her head towards me. I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. There are people in Alors who can control water, but it wasn¡¯t like this.¡± Not everyone in the Alors mansion could control water. Even if the head hadn¡¯t naturally inherited the abilities, they could bestow them to other people. Still, there was no way a greedy Duke Alors would willingly give up a portion of his ability. I tilted my head as I flipped through the paper. ¡°Well, even those without abilities can work in the estate¡­ and there¡¯s no mention of Shadows or contracts.¡± This was clearly an Argenta tradition. Vielle smiled at my words. ¡°There are bound to be differences between Argenta and the two families.¡± Advertisements After replying, she pointed to a document. It was the welfare provided to those who became the ¡®Argenta¡¯ family in the Duke¡¯s estate. Not only did the support begin for the families of those who became Argenta, but the Argenta¡¯s family members had the freedom to choose their residence, whether it be exclusive Argenta buildings near the Duke¡¯s estate or any other desired location within the Argenta territory. Furthermore, the monthly payment given to Argenta amounted to a year¡¯s worth of living expenses for an average commoner household. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Such policies would elevate the honor of Argenta within the territory and greatly contribute to the loyalty and sense of belonging of the Argenta family. All of a sudden¡­ Knock, knock! An urgent knocking sound was heard. This wasn¡¯t a knock to Diello¡¯s office, it was a knock to my office. Why would someone urgently seek me out? ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter?¡± As I asked in a slightly raised voice, the door opened. ¡°Excuse me, madam.¡± His appearance was somewhat disheveled. There were traces of dirt on his hair and the hem of his clothes. It seemed like he had just come in a hurry. ¡°The fourth zone is requesting additional reinforcements.¡± ¡°What?¡± I widened my eyes. ¡°But, isn¡¯t Diello there?¡± In the Argenta territory, Diello Argenta was the person who wielded the power of Argenta the most, so why was additional support needed? ¡°He personally gave the orders.¡± I widened my eyes again. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Vielle seemed surprised, too, but my astonishment was different from hers. The marriage of Krua Alors and Diello Argenta had already taken place, and the arrival of the real Ferro to the mansion was about to happen soon. However, Redias Argenta was on the verge of sacrificing himself in the fourth zone sooner than expected. It was evident that this particular event was about to unfold. I focused my gaze on the knight. CH 14 Redias Argenta was Diello¡¯s father figure and the last remaining connection to his family. His death naturally had a significant impact on him, both emotionally and physically, and it would happen in the upcoming battle. As a member of the Argenta family, Redias held significant power and influence, making his loss a major blow to their forces. ¡°¡­How much reinforcement did he need?¡± In response to my question, the knight replied. ¡°They said we need troops capable of swiftly securing the area since the battle seems to be lasting longer than expected.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Vielle also seemed to calm her startled heart after hearing that. It appeared that the situation wasn¡¯t as dire as it seemed. ¡°¡­.¡± I narrowed my eyes. Despite what I heard, I knew the truth. The situation on the battlefield hadn¡¯t reached an urgent point yet. The reason why experienced commander Redias perished even with Diello¡¯s assistance was that he gathered all his strength to withstand the water magic used by the sea monster known as the ¡®Tidebreaker.¡¯ He sensed the imminent danger and even requested his assistance, but Diello couldn¡¯t have known either. It was unheard of in Argenta¡¯s history for a monster capable of using ¡®water magic¡¯ to appear. I couldn¡¯t let events unfold according to that course. Even though it was a contractual marriage, I didn¡¯t want to simply overlook the potential tragedy. Of course, I wasn¡¯t merely driven by the mindset of a typical hero. Redias Argenta, even after Diello ascended as the Duke, would continue to play a significant role with his immense power. It was also crucial for my own future. Thud. Having finished my thoughts, I abruptly stood up from my seat. ¡°I¡¯ll send reinforcements as quickly as possible. The number of troops¡­¡± Normally, Vielle and the knights would make such decisions. However, they were unaware of the existence of the sea monster, so it was also impossible to inform them of the monster¡¯s existence. Claiming to have read it in a book would be suspicious, and I would be treated as someone suspicious, so the best way was to naturally bring along as many troops as possible and find the most efficient method to block the water magic. ¡°It¡¯s better for the knights to decide, right?¡± Upon hearing my words, the reporting knight and Vielle exchanged glances. Seizing the moment, I played my trump card. ¡°Though please arrange some knights to accompany me as escorts.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Vielle raised her head in surprise. She was taken aback as well. ¡°I¡¯m going there. I could control water, after all.¡± I extended my hand. Swoosh! Advertisements The nearby ink and water in a vase responded to my touch as it moved. At that moment, the knight and Vielle widened their eyes and stared at it. ¡°Since there¡¯s a need for reinforcement even after Diello came, my abilities will be helpful.¡± ¡­No, not just for Diello, but I was certain that my abilities would save many lives. * * * ¡°I hate the sea.¡± Diello murmured. Hundreds of years ago, for some reason, the sea appeared and the monsters there relentlessly targeted the land. To protect the land from the endless sea, the Argenta mansion was built to overlook the sea, shining under the sunlight from a distance. The sea was a sight to behold, but to him, it only looked like the entrance to hell. Diello Argenta had known since childhood that most of the people he knew had been devoured by the endless sea. ¡°There are many who wish for your downfall, my lord. Become stronger¡± ¡°If you cannot, then at least become accustomed to sacrifice, my lord.¡± ¡°Look at Argenta as a whole, not just as individuals.¡± These were the teachings of his mentor, his last remaining confidant. If it weren¡¯t for his guidance, young Diello might have crumbled. ¡°To survive, you must become numb.¡± The words of his mentor, Redias Argenta, echoed in his mind every time he set foot in the sea. ¡°¡­.¡± Today, what was in his thoughts was Redias Argenta¡¯s presence on the battlefield as a commander. * * * Kraah! When Diello first arrived at the shores of the fourth zone of the endless sea, half of the coastline was infested with monsters. As soon as he arrived on the battlefield, he drew his sword without hesitation. Whoosh! Powerful flames surged from the tip of his sword, engulfing the monsters in fire. The monsters of the endless sea, who were unaffected by ordinary flames, reacted specifically to Argenta¡¯s flames as if they were paper soaked in oil. Even the monsters, who were immune to the abilities of ordinary Argenta, couldn¡¯t withstand the flames of the Argenta¡¯s head. Kiiiik! The seawater flowing from the bodies of the monsters evaporated in an instant, causing the surroundings to heat up. ¡°The head has arrived!¡± Advertisements Waaaah! The morale of the Argenta knights, who had been pushed back, underwent a complete transformation. Even though they had thought that everything would be quickly resolved, that was what they thought half a day ago. The situation on the battlefield had completely changed now. ¡°If things continue like this, numerous Argenta will perish.¡± Diello furrowed his brow. A few hours ago¡­. The monsters kept increasing, and at one point, instead of monsters, a massive wave crashed onto the coast. ¡°W-What is that?¡± Amidst the bewildered Argenta knights¡¯ shouts, Diello tried to evaporate most of the rushing seawater though there were limits to his ability. The waves kept crashing repeatedly. Within those waves, a monster capable of controlling the waves that it could reverse the tides unexpectedly appeared. ¡°Recently, they said monsters capable of using fire have appeared even in the desert guarded by Cartiel¡­¡± Diello narrowed his eyes. Cartiel was a noble family known for controlling the wind, and their ability was said to fan the flames of the enemy. Nevertheless, Cartiel¡¯s head had already found his Ferro and was considered the strongest head in history. It was said that there were no issues when the head personally intervened¡ªthe situation was brought under control without any problems. ¡°¡­.¡± But here, his real Ferro had yet to appear. Diello narrowed his eyes. This was practically a natural disaster. ¡°We requested reinforcements at the mansion, but it seems unlikely that there will be any significant changes on the battlefield.¡± He quickly assessed the situation. Beside him, the field commander, Redias, bowed his head. ¡°I apologize for my oversight. For now, my lord, please take care of yourself.¡± Redias had requested the head¡¯s help, thinking that it would be better to ask for his help to minimize the damage to Argenta. However, the situation on the battlefield had turned into the mutant monster domain. Argenta, who controlled fire, was helpless against the waves that rushed in like a catastrophe. If Diello Argenta had been a head who already had his Ferro and inherited the ability properly, the situation on the battlefield would have been different. Not only Diello Argenta himself but also the people who received his power would have been able to wield an incredibly powerful force incomparable to the current situation. Still, without Ferro, they could only block and defend. No, the fact that those beneath the head who could use the power were able to block these monsters to this extent itself was a miracle. So, to completely block them, sacrifices were necessary. ¡°I will go to stop them.¡± It was a declaration that Roa of the third zone had made before, using all the power he had received as an Argenta to halt the monsters. Diello furrowed his brow. If it were the case, this would be another sacrifice following Roa¡¯s sacrifice not long ago. Advertisements However, Redias¡¯ choice was a selfless one for the sake of Argenta. It was impossible for Diello, who was a head who hadn¡¯t properly inherited the ability, to reach the monsters in the middle of the water. If someone were to do that, especially Argenta¡¯s own blood, going there could potentially kill the monster. ¡°¡­.¡± However, unlike Roa, Redias had fulfilled his duties as a field commander. Even so, in order to minimize the damage given by a large number of enemies, it was inevitable to sacrifice himself for the sake of Argenta. As a head, it was something that had to be approved, even if Diello Argenta was his disciple. The one he had taught in this way was the Redias Argenta standing before him, his mentor and his last family member. ¡°My lord, I seek permission.¡± Redias bowed his head. On a battlefield, it was better to say less¡­ and in this way, he would sacrifice himself. ¡°Tenacious Argenta¡­.¡± Diello muttered quietly. As Roa had done, burning Redias¡¯ body to stop it was the right thing to do. That was the correct answer. Argenta was a family that had been maintained in that way. When he had to make an unfair yet fair decision, the moment when he had to give orders, Diello kept finding himself biting his lips as he was about to speak. Thud! Thud! At that moment, in the distance, the sound of hurried hoofbeats could be heard. Diello paused. At first glance, it wasn¡¯t the sound of a small number of knights coming. ¡°¡­?¡± Turning around casually, his eyes widened. ¡°That is¡­?¡± Redias, who had been preparing to sacrifice himself with a resolute heart, stopped his movements. Ahead of them, there were even more troops approaching than expected. ¡°Huh?¡± However, what caught Diello and Redias¡¯ attention was the figure at the forefront of the knight order. With purple hair dampened by the rain and reddish eyes visible in between¡­ ¡°¡­Krua Alors?¡± The moment when he widened his eyes, he could see a blue aura emanating from Krua Alors¡¯ hand at the front. It was the ability of Alors, who could control water. CH 15 Splash! In areas abundant with water, Alors possessed a natural advantage. And as if to affirm that undeniable truth, the fierce waves that should¡¯ve crashed against the coastline collided with an invisible barrier. ¡°I will stop the water!¡± Once again, as she extended her hand, the fierce waves that had been disturbing the coastline appeared to be subdued to mere ripples. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Diello let out a short exclamation. That¡¯s right, Krua was an Alors. She possessed the ability to control the water freely. It was this exceptional power that allowed her to be a formidable force near the sea. Nevertheless, because of her family ties, Krua didn¡¯t have to put her life on the line on the Argenta¡¯s battlefield. It was only when Alors was involved that she should¡¯ve come to help¡­ yet, she willingly leaped into the heart of the battlefield for the sake of Argenta. The water drops glistened as they cascaded down her purplish hair, making the end of her locks sparkle with brilliance. Crash! The surrounding water reacted to her and settled. Crash! The sea moved several times in response to her ability, and as the relentless waves finally ceased their surging, the entire battlefield underwent an abrupt change. ¡°Diello!¡± He had to rush out now and slay the monsters. However, Diello couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Krua. Argenta controlled the flames. That was why water was terrifying to them, and the sea was no different from the realm of death. But now, not anymore. For the first time, he saw the sea sparkling. It wasn¡¯t a sea of blood and death where the blood of monsters and humans mingled. It was a sparkling sea. At that moment, the sea, water, and Krua herself dazzled brightly in his eyes. * * * Before heading to the battlefield, I once again practiced my ability to become a little more familiar with it. Splash! The more I used my ability, the easier it became to control water. Advertisements The original story didn¡¯t mention that Krua possessed such exceptional ability, did it? And as far as I know, in the original story, she was someone who struggled even to control a cup of tea. Indeed, there have been changes to her ability since I possessed this body. It was a good thing for me, though. Splash! I shaped the water in the basin, forming it into sharp, knife-like shapes before letting it disperse. It was amazing how I could make the water around me move just by thinking about it. It felt so natural, like breathing. ¡°Preparations are complete. Waiting for order to advance.¡± At that moment, the captain of the knights approached and bowed his head. With Diello absent from the mansion, I was the only one who could give the order to advance. As I glanced at the Argenta knights surrounding me, they were all knights from the fourth floor of Argenta, composed of elite members. ¡°Anyone who belongs to the fourth floor of Argenta can be trusted without a doubt.¡± Diello said once. According to his casual remark, the people who frequented the fourth floor of this mansion at least knew that I was the fake Ferro. Did that mean there were no spies within the mansion? Or did it imply that there was little interaction between the servants on the fourth floor and the lower floors? What if the plan gets leaked? ¡­I used to think that way until now. ¡°¡­.¡± I glanced at the knight before me, whose head respectfully bowed. He was also someone from the fourth floor. As we made our final preparations, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the people from the fourth floor were even more tight-lipped than I had imagined. Could it be that Diello¡¯s trust wasn¡¯t unfounded? In contrast to them, the servants from the third floor and below, who didn¡¯t know about my contract marriage, treated me with an air of indifference. ¡°¡­Pardon? Madam will personally join the troops?¡± However, shortly after I mentioned that I would personally go to the battlefield, the attitudes of the servants started to change little by little. It was the same regardless of which floor of Argenta they belonged to. It was a drastic change that happened in less than half a day. They became more respectful and kind towards me. As a result, the expressions of the servants from the third floor and below who saw us off were quite friendly. It was fascinating. I turned around and looked at the knights standing in perfect formation behind me. Since they were knights from the fourth floor, I could use the Alors¡¯ ability to some extent in front of them. ¡°All troops, advance to the fourth zone!¡± I raised my sword to the knights who were waiting for my command. Even though it was a heavy sword and it was a sword that I wouldn¡¯t need, there was no better item to set the mood for them. ¡°Wahh!¡± Neigh! With me riding on a horse at the forefront, numerous knights set off towards the fourth zone. Originally, less than half of them would have gone to the fourth zone. ¡°Please provide me with an escort.¡± Advertisements I requested before. However, as I joined the battlefield, the number of knights increased significantly. If it were any other family, they would have been terrified at the idea of their lady participating in the battle. Still, this was Argenta, the protector of the endless sea, I held a unique position as an Alors, the one who could control water. It meant that I was the decisive key that could instantly control the situation on the battlefield. The knights realized that fact and showed a sense of awe. Still, they didn¡¯t agree to my participation at once. Perhaps it was because my water manipulation ability was known to be weak. ¡°¡­The command I received from the lord was to prioritize your safety, madam.¡± They seemed concerned about my safety. I didn¡¯t expect there wouldn¡¯t be any opposition at all. I preemptively blocked their objections with a prepared response. ¡°The center of Argenta is not me, but Diello Argenta, your lord. Even though he personally joined the battle, he requested additional forces. It greatly bothers me.¡± When making demands, one should do so confidently. I raised my head and looked straight at the knights. ¡°If this reinforcement turns out to be unnecessary, it will be criticized as a reckless move by their lady who needlessly mobilized troops. However, if by any chance Diello is in danger, Argenta will pay a hefty price.¡± With those words, the knights ultimately decided to proceed with the reinforcement centered around me. I followed behind the knight leading the way, and numerous other knights followed suit. ¡®¡­Redias Argenta must not die.¡¯ That was the reason why I participated in this expedition, even pushing myself beyond my limits. Redias Argenta was Diello¡¯s father figure and the sole remaining connection to the Argenta main family now that everyone else had died. In short, it meant that Argenta had a powerful innate ability. He would be useful to be a main force for the battle with Alors later on. In the original story, Redius Argenta, possessing such power, sacrificed himself in this incident, putting Argenta in a crisis. ¡®I can¡¯t just leave him like that.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Driven by urgency, I hurriedly said it. It was fortunate that Krua Alors¡¯ body remembered not only the ability to manipulate water. Turned out she had a knack for horseback riding as well. After a brief moment of awkwardness on my first ride, I quickly picked up the pace and raced ahead without a hitch. As I raced forward, the surrounding scenery blurred into streaks. Meanwhile, I pondered for a moment. ¡®I don¡¯t have time.¡¯ According to the original story, Redias Argenta died just before the real Ferro¡¯s arrival, leaving the family in a state of crisis. Amidst the chaos of keeping up with Alors¡¯ affairs and the fake wedding, I had almost missed this crucial detail. The real Ferro would arrive two months after the wedding. Now that Redias Argenta was in crisis, there wasn¡¯t much time left until the Ferro arrived. The original story was told from the perspective of a maid, so both Krua and the real Ferro were just extras. Yet, I remembered vividly when the real Ferro finally appeared. It was because the real Ferro¡¯s personality was no joke. Advertisements ? She¡¯s an incredibly spiteful person, right? She enjoyed causing pain to others. I¡¯d rather work under Krua Alors. Besides, she¡¯s incredibly stubborn. ? That was what the servants said in the original. Hence, I had no intention of meeting her. ¡®I need to prepare to leave quickly.¡¯ Of course, I wouldn¡¯t leave Argenta until I completely ruined Alors though it would be convenient to lay the groundwork for leaving while I was still here. However, that was a problem for when I would return safely from this battle. I knew that my powers grew stronger near the source, so I came here with confidence. Regardless, standing on this vast coastline, especially in a place where monsters appear, made me incredibly anxious. The only thing I could confidently control was the water in the large bathtub when I experimented back at the mansion. However, since my abilities were only at this level, just how powerful was the water manipulation ability of Duke Alors? ¡­Could I really be of any help on the battlefield? Despite using my abilities intermittently, I was nervous when I saw the coastline. However¡­ ¡°Shoot¡­!¡± As the distant sea came into view, a surge of excitement coursed through my veins as the blood of Alors stirred within me, responding to the presence of water. It was on the water that Alors became invincible. ¡°¡­.!¡± In the distance, I spotted a massive wave threatening to attack Argenta. Amidst the chaos, I caught a glimpse of Diello¡¯s eyes, filled with surprise at my unexpected arrival. His eyes were the same shade of blue as the vast sea itself. Splash! Alors¡¯ blood, reacting to the water, gathered a blue force in my hands. Kraaa! The strange monster, half-fish and half-human monsters, closed in on me though I felt no fear. It was rather peculiar. It must have been the confidence instilled by Alors¡¯ blood. ¡°¡­.!¡± Once again, I swung my hand with determination. CH 16 Kraah! As the monsters lunged at me, my instincts kicked in and I began to channel my ability. Sharp, blade-like water instantly surged from the ground, piercing through the bodies of the monsters. Splash! Kraah! The screams of the monsters echoed along the coastline the next moment as the people of Argenta looked at me in astonishment. ¡°Water?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± In a place dominated by fire, my ability to control water stood out unmistakably. ¡°¡­Even though she¡¯s not the head, she possessed this much power?¡± ¡°How powerful must the Duke of Alors be?¡± They were amazed, and in an instant, the beach turned into chaos. Splash! In response to the approaching monsters, a surge of water, filled with raw power, flooded the shore. Even though the wave concealed what lay beyond, I could sense its presence. Having known the existence of the sea monster that could control water in the original story, or perhaps due to the fact that the monsters resided in water, I could discern their positions. There was no need to leave such visible enemies unattended. Crash! Clenching my fist tightly, I channeled my ability again and the threatening waves that surged toward me dispersed into the surrounding sea. Kreek! In the midst of the chaos, a monster appeared, letting out a startled scream. It held a crude staff, resembling that of a mage and wobbled on its thin legs, clumsily swaying in the air. In the meanwhile, in front of it, a huge water spear, created by my own hands, awaited. ¡°¡­.!¡± However, the spear I conjured was unable to pierce through the monster¡¯s body. Perhaps it was because the monster possessed the ability to control water, or maybe it was fiercely defending itself against my attack. At that moment, I thought that giving it even greater power would be the solution. That was my thinking. ¡°Krua.¡± Though Diello¡¯s low voice suddenly reached my ears from beside me. ¡°Yes?¡± As I turned to face him¡­ Advertisements Whoosh! A fire ignited in the air. In an instant, it transformed into a massive spear and landed in his hand. Naturally, the flames controlled by Diello, the Head of Argenta, did not singe even a strand of his hair. ¡°¡­.!¡± In that state, Diello swung his arm back and hurled the spear. Swish! With a sharp sound, as if it were sucking in the surrounding air, the spear flew and struck the monster¡¯s head. Crash! Crack! The water surrounding it evaporated instantly, and the monster was now engulfed in a dense mist. It was an intense display of fire. ¡°¡­.!¡± I widened my eyes in astonishment. He had the power to beat a completely soaked monster on the water, leaving no trace behind. Was this the power of an unawakened head? Even though I knew Diello possessed formidable abilities, I had no idea he was this strong. ¡°The sea monster is dead! Clean up the battlefield!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± Seizing the opportunity, Redias Argenta rallied us and, accompanied by the knights, dashed forward. Amidst the charging knights, I met Diello¡¯s eyes. ¡°How¡­?¡± He was asking how I arrived here. All he had requested was a small number of knights to expedite post-battle procedures and some help, and his message contained no mention of him being in danger. However, I couldn¡¯t say that I came because I sensed the crisis. I smirked and uttered. ¡°I was worried, you know. I can¡¯t afford to let my partner get hurt.¡± I pointed toward the sea. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re by the sea. I thought I could be of help.¡± ¡­Also, it was because I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d fight properly with his soft personality. Even if he had great power, whether he could take lives or not with it was a different matter. In the original story, he seemed to have fought well, but seeing him in person, he didn¡¯t appear to be strong amidst the pervasive atmosphere of death on the battlefield. ¡°Thank you, Krua.¡± He said, offering a faint smile. It was the same smile I always saw. However, I felt a strange sense of dissonance in that smile. The way he had thrown the fiery spear earlier was a far cry from the Diello Argenta I had known until now. His eyes, shimmering with a pale blue hue like the water along the shallow coastline, had a definite sharpness to them. I saw it briefly but clearly. And the spear of fire he had thrown had undeniably pierced the enemy¡¯s throat with precision and without hesitation. It struck the fatal spot with accuracy and determination. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help.¡± I smiled back at him. And as I did, I pondered. Advertisements Diello Argenta, as the head of Argenta, adept at wielding both the sword and flames, might be different from the man I saw lying in bed with his soft and gentle smile. * * * The battlefield was swiftly cleared. Not only did Redias alone have prevented great damage, but most of the Argenta knights who had been guarding the zone had survived. It would have been impossible without Krua¡¯s timely support. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Alors was said to have little control over water?¡± ¡°Be careful with your words. She¡¯s the madam now.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The knights on the battlefield were amazed by her abilities. At this rate, the fact that she possessed powerful water manipulation skills, contrary to the rumors, might spread to other noble houses. ¡°¡­.¡± Meanwhile, Diello gazed at Krua Alors, who was nestled in his arms, peacefully asleep. After the battle was resolved, she quickly lost her strength and couldn¡¯t support her own body properly. ¡°Hey, let me help you.¡± It was he who suggested that she ride with him. ¡°¡­.¡± On the swaying horse, Krua¡¯s body leaned against his arms, seeking support. The strange fragrance that had been swirling around him was the unmistakable smell of the sea, which he detested so much. Alors. She had the lingering scent of the sea, almost like the smell of a body soaked after the rain. Despite being an Argenta adept at controlling fire, he had always disliked rain¡­ though today, he oddly found it bearable, even sweet, as if it quenched his thirst like a delicious drink. ¡°Rick.¡± When he opened his mouth, Rick appeared from among the people, bowing his head. ¡°Yes.¡± As the head intelligence of Argenta, he was well aware of Diello¡¯s true personality, so Rick wasn¡¯t surprised by his cold demeanor. ¡°Ensure that Krua¡¯s abilities remained unknown beyond this battlefield. Take care of any spy from other houses who may leak that.¡± He ordered him to eliminate any spies from other noble houses who were left behind to gather information and prevent Krua¡¯s abilities from becoming known outside the battlefield and also to inform the other Argenta knights to be cautious. ¡°Understood.¡± Rick nodded lightly. As the head intelligence of Argenta and the ¡®executor,¡¯ he would faithfully carry out Diello¡¯s orders. ¡°Krua Alors¡­¡± ¡­No, Krua. Having completed his instructions, Diello muttered her name. Advertisements According to the battlefield doctors, she was more likely to be in deep sleep than simply being exhausted. Even when her name was called, she didn¡¯t respond. It meant that she was deeply unconscious. ¡°Diello.¡± The sparkling blue light that cut through the sea of death suddenly came to his mind. Krua¡¯s hands formed a protective barrier over the sea of death, and wherever she touched, there were no lifeless bodies. Today, there was no need to rely on Argenta¡¯s sacrifices. ¡°Are you going back to the mansion like this?¡± As Redias Argenta approached him and asked, Diello nodded briefly. Redias was his mentor, whom Krua had saved. ¡°It was truly amazing earlier.¡± He said, sparing no praise for Krua¡¯s abilities. Her control over water, which was synonymous to death for Argenta, was awe-inspiring. Her reign over the water was enough to evoke admiration. Furthermore, she had utilized her abilities to its fullest extent, throwing herself into the battlefield without considering her own safety. ¡­All for the sake of Argenta. Diello let out a short breath. ¡°Now, no one will protect you. You must become independent. Do not trust anyone, not even me. Doubt even me.¡± These were the words Redias Argenta had said to him in his younger days. It was the day Diello¡¯s parents died, the day he shed his last tears. His childhood came to an end when he realized that corpses would constantly pile up beneath his feet, turning to ashes. From that day on, he had to follow Redias¡¯words fervently. ¡°Do not give affection to every person.¡± He was told. To those weaker than him, the ones who were bound to die before him on the battlefield, he couldn¡¯t react to each of their deaths. He wouldn¡¯t be able to survive if he reacted to each and every death¡­ that was why he had to stay cold, unaffected by anyone¡¯s death. He couldn¡¯t give special affection to anyone. ¡­However, what if there was someone who wasn¡¯t weaker than him? If there was someone who wasn¡¯t afraid of the sea of death? ¡°Diello!¡± In the midst of the blurry sea that had always appeared hazy in his eyes, a figure stood out. It was Krua, shouting with such intensity. Her sparkling purple hair, wet with water, and her crimson eyes filled with unwavering confidence¡ªthey were more radiant than anything else. She was mesmerizing, shining brightly even in the middle of the sea of death. She was so fascinating, so dazzling, that he couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away from her. CH 17 Argenta¡¯s forces were divided into three main categories. First were the covert assassins who discreetly eliminated anything that posed a threat to Argenta within the darkness. Second were the official knights, who served as Argenta¡¯s formal military forces. And finally, there were the executors who punished those who violated Argenta¡¯s rules. The leader of the knights was Diello Argenta, the head of Argenta. However, he was also basically the leader of the assassins, also known as the cleaners, and the executors, led by Rick, who also served as the head of intelligence. They could be considered the backbone of Argenta as they held unwavering loyalty to Diello Argenta. Naturally, they sought to eliminate any potential harm to their lord, even before it could reach him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the madam to rush into the battlefield so decisively,¡± remarked Vielle, who had been listening to reports from the knights deployed in the fourth zone. ¡°Isn¡¯t she considered an outsider? She¡¯ll be leaving the family soon, but¡­¡± The knight said, his face filled with admiration. ¡°Because of that, I also didn¡¯t expect her to go to such lengths. If the madam had not been present in this battle, the damage would have been severe.¡± As Rick replied while shrugging his shoulders, Vielle furrowed her brows in response. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, Redias would have to sacrifice himself.¡± Rick spoke dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s not sacrifice, it¡¯s his job.¡± ¡°Either way, dying is dying. Boom.¡± Grinning mischievously and spreading his palm, Rick answered. Vielle sighed upon seeing him. Not many knew that Rick, an executor, and Vielle, the head of the cleaners, were close. In public, they maintained a strict decorum. ¡°She¡¯s more proactive in her duties than I expected, and she has a good understanding of Argenta¡¯s rules. Even though it must be quite different from Alors.¡± She commented. For an outsider, hearing such words from the usually strict Vielle was almost like a compliment. The knight, who reported to both of them, lowered his head. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that she¡¯s only here temporarily.¡± He said, aware of the fake Ferro plan as a member of Argenta¡¯s fourth floor. Upon hearing this, Rick scratched his cheek. ¡°But even though it¡¯s temporary, it seems the head has no intention of sending the madam away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The simultaneous questioning gazes of the two individuals met each other. ¡°The head wants us to reveal Argenta¡¯s secret to her without hiding anything.¡± Either become a complete insider or not¡­ it seemed their lord had made a decision. Understanding the harsh implication behind the words, Rick raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so? I had a different idea.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Vielle asked. He appeared to be a lighthearted person, but Rick had a sharp intellect. Without that, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to serve as the executor and head of intelligence. Because of that, Vielle respected his opinions. ¡°I¡­¡± Rick¡¯s expression became serious. When he had that kind of expression, it meant he was speaking seriously. Vielle listened to his words with a similarly grave expression. However¡­ ¡°I saw love in the lord¡¯s eyes.¡± Vielle touched her forehead in response to Rick¡¯s subsequent words. He continued. ¡°No, seriously. Hearts were popping out from his eyes?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to talk nonsense, go make a report.¡± She dismissed him. Regardless of what the two of them were thinking, the perception of Krua in Vielle was undoubtedly starting to change. Originally, Vielle¡¯s perception of Krua was as follows: an outsider from the hostile Alors family who might leak Argenta¡¯s information to Alors at any time. Though now, things were different now. Although she came from Alors, she had thrown herself into the dangerous battlefield for Argenta¡¯s sake, saving countless Argenta¡¯s people. The way Vielle viewed Krua Alors, or rather, Krua Argenta, had completely changed. * * * ¡°¡­Ah.¡± How did I get back here? I blinked my eyes. I seemed to have heard Diello ordering Redias to clean up the aftermath of the battlefield. ¡°It will take quite some time to deal with the aftermath.¡± I heard Redias say, and I remember myself getting on a horse. ¡°Ah.¡± I remember my head spinning and staggering while trying to get on the horse. At that moment¡­ ¡°Krua.¡± It was Diello who reached out his hand to me. I recalled his apologetic expression. ¡°You can rest now. I¡¯ll take you back.¡± He guided my body along with his words¡­ ¡°¡­Ah.¡± After that, my consciousness faded, so I didn¡¯t know what had happened, but it seemed I had returned with Diello. As I blinked my heavy eyelids a few times, my mouth felt dry, as if all the moisture in my body had disappeared, and I had no strength to move even a single finger. ¡®So, this is the side effect.¡¯ It was said that each person would experience different side effects after using their powerful abilities in all three families. Since Krua had never properly used her water manipulation abilities in the original, there might be some side effects I didn¡¯t know. Thud. At that moment, the door opened slightly, and a maid holding a towel entered. When our eyes met, she widened her eyes. ¡°¡­Madam?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She was a familiar face. Seeing me, she quickly approached and examined me. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up. I¡¯ll call the doctor.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Still, I wasn¡¯t sick, just exhausted. I held the maid back and asked something important instead. ¡°What about Redias?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The maid¡¯s eyes widened. Did I ask too directly? Well, Redias and I had no relationship before we met briefly on the battlefield, so it would be strange to ask like this. ¡°The field commander of the fourth zone. No, not just the field commander, but all the forces of the fourth zone.¡± Even if I lay down, I had no strength. After the maid who helped up sat up, I asked her again. ¡°Are they all safe? What¡¯s the extent of the damage?¡± Of course, Diello must have returned safely. He brought me here. Advertisements ¡°Ah, Sir Redias had already left.¡± ¡°What?¡± I widened my eyes. If he had already left, then how many days have I been lying here? ¡°Was I unconscious for a long time?¡± ¡°You were unconscious for about a day and a half.¡± Oh¡­ no wonder I felt so weak. I tightly closed my eyes, and when I opened them, the maid opened her mouth. ¡°The damage in the fourth zone is at a minimal level. Although there was a risk of significant damage if it had escalated into a prolonged battle due to a large number of casualties¡­¡± She bowed deeply and continued. ¡°Thanks to the Madam¡¯s support, there were no major losses. Commander Redias, who was in charge of the zone, wanted to express his gratitude, but he had to return to the fourth zone urgently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± I let out a sigh of relief. Although my body didn¡¯t feel good as a couple of days had passed, his survival alone would be a great help to Argenta. A pleasant smile appeared on my face. ¡°And what about Diello?¡± ¡°He returned without any problems and is currently fulfilling his duties. He visits from time to time to check on you.¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine his worried face. I sighed once again. If that was the case, he must have been greatly concerned about me. After all, our contractual marriage didn¡¯t include a condition where I had to risk my life on the battlefield. ¡°Please let him know that I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± ¡°I understand. However, if madam woke up, the head¡¯s order is to make sure I call a doctor.¡± The maid cautiously added. Given Diello¡¯s cautious nature, it was to be expected. I eventually nodded my head. ¡°Alright. Call the doctor and let Diello know.¡± ¡°Yes, for the sake of Argenta.¡± The maid gave a respectful bow and retreated. She moved gracefully. ¡°¡­For the sake of Argenta?¡± I quietly pondered. It was the first time I had heard such a formal greeting since coming to this mansion. But now, starting with that maid, other servants also began using the same greeting. ¡°Madam, Doctor Nias is here.¡± ¡°Ah, let him in.¡± Very cautiously, Doctor Nias entered and examined me, followed by the Argenta maids and knights who came to pay their respects. ¡°I received your orders.¡± ¡°For the sake of Argenta.¡± As I listened to each of them greeting me in that manner, it felt peculiar. Surely, until recently, they ignored me¡­ so why did they suddenly become so respectful? Really, just why? The one who resolved my curiosity was Vielle, who entered my room as soon as the doctor left after examining me. ¡°The sight of you going to the battlefield has made a significant impression on the Argenta¡¯s people.¡± In truth, I didn¡¯t think that a recently arrived madam, who hadn¡¯t been here for long, would make a favorable impression on the servants by moving the knights. Of course, the battlefield was chaotic and it needed assistance, but I practically forced them to go there. ¡®Well, but I control water. Shouldn¡¯t I naturally go there?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like I was forced, either. Nonetheless, I had to save Redias even if I acted stubbornly so that was why I pushed for it. ¡°¡­Why?¡± That was why I couldn¡¯t understand. No matter how good the outcome may have been, unless there were people who had read the original, this action would be seen as reckless. No matter how confidently I went as a reinforcement, I didn¡¯t know I could control water to that extent. At best, I thought I could barely rescue Redias Argenta from death. Did I expect my blood to react as soon as I saw the water? ¡°Because it was a dangerous battlefield.¡± When I thought about it, Vielle answered. ¡°I heard that you fearlessly rushed onto the battlefield, madam.¡± She gave a brief bow and continued, ¡°Even Argenta themselves tend to fear before sacrificing themselves for Argenta, but you did not hesitate. Instead, you charged onto the battlefield more boldly than Argenta¡¯s people.¡± As she lightly smiled, I widened my eyes. I knew that Vielle, Argenta¡¯s ¡®cleaner,¡¯ always drew a line between herself and others¡­ though that smile clearly contained genuine warmth. ¡°They think of it as your ¡®first battlefield.¡¯ I also believe so.¡± ¡°First battlefield?¡± Thud. The door suddenly opened, and a maid entered cautiously, carrying a tray and gently placing a bowl of soup in front of me. Vielle said as she lifted my meal tray. ¡°It is a test to become Argenta.¡± So, it was not just about having the ability? According to the original, at least Krua could become a knight of Argenta with the ability to control water alone. ¡°It is a test for those who want to become Argenta, they will be placed on the battlefield without weapons. They could only survive with their own flames.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± So, those who couldn¡¯t fight properly were left to die? ¡°Whether they survive or die will be determined solely by their own strength. If they die, their abilities will become part of the head¡¯s power, but if they survive, they will become a part of Argenta.¡± Although she was talking about a life-or-death situation, Vielle¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°It¡¯s a test to see if they have the will to sacrifice themselves for Argenta if they are prepared to become a true Argenta.¡± It was a profound statement. I muttered softly. ¡°To become an Argenta¡­¡± I finally understood the strange bond among the people of Argenta that I had felt before. It was probably because they only accepted those who had experienced their ¡®first battlefield¡¯ as a true Argenta. ¡°It feels strange.¡± Looking at Vielle, who wiped my mouth after I finished the soup, I uttered so. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll leave this place.¡± In fact, I already knew there wasn¡¯t much time left, but I couldn¡¯t show that I knew. ¡°¡­.¡± In response to my words, Vielle simply gave a brief bow without saying anything. * * * That night, I couldn¡¯t sleep, even though I had slept for half a day, so I decided to start preparing for the future. ¡°Can you bring me a map of the continent?¡± CH 18 As I looked at the map brought by Vielle, I began to contemplate seriously. Redias Argenta had been in danger, so there wasn¡¯t much time left until the real Ferro arrived. Shouldn¡¯t I prepare myself for when I leave this place? It was time to prepare, just as I had vowed before going to the battlefield. My goal was to live happily without any threats, and I had already been contemplating the method for a long time. ¡°The Daisy Forest.¡± It was a forest that covered the center of the continent, with the massive Daisy River flowing through it. Currently, there weren¡¯t many people venturing into the forest because of the threat of wildlife and monsters. However, a few years later, there would be movements to create a massive waterway centered around the Daisy River. It was by the time the three noble families stabilized the external threats. ¡°As expected, the future lies in real estate.¡± I had been considering buying land in this area beforehand. The problem was the funding to do so¡­ ? ¡°The expenses of the Duchess will be given to the Alors family.¡± ? I recalled the absurd statement from the marriage contract that Alors sent to Argenta in the original. It should¡¯ve been my money, so I didn¡¯t understand why it ended up in their pockets though it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to retrieve that money. If there were a need for funds to operate in this place, the Alors family wouldn¡¯t stubbornly snatch away that money. It was when I was contemplating that point¡ª ¡°Krua!¡± Thud! ¡ªThe door opened, and Diello entered the room, looking a bit breathless. ¡°Diello¡­?¡± ¡°I was worried.¡± He approached me and let out a sigh. ¡°I wanted to come faster, but the coast was getting rowdy¡­¡± Diello explained his circumstances with his hands moving. ¡°In other words, I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be by your side when you woke up?¡± When I summarized his words appropriately, he lightly touched his lips and nodded as he continued his words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, and thank you.¡± He was quite considerate. It made me burst into laughter. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You must have been busy.¡± Listening to his story, it seemed like he had spent the past two days in a hectic schedule, scouting the battlefield firsthand. And even during that time, he found opportunities to check on me. ¡°Still, are you really okay? I heard about Nias¡¯ examination, but¡­¡± As he gazed at me with a worried expression, I shrugged my shoulders, indicating that I was fine as I parted my lips. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s my first time using my abilities, so my body wasn¡¯t used to it.¡± I reassured him with a gesture not to worry. Diello smiled awkwardly. ¡°¡­You used your abilities too much.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t, there would have been significant damage.¡± Since we were in the same boat, the uncertain future of Argenta was no different from the uncertain future for me. Upon hearing my words, Diello let out a short sigh. ¡°Thanks to you, many people in Argenta were saved. But next time, I should tell you not to do something like this¡­¡± He closed his mouth for a moment and then smiled with a more embarrassed expression, ¡°¡­It¡¯s just that your ability in the endless sea was too attractive, so I can¡¯t protect you if a similar situation arises again.¡± Diello chuckled and cleared his throat. ¡°I mean, what do you want to do about that, Krua?¡± His sparkling eyes were fixed on me. ¡°Well, what can I do? I¡¯ll continue to help you in the future. Until we drive out Alors, we¡¯re on the same boat, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡®¡­So, there was no need to look at me with those sparkling eyes.¡¯ As I quietly turned my gaze away from his sparkling eyes, Diello lowered his gaze toward the table in front of me. I was sitting in front of a small table in the bedroom. The moment I looked at his sparkling blue eyes, his gentle voice rang out. ¡°But these things¡­ especially the map¡ª¡± When he saw the map, his head tilted in confusion. ¡°Do you have an interest in the Daisy Forest?¡± ¡°Yes. If I ever leave Argenta, I want to live near this area.¡± There was no need to hide my plans from someone who already knew I would leave anyway. I thought about it lightly. However, his silence was a bit long. ¡°¡­Diello?¡± When I called out to him as he silently examined the map, Diello finally uttered slowly. ¡°¡­If you leave Argenta?¡± He chose his words carefully. It took me a while to realize that his response was in regard to my earlier statement, ¡®If I leave Argenta, I want to live near the forest,¡¯ which came much later. Perhaps it was because of the dim lighting, but his eyes studied the map seemed oddly peculiar. * * * Advertisements The next day, after making plans for the future, an unwelcome letter arrived. It was none other than a letter from Duke Alors, the future source of my financial support¡­ no, the letter regarding the promise to allow him to meet his daughter once a month. * * * ¡°I¡¯ll come back without any problems.¡± Krua whispered to Diello as she boarded the carriage. ¡°I¡¯m good at acting, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Confidently stating her words, Krua left Argenta on the carriage to visit Duke Alors, as per the conditions of their unjust contractual marriage. It was undoubtedly an occasion to see how far Duke Alors¡¯s plan had progressed. ¡°Neigh!¡± Until the sound of the horses pulling the carriage faded into the distance, Diello stood in the spot where he had seen her off. ¡°¡­.¡± Suddenly, he thought about her from the previous night. ¡°The Daisy Forest¡­¡± There was a massive river flowing through that place, which made it quite appealing for someone with Alors blood. Nonetheless, what about the monsters and wild animals in the forest? He slowly turned his body. Well, if it was an ability that manipulated water, living in the forest shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°¡­.¡± He squinted his eyes. He hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of Krua using her abilities to fight with Argenta. Besides, he didn¡¯t trust people easily, contrary to what his innocent wife thought. Krua had no advantage in engaging in a battle with her abilities, yet she did it. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± However, did she really need to leave? * * * Crash¡­! With narrowed eyes, Diello still felt as if he could hear the sounds of the coast ringing in his ears as he recalled Krua¡¯s image from that place. ¡­Krua. Her ability undoubtedly saved many lives. From Argenta¡¯s perspective, her ability would make it easier to defend the endless sea. ¡°¡­.¡± It must be because of that¡­ because he had witnessed her tempting ability, she now stood out so prominently in his eyes. Above all, yesterday¡­ ¡°Someday, when I leave Argenta¡­¡± Recalling her words, Diello raised an eyebrow slightly. The image of her preparing to leave resurfaced in his mind. Looking at the map with her shining crimson eyes, she was dreaming of an unimaginable future. ¡°I thought she was wise, so why is it that she¡¯s knowledgeable about certain things and ignorant about others?¡± He turned his body towards the mansion. He didn¡¯t know when the real Ferro would come, but Krua was already deeply involved in the affairs of the family. It was because if she didn¡¯t perform the duties of the Duchess properly, their plan would be exposed. Still, regardless of the reason, she had come too deeply into Argenta¡¯s family. ¡°Do it or don¡¯t do it.¡± According to Argenta¡¯s rules, those outside of Argenta were not supposed to know about Argenta¡¯s affairs. In other words, she had to die once the real Ferro appeared and served her purpose. That was the plan. ¡°Krua.¡± Diello silently repeated her name in his mind. She naively revealed everything. It seemed like she pitied Diello Argenta himself more than anything¡­ unaware that she was the one trapped inside the beast¡¯s lair, she was gradually digging deeper. ¡°If the Ferro is late¡­¡± Diello moved slowly. If she truly understood Argenta¡¯s rules¡­ ¡°¡­It might be fine like this.¡± No, it might be better like this. He whispered quietly, a voice that only he could hear. There were already Argenta people who admired and accepted her as an Argenta. Above all, she was a person who suited Argenta well. ¡°I said, ¡®Do it or don¡¯t do it,¡¯ didn¡¯t I?¡± The bold bride who confidently spoke those words and exchanged vows was someone too precious to be in Alors. Yes, she was truly precious. She was shining brilliantly and yet, so regrettable. If she was the real Ferro¡­ ¡­If she could become the real Ferro, it would be even better. CH 19 ¡°As this is a reunion with my beloved daughter, would you mind giving us a moment?¡± Those were the words spoken by Duke Alors as soon as I entered his study. Naturally, his gaze was directed at the Argenta people who were about to follow me inside. As Vielle and the others, including the Argenta people, hesitated and took a step back, he asked as if he was bewildered. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t think I would harm my own daughter?¡± With those words, Vielle and the Argenta people retreated further. The Duke may not have known, but they only did it after they received a reassuring gaze from me. Thud. As soon as the door was closed, the smile disappeared from Duke Alors¡¯ face. Instead, I felt the gaze of someone who only saw me as a tool. ¡°So, how is it progressing?¡± It seemed that his order to discreetly send someone to seek evidence from me was not enough. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be asking about it right away. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve done some stuff.¡± He continued. I let out a hollow laugh but faithfully gave my response. At this moment, I had to be a ¡®faithful pawn of Duke Alors.¡¯ ¡°First, I have succeeded in continuing to share a room with Diello. However, the problem lies with Diello Argenta. He¡¯s just too¡­¡± I finished my words, wearing a perplexed expression. ¡°¡­Naively idealistic.¡± ¡°What?¡± When telling a lie, it was a rule to mix 5% falsehood with 95% truth. That way, the other person wouldn¡¯t easily sense anything amiss. While I didn¡¯t know if Diello truly went overboard with his idealism, in many ways, he was pure. ¡°Anyone from Argenta who frequents the fourth floor can be trusted.¡± I sighed, remembering the night he said those words. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s taking time for him to open up to me, likely due to my background.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been making an effort, have you?¡± Duke Alors¡¯ sharp gaze swept over me. I lowered my head. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been making an effort. Still, you also know, my lord, that it¡¯s not simply a matter of taking away his innocence for him and the Ferro to be connected.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m aware of that.¡± The more the head opened up to his Ferro and gave away his innocence, the mark that suppresses his abilities gradually disappeared. ¡°That¡¯s why it might take some time.¡± ¡°Tsk. Didn¡¯t you anticipate such things?¡± Duke Alors clicked his tongue at my words. Then, with an audacious expression, he went on. ¡°It¡¯s not for nothing that there¡¯s a thing called ¡®skill in seduction.¡¯ Haven¡¯t you been doing it properly?¡± Even though I knew he was trash, actually facing him made me realize that he was even more despicable than I had imagined. It was the first time I had a one-on-one encounter with Duke Alors, as I had possessed Krua¡¯s body while riding in Argenta¡¯s carriage. Thanks to that, this would become my first impression of him. Trash among all trash. A despicable human being. That was what I thought at that moment. Sigh. The air around me felt heavy. More precisely, even the moisture in the air seemed to weigh me down. Even the teacup placed between the Duke and me, from the tea inside it, a strong sense of pressure emanated. Naturally, the source was Duke Alors himself. His water manipulation ability began to oppress me. In an instant, I felt my breath being stifled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me say to seduce him somehow?¡± Whoosh! The tea in the teacup in front of me instantly transformed into sharp blades and pointed directly at my throat. ¡°¡­.!¡± Along with a sharp sensation, I felt something dripping down my throat. It wasn¡¯t tea¡­ it was blood. My blood. Instantly, my whole body trembled. ¡°¡­Of course, I¡¯m trying my best to do that.¡± Unconsciously, I lowered my voice as I spoke. It was because it felt like if I spoke loudly, I would be stabbed in the throat. ¡°What use is effort without results?¡± Duke Alors furrowed his brow. The pressure became even more unbearable, making it difficult to even breathe. Nonetheless, it was fine. I originally knew he would apply this level of pressure. He was a thorough trash in the original story as well. If things continued like this, I¡¯d have to report to him every night about how far I¡¯ve progressed. Of course, there was nothing to report. However, when it came to this, I had no choice but to play my final card. ¡°¡­But that¡¯s really impossible, my lord.¡± Advertisements I bit my lip, my face filled with unease. ¡°Why? Surely, you don¡¯t think that brat has lost his abilities at such a young age?¡± It was clear that the ability the Duke was referring to wasn¡¯t Argenta¡¯s fire manipulation ability. It was probably his ability at night¡­ how pathetic. Although I had speculated, he was even more lowly than I imagined. Thinking that way, I lowered my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. Still¡­¡± ¡®¡­I¡¯m sorry, Diello!¡¯ After making a declaration internally, I continued speaking with a desperate expression on my face. ¡°It¡¯s because our heart doesn¡¯t resonate. I simply can¡¯t spend the night with him.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t suggest that! How am I supposed to do it?¡¯ ¡°If I forcefully spend the night with him, it will have the opposite effect, as it will only close his heart further¡­ So, for now, I¡¯m trying to get closer gradually.¡± ¡°This is driving me crazy. Talking about lovey-dovey stuff¡­¡± Duke Alors leaned back against the sofa as if bewildered. However, being a person with Ferro himself, he should know that spending the night without opening one¡¯s heart was pointless. Splash! Just before my throat was about to be slit, the tea returned to his cup. He, who had taken a sip from the tea mixed with my blood without hesitation, spoke. ¡°We don¡¯t know when the real Ferro will appear. Before that happens, we must surely strip away his ability. Understand?¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Duke Alors narrowed his eyes. ¡°Above all, it¡¯s important not to get caught. Don¡¯t forget, Krua Alors.¡± He raised my chin with his fingertips. ¡°Useless tools will be discarded.¡± ¡­And even if they were useful, they would still be discarded in the end. I nodded, knowing that fact. This was the extent of the relationship between Krua Alors and Duke Alors. Even in the original story, Duke Alors had never recognized Krua Alors, the illegitimate child, as his daughter. ¡°¡­I will keep it in mind.¡± This level of conversation was well within the expected range. Pretending to gauge the Duke¡¯s mood, I opened my mouth. ¡°But, my lord, I have a request to make.¡± Duke Alors raised an eyebrow at my words. Who would call this situation a conversation between a father and daughter? ¡°What is it?¡± He had a face that seemed to say, ¡®What now?¡¯ What kind of audacious request do you want to make when you can¡¯t even fulfill your duties properly? ¡°I would like the funds for maintaining the dignity of the Duchess to be redirected to me. It doesn¡¯t have to be all of it¡ªeven just 1/10 would do.¡± ¡°Oh¡­?¡± Duke Alors wore a face of disbelief. It seemed like he was quite open about money, even though they couldn¡¯t handle our tasks properly. Nonetheless, I had already prepared the reasons to add to my request. ¡°If the funds for maintaining dignity are subtracted, I will have almost no money. To win Diello¡¯s heart, I need to do something, whether it¡¯s dressing up or beautifying myself¡­ though without money, I can¡¯t do anything.¡± Of course, human hearts couldn¡¯t be won solely with money. However, there were people who believed that hearts could be won with money. Duke Alors was a prime example of such a person. He twitched his eyebrows and nodded his head. ¡°I suppose so. I will redirect a portion of it to you, however¡­¡± Then, he blinked his eyes. ¡°You must have better results next month, understand?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± All right! From the documents I saw in Argenta, the funds for maintaining the dignity of the Duchess were of a considerable scale. It would be enough to purchase the lands currently left idle in the central continent. ¡°Very well¡­¡± As if signaling the end of the conversation, Duke Alors gestured with his hand. Was he telling me to leave now? Just as I was about to rise, he said. ¡°Then, turn around.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Turn around? Why all of a sudden? When I asked, Duke Alors furrowed his brow. ¡°Diello Argenta¡¯s name.¡± Thump, thump. As he knocked on a table, Alors¡¯ servants dressed in black appeared silently and they grabbed both of my arms. In the Duke¡¯s hand was a small dagger. ¡°It needs to be engraved again.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± His words were chilling. CH 20 The original Krua Alors would have felt the same pain due to the name ¡®Diello Argenta¡¯ being forcibly engraved on her back. Even though I writhed in unfamiliar agony, the people holding me had a strong grip on me. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t struggle. You don¡¯t want to be exposed as the fake, do you?¡± As I moved, they said that. They were afraid that if the characters they were carving deviated even slightly, it would be a big problem. ¡°Stay still!¡± Perhaps even breathing was considered a movement because Duke Alors completely covered my nose and mouth with a cloth. ¡°¡­.!¡± It felt like my breath had been blocked for too long. However, in the midst of writhing in pain and feeling the lack of oxygen, I was finally released. That was rather fortunate that I didn¡¯t have to endure that terrible pain for long. ¡°Huh?¡± However, it still hurt as blood rushed beneath the red letters of ¡®Diello Argenta¡¯ carved under the Duke¡¯s small dagger. The ointment was only applied on the surface, perhaps to make the skin appear unblemished. Regardless, the wound inside still brought me sharp pain. ¡°Are you all right, Madam?¡± Vielle, who had been treating the Duke and the servants with an indifferent expression, was now staring fixedly at me as soon as I got on Argenta¡¯s carriage. ¡®¡­It will take some time to get better.¡¯ I furrowed my brow. It was because even a slight movement caused a throbbing and tingling pain in my back. ¡°May I¡­ examine it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Since I wouldn¡¯t have any business with Alors for a month anyway, it didn¡¯t matter if she wanted to apply another ointment to rush the healing process. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± After Vielle said that, she unfastened a couple of buttons on my dress, loosening it to expose my back. ¡°¡­.!¡± Her complexion changed when she saw the name carefully re-engraved. ¡°Did you¡­ come like this last time¡­?¡± She didn¡¯t speak properly, contrary to her usual self. She looked extremely distressed, even in the eyes of other Argenta¡¯s maid. ¡°Yes.¡± When I first had the name engraved, it was Krua Alors from the original, not me, but I kept the fact to myself. ¡°You knew that it was engraved falsely.¡± I glanced up at Vielle. I knew that when she bathed me for the first time in Argenta, she secretly applied a healing salve to the wound on my back. The salve infused with magical power in this world would react to inflammation, emitting a pale light and quickly spreading, so I was certain that she had confirmed the fakeness of my name back then. Although the blood on my back, bound by Duke Alor¡¯s magic, wouldn¡¯t disperse easily. Vielle¡¯s expression was heavy. After buttoning up my clothes again, she bowed her head. ¡°I will take even more care to ensure your comfort.¡± Her frozen expression remained unchanged until we returned to the mansion. * * * Diello Argenta didn¡¯t like it when there were unexpected variables in his plans. And if there were variables, they had to occur within his sight. In other words, he didn¡¯t particularly welcome the news that reached his ears. Most of the news he received was usually unpleasant, but this time, even more so. ¡°Madam will be arriving soon.¡± ¡°¡­She¡¯s late.¡± This news was really unpleasant. Unless there was a problem with the carriage wheels, there was no reason for her to arrive at this hour. Diello, for some reason, couldn¡¯t sleep, so he finished the work he had been doing. However, the work didn¡¯t get done either. ¡°¡­.¡± Krua would have arrived at Alors in the morning if she had followed the proper schedule, then left when it started getting dark. Besides, Alors would have sent her back to Argenta before it got too dark. Regardless of the truth, she appeared to be ¡®Duke Alors¡¯ lovely daughter¡¯ on the surface. They needed to uphold that reputation. Even considering the distance between Alors¡¯ mansion and Argenta¡¯s mansion and other variables, there was no reason for her to arrive at three in the morning. No, he didn¡¯t think it was possible unless something happened. ¡°¡­Krua?¡± His complexion changed at her cautious entrance into the mansion. Having spent a long time on the battlefield, he quickly identified an injured area from her movements. It was between her shoulder blades¡­ and that was where his name had been engraved. He instinctively realized something had happened to her. ¡°Diello, you waited without sleeping?¡± She seemed surprised. Judging from her round eyes and the way she looked at him, even in discomfort, it seemed that she tried to hide the wounds. Still, as someone accustomed to death and wounds, Diello definitely detected a faint scent of blood emanating from her. ¡°¡­You had my name engraved again.¡± He whispered softly, making sure only she could hear. Diello had thought that Duke Alors wanted to see her every month for a simple report, but it seemed that he was far more thorough and cruel than he had imagined. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve just found out.¡± Advertisements And from a little while ago, there was a growing sense of unease within him. It was said that smelling blood would make one feel queasy, but he had long grown numb to the scent after standing on the battlefield so many times. Nonetheless, this smell felt strangely potent. ¡°It would be better to properly treat it, Krua, He spoke, unintentionally opening his mouth. His voice was low. Krua¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The surface has already been treated. But¡­¡± Her casual voice irritated him, and without realizing it, he interrupted her. An angry voice emerged from him. ¡°So¡­¡± He uttered. For a moment, the mask that he had been using almost shattered. Thankfully, he took a short breath and then cooled his head. ¡°One more time, let¡¯s treat it properly.¡± When he managed to give a faint smile, Krua blinked a few times before finally nodding. ¡°Alright. If you want it, then I¡¯ll be grateful.¡± Even in a situation like this, her face, which could still smile so easily, infuriated him. Diello thought that she was truly¡­ a person who could stab at one¡¯s heart. * * * Diello Argenta. He had never seen his own name in such detail before, not on paper, and especially not on another person¡¯s body. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Perhaps due to the pain, Krua hunched over. His fingertips, which were applying the medicine, froze. ¡°If it hurts a lot, tell me.¡± He said. In response to his words, Krua burst into laughter. ¡°If I tell you, will you make it not hurt?¡± Ha. A short breath escaped him. Yes, as she said, there was no way he could alleviate the pain that had already been carved into her. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it quickly.¡± Diello whispered. In that case, it would be better to end the suffering quickly. Krua also willingly shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Ow.¡± He briefly flinched after hearing that. Meanwhile, she took a deep breath as if she was prepared and held her breath. ¡°¡­.?¡± However, his attention was unknowingly focused on a blue bruise on her shoulder. ¡°¡­.!¡± And in that brief moment, he lost his words. The vivid bruise that covered almost her entire shoulder extending from the shoulder blade to the arm, was undoubtedly the mark of someone being bound, leaving an agonizing struggle. His mind grew hot, then cold in an instant. ¡°¡­.?¡± At that moment, Krua turned her head slightly to look at him. It was a questioning gaze as if wondering why he wasn¡¯t acting quickly. Diello¡¯s cold expression disappeared in an instant. At least in front of her, he had to be gentle, the innocent Diello Argenta. ¡°Fiuh¡ª¡± As he applied the ointment, Diello blew some air on that area. The refreshing sensation would help alleviate the pain, if only a little. Then, as he finished applying the ointment, he finally closed the lid. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Krua let out a short sigh. As she did, she tried to button up her clothes again. Grab. Unknowingly, Diello grabbed her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± Krua and his gaze met. It felt like the loosely draped garment would only rub against the bruise, causing more pain. Soon, Diello finished his words. ¡°Just take it off and sleep comfortably.¡± CH 21 ¡°Pardon?¡± It had been a long day. Not only did I endure the incident at the Alors¡¯ mansion, but I also arrived in Argenta after suffering from pain until dawn. So, in my drowsiness, I thought I had misheard. ¡°Take off your top and sleep.¡± However, it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. Diello¡¯s somewhat subdued voice reached my ears again. ¡°Well¡­¡± I looked down at my clothes. Even if I had bandages wrapping around my arms, the upper part of my body was exposed due to the garment that only hid my chest. ¡°Your skin has become sensitive due to the pain. It wouldn¡¯t be good if it got caught in the top,¡± Diello said. Plop. With those words, the outer garment that had been barely covering my arms fell down. Without the fabric touching my skin, the pain was definitely lessened. ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, but¡ª¡± As the cloth covering my shoulders disappeared completely, my face couldn¡¯t help but flush. I thought that I was bolder than him, but apparently not. Or maybe his mind was excessively innocent, devoid of any thoughts¡­? I turned to look at him. Still, I couldn¡¯t say anything about this. If I said something wrong, it could be disrespectful to Diello. The fact that he asked me to undress was purely out of kindness, and I couldn¡¯t feel anything else. ¡°Well¡­¡± Still, wasn¡¯t it a bit awkward to expose my body to this extent and sleep together? When I looked at him with eyes filled with concern, I could feel Diello, who was still sitting in that place after applying the ointment, was closer than I expected. His blue eyes were filled with me, and his smile only contained warmth and kindness. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else, Krua.¡± It was then that Diello gently took hold of my hand. He whispered softly, right next to me. ¡°We made a promise just to hold hands and fall asleep.¡± As if to make me believe, he lightly kissed the tip of my hand. The eyes that looked up at me were calm and serene. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was his hand that felt warm against mine or if my hand had become warmer. A strange heat enveloped the space between us. * * * I carefully lay down on the bed, making sure that the wounds on my back wouldn¡¯t touch the blanket. Diello smiled at me as if to reassure me. Then, he handed me a soft pillow to hold in my arms. ¡°If it hurts, let me know.¡± Without the fabric, my shoulders didn¡¯t ache as much. However, it was inevitable that my back felt a bit cold since it was exposed. Suddenly, a shiver ran through me, and I involuntarily huddled my body. Diello reached out his hand to me. As I flinched, he paused, and we stared at each other¡¯s eyes intently for a few seconds. ¡°Pfft.¡± And as if we had planned it, we burst into laughter without having to say anything first. Diello raised both of his hands as if to show that he wouldn¡¯t do anything that made me uncomfortable. ¡°Just a moment, excuse me for a moment.¡± He whispered like that and reached out his hand to me again. Without even realizing it, my gaze followed his hand. Whoosh. However, his hand just gently covered the blanket over me and then withdrew. It was done carefully so that the blanket wouldn¡¯t touch my back. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He raised both of his hands again and lay down on his side, gazing at me. The bed was spacious enough that even though we were a bit apart, it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable. The next moment, he looked at me and slowly closed his eyes. ¡°Sleep well, Krua.¡± His blue eyes were now completely closed. Looking at him, who closed his eyes first, I was reminded once again that Diello Argenta was indeed pure. It seemed like he would fall asleep deeply and peacefully as if he wouldn¡¯t even notice if someone carried him away. I silently watched as the room¡¯s lighting gradually dimmed. It was clear that Diello was controlling the lights with his ability. Shadows gathered in the corners of the room and soon covered the bed. Just as even the faintest light was about to fade away¡­ the darkness that was enveloping the room stopped getting darker. It felt as if time had frozen. ¡°¡­.?¡± When I blinked my eyes, Diello gently opened his eyes. And then, out of the blue, he opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, Krua¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡­What? He grinned in response to my words. ¡°If you keep looking at me like that¡­¡± His face turned slightly red, then he lifted a pillow and placed it between us. Plop. Now, all I saw was the white pillow instead of Diello¡¯s face. I blinked my eyes. ¡­Did I stare too intently? When I rubbed my temples, I could hear Diello¡¯s voice from beyond the pillow. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be on guard.¡± As he whispered to me, I blinked my eyes a few more times and eventually burst into laughter. ¡°I just looked at your face.¡± I held his hand, which was resting on the pillow, perhaps because I felt like I had made him unnecessarily embarrassed. His slightly trembling hand was surprisingly warm. Was it because of Argenta¡¯s fire? ¡°I¡¯m not on guard.¡± Silence followed my words. ¡­Now what? Just as I had that thought, he suddenly asked. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Advertisements When I replied immediately, I could hear him laugh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked him the reason why he had to ask, but this time, the lighting completely went out. ¡°¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t hear the answer, but as the darkness filled my vision, fatigue rushed over me in an instant. The pitch-black darkness and the warmth that flowed through the hand I was holding were enough to pull me into sleep. In the end, I fell into a deep slumber. * * * The next day, Diello was still asleep when I woke up. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± I gently caressed him, who was still sound asleep. I was worried because he slept late. Creak. At that moment, seeing a maid cautiously open the door to announce morning, I swiftly raised my index finger to indicate for her to be quiet. ¡°¡­.¡± The maid¡¯s eyes widened, and she silently retreated though I could see Vielle¡¯s figure beyond her. Was there something important going on? ¡°Ah¡­¡± Today was probably the day for shadow distribution, and someone would need to give final approval. When I glanced at the clock, it was already 11 AM. So, it was reasonable to expect the servants to come for them. ¡°Shall I do it?¡± If it were the final approval for shadow distribution, it would involve simply inspecting the goods. Of course, it would be cumbersome and time-consuming work. Still, if I did it, it would help Diello get some more sleep. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll handle it¡­ Ah.¡± As I raised my arm unconsciously to stretch, I quickly lowered it again due to the pain. ¡®I¡¯ll do it after looking at the map.¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t take long, so I decided to check the shadow distribution first. Planning for the future was also important, but it could be postponed. After organizing my thoughts, I cautiously stretched my body. It was still too early to fully extend my bod though the medicine worked well, and I felt much better than yesterday. ¡°¡­.¡± Even when I moved my body discreetly, Diello was still fast asleep. I quietly got out of bed. Stealthily, I approached the door and opened it slightly to call Vielle. ¡°Just give me light indoor clothing.¡± When I raised my index finger to my lips and whispered, Vielle silently entered the room. After that, she led me to the small dressing room attached to the room. Wearing a lightweight indoor dress and came out of the dressing room, I once again gazed at Diello. ¡°¡­.¡± He was still sound asleep, not showing any signs of waking up. After confirming that, I quietly left the room. Closing the door, I asked Vielle. ¡°Nothing happened during the dawn?¡± ¡°No. But¡­¡± She immediately responded but then looked at me. ¡°Are you planning to return to work right away? It would be better for you to take more rest.¡± ¡°No.¡± I firmly extended my hand. Now that I had left the room, there was no need to be so cautious. ¡°Then, it might seem as if I have experienced something at the Alor¡¯s mansion.¡± It was true. Even if they didn¡¯t find out the details that they had engraved Diello¡¯s name on my back, if I suddenly started behaving differently after visiting my home, people¡¯s attention would be drawn. Because of that, the Duke of Alors could be keeping an eye on me more intently. While I may not know about the fourth floor, there might be eyes and ears of the Duke somewhere in this mansion. ¡°If we¡¯re going to deceive them, we have to do it convincingly.¡± I whispered softly, pressing my index finger against my lips. Eventually, Vielle lowered her head. ¡°¡­Understood. Still, if it becomes too much for you, please let me know immediately.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Her concerned gaze remained on me. That was genuine. As the maid of Argenta, she was nice only to those inside Argenta. Was I also perceived by her as one of Argenta¡¯s family, then? Thinking back to Vielle¡¯s expression when she mentioned the ¡®first battlefield¡¯ last time, it seemed like it. It was a strange feeling. ¡°¡­Alright. Then, let¡¯s go.¡± Saying so, I turned around once again. Behind the closed door, Diello would be sound asleep. Sleep well¡­ With gratitude from yesterday in my heart, I glanced at the door and began to walk, walking forward. * * * Thud. The sound of the door closing echoed through the room. At that moment, Diello opened his eyes. Whoosh! He forcefully threw away the pillow barrier that stood between him and Krua. CH 22 Diello¡¯s gaze fixated on the spot where Krua had vanished, making it an exceptionally peculiar night for him. Despite his weariness and the desperate need for rest, an unusual tension prevented him from drifting off to sleep. After careful contemplation, he realized that the source of this unease was the serene bride who lay peacefully before him. Moreover¡­ He looked down at his own hand. ¡°She¡¯s an Alors¡­¡± He muttered to himself. Could Alors create such heat as well? Not only that, her breath and subtle movements created ripples that dominated his thoughts, making it impossible for him to fall asleep. ¡®We promised to only hold hands and sleep.¡¯ He thought, regretting how those words now felt strangely disquieting. Nevertheless, he had spent the night intertwined with Krua¡¯s hand. Occasionally, he would tighten his grip and then release it, only to find himself squinting and rising from his bed, trying to dispel the maddening sensations that lingered in his mind. * * * Today, his bride had chosen to sit in the garden, taking advantage of the beautiful weather as the necessary documents for her work were neatly arranged on a simple outdoor table. It was a refreshing change of environment, but Diello didn¡¯t accompany Krua outside. ¡°¡­.¡± Instead, he chose to watch her from the terrace. Standing behind him was Rick, attired in black attire, prepared to deliver his report. Having successfully completed the previous mission, hehad brought fresh information. ¡°You sent Krua Alors a maintenance fee for dignity, right?¡± As Diello asked, Rick replied with a cheerful face. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about 1/10 of the amount.¡± That was still a considerable sum of money for personal use. Diello narrowed his eyes. He had an idea of where his bride would spend that money. She wouldn¡¯t use it to buy clothes or engage in social activities like other noblewomen. Instead, she would use it to pursue her future plans. From the terrace, Krua¡¯s face appeared radiant with joy. ¡°¡­.¡± Diello raised an eyebrow slightly. Whoosh¡­ It felt as if he could hear the sound of the waves when he looked at her. The sparkling sea, glistening water¡­ her radiant appearance stood out even there. ¡°Krua¡­¡± Diello called out her name and tilted his head slightly. As far as he knew, the next successor of the Alors family had already been practically determined. It was Krua¡¯s brother, Pentas Alors, and supposedly, his qualities surpassed those of Krua. His brows furrowed even more at the thought. ¡®How could Pentas possess greater qualities beyond hers?¡¯ If that were the case, there would have been no need for Alors to resort to the underhanded tactic of using the fake Ferro in Argenta. After all, Pentas could easily vanquish the enemy with his formidable abilities to manipulate fire, which was inherently incompatible with water. Furthermore, Diello had yet to acquire Ferro in Argenta. ¡®¡­It would have been faster to declare war if their goal was to destroy Argenta.¡¯ However, Alors didn¡¯t do that. Why? Was Pentas lacking in abilities? If so, it didn¡¯t make sense for him to use Krua, who had such strong abilities, as a disposable card. Of course, it was possible that Krua had been concealing her own abilities. ¡°¡­.¡± Why did she call him an accomplice? Diello thought about the words he heard from her on their wedding day as a short sigh escaped his lips. ¡°Even if I was an accomplice, my bride¡­¡± He mumbled softly. She told him that he was the card to make Alors lower their guard. He smiled awkwardly. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to hide your abilities, you should hide them from me, too¡­¡± How could he not be tempted by the powerful abilities he saw in the ocean? Especially in Argenta, where he had to protect the endless sea with fire. Diello retreated from the terrace. At that moment, another informant entered his room hastily. The informant approached him silently and bowed. ¡°My lord, there is someone who wishes to have a secret meeting with you.¡± ¡°Secret meeting?¡± Diello furrowed his brows. He had a bad hunch about this. * * * ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Diello let out a short breath as he saw the real Ferro in front of him. It was a sigh that was close to being exasperated. ¡°Well, well, it¡¯s been a while. I never thought I would come here on my own.¡± The woman spread out her hands, revealing an old bracelet dangling from her wrist. The white pearl attached to the bracelet had lost its luster and was dimly shining. Apart from the accessory, she had nothing in her hands, not even a weapon strapped to her waist. ¡°We met when we were young, but it¡¯s been a long time, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Even when he entered the room, the woman with dark brown hair remained seated on the sofa without getting up. As reported, she was a woman that he knew. ¡°¡­.¡± Diello rubbed his temples and shut his eyes. Despite the public belief that his parents, the former Duke and Duchess of Argenta, had perished in a carriage accident, the truth diverged from that narrative. And contrary to the misconception held by many, he was well aware of the truth. ¡°Nice to see you again.¡± Before him stood a brazen woman who was speaking audaciously. She was the one who had escaped Argenta with the assistance of Alors just before his parents¡¯ demise, providing valuable information about the Duke and Duchess of Argenta. To be precise, she was a betrayer of Argenta. Advertisements ¡­And she claimed to be his Ferro? ¡°¡­Have you confirmed it?¡± When Diello turned to the informant, the informant nodded firmly. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s definitely the real Ferro.¡± Venia, the woman who presented herself as Ferro, gazed at Diello with unwavering confidence. Even if she had divulged information extending beyond his parents, Argenta wouldn¡¯t be able to harm her as long as she was the real Ferro. Let alone harming her, they would have to safeguard her. Venia¡¯s laughter grew stronger. ¡°It seems like the first time since the previous Duke and Duchess of Argenta died, right?¡± Diello thought she was shamelessly babbling. He narrowed his eyes. His luck was terrible. Of all people, it had to be the one who betrayed his parents to the enemy. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I walked in here perfectly fine. It surprised you, didn¡¯t it?¡± Venia shrugged her shoulders. Then, Diello replied in a subdued voice. ¡°A little.¡± Simultaneously, he regarded the informant with a frosty stare. How had they allowed an individual who betrayed Argenta to saunter in so casually? Even if it turned out that she was indeed his Ferro, didn¡¯t it imply that they had maintained silence until her true nature came to light? Shouldn¡¯t they have launched an assault the instant they laid eyes on her? ¡°Don¡¯t blame them too much. They couldn¡¯t touch me either.¡± Venia said. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± When he glanced back at Venia at her words, instead of answering, she tapped the teacup. And then¡­ Splash! The water in the cup surged up under her ¡®water manipulation¡¯ ability. ¡°¡­.!¡± Diello paused for a moment. ¡­Water manipulation? How could someone who was originally an Argenta possess it? Nevertheless, with his heightened senses, Diello discerned an unusual aura emanating from the abilities she exhibited. It diverged from the pristine control over water displayed by Krua Alors. Instead, it carried a subtly murky sensation. His brows knitted together in deep contemplation. It was at that moment he spoke¡­ ¡°I told them not to touch me because the Duke of Alors is behind me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Diello exclaimed without any enthusiasm at her words. It was clearly a lie. The Duke of Alors had already sent Krua away as Ferro. ¡®If he knew that this woman was the real Ferro, he would have either bought her or killed her.¡¯ In truth, it was highly likely that the Duke of Alors was unaware of this woman¡¯s true identity as the real Ferro and her presence here. The enigmatic and murky nature of her power indicated that it wasn¡¯t acquired through conventional means. Had the Duke directly bestowed such abilities upon her, the sensation would have been different. ¡­So, what secret was this betrayer concealing? ¡°¡­.¡± Diello sat down on the sofa opposite Venia with a deep smile. ¡°By the way, you surprised me.¡± She spoke to him. It seemed that she thought, as the real Ferro, she had nothing to fear or lose, and her nonchalant demeanor reflected that. She casually rested her arm on the sofa and crossed her legs with an air of ease. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the Diello Argenta, who couldn¡¯t even properly burn a single flower, would be capable of such things.¡± She uncrossed her legs and moved closer to Diello, taking a seat. ¡°Your parents¡¯ death.¡± He raised an eyebrow at her sudden words. ¡°It seemed like Duke Alors believed that his plan was successful, but I know the truth, as I was the one shuttling between Alors and Argenta at the time.¡± Venia laughed. ¡°You witnessed the deaths of the previous Duke and Duchess.¡± As Diello¡¯s expression turned cold at her words, she continued to whisper her words. ¡°You could have saved them, but you didn¡¯t, did you?¡± Her face revealed confidence and arrogance. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m the Ferro. No matter what I do, you can¡¯t cause me harm, can you?¡± As if sensing her thoughts, he smiled coldly. It was a smile completely different from the one he showed to Krua. ¡°Why does the Ferro have to be someone like you?¡± He sighed, making Venia burst into laughter. ¡°Yes, why me?¡± Confidently, she rolled up her sleeve, proudly displaying the unmistakable inscription of ¡®Diello Argenta¡¯ on her arm. The fresh healing indicated that it had been intentionally revealed, similar to something Krua would do. Yet, the distinct presence of the name confirmed its authenticity. Venia shook her arm. ¡°I¡¯m not so bad either, considering I knew your secret and still decided to help you.¡± Presumably, she had deliberately circulated rumors to entangle herself within Argenta¡¯s information network. Diello maintained a silent, piercing gaze directed at her. Growing increasingly audacious, Venia persisted in her speech. ¡°But then, what about that imposter?¡± She pointed outside, referring to Krua. Diello¡¯s judgment began to distort again. Even though the word ¡®imposter¡¯ was true, he furrowed his brow. CH 23 ¡°I heard it was a magnificent wedding. Surely you haven¡¯t foolishly given away your chastity already?¡± She shook her head in disbelief. ¡°By the look on your face, it seems you already knew that the imposter was fake, although I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Venia gestured dismissively as if swatting away a bug. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and kill her. If we say it was an unfortunate accident after your honeymoon, who would dare say anything? We just need to do a little mourning and marry after that.¡± Saying so, she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°If it¡¯s too much trouble, should I kill her for you?¡± Venia¡¯s eyes bore a clear intent to end someone¡¯s life. Although he wasn¡¯t fully aware of the extent of her water manipulation abilities, he knew that she had undergone rigorous training alongside Argenta¡¯s assassins for more than a decade. The threat that Krua could face sent a wave of unease through Diello, unsettling even for him. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± When he asked abruptly, Venia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, with everything the Duchess of Argenta can enjoy, and considering I¡¯ve been chased for over ten years because of you, to have an imposter taking my place¡­ but, wait¡ª¡± As if she suddenly felt something was off, Venia stared at Diello. ¡°Isn¡¯t it Argenta who¡¯s in a hurry rather than me?¡± She furrowed her brow before continuing. ¡°We should do it quickly. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what rumors I might spread among this peaceful family.¡± Within Argenta¡¯s values, treating fellow Argentas as family was highly esteemed. It was understood that harming or killing a fellow Argenta or one¡¯s own relatives would be a grave flaw for the Duke. While this principle held true for other families as well, Argenta took it even more seriously. Regardless, instead of displaying surprise, Diello tilted his head in response to Venia¡¯s overt threat. His expression showed a slow contemplation as if he was pondering a single question prompted by Venia¡¯s words. He eventually parted his lips. ¡°Do you know why I watched as the previous Duke and Duchess died?¡± He referred to them as the previous Duke and Duchess, as if creating distance. Venia furrowed her brow. ¡°You wanted to become the Duke.¡± ¡°No. Even if I had stayed still, the position of Duke would have been mine. There was no need for that.¡± As he smiled coldly, her eyes widened. Diello leaned closer to her and whispered. ¡°I find it amusing to watch a rabbit that doesn¡¯t even know it¡¯s jumping to a beast¡¯s mouth.¡± His face quickly lost its expression. ¡°I don¡¯t like fluttering moths that rush in without thinking.¡± A chilling atmosphere filled the room as his cold words went on. ¡°Do you remember why my life was in danger back then?¡± At his words, Venia, who had been frozen, nodded slightly. ¡°¡­Your body, it was weak, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Diello shook his head. ¡°There are hardly any cases of those who have inherited the strong blood of Argenta being born with weak bodies.¡± Whoosh! He lit a flame at his fingertips and spoke. ¡°If the body¡¯s physical strength doesn¡¯t support it, one cannot withstand this power.¡± His words left Venia momentarily speechless. Diello smiled. ¡°Who do you think was responsible for poisoning the former Duke?¡± He knew the answer himself. The secret of the past escaped his lips, revealing a hidden truth. His father was the previous Duke, an unremarkable noble who didn¡¯t draw much attention. Even after meeting his Ferro and awakening, he remained unchanged. However, Diello was different. Once he wielded the power of fire manipulation, the previous Duke recognized Diello¡¯s exceptional talent. Regrettably, they believed it was too premature. ¡°¡­Diello had such exceptional talent.¡± He thought that his son possessed a power that couldn¡¯t be compared to his, and he knew that in such cases, the mark of the lineage could be transferred early. ¡°If my mark were to be transferred to Diello¡­¡± His father feared that fact¡­ the fact that his abilities would weaken. Having forcefully demanded Argenta¡¯s loyalty with meager power, he feared losing everything. And his wife, Ferro, who was also Diello¡¯s mother, felt the same way. ¡°What would happen to the Ferro, the wife of the head, if the lineage changed?¡± When the lineage changed, the previous lineage¡¯s Ferro was naturally no longer needed. Of course, she didn¡¯t warmly welcome Diello, who was not even her own flesh and blood. ¡°If I hesitate even to kill those who tried to kill me, I would have a hard time.¡± Diello¡¯s chilling words fell, making Venia¡¯s face turn pale. ¡°¡­That¡ª¡± If this were to be revealed, Argenta would be thrown into chaos, still, Diello willingly whispered it into her ear as though saying that it didn¡¯t matter if she knew. Advertisements As if he had the ability to make sure she couldn¡¯t speak about it elsewhere¡­ Venia struggled to suppress her terror by reasoning that she was his Ferro. There was no way they could kill her. ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s prepare for the wedding. Argenta also needs to welcome the real Ferro before it¡¯s too late.¡± Venia extended her hand and spoke. Diello, who faintly smiled, stood up from his seat. Thud, thud. His footsteps echoed as he slowly walked behind the sofa where Venia was sitting. ¡°Before it¡¯s too late¡­¡± Far from being too late, it was too early to welcome the real Ferro. Both Duke Alors and Cartier had not relaxed enough, and Argenta¡¯s internal affairs were still not properly organized. And above all¡­ Even from a logical standpoint, there were numerous aspects that raised suspicion. It was peculiar how Venia possessed the ability to utilize Alors¡¯ power. Who could guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t resort to contacting Alors through the power of water if pushed into a corner? Once someone has betrayed, would it be difficult for them to betray again? Moreover, would Venia even survive this ordeal? Would the Duke, who sent his daughter as the counterfeit Ferro, be willing to spare her life? From the moment she appeared until this very moment facing her, Diello¡¯s mind was constantly filled with one thing. At the thought, he glanced out at the bright window. A person that kept coming to mind whenever something bright sparkled. ¡°Use me, until the Duke finds the real Ferro and gains power.¡± That voice kept echoing in his ears. Until the real Ferro was found¡­ that was the deadline. If she were to learn that the true Ferro had arrived, Kura would immediately terminate the contract. Furthermore, since she was still contemplating leaving Argenta, it would be advantageous to have more time to convince her otherwise. Above all else, how wonderful would it be if the Ferro were someone who truly suited Argenta rather than a person like Venia? ¡­If only she were the real Ferro, what a splendid outcome it would have been. Diello, who had remained silent, finally spoke up. ¡°Argenta¡¯s walls are strong.¡± He stopped walking and glanced back at Venia. ¡°That¡¯s why they don¡¯t open easily, especially to betrayers.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Venia understood his words but couldn¡¯t comprehend them. Argenta wouldn¡¯t open up to the real Ferro? ¡°Why do you think I revealed a fatal secret to you?¡± His words drained the color from her face. Still, it was absurd that she had tried to take control of him again. ¡°Surely you¡¯re not suggesting to do that to the real Ferro?¡± At that moment, Diello¡¯s gaze was fixed on the window. Was Krua still in the garden? ¡°What is the difference between you and Krua?¡± He looked back at Venia again. ¡°What did you have that Krua didn¡¯t, which made you become my Ferro¡­ if only I could find that out.¡± Could he turn anyone he desired into Ferro? His cold gaze pierced through Venia. ¡°Investigate thoroughly.¡± As he uttered, his words were answered by the knights of Argenta from the fourth floor. They were surprised by the lord¡¯s plan to betray the real Ferro, but they faithfully followed his orders because they believed in him. Above all, it was true that this woman was too dangerous and reckless to become the mistress of Argenta. Diello looked at Venia. ¡°Examine the entire life of that betrayer and find out what kind of people are chosen as Ferro.¡± What was different between her and that woman? What were the rules for becoming Ferro? At that moment, the sound of the sea echoed in Diello¡¯s ears again. He had always detested the sea, which he didn¡¯t want to see, even in his dreams. However, he didn¡¯t dislike the person who made him think of the sea. No, he kept thinking of her. What was different? The endless cycle of questions left him with only one realization. ¡­He wanted to possess her. In that moment, he realized the reason why he had always been bothered by her ¡®future plans.¡¯ It slowly crept up on him like the sand on the beach disappearing with the ebb tide. Unconsciously, he smiled. Soon his gentle voice echoed through the room. ¡°I want everything perfect.¡± He wanted a ¡®Ferro who must be loved¡¯ but a ¡®Ferro he loves.¡¯ CH 24 A few days later. ¡°No one seems to be interested in it at all.¡± I reached a conclusion after gathering information about the central land. It was expected since it was a land which would only gain value in a few years. Indeed, the future lies in real estate! ¡°Buy a nearby land under a pseudonym.¡± Vielle raised her head in response to my words. ¡°I will do it immediately.¡± She then signaled to a nearby maid, who resided on the fourth floor. Observing their interaction, I noticed a stark contrast between the people of Argenta on the fourth floor compared to those on the third floor and below. I began to understand why Diello could trust only those on the fourth floor. Firstly, the servants on the lower floors didn¡¯t casually come up to the fourth floor as if there were invisible barriers. Only those who freely moved to the fourth floor were servants with higher status and had a greater influence. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to use my money.¡± I reminded her once again. After all, Diello already knew about my future plans, and it wouldn¡¯t be right to use Argenta¡¯s money. ¡°Oh, and¡­¡± Almost forgetting something important, I called Vielle again. ¡°Argenta¡¯s informants should be able to create new commoner identities, right?¡± Vielle questioned my statement. ¡°Are you referring to forged identities?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go all the way to Croire with my name.¡± As I indicated the location of ¡®Croire¡¯ on the map, a gentle knock resonated in the room. My attention shifted towards the door, revealing Diello peering in through the slight opening, a contented smile gracing his face. His lustrous, ebony hair caught the light within the room while the oceanic blue wall behind him accentuated his presence. ¡°Krua, may I come in?¡± Seeing that he was already halfway in before asking, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Come in.¡± Even though he had already entered without waiting for permission, he fully stepped into my office. In the process, he noticed the map on my desk. ¡°¡­.¡± As his blue eyes examined the map, his gaze was fixated on the center of the map. ¡°Are you really going there?¡± I shrugged at his words. ¡°I have to go. When the real Ferro comes, she would be bothered by the former wife¡­¡± Wait a minute. Hadn¡¯t it been quite a while since we saved Redius Argenta? Wasn¡¯t it time for the real Ferro to come? ¡­Or was it not time yet? ¡°If you stay in Argenta, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Diello suddenly replied to my words. I blinked for a moment, then burst out laughing. ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯ll greet the new wife while your former wife is still in Argenta?¡± His blue eyes blinked several times at those words. ¡°Yes. Is that not possible?¡± His innocent blue eyes glistened, leaving me utterly speechless. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Ferro, his current spouse, would be bothered by the fact that I, his former wife, was residing in Argenta, even if I were to move elsewhere within the territory. Moreover, I knew that his Ferro was easily jealous. ¡°Men and women can¡¯t simply be friends, how do you plan to explain it?¡± To fully awaken his ability, he had to share his heart with Ferro. If the Ferro couldn¡¯t open her heart to Diello, it was over. In addition, the nobles in this world thought of trivial things as scandalous, even if men and women stood together. ¡­However, leaving his former wife in Argenta as it was? ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Diello tilted his head as if contemplating my words. ¡°What if I introduce you only as an Argenta?¡± He suddenly opened his mouth at that moment. He laughed nonchalantly. ¡°Just be Argenta, Krua. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for an Argenta to stay in Argenta.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I pressed my temple hard. Wouldn¡¯t I have tons of headaches in the future if I did so? I reached out my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll politely decline. My goal is a peaceful retirement.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s peaceful?¡± When Diello immediately replied to my words, I also answered without hesitation. ¡°To avoid being the woman caught between the new wife and ex-husband, to avoid the title of a widow in society, and to avoid my name being tossed around in society¡­ there is only one solution, right?¡± I pointed my index finger to the ground before finishing my words. ¡°I have to leave here.¡± Was there even any other way? Diello hesitated, his hand rubbing his lips. ¡°¡­.¡± His face was somehow filled with disappointment. How could he live in this turbulent world with so much affection and kindness? I sighed deeply. ¡°Still, I¡¯ll stop by occasionally.¡± Because Diello seemed so disappointed, I uttered so and smiled. ¡°Ah, by the way.¡± I almost forgot to ask the important question while talking. ¡°¡­Is there any news about the real Ferro?¡± Even though I wanted to ask why hadn¡¯tsn¡¯t come yet when she was supposed to already come, I couldn¡¯t ask so directly. Diello slowly lowered his head in response to my words. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡­Not yet? I almost blurted out, my mind filled with doubts. Had I miscalculated the timing? Or perhaps my recollection of the sequence of events was incorrect? It couldn¡¯t be¡­ we had rescued Redius Argenta quite a while ago, so there should have been news about the real Ferro by now. In the original story, around this point, Diello Argenta would have greeted the real Ferro, and everyone would have discovered that Krua Alors was an impostor. This would mark the beginning of an uncomfortable relationship between the real Ferro and Diello Argenta. Unfortunately, as the original story primarily focused on the perspective of Krua Alors, it was impossible to understand the underlying reasons for the tension between the two. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but question whether it was truly convenient for everyone to have a destined partner. ¡°Is there any news at all?¡± I asked again, and Diello nodded slightly. ¡°No.¡± What on earth was going on? So far, the only significant change I made to the original was helping Redias Argenta. What did that have to do with Ferro¡¯s arrival? What went wrong? A strange sense of unease filled my mind. ¡°¡­I hope she arrives soon.¡± I muttered softly. ¡°Yes.¡± Diello replied with a hint of disappointment and turned away. As I watched his back, a random thought crossed my mind. ¡­By the way, did he come here to say something? * * * That afternoon, the peaceful mansion was suddenly filled with the sound of hoofbeats and commotion. ¡°Huh?¡± As I absentmindedly glanced outside, there was Diello. He was wearing a knight uniform, typically worn during outings, and was rushing off somewhere. Following him were a group of knights, raising clouds of dust as they followed him. Were they going towards the endless sea? I wondered, but before I could dwell on it, a maid rushed over. ¡°Madam.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening outside?¡± The maid lowered her head in response to my question. ¡°There¡¯s an urgent matter at the border of the endless sea, and the lord is heading there quickly.¡± Since the third and fourth zone had been noisy recently, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if something happened in other zones. I nodded slightly. ¡°The lord told me to convey a message to not to not worry.¡± The maid replied cautiously. When he went to the fourth zone, he didn¡¯t say anything to me, but this time, it seemed like he remembered to convey me a message. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Until the Ferro arrived, there shouldn¡¯t be any significant concerns for now. I leaned my head on my hand, my brows slightly knitted. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, wasn¡¯t it about time the Ferro made their appearance? My thoughts became needlessly tangled. In the end, I set aside the documents I had been looking at regarding Argenta. Thud. As I pushed my chair back and stood up, Vielle approached me. ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t concentrate. I want to take a walk and come back.¡± She immediately lowered her head. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± It seemed my lack of concentration was evident. Vielle willingly led me to the corridor, where a gentle breeze brushed against my skin. Through the expansive windows, the setting sun painted a picturesque view of the garden. Swoosh¡­ As the wind whispered, my mind wandered. If the Ferro were to arrive at Argenta personally¡­ she would undoubtedly exercise great caution, especially considering the knowledge of Diello¡¯s marriage to his Ferro. And if that weren¡¯t the case, there was no way Argenta wouldn¡¯t have heard about it and brought her here. Either way, the atmosphere wouldn¡¯t be this serene. Thud, thud. Abruptly, I halted my footsteps on the first floor. The knights on the first floor appeared different from their usual posts. While I couldn¡¯t recall the faces of every Argenta who frequented the mansion, the knights from the fourth floor were familiar to me since they were typically stationed on the fourth floor. ¡°Why are the fourth-floor people here?¡± I asked, and Vielle replied briefly. ¡°The lord ordered them to be stationed here.¡± ¡°Diello?¡± I raised an eyebrow. It shouldn¡¯t be the case that they were just taking a detour to the first floor to go out¡­ ¡°Madam!¡± I heard urgent footsteps from above. It was a maid from the fourth floor, quickly descending the stairs. ¡°From the lord¡¯s study¡­!¡± The study should¡¯ve been empty by now. Holding a white cloth in her hand, the maid was out of breath. ¡°In the study, the contract documents are burning!¡± ¡°What? Why would that suddenly happen¨D¡± I was about to ask, but I stopped mid-sentence. Whoosh! The memory of Mirta¡¯s contract bursting into blue flames and disappearing as soon as Diello¡¯s signature was completed came to mind. ¡°Could it be¡­ Mirta¡¯s contract?¡± Mirta was the one who left Argenta not long ago. The servant from the fourth floor who wrote the blood contract, promising not to speak about Argenta. ¡°Yes, it seems like a violation of the rules.¡± The maid said with a grave expression. ¡°It¡¯s a betrayal.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± I touched my forehead. CH 25 Of all people, Mirta happened to be a servant on the fourth floor. In other words, he knew that I was a fake Ferro. ¡°How could he¡­?¡± The issue at hand was not about the source of the leaked information. Typically, someone aware of the repercussions for breaking the rules would readily divulge the truth if they had someone protecting them. In Mirta¡¯s case, there were only two households capable of shielding her from the wrath of the Argenta family: the Cartiel of Wind or the Alors of Water. Regardless of which side obtained knowledge about my secret, the consequences would be dire. ¡°Chase him immediately. Can we determine his location¡­?¡± The contract didn¡¯t have a GPS tracker, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy. However, an answer emerged surprisingly. ¡°According to the shadows, he was last seen heading towards the northern border area.¡± ¡°North?¡± I knew it from looking at the map. If it was the northern region of Argenta¡­ ¡°¡ªCartiel?¡± The maid nodded in response to my question. Vielle¡¯s expression was also deadly serious. It was because the contract was violated when someone leaked information about Argenta. Could it be that he has already disclosed the secret to someone from Cartiel? As I recalled the map once again, I suddenly felt something was amiss. ¡®¡­But Cartiel and Argenta are separated by mountains. How did he pass it?¡¯ No, there was no need to travel by land. ¡°The sea¡­¡± ¡°Madam?¡± As Vielle gazed at me, I quickly turned to her. In the absence of monsters, the endless sea was no different from any ordinary sea, right? A ship could sail upon it without difficulty. Moreover, if there were someone from Cartiel who could manipulate the winds by my side, we would have an advantage in terms of speed, surpassing any land route. ¡°They¡¯re going by ship. Find the nearest coastal area to set sail right away.¡± Vielle¡¯s eyes widened at my words. ¡°¡­Certainly, if he has someone from Cartiel accompanying him, that could be possible, but if that¡¯s the case, the ship would be racing at an incredible speed.¡± She calmly stated. ¡°If we leave now, we won¡¯t be able to catch up.¡± ¡°No, we can do it¡­¡± I muttered again. ¡°We won¡¯t know until we try.¡± Having stood before the sea in the past, I felt confident in my abilities. At least on the water, I believed I could hold my ground against Cartiel. After all, the domain of water belonged entirely to the Alors. Vielle¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my bold statement. * * * Around the time of Krua¡¯s departure, the monsters in the first zone were swiftly eradicated with Diello¡¯s intervention. Fortunately, there were no aberrant water-controlling monsters among them this time. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡± Field Commander Amos bowed his head. He was taken aback by the unexpected presence of Diello, as he had only reported the invasion of sea monsters, not anticipating the head to come in person. In reality, the commotion wasn¡¯t necessary in the first place, but Diello willingly joined the battle. He believed it was an opportunity to stretch his body, but the true underlying reason was different. The sea. For some inexplicable reason, he longed to gaze upon the sea. No, in truth, he yearned to see Krua. However, when he witnessed her enthusiasm for leaving Argenta, his judgment became clouded. In essence, it was a foolish way to release his pent-up frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll politely decline. My goal is a peaceful retirement.¡± Krua¡¯s firm voice echoed. Diello¡¯s eyebrow arched, a slight tingling sensation coursing through his fingertips. It was the very spot where he shed blood to seal the contract with Mirta, and now a dark blue flame flickered to life. It was the punishment flame that ignited when a contract was violated. His smile widened as he reminisced about Mirta. He finally made a move. ¡°Where was Mirta last reported? As he asked, Casillus, the Deputy Commander of Argenta¡¯s Knight, who was beside him, answered immediately. ¡°He was reported near the northern coast.¡± It was clear that the individual in question was attempting to cross into Cartiel. Mirta was not the only one seeking passage to Cartiel, there were others as well. Diello, along with the intelligence agents under Rick¡¯s command, were well aware of this fact though they chose not to pursue them directly. There was no need to chase after them when they would reveal themselves one by one as they moved. As soon as they started moving one by one, the traitors would expose themselves, eliminating the need for a chase. Diello could easily capture them along the way, extracting valuable information before they reached Cartiel. How would they proceed to reach Cartiel? ¡°Cartiel.¡± Diello turned to look at the distant mountain range. The Kaltein Mountains were located between Cartiel and Argenta. A typical betrayer would try to hide in the mountains, but Mirta wouldn¡¯t go to the mountains. Unless he wanted the mountains to turn into a sea of fire, making him stuck between two families. In that case, there was only one answer: ¡®The sea.¡¯ Since there had been a major invasion of monsters in the northern sea not long ago, the number of monsters in the area was likely to be small now. ¡°It will take time to break through Cartiel¡¯s maritime defenses.¡± Diello said as he gestured. The whirlwind around Cartiel, which swirled around Cartiel¡¯s sea, was the cause of the endless sea monsters that flooded Argenta. Even if Cartiel¡¯s people accompanied Mirta, it would take time to break through. In the meantime, he could go there and deal with him. ¡°Lord, the personnel to capture him has already departed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Diello replied curtly to Cassillus¡¯ words. ¡°Prepare the ship.¡± If they started chasing from this location, they could catch up in no time. Diello¡¯s lips drew a smile as he imagined the scenario. However, his respite was short-lived. Soon, he would encounter an unexpected situation¡­ no, an unexpected individual. * * * Whoosh. Controlling water wasn¡¯t difficult at all. Once I was on the sea, my confidence surged once again. Was it true that Krua¡¯s water manipulation ability was weak? Perhaps it was because the original female lead, Krua¡¯s maid, was not aware of her powers. ¡°When was the last time the Cartiel¡¯s whirlwind occurred?¡± I asked Vielle, who stood beside me. ¡°There was a report two days ago, so it won¡¯t happen today at the very least.¡± She replied promptly as if she had been waiting for my question. ¡°Then, we have no time to lose.¡± As I steered the water, the ship glided swiftly as if we were on ice. I strained my eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mirta¡¯s ship, but unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t in sight. ¡°There is an uninhabited island nearby for waiting purposes. He might be there.¡± Vielle said as I gazed at the sea. Vielle and Argenta¡¯s informants had verified that the whirlwind controlled by the Cartiels wouldn¡¯t dissipate on that day. Nonetheless, our time was limited. The ignited contract involving Mirta indicated that he had leaked information about Argenta. This meant that he had undoubtedly made contact with someone outside of Argenta, most likely someone from Cartiel. It was highly likely that the people of Cartiel knew precisely when the whirlwind would dissipate. Therefore, if Mirta had set sail that day, it meant that the whirlwind¡¯s disappearance was imminent. Whoosh! There was no time for hesitation. I intensified my manipulation of the water, swiftly gliding through the surroundings as if on ice. With the water itself propelling the ship, there was no faster way to travel. ¡°I see the uninhabited island!¡± One of the Argenta people who had been observing ahead shouted. Even with my naked eye, I could vaguely see something. ¡°That is¡­¡± However, as we got closer, something strange was seen. CH 26 ¡°There are two ships.¡± It wasn¡¯t expected that both people from Cartiel and Mirta would have their own ships. As I furrowed my eyebrows, something happened. Whoosh! ¡°Huh?¡± One of the two ships caught fire. ¡­What could cause a sudden fire in the middle of the sea? As I steered the water towards the uninhabited island, our ship swiftly approached its vicinity. However, my attention was quickly drawn to a figure standing there, causing me to almost forget to slow down. ¡°¡­Diello?¡± It was indeed Diello. The person before me wore a white shirt and formal black pants, with no jacket in sight. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, while in his left hand, he tightly gripped a long sword. Something red dripped from the blade, catching my attention. Diello¡¯s gaze seemed to be fixed in my direction. Whether it was due to our location at sea or the traces of blood staining his cheeks, his usually light blue eyes appeared unusually deep and dark. I couldn¡¯t tear my gaze away from his cheeks and the sword he held. ¡°Diello¡­?¡± He approached me with a slow, deliberate stride, the sword still firmly in his grasp. As I disembarked from the ship and drew nearer to the sandy shore, his figure grew more defined. It was undoubtedly Mirta standing behind him, although he was already dead. The truth became clear as to whom Diello¡¯s sword had struck. And beside Mirta lay an unfamiliar figure, motionless but not yet lifeless¡ªa person from Cartiel, most likely. I glanced between them, my gaze ultimately settling on Diello. His eyes, now seen up close, seemed different from usual. Above all, he appeared just as taken aback by our unexpected encounter here as I was. ¡°How did you come all the way here?¡± His voice sounded slightly hoarse. Unable to tear my gaze away from the blood splatters on his cheeks, I replied. ¡°I heard a report that Mirta¡¯s contract was burning in the study¡­ So¡ª¡± How did Diello end up here? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be in one of the zones? Did he rush here immediately upon receiving the news? Well, if he had sailed the seas, it wouldn¡¯t have been challenging for him to catch up with Mirta on the open waters. However¡­ Words escaped me as I struggled to find something to say. The image of him clutching the sword felt strange to me, even though it appeared entirely natural to him. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He noticed that my gaze had returned to Mirta, and his hand once again shielded his eyes from the sunlight. Then, he unfolded a handkerchief and covered my eyes with it. There were a few drops of blood on the pristine white handkerchief, which I didn¡¯t know the origin of. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to witness such a sight, Krua.¡± I could feel the warmth through the handkerchief¡­ no, it might have been heat. During the brief silence, Diello spoke again. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here either.¡± The words I was about to utter were abruptly halted. More precisely, I hadn¡¯t anticipated seeing him in this state¡­ and certainly not in person. While I understood that he held the position of authority in the family and had entered into a ruthless contract, witnessing it firsthand was a different experience altogether¡­ ¡°¡­.¡± Silence enveloped us as Diello took a step closer, enveloping me in a gentle embrace. His hold was firm enough to obscure my entire field of vision, perhaps to shield me from directly witnessing Mirta. Then, he gently removed the handkerchief covering my eyes. The first thing I saw as the fabric was lifted away was Diello¡¯s concerned expression. ¡°Enforcing contracts is a sad thing. It¡¯s something I write to ensure that they¡¯re not broken.¡± A pitiful expression appeared on Diello¡¯s face. However, the drops of blood didn¡¯t disappear. ¡°Thank you for deliberately helping me, Krua.¡± He placed his hand, holding the handkerchief, on my cheek. The seawater that had splashed on my cheek was wiped away by his fingertips, and he gave me a gentle smile. ¡°Unfortunately, I showed you a scary sight.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if he was referring to Mirta¡¯s state or his own. ¡°Krua.¡± Then, he whispered my name. It was a calm voice as if he hadn¡¯t just taken someone¡¯s life. ¡°Yes.¡± I replied, and he slightly tilted his head. ¡°You also said you would leave Argenta, didn¡¯t you?¡± His tone was the same as usual. If I moved my gaze slightly, I could see Mirta¡­ the one who lost life to his sword. It was only natural to dispose of the traitor. It was the duty of Diello Argenta, the head of the family, and it was clearly stated in the contract. Of course, it was obvious. Still¡­ was Diello Argenta someone like this? ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I answered slowly. ¡°You know that Argenta operates differently from other families. Although I never talked much about it¡­¡± He extended his hand. ¡°I know you belong with Argenta, Krua.¡± Splash. At that moment, the blood that had clung to the tip of his sword fell and stained the sandy beach. The scarlet color disappeared quickly in the sand, as if covering up any traces, just like a drop of water falling. ¡°Not only me, but the Argenta family wants you, Krua.¡± Diello¡¯s calm words continued. ¡°So please, be an Argenta.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I had already made her decision. ¡­No, that wasn¡¯t an option in the first place. Once the real Ferro appeared, I wouldn¡¯t be the Duchess of Argenta. Not only that, but I couldn¡¯t afford to interfere with their relationship in order for Diello to fully awaken and harm Alors. Regardless, he gently intercepted my words. ¡°I¡¯ll try to persuade the Ferro.¡± The word ¡®persuade¡¯ sounded strange. Diello smiled. ¡°I believe in you, Krua, because you also understand the principles of Argenta.¡± His words reminded me of one thing. ¡°¡­Do it or don¡¯t.¡± In response to my words, Diello smiled beautifully again. ¡°Yes, Krua.¡± As if it was the correct answer, he reached out his hand to me. ¡°Will you become an Argenta?¡± Of course, I couldn¡¯t go back to Alors and I had no intention of going back. Becoming an Argenta was not a bad choice either, as long as he could fully awaken. ¡°Diello¡­¡± As I was about to say something, Diello spoke gently in a soft voice. ¡°The Ferro¡¯s opinion doesn¡¯t matter, Krua.¡± He persisted. ¡°I won¡¯t make it matter.¡± During the fleeting moment of silence, he uttered an unexpected remark. It caught me off guard, causing my mouth to slightly open in surprise. At that instant, his fingertips delicately grazed my hand. ¡°Would you rather become an Argenta or¡­¡± His voice trailed off, accompanied by a wistful expression that partially veiled his blue eyes. The shadow cast by his eyelashes made his azure irises appear darker. ¡°Would you rather make me sad?¡± CH 27 ¡°Would you rather make me sad?¡± Diello¡¯s eyes, as he asked that question, were trembling slightly. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Not only his eyes, but I could also perceive a faint tremor in the hand that held mine. The realization of this trembling sensation brought a pained smile to Diello¡¯s face. It was a smile that appeared to evoke a sense of anguish in the hearts of those who beheld it. ¡°I¡¯m not accustomed to goodbyes, Krua.¡± He gazed out at the sea. ¡°Argenta¡¯s sea¡­ This place has always brought me nothing but goodbyes.¡± With a calm and persuasive tone, he conveyed his words as if convince her. Still, having familiarized myself with the original story, I knew that his words held truth. Even though I had only glimpsed a portion of the original narrative, it provided sufficient insight into Diello¡¯s character. He had endured numerous separations on the sea¡¯s unforgiving expanse. [ The young Diello sat by the sea, endlessly waiting for a knight. It had been only ten days since the knight had died on the battlefield, but the young Diello was not ready to accept it. ] The original story depicted it as such¡ªa cruel fate that robbed him of countless individuals dear to his heart. Each departure left him consumed by sorrow. His unease with farewells stemmed from the weight of these experiences. ¡°¡­.¡± His eyelashes gently danced in the air. In the end, I clasped his hand firmly, enveloping it with both of mine. It was as if my touch provided a sense of reassurance to Diello, causing him to exhale finally. Perhaps he had been holding tension within himself all this time. He glanced briefly at the people behind me as if he felt compelled to uphold a facade of strength and cruelty in their presence. ¡°Diello¡­¡± Just as I was about to say something to him, a belated realization washed over me. His pristine white shirt was marred by spreading blood on his arm. It wasn¡¯t a mere splattering though it seemed to be seeping from a deep wound. ¡°Calm down first, Diello.¡± He seemed to be trying to make himself calm, but I could feel him breathing in a tense manner. At the thought, I wrapped my arms around his waist and gently patted his back. In response, Diello embraced me tightly, his grip revealing a hint of strength despite his weakened state. Beyond his shoulder, the lifeless form of Mirta lay motionless. ¡°¡­.¡± Silence enveloped us, and though I was initially struck with shock, gradual tranquility washed over me. Krua¡¯s body must have experienced such situations before. ¡°Krua¡­¡± As Diello softly whispered my name, the strength in his arm relaxed. Clang! His sword clashed with the gravel on the sandy beach, producing a sharp sound. ¡°Don¡¯t move your arm.¡± With a handkerchief in hand, I applied pressure to his injured arm, hoping to staunch the bleeding. Throughout the process, his eyes remained fixed on me, wearing a pained smile that seemed to plead for my presence, as if he feared being left behind like the countless others who had departed from his life. ¡­It had only been a brief period since our encounter, so why was he so attached already? No wonder he was vulnerable to betrayal! At the thought, I firmly pressed his arm. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t suddenly leave.¡± Upon hearing his words, I blinked my eyes. His trembling voice had a touch of melancholy, and I couldn¡¯t help but shift my gaze away from him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to part with you, Krua.¡± He whispered in such a tender and sweet voice as if he didn¡¯t want me to act like those who had left him before. I had read enough novels to know that characters like him often turn dark¡­ but before that happened, I needed to calm him down. ¡°¡­Lord and madam.¡± As the tension between us seemed to ease, people cautiously approached us. In the meanwhile, Diello kept looking at my face even as Vielle approached beside me as I continued applying pressure to his wound. ¡°¡­.!¡± I spoke to him who was startled. ¡°We need to sort out the situation.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± At my words, Diello closed and opened his eyes slowly before he opened his lips and uttered to the Argenta knights following Vielle. ¡°Erase all traces and return to Argenta!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It was only then did the knights started moving quickly. I waited for the surroundings to become noisy enough and then spoke to Diello. ¡°But, Diello¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He turned to me, his arm still held by my hands. Amidst the chaos of the beach, his gaze was fixed on me. Taking a closer look at him, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a brief sigh. ¡°You need to practice acting.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I pointed at him. ¡°It¡¯s too obvious that you¡¯re shaking.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Diello responded with a gentle smile to my words. ¡°That smile is also a problem.¡± There were people who could notice his vulnerabilities and exploit them. Despite his initial air of sharpness, it became evident that this person was actually quite tender-hearted, wasn¡¯t he? ¡°Try making a scary expression.¡± In response to my words, Diello closed his lips. Was that a scary expression? It looked more like dissatisfaction at the dinner table. ¡®I guess this won¡¯t work¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­I¡¯ll teach you.¡± I would teach him how to pretend to be bad and become a strict ruler. Unlike Diello, I wasn¡¯t innocent and I knew that well enough, so I knew that I could serve as a capable teacher to him. ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡± In response to my words, he responded with radiant laughter that outshone the sun itself. His genuine laughter resonated across vast distances, extending beyond the horizon. * * * On the way back¡­ ¡°How did this happen?¡± The attendants from Argenta who accompanied the couple discreetly listened in on the conversation between their lord and lady. It was their duty to feign ignorance and avoid eavesdropping, so they made an effort to block their ears. ¡°Mirta¡¯s resistance was too strong.¡± Their lord¡¯s voice was soft. Even though they were well aware that he acted like a fragile person on the surface¡­ wasn¡¯t his gentleness becoming a bit excessive now? Moreover¡­ ¡®His wounds¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem to be made by the opponent¡¯s sword.¡¯ With the majority of Argenta¡¯s residents being skilled in swordsmanship, it was inevitable for them to notice. The wounds inflicted on their lord, which had been treated by the lady, appeared to be self-inflicted with his own sword. It seemed to be a deliberate act to uphold his facade of fragility and apparent lack of strength. The people of Argenta were certain that someone like Mirta could never harm their lord. Naturally, no one made a fuss about it though their lord¡¯s stern gaze fell on them from time to time. ¡®Let¡¯s just stay silent.¡¯ His gaze towards the madam was entirely different, a complete 180-degree shift from how he looked at his servants. CH 28 Redias Argenta had gained a prominent reputation as the mentor of their lord. Not only was he known for his humble demeanor but also for his remarkable ability to effortlessly connect with individuals from all walks of life. Despite being the father figure of the current lord, Diello Argenta, he assumed the role of an advisor to the knights. While deserving of respect, he made it a point to approach others in an even more affable manner when they attempted to keep their distance. It was because he knew he wasn¡¯t the ruler. In addition, he understood that by forging close relationships with people, he could acquire a wealth of valuable information. ¡°Sir Redias, didn¡¯t you go to the battlefield?¡± That was why he heard every news faster than other members of the Argenta family. The news usually came from the people residing on the fourth floor of the Argenta mansion. ¡°The battlefield? I just came back from there.¡± ¡°No. Not the battlefield you were at, though the place the lord personally went to confront.¡± ¡°¡­The lord?¡± With the remnants of the battlefield still clinging to him, his ash-colored hair remained damp from the perspiration of his recent exertions. Was there a battlefield urgent enough for the head to personally go there during this time? As news reached his ears, his countenance grew grave, reflecting the weight of the unexpected tidings. ¡°Yes, he went to chase Mirta.¡± ¡°But there were already people chasing him, right?¡± In response to his question, the person answered. ¡°Yes, but he insisted on handling it personally.¡± Redias Argenta tilted his head slightly at those words. He wasn¡¯t someone who acted impulsively like that, so why? However, before he could feel perplexed, another piece of news that caused a stir reached his ears. ¡°But it seems that the madam also went to the same place.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Krua Alors¡­ no, she had become Krua Argenta now. Even though he didn¡¯t know when she would leave, it was clear that she was the madam of this household for now. As someone from Argenta¡¯s main family and someone who knew about the fake Ferro plan, Redias was lost in thought. ¡°Diello!¡± He recalled the purple-haired woman who was advancing with a horse and shouted like that on the battlefield. She was an impressive person. If only she had been the real Duchess Argenta and not the fake Ferro, it would¡¯ve been better. ¡°¡­It would be good to send people to help the two of them.¡± He tilted his head as he spoke, becoming increasingly curious about the madam. * * * ¡°Mirta has betrayed us.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t he write the blood contract and leave not long ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the madam personally punished him.¡± The news of Mirta¡¯s betrayal soon circulated within the Argenta mansion. ¡°The atmosphere is gloomy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a betrayer after a long time.¡± ¡°When the former Duke was here¡­¡± ¡°Shh, keep quiet.¡± The servants residing below the third floor of the mansion were especially known for their loose tongues. However, the fourth floor and above remained as quiet as before, undisturbed. ¡°It¡¯s not a major injury.¡± When I pointed out the wounds that needed to be promptly treated upon his return, Diello extended his hand and said so. ¡°Still, it still needs treatment.¡± Ignoring his words, I firmly held onto his arm. When I unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled it up, I was met with a longer and deeper wound than I had anticipated. ¡°Goodness¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t a major injury? I expressed my surprise, and Diello smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s a common occurrence on the battlefield.¡± While saying so, he even brought over a first aid kit. While he reacted so sensitively to my wounds, he himself¡­ ¡°We should call a doctor.¡± It was because the wound seemed much deeper than a simple bruise or swelling, so it wouldn¡¯t heal easily. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± However, Diello shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause a fuss.¡± Upon hearing his words, Vielle, who had been standing nearby, bowed her head and stepped back. ¡°There¡¯s no need to inform the entire mansion that I¡¯m injured.¡± His gentle words made me feel a sudden clarity. Well, it wasn¡¯t just Mirta who betrayed him in the mansion. It was quite a situation for a traitor to emerge from the fourth floor. There must be remaining traitors who haven¡¯t been uncovered. As long as they remained, it wouldn¡¯t be good for news of Diello¡¯s injury to spread. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± I had to return the favor for the treatment she received before, right? With that in mind, I snatched the bandage from his hand. ¡°Let me take care of it.¡± Saying so, I began wrapping his arm with the bandage after cleaning it thoroughly. Of course, it couldn¡¯t be as tidy as what doctors would do, although the treatment was completed in a decent manner. As Diello watched me close the first aid kit, he suddenly spoke. ¡°¡­I thought he would make wiser choices.¡± Glancing up at him, I noticed his lowered gaze. ¡°Mirta?¡± Diello nodded slightly at my question. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve known each other for a long time.¡± I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond to his words. Just because he knew someone well didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t betray him, right? Did he think there was a separate requirement for betrayal? Nonetheless, I couldn¡¯t say that to his genuinely concerned face. ¡°¡­Do you think someone who has known you for a long time wouldn¡¯t betray you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled at his concise answer. Oh, you naive soul! It seemed like there would be a lot to explain during this incident. As the strongest Duke in history¡­ he was someone with a much softer demeanor than expected. Besides, since Diello was my partner, I felt that I should teach him a little about how the world works to ensure our plan went smoothly. ¡°There might be others planning to leave for Cartiel. Have you figured out who they are?¡± Diello nodded in response to my question. ¡°My informants will find out soon.¡± Fortunately, the intelligence department of Argenta wasn¡¯t as soft as a pudding. They were like the sharp claws of Argenta, just like Vielle. Moreover, according to the original story, the head of Argenta¡¯s intelligence department was fiercely loyal to Argenta, so they would take care of the traitors. Regardless, it was difficult for Diello to just stay still. Obviously, his personality was perfect for lulling Alors into complacency¡­ but it should be acting. It would be difficult if it were genuine. ¡°Let¡¯s find out through a different method.¡± This was what I called the ¡®Spicing Up Diello¡¯ project! Fortunately, I had a detailed understanding of how Krua handled situations like this in the original story. Diello¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my suggestion. * * * Since Mirta and the people from Cartiel that go with him were already dead, there was no one left to interrogate directly. Still, there must be people who were planning to move with Mirta and capturing them was simple. They just need to spread rumors. ¡°The Cartiel were planning to use the escape of Mirta for their advantage, right?¡± ¡°Yes, they wanted to extract information from Mirta and then kill him.¡± ¡°Vicious b*stards¡­¡± ¡­Such rumors, for example. Argenta was shaken, and Cartiel, who had initially appeared helpful, had betrayed those seeking refuge in Argenta. The atmosphere was fraught with unease as individuals questioned their trust in others. Due to restrictions on the intelligence department¡¯s ability to disseminate rumors, alternative methods were being employed to identify the traitors. Though thanks to me spreading the rumors, they quickly apprehended the traitors. ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant idea.¡± Diello exclaimed in admiration while Argenta¡¯s intelligence department brought two traitors before us. Indeed, they seemed quite rough around the edges. ¡°They refuse to talk.¡± The informants reported. ¡°Hmm.¡± As they knelt in front of the sofa where we sat, Diello seemed hesitant. ¡°¡­What should we do?¡± The informant glanced up at their lord, Diello, while he had a slightly troubled expression. ¡°Should we handle it ourselves?¡± The informant asked. Apparently, it seemed that this wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had happened. Well, Diello¡¯s personality wouldn¡¯t allow them to torture, though if it went this way, it could make their master seem weak. I raised my hand to stop the informant. ¡°If it¡¯s alright, let me ask them once. What do you think?¡± I turned to Diello as he tilted his head slightly. ¡°¡­Even if we kill them, they won¡¯t easily talk.¡± He said cautiously. He was right. Even though the words ¡®kill them¡¯ were mentioned, the captured traitors showed no signs of wavering. ¡°¡­.¡± I glanced at those traitors. In Krua¡¯s mind, there was a way lined up to deal with people like them. ¡°Besides killing, there are many ways to instill fear in a person.¡± Everyone, including Argenta¡¯s informants and Diello, gazed at me in response to my words. ¡°Pay close attention.¡± I should teach him how to make people talk without the need for direct violence. At my words, Diello let out a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ll remember it.¡± ¡°To remember¡­¡± ¡­There was no need for that. I almost said that. Nonetheless, it was true that there was a need to remember. It was a strange feeling to darken the only kind person in this novel, but there was no choice. If he continued to live so naively and ended up being betrayed and killed, what good would it do? Among the chaotic characters in this novel, who had lost their screws one by one, he was nothing short of pure. I knew how sinister and cruel Alors and Pentas Alors were in the original story. If we continued like this, it would be our end. ¡°Prepare two rooms. It would be good to have a glass wall in the middle. Also¡­ make sure the sound can be heard.¡± At my words, the informants glanced at each other.