《You Can Keep The Male Lead》 CH 1 When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a woman in a pure white dress in front of a mirror. I blinked my eyes several times then closed my eyes again. But soon. Clap clap¨C! ¡°My lady, wake up! Your hair is going to get ruined. I¡¯ve been working on it for hours.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Go ahead and straighten your head.¡± ¡°Where is this¡­?¡± A woman wearing a maid¡¯s uniform tilted her head and burst out laughing. ¡°Are you so happy that you think you¡¯re dreaming?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s understandable. In the end, your wish came true. That¡¯s admirable, your tenacity¨Cno, your love,¡± said another person in a maid outfit as she put a white veil over my head. What the hell was going on? I felt like I was half-asleep. ¡°What exactly do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t move. We¡¯re just about done now.¡± They only stepped back after placing a massive tiara decorated with seemingly countless diamonds on top of my head. There¡¯s no way those diamonds were real. I looked at the reflection in the mirror and saw a woman wearing a shiny white dress, a white veil draped over her face, and a tiara on her head. That was no doubt the appearance of a bride. That, in itself, was disconcerting, but there was something more. Fluttering rose pink hair, which could never be achieved through bleaching and dyeing, was styled half up and finely combed on both sides of the shoulders. I made eye contact with the woman in the mirror. This was me, but it wasn¡¯t. Bright, golden-yellow eyes were looking back at me. Only then did it sink in that something was wrong. Ah, that¡¯s right. This was definitely a dream. Before I could worry about how to wake up from the dream, someone came through the door and knocked. Immediately, the chattering maids stopped and excused themselves. The man by the door wore something like a uniform. His light blond hair was slicked back, revealing his handsome face. Who was that man? He leaned against the wall and looked at me with heartless eyes. The blue eyes looking at me were so cold. ¡°Listen carefully, Erin Spilet,¡± he said in a tone as cold as his stare. So that¡¯s the name of this body¡­ but where did I hear that before? ¡°I¡¯ve done as you wished, so don¡¯t interfere with what happens after this.¡± I looked up at him blankly. I still didn¡¯t know what was going on, but one thing I was sure of was that a man who¡¯s getting married would not say that to his bride. ¡°No matter who I meet or where I go, never try to find out and look for me. Don¡¯t expect anything from me. Do you understand?¡± With that, the man turned around and left. I was in a daze before he arrived but came to my senses as if his words had beaten me. I frowned. ¡°Wow, what¡­ t-that guy.¡± Meanwhile, the maids who had left before came back and fussed over my clothes and hair again. They carefully looked at me. ¡°My lady, are you okay?¡± It looked like they heard everything outside the door. I gave the most straightforward answer that came to mind. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem like you are. Why did he raise his voice?¡± Advertisements ¡°No wonder you¡¯re in shock¡­ Now, get up. It¡¯s time for the bride to enter soon.¡± I really was okay. I didn¡¯t know that guy. I didn¡¯t even know who I was. Erin Spilet. I muttered to myself, trying to recall any memories. One person grabbed my arm to guide me, and the other lifted the hem of my dress from behind. As soon as we passed through the long hallway, bright light poured in from the large hall in front of us. I naturally frowned at the sight of the hall. Countless people sat on both sides of the podium, and a gorgeous chandelier hung from the ceiling. The groom had already entered. Everyone¡¯s attention was now on the bride who was about to enter. Some looked on in contempt, some in envy, and one avoided my gaze altogether. My feet hurt from wearing the unfamiliar high heels. I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel pain if this was a dream¡­ right? There were beautiful flower arrangements on both sides of the carpet lined in front of me. I stood at the end of the flower road and tried to figure out the situation while waiting. Who am I, and where am I? I made eye contact with the man standing in front of me, and his expression noticeably hardened. He looked as if he saw something he hated. He looked away first. He looked around the hall, and when his gaze reached a particular spot, his face softened. Why all of a sudden¡­? A slender, brown-haired woman was sitting in the place where he had his focus, and while I could only see the back of her head, the woman seemed to be staring back at him. The man looked almost as if he was about to cry. His lips faintly moved as if wanting to speak. I saw it clearly. The man was mouthing ¡®I love you¡¯ to the woman sitting in the distance. That¡¯s amazing. He had to say that here, at this moment. It was so absurd that I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Honestly, it I felt like I was watching a comedy movie. Meanwhile, the bridal procession music started. As soon as I took a step along with the tune, my body faltered, and I collapsed. The bride fell at her wedding. The moment I fell, a memory came to mind. Erin Spilet. It was the name of a supporting character in a novel. After Erin married the hero, she became jealous of the heroine. She tried to kill her countless times and failed just as much; she was consumed by her obsession and eventually tried to kill her unrequited love. Erin Spilet was now a bride, but in this novel, she was clearly an uninvited guest. The hero, my groom, and the heroine, a wedding guest, couldn¡¯t stop staring at each other. I could only hear the murmurs around me now. Really, I¡¯m Erin Spilet¡­? As I tried to get up and walk again, I noticed a broken heel. Ha, no wonder I fell. I took off both shoes on the spot and held them in my hand. The wide-eyed crowd turned to me. The hem of my dress was also crumpled, so I picked it up and briskly walked toward the platform. It didn¡¯t matter what the crowd thought. They were people I didn¡¯t know anyway. I also wanted to ask the hero to stop this wedding and just marry that woman. But in the novel, while it wasn¡¯t obvious, Erin had her own reason to marry the hero. She was in debt was on the verge of being sold off if she didn¡¯t pay it back. This wedding was a means to settle that huge debt. When I stood face-to-face with the hero, I lowered the hem I had been holding and stood straight. He held my gloved fingertips very lightly, and we stood side-by-side in front of the podium. Instead of a bouquet, I held the broken shoes in one hand and the hand of a man who hated me in the other. ¡°Do you, Lord Rupert Clifford[1], take Lady Erin Spilet as your wife¡­¡± Lines Lines I was familiar with because it was in a novel passed by quickly, but the man¡¯s name stayed in my head. Lord Rupert Clifford. The moment I heard the name, it finally sank in that I really was in a novel. My body was covered in goosebumps. Meanwhile, Rupert was trying to somehow look behind him. I felt bad to see a handsome man doing it and wanted to put a pair of eyes on the back of his head. After the bishop¡¯s long speech, it was finally time to kiss. ¡°The bride and groom must kiss in front of the goddess Tersa and all of the guests here to seal the marriage.¡± Oh, how I hate this moment. As we faced each other, I saw his frown once more. It couldn¡¯t be good for me. No, Erin Spilet liked Rupert, so she would probably like it. I saw Rupert clenching his teeth and clenching his fists. I gripped the side of my dress and closed my eyes. This was all for show anyway, so I could just touch his lips or pretend to touch it. I closed my eyes to comfort myself, but no matter how long I waited, no kiss came. When I opened my eyes a little, Rupert was still standing stiffly. What, you¡¯re not gonna do it? I felt my face heat up as the guests started whispering. I wouldn¡¯t even guess how funny and desperate it looked to see a woman closing her eyes and puckering her lips out alone at a wedding. I was angry, embarrassed, and wanted to cry, but the ¡®woe is me¡¯ act didn¡¯t suit Erin Spilet or me. In a quiet voice that others would not hear, I said to Rupert, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just pretend we¡¯re doing it? You can¡¯t even do that?¡± In the end, I reached out first. After pulling on his coat, I pretended to kiss him before pulling away. No big deal, right? CH 2 My lips didn¡¯t actually touch his, so I¡¯m innocent. It would be better for Rupert to end this painful wedding soon, too. I glimpsed at Rupert, and while he looked displaced, he didn¡¯t seem to blame me much. He kept stealing glances at me, and it was not until the words of the Faith continued again that he looked ahead. ¡°I now pronounce you husband and wife. The bride and groom will now march on to the future together. Bless you, all.¡± The orchestra¡¯s powerful march rang out, and I sneaked a look at Rupert as a sign to go. He looked flustered and soon looked away. So, with arms crossed, he walked forward. The carpet I stepped on with my bare feet wasn¡¯t as soft as I first thought. Meanwhile, fireworks exploded and lit up the sky. Seeing and feeling everything, I desperately wished all of this was just a dream. Erin Spilet¡¯s life in the novel wasn¡¯t easy, and I honestly didn¡¯t have the confidence to endure it. About halfway through the march, I turned and looked toward the heroine, immediately making eye contact with her. But her expression was strange. To my regret, I also knew very well how it felt to attend a loved one¡¯s wedding and watch it. Because I¡¯ve been through it. But were surprise and astonishment among the many emotions I felt at the time? The brunette¡¯s expression was beyond astonishment. She looked downright frightened. She looked at me with her orange eyes wide open, covering her mouth with her hand. What the hell was that? I¡¯d rather she be angry, sad, or pretend to be okay¡­ those were reasonable reactions. But the look on her face¡­ Nevertheless, I walked forward, holding the hero¡¯s arm, leaving the heroine¡¯s astonished expression behind. As soon as I walked to the end, there was suddenly a commotion around me. Light poured through the wide-open door, and someone walked in through it. The strange contrast between the dark hair of the person who walked in and the blinding light caught my eye. Who¡­was it? As soon as they saw the man, the women curtsied deeply, and the men knelt on one side. ¡°His Highness, Enoch Dwell Rikephoros[1].¡± Beside me, Rupert knelt and lowered his head deeply, one arm raised. I followed suit and curtsied the way the women did. In the meantime, I thought hard and tried to remember as much information about him as possible. Enoch Dwell Rikephoros. If it was Enoch¡­ Ah, he¡¯s the crown prince, the second male lead. Advertisements The hero, Rupert, was passionate about love but somewhat impulsive and emotional, and thus, sometimes showed flaws. Of course, that¡¯s why he might have been suitable as the male lead in a romance novel. On the other hand, the second male lead, the prince, was perfect from start to finish. There was a cold yet gentle side to him, yet he never opened up to anyone. Nevertheless, his love for the heroine was deep and genuine. But he didn¡¯t bother her, and he would help her get out of trouble or take care of what she needed at a distance that wasn¡¯t burdensome. His most significant role was to make the hero jealous and make him obsess over the heroine. In the end, he knew that the heroine¡¯s heart could never belong to him, and so he quietly backed off. Others supported and loved Rupert, but I preferred Prince Enoch. It wasn¡¯t that I hated Rupert in the novel; it¡¯s just that I got annoyed every time he was self-indulgent. Now that I¡¯ve seen it here in person, I was right. Tall, fit, and handsome, the Crown Prince was not at all intimidated by Rupert. To compare the two, Rupert was a little more masculine while Prince Enoch had a more elegant air to him. ¡°Your Highness, why have you come to such a shabby place?¡± ¡°How can I not attend your wedding? Get up; I didn¡¯t mean to have you kneel like this,¡± the prince grabbed Rupert¡¯s shoulder and helped him stand up. ¡°It¡¯s an infinite honor for you to come, Your Highness.¡± ¡°His Majesty sends his best wishes. Anyway, congratulations. When did this happen? You didn¡¯t even introduce her to me.¡± The Prince and Rupert have been friends since childhood. Rupert was the child of Duke Clifford, the head of the royal faction, and the Duchess and Empress had a deep friendship. The two men grew up together, so it was inevitable for them to become close. It was only natural for Enoch to be sad to hear that Rupert suddenly married someone without saying a word. ¡°What are you doing? Please introduce me.¡± The Crown Prince would not have known Erin at all. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve crossed paths. However, he most likely asked for an introduction because they¡¯ve never had a personal conversation before. ¡°Ah, yes. This is Count Erin Spilet[2]. She inherited the title after the death of the previous Count.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Erin Spilet, no, from today I¡¯m Erin Clifford, Your Highness.¡± Enoch looked at me with emerald eyes, pondering for a moment, then slowly spoke. He seemed to choose his words carefully. He seemed to know why I insisted on being the Duke¡¯s wife. ¡°¡­Duchess of Clifford. I¡¯m sorry to hear about the former Count Spilet.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± He was consistently polite to me, too. He was definitely a man who was completely different from anyone else. Come to think of it¡­ yes, the relationship between the two men became estranged today. Today was the day the heroine caught the prince¡¯s eyes. Where was she? Oh, there she was. The heroine was already quite close and looking at us nervously. The heroine¡¯s name was Chloe Verezian, and she was the daughter of a baron. As soon as I remembered that, the prince¡¯s gaze reached the heroine. At this point in the novel, Chloe would fall then the prince would run to her. ¡°Now¡­¡± Finally, the prince took a step. But he moved in a completely different direction than expected. ¡°Why are you holding your shoes?¡± He took the shoes that were still in my hand and looked over them. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s because the heel of the shoe is broken¡­¡± ¡°Are you barefoot now?¡± Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect him to care about this. No one here cared that the bride was walking barefoot and had the shoes in her hand. The thought was depressing yet frightening. What kind of life had Erin Spilet lived to be treated like this? The prince looked at his shoes and frowned. ¡°Someone deliberately cut the heel of the shoe.¡± His voice resonated quietly in the hall. Of course, everyone was holding their breath and paying attention to us. And at that moment. Thump. ¡°Oh, my god!¡¯ As expected, Chloe fainted. While the nobles around me were in an uproar, I saw the back of a man quickly running away from me. ¡­Rupert Clifford, the bridegroom who had just finished getting married. ¡°Chloe, Chloe. Wake up¡­!¡± Everyone would have known that Chloe over that was Rupert¡¯s real love and that Erin Spilet was only his wife by name. However, speculations and rumors were one thing, and seeing it outright was another. It didn¡¯t matter that this wasn¡¯t my life and I didn¡¯t love Rupert; I was speechless. Enoch¡¯s face hardened, seemingly surprised by his friend¡¯s actions, and slowly turned his gaze to me. ¡°¡­Madam, no, Count Spilet.¡± When the prince called, I had to answer, but somehow I couldn¡¯t speak well. So I didn¡¯t even notice that he had addressed me differently. The prince brought the shoes the servant brought in front of me and said, ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for a beautiful lady, but I think you¡¯d better wear it first. You have to go outside now.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.¡± I held back the cry that tried to come out. This wasn¡¯t something to cry about. Robert didn¡¯t hurt me. Whatever this was, it¡¯s Erin¡¯s life, not mine. I only sympathized with Erin¡¯s life as the sole audience occupying her body. ¡°Would you like to stay here or go outside,¡± the prince politely asked, probably intending to escort me if I wished. He was trying to figure out what the ceremony meant to me and how I felt. Surely, standing her now only made Erin Spilet more miserable. I replied to him as calmly and as lowly as I could. As if nothing hurt. ¡°Now that the ceremony is over, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m needed anymore.¡± ¡°Wise judgement.¡± Enoch gracefully reached out. I looked at Rupert by chance and saw that he was focused on nothing but Chloe. He called out to her, cradling her preciously in his arms. CH 3 Rupert¡¯s face showed his concern for Chloe. He suddenly looked up at Enoch. He then asked the maids to take care of Chloe and strode back this way. ¡°I thought you were busy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Your Highness.¡± Rupert still spoke in an overbearing and arrogant tone. The novel clearly stated that such a tone was attractive, but hearing it from Erin¡¯s point of view, I was only repulsed. Still, given that the ceremony had just ended, I had to act as his wife. I wanted to ask for the Crown Prince¡¯s understanding, but our heroine Chloe did not remain silent. ¡°Rupert¡­ Ha. I¡¯m dizzy Rupert¡­¡± Her small, weak voice desperately called for Rupert. Rupert began to look visibly restless. Did he come back here because he realized that he had just gotten married? But what can I do? You should go. The two were destined to be together, and I was nothing but a nuisance between them. Looking at Rupert, I said, ¡°She¡¯s calling for you. Shouldn¡¯t you go?¡± As soon as he heard me, he ran back to Chloe without bothering to reply. I looked at them and sighed. Just when I was about to leave myself¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless. I turned to the Prince who had reached out his hand earlier. ¡°Your Highness, may I ask you a favor again?¡± When I reached out to him, His Highness glanced at Rupert and Chloe, and said with a smile, ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s go, then, Count Spilet.¡± Taking his hand and turning lightly, our footsteps were neither heavy nor light. What I needed most now was time and space to think quietly. But as soon as I took Enoch¡¯s hand and walked out of the hall, I was dazzled by the scene in front of me. There was a square outside the hall, and in the middle of it was a large wedding carriage. And there was a red carpet from the entrance to the carriage. I was flustered, but then again, so were countless people. Who wouldn¡¯t be? The bride, who was supposed to walk out through the door with the groom, was escorted by another man. And the other man was none other than the Prince. I took his hand and walked out of the hall, but I was a little overwhelmed by the sight in front of me. However, there was one person who wasn¡¯t flustered at all. ¡°I will escort Count Spilet to a carriage.¡± At his words, the escort knights and attendants began to break through the crowd. The path they cleared was in a different direction from the red carpet, and at the end of that road stood another carriage. I glanced at Prince Enoch, who stood next to me. I had read it in the novel, but it was reassuring to see that he didn¡¯t seem to get unsettled easily. I smiled as he escorted me, then the murmurs from behind started again. Looking back, Rupert was walking out. His blond hair sparkled in the sun as if all the sunlight was his. Even the pale Chloe in his arms shone brightly. ¡°¡­Even the sky is on the main character¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing, Your Highness.¡± I tried to ignore them, but I turned around and looked at them with a strange sense of deja vu. Advertisements When I remembered it, I suddenly froze. In the novel, Chloe collapsed at Rupert and Erin¡¯s wedding, and the Prince carried her out. It was the first scene where the second lead appeared, so I remembered it clearly. I looked at them with a stiff expression and turned back to see the Prince¡¯s emerald eyes on me. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a scene worth watching, Count Spilet.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Even with his gentle expression, his tense facial muscles caught my eye. I didn¡¯t really mind, but somehow Enoch seemed more upset. I wondered why it was that way, but soon I could understand. The Prince was a just and righteous man, and Rupert¡¯s actions would not be acceptable by his standards. Still, it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling that someone was angry instead of me. But no matter how I felt, my thoughts became more tangled. What would happen now that the scene here changed? The Prince, who had stopped when I did, looked at me and asked carefully, ¡°Shall we?¡± I nodded and turned completely away from them. Rupert took Chloe, and I didn¡¯t see where they had disappeared. ¡°Haa, really.¡± The wedding dress was really heavy and difficult to move into. It wasn¡¯t easy to even step on the foothold while holding his hand. Enoch, who was watching me struggle, stopped me with his arms. ¡°Count.¡± As I looked at him in surprise, Prince Enoch held my knees at the hem of my dress and lifted me onto the carriage. When the calm yet heavy scent filled my senses, my muddled mind instantly went blank. ¡°Please wait a moment,¡± he calmly said to me, sitting so nervously. He asked for patience yet waited until I nodded before he closed the door and left. Only then could I be in a quiet place. Sighing, I closed my eyes. ¡°Why me¡­¡± My head throbbed. Was this headache Erin¡¯s pain or mine? While I pressed my fingers on my temple to soothe the pain, the noise outside gradually dwindled. The door opened when I was peeking through the window to see what was happening. Enoch was outside the door, and she couldn¡¯t see any people behind him. Perhaps he dismissed everyone. When he looked at me for a moment, I wondered if he would hesitate, but he came in and sat across me. I thought it was a fairly spacious carriage, but the space felt narrow when Enoch sat across me. There was a moment of silence, then he sighed. ¡°Haa, he wasn¡¯t that kind of guy.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a fake marriage, anyway.¡± He immediately shook his head and said, ¡°No, even so, it wouldn¡¯t make sense to do that kind of thing there.¡± Rupert disappeared with Chloe because Enoch did not go to Chloe. What made him come here? ¡°¡­Your Highness.¡± My voice ringing in the carriage was strange. I didn¡¯t even know if I was speaking properly. However, his earnest green eyes encouraged me to continue. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± For the first time, he showed embarrassment. As if contemplating the answer, he frowned and avoided my gaze. Seeing that look, I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to argue. It¡¯s late, but thank you for your help.¡± Even in my greeting, he was silent. ¡°So¡­¡± I wanted to explain more, but he interrupted me. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯ve seen a lot of weddings, some of which, as the Count said, were fake.¡± He chose words slowly and carefully. His elbows, bowed down, were resting on his knees. As a result, we were quite close. ¡°It¡¯s rare for nobles to marry for love. However, even with such a wedding ceremony, I have never seen a wedding where the bride couldn¡¯t even wear shoes. That¡¯s all.¡± After saying that, the conversation ended again. So the heel broke, and the story diverged from the original because I took off those shoes? Haa, I don¡¯t even know anymore. It seemed that the Prince felt bad for Erin Spilet, who was standing there. Honestly, it was a lie if I said I wasn¡¯t impressed by his actions and words that saved me. But on the contrary, it has become a bit confusing. Even if Erin knew of the deal against Rupert, would the Crown Prince have lost his temper instead of Erin? No, it couldn¡¯t be. Apart from Rupert¡¯s actions at this wedding, it was clear that Erin¡¯s blackmail and deal with Rupert were terrible. That¡¯s what I was paying for now. How frustrating. As I thought about it, my blood ran cold. Yes, I have to wake up. At the end of the day, the Prince was still the second lead in the novel. In other words, he¡¯s also Chloe¡¯s man. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± I couldn¡¯t answer right away. The wedding was over. So where do you usually go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Where can I go?¡± Enoch blinked, looking at me with those beautiful green eyes. Yes, I admit it was a stupid question. But he, who had been calm all the time, burst out laughing. ¡°W-why are you laughing?¡± ¡°The Count, who hasn¡¯t reacted after going through what she did, is now blushing.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I covered my face with the back of his hand and looked at his smiling face. It was refreshing to see a smile on that handsome face. His laughter was infectious, and while it wasn¡¯t the time to laugh, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°If you¡¯re not comfortable going to the Duke¡¯s house, we can take you to the palace tonight.¡± Fortunately, his words were a hint. I guess I¡¯m going to Rupert¡¯s mansion. ¡°The wedding has just ended. I can¡¯t. Your Highness, if possible, would you be able to take me to the Duke of Clifford¡¯s mansion?¡± However, his face fell. Since then, he didn¡¯t answer. CH 4 So, I finally asked again. ¡°¡­You can¡¯t?¡± The look I saw on his face disappeared in an instant, and the gentle expression unique to the Prince returned. ¡°How can I not?¡± He knocked on the carriage wall a couple of times and said to the coachman, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Duke of Clifford.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± As the carriage began to move, I could hear the horses walking and the knights following from behind. Perhaps it was because of Prince Enoch¡¯s consideration that the surroundings were so quiet. ¡°You are a very good person.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, his reaction neither positive nor negative. In the constant shaking of the carriage, I also closed my eyes. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t talk to me, so I had time for myself to think. A few days before waking up inside a novel, I went to my long-term boyfriend¡¯s wedding. One day, less than a month after we broke up after dating for so long, he got married. I thought I wasn¡¯t sad about it, but oddly enough, I couldn¡¯t sleep for days and days. I was desperate to get some sleep, so I drank alcohol I usually didn¡¯t drink, and even though I shouldn¡¯t, I swallowed prescription sleeping pills. Then, was I not just in deep, deep sleep? That¡¯s why I was having a dream like this. No, this was too vivid to be a dream. So, there¡¯s only one conclusion. I must have died from the alcohol and drugs. Others might have thought it was a suicide committed by a woman who couldn¡¯t overcome the grief over her ex-boyfriend¡¯s marriage. How odd. However, even though the situation was so unrealistic, I still didn¡¯t panic. Well, this was my personality. Whenever something big happened, I barely felt anything. I guess that¡¯s why he said he was tired of me. Still, why did I come into this novel? And not even Chloe¡¯s body, but Erin Spilet¡¯s. When I looked at the Prince, his eyes were still closed. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was asleep or not. Advertisements Closing my eyes again, I tried to recall the contents of the novel. Fortunately, it hadn¡¯t been long since I last read the novel so I could still remember some parts. Sadly, I didn¡¯t really focus much on the story, so I could also recall the basics. And Erin Spilet wasn¡¯t even the heroine, so I didn¡¯t remember much unless it was somehow related to the protagonists. That part frustrated me. This was the most memorable part: Erin Spilet, who had been in love with Rupert, threatened to expose his relationship with Chloe to Rupert¡¯s father, the current Duke of Clifford. At that time, Rupert and Chloe were secretly dating. Duke Clifford and Baron Verezian weren¡¯t on good terms, so they would never think to match their respective heirs. Duke Clifford supported the crown prince while Baron Verezian supported the other Prince. If the Duke found out, Chloe would be in danger. So, Erin asked Rupert for an arranged marriage and a large sum of money in exchange for her silence. Erin herself was the Count of Spilet, and the Spilet family was an old noble family like the Cliffords. She would be a good choice for a cover. Rupert eventually accepted Erin¡¯s deal, but he modified the terms for the marriage to last for a year only. I thought the hero was a bit of a coward when I reached that part in the novel. In the end, he didn¡¯t want to lose anything, not the love of his lover and not the power and position he currently enjoyed. Anyway, Erin changed as soon as they got married, and she didn¡¯t leave Chloe alone. She even kidnapped her and threatened her life. Erin eventually got kicked out of the Clifford family without reaching the one-year mark and was sold to a brothel due to her debt. I shivered at the thought. After a while, the carriage finally stopped. ¡°¡­Count, Count Spilet.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the Duke¡¯s residence in the capital. By the way, are you alright?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You look pale.¡± At his words, I realized my condition and patted my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m grateful for your concern.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re fine, I¡¯m glad, but¡­¡± He so moved the curtains and glanced outside the window. I followed his gaze and clicked my tongue. I felt Enoch staring at me as if he found my reaction curious. ¡°He made a scene yet still came to meet me.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll live in one house anyway.¡± ¡°If¡­¡± He paused. I patiently waited for him to continue. But Rupert, who was unaware of our conversation, didn¡¯t. He came to the side of the carriage and knocked on the door. A rare look of displeasure appeared on Enoch¡¯s face. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and continued what he was trying to say. ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it here, you can come to the palace anytime. Please give me a message, Count Spilet. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I will keep that in mind.¡± His offer was probably an empty gesture, but his concern was sincere. When I thanked him and smiled, he shook his head a little and opened the door of the carriage. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Rupert stepped back and bowed his head toward Prince Enoch. ¡°You arrived first.¡± ¡°I did. Thank you for escorting my wife, Your Highness.¡± I scoffed when Rupert emphasized ¡®wife.¡¯ Erin was heartless, but the situation would definitely hurt her pride. At my scoff, Rupert scowled at me and said in annoyance, ¡°How long will you be sitting there? You¡¯ve already caused too much trouble to His Higness. Get off quickly.¡± This nobleman didn¡¯t seem to know how to escort a woman properly. I struggled to gather my heavy dress in one hand, but Enoch, our caring second lead, reached out. It was funny that Rupert flinched when he saw it. What¡¯s wrong with you? I gratefully took Enoch¡¯s hand and went off the carriage. It was dark outside, and the day seemed to be over. As soon as my feet hit the ground, Rupert grabbed my other hand and took me away from Enoch. I stumbled for a moment but soon found my balance. Enoch saw it and said, ¡°¡­.What you did today was wrong. How about showing your wife some respect, at least in public?¡± With that pretty mouth, Enoch said only the right words. Indeed, if Rupert continued to be like this in the future, things would be difficult. There was no honeymoon to be had; I should have at least been spared the humiliation. Shouldn¡¯t they treat each other amicably, even only in public? ¡°I¡¯m sorry Your Highness had to see something unpleasant. You don¡¯t need to concern yourself about our family matters[1].¡± Advertisements Arrogant man. Weren¡¯t they supposed to be close? It was hard to ignore Rupert drawing a line. I didn¡¯t know if it was because he was the Duke¡¯s heir or because he was simply arrogant, but he tried to act as if he and the Prince were of equal rank[2]. By this time in the novel, the two men grew further apart because of Chloe. But Enoch spoke in response to Rupert¡¯s words as if he had done nothing wrong. ¡°I can¡¯t say that the matters about the Clifford Duchy are no one¡¯s concern but yours. If you do it well, then I won¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°¡­I will keep that in mind.¡± With that, Enoch ended his conversation with Rupert and turned to me. His somewhat stiff expression softened as he spoke to me. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be off.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for today, Your Highness.¡± He raised my hand and lightly kissed the back of his hand. I was curious how Rupert would react this time, but he looked unexpectedly distracted. Soon after, the carriage carrying the Prince departed, and I stood in front of the Duke¡¯s residence. I attempted to move, but I accidentally stepped on the hem of my wedding dress, and I felt my body tilting downwards. I tried to find my balance and reflexively reached Rupert¡¯s hand, hovering in the air. He shrugged it off. When I saw this wedding dress, I suddenly realized how ridiculous this situation was. If Enoch wasn¡¯t there, I might have come to this mansion alone by foot, dragging this heavy dress. Even though Erin was a noble of her right, why didn¡¯t she have a single maid to assist her? ¡°Come in.¡± The mansion¡¯s heavy iron gate opened, and I followed Rupert. I tried to enter with as much grace befitting a Duchess as I could muster, given the heavy and uncomfortable dress I was wearing. Rupert glanced behind him. He still showed no signs of knowing how to escort a woman. Or maybe he didn¡¯t want to escort Erin. This property was probably the Clifford family¡¯s townhouse. There was a large mansion in the middle, and a smaller villa-like building on the left. There seemed to be an impressive number of people guarding it. Rupert reacted harshly as I looked toward the other building instead of walking. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about going there.¡± I was more curious when he said that, but I initially didn¡¯t want to pay attention. If only I hadn¡¯t remembered that part. In the novel, Chloe fainted and was carried by the Prince, but Rupert took her back in the end. He secretly brought Chloe to the outbuilding of the mansion, perhaps because he wanted to keep her by his side and take care of her. Ah, That was it. But can you even say you did it secretly? With that much people guarding the building? I could only laugh. If the situation continued this way, would it follow the original flow of the novel again? With a heavy heart, I followed Rupert again. The carriage carrying the Prince came to a halt again shortly after. Enoch looked quite different from when he was with Erin. His soft expression disappeared, and he lifted the curtain with a face devoid of any warmth. Then, somewhere, men dressed in black appeared and bowed their head silently to him. The escort knights did not stop them, as if familiar with their presence. When Enoch gave them a single look, they disappeared without a sound, much like when they appeared. The men in black disappeared to the direction of the Clifford manor, where he had dropped Erin. At that moment, a small smile appeared on his face. ¡°¡­A good person, huh?¡± As soon as he knocked on the carriage roof, they drove off. The carriage moved smoothly without a rattling sound. [1] Rupert used an informal tone that was inexcusable even if they were friends [2] The author described it as ¡°???? ???¡± CH 5 The Clifford property was large and spacious. When I arrived just after sunset, I was disoriented at first, but it turned out the distance between the annex and the main building was unexpectedly close. The maids were busy moving between the two buildings, carrying something and working from a distance. And I knew from the novel that Chloe was in the annex. When I looked towards the annex, Rupert snapped at me and forced me to look away. Curious about his reaction, I asked Rupert, ¡°It looks like someone is staying at the annex. Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern. You¡¯re only staying in this house, so stay as quiet as a mouse.¡± Then Rupert quickened his steps. Looking at things objectively, I could understand why Erin would be jealous and harbor resentment towards Chloe. It would definitely hurt Erin¡¯s pride, much more her heart, to see that not only did Rupert show disinterest in marrying Erin, he even brought his lover to the annex on the same day they got married. Furthermore, weren¡¯t they being too open about this, to the point that Rupert¡¯s father, the current Duke, could easily find out about it? It seemed that none of the people here reported it to the Duke. As I walked around and entered the building, two people came out and bowed. Advertisements ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, Lord, Madam.¡± The wrinkled butler greeted us first. Forgive me for being rude, but looking at the old man, it seemed that he should be served rather than serve. And the Duke¡¯s heir had just gotten married, yet none of the staff came here to greet them? According to the novel, the current Duke was in their main estate because he wasn¡¯t feeling well. Not only did they not hold the wedding ceremony at the estate, but no one came to greet them. ¡°I¡¯m the head maid, Thelma. Unfortunately, the Madam¡¯s bedroom has not yet been cleaned up. Would it be okay to stay in the guest room for today?¡± The woman glanced up and down at me, condescending as if she were the mistress of this house. ¡°No. Guest room? Do you think that makes sense? Prepare the room while I take a bath.¡± I delivered And even if that were the case, a normal person would recommend that the newlyweds share a room instead. The head maid had implicitly shown what she thought of Erin in this house by suggesting the guest room. ¡°But¡­¡± the maid mumbled as if surprised that I refused. I turned to Rupert, seeking a silent agreement, but he didn¡¯t seem to be able to take a hint. ¡°Rupert.¡± I finally opened my mouth, frustrated at the ignorant male lead. ¡°Shall I go to your room to sleep today? Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Do what she tells you to do.¡± It was a little ridiculous to see Rupert panic at my words, but it would have been frightening on my side if he offered to sleep with me. Thankfully, he understood what I meant. Anyway, if he was going to hate it that much, he should have agreed from the start. Thelma, the maid who had just openly defied the new Mistress, eventually lowered her head at Rupert¡¯s order. Looking at it, I knew what I had to do in this house. I had no intention of being as wild as Erin in the novel, but I needed to assert my position as the wife of the Duke¡¯s heir. I wondered how I, the wife who obviously did not have Rupert¡¯s favor, would be able to survive in this house. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll help you with your dress first. Please follow this child.¡± The head maid pointed to one of the maids standing behind her. She was the smallest of them and looked younger. ¡°I¡¯m Jenny,¡± the maid greeted and walked ahead, looking back at me as if telling me to follow her. I followed Jenny upstairs, leaving Rupert in the lobby. I felt Rupert¡¯s gaze the whole time. Why are you looking at me like that? Did you notice something weird? Jenny, who was ahead, hesitated in front of a slightly open door. The voices of bustling women came through the door. ¡°Hurry up, is that all? Why are there so many?¡± ¡°Yeah, whose money did they use to buy it? When did they buy it all?¡± ¡°Please wait a moment, madam,¡± Jenny turned to me and said, then went inside and closed the door. Suddenly, the chattering abruptly stopped. After a moment, the door opened, and two maids came out, carrying a large basket. I glanced at the basket and saw nothing but women¡¯s accessories. When they saw me looking, they bowed down in fright and rushed out as if running away. ¡°I guess they haven¡¯t cleaned up everything. Come in now.¡± Jenny opened the door, and as I stepped in, I could see the empty closet. I looked inside and stood in front of a full-length mirror. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll help you change clothes.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I looked closely at Jenny approaching through the mirror. She was a young girl who had not lost her baby fat yet. Was she about 16 or 17 years old? Come to think of it, Erin looked pretty young, too. I moved closer to the mirror and touched my cheeks. Soft. How old is this body? The novel didn¡¯t reveal Erin¡¯s age. Since Chloe was twenty-three, Erin should be around that age, too. Anyhow, I felt like I could breathe after Jenny loosened the corset fastened on my back. ¡°Where are my clothes?¡± As Jenny was about to leave, the door quickly opened, Thelma entering the room without knocking. ¡°I¡¯ve brought Madam¡¯s luggage.¡± There were only two slightly larger bags in her hands. Jenny took them from Thelma, put them down, and started hanging the clothes inside the closet. Erin didn¡¯t have enough clothes to fill the dressing room. One, two¡­ the bag was empty just by pulling out a few sets of clothes. ¡°Is this all?¡± ¡°Yes, I brought everything that was in Count Spilet¡¯s mansion.¡± Advertisements It was easy to read the ridicule in the head maid¡¯s eyes, but I couldn¡¯t say anything. Even to me, it was weird that a noble lady, no, a noble who¡¯s inherited a Count title, had only a few clothes and worn out at that. Come to think of it, the novel portrayed Erin as frugal and uncompromising. There might have been some circumstances that have happened to her, but unfortunately, it was only mentioned briefly. ¡°Ah¡­ right.¡± ¡°Today, this child will help Madam, but if you want to appoint a different one as your exclusive maid¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided on Jenny. You can go now.¡± As I looked over Delma coldly, she left the room sullenly. I couldn¡¯t understand why that maid was so cocky. No matter how much Rupert neglected Erin, without a Duchess, Erin was still the hostess of the house. Jenny picked a nightgown from among the handful of clothes and handed it to me. ¡°You must be tired. Shall I prepare the bathwater?¡± ¡°Yes. Which way is the bathroom?¡± ¡°Madam¡¯s bedroom is the door on the right. The bathroom is directly connected.¡± Jenny left as soon as I nodded. And finally, solitude. Wearing only a thin slip, I stood in front of the full-length mirror. Erin had a slim body, unrealistic rosy hair, and beautiful eyes shining like the sun. It would be a waste of this life to live as a villain. ¡°What is this?¡± As I tried to leave the dressing room after changing into my nightwear, I noticed something shining on the floor. I bent down and picked it up. It was a small earring with a red gem. Why was this here? If it¡¯s Erin, Jenny just put it all in the drawer. And I have a feeling Erin didn¡¯t have much, either. So these earrings must be from the former owner who used this dressing room. I didn¡¯t know the details; I just knew it¡¯d been a long time since the former Duchess passed away. I thought of the basket that the maids had just carried out. The trinkets and women¡¯s clothes that were in that basket, who owned it? With a bad feeling, I held the earring in my hand and put it in my pocket. Then I headed to the bedroom that Jenny told me. The maids, who were fixing the bed sheets, looked at me and stood upright nervously. ¡°It¡¯s all right, so keep doing what you were doing.¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, Madam.¡± As I headed towards the bathroom, I looked closely at the bedroom. The air in the room, the furniture, everything else¡­ it didn¡¯t seem like a room that had been vacant for a long time. In particular, the bedsheets that the maids had taken up and placed on one side were a sky-blue lace pattern that aristocratic women would favor. ¡°¡­¡± I went into the bathroom with more questions in my head. CH 6 Fatigue came to me as soon as I entered the bathtub and soaked in the water. Jenny quietly came up behind me and started massaging my shoulders. ¡°So, Jenny. How long have you been working here?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s been about five years.¡± From Jenny¡¯s appearance, she would be even younger five years ago. Instead of bombarding her with more questions about her life, I decided to move on and ask about the situation of the household. ¡°How many people in total are employed in this house?¡± ¡°Um, let me see. Chelsea quit yesterday, and a month ago, Sophie¡­¡± ¡°Hold on, why are people quitting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Jenny trailed off. She only continued when I opened my eyes and looked back at her. ¡°The head maid is strict, and¡­¡± Meanwhile, when I looked in Jenny¡¯s direction, the gown hanging behind her caught my eye. That wasn¡¯t the gown I was wearing. I then noticed the bathroom products had traces of use. ¡°Who used this place before I came here?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± I must have unconsciously raised my voice because Jenny mumbled in panic. I took a deep breath to regain my composure and asked, ¡°Is it the person in the annex?¡± Jenny¡¯s deer caught in headlights look said enough. Since I¡¯ve already started, I wanted to confirm something more. ¡°Then the bedroom, too?¡± Jenny nodded a little and said, ¡°The Young Lord and the Lady are often together¡­¡± No way, then, on that bed earlier¡­ Ugh, I felt sick. Advertisements I hurried to finish my bath and put a robe over Erin¡¯s old nightgown. Fortunately, this body owned the nightgown, so it didn¡¯t feel repulsive. At this point, I didn¡¯t want to care how this house worked. I wanted to get a divorce right now, regardless of the contract. If that didn¡¯t work, For the time being, I had to improve things for the sake of peace and my well-being. I first headed to Rupert¡¯s room. I knocked, but no one answered, so I opened the door without permission. I tried not to think of the possibility of Rupert getting angry at me for opening the door because there were more pressing matters to discuss. ¡°Not here. Where is he?¡± Soon, I found the answer to my question. I remembered that Chloe was in the annex. What should I do? I tied the robe tightly around my waist. I was now the Mistress of this house, whether our marriage was only by name or not. I could go wherever I wanted to go. Besides, I had no intention of grabbing her hair and dragging her out like a soap opera villain. I had no idea if Rupert would be at the mansion tomorrow morning, so I had to settle this tonight. Jenny spotted me as I was about to leave and ran to me. ¡°Madam, where are you going?¡± ¡°To the annex.¡± ¡°Ah, but there¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know everything. Stay here.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Madam!¡± Jenny called me in a hurry and held something that looked like a lamp in her hand. ¡°All of the lamps outside are broken. Take this and go out.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, right.¡± So, electricity didn¡¯t exist in this world. Then, what¡¯s their source of light? When I looked around, Jenny said, ¡°It¡¯s a lamp made of magic stones. There are only two in the mansion.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what this is.¡± A magic stone, huh. How curious. Well, this was a novel. Magic existed, and if I remembered correctly, so did dragons and monsters. Some soldiers and knights were guarding the entrance to the annex. Their faces weren¡¯t familiar, but they seemed to know the woman was walking from the main building. A knight approached and spoke politely, ¡°A-are you Madam?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°May I ask what you¡¯re doing here?¡± The knight looked back at the annex. The two must still be together. ¡°I came to see the Young Duke, so let me through.¡± ¡°U-uh, well¡­¡± ¡°I know everything, so it doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t come here to make a scene.¡± Watching the knight fidget, I finally got frustrated and pushed past him. He didn¡¯t stop me. It seemed that Rupert had never ordered the knights to stop people from coming. When I entered the annex, I immediately noticed that it looked better managed than the main building. It was apparent this wasn¡¯t the first time Chloe had been here. Scoffing, I opened the door and saw a cozy-looking drawing room. ¡°Rupert!¡± At that moment, a rustling sound was heard from inside. I knocked and waited. ¡°Rupert, come out.¡± Whatever it was, the two seemed caught off guard. There was a thumping noise, and I thought I heard a woman¡¯s voice. I felt like I¡¯ve become a wife who¡¯s about to bust my husband¡¯s affair¡­ or something like that. Rupert, who wore nothing but a robe, opened the door and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Startled, I took a step back. Advertisements I saw the heroine sitting on the bed, eyes round and wide, behind Rupert. Of course, it¡¯s not surprising that if a man and a woman were in the room, well, something like that would happen. ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you not to go here.¡± ¡°What can I say? I have something to say right now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is this urgent enough to talk about in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°For me, it is. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll see you again.¡± ¡°Huu, Erin. We¡¯ll be living in the same house as a couple for a year anyway, so I don¡¯t see the rush.¡± I looked at him, stunned by what he just said. And Rupert, who looked just as surprised, turned to look at his lover behind him. I couldn¡¯t exactly see the expression on Chloe¡¯s face, but I could only guess that such words would hurt a lover. Well, whatever; it¡¯s none of my business. ¡°Haa, damn it. Hold on,¡± he stood up and went back in, probably to comfort Chloe first. I went to the drawing room, turned to the maid standing pitifully by the corner and said, ¡°Go get tea.¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, yes!¡± I sat on the single sofa in the middle of the living room and leaned back. While waiting for the maid to serve the tea, I touched the earring I placed in my pocket. This earring might be Chloe¡¯s. Everything¡¯s so strange. The dressing room, the bathroom, the bedroom¡­ so, Chloe had been living like the Mistress of this house before Erin came. In this situation, was Erin really the villain? Chloe took Rupert¡¯s love, and everything she thought was hers. I wondered if that gentle and kind woman had the capacity to hate Erin. I looked over the annex. There was a bedroom, and the room beyond that would be the dressing room. The lights in the room were still on, and I could see a shadow moving. They seemed to be organizing the items taken from my bedroom earlier. Without realizing it, the side of my lip tilted up. I shouldn¡¯t care, but now that I was here, I kept wanting to interrupt. Don¡¯t even think about it. You should be careful if you don¡¯t want to die. Soon the maid served the tea, and I sat in a more relaxed position and lifted the teacup. Then I heard the door open from the other side, and I deliberately spoke to the maid standing near me, ¡°Please take good care of me during my stay.¡± ¡°Ah, that¨Cyes. I will.¡± As soon as the maid stammered out her reply, Rupert arrived, face red and fists clenched. He was finally wearing clothes. I knew we¡¯re technically a ¡®couple,¡¯ but I was relieved I could spare my eyes from something unpleasant. He was about to sit in the middle of the sofa, but after stealing a glance at me, he settled on the one opposite mine. ¡°Would you like a cup of tea,¡± I asked. Rupert sneered. ¡°You¡¯re already acting like the Mistress of this house. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re so quick to adapt. How obstinate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you didn¡¯t know things about me. Like I don¡¯t know much about you.¡± Rupert gritted his teeth. ¡°Then, what did you want to discuss this late at night?¡± ¡°To remind you of our terms and conditions.¡± Now that it¡¯s like this, let¡¯s do whatever we want. I sat down, crossing my legs and savoring the aroma of the tea. ¡°Terms? If it¡¯s money, I already paid half of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, terms, as a condition of maintaining a year of marriage.¡± ¡°So, are you saying you¡¯re going to sleep with me now?¡± ¡°Wow, don¡¯t make such a terrible joke.¡± Rupert¡¯s eyebrows shot up. It must have been a shock to hear that from Erin. ¡°What terrible joke? It¡¯s true that we¡¯re married.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right; it¡¯s true. But it¡¯s weird that you¡¯re saying this. If your lover heard her, she¡¯d be hurt,¡± I said, looking at the shadow behind the hallway. Rupert also looked back. The shadow disappeared into the door. Rupert turned to me and frowned. ¡°Tell me what you want to say.¡± ¡°I need financial control over this house.¡± CH 7 ¡°That¡¯s it; after all, you need the money.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it¡­¡± I once again turned my attention to Rupert¡¯s back. On the other side of the dark hallway, Chloe was standing by the wall. She seemed to have no intention of hiding. ¡°I have no choice but to tell the Duke. As the hostess of this house, I¡¯m having a lot of trouble managing the townhouse, shall I tell him?¡± Although snitching wasn¡¯t my hobby, the cards I held were too limited. The only strong one I had was the possibility of revealing the relationship between Chloe and Rupert to the Duke. Rupert shut his mouth and looked at me. When Chloe came all the way out to the drawing room, I made eye contact with her. Rupert didn¡¯t seem to know she was out yet. ¡°While we¡¯re at it, please clean up this house. Duke Clifford probably doesn¡¯t like complicated things, so I think he¡¯ll take care of it neatly.¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± Rupert stared at me with his blue eyes unmoving. Perhaps because he was the main character, his eyes were no joke. But I made eye contact with him, trying not to lose face. ¡°It depends on your answer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult, the financial authority you¡¯re asking.¡± ¡°Then the contract is invalid. I¡¯ll give you the money back and leave this house.¡± I didn¡¯t miss Rupert¡¯s eyes shaking then. To be honest, I was gambling. I was frankly at a loss if Rupert asked me to leave. ¡°You¡¯re really just leaving.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± I took out the earring from inside my pocket and threw it on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you keep your lover in a separate house from the first day of marriage; I don¡¯t even care who you¡¯re dealing with. But the main house is my space for the year.¡± Watching Rupert stare at the earring, I continued, ¡°I want you to tell the owner of that earring not to run around.¡± Now, Chloe was obviously listening in to my conversation with Rupert. She was pale; I don¡¯t know if because of the pain of hearing it or not. ¡°Rupert,¡± she called out to her lover. Rupert rushed to her in concern. ¡°Hey, you need to rest more. Why did you come out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave. She¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Where are you going in your body¡¯s condition?¡± The two of them were being lovey-dovey[1] in front of my eyes. It¡¯s rather pathetic. ¡°Stay in. I¡¯ll catch up with you in a minute.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself on my account, Rupert.¡± Her mild voice really had the power to shake one¡¯s heart. Add a pretty and miserable face to the mix, and you have a heroine. I looked at Chloe, admiring her innocent beauty. After watching Chloe walk back to the bedroom listlessly, he turned to me in anger. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. You are ruthless; to come in like this and drive a sick person away.¡± ¡°Me, too. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing this in person.¡± ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s talk again next time. I¡¯m not talking about this at night.¡± I gave up with a sigh. Perhaps because I saw those two people, I suddenly felt exhausted. ¡°I hope to hear your answer by tomorrow. As you said, if we¡¯re going to stay married for a year, shouldn¡¯t we at least keep up pretenses?¡± Advertisements After I finished, I tried to leave the annex without any regrets. However, before I could go, Rupert called me. ¡°Erin Spilet, is that it?¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. Other than I need a carriage tomorrow, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else.¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say? Do you remember that we got married today? That it was because of your threats,¡± Rupert said, looking at me as if urging me to answer. What¡¯s wrong with him? ¡°¡­Of course, you came to remind me that a while ago, didn¡¯t you? Have a good night, then.¡± I had no energy to argue further, so I walked out the door. ¡°Haa, the air is fresh.¡± Unlike my previous world, this place was filled with stars in the night sky. I looked at them for a long time then went inside. I couldn¡¯t stomach sleeping in the main bedroom and ended up sleeping in the guest room. Forget financial authority or anything else; I felt like I had to change the bed first as soon as I opened my eyes. My delicate and sensitive nerves wouldn¡¯t allow me to sleep there; who knew what they did on that. When I got up from a rough sleep, I washed my face and went to the dining room only to see a person I didn¡¯t want to see. It was Rupert, eating breakfast. Come to think of it, I hadn¡¯t eaten anything properly since the wedding. ¡°Madam, would you like to eat,¡± Jenny approached me and said. I nodded lightly. ¡°Yes, please bring it to my room.¡± Rupert ate a piece of bread, his eyes fixed on the newspaper, before looking up at me. ¡°Sit down. I need to talk to you.¡± My expression hardened at his order, and he turned to the newspaper again, ignoring my obvious displeasure. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked for an answer by today.¡± I was forced to sit as far away from him as I could. It was great that the table was massive at times like this. Waiting for the meal to be served, I tapped on the heavy wooden table. I had nowhere to look, so I stared at Rupert. ¡°Ah, that reminds me. Has Miss Chloe eaten? Do they prepare the food here and bring it there? Or is there a kitchen in the annex?¡± It was a thoughtless remark. I didn¡¯t care about her, but I just thought she would be hungry. But Rupert slammed the table with his palm. ¡°Are you kidding me? You¡¯re so hypocritical.¡± ¡°Oh, my God. Why would you hit an innocent table?¡± I really had no ill will towards her. Maybe she¡¯s just a heroine who had to fulfill her role in the novel. But I was rather curious because she seemed more greedy than I had guessed. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to letting things slide. Don¡¯t cross the line, especially about Chloe, okay?¡± I didn¡¯t bother to answer that. Instead, I crossed my arms and looked around the interior of the dining room. Rupert shook his head and resumed eating. Soon after, Jenny placed the meal in front of me. It was a simple spread of freshly baked bread, butter, cheese, and fruit. I tore a piece of bread and savored its taste. I turned to Thelma with a smile and said, ¡°Please go get some jam.¡± ¡°Jam? There¡¯s no such thing in this house because no one eats it,¡± Thelma remained motionless and refused my request. ¡°Ah, shall I go to the kitchen and look for it myself?¡± I was able to request this because I once read that Chloe enjoyed her bread with jam when she later became a duchess. That¡¯s right, according to the original story, after Erin and the current Duke died, Chloe married Rupert and became Duchess. But it¡¯s a distant future, and now I¡¯m the Duchess of this house. ¡°If you look for it, it won¡¯t be there. If you like jam, we¡¯ll get some tomorrow, but we don¡¯t have it right now.¡± ¡°Thelma, if I find some, you¡¯ll be punished for lying.¡± I stood up as soon as I said it. Advertisements I turned in the opposite direction of the kitchen. Unless her appetite changed in the middle, Chloe would still enjoy jam, and there would be many jars of jam in the annex. ¡°Wait, madam. Please have a seat. I think there were a few in the warehouse. Please wait.¡± After Thelma stopped me, she got up in a hurry and went outside. Without looking at her, I sat back down and continued my meal. When I felt Rupert¡¯s eyes on me, I suddenly lost my appetite. Why have you been looking at me like that since yesterday? Then he threw one of the mails at me without saying a word. I picked up the letter quickly instead of asking him about it. Looking at it, the envelope was filled with stamps. I cut the end of the envelope with a knife that I didn¡¯t use at the table and took out the contents inside. Unfolding the paper, I could easily read the contents in my mind even though I didn¡¯t know the language here. ¡°Haa¡­¡± As I read the letter, it reminded me of Erin Spilet¡¯s situation. It was a statement of accounts stating that Count Spilet¡¯s mansion, land, and villa were sold, and the amount incurred was written off from their debt. ¡°Yesterday looks like a bluff, Erin Spilet.¡± I think he meant to mock me, but I didn¡¯t have to be swayed by what he said. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m holding the most important hand.¡± Then Thelma came back with a jar of jam. The reddish bottle smelled fresh and sweet. ¡°We¡¯ll see how long you can act like that.¡± ¡®It¡¯s possible until your father dies,¡¯ I thought. The Duke could barely move, but had yet to pass on his title to his only son. It was briefly explained in the novel that the relationship between the father and son wasn¡¯t good. Rupert only became a Duke after his father died. Anyway, even while Erin sold many things, the amount she had to pay back was much greater than what she had now. The reason for such a large amount of debt was because Erin¡¯s father, former Count Spilet, failed in his business. Erin¡¯s mother had long since passed away, and her stepmother and son, who had lived together for some time, gave up their title and ran away from the family. That¡¯s why Erin inherited a huge pile of debt along with a perfunctory title. As I calmly arranged everything, my heart became heavy. CH 8 To settle her family¡¯s massive debt, Erin chose to marry. Unfortunately, it was a marriage arranged through blackmail and bargaining. Of course, the marriage also fulfilled Erin¡¯s long-standing self-interest. It was also because of that interest that she eventually met a tragic end. But had she not married Rupert and Rupert hadn¡¯t given her half of the money, Erin would have had to sell her title and perhaps even her body. After reading the letter, I folded it and put it back in the envelope. And I began to eat harder by tearing into the bread and soup I was eating. Honestly, my appetite all but disappeared the moment I opened that letter. However, I knew I¡¯d only be able to think and act after I¡¯ve eaten and freshened up. The only upside was that I was now the wife of the future Duke of Clifford, one of the most powerful men I¡¯ve known. They couldn¡¯t do anything to me just because I¡¯ve only paid half of my debt. While I was so absorbed in eating, I felt Rupert¡¯s gaze toward me. But I didn¡¯t care. In the end, he tried to have a conversation with the top of my head. ¡°I have allocated some money for you. Don¡¯t use it for nonsense.¡± At his patronizing tone, I lifted my eyes from the soup bowl. ¡°Allocated¡­ that means it¡¯s not financial authority. ¡°We can¡¯t give financial authority to a person who will stay for just over a year. How much do you think you¡¯re going to spend?¡± Well, that made sense. In this era, even if a wife had financial authority over a household, Erin would have to step down from the position after a year. However, it was a matter of pride to say that I was aware of that fact. ¡°Rupert, be honest with me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t want to give it to me. Is it that you can¡¯t?¡± ¡°What? What possessed you to say that?¡± He was about to lose his temper again. Hmm, let¡¯s stop here. I didn¡¯t mean to get financial authority in the guise of fulfilling my responsibility as the new hostess. And there were other ways to solve my problems without facing Rupert. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough for today. And there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to tell you¡­¡± He nodded his head as if urging me to continue. I went on, ¡°As I do to you, I don¡¯t want you to bother with what I do.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Well, I know you wouldn¡¯t care about me even if I didn¡¯t tell you, but¡­ just in case,¡± I said with a smile. Rupert, who hated Erin, would not be able to refuse. But listening to this would make Erin feel bad. Even though I was aware of that fact, I still said it. Rupert, the male lead, was attractive. Handsome, well-mannered except to Erin, and capable, so everyone wanted to be with him regardless of age or gender. Erin Spilet was also one of his enthusiastic admirers. But not now. A future with Rupert was a future of ending up at a brothel. I didn¡¯t want to die, so I had to divorce him someday. Of course, we¡¯d need to stay together for a year. Advertisements The reason for a year was simple. I could only receive alimony after a year of marriage. Erin married Rupert and received half the amount. According to their contract, she would receive the other half as the alimony condition of their divorce. If we exchanged such a large sum for free, we had to report the reason for the expense to the Empire, and we would have to pay a hefty tax together. That was it. ¡°What are you up to? If you¡¯re going to disgrace our family¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve finished eating, so I¡¯ll get up.¡± I smiled brightly, grabbed the envelope, and sauntered to the exit. I felt his gaze on me the whole time, but I didn¡¯t care. Then, I went straight upstairs and headed to the library opposite the bedroom. It was a library used by Rupert¡¯s mother, the Duchess, but it was now my exclusive space. I leaned on the chair and took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot¡­ Erin Spilet.¡± It must have been Erin¡¯s decision to sell the mansion and land after Rupert agreed to marry her. Selling all of that, what kind of determination and thoughts did this young lady have? ¡°You idiot.¡± Then you shouldn¡¯t have fallen in love. Leave the Chloe issue alone. Deep in thought, I sat back and pulled out a quill pen. But as I was about to write a letter, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The old butler I saw yesterday sneaked in and lowered his head. ¡°A letter has arrived for you, Madam.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Then Rupert gave me the other letter on purpose. Maybe he was thinking of crushing Erin¡¯s pride with that, but it didn¡¯t work. The butler held out two envelopes and stood there. ¡°Do you have any other business?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± I thought he wanted me to open the envelope in front of him, however, he excused himself to get something. I haven¡¯t been confronted by him yet, but his gaze was strangely unsettling. He came back with a bunch of stuff and a folded card. ¡°The Young Lord told me to give this to you ¨C some gold coins Madam can use right now and a bank certificate worth a thousand gold a month.¡± ¡°A thousand gold¡­¡± I¡¯ve only been here a day and I didn¡¯t know the worth of a thousand gold. But I didn¡¯t make my ignorance obvious and mumbled as if displeased. To put things into perspective, Erin owed about 4 billion gold. It would take 400 months to save that amount with a thousand gold, and that was if she didn¡¯t spend a single penny. And she would only receive that every month in just one year. Advertisements ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not a big amount, but the lady has been very considerate¡­¡± ¡°Lady?¡± ¡°Ah, that, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Lady? There was no ¡®lady¡¯ here. Rupert was the Duke¡¯s only child, and as far as I knew, he had no illegitimate children. Then, don¡¯t tell me that lady he¡¯s talking about was¡­? ¡°You mean Miss Verezian? So far she¡¯s managed the household¡¯s finances?¡± ¡°Well, I, uh¡­ rather than managing¡­¡± Suddenly, I felt a rush of heat and a spinning sensation in my head. I took a deep breath. Even though I knew Chloe had been using the Duchess¡¯ bedroom, I didn¡¯t expect her to have financial authority over the house. Now that I knew, I could see why he wouldn¡¯t give me financial control. Furthermore, how useless and foolish it was to discuss this with him. Let¡¯s not get too involved for now. Right now, we had to solve a more urgent problem. ¡°Oh, no. Okay, take that gold and change all the beds and furniture in my bedroom.¡± I had no intention of carrying that heavy burden myself and spending money. ¡°What, with this gold?¡± ¡°Why, is it not enough?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s more than enough.¡± ¡°Okay, then. You can have the rest of the money.¡± Seeing the butler¡¯s expression brighten up, the amount of gold in that package certainly wasn¡¯t small. But of course, there was a good reason for giving that butler a lot of money. ¡°Clean up the whole house. There were a lot of dirty places in this house.¡± The corners of the butler¡¯s mouth, which twitched upward, began to fall. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, then I¡¯ll have someone else do it.¡± ¡°No, leave it to me.¡± I guess he didn¡¯t want to give up the money because he insisted on following my orders. I nodded for now. He wasn¡¯t someone I¡¯d have a use for in the long run, but since he was in charge of running this house, I had no choice but to make use of him. ¡°Send this letter to the Duke of Clifford. And I¡¯m going out later, so please get me a carriage.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Once the butler had left the room, I burst into laughter. Perhaps Rupert really was crazy in love to give Chloe financial authority over the house. I had no dreams nor intentions of fixing things and taking care of this house when I would leave in a year anyway. All I had to do was keep to myself and ensure my safety. I would only interfere to a certain extent. However, there was something curious about the situation. I didn¡¯t have financial authority, but Chloe did? The people of this house were even condoning and acknowledging Chloe¡¯s existence. Did I miss something important in the novel? After much consideration, I started writing a letter to my father-in-law, the current Duke of Clifford. The Duke did not appear directly in the novel. He was unwell, so he stayed at a nursing home. However, given the fact that Rupert feared him the most, his presence was significant. He was Erin¡¯s shield until he died. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to prepare in advance, so I decided to send letters of regards regularly. When I finished writing the letter and put down my pen, I noticed the mail that the butler had just given me. Among them, I picked up an envelope that looked relatively fancy. ¡°Oh, huh.¡± I skimmed through the letter then put it down on the desk. It was about becoming selling the Count Spilet title since she would become a Duchess and would not need the lower title anymore. There was no point in reading further. A year from now, I wouldn¡¯t be the future Duchess. With that, I had to maintain my current title. Once lost, it was more complicated to get back into aristocracy than picking a star in the sky. I tore up the letter I was reading then looked at a white, clean envelope. ¡°What is this time.¡± The words ¡®Dear Count Spilet¡¯ caught my eye. I stroked my fingers on the fancy handwriting, the penmanship reminding me of someone. After hesitating for a moment, I opened the envelope. CH 9 There was a white sheet of paper in the envelope, but nothing was written on it. ¡°Hmm?¡± I turned over the envelope, wondering if something was wrong, when something fall to the floor. It looked like some business card. ¡¸Madame Plada¡¹ ¡°What is this?¡± While looking at it, I vaguely recalled the following contents of the novel. The day after Erin and Rupert get married, Chloe fainted and was carried by the Prince before returning to Rupert. What happened after the two spent the night together¡­ Just thinking about it made me realize how ridiculously wealthy the hero was. ¡°But he spent so little on me.¡± Instead, he used his money on Madam Plada, the genius behind the latest fashion trends in the social world at the time. I could remember it vaguely because it¡¯s where the heroine had her Cinderella makeover moment that instantly turned her from a wallflower to the star of the social world. I wondered why this business card came to me. Was it to promote its services to the future Duchess of Clifford? Anyway, even if I thought about it now, I still wouldn¡¯t know the answer. I gave up my thoughts about the two main characters and Madam Plada and concentrated on more important matters. It was about how to live in this world as Erin. Even now, I wanted to deny reality, but I realized that nothing would change even if I refused to believe my new truth. My wedding with Rupert solved the urgent problem for now, and once we get divorced one year later, I¡¯d be able to pay off the remaining debt. Erin died in the original story. After kidnapping Chloe and threatening Rupert, she got divorced and eventually was sold to pay off her debt and died. Advertisements I would not be jealous of Chloe¡¯s relationship with Rupert, so I wouldn¡¯t want to kidnap her, and no matter how upset Rupert got, I wouldn¡¯t threaten him either. So things would be fine. Really¡­ Would it be okay? I shook the sinister images and deliberately thought about the future that would unfold. What happened after Erin survived and got divorced safely. ¡°Haa, I don¡¯t even know.¡± Of course, since I read the novel, I knew what would happen, and there were a few things I could use. But I would need more knowledge about this world to tackle the problem effectively. I originally majored in accounting, but I wondered how to use that to my advantage. Even if I received alimony after divorce, it could only pay off the debt, but it did not guarantee my future. Typical nobles would choose to marry again, but I had no desire to go through that again. I looked around the library and sighed. Although it was a library, there were only a few books around, and they were more for decoration than anything substantial. Jingle¨C I rang the bell, and the maid nearby immediately ran inside. It was Jenny again. I knew very well that it was not a coincidence. ¡°Madam, did you call?¡± ¡°I did. Is there a place nearby where I can read books?¡± ¡°Read books¡­? Um, well. There were a lot of books in the Duke¡¯s study, but now I think they have all moved to the estate, ¡°Jenny stuttered and mumbled her thoughts as she answered the unexpected question. It sounded like that books might be in Rupert¡¯s study, but the process of getting his permission was cumbersome. ¡°Oh, I saw some stores selling books downtown.¡± ¡°Okay, is there anything else other than that? Like a library.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I heard the Imperial library has a lot of books.¡± ¡°Imperial library¡­ Isn¡¯t it a place that only the Imperial family can enter?¡± ¡°No, I heard that high-ranking nobles could enter if they have a pass.¡± ¡°Then, I must prepare to go out.¡± I walked into the dressing room I used yesterday and sighed. It didn¡¯t look like there was much to choose from. I just randomly chose an outfit and hurriedly wore it. It was enough that I could only tell that I was not a maid in this house. ¡°I heard that the wedding dress should be returned to Madam Plada.¡± Madam Plada again? The wedding dress must have been a rental. That was fortunate; I don¡¯t think I could afford such a thing in Erin¡¯s shoes. So Rupert didn¡¯t even pay for this? I held back the anger boiling inside me. Yes, what did I expect? ¡°I¡¯ll return it on my way back. Wrap it well and put it on the carriage.¡± ¡°Yes, I will, Madam,¡± she answered brightly and carefully handled the wedding dress. In the meantime, I went to the study and took out the business card back from the trash. ¡°Did she send the letter to ask for the wedding dress?¡± It was curious that I was addressed as ¡®Count Spilet,¡¯ but I let it go. If I¡¯m dealing with the upper class, even if I¡¯m the wife of a Duke¡¯s heir, I could be still be rejected if I didn¡¯t dress appropriately. This business card might help then. If I stop by at sunset, I probably won¡¯t get the chance to meet them. Today, my only plan was to return the wedding dress. As I got into the carriage, an unfamiliar and rough-looking knight named Peter escorted me. I was afraid to refuse, but I didn¡¯t know what this world was like, so I left it. Advertisements ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± After I got off the carriage, I couldn¡¯t even step into the entrance. The Imperial Library was connected to the Imperial Palace, but they had different entrances. For a moment, I wondered if I had come to the wrong gate. Ladies in beautiful and colorful dresses and gentlemen dressed to the nines were standing by the gate, mingling and laughing. Weren¡¯t libraries supposed to be quiet? Looking at them more objectively, I could understand why they were there. It was a symbol of privilege to have the ability to read and write in this era. Even in the noble society, more than half were illiterate. Coming to the library meant you could read. These people showed off their abilities, and at the same time, they used the Imperial Library as a social hub. If one was lucky, they could get acquainted with the royal family, so it was natural that the place was crowded with visitors. What about Erin? Now that I¡¯m married to Rupert, I could probably enter. The issue right now was my attire. And it didn¡¯t seem appropriate to enter simply by revealing one¡¯s status at the entrance. ¡®Social¡¯ hubs required someone to guide and introduce people. With that, I decided to go to the bookstore in the city instead. After purchasing the necessary books, I could go to Madam Plada. If I went to Madam Plada first, I might bump into Rupert and Choe, so it would be best to go there last. I was about to turn around, but a man by the library entrance glanced at me and walked my way. ¡°Count Spilet, no, you must be Madam Clifford now. What brings you to the Imperial Library?¡± I secretly observed him, trying to place a name on the face. Black hair and green eyes like Enoch, but unlike him, he had a more angular face framed with a beard. I immediately curtsied and greeted him, ¡°I greet His Highness, the Prince.¡± The man was the Second Prince, Breiman Rikephoros. A minor character in the novel, he was the half-brother of Crown Prince Enoch. He was related to the Vereziens, the heroine¡¯s family. Although born before Enoch, he was a child of the Emperor¡¯s concubine, not the Empress. Back then, the old Emperor had no children, so he took Breiman and legalized his status as a prince. But when the Empress belatedly gave birth to Enoch, he appointed Enoch as the heir apparent. At first, there was no controversy. Ultimately, the Imperial family chose the successor by only one criterion. Anyway, he was also the decisive reason why the love between a Clifford and a Verezian faced many obstacles. ¡°You¡¯ve come this far, but you didn¡¯t go in.¡± He smiled at me, but his stare had a lewd glint to it. I shivered involuntarily and pursed my lips. ¡°I forgot something, so I¡¯m going to look downtown first.¡± ¡°I see. If so, maybe we can ride a carriage together.¡± His sudden offer flustered me. There were a lot of eyes and ears here. If he rode in my carriage, rumors would definitely spread. This world, of course, was surprisingly open to romantic entanglements. In this era of frequent political marriages, marriage and love were two different things. There was a house where couples ate breakfast with their respective mistresses. I mean, look at Rupert. Didn¡¯t he bring his own mistress to their home? Having married Erin, he probably thought he could finally date Chloe more openly. That made me wonder whether the current Duke opposed a relationship between the two or just marriage. Regardless of society¡¯s opinion on infidelity, a scandal with Prince Breiman wouldn¡¯t benefit me. The novel described Prince Breiman as a fierce and wild character. I might be biased, but I didn¡¯t want to get involved with such a person. I pretended to think for a while before refusing. ¡°My carriage is too shabby to carry Your Highness. It would be better for you to use the Imperial carriage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame; I thought it was a chance to get acquainted. You might regret it.¡± What the hell is this, Prince Breiman threatening the future Duchess of Clifford in broad daylight. When I gave him a blank look, the Prince coughed and backed away. ¡°It was just a joke, Madam. No need to get angry. Then, have a safe journey.¡± The Prince¡¯s gaze, with his head down slightly, was directed to a spot behind me. Looking back, there was Peter the escort. It looked like the two of them had eye contact, didn¡¯t they? Peter opened the door to the carriage. He seemed unwilling to assist me up the carriage, and while the Prince reached out his hand, I entered on my own. I regretted it a little after glancing at the Prince¡¯s expression. I should have just accepted his help. Nevertheless, the carriage started and moved towards downtown. CH 10 I didn¡¯t know the geography of this world. I looked out the window and looked at the scenery, but I didn¡¯t realize that something was wrong. I noticed something strange after seeing broken bottles and a drunken scene at a bar outside the window. ¡°Sir Peter, where am I?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I peeked out of the window and saw the knight riding behind me, but he refused to speak even after making eye contact with me. ¡°Stop the carriage right now. I thought I told you to go to the bookstore. Where are we going?¡± ¡°You talk too much. we¡¯re almost there, so just wait.¡± The alley was dirty and pungent enough to smell even in the carriage. Instinctively, I could tell. I couldn¡¯t let Peter take me wherever he¡¯s planning to take me like this. I stared at my shoes. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t choose high heels because I wasn¡¯t used to them. The carriage wasn¡¯t as fast as the cars in my world. My skirt was long, but it was definitely lighter than the wedding dress. I gathered my skirt, swallowed hard, and opened the carriage door, and jumped. I fell as soon as I touched the ground, and I heard the knight shout. Without a moment¡¯s delay, I stood up and started running. The carriage stopped late, and the knight chased after me. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying! Stop!¡± I ran with every fiber of my being, but I knew I couldn¡¯t outrun a knight. I felt like I was about to be grabbed by my hair, but suddenly a group of people in black appeared before me. The moment I stopped, Peter grabbed me by the nape. However, one of the men in black hit his wrist hard with a sword. ¡°Uck!¡± It didn¡¯t seem like the stranger hit him hard, but Peter rolled to the ground, clenching his wrist. The man who struck Peter¡¯s hand moved me to stand behind him. I couldn¡¯t recognize their faces because they were wearing masks. ¡°Peter! I heard a scream. What¡¯s going on?¡± At the same time, another crowd rushed out of both old buildings. They had axes and club-like tools in their hands. Advertisements ¡°I don¡¯t know, d*mn it! Who are those bastards? It¡¯s so hard to kidnap a woman.¡± ¡°There are about five of them. We can handle it.¡± What do I do? Should I continue running away? Apologies to the man who saved me, but I was in desperate need to survive. But looking around, we were surrounded. It¡¯s too late to run away. Then, the masked man in front of me pulled out his sword and whispered to me, ¡°Count, close your eyes and cover your ears.¡± ¡°Who¨C¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence, dumbstruck at the flash in front of me. There was a bolt of lightning in the dry sky. I crouched down, and even when I covered my ears, I could still hear the tremendous rumble. I was frightened but frustrated at myself for being so helpless. What¡¯s the point of knowing what¡¯s in the novel? The story didn¡¯t discuss Erin¡¯s days in detail, so I knew very little about my own future except the ending. Being possessed didn¡¯t mean that Erin¡¯s slender limbs suddenly gained muscled or that she suddenly had magical abilities, so she couldn¡¯t defeat them. So, while I was quivering on the floor with my eyes closed, the rumbling stopped. I only looked up when I felt a tap on my shoulder. ¡°You can open your eyes. It¡¯s alright now.¡± One of the masked men from earlier was holding out his hand. Emerald eyes looked down at me. ¡°Your¡­Highness?¡± He lowered his mask, briefly showed his face, and covered it again. No one would imagine that the Crown Prince would come to this place dressed like this. As I stood up, holding his hand, I saw Peter and others lying down. How did five of them subdue so many people at once? What¡¯s with that loud sound from a while ago? ¡°I wanted to take the Count to a safe place, but I didn¡¯t have a chance. Are you hurt anywhere?¡± I approached him and lowered my voice, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but what brings you here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I came by accident because I had something to check for myself, but then I saw the Count in trouble. Ah, please step back. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± I stepped back in surprise when I saw a blue beam of light crackling from the end of the blade he hadn¡¯t drawn back yet. The other four masked men¡¯s swords were just plain, and only his sword had such a phenomenon. It was then I remembered something in the novel. The Calix Empire was founded by the Great Wizard, so descendants of the First Emperor inherited the blood of a sorcerer. Usually, only one person could express their ability as a wizard, which initially led to no battle for imperial power in this country. The descendants of the emperor, who knew how to use magic, were naturally appointed as crown prince, and he typically became emperor. However, there was a fight for the throne now because two descendants manifested magical powers. One was Prince Enoch, who was recognized from birth, and the other was the second prince, Enoch¡¯s half-brother Breiman, whose abilities manifested later in his life. It seemed that Prince Enoch had knocked everyone out by magic. The sparks were¡­ What, lightning magic? Was it okay to strike a lightning bolt in a rundown alley in broad daylight? Looking closely, this was the back alley of the downtown area, the slums. People¡¯s clothes were worn and torn, and there were dead rats in every corner of the dirty alleyway. Also, drunk people looked out of the window and cursed. Enoch mumbled as if he knew the meaning of my gaze, ¡°¡­I used it in a hurry, so I¡¯m in trouble.¡± And as soon as he finished speaking, the knights and guards on patrol rushed in. I was startled because I didn¡¯t know what to do, but the masked people around me had already disappeared, and only Enoch, who had taken off his mask, was standing with me. The knights and guards on patrol found Enoch and slowed down. Then I noticed something crawling on the ground. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t fainted because Peter, who had disguised himself as my escort, was crawling away. ¡°¡­There.¡± Advertisements I pointed my finger at him, and Enoch stepped on the back of his neck with his feet. Oh, my God, that¡¯s going to hurt. Enoch did not give Peter much attention and asked the approaching knight, ¡°What is your position?¡± ¡°Your Highness, the Crown Prince of the Empire, I¡¯m in charge of security on 30th Street.¡± Fortunately, the knight recognized the crown prince, and he bowed to one knee. The soldiers also followed suit as their superior knelt. ¡°There have been cases of kidnapping of noblewomen in four districts. It wasn¡¯t just once or twice, was it? ¡­Woah. I had no idea what was happening, so I just listened in like an idiot. I asked a question, ¡°Why would anyone try to kidnap me?¡± Enoch pulled his foot off Peter at my question, and as the guards picked him up, he knelt down. ¡°Tell me the truth, why did you attempt to kidnap the Count?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m just trying to blackmail the future Duke for money¡­¡± Dumbfounded by Peter¡¯s answer, I laughed. If that was your intention, you should have taken Chloe, not me. But it would hurt my dignity to say it out loud, so I kept my mouth shut. Enoch didn¡¯t seem to believe him at all. As he lifted a finger, the knight came a little closer and bowed his head. ¡°Take this man to the authorities. Be extra careful not to kill him.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± As I watched them drag Peter away, I spoke to Enoch cautiously, ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t believe it¡¯s because of money.¡± I could see his face, which had a relatively calm expression, harden for a moment. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for jumping to conclusions, Your Highness.¡± He shook his head and reached out his hand as if to hold me. ¡°No, there must be a reason why the Count thought so. By the way, I apologize¡­¡± He trailed off as he stared at something behind me. When he looked at me again, he looked embarrassed. I followed his line of sight and found my carriage split into two. ¡°T-the carriage¡­¡± I gasped in surprise and pointed to the carriage before turning to look back at Enoch. ¡°I couldn¡¯t control my strength because I was in a hurry. I¡¯ll reimburse you for the carriage¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­ is very strong.¡± It was pure admiration. It was amazing to see what I had read in the novel with my own eyes. As I smiled, Enoch looked at me blankly for a moment. Soon, Enoch withdrew the hand that had been extended to me, and with two small coughs, he averted his gaze. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Then, without answering, he walked to the carriage alone. I could see his ears turning a little red. ¡°The horse is safe. We can ride this instead,¡± he said as he took the horse off the carriage. The coachmen were down on the street. Thankfully, they were moving and didn¡¯t seem to be mortally wounded. ¡°Can we just go like this?¡± ¡°The captain of the guard has seen the scene, so they¡¯ll take care of it. But where are you going?¡± ¡°I was on my way to the bookstore after stopping by the Imperial Library earlier. Oh, I met Prince Breiman there¡­¡± He paused and looked at me. In an urgent voice, he asked, ¡°Did Prince Breiman do anything to the Count?¡± CH 11 ¡°Rather than being rude¡­ He asked if he could ride the carriage with me, but I declined¡­¡± ¡°Good job.¡± His emerald eyes shone brightly and drew soft arcs. It was no surprise he was the second male lead. It was as if his smile shone a ray of light in the dark and desolate alley. ¡°Oh, right. Wait.¡± I rushed to the carriage and took out the wedding dress I was supposed to return to Madam Plada. Enoch hurriedly approached me, took the package with the wedding dress, and fixed it on the back of the horse. ¡°Now then, Count Spilet, let¡¯s get on the horse.¡± I grabbed his outstretched hand as if it was the most natural thing to do. I¡¯d never ridden a horse in my previous life, so would I be able to ride it now? I put my foot on the footrest, and without much effort, the Prince supported me from the bottom up. I climbed on, but it wasn¡¯t as hard as I thought. Maybe Erin¡¯s body remembered it. ¡°What are you going to do, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I have to escort the Lady.¡± ¡°I, but¡­¡± He grabbed the reins, and the horse slowly walked forward. If I stuck so close to him, he¡¯d hear my pounding heart. It was probably because I didn¡¯t expect the horse to be taller than it was; that¡¯s why I was nervous. Advertisements Come to think of it, I was riding on a horse pulled by the Crown Prince. Although Enoch was kind to others, he was still one of the highest-ranking people in this country. Could I let him go by the reins like this? ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, Count Spilet. Please speak.¡± ¡°Um¡­ thank you for saving me.¡± But things had already happened, and I was still on the horse. Instead of being sorry or worried, I said thank you. I expected that Enoch would naturally answer me, but instead, he asked how I was doing out of the blue. ¡°How is your life in the duchy?¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s only been a day.¡± He gave me a vague smile, and I couldn¡¯t help but look away. When I looked into those eyes, it like it was piercing through everything, even the things I wanted to hide, so it wasn¡¯t easy to keep eye contact. ¡°A lot can happen overnight.¡± I swallowed hard at his words. Did he know something? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but I didn¡¯t want to let him know that Chloe was there and that my husband had been with her since the first night of our wedding. ¡°Last night, the northern provinces suffered a lot of damage from a swarm of monsters. Because of that, we will probably hold a hunting contest soon to control the population.¡± ¡°Ah, monster¡­ hunt.¡± His topic change startled me, but then I realized that this world really was different from mine. A swarm of monsters. Wow. It blew me away to hear a story that could only be found in a novel. ¡°¡­ Count, Count Spilet.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Straighten your back. Otherwise, you will get hurt.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°You seem tired, so I¡¯ll ask you a favor next time¡­¡± I must have missed something Enoch said. I quickly apologized. ¡°Please? Tell me. You¡¯ve helped me a lot, and you have to give me a chance to pay back your kindness.¡± ¡°I would like to prepare a special gift to commemorate Her Majesty¡¯s birthday. May I ask for your opinion?¡± Advertisements ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To Madam Plada, she¡¯s popular among the ladies at the capital.¡± I was struck speechless at Enoch¡¯s answer. Was it a coincidence that the name of the place was mentioned exceptionally often? It couldn¡¯t be. Maybe because the following setting in the story was there? In the story that would unfold soon, after the two main characters arrive at Madam Plada¡¯s, the Crown Prince would also arrive soon after. The most notable change from the original was ¡®the Empress¡¯s birthday present.¡¯ But Enoch bumped into me at a different place, and now we¡¯re on the way to Madam Plada. While I was deep in thought, Enoch patiently waited. I had to return the wedding dress that was currently on the horse¡¯s back anyway. It was the factor that made me have to go there. Did Erin appear in Madam Plada? My head started to throb from trying to recall such a memory. Regardless of what happened in the original, I decided to answer according to the situation. ¡°I¡¯ll have to stop by Madam Plada, as well. I don¡¯t know how helpful my insight will be, but I¡¯ll try my best.¡± I was hesitant to go to the bookstore anyway, so I gladly accepted. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Count Spilet.¡± After walking for a while, we got out of the back alley and reached downtown. I was perplexed then. Despite the crowd, the Prince, who had his mask off and was wearing an uncharacteristically all-black ensemble, stood out even more, especially as he rode on horseback with a woman in tow. Everyone seemed to notice that it was a strange situation just by looking at it. ¡°Your Majesty, the people¡­ I need to get down.¡± As if on the same wavelength, Enoch was quick to agree. ¡°Of course.¡± Going down was a little more frightening than going up. When I jumped off, Enoch assisted me to make sure I didn¡¯t get hurt. His calm and heady scent, which I first noticed when we first rode the carriage, filled my nostrils for a moment. ¡°Madam Plada is about two blocks from here. Ride that carriage and go first.¡± There was a small carriage on the side of the road he was pointing to. It was too small and shabby to even fathom that someone like the Crown Prince would ride on it. ¡°How are you going to come?¡± ¡°If you go first, I will follow you later.¡± Perhaps he still had some work to do. Without further questions, I nodded my head. As soon as I got on the carriage, Enoch suddenly ran away like the wind and disappeared. ¡°Even the Crown Prince is quite busy¡­¡± Mumbling to myself, I looked out the window at the shops in the downtown area. Perhaps because of the splendid clothing on display, at first glance, this place looked more dazzling than where I lived before. Advertisements ¡°What and how much can you buy with a thousand gold?¡± I thought I¡¯d have to spend some money for now. I knew Rupert didn¡¯t see me as his wife, but I should at least keep up appearances. The tiny carriage was very fast, contrary to what it looked. Not only that, but even at such a high speed, it didn¡¯t shake too much and was comfortable. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, Madam.¡± The coachman opened the door, and I slowly descended and stood in front of Madam Plada. As expected, it was the most ornately decorated building in the area. Two large men stood in front of the door, guarding the storefront. I couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated. It felt just like entering a luxury store without money. And, seeing the people who came and went there, I understood why the Crown Prince didn¡¯t want us to come together. A seemingly unmarried couple walked out, exchanging furtive glances. When I said they didn¡¯t seem like a married couple, it was because a middle-aged woman and a young man were walking too close together. I walked towards the door with the package in my hand. If people saw me, they would have probably thought I was a maid. Unlike those who entered the store without hesitation, as expected, the two men guarding the door blocked my way. They looked me up and down with a stern, terrifying expression. ¡°What business do you have here?¡± ¡°I came to return the wedding dress.¡± I then showed them the business card I had brought with me. Their eyes widened, and they suddenly began to panic. ¡°Wait a minute, let¡¯s go inside.¡± Why were they doing that? One long-haired man quickly took the package I was holding and disappeared, while the other politely guided me inside. The man who guided me from the entrance had me sit on the sofa, excused himself, and disappeared. The lobby on the first floor was as colorful and shiny as the entrance. Marble floors and walls, crystal chandeliers, and gorgeous and beautiful dresses, most likely made by Madame Plada, hung on mannequins. The pastel green dress caught my attention. ¡°¡­It would suit Erin,¡± I muttered to myself without realizing it as I looked at the dress. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Someone came down the stairs, speaking in a friendly voice. I turned to her. Madam Plada appeared with her gorgeous blonde hair flowing freely, her arms and neck adorned with accessories. ¡°Ah yes. It¡¯s stunning,¡± I nodded as I mumbled my honest thoughts. ¡°Would you like to try it on?¡± I gave her a puzzled look. Could I really wear it? As far as I knew, she didn¡¯t accept new customers. Madame Plada gently placed her hand on my shoulder and showed me the card. ¡°You¡¯re the guest with this business card, right?¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s right. Is that business card special?¡± ¡°Anyone who comes with it will be unconditionally welcomed as a distinguished guest, and I promised myself that I would make as much of the best custom-made clothes as they want.¡± ¡°Who did you give this card to?¡± Madam Plada only smiled but did not respond. It left me feeling bewildered. In the novel, Madam Plada was famous for being proud and not allowing just anyone to wear her clothes. Madam Plada¡¯s talent was innate. At any ball, at any party, she would appear in her clothes and be the star of the occasion. However, no matter how rich or high the person¡¯s status, Madam Plada would not sell her dress to someone whose clothes did not suit them. Such a person promised to give me the VIP treatment. Who sent me such a business card? CH 12 Madam Plada grinned, covering her mouth with the business card she was holding. ¡°Let¡¯s call them my lifesaver.¡± I wasn¡¯t curious about Plada¡¯s lifesaver but the person who sent me the business card. Still, she didn¡¯t seem to want to reveal it. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Of course. Count Spilet, no, now you¡¯re Madam Clifford, the future Duchess.¡± You got it right. Was it obvious? I wasn¡¯t familiar with Erin¡¯s previous deeds, but it could be that Madam Plada encountered her here and there. ¡°I¡¯ve been observing you for a long time. But you never went to me.¡± ¡°You were watching me?¡± Advertisements Madam Plada grabbed my wrist and led me to the large mirror. She then lightly touched the tip of my hair. ¡°Look at this pretty hair color, sparkling eyes, tall nose, fair skin, and perfect proportions. A subject like this is rare even if you look all over the capital.¡± From my perspective, Erin was pretty. I always thought all the characters in a novel like this would be good-looking, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Most of them had unusual hair or eye color, but otherwise, they were normal. So, if I had to find a person whose beauty exceeded my expectations, it was either Erin or Chloe. In the original, Madam Plada praised Chloe as soon as she saw her. And without charging them for her services, she showed off her talents to the fullest and made a dress that launched Chloe into the brightest star of the social scene. Up until that point, Plada had not known Chloe. But according to her now, she had already noticed Erin from before. But why didn¡¯t Erin and Plada¡¯s paths cross in the novel? ¡°I¡¯m thrilled that Madam came with the business card.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± It wasn¡¯t my body, but I kept my eyes down, unsure of how to receive her praise. Plada took off the clothes from the mannequin and put them in front of me. ¡°This isn¡¯t the finished version. I need to find the perfect owner to complete it. I¡¯ve been looking for them for a long time, but now the wait is over. Do you like it?¡± I was just going to return the wedding dress, but things escalated. But when I saw the clothes over me, they fit Erin¡¯s style perfectly. When I hesitated to answer, Madam Plada called for an assistant who had been quiet on the other side. ¡°Chelsea, go and help me Madam dressed.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam Plada.¡± Chelsea ushered me past the curtains, and I ended up going into the dressing room to change. Suddenly, I thought that maybe I could get a dress or two sponsored by Madam Plada, if not as much as Chloe in the novel. Since her dresses were fairly expensive, I couldn¡¯t help but hope for that. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to cinch the waist too much. Please raise your arms. Yes, like that,¡± Chelsea said as she tightened the laces on the back of the dress. ¡°It¡¯s done. Wow, this is exciting!¡± Chelsea pushed the curtains open. As I was about to step out, the door at the entrance opened, and someone stepped in. ¡°Uh¡­¡± I was rooted on the spot, perplexed. I thought they¡¯d already come and gone, but why were they here now? Advertisements Rupert and Chloe walked in side by side, arms linked, staring at me. They stood by the door, looking as caught off guard as I did. It was Madam Plada who broke the silence. ¡°Oh my! Come, come, look in the mirror.¡± She led me and placed me in front of the mirror. I was worried that the soft green would look too rustic, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. As expected, the face and body complete the look. The rosy pink hair and the pastel green dress matched so well that it was as if I had become a rose myself. Madam Plada looked at me with delight and only belatedly turned to Rupert to greet them. ¡°Ah, Lord Clifford is also here!¡± Plada approached him to drag him towards me. Rupert looked at me blankly as they moved towards me while Chloe stood there, still unmoving. ¡°What do you think, Lord Clifford? Isn¡¯t she beautiful? My goodness, you¡¯re so lucky to have such a beautiful wife!¡± Even though Plada knew that his lover Chloe was behind him, she didn¡¯t care and continued to sing me praises. I kept looking in the mirror while deliberately lowering my head, embarrassed. It¡¯s so pretty; I couldn¡¯t not look. Then I stumbled upon Chloe¡¯s reflection in the mirror and my smile completely fell. Perhaps she thought no one was watching, but her emotions were completely transparent on her face. Anyway, what would happen to the exclusive contract with Chloe if Plada acted like that? Rupert came to my side, but he didn¡¯t speak, his mouth ajar. Slowly getting annoyed, I was about to say something to him when he finally spoke. ¡°¡­it looks good on you.¡± I thought I heard wrong, so I dug my ears with my fingers. Rupert, who saw my reaction, turned his head to avoid my gaze and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I came to return the wedding dress.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve done what you needed to do, you should go back instead of standing here like this.¡± His words made my blood boil. So, you¡¯re telling me I shouldn¡¯t have come here because you and your lover were coming? ¡°Rupert, don¡¯t be so hard on her. She¡¯s a woman, too.¡± Chloe, who had been watching the whole time, approached Rupert and linked her arms with his again. ¡°it feels very different to see you outside. Nice to meet you, Madam.¡± Chloe smiled as she greeted me, but I had already seen her in the mirror a while ago, glaring at me with contempt. That¡¯s right, you must love Rupert. After realizing that, I felt a sense of urgency. ¡°Rupert,¡± I called him softer than usual. Puzzled, Rupert directed his attention to me. I looked at his feet with a pitiful expression on my face, raking in tears as much as I could. ¡°I¡­ Actually, I almost got kidnapped before I came here. Did you know?¡± ¡°What? Who would dare¨C Why!¡± Rupert¡¯s eyes widened and he took a step closer to me with Chloe beside him. ¡°The escort knight named Peter was the culprit¡­¡± ¡°Peter? Is he a new knight?¡± Rupert¡¯s face became increasingly stiff. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Rupert was really worried about Erin or anything like that. But I was definitely the future Duchess, and kidnapping me was a challenge to him. I put more effort into my acting. I thought hard about the upsetting and unfair things I¡¯ve encountered, and the tears flowed well. ¡°He placed me in a carriage and brought me to somewhere I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Advertisements Suddenly, Chloe turned the topic in a strange direction and started to comfort me. ¡°Madam, you must have done something terrible there¡­ Ah, no. Don¡¯t cry; it¡¯s not Madam¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If not, how did you get out of such a dangerous place with such a fragile body? There must have been a lot of unidentified men.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I was about to say that I got help from the Crown Prince, but I paused for a moment. He was wearing a mask, which meant he didn¡¯t want people to know that he was there. I couldn¡¯t let him get in trouble because he helped me. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you don¡¯t have to tell me if it¡¯s too hard. Ah, you must have been so scared¡­¡± Tears began to well up in Chloe¡¯s eyes. Her performance was outstanding. How malicious. ¡­Really, I can¡¯t believe it. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I got out of there safely. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°But, does that make sense? At a rough and remote place¡­ Besides, going against so many people.¡± I was about to reply when I realized something. Did I say where it happened? And I only mentioned Peter. I never said anything about other people being involved. Could it be. To organize my thoughts, I refrained from speaking any further. Chloe just stared intently at me. Her innocent and delicate appearance, teary eyes that stimulate sympathy, and gentle gestures and voice. She was a picturesque heroine. But I realized that the novel¡¯s description of the heroine was only skin-deep. ¡°Stop it, Chloe. She told you nothing happened. Don¡¯t talk about such a thing in public.¡± As I kept my mouth shut, Rupert suddenly cut Chloe off and scolded her. Chloe¡¯s eyes widened but readily acquiesced. ¡°Okay, I wasn¡¯t careful. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I bowed my head and looked intently at Chloe, apologizing. I already knew that Chloe had a personality quite different from the one depicted in the novel. But this was quite the surprise. I wondered what would have happened if I mentioned what I found out. No one would probably believe me. I decided to keep my mouth shut until I had solid evidence. If Chloe really were behind the incident, it would definitely be complicated. ¡°Now, let¡¯s stop talking about that. Such a beautiful lady should receive more compliments than she did.¡± Madam Plada, who was quietly listening to our conversation, clapped and tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere. ¡°So, to what do I owe this pleasure?¡± Plada asked Rupert in a still bright voice. ¡°Ah, we¡¯re here to purchase a dress for the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday party.¡± Again, Chloe answered. Again Chloe answered. Her voice shook my emotions, but I tried to organize my thoughts as calmly as possible. Chloe had a grudge against me. One that was deep and great. I had no evidence, but I was certain. In this situation, could I survive a year without dying? Could Chloe have caused Erin¡¯s divorce? Doubts and questions continued to plague me. In the end, I¡¯d only come to one conclusion. The original events in the novel were not a problem at the moment. I wouldn¡¯t let that happen. While I was deep in thought, the door opened, and another person entered. As soon as she saw him, Madam Plada knelt down. Rupert looked surprised but followed suit. Chloe also greeted him with a soft and elegant voice. ¡°I greet His Highness, the Imperial Crown Prince.¡± Enoch walked towards the four without even looking at them. CH 13 ¡°I¡¯m a little late, Count Spilet.¡± Before I could respond, Rupert looked at me as he asked, ¡°Are you and your Highness supposed to meet here?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± I was about to answer, but Enoch abruptly interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s right. We met by chance outside earlier and agreed to see each other here. So I asked her for a favor.¡± Rupert¡¯s forehead wrinkled slightly. Then, in a calm voice that had a hint of a growl, he said, ¡°You said you were kidnapped.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I saved her, Rupert.¡± ¡°¡­Your Highness did?¡± Rupert looked at Enoch and me in disbelief and finally sighed. ¡°This person has caused trouble to you again.¡± ¡°¡­ you¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s only natural to save people in danger. And the culprit was your family knight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°So you have¡­ Hmm, the Clifford family¡¯s knights seem to be much more disorganized than before,¡± Enoch mumbled indifferently, passing Rupert and moving closer to me. Rupert clenched his fists as if his pride had been hurt. ¡°Beautiful.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a beautiful dress? I¡¯ve heard of Madam Plada¡¯s talents, but seeing it in person like this is amazing.¡± Advertisements I didn¡¯t know because I haven¡¯t compared it to other dresses, but it was apparent this wasn¡¯t some ordinary workmanship. Even Chloe was still looking at my dress and biting her lip. ¡°By the way¡­ Is there something you want to tell me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m a little envious.¡± Pointing to the skirt of the dress I was wearing, I said, ¡°Do you want to try it on?¡± Chloe affirmed by silently staring at me, but I declined with a smile. ¡°But what do I do? Madam Plada seems to this dress is suitable for me¡­ Isn¡¯t that right?¡± When I asked Plada, she looked closely at Chloe and nodded. ¡°I think this dress is perfect for Madam. For the Miss¡­ I will recommend another dress.¡± Chloe¡¯s expression hardened for a moment, and then she tried to smile again. ¡°Alright. I can¡¯t do anything if it looks better on Madam.¡± Chloe muttered as if she wanted Rupert to hear it, but I didn¡¯t know if he didn¡¯t hear or pretended he didn¡¯t. Rupert merely glanced at me. Rupert didn¡¯t seem to be of much help, so Chloe eventually turned to Plada again. ¡°Then can you recommend a dress that would suit me?¡± ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­ Wait a minute.¡± An awkward silence hung over Chelsea and the remaining four. Enoch was the first to sit comfortably on the sofa. I took it as a cue and sat down next to him. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing more to do, why don¡¯t you go?¡± Rupert looked at the two of us sitting there and suddenly tried to dismiss me out of the blue. ¡°She can¡¯t, Rupert. I must have told you that I had asked Madam a favor.¡± But this time, an unexpected person came forward. ¡°Rupert, I want Madam to stay and look at my dress. You don¡¯t know how to look at dresses.¡± ¡°Chloe.¡± But Rupert still looked uncomfortable. Fortunately, Plada came back to relieve the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Haa, I must be out of my mind, Chelsea. A lot of valuable guests came, but I didn¡¯t even serve tea.¡± As Chelsea tried to leave, Plada hurriedly stopped her again. ¡°No, no. I will prepare the tea. Help Miss to wear this dress here.¡± Plada handed Chelsea the dress, and Chelsea guided Chloe to the dressing room. Looking at Madam preparing tea on one side, I asked her questions. ¡°But did you not hire more people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right because security is important. We don¡¯t get a lot of customers anyway, so two is enough,¡± Plada looked back and answered, and as she opened the bottle cap, she suddenly clicked her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m out of tea leaves. Wait a minute!¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Before I could finish, Plada ran up the stairs. Advertisements This time, the awkwardness was even more unbearable. I was sitting in the middle of the male lead and the second lead in the novel. Would the situation be okay? I was a little nervous, but I comforted myself. I was perfectly entitled to sit here now. I¡¯m a VIP who received a business card from an anonymous benefactor, the Crown Prince asked me to accompany him, and I was the wife of the future Duke here. Telling myself those things helped. As he sat, Enoch, who had been quiet the whole time, said, ¡°Count, I was thinking¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Please speak.¡± ¡°I think a brooch would be good. What do you think?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about the present for the Empress Dowager. Well, I think a brooch would be nice, or a pendant maybe.¡± ¡°A pendant, huh. That would be fine, too.¡± I watched Enoch nod, and felt a tingle on the back of my neck. When I turned, I saw Rupert eyeing me strangely. ¡°Why? Do you have something to say?¡± Even if Chloe looked at me because of the dress earlier, Rupert wouldn¡¯t¡­ ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± He rubbed his cheek with his hand and shook his head. Really, what was wrong with him? While I tilted my head, I heard a chuckle from the dressing room. ¡°Take your skirt and go out carefully.¡± The curtain opened and Chloe slowly emerged from the inside of the dressing room. Just in time, Plada came down with tea leaves and a teapot. Looking at Chloe in a gorgeous gold dress, I couldn¡¯t deny she was the female lead. Her bouncy brown wavy hair swayed over her deep-lined back, perfectly complementing her dress. Best of all, her orange eyes and the gold dress matched so well. Indeed, Madam Prada¡¯s taste could not be ignored. Erin was a gorgeous beauty, so Madam Plada chose a dress that accentuated her elegance. On the other hand, Chloe was an innocent beauty, so she picked out a fancy dress that made her stand out. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Really¡­ it¡¯s great.¡± Chloe looked at the mirror to see her reflection, pleased with her look. Rupert got up and walked over to her, and he whispered something in Chloe¡¯s ear. Plada also approached her and praised Chloe. I was looking at them blankly when Enoch spoke to me. ¡°I¡¯m debating between sapphire and ruby. Which do you prefer?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I like diamond?¡± Watching Enoch seriously agonizing over something I thoughtlessly said, I rushed on to continue, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just a joke. Sapphires and rubies are good, but such colors may not be suitable given the Empress¡¯s age¡­ How about pearls?¡± ¡°Pearls,¡± Enoch muttered and nodded, a gentle smile on his face. Every little move was picturesque. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to take my eyes off him. A little bit more¡­ I jumped up in surprise at my thoughts. My face was hot. ¡°Count Spilet?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ well, that¡¯s it.¡± I took a step backward without realizing it. ¡°I forgot something¡­¡± Then, I saw a golden wave passing gently from behind me. Chloe approached and curtsied in front of Prince Enoch. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m the daughter of Baron Verezian, and I greet you again. Pardon me, but since you¡¯re here, may I ask a question? It¡¯s my first time attending a ball at the Imperial Palace for Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. May I ask if this dress is suitable for the event?¡± Advertisements I stood still and listened to what she had to say. I couldn¡¯t figure out why she had to ask Enoch about it. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed to make sense. Fluttering eyelashes and blushing cheeks, pouting lips. I instinctively understood what all those gestures meant. Chloe was trying to get Enoch to like her. ¡°¡­the dress is beautiful enough. It¡¯s not a problem.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Chloe blushed in embarrassment but showed her characteristic refreshing smile. She looked so cute. Why did my stomach feel so uncomfortable? Enoch took the teacup that Plada had given him and leaned back on the sofa. ¡°But Lady Verezian¡­ I don¡¯t think you got the invitation yourself.¡± Enoch then stared coldly at Rupert. He was right to say that. In general, only nobles of a certain rank were invited to an Imperial palace ball. Usually, it was up to counts, and at very large balls, even her family used to receive invitations. Of course, when the person who received the invitation was unable to attend, there were times when it was generously transferred or sold to a person who did not receive it. The person who gave Chloe the invitation was most likely Rupert. You wouldn¡¯t have given it to me, so I guess you gave it to her? I rolled my eyes and turned to Rupert. Then he began to panic noticeably. CH 14 ¡°This person doesn¡¯t like banquets or anything like that¡­.¡± Rupert stuttered as he made excuses. Then, for some reason, he, who was always confident, glanced at me. What should I do? I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t angry at all, but the truth was I still felt uncomfortable to go to the ball. I had just come to this world. I had little knowledge of this world¡¯s social etiquette, and I hadn¡¯t figured out who was who. If a nobleman Erin knew had greeted me, there was a much greater chance of not recognizing them. The novel focused on the main characters, so there was little information about the supporting characters, especially their appearance. And even if it did, I probably wouldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Then, there¡¯s nothing to be done; I can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Oh dear, it¡¯s a shame, Madam. It¡¯s been a long time since I started looking for the person who¡¯d be the most suitable for this dress. You should attend the ball.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Madam. Unfortunately, because of me, you can¡¯t debut the dress this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Madam. So don¡¯t be sorry.¡± Enoch looked at me and touched his chin in quiet contemplation. Chloe stood still, clasping her hands and watching us. Then, suddenly, Rupert grabbed my wrist and dragged me away. ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a second.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, let me go.¡± As I glared up at Rupert, he immediately let go of my wrists. However, his grip was so strong that even after letting go, my wrist still tingled. I turned around and said to Enoch, ¡°Your Highness, please excuse me for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t say anything, so I followed Rupert upstairs. Rupert seemed familiar with this place. After all, he was the only son of the duke¡¯s family, so he might have visited from time to time since when his mother was alive. He entered a room on this floor. Click¨C As soon as I followed him in, he locked the door. There was a small window, so a little light came in, but the room was dark. I swallowed hard, feeling tense. Advertisements ¡°Why¡­ are you locking the door?¡± ¡°Just.¡± ¡°Tell me what you have to say.¡± He brought me here and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. Instead, he paced around the room, pondering and hesitating about something. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, I¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± When I turned to him, Rupert finally spoke. The words that came out of his mouth were a bit unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­about this¡­¡± ¡°¡­why are you suddenly apologizing?¡± ¡°Anyway, you are my wife.¡± I was silent for a while. Of course, Rupert¡¯s apology now would be sincere. But an apology didn¡¯t change anything. This simple apology would have worked for Erin because she had feelings for Rupert, but not me. ¡°Then, Rupert¡­ Can you give me back the invitation you gave Miss Chloe?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s.¡± The non-answer answered everything. ¡°I thought so. I guess you have nothing more to say. I¡¯ll go back.¡± ¡°Erin Spilet.¡± I tried to leave, but he suddenly turned me around and pushed me against the wall. I leaned against the wall, trapped in his arms. ¡°Why did you change like this?¡± I froze at the question. Did I get caught? Did he find out I wasn¡¯t Erin? ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before.¡± ¡°¡­how have I changed?¡± I feigned ignorance. Rupert put down one of his arms caging me to the wall, and patted my cheek, just below my eyes. ¡°This look, the way you look at me is different. Why did you change?¡± At first glance, it might sound like a longing for love, but I could tell by the look on Rupert¡¯s face. It didn¡¯t come from the sweet feeling of love. It was just a question out of possessiveness and simple curiosity. Advertisements I slapped his hand away and said, ¡°If the way I looked at you changed, it¡¯s no one¡¯s fault but yours.¡± ¡°When we made this deal, you said you accepted it even though you knew the circumstances. But you weren¡¯t like this back then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing how you accepted our deal despite clearly knowing how I felt for you. Yes, I did. But the mind changes. After feeling ignored and seeing your lover in front of me, it was easy for me to change my mind.¡± I wasn¡¯t Erin, but the words flowed out from her heart. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same situation as this one, but I sympathized with her. After seeing my ex-boyfriend¡¯s wedding, all my regrets and all my feelings for him disappeared. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing for you? I¡¯m not going to bother you anymore. That doesn¡¯t change anything in the contract.¡± ¡°Erin Spilet.¡± ¡°Stop calling my name and get out of the way, Rupert.¡± I pushed him lightly and walked to the door. As I was about to unlock the latch and leave the door, I heard Rupert¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°I really am sorry.¡± I sighed and looked back. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± Without hesitation, I turned around and left the room. I could understand Rupert¡¯s reasoning. He hated having me by his side, but he enjoyed the feeling of being liked by me, and he didn¡¯t want that to change. A smile lingered on my lips. Fair enough¡­ I suddenly remembered Chloe, who was staring at me in the mirror earlier. I felt a nagging feeling inside, but I calmly walked down to the first floor without showing anything. However, only Chloe remained on the first floor, and the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°He gave Madam Plada something and got up first. He must have been busy.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It felt like I had failed to keep my promise to him. I¡¯d definitely apologize the next time we meet. ¡°¡­I wonder what the two of you were talking about.¡± Chloe cautiously got up and walked over to me. I kept feeling annoyed. ¡°Ask Rupert directly. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything I can say.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I was jealous of her. On the contrary, they were the protagonists in the novel, so it was natural that things would work out for them. But I couldn¡¯t stand the two of them taking turns bullying me. This time she managed to keep a straight face as she lowered her eyes and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam. I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± At that moment, Rupert came down from upstairs. ¡°Chloe, are you going to wear that dress to the ball?¡± ¡°Yes, Rupert. Madam Plada recommended it, so I think this is the best.¡± When Chloe got up, Plada approached and began to measure her. ¡°I¡¯m going to put a ribbon on the back of the waist and decorate the front with beads.¡± After pinning and marking the dress, Plada led her back to the dressing room. Chloe seemed to be feeling better again. But, on the contrary, my mood deteriorated sharply as I guessed that it had something to do with the invitation. ¡°Are you going home?¡± ¡°I have more business to do, so the two of you should go first.¡± I said, turning away from Rupert¡¯s gaze. Chloe changed her clothes and heard him come back, so she went to him and linked their arms. ¡°Oh my, Madam. It looks like it will be cloudy soon¡­ How are you going to come home?¡± Advertisements Rupert softened as his eyes met Chloe. Oh, my gosh, I¡¯m dying. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go first.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ Be careful on your way.¡± Watching the two of them disappear, I grabbed my forehead for a moment. Plada quietly approached me and started putting pins on the dress. ¡°Just in case. And I also want to finish this dress soon.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ By the way, the price of the dress¡­¡± That was the most important issue. The dress was beyond gorgeous, but it was probably expensive. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Madam. I will just make it for you.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Because you brought the business card.¡± ¡°As I said before¡­ you¡¯re making me a dress just for that reason?¡± Plada nodded. ¡°You still can¡¯t tell me who they are?¡± ¡°Not until they reveal it themselves.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I wordlessly stared at her, Plada smiled and looked away. I couldn¡¯t do anything if she didn¡¯t want to reveal it. ¡°It¡¯s all set. Oh, right. Wait.¡± I thought she¡¯d take me to the dressing room, but she suddenly went upstairs. Instead, Chelsea escorted me and helped me take off the dress. Then, a hand slipped into the curtain. ¡°Madam, change into this. This is an everyday dress I made. It will probably fit.¡± ¡°Pardon? What about the clothes I wore?¡± ¡°It was too old and I threw it away.¡± Madam Plada laughed and said casually that she had thrown away other people¡¯s clothes. And even though she threw away my clothes, I didn¡¯t feel too bad. To someone like Plada, my clothes must have looked like a rag. After changing, Plada showed me several clothes that were draped on the sofa and said, ¡°Take all of these. These are the clothes I made for practice, and I¡¯ll be happy if Madam wears it.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, this¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I know I said I made them for practice, but they¡¯re all high-quality works.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. You¡¯re just giving these clothes?¡± Plada nodded and put the clothes one by one in a large paper bag. ¡°Wait a minute, I can¡¯t just take it.¡± When I stopped her urgently, Plada straightened her back and told me, ¡°Please, Madam.¡± Suddenly, she came close to me and held my hands together. ¡°Please be my exclusive model for my clothes.¡± CH 15 ¡°Sorry? Me?¡± I asked back in surprise. Originally, Plada offered this to Chloe. But why was she asking me now? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you prefer Miss Chloe, who was here earlier?¡± ¡°Well, that young lady is also beautiful. I would have asked her if the Count Spilet had not come. But now that Madam is in front of me, what¡¯s the point in doing that?¡± Plada whispered the last words. I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so I stayed silent. Plada laughed and went back to organizing the clothes. If I hadn¡¯t come, she would have asked Chloe. That was the original flow of the story. In the novel, Erin didn¡¯t come here, so Madam Plada made the exclusive offer with Chloe. ¡°Believe me when I say I¡¯ll make you the most beautiful flower in the social world,¡± Plada recited the familiar lines I once read. I thought for a moment. I had nothing to lose. Even if I couldn¡¯t attend the ball now didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t other chances. In addition, Erin didn¡¯t have as many clothes as she should, and she didn¡¯t have the money to buy them. It was a win-win for us. This time, I took her hand and shook it. ¡°Then¡­ please, Madam Plada.¡± ¡°Just leave it to me.¡± ¡°By the way¡­ is this because of the business card?¡± Plada shook her head at my question. ¡°The fact that you brought the business card means you¡¯ll be a valued patron, but the offer has nothing to do with that. I did say I¡¯ve been watching Madam for a while now.¡± Advertisements ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± As Plada packed the clothes, I stared outside the window and noticed that it was getting dark. So, how do I get home now? The Prince split the carriage I rode in two with his magic. Still, Plada took the luggage and went outside. Worst case scenario, I would have to walk, and I¡¯d have no way of carrying that with me. ¡°Hold on, Plada. I need to call for a carriage.¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t the carriage outside not Madam¡¯s?¡± ¡°There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s a carriage outside¡­?¡± I opened the door and looked outside. There stood a small carriage, the one the Crown Prince had lent earlier. As I looked at the carriage, I was caught up in a strange feeling. It was very similar to how I felt when I was sitting next to Enoch earlier. I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I had been holding and breathed in. I would have to ride that carriage. There was no other way to go back. Before I could say anything, Plada and Chelsea loaded the luggage in the back of the carriage. I didn¡¯t know if it was just me, but it looked heavier than it did when I saw it earlier. ¡°Madam, I was surprised.¡± After Erin left, Chelsea suddenly spoke. With a knowing look, Plada asked, ¡°Why are you surprised?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d ask the future Duchess to be your exclusive model, much less send her all those clothes.¡± ¡°Well, my creations didn¡¯t have owners yet, so I took the opportunity to give them one.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± Chelsea tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Do you know how many young ladies, wives, and beloved mistresses I have seen in this job?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ it¡¯s a lot.¡± Plada hung some clothes and shook her hands. ¡°If it¡¯s just beauty, the mistress, Lady Verezian, might be better. But, not only was Madam beautiful, but she exuded grace. She¡¯s the ideal subject.¡± ¡°Really¡­ is that the reason?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not all.¡± Plada crossed her arms and walked to the window. It looked like it was going to rain soon. ¡°The one holding the business card is the future Duchess¡­ I¡¯m curious to see how she¡¯ll come out in the future.¡± The carriage stopped at the entrance. I turned to the coachman and said, ¡°Thank you for bringing me home. You must be a skilled coachman. The carriage didn¡¯t shake the whole way.¡± ¡°Ah, this carriage has a magic device attached to it. So it¡¯s faster and quieter than a regular carriage.¡± I was taken aback, but I nodded my head. ¡°Is that so. In any case, be sure to say thank you to the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Yes, I will. Phew. Go ahead. It looks like it¡¯s going to rain soon.¡± After the carriage had departed, I entered the main gate. As soon as I entered, I absently looked towards the annex. Advertisements There was a light inside the annex. Surely, they¡¯re both there. Good. We had separate living quarters, so we didn¡¯t have to see each other often. As I walked across the center of the garden, it started to rain. It began with a drop or two; then, a shower poured down. It was so strong that I couldn¡¯t even open my eyes. I ran towards the main building without even thinking about it. As soon as I ran to the front door and took a breather, I bumped into someone hard and fell straight over. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± When I looked up to see who it was, it was Rupert. He looked startled to see me and didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of helping me up. What did I expect? He belatedly reached out his hand as I got up. You act fast. I snorted, trying to wipe off the water from my clothes and hands. Surprisingly, Rupert stayed and hung around, but he refused to look me in the eye for some reason. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± I tried to leave first, but he suddenly stopped me. ¡°Wait.¡± He took off his coat and placed it over my shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t walk around like that. Go straight to your room.¡± Rupert left and went to the annex. There was a roof on the road connecting the main building and the annex, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about getting wet. ¡°What¡¯s up with him.¡± I looked back for a moment before going inside. The maid was nowhere to be seen, and the old butler was coming down the stairs. ¡°I have put my luggage inside¡­ ma¡¯am.¡± The butler, who was talking, looked me up and down and gave me a strange smile. ¡°Okay, well done.¡± The butler only turned his gaze away when I narrowed my eyes at him. What¡¯s going on? Because it was raining, the chill gradually penetrated my body. I shuddered and hurried into the room. I¡¯d have to take a bath as soon as possible. It was only when I entered the room and looked in the mirror that I understood. The dress Plada gave me to wear was made of a relatively thin white fabric. It was drenched in the rain, revealing the silhouette of my body. Then I saw the coat Rupert gave me¡­ My face turned bright red. But then I remembered the butler¡¯s eyes earlier and shuddered in disgust. There was no way I¡¯d let that butler stay in this house. I called Jenny, who was organizing my clothes in the dressing room, and asked her to prepare the bathwater first. After taking a bath, Jenny prepared a nightgown I had never seen before. The pink silk pajamas looked new, but they weren¡¯t Erin¡¯s. ¡°Jenny, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°But that was in the luggage from a while ago? Isn¡¯t that yours?¡± ¡°Really?¡± At Jenny¡¯s words, I put on the gown and went to the dressing room. Come to think of it, the shift also looked different from yesterday. The color was more subtle, and the soft feel seemed to be of a much higher quality material. My eyes opened wide when I took in the view of the dressing room. A lot more clothes were hanging than before. Apart from the casual clothes that Plada made for practice, there were also a few dresses that seemed to be perfect for tea parties or outdoor events. They weren¡¯t as glamorous as party dresses, but they were all luxurious and elegant because Plada handled them all. ¡°Are these all from the luggage?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, and look. There are also accessories here,¡± Jenny gushed as she opened the drawer. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but there were accessories and underwear that were obviously new. Advertisements I stared at the items for a moment before putting them back in. Did people treat their exclusive models like this? No, it couldn¡¯t be. Usually, such a partnership meant the model chose a designer who¡¯d make the dresses they¡¯d wear for a banquet or tea party. Although Madam Plada was the most famous, there were certainly many other designers in this world besides her. They wanted to raise the value of their name, so they would sometimes treat high-ranking aristocrats as their exclusive models. I didn¡¯t know if Plada took care of these things because she was aware of my situation or because she just wanted me to wear them. Either way, I was thankful. I¡¯d have to send her a letter of gratitude tomorrow. With that in mind, I went to my bedroom. The butler changed the bed and furniture as soon as I gave him the money. I couldn¡¯t say that it suited my taste, but I didn¡¯t tell him my preference, and I had no intention of staying here long. This would have to do. Because I had been walking all day, my whole body felt heavy and sore. Lying in bed, lost in thoughts, I soon fell asleep. Anyway, I made one mistake today. A noble lady¡¯s body was much weaker than I thought. I was groaning all night because of the brief rain. And that night, I had a terrifying and eerie dream. CH 16 In my dream, it was the day of the wedding. To be precise, it was a little earlier than the time I possessed this body. The wedding dress had just arrived, and I was about to wear it when someone approached me with a glass of tea. ¡°It¡¯s a bit hot. You might get thirsty, so I prepared some iced tea.¡± It was hot, but it wasn¡¯t unbearable. The glass handed to me looked temptingly cool, water droplets forming by the rim. I immediately drank the tea, its extremely sweet flavor quenching my thirst. So I put on my wedding dress and sat down for a while to do my makeup and hair. My stomach started to ache, and for a moment, I wondered if it was because I suddenly drank something cold, but then I lost consciousness. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± I woke up with a start. My body was drenched in sweat, and my heart pounded like crazy. ¡°That juice¡­¡± Instinctively, I knew. Erin drank the tea and died. Then I possessed her body. Shuddering, I got up and out of the bed. I turned on the magic lamp, sat on the chair in front of the table, and looked out the window. It was still dark outside, and thunder and lightning accompanied the rain. I rubbed my face with the palm of my hand and retraced the events of the dream. I rubbed my face with the palm of my hand and retraced the events of the dream. I wouldn¡¯t have dreamt such a dream for no reason. This was clearly not my memory; It was Erin¡¯s. Did the diseased Erin want to tell me something? I tapped my finger on the table to the sound of rain. Who was it? Who made Erin die? Advertisements Chloe looked the most suspicious. Not only was Rupert taken from Chloe since then, but she looked as if she saw a ghost when she saw me. I poured water and tried to drink it, but I flinched and stopped, the glass hovering by my lips. ¡°What a fool,¡± I muttered to myself before drinking the water. I¡¯ve already eaten and drank a lot of things in this house. If someone wanted to kill me here, I would have already been dead. I wasn¡¯t sure if Chloe was the culprit. But if not her, who the hell was trying to kill Erin? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t figure it out. Besides, I couldn¡¯t see the face of the person who gave me the glass in my dreams. Even if I did, it would not have been easy to find out because I barely knew anyone in this world in the first place. Anyway, I possessed Erin¡¯s body, so the wedding went on as planned, and Erin Spilet became the wife of the future Duke of Clifford. Was it a personal grudge against Erin? or was it someone who was against this marriage? ¡°The Empress¡¯s birthday¡­.¡± If I attend the party, I might know. I might find a clue by looking at each person¡¯s reaction. But the invitation meant for Rupert¡¯s wife went to Chloe. There was no way I could ask for something I already relinquished. ¡°Haa, let¡¯s think about it tomorrow.¡± My body was burning. It was still dark, and my throbbing head and sore body felt like they needed a little more rest. After drinking another glass of water, I went to bed again. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have any dreams this time. I only recovered after a few days of suffering. Looking at the mug Jenny handed me, I asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s herbal. They said if a person who¡¯s feeling unwell drinks this, they will regain their energy.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± As soon as I took a sip, I almost spat it out. It tasted like the typical herbal tea ¨C bland. Well, at least it wasn¡¯t poison. Advertisements ¡°The Lord has asked me to let him know as soon as Madam wakes up.¡± ¡°¡­is that so? Does he know I¡¯m sick?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, the Lord also ordered this herbal remedy.¡± I handed the mug back to Jenny. ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drink anymore because it doesn¡¯t taste good. I¡¯ll have to take a bath first.¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s good for the body¡­¡± ¡°Then, you drink it.¡± Jenny¡¯s eyes widened at my words, and she drank the drink straight from the cup. Seeing that made me laugh. And, once more, it confirmed that there really wasn¡¯t any poison in that cup. At my laugh, Jenny grinned and ran to the bathroom first. I stepped on the floor and grabbed the bedpost when I felt my body faltering. Even though she was an aristocrat, this frail young lady was ill with a cold. It was frustrating. Still, as I stumbled along, I could feel my energy coming back. I guess the herbal drink was effective. I went straight to the bathroom, wiped the grime off my body, and after that, I even finished the soup they served me. I had to be healthy so that I could live long. As I was patting my now full stomach, I heard a knock on the door. Unexpectedly, it was Rupert. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯re awake,¡± he mumbled to himself, ignoring my question. Then, without permission, he strode into the room. I eyed him and put my hands on my waist. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rupert sat across from the chair at the tea-table where I was sitting, looking a little embarrassed when I asked him. Then he placed two envelopes on the table. ¡°¡­to give this to you.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± He was still staring at me as I took it. ¡°You look thinner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been in bed the last few days.¡± ¡°Are you eating properly?¡± ¡°As you can see,¡± I gestured to the empty bowl I had pushed to one side. I fiddled with the mail. I wanted to open it, but why wasn¡¯t he leaving? ¡°What¡­ Do you have anything else to say?¡± He slowly got up, his expression similar to the one he just had. His move was too slow and frustrating to watch. ¡°No, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Then please deliver this to the kitchen on your way.¡± I handed him a tray with an empty bowl. Rupert stood still, looking at me and the tray I just gave him. ¡°What are you doing? Are you going out?¡± I opened the door to see him off. Phew, now that the disturbance has gone, let¡¯s take a look. This time, I received two mails ¨C one colorful envelope and one white envelope. The difference from the last time was that they were both addressed to ¡®Count Spilet.¡¯ I decided to open the colorful envelope first. ¡¸If you¡¯re free, I¡¯d like to meet you at the Imperial Library. ¨C Enoch¡¹ The corners of my lips tilted upwards. No, no, I shouldn¡¯t be so happy with such a thing. I gathered my trembling heart and looked at the other envelope. Like last time, it was a pure white envelope with no decorations. Was it from the same sender as before? When I opened it, I rubbed my surprised eyes and rechecked the contents of the envelope. Advertisements ¡°¡­Oh my god.¡± Inside was a card, not a letter. The card was none other than an invitation to the ball celebrating the Empress¡¯s birthday. It was for the Count of Spilet, not the Duchess of Clifford. How did this happen? I went down to the first floor just in case. ¡°Rupert¡­!¡± The butler jumped out to my voice and answered instead. ¡°My Lord is now in the annex.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± I was thinking of going straight to the annex, but then I stopped. I didn¡¯t want to run into Chloe right now, though. Last night¡¯s dream was too vivid, and Chloe was still the prime suspect. I didn¡¯t have the confidence to look at her and act like nothing¡¯s wrong. ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m going out, so please prepare a carriage.¡± ¡°Shall we prepare the Imperial carriage?¡± ¡°Imperial¡­ carriage?¡± I asked the butler again in confusion. ¡°Not long ago, His Majesty the Crown Prince broke the carriage, so he sent a new carriage for Madam.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± He really replaced the carriage. I couldn¡¯t believe he sent it¡­ an Imperial carriage. I thought I should go to the Imperial library first. I needed some imperative information to attend the ball successfully. The Imperial library was also a social hub, so it was clear that it would be advantageous for her if the one who¡¯d introduce her at the door were the Crown Prince. So, the only reason I dared to accept his invitation was because of that. I once again gathered my emotions and walked up the stairs. I had no idea that the gifts Plada had sent me would be put to good use so quickly. Recalling the scene I had seen in front of the imperial library the other day, I was able to dress up appropriately with the things she gave me. ¡°Do I look okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, you are so beautiful!¡± This time, I went out with Jenny in the carriage. Jenny said she had somewhere to go, and she had to check my outfit. She raised the mirror to my face and said, ¡°Look, I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Of course, Erin was pretty, but she looked tired because she¡¯d been sick for a few days. Still, she has her own charms. Soon enough, I arrived in front of the Imperial library. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s an imperial carriage, but it also seemed to have a magic device attached to it. Advertisements However, Jenny, who jumped down first, suddenly knelt on the ground. ¡°Jenny?¡± I leaned my head out to see what was going on, but it was so blinding that I had to squint my eyes. It was because someone shining more brilliantly in the noon sun was there to meet me. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Before I even got out of the carriage, he offered me his hand. Slowly, I held his hand and came down. ¡°I greet His Highness, the Imperial Crown Prince of the Empire,¡± I greeted him with a curtsy. He politely bowed his head. With his graceful gestures alone, this street seemed to have become a ballroom. And, I was the lady being escorted by him today. I couldn¡¯t help but feel flattered. CH 17 ¡°Count, would you like to hold out your wrist?¡± Enoch, who had escorted me to the entrance of the Imperial Library, suddenly stopped and faced me. Without any hesitation, I reached out my left wrist. He took a slender bracelet from his pocket and showed it to me. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It is a bracelet with a magic stone attached to it. Think of it as a kind of pass. If you hold the jewel of this bracelet to the device like this, the door will open.¡± As I watched the Prince hold his bracelet to the device, my eyes widened in wonder. A red light flashed from the transparent gem on his bracelet. The Prince stepped aside, grabbed my wrist, and brought it to the device. The jewel on the bracelet shimmered, and the door opened automatically. The magic stone on my bracelet turned blue. ¡°It¡¯s a different color than yours.¡± ¡°Yes, you can think of it as having a different color for each status.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I heard from Jenny the other day that only high-ranking nobles could access even the Imperial Library. Without Enoch, I would not have even known that such a bracelet existed. I looked closely at the wrists of passersby. The bracelet was not a one-size-fits-all design, and it seemed as if each person had it designed their preferred style and put only magic stones. Advertisements Enoch turned to where I was looking, coughed, and said, ¡°I made it myself, but if you want a different style¡­¡± ¡°No, I like it.¡± Seeing his relieved expression at my smile, I thought it was a little cute. Ugh, what are you even thinking? Control yourself. As soon as you stepped inside, you¡¯d be blown away by the size and grandeur. And although it was noisy outside, it was surprisingly quiet inside, just like what a library should be. Of course, there were a few small voices and footsteps, but otherwise, it was peaceful. And the Prince¡¯s escort ended there. He took a step back, stood behind me, and whispered, ¡°The middle-aged woman on the right is Countess Margaret. I believe she was acquainted with the former Duchess of Clifford.¡± I didn¡¯t answer and just nodded my head. ¡°Look to the left. Don¡¯t turn your head.¡± As he said, I peeked to the left to see a young woman and a middle-aged man pretending to read a book, sitting closely together. ¡°They said the Marchioness of Raphael has died, and the Marquis has taken a new wife. I heard the new wife is young¡­ but is well-informed on things about perfumes.¡± I glanced at Enoch behind me. When our eyes met, he looked away and shrugged. It was surprising that the Crown Prince knew these aristocrats¡¯ affairs, but it was even more surprising that he would let me know at all. In any case, taking one big lap around the library, he told me a lot. He shared the stories of the nobility and pointed out the sections of the entire library. ¡°I have some business to do, so I have to go. I¡¯ll come see you later, so take a look around.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Thank you very much for your kindness.¡± ¡°¡­ There¡¯s still a long way to go[1].¡± Wide-eyed, I looked at him, but he only smiled, turned around, and walked away. I decided to look around the library to distract my trembling heart. The Prince was a great help, but I was better off alone from now on. Maybe it was because of his thoughtfulness that he disappeared at the right time. In any case, I had to move diligently before Enoch returned. I lightened the sound of my footsteps and walked around the library at a slow pace, looking for the books I wanted. ¡°Mm¡­¡± I felt overwhelmed as I gawked at the books piled up on the desk. There were more books I needed than I thought, and no matter how I looked at them, I didn¡¯t think I could finish reading them all today. However, it was too much of a hassle to go to the Imperial library every day. ¡°Only the royal family can borrow books,¡± Enoch came up behind me and said as if he had read my mind. I looked back in surprise and met his eyes, and he looked like he was looking at a cute little animal. What a surprise! By the way, how did this person show up at such a time of need? It was getting suspicious, but I couldn¡¯t doubt the only person who would help me borrow a book. ¡°Of course, nothing is free in this world.¡± ¡°Is there anything you wish for?¡± Advertisements ¡°It¡¯s not much,¡± the Crown Prince replied and ordered the library servants to move the stacked books to my carriage. ¡°You can accept my dance request at the ball on Her Majesty¡¯s birthday.¡± He said it as if it were an insignificant request. Naturally, Rupert would be my partner when I enter, but I could dance with several people inside. Wait. Why did I think Rupert would be my partner? Rupert couldn¡¯t leave Chloe alone. In a world where people regarded a lover as a person with a higher position of power, there was no way a married couple would enter together. Come to think of it, would it really be an issue if she came as the Prince¡¯s partner? ¡°That would be difficult, Your Highness.¡± Enoch sputtered in embarrassment, startled that I¡¯d turn down a dance request. I didn¡¯t know why he wanted to dance with me, but his reaction made me happy. I lowered my eyes and teased him for a while before finally saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know if that was a request to be a partner.¡± I thought he would be sad because his emerald eyes were fixed on my lips. And when I saw Enoch smiling at my answer, I was relieved to know I was not mistaken. ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t think that there was a chance. Count Spilet, how do you feel about having me as your partner for the ball?¡± I was well aware that Erin, like Crown Prince Enoch, had an outstanding appearance. So, I took full advantage of her appearance and batted my eyelashes. I felt sorry for him, but it didn¡¯t matter that I was swaying Enoch¡­ Only if I don¡¯t put myself in the opposite situation. ¡°It would be an honor, Your Highness. However, if that happens, many women who admire your Highness would be disappointed. Would you be okay with that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worried that rumors would spread about Madam and me.¡± His emerald eyes were beautiful, crescent shapes, forming nice lines. I looked him in the eye to understand him, but I was distracted by that smile, so I averted my eyes first. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a rumor of an affair in my situation?¡± Rupert¡¯s relationship with his mistress, Chloe, was already out in the open. If it were like this, it would have certainly reached the Duke¡¯s ears. Nevertheless, the reason Chloe survived was because my marriage became a shield. It wasn¡¯t okay to date before marriage, but it was okay to keep her as a mistress. I couldn¡¯t understand that logic, but I couldn¡¯t do anything about it if people from this world thought like that. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s fine. If I become the Count¡¯s first scandal, it would be an honor.¡± I didn¡¯t take his words seriously, seeing it as a joke, and followed him. When I went out to the side door of the Imperial Library, there was a lounge. However, it was different from the typical library lounge. This place was the reason why most people visited the library. Inside the large glass greenhouse, birds flew around the trees and colorful flowers. There were tea tables everywhere, and attendants were busily moving between them, carrying refreshments and drinks. Outside the greenhouse, there¡¯s a garden where people could take a short walk, creating an atmosphere where people could have a tea party at any moment. ¡°Count, your hand.¡± After Enoch spoke in a voice that only I could hear, he held out his hand, and I put my hand on it and walked with him. Thousands of curious eyes were looking at us. I made eye contact with a group of nobles and walked towards them with the most picturesque smile I could muster. After taking me there, the Prince took a small step back. But that alone was effective enough. Nobles with high noses spoke carefully to me while flapping their fans. ¡°I think it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you here, Madam Clifford.¡± ¡°Hello, Countess Margaret. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± She looked surprised yet delighted that I knew her. Although Countess Margaret wanted to have a relationship with the Duke of Clifford, she lamented the lack of opportunity. Starting with Countess Margaret like that, I was able to greet and get to know a lot of nobles easily. ¡°With such a young and beautiful wife, the young Lord¡­ Really, I can¡¯t understand why he has the Baron¡¯s daughter by his side.¡± Marchioness Raphael spoke slightly sarcastically, but I wasn¡¯t upset because I wasn¡¯t jealous of either of them. Instead, I remembered that she was well versed in perfumery and turned the conversation around it. Marchioness Raphael happily accepted the topic with a whole speech on her knowledge of perfumes. With this, she¡¯d probably think it was easy to talk to me. This was a great achievement. It would be much easier to start a conversation if you knew a few people, rather than standing alone without knowing anyone at an Imperial ball. Advertisements Not only did I focus on their chatter, but I also carefully observed their every move. Of course, it was essential to know about them through the books I¡¯ve borrowed, but I also had to learn by watching how they actually behaved. Feeling accomplished, I was about to return home, but the Crown Prince, who disappeared a while back, was waiting for me in front of the carriage. I didn¡¯t tell him to wait. But, when I heard him speak, I felt like I could no longer ignore his feelings. ¡°I look forward to seeing you again.¡± After the brief kiss he left on the back of my hand, I got into the carriage. The carriage with the imperial emblem headed back to the Duke¡¯s residence without a sound. [1] Prince Enoch said ¡°?? ?????,¡± a modest reply when someone thanks them. CH 18 There were about ten days left until the Empress¡¯s birthday ball. To pass the time, I decided to read through the books and learn some general knowledge I needed to live in this world. So I studied history, culture, a brief genealogy of each noble family, manners and etiquette in social circles, and magic she couldn¡¯t understand with just pages on a paper. And just in case, I also got all the latest romance novels from this famous author. I knew that reading it alone wasn¡¯t enough, but it was far less daunting than going to the ball completely unprepared. In the meantime, I took out the last book and opened it. ¡°What is this?¡± It was a pretty thick and uninteresting book, but I certainly didn¡¯t borrow it. Was it brought along by mistake? I opened it to see information about laws on Imperial and noble inheritance. Disputes over the inheritance of titles and property often happened in aristocratic society, so it seemed that the items were compiled separately. I brightened the magic lamp; it was already past midnight. This magic lamp, one of the two in the mansion, really was quite useful. ¡°Inheritance of a title can be made by determining the order of the spouse, children, grandchildren, spouse of a child, and other relatives. If a person dies without a will, the titles are succeeded in the above order. If there are multiple titles, they will be succeeded in order of highest rank.¡± I purposely read the sentence aloud to fight the headache and yawn caused by the complicated sentences. Advertisements With my eyes wide open, I kept reading the sentence that constantly flew over my head. Spouse, children, grandchildren, spouse of children¡­ The Duchess of Clifford had already died, and the only survivors of the Duchess were her husband, the current Duke, her only son Rupert and Rupert¡¯s wife, Erin Spilet. However, the Duke had not yet written a will. Rupert was the only son of the Duke and thus, was considered the heir apparent, but currently, Rupert was merely a Count, much like Erin. I wondered if Erin had thought this far. The main reason Erin decided to marry Rupert in the novel was money. But when if money was the only reason, it didn¡¯t have to be Rupert. Since Erin herself was a Count, it was okay to choose a wealthy merchant. In the novel, Erin said she chose Rupert because she had feelings for him. But given Erin¡¯s character, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the Duke status was among her reasons for choosing Rupert. ¡°No, I¡¯m probably overthinking.¡± The Duke and Rupert were estranged, but Erin was fine. In the novel, the Duke died suddenly before Erin did, so Rupert naturally became the Duke. And soon Chloe became the Duchess instead of Erin, who Rupert had divorced for failing to meet the one-year deadline. Then¡­ the Duke¡¯s death was not far off. I think I need to meet him at least once before then. I was too absorbed in my thoughts, and my head started to throb. I massaged my temples then went out of the study with the lamp to go to the bedroom. There were only two days left until the ball. And the morning of the ball was bright. The party was scheduled to begin at sunset and continue until dawn the next day. I sat at the table by the window in my bedroom in the main building, enjoying my morning tea, watching the busy maids coming and going from below. I didn¡¯t know what else they were carrying, but it seemed that Chloe in that annex ordered many things. Jenny, who was next to me, looked up and said, ¡°¡­this is just too much. The invitation was originally for you, but if she¡¯d steal it, shouldn¡¯t she be more subtle about it?¡± ¡°Ms. Chloe will probably be excited about attending such a party for the first time.¡± ¡°Aha, that must be true.¡± When Jenny saw my relaxed appearance, she smiled and looked down the window. I hadn¡¯t even told Jenny that I had been invited. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t tell anyone, not just Jenny. Advertisements With that in mind, I put down the teacup with a clink. I don¡¯t think I even told the Crown Prince, but he already knew I was coming and asked me to be his partner. Did he send the invitation? Then what about Madam Plada¡¯s business card? But, on the other hand, I thought that since he¡¯s the Crown Prince, he would know. He could easily get a list of invitations and see if I was invited or not. After letting Jenny go, I opened up the dance book again with a calm mind. Even if I studied and imagined things in my head, could I actually dance this? While holding the book, I moved around, mimicking the poses shown in the picture. Fortunately, Erin¡¯s body remembered it, and I was dancing the steps as if I had practiced it countless times. Then I put down the book in relief. ¡°Hmm, now I have to slowly prepare.¡± I didn¡¯t have to, but I didn¡¯t tell Rupert and intended to go and run into him there. Imagining the surprised look on his face brought a smile to my lips. It wasn¡¯t until the carriage that carried Rupert and Chloe left that I went outside. It didn¡¯t feel bad to see the eyes of passers-by widen. Madam Plada added silk to the dress I had seen before to accentuate Erin¡¯s elegance further. Even though I had only seen the dress, I somehow seemed to understand her intentions. If Chloe¡¯s dress was bright and glamorous, a dress for a beloved lover, mine was meant to emphasize the noble and elegant beauty, ultimately showing that I was the hostess; I was the wife. Well, maybe it was just my overthinking. I rolled up the hem of my dress and walked across the garden. There was a carriage engraved with the royal emblem. However, it looked different from the one I rode. There, someone opened the door and stepped out. I calmed my pounding heart and curtsied. ¡°I greet His Highness, the Imperial Crown Prince of the Empire.¡± ¡°Count, you¡¯re not as surprised as I thought.¡± ¡°I knew you were well prepared.¡± Enoch smiled brightly and reached out and held out his hand. I accepted his offer and smiled back. Advertisements Honestly, I wasn¡¯t surprised. I was impressed, but I acted nonchalantly to hide it. ¡°But you forgot one thing.¡± Before getting on the carriage, I stepped up the stairs and looked down at him. The red afternoon sunlight fell like paint on his dark hair. And his emerald-colored eyes looking up at me fluttered so innocently. ¡°Today, Your Highness is very handsome and wonderful. I accept you as my partner.¡± Hearing my words, he made an ¡®ah¡¯ sound, turning his head, his ears turning red. It was a rare sight for him, who was always confident, to be shy. I waited for him, staring at him so as not to miss his expression. As he took a deep breath and turned back to me, I could see every single moment. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t compliment you on purpose. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re always so beautiful that I didn¡¯t even think of it. Of course, today, you¡¯re even more¡­¡± It must be because of the red sunset. That¡¯s probably why my cheeks looked red in his eyes. Without answering Enoch¡¯s words, I quickly got into the carriage. Then he sat down next to me, not across from me, and knocked on the roof. This time, it was probably not a carriage with a magic device, and while it was a little wobbly, it was rather fortunate. Otherwise, he would have heard my rapidly beating heart. ¡°His Highness, Imperial Crown Prince Enoch Dwell Rikephoros and Count Erin Spilet will enter.¡± At the shout announcing our entrance, the buzzing crowd became quiet in an instant. And everyone turned their heads and looked at Enoch. I had been through something similar a while ago, but I felt lightheaded. ¡°Count, raise your head proudly,¡± a voice only I could hear brought me back to my senses. It was expected anyway, and it was also something I was aiming for. I kept my composure and put on my best smile. People looked to Enoch and me, and then turned to Rupert. It was a pity that I couldn¡¯t see his expression in detail because he was too far away. The Ducal heir entered with his lover instead of his wife, and the Ducal heir¡¯s wife came with the Crown Prince. What did people think when they saw this dysfunctional family[1]? Advertisements Fortunately, the nobles looked like they were having fun, but they looked at Rupert and clicked their tongues. The Duchess of Clifford supported the Crown Prince from the beginning, and it was admirable for the future Duchess Clifford to build a relationship with the Crown Prince. But Rupert left his wife alone and went to the ball hand-in-hand with his lover. No matter how common it was to have mistresses, it was customary to treat wives in public properly. If I hadn¡¯t showed up, they would have been fine. Anyway, I was hoping someone would pass this on to the Duke¡¯s ears. ¡°The Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress enter!¡± A little commotion and silence passed, but the party was in full swing as soon as the Emperor and Empress entered. I was worried that the Emperor or the Empress would take offense with the prince¡¯s partner, but the Empress¡¯s gaze stayed on me for a while, but she didn¡¯t look displeased. But Prince Enoch couldn¡¯t stay with me just because he was my partner, and I had to be alone until it was time to dance because Enoch had business to attend to. I was hanging out with people, leaning against a quiet corridor column to take a little rest. But where was Rupert? Just as I was thinking about it, someone grabbed my arm and started pulling me away. CH 19 ¡°Rupert¡­!¡± Although I endured it, there was no way Erin¡¯s fragile body could withstand the bull-like power. But fortunately, Enoch found me on time and approached me quickly. ¡°Let go of that hand.¡± I could see Rupert gritting his teeth. His grip on my arm loosened, but just looking at his eyes, he looked ready to hit the Prince. Rupert was a renowned swordsman. If a fight took place right now, he would probably have the upper hand. Rupert had been humiliated, and given that man¡¯s pride, I was expecting him to be somewhat angry. However, I did not expect him to react in such a reckless manner. Moreover, Chloe was standing alone, looking at Rupert. If he left her like that, people would think he went here to start a war of nerves with the Crown Prince because of me. Rupert glared menacingly at Enoch, but Enoch looked at me reassuringly. So I called him without realizing it. ¡°¡­Your Highness.¡± Advertisements Enoch grabbed my arm, and Rupert snatched it again. ¡°Your Highness, as I¡¯ve said before, this is a matter between a married couple. I have something to discuss with this person for a moment, so would you please stay out of it?¡± ¡°But the Count¡­¡± Enoch grabbed Rupert¡¯s upper arm, not mine this time. Enoch was determined but still had that relaxed smile. It was a great poker face. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to want to.¡± And, to my surprise, under Enoch¡¯s grip, Rupert let go of my arm. The movement caught me off guard. Enoch grabbed me and led me behind him. It didn¡¯t look like he used any magic, but what happened? Enoch said, ¡°Today, she is my partner, Rupert. How about you take care of yours, too?¡± Chloe stood alone where Enoch¡¯s gaze was directed. She wasn¡¯t looking here now, but instead, the eyes of others were on us. ¡°¡­Are you going to make my wife your mistress?¡± Enoch turned around at Rupert¡¯s question. I froze at his words, astonished to hear the same thing that¡¯s been on my mind, too. ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Rupert,¡± I answered instead. For some reason, Enoch¡¯s hand holding mine reassured me. No words were needed. He didn¡¯t rush, walking slowly, at my pace, and brought me to the center of the hall. It was then I noticed that everyone on the dance floor was in pairs and facing each other. ¡°So, not only will I be your first escort, but I¡¯ll also be the Count¡¯s first dance partner. Such an honor should be recorded to let the next generations know.¡± ¡°Then, my name will go down in the history of the Empire,¡± I chuckled at Enoch¡¯s jest. As soon as the music started, we held hands. Then, Enoch and I began to move like water flowing along with the music. We were quite close together, but the slow and elegant tune was a long way from arousing passion. However, Enoch¡¯s gaze could melt me. Pulling and pushing away, getting swept away by the rhythm of the music, I felt it. Advertisements Crown Prince Enoch was in love with Erin Spilet. I was flustered by his feelings I couldn¡¯t ignore and lost my footing just as the dance ended. But before I could fall, the Prince gracefully caught me in his arms. It was perfect timing. And I sensed Rupert¡¯s persistent gaze throughout the dance. Why on earth did things turn out like this. Whenever I felt Enoch¡¯s feelings for me, in fact, I, too, was shaken. Moreover, Rupert had changed. The events had already deviated from the original novel. I thought it would be good for me to survive as Erin, but on the other hand, I was worried I couldn¡¯t predict the future more and more. As soon as the music ended, I took a step back from Enoch. ¡°Count Spilet.¡± And even though I heard him calling, I turned around and walked towards the other side. The hall felt too hot. I was now living in Erin Spilet¡¯s body. Although Erin prioritized the deal, she loved Rupert and decided to marry him. But what about me? Where was my heart? Because I¡¯d possessed Erin¡¯s body, did I have to follow the choices she made? Was it really my wedding? Why couldn¡¯t I choose who I want? I walked quickly to the terrace on one side of the ballroom and pretended not to notice the steps behind me. ¡°Count, why are you running away all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Why do you keep helping me?¡± I turned around and questioned Enoch. He was quiet, seemingly taken aback by my question, then he sighed. ¡°If you¡¯re curious about that, you should ask me.¡± As he slowly approached me, his emerald eyes darkened. ¡°If you run away with a face like this, I¡¯ll probably go crazy.¡± His thumb gently stroked my cheek, right below my eye. It was then that I realized that I was crying. It was like that from the beginning. I couldn¡¯t accept Erin¡¯s choice, and I was scared I couldn¡¯t endure her chaotic life. And now that I¡¯ve taken Erin¡¯s place, I wasn¡¯t confident enough I could stop my heart from feeling something for someone. ¡°Please answer me. Everything, including the meaning of what you said to Rupert.¡± Watching me cry as I spoke, Enoch kissed my wet eyelids. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you, so please¡­ don¡¯t cry.¡± The music started playing again in the party hall. A soft melody flowed out and soothed my restless heart. He sighed, then held out his hand. ¡°Would you like to go for a walk?¡± Advertisements For a moment, I faltered but steeled myself and firmly refused. ¡°I can¡¯t until you answer me.¡± Enoch withdrew his hand and smiled. ¡°You always looked at Rupert. It¡¯s been like that since I was little.¡± Erin was like that in the past, so I couldn¡¯t deny it. But, on the other hand, I couldn¡¯t confide that I possessed this body, so I chose to remain silent instead of answering. ¡°Even though I met you occasionally, it was strange that you were always looking at Rupert. Of course, he and I were close, so it wasn¡¯t hard to notice. I envied him. I didn¡¯t know if there¡¯s someone who¡¯s always looking at me like that.¡± Did that mean that Enoch noticed Erin¡¯s existence first? So what happened to the original story with Chloe? Ironically, now I was more jealous of Erin from the past than I thought. After all, the Erin of the past wasn¡¯t me. ¡°But aside from envying Rupert, up until then, I thought you were pathetic. I couldn¡¯t understand you, who looked tirelessly at someone who didn¡¯t look back, and myself who even cared about it.¡± I tried to calm my pounding heart as I listened to his words. I almost made a mistake because I was drunk in the atmosphere. Still, I was curious about his story, so I continued to listen. ¡°I was strangely annoyed when I heard you were marrying Rupert. Still, I tried not to care anymore. Whatever you married for, whether it was for love or something else, it¡¯s between the two of you. But then I saw someone play a trick on you.¡± ¡°A¡­ trick?¡± What immediately came to mind was the drink Erin had while she was getting ready to get married. But that was what drove Erin to her death. What Enoch was talking about seemed to be a different story. I remembered what happened when Enoch appeared. ¡°Oh, are you talking about the broken heel?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the bride would take off her shoes at the wedding. From then on, you looked different. It¡¯s weird to say this, but you seemed to shine. So, I decided to watch your choices from a close distance.¡± Enoch didn¡¯t know, but those words hit me like a fastball. It was a stronger word than a confession of love. My heart raced at the thought that it seemed like he recognized the real ¡°me,¡± not Erin. His words meant the world, but sadly, I didn¡¯t exactly have a choice. ¡°¡­But, Your Highness, I am now the wife of the Ducal heir. You said you had no intention of making me your lover.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If I¡¯m alone, then I¡¯m alone, and I¡¯m not the kind of person who¡¯d put you in such a trivial position.¡± ¡°Because of that, I listened to today¡¯s words with my heart, not with my ears.¡± Even though we liked each other, we were still in this situation. So, I had to say no in the end. I was still tied to Erin¡¯s huge debt and the contract with Rupert. Without solving those problems, I couldn¡¯t accept the Prince¡¯s heart. Advertisements If Enoch paid off Erin¡¯s debt using money from the Imperial coffers, it would lead to a path of mutual ruin. The second prince was currently aiming for the Crown Prince¡¯s seat. Having Erin by Enoch¡¯s side as a mistress, especially when he didn¡¯t have a wife, would be used as fodder against him. The sweetness between us was drenched in cold reality. Sighing, Enoch muttered in a voice much calmer than mine, ¡°Count, you will eventually find out. I¡¯ll take a little detour, though.¡± I listened to him, but I didn¡¯t quite understand his intense emotions. As I stared at him, he gave me a distinct smile I couldn¡¯t read. With his eyes glimmering, he said in a soft but confident tone, ¡°I¡¯m a person who somehow gets what he wants.¡± His words took me by surprise, but in the end, I didn¡¯t say anything. CH 20 As I was about to go back to the party, I heard someone running behind me. Turning around, I saw the golden dress and brown hair pass by in a blur. I glanced at Enoch. ¡°The rat must have been listening. Well, I don¡¯t care.¡± Enoch looked in the direction she had disappeared and raised one corner of his mouth. It was the first time I had ever seen him make that kind of expression. Looking at Enoch in front of me, I realized that what he showed in the novel wasn¡¯t everything. Soon, we returned to the party hall, where the music was still playing, and people were still dancing and socializing. Crown Prince Enoch had many people to greet. I walked away from him and looked around the party hall. In the opposite corner, Rupert and Chloe were talking. Chloe had tears in her eyes as Rupert comforted her with a serious look on his face. I approached a group of noblewomen, smiling at them. Some of them were the ladies I had met at the Imperial library. Marchioness Raphael was fluttering her fan, and a smile spread across her face. ¡°Oh my, Madam. Isn¡¯t this Madam Plada¡¯s dress? You look beautiful.¡± ¡°Thank you, Marchioness. Even today, the clean scent seems to make Madam¡¯s beauty stand out even more.¡± I patted myself on the back for saying such a cheesy line, something I got from a novel I read recently, without faltering. I was wondering if this would work, but fortunately, it did. Marchioness Raphael seemed pleased with the compliment and handed me some champagne. Gossip about Chloe was a bonus. Drinking liquor¡­ a little bit should be okay, right? The taste of the champagne I took a sip wasn¡¯t bad. After greeting the Marchioness, I socialized with many others. Then a familiar face went up and greeted me. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, Madam.¡± It was the second prince Breiman. He had a beard that was easy to recognize. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to see you, Your Highness.¡± I had nothing more to say to him, so I decided to leave after a short answer. However, Prince Breiman blocked my way, and said, ¡°Dance one song with me, Madam.¡± ¡°With me? I am¡­¡± I reflexively looked around to find where Enoch was. Breiman smirked. ¡°My brother, your partner, seems to be very busy right now.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy, as well, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Would you only do it with my brother?¡± Even with my question, he was immovable. Then, an unexpected figure approached and stopped him. It was Rupert. ¡°Your Highness, I have made an appointment with this person first.¡± The prince looked back at him with a smile. Judging by the way the two looked at each other, somehow, they seemed to be closer than expected. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Rupert. Right, since the husband said so, I have to step down.¡± No, no. What¡¯s this situation? I didn¡¯t want Rupert or the Prince. After that conversation with Enoch, I didn¡¯t want to dance with anyone even more. ¡°No, I¡¯m not in the mood for that now¡­ I¡¯m drunk.¡± It was difficult to argue with Rupert in front of a Prince she wasn¡¯t familiar with, but I just wanted him to take the hint and get out of my way. ¡°That¡¯s right. It looks like you¡¯re very drunk.¡± But Rupert took advantage of what I said to take me outside, pretending to support me to force me to walk with him. Then he put me on the carriage. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°You said you were drunk. Go back first.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t drunk. I just didn¡¯t want to dance with the Prince.¡± ¡°I thought you liked hanging out with the people of the Imperial family but was it exclusive to the Crown Prince?¡± Rupert suddenly rushed inside, closed the door, and signaled the coachman to start the carriage. My God, to leave like this without speaking to Enoch. But Rupert didn¡¯t talk for a long time, even though he looked ready to argue with me. I moved to one end of the carriage and widened the gap between us. ¡°Why are you avoiding me? We are a couple anyway.¡± ¡°Can you hear what¡¯s coming out of your mouth?¡± At my words, Rupert shut up. I¡¯d feel better if he could move further away, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Then¡­¡± After the awkward silence, his words were unexpected. ¡°If I let Chloe go¡­¡± He was obviously hesitating based on the way he spoke. It¡¯s absurd, anyway. But I listened to the end of what he had to say. ¡°Are you going to be like you were back in the old days?¡± ¡°Can you let her go?¡± At that, Rupert had nothing to say. If you wanted to let Chloe go and get closer to me, it was simply unacceptable. ¡°Look, Rupert, we have to keep things the way they are. A year of marriage, and that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand it!¡± Rupert suddenly screamed. I jumped in surprise, and he moved closer. He only stopped when I had nowhere else to retreat. ¡°Every time the Crown Prince meet you, or you meet him, smiling and holding hands and dancing¡­ it¡¯s driving me crazy.¡± What¡­ so he¡¯s jealous. It didn¡¯t matter to me how he felt, but I wanted to get something straight. ¡°What about the Verezian girl?¡± ¡°Why are you talking about that here?¡± ¡°How can I not?¡± ¡°You came to me even though you knew it. Why did you change your mind? As soon as we get married!¡± ¡°I told you everything last time.¡± Rupert grabbed my chin and forced me to look him in the eye. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ask me to get rid of Chloe? You¡¯re jealous, so why don¡¯t you just tell me to let her go?¡± Because I¡¯m not really jealous. The two were destined to be together in the novel, and I didn¡¯t plan to get in the way of that, as long as they didn¡¯t get in my way, too. ¡°Since when did you and the Crown Prince become like that? Then why did you come to me? Money, huh¡­ That¡¯s right, he doesn¡¯t have that much money, does he?¡± As soon as he said that, the carriage stopped, and he tried to kiss me. I turned my head as far as I could to avoid him. Fortunately, Rupert stopped there and growled. ¡°Don¡¯t keep irritating me, Erin Spilet.¡± After Rupert had said those words, he jumped out of the carriage. Once he was gone, I took a deep breath to calm my trembling heart. Soon, the carriage arrived in front of the Duke¡¯s house. I had to go inside that house now. I got off the carriage and slowly crossed the garden. Looking at the lights in the annex, Chloe must have arrived at the mansion earlier. Rupert seemed to have gone there too. It¡¯s really weird. Jealousy was an emotion you had for someone you like. Rupert obviously liked Chloe. So, was his feeling for me just possessiveness? I silenced my footsteps and quickly entered my room in the main building. Jenny, startled, followed me in and said, ¡°Madam! Oh my God, your face has gone pale.¡± ¡°Ah, hmm. I¡¯m okay.¡± Jenny helped me take off the dress, checking my complexion. I must have been very surprised. If Rupert had hit me on the spot or even attacked me, would I have been able to get out of the situation? This house suddenly became scary. Was there any way to divorce him a little faster? Money¡­ Money was the problem. I wandered around the bedroom and began to ponder. From my perspective, having already read the original, it wasn¡¯t completely out of the question. It was quiet for a while. Rupert was so busy that he went out almost every day. Chloe often went out with him, so there seemed to be no problem between the two. Enoch often sent greetings, but I did not reply to them. For now, I had no intention of provoking Rupert. Thinking of Enoch broke my heart, but he would understand me if what he said that day was sincere. When I came up from dinner alone, the butler dared to bring my underwear laundry and handed it to me. ¡°This is what the maids do, so why are you bringing it?¡± ¡°Hmm, I just brought it because it was on the way up.¡± The sly eyes were looking at me disgustingly. I¡¯ve been busy with work, so I haven¡¯t been paying attention. That person probably worked in this house for a long time. I was only the wife of the Ducal heir in this house, and I had no real authority. My pride was hurt, but it¡¯s funny that I¡¯m trying to get it back even though I was full of thoughts of getting divorced. Just as I was thinking about it, a visitor came from afar. Since Rupert and Chloe had been away from work, I had no choice but to greet them. The visitor, a middle-aged man who reminded me of a bear, bowed on his knees, politely greeting me even when he saw me for the first time. ¡°Madam, His Grace the Duke has sent me. Please call me Richard.¡± It¡¯s finally here! I have not neglected to write letters to the Duke. Even though there was no reply, I continued to write, thinking it was insurance. It wasn¡¯t much, but I acted like a daughter-in-law by asking about the little things and the Duke¡¯s wellbeing. The results have just arrived. Richard was a loyal servant of the Duke and also a character in the novel introduced as a watcher of the townhouse. ¡°Welcome, Sir Richard. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± I grabbed his hand and lifted him up. Richard had a ragged body and a ferocious impression, which I greatly liked. CH 21 ¡°Is the Duke of Clifford doing well?¡± ¡°He has some difficulty moving. Otherwise, he¡¯s healthy. His Excellency told me to see Madam in person and take care of some things. He also apologized for not attending the wedding.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I shook my head, working my brain on where to start on the things I had to say. Richard looked at me and smiled. ¡°By the way, you look so much like Count Spilet.¡± ¡°I-is that so? Did you know my father?¡± Although I became Erin, I never really thought much about Erin¡¯s dead father, the previous Count Spilet. I only knew he¡¯s an irresponsible man for leaving a massive debt to his only daughter. ¡°¡­Of course. He was one of the Duke¡¯s vassals before he acquired the Spilet territory. That was back when I was young though. How on earth did he¡­¡± I knew that the Duke of Clifford and Count of Spilet were close, but I didn¡¯t know to that extent. Perhaps that¡¯s why the Duke welcomed Rupert and Erin¡¯s wedding. ¡°But the young master must have gone out.¡± Young Master? Ah, he must have been talking about Rupert. Advertisements And as if Richard summoned him, we heard horse steps approaching the townhouse. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s coming over there.¡± But Rupert and Chloe got out of the carriage together the way they usually did. So with that, I didn¡¯t have to tell on him. It was too late when Rupert saw us, but he quickly released Chloe¡¯s hand. Unfortunately, the wind caused Chloe to lose her balance and fall. It must have hurt; she should be more careful. I looked at them calmly, controlling the corners of my lips that were about to go up. Well, I didn¡¯t have to act, because I honestly didn¡¯t like or hate them. Richard, on the other hand, snorted and asked me, ¡°Madam, is that woman Baron Verezian¡¯s daughter? Why is she getting off here together with the young master?¡± ¡°Well, I felt bad because she had nowhere to go, so I let her stay in the annex.¡± ¡°Even so¡­¡± Richard strode to ¡®Young Master¡¯ Rupert. As I followed him, I mulled over what the title meant. While society already considered Rupert as a Duke, it seemed that the members of the Clifford family continued to call him ¡®young master¡¯ since the real successor has yet to be decided. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°¡­I had business to attend. Did Father send you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He sent me because you didn¡¯t visit him after your wedding. But, when I arrived, Madam was alone.¡± Richard acted like Chloe wasn¡¯t there. He ignored her entirely and politely pointed a hand toward me. Only then did Rupert make eye contact. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d seen me since the incident, but I didn¡¯t seek him out on purpose. It was as if fragments of unpleasant memories of that day threatened to leak out again when our eyes met. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine at home, right?¡± Rupert came up to me naturally and spoke as if the question was something he usually asked. But really, he¡¯d never asked such a thing to me before. It must be because of Richard. Did I have to play along? ¡°The butler doesn¡¯t listen to me at all. I have to dismiss him.¡± So I answered according to my needs. It wasn¡¯t the answer he wanted, though. ¡°If the butler doesn¡¯t listen to Madam, you should fire him right away. Do it.¡± ¡°Sir Richard, I am still in charge of the townhouse.¡± ¡°Why? When you¡¯re married, you must hand over the management to your wife.¡± In my mind, I applauded and cheered for Sir Richard. Yes, that¡¯s it! Well done! ¡°I wanted to¡­ but she is weak in arithmetic. She hates complicated things. So, I still manage the household.¡± At that, Richard had nothing to say and instead looked straight at me. I was stunned. Weak in arithmetic? Me, who majored in accounting? ¡°Even so, you have to teach her little by little. And the butler, please give him severance pay and send him out. He was already quite old the last time I saw him. Surely by now, he¡¯d have aged even more.¡± Rupert frowned slightly, but in the end, he complied. He didn¡¯t seem to care enough for the butler to spare him. ¡°Then, let¡¯s wait until a new butler comes in.¡± Advertisements Well, up to that point, I thought Rupert had made a lot of concessions, so I didn¡¯t comment anymore. Rupert headed for the main building as if he always did, and Chloe followed after him. Where are you going? I tried to watch, but Richard stopped in front of her. ¡°This is the residence of Young Master and Madam. You should go to the annex and rest.¡± Rupert turned to look at her, and Chloe bit her lip as she stepped back. ¡°Okay. Then rest well, Your Grace.¡± That night, a monster attacked me in my bed. It was dark, and I couldn¡¯t see, and the intruder muffled my mouth so I couldn¡¯t make a sound. Then, in terror, I felt hands groping me. It didn¡¯t look like he was big, but Erin¡¯s body didn¡¯t have much strength, so I couldn¡¯t push the intruder away. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± As I resisted, he began to strangle me. I tried to see who he was, even if I was losing my breath. And at that moment, something flew through the window and hit the assailant¡¯s head straight. He passed out on top of me without making a sound. Shuddering, I pushed him off of me and hurriedly turned on the magic lamp. Looking through the open window, I could tell that this was where the intruder had entered. But what was the thing that flew inside? And who threw it? Anyway, I grabbed the lamp and ran straight out the door. Where was I going? Who should I turn to for help? Who do I trust in this house? ¡°Richard! Sir Richard!¡± My cry echoed through the quiet mansion. And surprisingly, it was Rupert who found me first. ¡°What is going on? And in the middle of the night. Why are you looking for Richard?¡± Even though he saw how terrified I was, he still questioned me, obviously suspicious. What a disaster. Advertisements I didn¡¯t want to appear weak, at least not in front of Rupert. But I couldn¡¯t help it. Rupert was the only one in front of me. I finally fell down, unable to support my shaky legs, and held Rupert¡¯s arm. ¡°Erin,¡± Rupert called me, his voice softening, and supported me. ¡°Someone came into the room and choked me¡­¡± Richard, who came late, heard what I said and ran into the room immediately. The other employees in the townhouse woke up and looked out the window. My legs didn¡¯t have any strength, so I couldn¡¯t shake off Rupert, who was supporting me. I followed Richard into the room and saw a man lying under the bed. Even without looking at his face, I could somehow guess from his uniform. Richard pointed his sword at him and took off his mask. As soon as he saw his face, Rupert growled. It was the butler. ¡°How dare you¡­¡± ¡°But then, madam, why is this person down?¡± I slowly came to my senses and removed Rupert¡¯s arm that had been holding me. Then I approached the butler who had fallen. ¡°Something flew through the window. It hit him in the head, and then he passed out.¡± ¡°By the window? Are you talking about this stone?¡± Richard picked it up, and Rupert took a closer look. ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary stone. If it flew from that window, it means someone was watching.¡± Rupert looked sharply towards the window. It was dark, of course, and whoever was there would be gone by now. He pulled me behind him as if trying to protect me. ¡°Wake up the butler. I have something to ask him.¡± ¡°I do, too.¡± Instead of hiding behind Rupert, I came forward again and crossed my arms. Rupert had his servants and enlisted men tie up the butler in case of any danger, and Richard slapped him on the cheek without mercy. The butler wriggled a few times before finally opening his eyes. Whether he was drunk or sleepy, his eyes looked glassy. ¡°What were you going to do to her? If you¡¯re fired, you should have quietly left instead of doing this.¡± Richard had already drawn his sword and was holding it. But the butler, who should have trembled in fear like any normal person would when faced with a sword, looked at him blankly and opened his mouth. ¡°Rape and kill her¡­ or I¡¯m going to die¡­¡± ¡°Who? Who said that?¡± Rupert asked. Advertisements At that moment, the butler suddenly rolled his eyes and foamed in the mouth. I stepped back in surprise. Tied to his chair, the butler trembled and spasmed, then suddenly his neck snapped back. His face was purple. ¡°What¡­¡± The sudden situation left me speechless. I looked at Richard and Rupert, and they seemed just as shaken. ¡°Did he..?¡± At my question, Richard quickly put a hand on the butler¡¯s neck and nodded. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°So suddenly? Why? Why is he dead?¡± ¡°You go to my room and rest. It might be dangerous to keep using this room.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t have the mind to rest right now.¡± I tried to approach the butler, but Rupert grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. ¡°Calm down. The butler is already dead.¡± ¡°Then you have to tell me why!¡± But then light came in through the window. During this commotion, the annex, which had been quiet, came to life. And the maid who was there rushed to where we were. ¡°Your Grace! Milady has fallen.¡± Rupert looked at me for a moment and hesitated, but eventually ran toward the annex. I wasn¡¯t really shocked by that. However, I thought the timing was too perfect to be a coincidence. I looked at the stone lying on the floor and wondered who threw it. Whoever they were, they were probably someone who didn¡¯t want me to die. CH 22 Early in the morning, when Rupert entered the room, he was startled at what he saw but tried not to make a sound. Instead, he slowly made his way to the bed, keeping his steps light. Erin was sleeping soundly on his bed. As he watched her, he still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®Why did I say that?¡¯ He just told Erin to rest in his room, but he didn¡¯t know she would really sleep there. Rupert had never actually let anyone into his room. Chloe wasn¡¯t an exception. Usually, he¡¯d go to Chloe¡¯s room. It was because of trauma. As a child, he remembered someone hiding in his room and trying to kill me, so Rupert hasn¡¯t been able to let anyone else into his room yet. It was foreign and awkward to hear the sound of this woman¡¯s breathing in his room. But seeing her sleeping soundly, Rupert had the urge not to wake her up. He wanted to see a little bit more. Advertisements An uncomfortable but not unpleasant feeling confused Rupert. It was a slightly different feeling from the pity he had felt with Chloe. Chloe was usually weak and often fainted, so he always treated her with care, as if she were made of glass. But Erin was different. ¡®I thought you were strong.¡¯ So he left her alone. To be honest, Erin was right that he didn¡¯t know how to treat her. Rupert couldn¡¯t abandon Chloe, but at the same time, he cared about Erin. Although he was well aware of his inconsistency, he could not control it. These days, Rupert couldn¡¯t help but seek out and pay attention to Erin. But then, for some reason, he¡¯d get angry. Now that he was noticing Erin, Erin didn¡¯t seem to care about him anymore. ¡°Hnng¡­¡± As if the sun shining through the curtains was disturbing her sleep, Erin groaned in her sleep, frowning. Rupert walked cautiously, closing the gap between the curtains, and checked behind him. After confirming that the room had become dark, he moved back where he had been looking at Erin earlier. The room was dimly lit, but he had no problem seeing as he was used to it. In addition, Rupert was an excellent swordsman, so he had much brighter night vision than the average person. With that splendid sight, he stared at Erin¡¯s lips, now slightly open. Her red lips twitched with every breath she took, and the rose-pink hair that loosely framed her face painted a lovely picture. ¡®I want to touch it.¡¯ Rupert thought for a moment and then slowly reached out to her. Her hair was very soft as it easily wrapped around his fingertips. Advertisements Rupert stroked Erin¡¯s hair a few times like that, then, as if shocked by his actions, stopped his hands and stepped back. Then he quickly opened the door and walked out. ¡°So the Count is safe.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± At the Prince¡¯s office. Enoch was sitting at his office desk, receiving a report from someone. The man in front of him was Viscount Therien, Enoch¡¯s closest aide, and an outstanding knight. Viscount Therien was originally a commoner but was selected by the Crown Prince for his skills and was awarded the noble title. In public, he was one of the Prince¡¯s escort knights. However, the mission of his team was quite different from that of a typical escort knight. Ambush, stealth, infiltration, and assassination were the specialties of Therien and his men, and more recently, he was tasked with monitoring the Duke of Clifford¡¯s townhouse and tailing Rupert. ¡°Any other report?¡± ¡°There¡¯s definitely something. The Lord often visits social clubs these days. He didn¡¯t hang out with other people there. It seemed like he¡¯d go straight to the VIP room.¡± Enoch just nodded without saying a word. Viscount Therien¡¯s continued, ¡°The woman was in and out of the slum a few days ago. What would a noble lady do there?¡± ¡°Did you figure out exactly where she was going?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t get close because there was a magic barrier around it.¡± ¡°A magic barrier¡­ She¡¯s hiding something.¡± Enoch raised the corners of his lips slightly and pondered. In this world, magic was not exclusive to the Imperial family. If it were, it probably wouldn¡¯t have been possible to maintain many magical power units. Advertisements Among ordinary people, magicians often appeared. However, to properly express their abilities as wizards, they had to study a lot, memorize complex formulas and memorize long spells. On the other hand, successive emperors and princes who inherited the blood of the legendary archmage Rikephoros, the first emperor, did not need such modifiers or spells. Of course, they also needed to study a little, but their abilities were unmatched. ¡°I also looked and saw that the grass behind the annex where she was staying was charred and withered.¡± Enoch crossed his legs and leaned back on his chair. He stroked his chin as he murmured, ¡°Things like that are usually related to black magic. Interesting.¡± Viscount Therien glanced at Enoch. He expected the situation to become serious, but Enoch remained relaxed. ¡°I wonder if this has anything to do with Prince Breiman¡­¡± ¡°It would be hard to persecute a member of the Imperial family unless there¡¯s concrete evidence. Rupert is also the Duke¡¯s son. Keep an eye on them. And¡­¡± It was then that Enoch¡¯s confident tone faltered. ¡°The Count¡­ What is she doing in that house? What time did she wake up in the morning?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon? Your Majesty, to inquire into Madam¡¯s private life¡­ Ahem, it¡¯s ungentlemanly.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Enoch got up, muttering bitterly, and walked around the desk towards the door. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just frustrating.¡± Viscount Therien kept his head down until Enoch left. And after he disappeared, he went out too. After that, he would return to his position again. It was late in the afternoon when I woke up. I couldn¡¯t figure out why I slept for so long, but anyway, I slept soundly and felt refreshed. I decided to go to the library and take some time to think about what to do in the future. So I asked Jenny for tea, sat down by the desk, and pulled out a quill. ¡°In the original story, Chloe¡­¡± Knock, knock, knock¨C. I shuddered at the sound of the knock and quickly hid the paper I was writing on into the drawer. Advertisements ¡°Come in.¡± Rupert and Richard entered my study together. What¡¯s going on with you two? Rupert looked displeased, and Richard determined. Rupert tossed the stiff wads of paper he was holding onto my desk. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is a ledger that records the income and expenses of the townhouse,¡± Richard answered instead. My eyes widened, and I picked up one of them. ¡°Why is it here¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to do it if you don¡¯t want to. Even if you don¡¯t have to take on this headache-inducing task, it doesn¡¯t affect your living arrangements here.¡± Although nominally managed by Rupert, in reality, it was probably managed by Chloe. I came to that conclusion because the attitude of the servants, including the maid, Thelma, was too polite a treatment for a lover. Naturally, those who hold the key to the safe would have power. But did Chloe just give up? Why are you giving this to me? Perhaps there was Richard¡¯s intervention, but did his appearance alone make such a difference in treatment? Would Chloe stand still? ¡°If you are having a hard time¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll look at it.¡± When I answered confidently, Rupert turned his head away from me with a puzzled look on his face. What¡¯s wrong with him? Richard nodded, pleased. ¡°Okay, madam. Let me know if you have any difficulties. I will be here until the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­ two days later? You¡¯re leaving?¡± It¡¯s going away, Richard¡¯s presence and support. I looked at him with a face full of regret. ¡°But the Young Master and Madam will soon go to the monster hunting contest.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± Monster Hunting Competition? It was a significant event. I just didn¡¯t know it was around this time. If I had known, I would have prepared myself, but it was futile. As I stiffened, Rupert strangely said, ¡°It was held every year in the northern provinces, so why are you surprised? But, of course, this will be your first time attending.¡± Advertisements ¡°Right, as you said, it¡¯s my first time attending,¡± I answered back to hide my discomfort. Then I kicked them both out. ¡°I want to look at the ledger. Can you please leave?¡± Richard walked out, and Rupert looked at me suspiciously and left. As soon as they left, I took the paper I had been jotting down on the desk and looked at it. ¡°A monster hunting contest¡­¡± CH 23 I think I scribbled it down in one corner of the paper I wrote when I took note of the events that happened in the novel. I couldn¡¯t help but notice it because it was a very detailed and long chapter in the novel. Of course, hunting competitions in novels like this were significant. However, rather than the hunting competition itself, what happened there was more important. Chloe¡¯s performance was outstanding, and it was also an episode in which her presence as the main character stood out. I took a deep calming breath, took out a new piece of paper, and began to write everything I remembered. ¡®Monster hunting competition.¡¯ To sum it up, it was a competition where the Imperial family and nobles went together to the northern mountains and defeat monsters. It wasn¡¯t fun to just catch monsters, so there were corresponding points earned for each catch. Those points could be transferred to someone, usually to the lady they liked. So while men competed, women did too in their own way. The scores reflected their popularity; it also showed that the lady had strong knights, and such facts boosted their pride. Moreover, it took quite a lot of money to prepare to participate in such competitions. That¡¯s why Erin had so far given up participating. It wasn¡¯t mandatory. ¡°It would¡¯ve been nice to get Rupert¡¯s score¡­¡± Advertisements That didn¡¯t mean I wanted to get it this time. But, following that train of thought, I remembered him. Enoch, he would certainly participate. How was he doing? The letters that often arrived hadn¡¯t been coming for days. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I last saw you.¡± Just when a corner of my heart was getting crushed, something suddenly popped up in my mind. In fact, I¡¯ve been thinking about it all along, but this could be my chance. ¡°Northern¡­ Northern Mountains.¡± It was an opportunity to settle the debt in one shot and divorce Rupert immediately. I grew excited. I looked at the map on one wall of the study. There was something very important in the mountainside, a spot on the map where nothing was marked. I drew a plan in my head, then winced at a sudden thought. If I used my knowledge in this novel, it was like stealing Chloe¡¯s chance. Was it¡­ really okay? But honestly, I wasn¡¯t in a position to worry about her. Chloe was the ¡®heroine¡¯ when I was a reader, but now I was the main character of my story. It was foolish not to take advantage of the things she knew. The present Erin Spilet was desperate enough. After organizing my thoughts to a certain extent, I casually turned over the books Rupert had thrown at me earlier. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. It was more like a child¡¯s pocketbook than a ledger. The people just wrote down what they spent at that time. They didn¡¯t even sort nor count it. ¡°Did you write down your expenses properly?¡± I walked out of the library with the books in my hand. And I called Jenny right away. ¡°Jenny, did you get paid this month?¡± Jenny answered honestly even though she was visibly flustered from the sudden question. ¡°Not yet. They said it¡¯s going to be a little late this month.¡± Advertisements ¡°¡­Is that so? Just you?¡± ¡°No, my roommate said so, too, so she probably hasn¡¯t been paid yet either.¡± The book clearly stated that maids¡¯ salaries were paid this month. However, I found the discrepancy so quickly that I wondered if I misunderstood something. So I decided to check on other things as well. ¡°Were flowers planted in the garden?¡± I went out right away and looked around the garden. It was a pretty familiar scene now. I circled the garden, but nothing looked new. I asked the servant just in case, but he confirmed that nothing new had been planted. ¡°What, this¡­ embezzlement?¡± Did Chloe really manage it? Then she stole the money? Was Rupert not involved in this? But if the final verifier of the book was supposed to be the Duke of Clifford, perhaps Rupert was aware of what was happening. Did Rupert not think I¡¯d discover this? No, this wasn¡¯t the realm of accounting knowledge. Anyone who¡¯d take the time to read and check the ledgers would know. He gave it to me, knowing I¡¯d notice. Was he testing me to see my reaction? If so, it would be useless to point out these inconsistencies. Honestly, I didn¡¯t care where the money in this house went. If the situation doesn¡¯t work out and we get divorced after a year, all I¡¯d need is the alimony. However, my conscience and pride did not allow me to turn a blind eye to it. I went back to the study. It was just a ledger for mansion management, so there was no need to make it complicated. Intuitively, I started drawing compartments on paper and filling them out. What I did wasn¡¯t much. Then, after classifying it by item and period, I wrote down the details of the expenses. Then, at the end of each day, I added the total. The income section was also empty in the ledger. As for the income, a portion of the tax collected from the estate would probably be set as the townhouse¡¯s management fee. I left blank the things I didn¡¯t know. It was a simple task, but it took time because the list was quite extensive. When I was done, there was ink all over my hand, but I was quite proud. Advertisements I packed up my things and went down to the first floor. ¡°Where is Rupert?¡± When I asked a passing servant, he said Rupert and Richard were in the drawing room, so I went straight there. I was going to brag about my achievements there, but I could hear the two of them having a conversation. So I instinctively silenced my footsteps and listened to them. ¡°Young Master, I have come to see Madam, but truthfully, I also came because of strange rumors.¡± ¡°What rumor?¡± ¡°The Duke himself asked the Young Master to confirm it. Is everything all right with the Crown Prince?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Richard seemingly hesitated before answering. ¡°The Clifford Duchy is a family that has produced the Crown Princess and Empress for generations. Unfortunately, this is impossible without a daughter, but it will not change the fact that we support His Highness the Crown Prince. That¡¯s what His Grace the Duke means.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Rupert replied in an annoyed voice. ¡°I¡¯m glad you know. Recently, there has been a rumor that the Young Master and the people who support the Second Prince have been seeing each other¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. Don¡¯t you know my friendship with the Crown Prince? We grew up together and have been friends since childhood.¡± ¡°Yes, but your beloved Lady Verezian is one of the supporters of the Second Prince.¡± ¡°¡­Are you suspicious of me because of a Baron¡¯s daughter?¡± When he did not hide his displeasure, Richard brought up a different topic this time. ¡°The Earl of Spilet also has a close connection to the Duke of Clifford. Please don¡¯t neglect your wife.¡± ¡°Father has always liked Earl Spilet. More than me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. His Grace the Duke¡­¡± ¡°Who is there?¡± I thought I could hear Erin¡¯s family story, so I got a little closer, but Rupert must have noticed. I walked down to them with a casual face as if I had just arrived. ¡°I looked at the books. It¡¯s a real mess.¡± ¡°Do you know how to look?¡± I answered him bluntly, ¡°I reorganized it because I knew how to look at it.¡± I tossed both the old and newly organized ledgers on the table in front of the sofa where they were sitting. Rupert looked at me in surprise, and Richard muttered as he looked at it, ¡°Madam¡­ this is great.¡± Advertisements Richard¡¯s admiration made me a little flattered, so I sat on the edge of the sofa. Rupert then took the two ledgers from Richard¡¯s hand and looked them over. I sneaked a look to see his reaction. It was hard to find any emotional change in the expressionless face. What, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what¡¯s changed? ¡°There will be no problem if Madam takes care of it from now on. I have to tell the Duke this fact. The duchy is now too much for you to take care of alone.¡± ¡°Why should I when Rupert¡¯s here. I¡¯m overwhelmed with just managing this townhouse.¡± ¡°But the next time you come, His Grace the Duke will tell you. Think about it. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for someone good at it to do it?¡± I just smiled at Richard. I was more concerned that Rupert didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Sir Richard, before you go, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°Can you recommend a weapon to me?¡± ¡°¡­A weapon?¡± Rupert frowned and asked, ¡°What do you mean, a weapon? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to carry a sword?¡± ¡°No way, what¡¯s the use of learning swordsmanship now? I¡¯m talking about a weapon with a magic stone.¡± ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Richard nodded convincingly. The weapon embedded with the magic stone has a particular function, unlike ordinary weapons. It had functions like flame magic, anti-gravity, and the like. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard that even ladies carry one for self-defense these days.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there are several in the basement of this house.¡± Rupert, who was listening, jumped up and nodded as if telling me to follow him. I already knew there were such things in this house, so I brought it up. But I didn¡¯t expect Rupert to tell me himself. I chased after him before he changed his mind. CH 24 I followed Rupert downstairs with Richard. In the basement were several rooms that ran along a long hallway. ¡°What are these rooms?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dormitory for the knights. If you go down one floor from here, there¡¯s a dungeon. Do you still use it?¡± Richard asked Rupert. Rupert shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not a busy house. I don¡¯t have the authority to use that either.¡± What did he mean he didn¡¯t have the authority? I looked around and didn¡¯t bother to ask. We¡¯d arrived at the Armory. The general arsenal of their knights was outside, but this was a warehouse of the rarer weapons. Rupert took the bracelet from his sleeve and put it on the doorknob. His bracelet lit up, and the locked door opened. I guess it¡¯s the same mechanism as the library. I unwittingly pushed the bracelet deeper into my sleeve to secure it. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a secret, but Rupert could have another outburst if he found out that the Crown Prince gave it to me. ¡°Richard, why don¡¯t you go up?¡± Rupert said in a warning tone to Richard before opening the door. ¡°Then take a look.¡± I wanted Richard to be with me, but he nodded to Rupert, turned around, and walked away. It seemed that this place was for the Duke¡¯s family only. When I turned on the lamp in the dark room, my eyes widened. I was ignorant of a weapon¡¯s value, but many things in the room seemed expensive. A sword with a colorful pattern engraved on the body, many gold-plated patterns, and an iron armor that seemed to exist only in the Middle Ages was in the corner. While I was looking at the weapons in a daze, Rupert beckoned and called me, ¡°Come here.¡± Advertisements He then started showing me different weapons. ¡°This sword is enchanted with lightweight magic, so even small children can wield it with one hand.¡± I grabbed the sword he handed me and swung it around. It was certainly light, but I didn¡¯t know the basics of swordsmanship, so it seemed useless to me. Next was the bow. ¡°It flies much farther than a normal bow. And it freezes the target the moment they get hit, so the enemy cannot escape.¡± Ooh, it seemed quite useful. But like swordsmanship, I knew nothing about archery. So even though the weapons had magic stones, there was nothing I could use. I was starting to feel depressed when I found a small, shiny ring. It was a hexagonal shape and a unique pattern with gems embedded in it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Rupert looked hesitant but still explained. ¡°Pushing the button here creates a barrier around you momentarily. It can negate any attack, including magic, but it doesn¡¯t last long.¡± ¡°Oh, this looks good!¡± As I took it with delight, Rupert stopped me. ¡°Not that one.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°That¡­ Someone already owns that,¡± Rupert muttered without making eye contact with me. Was he talking about Chloe? ¡°Okay, then.¡± It was a shame, but there was nothing I could do about it. So I picked up a small dagger instead. ¡°It is a sword that spews poison. The moment it stings, it can put even a large ogre to sleep in one room. But you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll take this.¡± Rupert looked at the dagger I was holding in one hand, then the ring in another, and said, ¡°If you want it, I will lend it to you. But, instead, there are conditions.¡± ¡°What? What is the condition?¡± ¡°From now on, I will let you take charge of the bookkeeping of the Townhouse. You¡¯re talented.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked into his eyes, doubting his intentions. You didn¡¯t let me do it when I wanted to, but now you¡¯re letting me because of my talent? Advertisements ¡°Why are you making such an offer all of a sudden? You¡¯re not just talking about bookkeeping, are you?¡± The inconsistencies in the books became more visible as I organized them. None of the calculations were correct. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for financial authority last time?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± If I get the financial authority, I¡¯d probably have to think about the excuses for those inconsistencies myself. I couldn¡¯t exactly say, ¡®His lover did it!¡¯, could I? The lover¡¯s work would soon be my responsibility. I didn¡¯t even really need that ring. ¡°Come to think of it, why do I have to go through so much trouble? In a year, I would have nothing to do with this house.¡± Now, it was unclear whether I could even finish that year. Rupert gave me this answer the last time I asked for financial authority, so I thought my words made sense. But, contrary to my expectations, he came closer to me with his piercing eyes gleaming. A warning sound rang in my head. It reminded me of what happened in the carriage. I took a step back as he approached. ¡°A year. Who¡¯s to say it¡¯s going to happen?¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know. Whether our marriage will last a year or more.¡± I wanted to say that would violate the terms of the contract, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it because his hand was caressing my cheek. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, there¡¯s nothing I can do. I won¡¯t force you,¡± He murmured in a softer voice and went out first. What just happened¡­? But more than his actions or way of speaking, I was troubled by what he had said before. Whether it would last a year or more. As I rubbed the goosebumps on my arms, I waited until I couldn¡¯t hear Rupert¡¯s footsteps before going outside. I put the dagger deep in my pocket. And I was reminded once again of my resolve to end this marriage as quickly as possible. Richard once again asked me to see him at the duchy, and after a while, he left. I wondered if I¡¯d ever have the chance to visit the estate. Well, if we didn¡¯t get divorced right away, maybe it¡¯s time to go. Advertisements Chloe Verezian, Rupert¡¯s lover, was still not in a position to participate in the hunt. Sometimes, some nobles brought their lovers, but those lovers usually had to be high-ranking nobles or were other high-ranking nobles¡¯ wives. Of course, hunting competitions were also social events for nobles, so they were invited to a certain degree. Four days before the hunting contest, news came that Chloe¡¯s father, Baron Verezian, had died suddenly in the capital. Rupert sent Chloe to the carriage and followed after her. It was unusual for a Ducal heir to attend the funeral of a baron of an opposing political force. Do other nobles usually attend their lover¡¯s father¡¯s funeral? I couldn¡¯t really ask anyone, so I didn¡¯t know, but it¡¯s true that Rupert hastily followed her. The news that followed Baron Berezian¡¯s death was that Chloe had become Count Andron¡¯s adopted daughter. Count Andron claimed to be neutral, but it turned out that he was one of the supporters of the second prince. I only knew that fact because I read the novel. Fortunately, as Chloe finally belonged to the neutral faction, I remembered that the Duke¡¯s heart softened. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the deciding factor. Rupert had informed the townhouse that he would go straight to the hunting ground. So you want me to go on my own? The hunting grounds have not officially designated each other¡¯s partners. But implicitly, everyone knew who was associated with whom. Advertisements If Rupert and Chloe appeared together, they might be associated with each other. And if he gave the points he earned at the hunt to Chloe, it would be too obvious. Then I, his wife, who was also there, would be in a miserable condition. How complicated. At this point, I¡¯d be lying if I said I hadn¡¯t thought of Enoch. I glanced at the drawer in the corner that contained his letters. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t received any letters these days. Have you changed your mind? No, you must be busy. It¡¯s funny to wait for something that I haven¡¯t even replied to once. Even if you¡¯ve changed your mind¡­ It couldn¡¯t be helped. In the novel, Enoch was the second lead who loved Chloe, not Erin. But if Enoch gave his heart to Chloe, would I be able to bear it? Just thinking about it made me jealous. But, moreover, it was not at all impossible. This jealousy I was feeling reminded me of someone. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m no different from Erin.¡± Frustrated, I got up from my seat and went to the window. The sky was cloudy and dark; most likely, it was going to rain soon. In the novel, I read many people mentioning clear and sunny days, but now that I was living here, there were far more rainy days. The bracelet on my wrist slightly shook. I borrowed Erin¡¯s body and was reborn. There must be a reason I came here. But I¡¯ve been too busy trying to survive that I haven¡¯t decided what to do in this world just yet. In the meantime, if I let Enoch into my heart, I didn¡¯t know what would happen. Did I want to be the Crown Princess? I shook my head. Stop thinking about that. There¡¯s nothing I could do about that right now anyway. While I was lost in my thoughts, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s Jenny.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Jenny entered the room with a white envelope and a leather garter belt that I had preordered. CH 25 Jenny put the envelope on the desk and tilted her head, lifting the belt. ¡°Where are you going to use this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just, it doesn¡¯t look good to wear a dress and carry this dagger around.¡± So I measured my size and fastened the belt to hold the dagger on the inner thigh in the dress. I tried it on the spot. I entrusted it to Madam Plada, and thanks to her excellent skills, it was well-crafted, and it wasn¡¯t inconvenient to move. I fastened the dagger to my leg and lowered the skirt again. Jenny watched the whole process and once again asked, ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll ever use the dagger? Surely there will be many knights who will protect you.¡± ¡°But you never know. And who knows? I might catch monsters with this dagger.¡± ¡°By the way, Madam. It looks like it will arrive soon.¡± Jenny smiled slightly, as if what I said was a joke, then left. Well, I didn¡¯t think I could swing a real dagger around and catch monsters, but sometimes, it¡¯s hard to tell what might happen. Although Rupert wasn¡¯t here, the preparations proceeded without any setbacks. There wasn¡¯t much to prepare for the hunting per se; it was mainly essentials for the wife, Erin ¨C parasols and the like, handkerchiefs, and several dresses. Other daily necessities were packed, as well. And thanks to Madam Plada¡¯s full support, Erin¡¯s wardrobe was quite glamorous. And on her recommendation, I picked another maid. There were more and more things to do, so it was too much for Jenny alone. There were many maids inside the house, but I didn¡¯t know who was on which side, so I didn¡¯t choose from them. ¡°Hello, Madam. My name is Lia.¡± I looked at the woman who came up with Jenny and nodded. She looked a little older than Jenny, but her movements were unusual. ¡°Nice to meet you. Where did you work before?¡± ¡°I was working at the Imperial Palace but have recently taken a break. I came here after receiving a recommendation from Madam Plada.¡± Advertisements After hearing her explanation, I understood. If you had worked in the Imperial Palace, you would have been educated on basic manners and manners. ¡°Jennie is helping me a lot in the house. If you work for me, you¡¯ll be dealing with things outside.¡± I handed out the contract, which she swiftly signed. I also gave Jenny a separate contract the other day. ¡°Yes, leave anything to me.¡± The two were hired separately by me, apart from being employed at the townhouse. Of course, this was a secret to Rupert. ¡°Alright, I like useful people. For now, go out and listen to Jenny¡¯s explanation and rest.¡± The moment the employment was decided, I changed the way I spoke to Jenny. I wasn¡¯t really used to it, but it was the right thing to do in this world. I pondered over Lia¡¯s usefulness as I watched them leave. Madam Plada sent me a better talent than I thought. But it¡¯s up to me to make her my person. If it were simply to do chores, the maids of the house would have sufficed. After they had left, I picked up the white envelope Jenny had brought. This time, the words ¡®Dear Count Spilet¡® were written in elegant handwriting. Someone was helping me from afar. I¡¯d like to return the favor if I find out who it was. Anyway, what was inside the envelope did not seem to be paper. So I shook the envelope and quickly opened it when I felt the hard texture. ¡°This is¡­ a pendant?¡± It was a small hexagon pendant, set with a transparent gem in the center. It was a bit crude to simply be an accessory. I took it out on the palm of my hand and inspected it but couldn¡¯t find anything special. However, upon closer inspection, the hexagonal metal surrounding the jewel had small letters written on it. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t read the characters. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± I still didn¡¯t know its purpose, but there must be a reason for sending this. Nothing in this white envelope was useless to me. Advertisements Carrying the pendant, I went to the dressing room. I took out a suitable necklace from the drawer, removed the pendant to replace it with the one I received today, and wore it around my neck. I fiddled with it as I stared at the mirror. At first glance, it didn¡¯t seem very pretty, but it looked lovely on Erin¡¯s neck. Should I say that accessories benefit from her face? Erin¡¯s face was always beautiful. I stood in front of the mirror and watched myself for a long time. Huh? Come to think of it, the pendant looked similar to the ring I saw a while ago. Early in the morning of the hunting competition, I prepared the Imperial carriage given by the Crown Prince. The northern provinces were quite far from here. People said that it would take a full day if they went with a regular carriage, but half a day would be enough with an Imperial carriage. Riding a carriage in a world where magic existed¡­ If teleportation was impossible, shouldn¡¯t there at least be a flying carriage or something like that? Groaning inside, I watched the cargo being loaded into the carriage. Even though I didn¡¯t bring much, the amount was so large that we had to prepare a separate carriage. ¡°Madam, everything is ready,¡± Lia said, putting her hands together and bowing politely after the luggage was prepared. Looking at her again, the attitude of courtesy was different. Of course, Jenny also obeyed me, but she didn¡¯t have a strict education as an Imperial maid, so she was comfortable sometimes. So I decided to take Lia to this hunting competition. ¡°Lia, you said this wasn¡¯t your first hunting contest, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been sent twice when I was working at the palace.¡± Seeing Lia answer with a bright smile, I imagined she¡¯d definitely be a daughter from a noble family. Rather, she had a more sophisticated attitude than I did. I nodded and smiled, satisfied. Then, when Chloe and Rupert came to mind, I got a little confused. I had other purposes besides the hunting contest, but there was a possibility that the situation would be so harsh that I would be ridiculed. ¡­I have to be determined. Once I made up my mind again, I got on the carriage. On the way, I looked out the window and calmly thought about the future. The scenery passing by quickly was unfamiliar yet beautiful. Advertisements On one side, a large river flowed. The carriage ran along the riverbank. Unlike the world in my past life, this place had preserved its abundant nature. Of course, there were some inconveniences because of that, but there was magic to compensate for it. But the carriage, which was running well, suddenly stopped. I looked out the window and saw a familiar face. And the moment I saw that face, my body became tense, and my heart beat faster. Enoch, he was there. Lia immediately opened the door, got down, and knelt in front of him. It was a scene I¡¯d seen before. I was about to go down, but he beckoned me to stay. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, Count.¡± I read the uncertainty in his expression and tone. Weren¡¯t you waiting for me in particular? But why were you standing on this empty field? I eyed Enoch and almost jumped when I saw the blood on his clothes. ¡°Your Highness, are you hurt?¡± My heart dropped when I thought he was hurt. What should I do? How long did it take to get to the hospital from here? I took out a handkerchief and rushed to wipe off the blood, but he lightly grabbed my wrist and stopped me. ¡°Calm down, Count. It¡¯s not my blood.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Then I put my face out and looked behind him. At first glance, the scene was gruesome. One wheel of the carriage was broken and rolling around, and people were lying around it, bleeding. It looked like some kind of battle took place. Enoch was the only one alive. ¡°Sorry to startle you. If I had known the Count would come here, I would have cleaned it up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Your Highness. So, you¡¯re alright?¡± He nodded slowly, looking at my face as if examining me. A sigh of relief came out. ¡°So, Count. I wonder if we can ride the carriage together.¡± Without questioning him further, I moved aside and sat down. It would¡¯ve made more sense for him to sit across from me, but instead, Enoch sat down next to me. Lia got up and bowed once more. ¡°I¡¯ll sit in the back. Please feel free to talk comfortably.¡± Before I could say anything, Lia closed the door. While I felt bad, it seemed that maids could not ride together in a carriage carrying the Crown Prince due to the world¡¯s societal structure. Enoch didn¡¯t seem to care much about that. ¡°What happened?¡± Anyway, I asked a question right away. Enoch smiled awkwardly and spoke in a joking tone, ¡°Somehow, every time I see the Count, a carriage is broken. I don¡¯t know if you think I¡¯m a carriage destroyer.¡± I was going to ask him if this was the right time to joke, but when I saw him smiling, I decided against it. It¡¯s a relief you¡¯re safe. I was astonished that I was genuinely concerned about him, but I was also relieved that his attitude toward me had not changed. CH 26 That said, I couldn¡¯t reveal my heart. Instead, I folded my arms and raised my chin slightly, glancing at him. ¡°If you intend to travel beyond, my carriage is open, Your Highness. Unless you¡¯re planning to walk from this wilderness to the Northern hunting ground¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, Count. I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s been a long time since we last saw each other, but you¡¯re so cold. I thought the Count was quite worried about me and felt good¡­¡± I knew he was trying to lighten the serious atmosphere. Still, looking at the blood staining Enoch¡¯s cloak made me nervous again. That¡¯s why the words didn¡¯t come out well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that you¡¯re feeling good about my concern. I won¡¯t worry anymore.¡± At my dull tone, Enoch stifled his laughter and nodded. ¡°All right. Assassins attacked.¡± ¡°Assassins? Who would go against the Crown Prince¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± As soon as I heard Enoch¡¯s words, I groped around his shoulders and chest to make sure he was really okay. Enoch faltered and staggered back, his face red. Only then did I realize what I¡¯d been doing, and so I dropped my hand. He coughed, then quickly grabbed my hand with a smirk. ¡°If the Count wants it, I¡¯m ready any time.¡± It was my turn to turn red as I pulled back my hand. ¡°From the way you¡¯re joking, I can tell you¡¯re doing fine. Please tell me the situation.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s as I said. There was an assassination attempt, all the knights guarding me died, but I managed to survive.¡± Advertisements Was it such a fierce scene? I¡¯ve seen Enoch fight before. Not only did he subdue his enemies in one shot with his magic, he even broke the carriage. ¡°Who would even dare attack the Imperial Crown Prince in this Empire? Do you have an idea who they could be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing¡­¡± As I stared intently, waiting for his answer, Enoch straightened and smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say for sure just yet. I hope the Count understands.¡± It took me by surprise when he suddenly drew a line with his polite tone. However, unlike his playful attitude before, Enoch had a determined smile on his face. I eventually stepped back. ¡°Alright. But please¡­ be careful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really true that I enjoy being on the receiving end of the Count¡¯s concern.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s a lot for you to enjoy.¡± At the gentle look on his emerald eyes, I relaxed and looked outside. ¡°I believe it¡¯s Count¡¯s first hunting competition, is it not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It just happened.¡± ¡°So it did. I think this hunting tournament will be a little bit more dangerous than before.¡± His eyes gleamed dangerously, and as I stared at him, I remembered what he had said before. ¡°Is it because of what you mentioned before about the monsters in the north?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Monster sightings aren¡¯t unusual in the Northern regions, but reports have drastically increased than in the previous years. And especially dangerous creatures.¡± I knew why there were so many monsters in the North. I was going to tell him now but held myself back. If I told him and he asked how I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be able to give him an answer. ¡°Of course, the Count¡­¡± I felt his eyes fixed in my direction. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. You¡¯re going to get hurt at all.¡± Advertisements Just as my heart was about to burst out of my chest at Enoch¡¯s words, I realized that he had been looking at my necklace. So I showed it to him. ¡°Isn¡¯t it an unusual necklace? I got it as a gift, so I wore it¡­¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯ve received something very valuable.¡± ¡°Really? This is valuable?¡± He took the pendant hanging on my neck and grazed his lips on it. His sudden movement startled me, but I tried to sit calmly when I realized that he was about to mutter a short spell. His distinct scent tickled my nose. ¡°Look.¡± Glancing down, I saw that the jewel set in the middle of the pendant was shining. Then the light spread softly and wrapped around my body. ¡°It¡¯s a magic stone with defense magic applied.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Come to think of it, the ring that Rupert explained to me looked like this. He also said that there was defensive magic on it. ¡°But what did you just do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve added some magic and increased the duration. It¡¯ll last about five minutes.¡± ¡°How long would it normally last?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not really sure since I¡¯ve never used it, but I think it¡¯s about a minute.¡± It was enough time to block just one attack and barely get out. And that was if one was quick. Still, five minutes was a five-fold increase. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve also learned the purpose of this pendant.¡± ¡°But I hope the Count will never need to use it.¡± ¡°Where would I even use it? I don¡¯t think women go that deep into the forest.¡± It was true. Except for the knights, most of the ladies were escorted by knights in the bright sun to hunt in the shallow forest, catching small rabbits at most. Dangerous monsters appeared mainly at night, and the knights who wanted to show off their prowess would go into the forest and start hunting in earnest. I looked curiously at the magic stone on the bracelet and necklace. What I was planning was deeply related to this magic stone. The magic stone was a precious gem whose value was higher than gold and diamonds in this world. If you carved magic into the magic stone and infused magic into it, you could use magic powers permanently. For that reason, various magic devices were created by engraving different magic on many magic stones. However, the supply was always less than the demand, so it was very expensive. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I thought about it. As I chatted with Enoch, the scenery outside changed. The carriage passed the river and went into the mountains. Advertisements ¡°As soon as we get there, you¡¯ll have to change your clothes first. People would be surprised if they saw you like this.¡± ¡°I see. I think I didn¡¯t think much of it because it¡¯s something I¡¯m used to.¡± His answer caught me off guard, and speechless, I lowered my gaze. ¡°Then¡­¡± Enoch smiled softly and lowered his voice as if telling a secret. ¡°It indeed feels pleasant to know that the Count is concerned, but don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t really get hurt.¡± I looked up, wondering what he meant when Enoch held my hand and kissed me over the glove. ¡°Thank you for giving me a ride on the carriage. I think I should get off now.¡± ¡°Already? We can go a little further.¡± ¡°If we arrive together, we will be misunderstood. But, of course, I welcome that misunderstanding,¡± Enoch said, chuckling. As soon as he finished speaking, he knocked on the carriage body, and it stopped. I felt a pang of regret when I saw Enoch leaping down, but I swallowed it tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again, Count.¡± The door closed, and after Lia moved back inside the carriage, we continued our journey. In the end, Enoch didn¡¯t talk about dedicating his hunting points to me. I felt a little sad, but there was nothing I could do about it. After all, I was the one who drew the line between us. I glanced at him through the window behind me. I was a little relieved at the sight of the Crown Prince looking at the carriage until it was far away. ¡°Your Highness.¡± As Erin¡¯s carriage disappeared, Viscount Therien and his men came out wearing black robes. ¡°The ends of their arrows had monster blood on them.¡± ¡°I see. Somehow the recovery is slow.¡± Enoch hid in the bushes on one side of the road, unbuttoned his top and threw it away. Crown Prince Enoch inherited the blood of the Archmage. As a result, he healed quickly, and small amounts of poison had no effect on him. However, monster blood weakened his ability to recover, making him similar to the average person. When he faltered, his escort knights were wiped out by arrows stained with monster blood. ¡°Sorry, I killed them all again. I didn¡¯t expect you to rush in like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. It¡¯s been a while.¡± When Enoch took off his bloody top, he noticed a long scar on the left side of his torso. The blood on his top wasn¡¯t his, but the bloodstains on his body were his. Viscount Therien, who had taken Enoch¡¯s discarded attire, moved closer to inspect the wound. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Advertisements ¡°Hang on, Your Highness. The wound is healing.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was monster blood?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it was¡­¡± Therien unwittingly tried to touch the wound, and Enoch swatted his hand with a glare. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. The recovery is definitely slower than usual, but it¡¯s true that it¡¯s healing. If it hadn¡¯t been for the monster blood, there would have been no scar left. But if it weren¡¯t for your ancestor¡¯s blood, you wouldn¡¯t be this fine.¡± ¡°You sound disappointed that I¡¯m fine,¡± Enoch murmured as he watched Therien dress his wounds. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m not. If you participate in the hunting competition, you¡¯ll be my competition. I also want to give my lady a high score,¡± Therion said bluntly and handed Enoch a new shirt. Enoch looked blankly at him for a moment as if he heard something absurd. ¡°By the way, are you going to participate this time? Weren¡¯t you always just looking around?¡± Enoch didn¡¯t answer that question, but he nodded as soon as he had all the buttons on his shirt. ¡°Hurry up.¡± ¡°Is there something you need to do?¡± With his eyes shining, Enoch answered, ¡°It¡¯s a surprise.¡± CH 27 In the middle of the mountain, a vast flatland looked like it had been carved out of the mountain. The carriage made a smooth stop there. In carriages that had arrived before us, ladies in colorful dresses were escorted by their knights or partners. For a moment, I hesitated to get off. It was a matter of great shame for a noble lady to open and exit the door on her own. It was an inconvenient and useless rule, but I couldn¡¯t afford to get ridiculed and had no choice but to follow. But who¡¯s going to escort me right now? Lia got down first and looked around. ¡°Lia, escort me.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, ma¡¯am. Please wait a little longer.¡± I didn¡¯t care how I got down, whether by Lia¡¯s hand, a coachman¡¯s or air, but I guess it wasn¡¯t the same for Lia, who had worked in the Palace for a long time. I was getting annoyed by the slight wait when I noticed a familiar face. The man, whose blond hair fluttered in the wind, looked at me and immediately turned towards me. I could hear the ladies whispering in surprise. The fact that the Ducal heir of Clifford and his wife, who have just gotten married, were not on good terms with each other was old news. Rupert certainly boasted his outstanding beauty as a male lead, but to me, he was just a nice-looking, disgusting sculpture walking around. He left Baron Verezian¡¯s funeral right away, so he must have arrived before me. Chloe was nowhere to be seen. Advertisements Rupert reached out to me for the first time in his life. Of course, he was also a high-ranking nobleman, so his hand was outstretched, and his posture was not awkward, but the fact that Rupert was doing it made it a curious sight. When I just stared at him, he gritted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get off?¡± Many eyes were on us, so I grabbed his outstretched hand and stepped forward. I glanced at Rupert and saw him smiling, looking pleased. When I followed his gaze, and surprisingly I saw Enoch walking up the mountain through the grass. Did you walk all the way? How did you get here so fast? At that moment, Enoch looked like he wanted to approach Rupert and me, but instead, he turned and entered the Imperial Knights¡¯ barracks. ¡°This way.¡± I was only going to let him drop me off the carriage, but Rupert escorted me ¡¯til the end and took me to the barracks assigned to me. What was going on? Where was Chloe? I was curious but stopped myself from asking. I wasn¡¯t really interested in her well-being. Rupert didn¡¯t just take me to the barracks; he also went inside. As he tried to take off his outerwear, I looked at him in surprise and said, ¡°W-what is this? Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re staying in the same barracks?¡± ¡°What if we are?¡± As soon as he said that, I walked past him and toward the entrance behind him. However, Rupert grabbed my arm to stop me. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. But would it be so unreasonable for a married couple to share a room?¡± I knew that Rupert had a change of heart, but I didn¡¯t understand why he was suddenly acting so friendly. ¡°Why did you come in then? What do you need?¡± ¡°To give you this,¡± he said, placing something shiny on my hand. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see? It¡¯s a brooch.¡± ¡°Why are you giving this to me?¡¯ It was a brooch with brilliant obsidian jewels in it. ¡°The brooch has the effect of keeping monsters from approaching,¡± as he spoke, Rupert coughed a little. At first glance, he seemed shy. Advertisements I was about to return it and say I didn¡¯t need it, but I decided against it because it would be better to have something. What, were you giving this to me instead of the ring? ¡°Okay.¡± But even after he gave me the brooch, he didn¡¯t leave and instead frowned at me. I then realized he was staring at my pendant. Not guilty, I snapped, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that necklace before, but it looks like a ring.¡± I was annoyed that it had something to do with it, but I held it back as much as I could so as not to ruin my mood by arguing with him. ¡°It was originally a ring. I¡¯ve been riding a carriage for a long time, and I¡¯m tired. I want to rest¡­ If you have nothing to say, would you please leave?¡± He was silent for a moment, then moved on as if nothing had happened. ¡°Well, Chloe said she was feeling unwell and took a break¡­ At times like this, you must be a fragile woman, too,¡± Rupert mumbled before leaving. What did Chloe¡¯s motion sickness have to do with me being a fragile woman? Of course, Erin was also a bit fragile, but what did that have to do with motion sickness and women! I couldn¡¯t help but scream at him in my mind, and I unpacked my luggage with Lia, who was following me. I must have thrown the brooch Rupert had just given me on the bed. Lia picked it up and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this brooch before. Should I place it back in the luggage?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ No, give it to me.¡± I wasn¡¯t that cautious in the first place, but I didn¡¯t want to run into monsters tomorrow. Honestly, I was worried. Monsters were commonplace in this world, but to me, they were no different from aliens. I didn¡¯t like that Rupert gave it to me, but I decided to keep the brooch. Rupert left Erin¡¯s barracks and headed into the large barracks in the middle. It was where the warriors participating in this hunting competition gathered, inspected their weapons, and set up areas. Advertisements As he entered, the noisy barracks became quiet for a moment. Soon after, a nobleman who knew Rupert raised his hand to greet him. ¡°Lord Clifford! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll win first place again this time. Well, you never give us a chance to catch up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I was planning to get first place this time and propose to my lady, but you¡¯re ruthless!¡± Among the whining and complaining nobles, Rupert smiled politely and took a seat. Soon, the commander of the Imperial Knights would appear and briefly explain the area and precautions. Although this hunting competition has established itself as a social event, its main purpose was to reduce the number of monsters in the vicinity. Therefore, the strategies discussed here were quite important. While everyone was talking and murmuring amongst themselves, someone walked in. Then the knights near the entrance began to kneel. ¡°I greet His Highness, the Imperial Crown Prince!¡± When Rupert realized who it was, his face hardened, but he quietly knelt with the rest of the men inside the barracks. ¡°Be at ease. Don¡¯t worry about me and just focus on getting good results. A young swordsman looked at Enoch with a look of disbelief and asked cautiously, ¡°¡­Is Your Highness also participating in this competition?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my part. I won¡¯t be a nuisance to you.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Your Highness, you don¡¯t have to say that.¡± The young man laughed awkwardly but looked at him with a slight sneer. The Crown Prince had not participated in this competition in the last few years. Instead, he stayed at the command headquarters to guard the barracks or only look around the low-level monster haunting areas where he went with the ladies. Everyone knew he was a brilliant wizard, but monster-hunting required strong stamina and physical strength. Enoch was slender compared to the big, muscular men in the barracks. ¡®Someone would need to take care of the Prince when he falls behind, so what are you saying, you won¡¯t be a nuisance? No, it¡¯s not like this, but if you take this opportunity¡­¡¯ Blinded by prejudice, the young swordsman thought so. But Rupert was different. He clenched his teeth and thrust a sharpened sword into its sheath. As he struggled to manage his expression toward Enoch, the Crown Prince approached him. ¡°Rupert, you¡¯re here, too.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Please sit here.¡± Rupert stood up from his seat, and Enoch sat down and smiled. At first, the knights and noblemen were quiet as they carefully eyed the Prince, but they soon relaxed when Enoch acted informally. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, Enoch spoke casually to Rupert. ¡°You don¡¯t seem worried about me. I¡¯m going to participate in this competition, believing that you will protect me.¡± Rupert remained stiff, but he smiled slightly as he answered, ¡°If Your Highness decides to participate, I am well aware that we¡¯re no match for you.¡± In fact, Rupert had seen the true face of the Crown Prince when they were younger. A horde of demons was chasing them then. Finally, Rupert got overwhelmed by the numbers and decided to give up and run away. But when he turned around, Enoch was standing there, looking at the crowd of monsters. Rupert called for him, but Enoch only waved his hand, signaling him to go, but he did not move. Until then, Rupert didn¡¯t think Enoch was that strong. Advertisements Just as he debated whether he should go back and save him, he saw it. He still couldn¡¯t forget the horrifying sight of Enoch unleashing great magic against the countless monsters, and water, fire, and lightning striking from the sky, engulfing them. Rupert had seen many wizards, but it was the first time he had ever seen anyone cast a spell in the blink of an eye without shouting a single incantation. And that day, Rupert was severely rebuked by his father, the Duke of Clifford, because he almost ran away and left the Crown Prince. If Enoch were to use magic as he did back then, these numerous participants would have to go home without seeing a single monster. Feeling Rupert¡¯s gaze, Enoch smiled and lowered his voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just going to take a look. If you behave yourself, I won¡¯t take your place.¡± Rupert bowed, but he had gripped his sword so tightly that his hand had turned white. CH 28 After a strategic meeting with the commander of the Imperial Knights, Rupert went back to Chloe¡¯s barracks. Chloe, who was still pale, sat on the bed in the dark room as she watched Rupert enter. ¡°Why are you up? You should rest longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough rest. Rupert, the brooch¡­ Did you give it to your wife?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Why would you prepare all that? You¡¯re too kind.¡± Rupert sat on Chloe¡¯s bedside, stroking her soft brown hair, before assisting her in lying down. Chloe, who had been quiet, smiled weakly and said, ¡°You gave me the ring, and I felt somewhat guilty¡­ But, Rupert, if you were nice to her, maybe she¡¯d hate me less.¡± ¡°But she already had a necklace that looked like it. It was all for nothing.¡± ¡°¡­is that so. But it¡¯s the thought that counts.¡± When Rupert heard that, he pulled back his hand stroking her hair and looked away, seemingly lost in thought. ¡°Rupert?¡± Chloe, noticing the shift in his mood, called him. Rupert stroked his chin and muttered as if he was talking to himself, ¡°No¡­ She doesn¡¯t hate you.¡± ¡°Rupert? What do you mean? How can she not hate me? She was the one who threatened my safety in the first place.¡± ¡°That may be true, but I don¡¯t think she hates you now. Chloe, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Rupert¡­¡± Rupert draped a blanket over Chloe¡¯s body and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the evening. Get some rest.¡± Advertisements Although his words were kind, Chloe could feel a subtle difference from the way he was leaving. He would usually pat Chloe for quite some time, then kiss her goodnight whenever she was sick in bed. Chloe, who watched him leave, raised one arm and revealed a magic stone bracelet indicating her identity. After being adopted as Count Andron¡¯s daughter, she was given a new bracelet. Originally, the magic stone was a brilliant and transparent gem, but Chloe¡¯s had a subtle murky color inside. ¡°How long will it last this time? And she has a necklace¡­¡± The corners of her lips rose, and she lowered her arm. Then she fell dead asleep again. Sitting in front of the mirror, I was wearing an unusually modest dress. Lia braided my hair and left a few wisps to frame my face. We were aiming for an undecorated look. Soon the eve of the hunting competition was to begin. On the eve, nobles dressed like commoners and dropped proper etiquette to play freely. It reminded me of ¡®Yaja Time¡¯[1] from my world because we¡¯d be interacting with each other regardless of status. They lit a bonfire, sat casually, drank beer that commoners drank, had a barbecue party on one side, and danced in pairs to exciting music on the other side. Men sparred with their bare hands, and sometimes, men and women would secretly enter their barracks after making eye contact. They said that the casual atmosphere on the eve of the hunting competition was part of tradition. Nowadays, many people traveled together, weapons were well-developed, and people were more skilled, so there weren¡¯t many deaths. But in the past, only a small number of people were sent here to fight the monsters. So they drank, sang, and danced the night before the hunt to dispel their fears of what was to come the next day. The custom continued to this day and has developed into a play culture for the nobles. As I listened to the story, I thought the nobles really worked hard and enjoyed themselves. Advertisements ¡°Madam, close your eyes for a moment.¡± Lia powdered my face and applied a light-colored lip gloss on my lips. ¡°Is this alright?¡± I took the hand mirror that Lia had given me and tilted my face as I stared at the reflection. Erin looked good with heavy makeup because of her attractive features, but fresh makeup looked just as good since she was still young. Her hair tied high added to her liveliness. ¡°Yes. Thank you, Lia. Good work.¡± When I exited my barracks, people were already out and about. Everyone was dressed comfortably and freely, unlike their usual attires. Seeing the bonfires and the flushed faces most likely due to alcohol, it was clear that they were enjoying themselves. On one side, musicians played accordion and saxophone, and people danced cancan to the sound of castanets. As I was contemplating where to go, I found the Marchioness of Raphael waving at me. Relieved, I was about to make my way to her until someone blocked my way. ¡°Wow, Lady. Are you having a good time?¡± Who was this? A drunken man holding onto a bottle of wine approached me. He must be a nobleman, but I wasn¡¯t sure since I hadn¡¯t been to many social events yet. ¡°Enjoy yourself,¡± I said to dismiss him, but he didn¡¯t give up and followed after me. ¡°Today¡¯s the night before the hunt. If you get to know me, I¡¯ll give you my score. What do you say?¡± He pounded his chest and smiled to himself. I was almost by Mrs. Raphael¡¯s party, but this man wouldn¡¯t leave. It was an informal event, so some people might go overboard like this. I didn¡¯t really mind. Unless you do this to me. ¡°You have nothing to be ashamed of, Lady.¡± When I refused to answer, he tried to grab my wrist. The audacity! I quickly pulled my hand back and smiled. I must have hurt his pride because he suddenly said in a loud voice, ¡°Heh, I heard your husband has a lover. If you continue acting so snobbish, you¡¯ll end up sucking your own fingers, alone and discarded.¡± I was suddenly filled with anger and shame. I tried to refuse nicely, but I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and sharply said, ¡°You don¡¯t really look in the mirror, do you? You¡¯re not my type. I¡¯d rather suck my pretty fingers than dance with some knight to get points.¡± I waved my fingers at his face. I could hear muffled laughter here and there. The man blushed and growled. Then he suddenly took a few steps back and started taking off his gloves. Hmm? I wanted to avoid any more fuss. I turned around and tried to escape, but the man became more agitated and raised his voice, ¡°Hey! Where are you going?¡± About ten steps away from me, the man threw a glove, but it hit a passer-by. I recognized him and my eyes widened. Advertisements ¡°Your¡­¡± Enoch narrowed his eyes and hissed, then turned to the man, pretending not to know anything. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was going to get a glove while passing by. Are you challenging me to a duel?¡± The drunk man jumped back. No matter how intoxicated he was, he didn¡¯t seem to be ignorant of the Imperial Crown Prince¡¯s identity. ¡°Ack! N-no, that¡¯s not it.¡± It was hilarious. I took a step back, covering my twitching lips with my hand. ¡°Who are you?¡± In a hurry, the man kneeled on the floor, banging his knee. Ow! That must hurt. ¡°M-my name is Ron Brindel, the second son of Earl Brindel.¡± ¡°Right, Sir Ron. Stand up. You applied for a duel, so I have to respond. Ah, ignore the fact that I¡¯m the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°No, I, I didn¡¯t mean¡­ That woman¡­¡± The man pointing at me bent his fingers as his words trailed off. Enoch looked in the direction he was pointing and shrugged. ¡°There is no way you would have challenged the Lady over there to a duel. Then, it had to be me. I don¡¯t know why you hate me so much, but I will humbly accept your challenge.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Come on then. I won¡¯t hold you accountable if I die today by you.¡± People gathered around as if they had an exciting sight to see. ¡°What are you waiting for! Ron! His Highness said he didn¡¯t mind! Fight!¡± Enoch was in a clumsy fighting stance and flicked his fingers as if provoking his opponent. Then Ron, who was trembling, slowly got up, wiping his legs. ¡°Are you really not going to punish me for this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± It really looked like there was going to be a duel. What should I do? Can I leave this as it is? But it was already too late. People were already betting on who would win. ¡°Waah! Ron, I¡¯m betting on you! Fight properly!¡± ¡°Kyaa! Your Highness, you can do it!¡± Most of the women cheered for Enoch. Regardless if they thought he had a chance of winning or not, they seemed to be cheering for him because of his good looks. Ron looked bigger, but Enoch was still Enoch. Ah, you can¡¯t use magic here, can you? As I looked around, half worried and half cheering, my eyes met Rupert on the other side. And next to him was Chloe, her arms linked with his. He looked like he had something to say to me, but I got upset and looked away. After all, the root cause of this was him! CH 29 ¡°Rupert, I¡¯m so happy to be with you on this eve.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Chloe had been smiling and talking to him since earlier, but Rupert answered half-heartedly as if he had something else in mind. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t care; he wasn¡¯t able to listen to Chloe next to him because he had been focusing on the noise around him. Given his excellent skills, his hearing was much better than others. ¡°Heh, I heard your husband has a lover. If you continue acting so snobbish, you¡¯ll end up sucking your own fingers, alone and discarded.¡± He flinched. The target of such an insult was none other than Erin. Rupert, unknowingly, tried to turn in that direction. If it weren¡¯t for Chloe, who was holding onto him, he certainly would have done so. ¡°Rupert?¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°There seems to be some noise over there. Shall we go?¡± It was fortunate that Chloe wanted to go to the same place as he did. Rupert walked obediently to the direction she had pointed. ¡°You don¡¯t really look in the mirror, do you? You¡¯re not my type. I¡¯d rather suck my pretty fingers than dance with some knight to get points.¡± Advertisements Erin¡¯s shrill voice pierced his ears. Rupert swept his face with his hands. It was a genuinely unconscious act. Who was that rude bastard? He wanted to confirm his identity, but wasn¡¯t the man trying to take off his gloves? Was he insane? It wasn¡¯t enough that he made a fuss; he had to challenge a girl to a duel? And the future Duchess Clifford at that? Rupert unconsciously untangled himself from Chloe and tried to step forward, but someone else got hit by the glove before he could, and he stopped. It was Prince Enoch. Again and again, the Crown Prince kept meddling in Erin¡¯s affairs. Always a beat faster than Rupert. And he said he didn¡¯t want her to be his mistress? ¡°Rupert, I think he¡¯s really going to fight with His Highness.¡± Only then did he remember that Chloe was still beside him. Rupert calmed down and patted her slender hands on his arm. ¡°If it¡¯s hard to see, why don¡¯t we go somewhere else?¡± ¡°No, it is a rare sight I want to take a look too.¡± A man leading the bet and collecting money approached them. Chloe¡¯s eyes twinkled, showing interest. She shook his arm slightly, so Rupert put a coin in one basket. The place where he tossed the coin was Ron¡¯s basket. My heart was pounding the whole time I watched it. The man named Ron continued to attack Enoch. Enoch avoided all of his attacks, twisting little by little without much movement. People booed Ron from time to time, and cheers for the Crown Prince grew louder and louder. However, Enoch didn¡¯t attack at all, so it looked like Ron was getting the upper hand at first glance. While the duel took place, the music continued to play, and the women admired Enoch¡¯s handsome face and criticized Ron for attacking. I joined in and cheered for Enoch. Every time Ron clenched his fist and swung it, my eyes closed tightly. What if Enoch got hurt? I was looking around nervously when I suddenly heard a pop. I stared in disbelief at what had happened in the blink of an eye. Enoch¡¯s legs were up, and Ron was lying around, cradling his chin. ¡°Uh, what?¡± People were confused. Advertisements Rather than Enoch kicking Ron, it was more accurate to say that Ron, who was running to attack, collided with Enoch¡¯s raised foot. Anyway, Ron, who was rolling on the floor in pain, eventually lost consciousness. The audience, who had been quietly trying to grasp the situation, burst into cheers. ¡°Waaaah! His Highness won!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cool, Crown Prince Enoch!¡± Those who bet on the Crown Prince were especially happy and ran around the place. Those who cheered for Ron began to scatter, giving Ron an annoyed look. Nevertheless, they seemed to be having fun as well. ¡°Count.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± As soon as I saw him, I curtsied, and Enoch bowed his head in response, his hand outstretched. When our eyes met, he closed his emerald eyes and smiled. Then he raised one hand politely and said, ¡°What do you think about my face? Do you like it?¡± ¡°That¡­ You heard me?¡± He shrugged and pointed to his hand with a wink. I quickly looked around. Then my eyes met Chloe, who waved her hand with a harmless smile. What¡¯s up with that? Was she looking at me and saying hello? I turned my gaze back to Enoch. Standing there, he murmured with a slightly glum look, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t suit your taste either¡­¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s not it!¡± I hurriedly grabbed his retreating hand. Enoch¡¯s face couldn¡¯t be my cup of tea. It shouldn¡¯t suit my taste. I thought I¡¯d be full just by looking at his face. ¡°Your Highness is handsome.¡± It made no sense for Enoch to be depressed because of his looks. I said that to him without realizing it, and it was only when I saw Enoch¡¯s strange expression that I realized what I had said. My face heated up. ¡°I mean, my taste¡­ that¡­¡± The more I spoke, the more flustered I felt. I just chose to keep my mouth shut, and Enoch, who was staring at me, finally burst out laughing. Advertisements ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s a relief.¡± He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. I thought I¡¯d bump into his chest, but he clasped my hands and turned me around. ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness¡­!¡± Lively music has been playing since earlier. I ended up dancing to his lead, and people¡¯s attention soon drifted to their respective partners. From a distance, I could see Marchioness Raphael dancing with a young man who had just been given a knighthood. It was fun. I¡¯ve never been here before. After playing for a long time, I was exhausted, gulped down the beer someone gave me, then Enoch led me to someplace quiet. Maybe it was because I drank too quickly, or maybe Erin¡¯s body had a low tolerance to alcohol, but soon I felt tipsy. ¡°You look a little drunk, Count.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right. But it¡¯s been a long time since I had fun.¡± Enoch took me to a large tree in the middle of the mountain. The thick branches of the tree stretched out to the side just enough to sit on. He climbed up first and reached out to me, and I glanced down before looking at his hand. I wouldn¡¯t die if I fell, but it was high enough that I might break a leg. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Look at me, not below.¡± Enoch¡¯s voice was soft, but it had the power to move people. Eventually, I climbed up the tree. Or course, I had to rely mostly on the strength of Enoch¡¯s arms. He was stronger than he looked as he lifted me without much effort. Sitting on the tree, I could see the night sky. It was a bit disappointing that it was cloudy today, so I couldn¡¯t see the stars. The only good thing about coming here was that the sky was clear, and I could see the stars well. ¡°Count Spilet.¡± Enoch, who was quiet, called for me and held up his index finger as if to look here. Then, after confirming that I was looking at his fingertips, he drew a circle in the air. ¡°Ah¡­¡± I looked at his fingers in brief admiration. Glittering light flowed from his fingertips, and the light quickly went up, scattering widely and decorating the night sky. And it started exploding like fireworks. Those who were still chatting below shouted joyfully when someone pointed to the night sky. My mouth was ajar as I stared at the scene before me. Even without looking at Enoch, I could feel his gaze on me. But I still couldn¡¯t answer him. So, aware of Enoch¡¯s gaze, I fixed my eyes only on the sky. I felt sorry for the emerald eyes falling for me, but I let it be. Ron woke up in his barracks. The moment the prince¡¯s kick hit him, it hurt so much he couldn¡¯t make a sound. He seemed to have been carried here after he lost consciousness, forgetting the feeling of shame. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m crazy.¡± At first, he tried to be gentle since his opponent was the Crown Prince. But his pride wouldn¡¯t let him lose. But the Crown Prince was faster than he looked, and he never ceased to catch him off guard. It was inevitable for him to faint when he ran at him with all his might and was hit with a force equal to that speed. Ron thought the Crown Prince might be better than expected, but half thought it was just luck. He blamed himself for not showing off his skills properly due to his drunkenness and excitement. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. It was a chance to defeat the Crown Prince once.¡± Advertisements Scratching his head, Ron got up and walked out of the barracks. His stomach still throbbed. Before long, the eve of the hunt was almost over, and only a few people gathered outside since most had returned to their barracks. As he went into the gloomy forest to relieve himself, someone blocked his way. ¡°Who¡­¡± Ron looked at the stranger¡¯s face and stopped. ¡°Lord Clifford¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You flirted with my wife and challenged her to a duel.¡± ¡°That, it¡¯s not like that¨CAck!¡± Ron shrieked at the kick that went straight to his shin, and he keeled over in pain. But a gloomy voice from above him shut his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound. I¡¯ll add one more each time I hear a sound.¡± After a few hits, Rupert shook his hands and went back to his tent. Ron was beaten without making a single sound, and the next day he had to rush back to the capital. Rumors that his ugly face looked even uglier because of swelling circulated for a while but soon disappeared. CH 30 On the first morning of the hunting competition, I woke up earlier than usual, even though I slept late last night. I couldn¡¯t sleep any longer, and I went out alone without waking Lia. I brought the bow¨Cmuch lighter and smaller than a real bow, really¨C they¡¯d handed out to the ladies yesterday. To kill time, I went out alone and shot an arrow at a wooden pole. I shot ten arrows, none of which reached the target. Erin Spilet, you definitely didn¡¯t learn archery¡­ I walked towards the tree beside the poles to pick up the arrows. As I bent over, something that looked like a small fruit fell on my head. Then I heard someone giggling. ¡°What¡­¡± I looked up and saw a man sitting on a tree watching me. I felt like I had seen that dark brown hair, purple eyes, and mischievous expressions somewhere. Oh, it was the young knight dancing with Marchioness Raphael last night. I would have talked to him, but I had nothing to say to someone who laughed at me without saying anything. So I just picked up the arrows and turned around. ¡°Oh!¡± The man jumped off the tree and spoke to my back. ¡°Lady¡­! You¡¯re the Lady who got challenged to a duel yesterday, right?¡± I turned around and replied, ¡°So what if I am?¡± With a smile on his face, the knight hurriedly approached me. Judging from his youthful face, he looked three or four years younger than Erin or Enoch. ¡°It¡¯s just I¡¯ve never seen a Lady say that before.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Right. Did you not want to hear it?¡± Advertisements ¡°No, it was great! Well, I should start by introducing myself. I¡¯m Count Damen Rosen. Duchess[1] Erin Clifford?¡± A Count, huh¡­ If he held that title at a young age, he had either made outstanding achievements or lost his parents early. Probably the latter, like Erin. The thought saddened me, and I unconsciously softened. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Count Rosen. Marchioness Raphael must have told you about me,¡± I replied with a smile. Damon knelt in front of me and kissed the back of my hand. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s an honor to have the opportunity to greet you, Lady. Please feel free to call me Damon.¡± He reminded me of a big dog. How cute. I grabbed his hand to help him stand up and asked, ¡°Alright, Sir Damon. But I thought you had something to ask.¡± Damon then kicked the floor once and looked at the bow and arrow I was holding. ¡°Um¡­ Can I teach you? I¡¯ve been watching you, and it¡¯s so frustrating.¡± That¡¯s what you wanted to say? How much time did we have before the start of the hunting competition? After thinking about it, I nodded. ¡°If only for a moment.¡± Damon grinned. I was the one who would be gaining from this, but somehow I was the one giving permission. ¡°First, put your legs shoulder-width apart¡­ Secure your arms so they don¡¯t shake.¡± I did as he told and raised my arms, then pulled the bowstring. However, the arrow merely grazed the wooden post and flew to the ground. ¡°Hmm, hold on.¡± Damon tilted his head in contemplation before holding my arm from behind. He held my one hand to hold the bow firmly and the other to pull the bowstring together. Tang¨C The arrow, which moved away with the sound, struck the middle of the wooden pillar. ¡°Wow!¡± I¡¯d only succeeded because of his help, but I was happy nonetheless. Damon clapped his hands and said, ¡°Good job! Could you have a talent in archery?¡± Advertisements I was flustered to have only succeeded when he helped me. Then, while we smiled at each other, Rupert walked out from behind Damon. Puzzled, Rupert looked at Damon and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°What? She¡¯s learning archery.¡± ¡°Why would you do this with a kid like this¡­¡± Rupert eyes Damon from head to toe. What an arrogant male lead. I stood in front of Damon and blocked his view. ¡°Sir Damon, I¡¯m sorry. Teach me again next time. That¡¯s it for today.¡± Damon was behind me, so I couldn¡¯t see his expression, but he walked away without saying anything. Rupert scowled at Damon and muttered, ¡°Ah, maybe that¡¯s your taste¡­ young men like him?¡± Dumbfounded, I couldn¡¯t think of a response. Then before I could say anything, Rupert glanced at me with a strange look and walked away. He probably thought people in the world were the same as him. ¡°Ha, really!¡± The hunting competition was in full swing. Well, ¡°full swing¡± would be exaggerating it. Noblewomen sat on horses, and men, their partners or knights most likely, escorted them as they held onto the reins. I sat sullenly on top of the horse. To my surprise, Rupert escorted me and guided the animal I was riding. Unlike at the banquet, married nobles were together with their spouses. Well, we didn¡¯t look that different from them. I hadn¡¯t seen Enoch the whole morning. It was a little disappointing, but the Crown Prince probably had things to do. But where was Chloe? Advertisements When I looked around, I spotted her in the back with a knight escorting her. Looking at the way they interacted, they seemed close. But didn¡¯t Rupert mind that Chloe was so friendly with other men? Deep in thought, I suddenly heard a blunt voice speak. ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else and look ahead.¡± I glanced down at Rupert. Then I heard someone running. Judging by his brown har, it was most likely Count Damon Rosen. ¡°Madam, I hope you catch at least one.¡± Damon raised his two fists to cheer me on[2]. If I could have it my way, I wouldn¡¯t want to face the monsters, but I smiled at him anyway and said, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve listened to a special lecture from a wonderful knight, so I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Then suddenly, Rupert interjected, ¡°Sir must have come as an escort here, so can you leave my partner alone? You don¡¯t deserve to be a knight.¡± Damon scratched his head with a troubled look on his face. ¡°But my partner is¡­ Countess Kalina.¡± As I looked towards the direction Damon was pointing, I saw a woman skillfully riding a horse. She had a long sword around her waist and a large bow on her back, unlike the toy bows they gave to the ladies. In any case, an escort seemed completely useless to her. She looked so cool. If I had that level of skill, I wouldn¡¯t have had to be dragged around by Rupert like this. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re causing trouble here and there? Do you want to continue acting childish?¡± ¡°Hmm, Lord Clifford. I¡¯m just saying hello. Then, I¡¯ll see you later, Madam.¡± When Rupert was becoming visibly upset, Damon quickly backed away and ran in the direction his partner had disappeared. Why was he standing there like that? All I could see from above was the crown of his head covered in blood hair, but I could somehow feel it burning with rage. ¡°Why are you so mad at Sir Damon?¡± I didn¡¯t ask because I cared. I just wondered if there was a reason he seemed to have a bad relationship with the Rosen family. Then Rupert turned his head and looked at me. Oh my. ¡°I just don¡¯t know. I thought it was the Crown Prince, but this time it¡¯s a young man. Are you the type to change your mind so easily? Which one is it?¡± His response flustered me. I could somehow understand why he¡¯d be suspicious of my relationship with Enoch, but what did Damon do? I¡¯d only met him today. But rather than correcting it, I¡¯d rather let him misunderstand. Even though this was just a contractual marriage, I wanted him to feel it, too. How did it feel for you to see me having an affair in front of your eyes? Advertisements ¡°Well¡­ The Crown Prince is handsome, and Sir Damon is cute. They each have their charms, so do I have to choose one?¡± Seeing Rupert¡¯s crumpled face, I knew I achieved my intended purpose. ¡°Among them, why am I¡­¡± Rupert mumbled. ¡°What was that?¡± He didn¡¯t answer, and I didn¡¯t bother to speak anymore. He silently guided my horse, wary of everything. I haven¡¯t seen any monsters yet. The road gradually diverged into several paths, and the people went their own ways. I didn¡¯t even notice which direction Chloe had gone. The birds chirped softly. What did monsters look like? According to what I saw in the book, the small amount of magic that flowed through the ground created monsters. Ordinary beasts were influenced and turned into monsters; thus, new species were born. In the northern provinces, there were many monsters because of its strong magic. These monsters wreaked havoc, attacking people and eating livestock. That¡¯s why the Imperial family held annual hunting competitions to control the monster population. Ordinary rabbits are gentle and timid, but rabbits that have become monsters are ferocious and aggressive. ¡°Ah, there!¡± That¡­ That rabbit-like thing over there, was it a real one or a monster? A lady led her horse along with a knight. The lady fired an arrow at the rabbit-like creature but missed. And at that moment, the small, fluffy bunny jumped up with a bizarre cry. ¡°Kyaaaaaa!¡± [1] Technically, Erin is not a Duchess since Rupert hasn¡¯t inherited the ducal title yet. Usually, high-ranking nobles (Dukes, Marquesses, Counts) have multiple titles. So, before direct heirs inherit their father¡¯s title, they use a courtesy title from one of the lesser titles. Let¡¯s say Duke Clifford is also the Marquess x; Rupert will use Marquess x before officially becoming the next Duke Clifford. The novel didn¡¯t mention any other title, so no courtesy title for Rupert. People still address Rupert and Erin as Duke and Duchess, so I thought I had to clarify. [2] the author described it as ??? ??? (paiting dongjageul) or ¡®fighting moves.¡¯ Koreans say ???/??? (hwaiting/paiting) to encourage people and they usually say it along with the gesture described CH 31 The rabbit jumped almost as high as the woman atop the horse and tried to attack her. However, the knight who was with her simply stopped the creature with a swing of his sword. The Lady was surprised, but she was happy that he caught it. I was staring at them when Rupert warned me, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Watch out; Look straight ahead.¡± Rupert stopped for a moment and watched, then came back and led the horse. However, we didn¡¯t run into any ants, much less monsters, even after a long time. Then suddenly, I saw the brooch on the chest of my hunting suit. Ah, right. You said it had the effect of keeping monsters from coming? I stroked the brooch with my hand. For a moment, the black thing inside the jewel seemed to vibrate. I was puzzled but thought I had just seen it wrong and looked forward again. Rupert didn¡¯t say a word the whole way. What was he thinking? Did he want to go to Chloe? As I thought so, I heard a horse galloping from behind, and when I turned around, I spotted Chloe. Where did you disappear to a while ago? Her escort knight was nowhere in sight. And then¡­ ¡°Rupert!¡± As expected, Chloe called for my husband to escort her, and Rupert looked back at her in surprise. The hand holding my horse¡¯s reins stopped. The scene was absurd, but I had to admit that Chloe looked breathtaking on her horse. ¡°You can go if you want to. I¡¯ll bring Sir Damon.¡± Advertisements ¡°Who said I was going? Don¡¯t make decisions on your own,¡± Rupert growled and grabbed the reins even tighter. He was so strange. Rupert seemed to like Chloe, so I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so possessive about me. I couldn¡¯t understand how selfish the male lead was. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to escort the two of us by yourself?¡± ¡°You have that brooch, so monsters won¡¯t come anyway, so there¡¯s no problem.¡± That¡¯s true, but that¡¯s not the point. What would people think if the husband escorted the wife alongside his lover? He didn¡¯t even consider that. ¡°I¡¯ll just go back. I¡¯m not going to hunt monsters anyway.¡± ¡°You have to stay for a certain amount of time. Otherwise, others will see it as you ignoring the Imperial family who prepared this hunt.¡± ¡°Hello, Madam,¡± Chloe greeted with a nod. Chloe looked embarrassed, but she smiled. The smile somehow made me feel more determined. ¡°Huu, I can¡¯t think about it. I¡¯ll just walk around alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°You said it would be fine with the brooch. I cad ride a horse by myself.¡± Amid our squabble, Chloe moved the reins on her own and slowly turned around. She was good. I didn¡¯t know she could ride it before. I smirked. You deliberately pretended to be afraid to arouse Rupert¡¯s protective instinct. You really work hard, huh? Thinking like that, I was wondering what to say so Rupert would let me go, but suddenly the ground rumbled. ¡°W-what? Earthquake?¡± The man was surprised, but the horse even more so because it was sensitive. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The two horses started fussing at the same time. Rupert caught Chloe¡¯s horse first while mine ran wild on its own and stumbled onto the slope. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± The moment I fell down the hillside with my horse, Rupert¡¯s eyes met mine. In that brief moment, surprise, regret, and guilt flashed through his eyes. So what? It¡¯s too late. I closed my eyes and covered my head with my hands. Unfortunately, my mind was clear in the midst of this. I vividly felt the scratches and bumps here as I rolled down. It hurt. My whole body ached, and I was sad. Rupert saved Chloe, not me. It was natural for him to do it. Advertisements I wondered if he would do anything about the strange obsession and the kindness I¡¯ve seen these days. But of course, he still loved Chloe. Terribly. Suddenly, everything was no longer a blur, and my body hit the floor. As soon as I reached the ground, I managed to raise my head to throw up. I felt sick because I rolled too hard. Tears I couldn¡¯t hold back slid down my cheeks. This situation was a mess. But I tried moving my hands and feet little by little. Scratches and bumps covered my body, but fortunately, I didn¡¯t seem to have broken anything. ¡°¡­Ha, Thank god.¡± If I broke my leg¡­ Ah, I didn¡¯t even want to think about it. I barely regained my composure and looked around, but I had no idea where this place was. ¡°Rupert, you b*stard.¡± The curse came out by itself. Whether Rupert loved Chloe or not, the important thing was that he didn¡¯t save me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm my angry mind. I needed to survive. The thought made my heart grow firm. No matter what I did in the future, I was determined not to care or worry about Rupert anymore. Thinking about it¡­ Yes, it¡¯s a good idea. After taking a moment to calm myself down, I stood up with a groan. And without realizing it, I fumbled for my necklace to check if it was okay. ¡°Huu.¡± Fortunately, it didn¡¯t fall off and stayed intact. The noblewomen¡¯s hunting clothes were shorter and thinner than normal and were worn with leather shorts under the skirt. I took out the dagger I had hidden under my skirt and held it in my hand. I was alone, and I didn¡¯t know what was going to happen. My whole body screamed, but I clenched my teeth and looked around, taking one step at a time. As I walked, I thought about the contents of the novel. In the hunting contest in the novel, Chloe, who fell for Erin¡¯s shallow scheme, slipped and fell, and was slightly injured. Advertisements But now it was I, Erin, who fell and got hurt. What was this situation? Was I being punished for not following the original story? Damon eventually had to trudge back after missing Countess Kalina. In the low-level monster area, it was customary for a knight to dedicate the monster to his partner Lady. There would be no point in catching monsters without Countess Kalina, and the fascinating Lady was with her cheating husband, so Damon had nothing to do. On the way back, Damon spotted Rupert in the distance. The sight irritated Damon, and he tried to go back. But looking closely, the woman next to Rupert wasn¡¯t Erin. Damon moved closer to confirm it. ¡°W-what should we do? If Madam is dead, heuk¡­. because of me.¡± ¡®What did I just hear? Who died?¡¯ Upon closer inspection, the woman beside the ducal heir was Chloe, his lover. ¡°If you fall there, you¡¯re dead, down there¡­ Rupert, hurry up and find her.¡± The woman was sobbing, blaming herself, and Rupert clenched his fists as he looked down the steep slope. The crying woman was about to say something more when she suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed. Damon could only guess what had happened. If he went down the slope now, would she be there? But Imperial Knights were forbidden to go there. If he went down alone, they might die together. Determined, Damon ran and went to the headquarters as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Enoch was investigating the abnormal magic flowing through the northern mountains. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± He had planned to wrap things up in the morning, but it took longer than he thought. As soon as he arrived, he was about to change his clothes, then go to the lower-level area. Then someone jumped into the barracks and shouted, ¡°Hey! Something happened! Mrs. Clifford!¡± Enoch¡¯s heart sank at the sound. He hurried to Damon, who was panting. The knight didn¡¯t recognize the Crown Prince, but it didn¡¯t matter to Enoch. He grabbed Damon by the shoulders and asked, ¡°The Duchess? How is she?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I think she fell down the hillside.¡± ¡°Rupert, what did Duke Clifford do?¡± ¡°He was looking from above with his lover.¡± Advertisements Viscount Therien was also in the barracks. He¡¯s been with the Crown Prince for a long time and knew how important Erin was to him. ¡°Your Highness.¡± At Therien¡¯s call, Enoch urgently said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Lead the way. Therien, I¡¯ll go ahead, so follow me. Make sure to look everywhere. Come on!¡± Damon finally realized that the person in front of him was the Crown Prince. ¡°Your Highness¡­?¡± ¡°Hold on tight so you don¡¯t fall.¡± Enoch grabbed Damon by the arm and dragged him out of the barracks. ¡°Uhhh¡­!¡± For the first time in his life, Damon felt his body float. Damon was desperately holding onto Enoch¡¯s waist when Enoch asked, ¡°Where, where is it? Be precise.¡± Damon calmed his trembling body, barely reaching out and pointing the way. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, I was looking at the hillside. And then she fell¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Enoch and Damon made a sharp descent. Damon couldn¡¯t even scream at the sudden drop and just clung to the Crown Prince. After descending to the ground, Damon found a more precise route and led Enoch to where Rupert and Chloe had previously been. Rupert and Chloe were no longer there. He didn¡¯t know if they left to save the Duchess or if they just went back. ¡°The two of them were standing here, looking down. The lover was crying, saying, ¡®What if Madam died?''¡± Enoch looked down as he listened to Damon¡¯s explanation. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Blood ran down Enoch¡¯s nose, and he frowned, wiping it off with his sleeve. The mana in his body was running wild as he used advanced magic to fly to the location. But right now, it didn¡¯t matter. Enoch could feel a very strong magical energy flowing from the mountain range below. CH 32 Damon nervously eyed Enoch. Weak magic would attract monsters, but strong and dark magic would make weak monsters run away. Therefore, only a few strong and dangerous monsters lived there. That¡¯s why Damon had always been reluctant to go down there. In the meantime, Enoch quietly gave orders. ¡°You go and tell the Imperial Knights about this.¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, yes, Your Highness!¡± With only those words, Enoch flew down. Damon pondered whether he should follow him or not but decided to carry out his orders. He¡¯d only be a hindrance if he weren¡¯t ready for the monsters. As soon as Damon made his decision, he started running fast. Something was off here. I didn¡¯t have any special abilities, but I could feel it. All of the grass was dead, and even the occasional tree with leaves looked like it was about to die soon. It looked like an epidemic had spread. No matter how much I walked, this place, where even the wind seemed to have stopped, looked the same, making me feel as if I¡¯ve been wandering in the same place the whole time. It was definitely the same mountain, but it felt so different. With the dagger in my hand, I scratched a tree. The scratched wood began to rot quickly. The effect confused me for a moment until I remembered what Rupert had explained earlier. He said that this dagger was poisonous and could kill any living thing instantly. Even so, I had no idea that it would rot so quickly when I only scratched it so slightly. I felt like I had to be careful not to let the blade touch my body. Advertisements At that moment, raindrops began to fall one by one from the sky. ¡°Ha, this is crazy.¡± And soon, the rain started pouring. I hurriedly looked for shelter from the rain but couldn¡¯t find a place to go. So, I didn¡¯t run. My body¡¯s already exhausted. It was clear I was going to get wet whether I ran or walked. Finally, after a long trek, I reached a rocky mountain. ¡°Hmm? A cave?¡± At the bottom of the rocky mountain, there was a small cave hidden by the bushes. Maybe I should go in there and start again when the rain stops? In fact, on my way, the heavy raindrops had gotten lighter. It seemed like it would stop soon. As I was contemplating what to do, I heard loud footsteps behind me. I looked back in surprise. ¡°What¡­¡± A giant? Or a monster? I couldn¡¯t immediately tell what it was, but a monster that walked on two legs like a human was staring at me and drooling. It was twice the size of an average human. Alarm bells started ringing in my mind. Before I could think further, the monster opened its arms and attacked me. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t that fast, perhaps because of its large size. So I managed to swerve to the side. What now? What should I do? Erin¡¯s body was weaker than my body in my old world. It was never suitable for battle. I glanced at the dagger in my hand. Could I stab the monster with this? I wracked my brain to recall the information I had read in the Monster Encyclopedia. At first glance, the monster¡¯s skin looked tough. I thought about running away, but if I made a sound when I escaped, Erin¡¯s legs couldn¡¯t outrun that monster. Fortunately, the monster seemed to have terrible eyesight, so after I dodged it, it sniffed for a long time to find me. I held the dagger with both hands and sneaked up behind the monster. This monster was probably an ogre. And if the information I found in the encyclopedia was accurate, its weakness was in the back of the knee and the crotch. While the monster looked around, I dashed to it and stabbed behind its knee with the dagger. Fortunately, I hit the right target. Advertisements The ogre screamed and struggled to catch me. I stepped back again as fast as I could. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± After stabbing it, my hands and feet trembled. Wow. I¡¯m honestly amazed that I succeeded. Where did that courage come from? When I first encountered the monster, I thought I was going to die. Calming down my trembling body, I stepped back little by little. The ogre, howling in pain and looking around, eventually found me and limped to catch me. My body, struck with fear and exhaustion, refused to move. I stood with my back to the mountain as I stared at the monster. And the moment it got closer, I closed my eyes tightly. I heard a thump, but even after waiting a long time, nothing happened to me. When I peaked, I saw that the ogre¡¯s body had turned black and was lying on its side. My eyes widened in surprise. As I approached to retrieve the dagger, I heard footsteps again. This time, however, there were quite a few. I looked around and saw monsters coming at me from all directions. Without much thought, I ran to the cave I just discovered. But after jumping into the cave in panic, I stopped. The entrance was small, and it was unlikely that such a large monster could enter. ¡°Thank¡­god,¡± I panted. My legs gave out, and I slumped to the floor. I wasn¡¯t exactly in a position to feel relaxed, but I was. I realized that I had so many regrets in life, even now that I was Erin Spilet. I could still hear the loud thumps outside the cave, but as expected, they didn¡¯t make it this far. But how long should I stay like this? I couldn¡¯t help but feel hopeless. I leaned against the wall of the cave and hugged my knees together. As I tried to relax, I realized something was strange. Since there was no light in the cave, I expected to see nothing but darkness. However, although it was a little dark, I had no problem seeing at all. Looking closely at my surroundings, I noticed that the transparent stones embedded in the walls were shining softly. I ran my hand on the nearest stone, and the light flickered. I immediately looked at the magic stone on my pendant and bracelet. They were shining, too. Advertisements ¡°This is¡­¡± My eyes widened, and my heart pounded loudly in my chest. I already knew this place before I even came to the hunting competition. I wanted to find it. It was the ¡®Magic Stone Cave¡¯. The Empire had been desperate to find this place but could never find it. So many monsters roamed the northern provinces because of the magic that this cave had been releasing. ¡°Ha¡­ha,¡± I breathed out a laugh, stunned. At this point, I couldn¡¯t say I was lucky. If I manage to survive this, I¡¯d have to inform them I found the cave once I get back. According to Imperial law, the first person to find these caves and mines would gain ownership of it. Of course, it was implied that more than half of the ore produced should be sold to the Empire. In the novel, Chloe accidentally stumbled upon the magic stone cave during the hunting competition, and thanks to that, she was awarded ownership of the cave and an honorary title. With that clue, I planned to find the cave first. I knew I couldn¡¯t do it alone, so I was going to take the opportunity and ask Enoch for help. And once I get enough money from selling the magic stones, I¡¯d try to pay off my debt and get a divorce as soon as possible. But I never thought I would be in such a dangerous place. I turned around to stare at the entrance. The shadows told me the monsters were still there. ¡°Haa¨C¡± What should I do? I didn¡¯t even have a dagger anymore. Should I use the magical effect of the pendant to escape? However, it would only last for five minutes. Even if I ran with all my might for five minutes, they¡¯d easily catch up. While biting my lips and agonizing, I heard a sound like a beast laughing deep inside the cave. I held my breath and barely turned my head to look. It was dark inside, and I couldn¡¯t see anything. Still, the fear that I experienced for the first time in my life came over me. Please, I hope I heard wrong. Feeling grateful for his past self, Enoch ran to see the bracelet. He didn¡¯t tell Erin, but Erin¡¯s bracelet had tracking magic. Of course, it was impossible to see its exact location, but the bracelet sparkled and vibrated as the distance got closer. He felt like a joke for casting that spell at that time, but now he was just grateful. At least the fact that the bracelet responded was proof that Erin was still alive. ¡°It¡¯s definitely near here¡­¡± Enoch hurried towards the direction where he heard loud footsteps. When he looked closely, there was a dead ogre. He couldn¡¯t recognize it immediately because its skin turned black. A group of ogres gathered in one corner and pushed their heads towards the rocky mountain. Advertisements Suddenly, he had a hunch. Enoch raised an arm. He didn¡¯t have much time. In an instant, clouds gathered in the dry sky, and a thunderbolt fell toward the group of ogres. Crash¨C! The lightning struck the ogres, and they fell backward. Enoch strode toward them. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air. ¡°What were you looking at?¡± He couldn¡¯t see it from afar since the ogres blocked the view, but he found a small cave when he went closer. Enoch hurriedly looked at his bracelet. The magic stone embedded in the bracelet trembled like crazy and blinked rapidly. ¡°Ha, found you.¡± Enoch didn¡¯t hesitate to jump into the cave. It was strange that the cave was bright, but he decided not to care now. He needed to rush to Erin. ¡®Please.¡¯ There was so much magic in the cave that it was almost suffocating. Enoch, a wizard, was more sensitive to magic than anyone else. In addition, since he¡¯d used advanced magic without preparation, his mana was out of control. His head continued to throb. Enoch, who was about to go further inside, faltered at the sight in front of him. He couldn¡¯t even scream. Erin sobbed as a monster tried to possess her. Enoch immediately knew what that meant. ¡®Mental attack.¡¯ The monster wriggled its black tentacles and was about to swallow Erin with its large open mouth. Enoch ran without delay and cut off the tentacles that wrapped around Erin¡¯s limbs with his sword. After catching Erin, Enoch placed her a little further away. ¡°Count, Count Spilet.¡± He shook her to wake her up, but Erin was still wandering in her dream. CH 33 When I first opened my eyes, everything was pitch black. I closed my eyes again, and I had to squint at the overwhelming feast of light when I opened it again. I was suddenly in the corner of a hall at a ball and wearing an old dress. Chloe stood in the center where the light shone brightest, and Rupert was on her right with his arm around her shoulder. That was a familiar view. However, the person holding Chloe¡¯s hand on the left was Enoch. ¡°¡­Why?¡± Why was Enoch holding Chloe¡¯s hand? He looked at Chloe with eyes full of adoration as he asked her for a dance. Chloe looked to Rupert for permission and went to Enoch. They looked so lovingly at each other. My heart sank. Why was Enoch over there? No, no. Enoch was originally the second lead. Did he end up liking Chloe just like he did in the novel? But¡­ since when? A beautiful melody flowed, and Enoch and Chloe faced each other in the center of the hall and began to dance. Then, leaving them behind, Rupert approached me. Advertisements He showed the same cynical expression he had when we first met. ¡°Erin Spilet.¡± I wanted to answer, but my voice didn¡¯t come out. Rupert continued to talk as if I wasn¡¯t sputtering and struggling to speak. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we met again after the divorce. Have you settled your debts?¡± Divorce? Debt? What do you mean? Still, no words came out. Rupert smiled as he looked towards the side door of the ballroom. ¡°I don¡¯t think it worked out well. Ah, they¡¯re here to catch you, Erin Spilet,¡± He whispered sullenly in my ear, then turned again and walked towards the center. Enoch, who was dancing with Chloe, handed over her hand to Rupert again. For a moment, Enoch¡¯s gaze drifted towards me. ¡°Count, this is your destiny.¡± I could clearly understand what he was saying even though I only saw the shape of his mouth from afar. And I was soon dragged out of the ballroom by some burly men. A deep sense of helplessness took over me again. It was familiar and scary. As soon as I was forced into the carriage, my vision darkened again. My mind went blank before coming back again. ¡°This is¡­¡± My voice was back. But the place I was in was strangely unfamiliar yet familiar. I looked around and realized this was my room. No, not Erin¡¯s room, but the room that I lived in my previous life. Half-drunk bottles of soju and medicine bags littered the floor in one corner of the room, and there was me with a pale face lying on the bed. So, I¡­ I couldn¡¯t remember my name. If that¡¯s me, then who was this me standing and watching right now? The door swung open. My parents rushed to the bed and shook me, but I didn¡¯t respond. I was dead. I had assumed that¡¯s what happened, but it was sad and frightening to see it in person like this. Did I really die like that? In a ridiculous and vain way? Suddenly, a cold energy enveloped my body. My body shivered from the chill. Advertisements ¡®Count¡­!¡¯ ¡®Erin! Count Erin Spilet!¡¯ Someone called me desperately. I was cold, tired, and sleepy. But his voice continued to call me, so I was forced to open my eyes. ¡°Ah¡­¡± As soon as I opened my eyes, I jumped up at the sight I saw. I was still in a cave, and someone was fighting the black monster I had faced earlier. ¡°Count, are you awake!¡± Enoch was the main character. Enoch¡­ how was Enoch here? But he looked exhausted. No matter how much he cut the monster with a knife, it regenerated and attacked him. Why wasn¡¯t he using magic? Was something wrong? Anyway, I should help him. ¡°Please hang in there!¡± I ran out of the cave. I was surprised to see the corpses of the ogres outside, but I didn¡¯t slow down and went straight to the body of the first dead ogre. There I pulled out my dagger then ran back into the cave. ¡°¡­Your Highness!¡± Enoch was really being pushed back. His sword had been split in two, and Enoch was on the ground and fighting off the monster with magic. But, at first glance, it didn¡¯t seem like he was using strong magic since it barely damaged the beast. The demon opened its large mouth and tried to swallow him. I thought it would be too late if I ran there myself. ¡°Your Highness! Catch!¡± I threw the dagger at him with all my might. Fortunately, Enoch heard me and grabbed the dagger that had fallen beside him. He then stabbed the monster. At that moment, the monster¡¯s terrifying scream echoed throughout the cave. The monster didn¡¯t die right away but ran wild. Worried that Enoch would get hurt, I ran and jumped on him to wrap my arms around him, then grabbed my pendant. A transparent shield formed and wrapped around us. Five minutes. I hope it dies in five minutes. I gripped the pendant so tightly that the string broke. But I didn¡¯t let go and kept holding it. Meanwhile, the screams and anger of the monster continued over the shield. ¡°Count.¡± As I was trembling above him, Enoch¡¯s hand patted my back. Then he stretched his other hand out of the shield. Advertisements Enoch chanted an incantation in a barely audible voice, ¡°Esto Glacias.¡± The hand that was stroking my back hugged me tightly. I could tell he had used some magic. I thought the surrounding air was getting cold, but the monster, which had been running loudly, became quiet. I could hear Enoch¡¯s beating heart in the now silent cave. Slowly, I got up, and our eyes met. Under the soft light emitted by the magic stone, beautiful emerald-colored eyes stared back at me. My gripped hands relaxed, and the pendant fell to the floor. Feeling a little dazed, I looked at his eyes, nose, and lips, and then I saw the corners of his lips drawing an arc. ¡°Are you going to stay like that? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m more than happy to accept it.¡± His words made me realize our current position. I laid on top of him, my full weight on him. ¡°N-no!¡± I jumped off of him in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± He was still lying on his back with a smile on his face. I looked away to hide my red face. The monster was frozen in place. Not only that but the whole area was covered with thin ice. Seeing that reminded me of something. ¡°Ah¡­ Did you not use magic on purpose?¡± ¡°You¡¯d need to use powerful magic to catch a thing like that. But in such a small place, using such magic could hurt Count, or even me. Normally, I would have adjusted the range, but¡­¡± Enoch¡¯s words trailed off. Finally, he smiled as if in trouble but did not get up and lay still. It was then that I realized that his condition was different from usual. His clothes were torn everywhere, and blood seeped out of them. ¡°Your Highness, your wound¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m okay. A moment, Count.¡± I ignored him and took off his top. ¡°¡­Uck.¡± He had spear-like wounds around his torso and chest. In this state¡­ How the hell did you fight? Besides, I couldn¡¯t believe I was lying down on someone like this. Enoch turned his head in embarrassment and murmured, ¡°I usually heal quickly, but I¡¯m covered in monster blood¡­ so it might take a while. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. It will heal over time.¡± My heart ached at his words. ¡°But¡­ It hurts.¡± Enoch was speechless. What should I do? Who should I call? But how? In what way? It was already dark outside the cave. Enoch stayed on the floor and watched Erin silently. She took out her handkerchief and carefully wiped his wounds. Viscount Therien was probably looking for him, and Damon must have already informed the Imperial Knights, so they¡¯re looking for him, too. Advertisements He had enough energy to go out and let them know he was here somehow, but Enoch remained silent. It¡¯s because Erin¡¯s gaze, looking at him as if it¡¯s breaking her heart, was quite satisfying. It actually hurt quite a bit. If Erin hadn¡¯t embraced him, he might have fainted and could not have used the final magic. Erin, who was wiping blood, tilted her head. ¡°The wound¡­ How weird. It¡¯s getting better¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± At Erin¡¯s wounds, Enoch glanced at his wounds. His wounds really were healing. Not long ago, when he was hit by an arrow stained with monster blood, his injury also recovered faster than usual. Did he now have the ability to defeat the blood of monsters? If not¡­ Enoch slowly sat up and stared at Erin. ¡°Uh¡­ Is it okay if I get up?¡± The brooch on her chest caught Enoch¡¯s eye. ¡°What is that?¡± When Enoch nodded his head towards it, Erin took off the brooch and showed it to her. ¡°To keep monsters from getting close¡­ Hmm? Why is the color like this?¡± ¡°What color was it originally?¡± ¡°It was black¡­ The color has faded a lot.¡± ¡°May I take a look?¡± Enoch looked at the brooch that Erin had given him. He knew as soon as he touched it¨C this was a magic stone full of monster blood. ¡°¡­Weak monsters would definitely not come.¡± Weaker monsters don¡¯t come close because they¡¯re instinctively afraid of the stronger monster¡¯s blood. However, beasts that exceed a certain level could be attracted to it. ¡°Rupert gave it to me. I honestly don¡¯t know why he did.¡± ¡°¡­Rupert did, huh.¡± He couldn¡¯t figure out what the faded color meant. Then, suddenly, Enoch thought of the possible connection between the healing of his wounds and the faded brooch. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Erin carefully called out. Enoch stood up without answering and began to look around. This was a magic stone cave. When Enoch first came here, he was suffocating with the magic that each of the magic stones emitted. But now, the magic has faded quite a bit. With meaningful eyes, Enoch turned to Erin again. CH 34 It was in the middle of the night, in a dangerous forest. In the dangerous area of the forest that¡¯s always been quiet, another group wandering after the first one left. Unlike the group before, this one wasn¡¯t concerned about dangerous monsters. In the first place, the creatures ran away as soon as they appeared, so there wasn¡¯t any chance to run into each other. ¡°Point with your hand.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Among the group, a pale woman was carried by someone wearing a black robe. When the woman barely raised her hand and pointed in a specific direction, a man walked towards it. The bearded man growled, ¡°Can¡¯t you point properly? You know I can¡¯t tolerate useless people.¡± ¡°There, that way. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s there¡­ Broken¡­¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t find it, I¡¯ll feed you alive to the monsters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man stared at her in disbelief before giving orders. ¡°Go and check.¡± At the man¡¯s command, his men moved in unison toward the direction the woman pointed. There was no pity in the man¡¯s eyes as he watched her pant. As the man¡¯s short patience revealed its limit, a voice came from the direction the woman was pointing. ¡°I found it!¡± Advertisements The man smirked and went there. So did the knight carrying a woman. But when he found the ogres¡¯ bodies at the entrance to the cave, he frowned. ¡°What? Why are these big guys dead here?¡± One of his subordinates answered the man¡¯s question, ¡°Big monsters sometimes fight with each other in their territory. They probably died fighting each other.¡± ¡°Of all places, in front of this¡­¡± Clicking his tongue, the man hastened his steps because there were more urgent matters. The cave was small enough that it was unnoticeable unless one looked closely. The entrance was small, but once inside, it was quite spacious. Above all, ores glimmering were embedded in the cave walls and ceiling. ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s here. I¡¯ve been searching for it for so long, but now I¡¯ve found it,¡± The man murmured with great joy, stroking the glowing ore with his hand. ¡°These are all magic stones. Amazing, just amazing. Lol, put it down on the floor! Hah, put her down.¡± The knight carrying the woman roughly lowered her to the floor. The bearded man kicked the woman and said, ¡°You go in first. You summoned the monster, so shouldn¡¯t you check it out first?¡± The woman leaned against the wall as she tried to stand, but eventually, she fell again. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± The woman looked at the man with sad eyes, but the man seemed unmoved. The woman eventually had to crawl because of the man¡¯s glare. Advertisements The man walked two steps behind the woman, never closer. He looked wary, as if there was something dangerous inside. But, on the other hand, he eyed the gemstones embedded in the wall ecstatically. The woman crawled to a darker place and directly checked the corpse that had fallen to the floor. Unfortunately, the monster¡¯s corpse decayed rapidly, making it almost impossible to recognize its original form. ¡°¡­As expected, he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Tsk, a pity. But it¡¯s been proven that monsters can find magic stone caves.¡± Although monsters themselves emitted magic energy, they also required a large amount of magic energy. The place with the most magic in this world other than the Demon Realm was this Magic Stone Cave.* Therefore, they argued that if a monster released its magic, it would visit the cave on its own to survive.* ¡°¡­King, stop it¡­ Cough¨C.¡± The woman collapsed, coughing as if she coudn¡¯t stand it any longer. She was pale and weak, looking like she could die at any moment. It was because she had used up all her energy summoning monsters. ¡°What a weakling.¡± The man approached the woman and clicked his tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t like the speed of your work, but you¡¯re useful anyway, so I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°¡­Uck, Thank you.¡± The man grabbed her chin to lift her head up and bent his waist to meet her eyes. Their lips briefly met, and when they broke apart, dark energy that they could not swallow spread around them. When the man straightened, the woman¡¯s complexion was much better than before. ¡°That woman, Rupert¡¯s wife, who fell?¡± Advertisements ¡°After she fell into this forest¡­¡± The woman touched the floor and found a necklace with a pendant the same shape as the ring she was wearing. She then recalled Rupert¡¯s words. The woman smirked. ¡°¡­she seems to have become food for the monsters here.¡± ¡°Oh, my. How unfortunate. She was a pretty kid.¡± The man fiddled with his beard, looking disappointed yet pleased. ¡°Then, nothing more is in your way.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still the Duke.¡± ¡°Proceed gently and unnoticed. He¡¯s a weak old man anyway.¡± At the end of that order, the man grabbed the woman¡¯s hand and pulled her up before disappearing in a small storm. ¡®I¡¯m scared.¡¯ I had a dream that long tentacles rushed in, clenched my limbs, and gnawed at my heart. The monster had already died, but I continued to suffer from the after-effects of the monster¡¯s mental attack. As I struggled to wake up from the nightmare, I felt someone holding my hand. My body was hot and cold, and I was in pain. ¡°It¡¯s fine now. Don¡¯t worry about anything,¡± I heard a reassuring voice next to me. I felt my breathing slow, and I fell into a deep sleep once more. Later, the fragrance of herbs woke me up. I was conscious, but my body felt so heavy that I couldn¡¯t open my eyes yet. ¡°Tell her to take this medicine when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I could hear two people talking seriously. One was obviously Enoch, but the other person¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t familiar to me. ¡°Then, this brooch¡­ Surely¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Your Highness. I will go to the temple and request it.¡± My eyelids were still heavy. Advertisements I wanted to sleep more because I liked hearing Enoch¡¯s voice next to me. I still remember going out of the cave with Enoch¡­ and he hugged me. Huh? The sudden shame I felt made me bolt up from the bed. The two people sitting and talking to each other next to me jumped in surprise. ¡°Are you awake, Count?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Your Highness.¡± As expected, Enoch was sitting nearby, and guessing by the man¡¯s attire beside him, the other man was a priest. Did he come here for treatment? ¡°My name is Antonio.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Erin¡­ Spilet.¡± For a moment, I debated between ¡®Clifford¡¯ and ¡®Spilet¡¯ and ended up choosing the latter. My decision to file for divorce early had finally solidified; besides, Enoch always called me that. Come to think of it; it seemed like priests also served as doctors in this world. Saving lives was a sacred duty or something. ¡°You still have a slight fever and bruises in some places, but fortunately, there are no major injuries. It¡¯s a relief it¡¯s nothing too bad.¡± As I listened to his explanation, I could see traces of healing wounds all over my body, including my wrists. All of those injuries were from falling down the hill. Monsters also attacked me, but it was surprising that I suffered no injuries from it. Was it all just metal attacks? Still, I was relieved to hear that I didn¡¯t sustain serious injuries. I had a lot of work to do in the future, and it would be a waste to spend a long time lying in bed because of pain. Enoch handed me a cup that contained the medicinal herbs that I¡¯d smelled a while ago. I didn¡¯t like bitter things¡­ When I peeked at them, they were both staring at me. In the end, I only handed back the cup after drinking it all. ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Even after I thanked him, he continued to stare at me. Finally, when he met my puzzled eyes, he smiled happily but said nothing. Advertisements ¡°Father?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you a definitive answer because I haven¡¯t looked closely, but you seem to have a slightly different energy from other people. If you have any questions later, please stop by the temple.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Maybe he knew that I was a soul from another world? That was the only thing different about me. Father Antonio showed a benevolent smile once more and stood up. ¡°Your Highness, I shall take my leave.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡± After saying goodbye to the priest, Enoch immediately sat back down and tried to touch my forehead. I instinctively pulled back. His hand froze in the air, looking embarrassed, and I looked away, just as flustered. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He must have been trying to check my temperature, but I still couldn¡¯t get over the shame of sleeping in his arms, so I reacted sensitively by myself. Enoch gestured towards my forehead, waiting for me to give my consent. When I felt his cool hand on my skin, I could see that I really was feverish. ¡°Um, I, I guess I fell asleep¡­¡± ¡°Yes. You should sleep a little more. It¡¯s still dawn.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I looked around and realized it wasn¡¯t my barracks. When I turned to Enoch, about to ask him where we were, he smiled sheepishly and said, ¡°I was in a hurry, so I brought you somewhere else.¡± ¡°Why? Is it too far to go to the headquarters?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that.¡± I glanced around, but Enoch tried to make me sit down again. ¡°For now, you should take a break. I¡¯ll tell you after you sleep.¡± I was curious, but as he said, I was so exhausted that I couldn¡¯t talk anymore. Enoch pulled the blanket to my neck, and I fell asleep, feeling his presence by my side. *I¡¯m not 100% sure about the translations, so take it with a grain of salt. CH 35 It was in the middle of the night, in a dangerous forest. In the dangerous area of the forest that¡¯s always been quiet, another group wandering after the first one left. Unlike the group before, this one wasn¡¯t concerned about dangerous monsters. In the first place, the creatures ran away as soon as they appeared, so there wasn¡¯t any chance to run into each other. ¡°Point with your hand.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Among the group, a pale woman was carried by someone wearing a black robe. When the woman barely raised her hand and pointed in a specific direction, a man walked towards it. The bearded man growled, ¡°Can¡¯t you point properly? You know I can¡¯t tolerate useless people.¡± ¡°There, that way. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s there¡­ Broken¡­¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t find it, I¡¯ll feed you alive to the monsters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man stared at her in disbelief before giving orders. ¡°Go and check.¡± At the man¡¯s command, his men moved in unison toward the direction the woman pointed. There was no pity in the man¡¯s eyes as he watched her pant. As the man¡¯s short patience revealed its limit, a voice came from the direction the woman was pointing. ¡°I found it!¡± The man smirked and went there. So did the knight carrying a woman. But when he found the ogres¡¯ bodies at the entrance to the cave, he frowned. ¡°What? Why are these big guys dead here?¡± One of his subordinates answered the man¡¯s question, ¡°Big monsters sometimes fight with each other in their territory. They probably died fighting each other.¡± ¡°Of all places, in front of this¡­¡± Clicking his tongue, the man hastened his steps because there were more urgent matters. Advertisements The cave was small enough that it was unnoticeable unless one looked closely. The entrance was small, but once inside, it was quite spacious. Above all, ores glimmering were embedded in the cave walls and ceiling. ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s here. I¡¯ve been searching for it for so long, but now I¡¯ve found it,¡± The man murmured with great joy, stroking the glowing ore with his hand. ¡°These are all magic stones. Amazing, just amazing. Lol, put it down on the floor! Hah, put her down.¡± The knight carrying the woman roughly lowered her to the floor. The bearded man kicked the woman and said, ¡°You go in first. You summoned the monster, so shouldn¡¯t you check it out first?¡± The woman leaned against the wall as she tried to stand, but eventually, she fell again. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± The woman looked at the man with sad eyes, but the man seemed unmoved. The woman eventually had to crawl because of the man¡¯s glare. The man walked two steps behind the woman, never closer. He looked wary, as if there was something dangerous inside. But, on the other hand, he eyed the gemstones embedded in the wall ecstatically. The woman crawled to a darker place and directly checked the corpse that had fallen to the floor. Unfortunately, the monster¡¯s corpse decayed rapidly, making it almost impossible to recognize its original form. ¡°¡­As expected, he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Tsk, a pity. But it¡¯s been proven that monsters can find magic stone caves.¡± Although monsters themselves emitted magic energy, they also required a large amount of magic energy. The place with the most magic in this world other than the Demon Realm was this Magic Stone Cave.* Therefore, they argued that if a monster released its magic, it would visit the cave on its own to survive.* ¡°¡­King, stop it¡­ Cough¨C.¡± The woman collapsed, coughing as if she coudn¡¯t stand it any longer. She was pale and weak, looking like she could die at any moment. It was because she had used up all her energy summoning monsters. ¡°What a weakling.¡± The man approached the woman and clicked his tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t like the speed of your work, but you¡¯re useful anyway, so I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°¡­Uck, Thank you.¡± The man grabbed her chin to lift her head up and bent his waist to meet her eyes. Their lips briefly met, and when they broke apart, dark energy that they could not swallow spread around them. When the man straightened, the woman¡¯s complexion was much better than before. ¡°That woman, Rupert¡¯s wife, who fell?¡± Advertisements ¡°After she fell into this forest¡­¡± The woman touched the floor and found a necklace with a pendant the same shape as the ring she was wearing. She then recalled Rupert¡¯s words. The woman smirked. ¡°¡­she seems to have become food for the monsters here.¡± ¡°Oh, my. How unfortunate. She was a pretty kid.¡± The man fiddled with his beard, looking disappointed yet pleased. ¡°Then, nothing more is in your way.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still the Duke.¡± ¡°Proceed gently and unnoticed. He¡¯s a weak old man anyway.¡± At the end of that order, the man grabbed the woman¡¯s hand and pulled her up before disappearing in a small storm. ¡®I¡¯m scared.¡¯ I had a dream that long tentacles rushed in, clenched my limbs, and gnawed at my heart. The monster had already died, but I continued to suffer from the after-effects of the monster¡¯s mental attack. As I struggled to wake up from the nightmare, I felt someone holding my hand. My body was hot and cold, and I was in pain. ¡°It¡¯s fine now. Don¡¯t worry about anything,¡± I heard a reassuring voice next to me. I felt my breathing slow, and I fell into a deep sleep once more. Later, the fragrance of herbs woke me up. I was conscious, but my body felt so heavy that I couldn¡¯t open my eyes yet. Advertisements ¡°Tell her to take this medicine when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I could hear two people talking seriously. One was obviously Enoch, but the other person¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t familiar to me. ¡°Then, this brooch¡­ Surely¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Your Highness. I will go to the temple and request it.¡± My eyelids were still heavy. I wanted to sleep more because I liked hearing Enoch¡¯s voice next to me. I still remember going out of the cave with Enoch¡­ and he hugged me. Huh? The sudden shame I felt made me bolt up from the bed. The two people sitting and talking to each other next to me jumped in surprise. ¡°Are you awake, Count?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Your Highness.¡± As expected, Enoch was sitting nearby, and guessing by the man¡¯s attire beside him, the other man was a priest. Did he come here for treatment? ¡°My name is Antonio.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Erin¡­ Spilet.¡± For a moment, I debated between ¡®Clifford¡¯ and ¡®Spilet¡¯ and ended up choosing the latter. My decision to file for divorce early had finally solidified; besides, Enoch always called me that. Come to think of it; it seemed like priests also served as doctors in this world. Saving lives was a sacred duty or something. ¡°You still have a slight fever and bruises in some places, but fortunately, there are no major injuries. It¡¯s a relief it¡¯s nothing too bad.¡± As I listened to his explanation, I could see traces of healing wounds all over my body, including my wrists. All of those injuries were from falling down the hill. Monsters also attacked me, but it was surprising that I suffered no injuries from it. Was it all just metal attacks? Still, I was relieved to hear that I didn¡¯t sustain serious injuries. I had a lot of work to do in the future, and it would be a waste to spend a long time lying in bed because of pain. Enoch handed me a cup that contained the medicinal herbs that I¡¯d smelled a while ago. I didn¡¯t like bitter things¡­ When I peeked at them, they were both staring at me. In the end, I only handed back the cup after drinking it all. ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Even after I thanked him, he continued to stare at me. Finally, when he met my puzzled eyes, he smiled happily but said nothing. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you a definitive answer because I haven¡¯t looked closely, but you seem to have a slightly different energy from other people. If you have any questions later, please stop by the temple.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Maybe he knew that I was a soul from another world? That was the only thing different about me. Father Antonio showed a benevolent smile once more and stood up. ¡°Your Highness, I shall take my leave.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡± After saying goodbye to the priest, Enoch immediately sat back down and tried to touch my forehead. I instinctively pulled back. His hand froze in the air, looking embarrassed, and I looked away, just as flustered. Advertisements ¡°Ah¡­¡± He must have been trying to check my temperature, but I still couldn¡¯t get over the shame of sleeping in his arms, so I reacted sensitively by myself. Enoch gestured towards my forehead, waiting for me to give my consent. When I felt his cool hand on my skin, I could see that I really was feverish. ¡°Um, I, I guess I fell asleep¡­¡± ¡°Yes. You should sleep a little more. It¡¯s still dawn.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I looked around and realized it wasn¡¯t my barracks. When I turned to Enoch, about to ask him where we were, he smiled sheepishly and said, ¡°I was in a hurry, so I brought you somewhere else.¡± ¡°Why? Is it too far to go to the headquarters?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that.¡± I glanced around, but Enoch tried to make me sit down again. ¡°For now, you should take a break. I¡¯ll tell you after you sleep.¡± I was curious, but as he said, I was so exhausted that I couldn¡¯t talk anymore. Enoch pulled the blanket to my neck, and I fell asleep, feeling his presence by my side. CH 36 ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± Until this time, Rupert had been wandering in the mountains alone. It was around the time the sun came up. He wandered all night looking for Erin, but he finally gave up and decided to trek down today. He couldn¡¯t stop walking, but he realized he couldn¡¯t do it on his own. Sweat coated his whole body. ¡®I need help.¡¯ Throughout his search, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking of Erin¡¯s eyes¨Call that resentment¨Cwhen she fell. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to save Chloe. But it shouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡®She was closer to the cliff.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t about who was more precious; it was about saving someone in more danger. Aside from his recent feelings for Erin, making eye contact with a falling person brought him endless guilt. Just then, he heard a familiar voice behind him. From beyond the rustling bushes, Chloe¡¯s voice called out to Rupert. ¡°Rupert¡­!¡± Rupert looked back in disbelief. It was the voice of someone he never expected to be here. Advertisements ¡°Chloe, how did you get here?¡± ¡°I was so worried that I couldn¡¯t just lie down. You went out and didn¡¯t return for a long time, and Madam¡­¡± ¡°However, did you come up all the way here alone?¡± ¡°No. My knights and I will help you.¡± Rupert bowed slightly to the man walking from behind Chloe. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Your Highness, Prince Breiman? Why are you in the mountains? This is a dangerous area.¡± ¡°I told the Lady to stay at the barracks because I¡¯ll look for you, but she was worried. She couldn¡¯t help but follow along.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Rupert muttered, unsure, but Chloe hurriedly pulled something out of her arms and showed it to him. ¡°Rupert, it doesn¡¯t matter how I got here. Look at this.¡± ¡°This is¡­?¡± Rupert looked closely at the necklace and pendant swaying before his eyes. In the center of the hexagonal star was a sparkling jewel. It was the necklace Erin was wearing. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± Rupert stared at Chloe, his eyes wide. Chloe¡¯s face crumpled, and her voice cracked as she said, ¡°¡­While we were searching, we saw a cave, and I went in, and this was there¡­¡± ¡°Cave? In a cave?¡± ¡°The corpse of a monster was there, too. Ha, how is that thing going around in the Empire? Fortunately, it was dead.¡± Rupert¡¯s face hardened when he heard the word ¡®monster.¡¯ Monsters could never go alone. Moreover, it quickly died when there was no magic. ¡°That was the magic stone cave, Rupert. Perhaps Madam¡­ to the monster¡­¡± ¡°Stop, stop! That can¡¯t be true,¡± Rupert yelled at Chloe, who had started crying. Advertisements Prince Breiman¡¯s and Chloe¡¯s eyes met for a moment while he ripped his hair out in agony. ¡°¡­Rupert, Rupert.¡± Whimpering, Chloe clung to his arm. ¡°No, no¡­ How¡­! How could a monster be there? No, I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Rupert ran back up the mountain with the necklace in his hand. Behind him, Chloe called out to him. ¡°Rupert¡­!¡± Behind him, Breiman scoffed. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t died, he would have fallen for her.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so confident right now if I were you. Especially when I see him running up like that.¡± ¡°¡­ it¡¯s because he¡¯s a righteous man,¡± Chloe whispered as she looked towards the mountain Rupert had climbed. Prince Breiman also stared but quickly turned away, unconcerned. Rupert eventually found a cave in the rocky mountain. He passed by the entrance a few times, but he¡¯d avoided it, thinking Erin couldn¡¯t possibly be there because there were ogre corpses piled up in front of it. ¡°No¡­¡± Rupert continued to deny it as he walked into the cave. Before he could admire the sparkling magic stones, he discovered the corpse of a monster deep inside. Running there, Rupert checked again and again. The dead body was already rotting, the area smelling of decomposition. ¡°The monster, why¡­ Here?¡± It was strange that a monster was here, and he still couldn¡¯t believe that Erin had died here. However, the necklace in his hand was clearly Erin¡¯s. Rupert collapsed in despair. ¡°I didn¡¯t hate you that much, I didn¡¯t,¡± He muttered into the air. He didn¡¯t really hate her. However, it was not long since he spent time with her to grieve. But his heart ached as if he was being suffocated. Rupert closed his eyes tightly at the belated sense of loss. ¡®I will never see the eyes that have always followed me.¡¯ It was burdensome, and he thought he disliked it. Erin Spilet was such a cumbersome existence to him. But she was also the only one. When he stood next to the Crown Prince, when everyone¡¯s eyes were on Enoch, Erin looked at him the whole time. He remembered every moment he turned away from her gaze. And after they¡¯d gotten married, it ended even before he could realize that how he felt about her had changed. Rupert exhaled loudly, his arm still on the floor. Still, the frustration did not go away. He was even more frustrated because he didn¡¯t cry. Advertisements When I woke up, this time, Lia was sleeping next to me. I saw the sunlight leaking from outside, and heard the sounds of people buzzing about. It was probably already midday. I shook my arms and legs and repeatedly wiggled my fingers and toes. My body didn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought, and my clothes were dry. I think someone changed my clothes while I was sleeping. ¡°Lia.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Hmm.¡± ¡°Lia, wake up.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Ah, Madam? You¡¯re awake?¡± I sat up and turned my shoulders and neck once. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine now. What time is it now? Where are we?¡± Realizing that it was still not my barracks but where I slept last night, Lia looked around like me and said, ¡°It¡¯s about noon now. I think this is a camp where His Highness stays separately.¡­ His Highness brought me here at dawn yesterday to take care of Madam.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell where it was from the inside. ¡°Wait¡­ Help me out.¡± With Lia¡¯s help, I got down from the bed, put on my slippers, and stood. The room still spun, but I seemed fine. Considering Erin¡¯s physical strength and hardships yesterday, this was pretty good. ¡°Are you going out? We¡¯re in the middle of the mountains. There¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s well-hidden, so when I came and saw it, I didn¡¯t even know there was a barracks here.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just lie down. I don¡¯t know where I am, so I have to look.¡± Despite her persuasion, I persisted. Embarrassed, Lia said as she supported me, ¡°At the camp at the headquarters, I just found out that Madam was gone. Everyone was looking for you¡­¡± ¡°Did you not know that they found me?¡± ¡°I only did when I came here.¡± I still haven¡¯t quite figured out what¡¯s going on. At that moment, the shade lifted slightly. ¡°Count, may I come in?¡± ¡°Your Highness, please.¡± Advertisements I was about to look for him, but fortunately, he came. Lia assisted me back on the bed and left without notice. Enoch sat on the chair opposite me and said, ¡°How is your body?¡± ¡°It¡¯s improved a lot. To be honest, it¡¯s almost the same as usual. How can I get so much better in just one day?¡± ¡°Father Antonio has one of the best healing powers within the Empire. Furthermore, it¡¯s because the Count wasn¡¯t seriously injured.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ Ah, right. I¡¯m not the problem.¡± I stared at Enoch, who was wearing a robe that was neatly buttoned to his neck. ¡°Your Highness, are you alright? The wound was deep.¡± Without realizing it, I reached out to the button and grabbed the collar. Then he smiled and gently grabbed my hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m all better.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Is that so.¡± It was then that I realized that I had tried to strip Enoch again and withdrew my hand. Even if things were dire at the cave, it¡¯s not the same situation as it was then, was it? He¡¯s probably better, right? I narrowed my eyes as I stared at him, and finally acquiesced when Enoch nodded. After all, even I had gotten better right away. ¡°I have something to tell you, Count. Unfortunately, I might be busy in the evening, so I might not have a chance to say it.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± Wearing a uniform meant that a person of higher rank than the Crown Prince was coming here. And there were only two such people in this Empire¨Cthe Emperor and the Empress. ¡°His Majesty said that he will be escorted here in haste.¡± ¡°Does he usually attend hunting competitions?¡± ¡°No, he usually doesn¡¯t. Only the Crown Prince and the other royals participate, and then they go back to the Imperial Palace and receive His Majesty¡¯s congratulations.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°The report has arrived at the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°What report?¡± Enoch tapped a finger on his lap a couple of times. I was frustrated, but I held back from rushing him. ¡°It was a report that someone discovered the magic stone cave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t Count.¡± CH 37 ¡°Unbelievable¡­! I definitely saw it first!¡± I was about to jump up in indignation when Enoch gently grabbed my shoulder to guide me back to my seat. I looked up at him with my eyes wide open. ¡°Your Highness was also there. Won¡¯t you be my witness?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll tell them what I saw. But my words alone have its limits. If two people claim to have discovered the magic stone mine, we will have to decide which one did first.¡± His words calmed my rage, and I blinked. ¡°Is there a way to do it?¡± ¡°At the camp¡­ Rumors are circulating that the Count has died. Not many know it yet, but soon everyone will.¡± I listened to him and thought for a moment. There¡¯s probably a reason why Enoch was doing this. ¡°Then, are you deliberately hiding that I¡¯m alive here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°People who said they found the magic stone cave¡­ Do you think they accidentally discovered it?¡± The prince nodded slowly. I looked into his serious emerald eyes and bit my lower lip. For a moment, Enoch avoided looking at my lips. Then, when he turned away, I saw how red his ears were. What¡¯s wrong with him? ¡°When will you reveal it?¡± Advertisements ¡°There will be a full-scale cleanup operation tonight. And when His Majesty the Emperor arrives after tomorrow¡¯s score tally, I will come to pick up the Count.¡± ¡°Ah, the cleanup operation¡­ So, tonight¡¯s the full-fledged hunting competition.¡± Enoch didn¡¯t answer me, but opened his mouth with more difficulty than staring at me. ¡°This time¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± I didn¡¯t know what he was apologizing for, but I soon realized that it was about the hunting contest score. You¡¯re sorry this time, so what? Was there a next time? By the way, I thought I read somewhere that Ladies usually gave something to knights who participated in such events to wish them luck. Did I have anything? I moved my hand under my neck, then remembered losing my necklace in the cave. What a waste. In the end, I closed my lips and nodded without giving anything. I understood him, but he seemed to have thought otherwise. He seemed bewildered for a moment, then answered with a more refreshed face than before. ¡°I only thought of it from my point of view. All right. If that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I licked my lips, unsure of what he was saying, then I saw him turn his gaze back to my lips. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll be on my way, Count.¡± Somehow as if he was holding back something, he said goodbye with the sound of his teeth grinding. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± He held up a palm as if to stop me from standing. Then he suddenly turned his head and jumped up from his seat. Although he looked calm, he seemed to be in a hurry. ¡°Ah, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lia, who was about to enter, ran into the Prince and so she greeted him. As soon as he acknowledged her, he went out of the barracks. ¡°Is His Highness not feeling well?¡± Lia tilted her head, looking in the direction where the Prince left. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°His face turned red and he left.¡± ¡°Hmm? Really?¡± ¡°But he came to pick me up yesterday and¡­¡± Lia sat on Enoch¡¯s spot. Advertisements ¡°Was he like that yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, his face was red, and he ran over and found me in a hurry¡­¡± Why would he do that? I couldn¡¯t ask. I looked at the clothes I was wearing, trying not to think too much. The wide and long sleeves didn¡¯t look like anything I owned; it looked like a man¡¯s shirt. Just in case, I asked Lia, ¡°Lia, did you change my clothes? Whose clothes are these?¡± ¡°Pardon? No? When I arrived, you were already dressed that way and asleep. Didn¡¯t Madam change her clothes by herself before sleeping?¡± Lia and I made eye contact, and my face turned red as Enoch did. No way. Then¡­ Enoch himself? Lia and I probably thought the same thing, but neither of us dared to say it. For that, I was grateful. I covered my warm cheeks in a hurry and lay back on the bed. ¡°I-I need to sleep more.¡± ¡°A-a¡­alright, Madam.¡± Lia¡¯s face was also flushed pink. What was he thinking? I can¡¯t seem to control my expression, so I turned around in a direction she couldn¡¯t see. That¡¯s right, my clothes were wet yesterday, and I couldn¡¯t lay in bed like that, so he would have probably changed it¡­ I was sure he did. The more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I became, so I pulled the blanket over my head. After covering myself with a blanket like that, I knew. I was certain I could smell Enoch¡¯s scent from the clothes I was wearing. Advertisements I sniffed the clothes, flustered, and fell asleep again until Lia came to bring me a meal. The sun was just about to set. On the wide plain on the mountainside, a full-scale hunting competition was about to begin. Despite the event, everyone somehow had a gloomy look. Incense rose from one side, with chrysanthemum flowers piled in abundance. And on the other side, Erin¡¯s necklace and her clothes were gathered and burned. Passers-by took a brief moment of silence and glanced at Rupert. Chloe, who was standing next to him, also wiped away her tears and looked at Rupert. ¡°¡­Rupert.¡± Rupert stood clenching his fist without saying a word. This hunting competition did not stop just because a person died in the middle. It was natural to have casualties at this event, so they would usually hold a memorial service at the end of the competition instead of a funeral. However, since Erin was a high-ranking female aristocrat, her death was considered pitiful, and so they set up a small space for mourning. It was also unfortunate for Rupert. ¡°¡­Poor man. You must be so warm-hearted to be so sad.¡± Chloe gently hugged Rupert from behind. ¡°I was nervous while you were gone. I was afraid you¡¯ll get away from me¡­ But I really didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡± Rupert, who was still, stroked over her wrist, loosened her arm and looked back. ¡°But you still have me, Rupert. Cheer up.¡± Rupert responded weakly to her words, ¡°Yes, I will. Thank you for your concern.¡± Frowning, Chloe stroked Rupert¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it this time. I¡¯m alright.¡± Rupert then smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s hard, but it has nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°Really¡­ Are you okay?¡± Rupert smiled bitterly at her careful prodding and nodded. ¡°Then¡­¡± Chloe hesitated, looked into his eyes, and finally opened her mouth. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t be doing this in the midst of this, but¡­ Please give me a score.¡± Rupert carefully looked into her orange eyes. It was hard to find any malice in her pretty eyes. ¡°I have something to give you, too.¡± Advertisements Now that Erin wasn¡¯t there anyway, Rupert nodded; He was giving his points to Chloe. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait.¡± Rupert¡¯s arm, which was trying to hold her, twitched and stopped mid-air. It was because he had seen that the incense in honor of Erin had not yet been half-burned. He knew that this attitude would hurt Chloe as well, but his last memory of Erin was hard to shake off. So apart from his feelings for Chloe, he didn¡¯t want to do this in front of her. Instead, he lightly stroked her brown hair and said goodbye. And with conflicting feelings brewing inside him, he went back to the headquarters. After that, Rupert tried to pull himself together, inspected the equipment, and wiped the sword. It still had traces of a fierce fight with the monster last night. Even as he wiped off the blood, he often sat still, looking blankly once in a while. Others also took care of their equipment in silence, perhaps because they were conscious of Rupert. Then someone from the Imperial Knights ran into the barracks and shouted, ¡°Come on, everyone! His Highness, the Crown Prince, will speak.¡± There was a platform in the middle of the barracks, and Crown Prince Enoch, dressed in a pristine uniform, stood there. Below, Rupert and the other knights participating in this tournament gathered and looked up at him. Prince Breiman was also below. Enoch looked at their faces and boomed, ¡°Listen, gentlemen.¡± Enoch gave a speech at the front, explaining the significance of today¡¯s competition and lifting the morale of the participating warriors. It was the day after Erin¡¯s death, but the sky was clear, and Enoch¡¯s majestic appearance underneath still shone. Rupert found it pathetic. ¡°D*mn it.¡± Rupert cursed under his breath. He must have heard about Erin by now, but how could he be so carefree? Even if it was Rupert¡¯s misunderstanding that they had a special relationship, it remained true that Enoch and Erin were friends. Her death was so difficult for Rupert, but Enoch looked fine as if it had no effect on him. ¡°I wish you all good luck. Then, let¡¯s go.¡± After Enoch¡¯s last words, the sound of a horn rang long. The sun went down, creating long blood-red waves in the sky. CH 38 Enoch jumped off the platform and came to Rupert¡¯s side. The Crown Prince didn¡¯t really have a specific team, so he was free to go with anyone. He was barely involved until the moment, and even then, he stayed in the rear. ¡°You look tired. You will have to work hard to finish it quickly and return.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of going this way?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I haven¡¯t been there yet.¡± Rupert looked closely at Enoch just in case, but he didn¡¯t look downhearted or angry at all. Somehow, it gradually angered Rupert. He really didn¡¯t want Enoch to feel the same way as him, but wasn¡¯t it too much that he seemed to have already forgotten Erin? However, Erin¡¯s husband was Rupert, not Enoch, so he kept his mouth shut because it would be strange to ask him directly, ¡®Isn¡¯t Erin¡¯s death sad?¡¯ However, he didn¡¯t have the confidence to act innocently. Enoch felt his gaze, but he tried to ignore it and moved forward. Rupert and a few people teamed up, but the rest were mostly newcomers to balance the team. Advertisements Rupert¡¯s team went up to their area and stopped. He glanced at Enoch, who shrugged and waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any.¡± The leader of this team was, of course, Rupert. At Enoch¡¯s words, he opened a map to the team members and said, ¡°Our territory is from here to here. The goal is to wipe out everything while going up. You guys go first, and I¡¯ll follow after and catch the rest.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand!¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t overdo dangerous monsters and work together to deal with them. Then, that¡¯s all.¡± When he finished speaking, the team members went up first, except for Enoch. If Rupert went up first, he would almost annihilate the monsters, leaving his team with nothing to catch. Rupert kicked the ground with his feet, holding on for a while. He had a lot to say to Enoch, but he couldn¡¯t say anything, so it was all just awkward and frustrating. Enoch, who always talked first, was also quiet today. Come to think of it, he didn¡¯t even say a few words of comfort. Did he really not hear anything? ¡°Your Highness.¡± Just as Rupert found the courage to speak, Enoch broke the silence first. ¡°Did you hear that a monster appeared?¡± ¡°I heard,¡± Rupert answered. ¡°Who do you think summoned it?¡± Rupert stared blankly for a moment before answering, unsure, ¡°Monsters that have lost their owners often appear. There are many cases where a black wizard dies after summoning one.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. But isn¡¯t it too convenient?¡± Frowning, Rupert stood speechless. Enoch looked around the forest with his back to Rupert and said calmly, ¡°The place where the monster died was in the magic stone cave. It¡¯s your lover who finds it, perhaps.¡± ¡°Monsters are supposed to follow magicians. It¡¯s not unusual since it¡¯s the place with the most concentrated mana. But why are you referring to Chloe?¡± Enoch smiled at him and shook his head. ¡°In conclusion, all of these things are good for her.¡± With Enoch relaxed attitude and tone, Rupert couldn¡¯t hold back his anger and eventually exploded. Blue eyes sparked with fury. ¡°My wife is dead. However, His Highness never mentions her, only talking about monsters and magic stone caves.¡± Then Enoch looked at Rupert as if puzzled. ¡°Did you want me to talk about her with you? I thought you¡¯d rather not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Advertisements Come to think of it, seeing Enoch grieving and grieving as much as he did could not have made him feel better. Rather, only doubts would arise regarding the Crown Prince and Erin, who was already dead. ¡°Haa, she stumbled upon it by accident. Chloe was worried about me, so she went up and found the cave. But it was just a coincidence.¡± Rupert thought that he had to get rid of Enoch¡¯s absurd doubts about Chloe. It wasn¡¯t that he had no doubts at all, but Erin was already dead, and it was inevitable. ¡°You seem to love her a lot.¡± Rupert wondered who Enoch was talking about, soon realized that it was Chloe, and didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Even if the accident was a coincidence, in the end, it was inevitable. It was going to happen someday, in some form.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s deceptive to grieve but not to dig into the suspicion of death. That¡¯s what I think.¡± After saying that, Enoch moved forward. Gripping his sword nervously, Rupert followed Enoch and climbed up the mountain. Rupert slashed the one monster that appeared in front of him and caught his breath. ¡®Deceptive? Me?¡¯ However, Enoch¡¯s suspicions were unfounded. What did Erin¡¯s death have anything to do with Chloe? He was the one who didn¡¯t catch Erin as she fell in the first place. *If he doubted Chloe now, he was truly evading responsibility. From then on, Rupert began slashing monsters with his sword at random. He also stopped caring about Enoch. Advertisements Since he focused on catching monsters, he felt less frustrated. Chloe was a loving woman he wanted to protect. She was a person who suddenly appeared one day and comforted, sympathized with, and understood himself, who had fallen into a deep well of inferiority. On the other hand, his feelings for Erin were more complicated. Whenever he felt her gaze on him, he felt burdened and wanted to hide, but on the other hand, he was proud that she was looking at him, not the Crown Prince. However, he was ashamed to think that he¡¯d show her un ugly side and so conscious of that gaze, he honed himself to look better. Erin was just watching, but she was swayed by it. That¡¯s probably why he thought of ¡®dislike¡¯ rather than ¡®like¡¯ about Erin. If the feelings for Erin had fully developed here, it would have been clear that he would never have been sweet while being obsessed with her. ¡®Rather¡­ Right, at this point.¡¯ Even though he thought so, he couldn¡¯t handle the tight feeling in his chest. Rupert swung his sword again and tried to escape from it. ¡°Whoa, Sir Clifford is amazing.¡± Viscount Therien admired him from afar. He was eager to catch one more, but Enoch, beside him, was just relaxed. ¡°So, did you find it?¡± ¡°Yes, here it is. I don¡¯t know if they were in a rush or they were daring, but it wasn¡¯t far from the road.¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Enoch followed where Viscount Therien guided him. The magician was waiting for him under a soft light. The magician tried to greet Enoch, but he raised his hand to stop him. ¡°Ah, shh. I¡¯ll see you when I get back.¡± ¡°Are you really taking part in the competition?¡± ¡°¡­ I guess I should. My lady said she hates losing.¡± Erin had never said such a thing, but Enoch laughed to himself, interpreting it as he wished. ¡°This is?¡± The wizard handed Enoch a piece of paper. While the remaining parts looked like ordinary paper at first glance, they were actually talismans used to summon a monster. Enoch turned it upside down and handed it back to the magician. He tucked it into a thick bookmark and kept it, then bowed his head again. ¡°What do you think? Since you were a black magician before, you must know something.¡± ¡°The person who summoned the monster is not a great magician. Because, the fact that the monster ran away alone like that meant that the summoner eventually lost consciousness immediately afterward. It¡¯s one of the most common things wandering black magicians do.¡± ¡°Could he be alive?¡± Advertisements ¡°If you have exhausted your energy and are dying or are alive, you need to make up for it separately.¡± ¡°How do they replenish it?¡± The wizard sighed and said, ¡°Black magicians are a group with a clear hierarchical order. The order of the demons or demon kings they each serve is their order. So you can think of it as a group with different rules from this world.¡± ¡°Go on, tell me.¡± ¡°For example, if your Highness, the Crown Prince signs a contract with a middle-class demon Balrog, and one of the slaves made a contract with the Demon King, you would obey the slave regardless of your status in the human world.¡± ¡°Why am I Balrog?¡± When Enoch grumbled, the magician hesitated. Then Enoch urged him again. ¡°So, what then?¡± ¡°Hmm, anyway, contact with such a different superior black magician gives you energy. That¡¯s why they¡¯d follow him more.¡± ¡°But this alone is too much to guess. I don¡¯t even know if this summoner is dead or alive, but if they lived¡­¡± Enoch¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply. Viscount Therien, who made eye contact with him, sighed. Following his words, the magician concluded, ¡°There are black magicians higher than the summoner.¡± ¡°I have a headache,¡± Enoch said, shaking his head and walking away. ¡°Your Highness, shouldn¡¯t we investigate the person we¡¯re suspecting?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no evidence. Moreover, if such a group exists, I don¡¯t know what they want.¡± ¡°In fairy tales I read as a child, the devil always dreamed of conquering the world,¡± Therien said with a straight face. Enoch sighed at the dissonance. and asked, ¡°So, have you earned all the points for your lady?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve held you for a long time.¡± ¡°You know it well. Bye, then.¡± Therien then disappeared like the wind. When the magician disappeared, Enoch was left alone to catch his breath. ¡°I should go, too.¡± *not 100%sure about this translation. ??? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???. CH 39 When Rupert turned around, Enoch came and was holding a monster he missed with a sword. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been to other areas, too. But this looks the most populated. I think you¡¯re already number one.¡± Rupert noticed a bat monster flying behind Enoch¡¯s back and threw his sword at it. Enoch fled as if horrified by the devastation that occurred right behind his ear. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me a notice?¡± ¡°Your Highness noticed it though, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But I think there¡¯s a lot more than last year. They even flock around in groups.¡± ¡°It must be because of the monster. It seems to have turned all the animals in the area into monsters,¡± Rupert replied as he carefully observed Enoch¡¯s swordsmanship. He was relieved. Enoch¡¯s swordsmanship was based on the splendid swordsmanship passed on to members of the Imperial family. It was good for show, but the trajectory was large and wide, so the movement was severely wasted. Advertisements Enoch¡¯s sword skill itself wasn¡¯t bad, but if it was based on technique full of such pretentiousness, it was nothing compared to Rupert¡¯s practical swordsmanship. But when he took the sword seriously, the gap quickly narrowed. Rupert stopped observing and unwittingly competed with him, further widening the gap. ¡°You¡¯re not using magic.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fair if I did.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not against the rules.¡± In fact, some learned magic and swordsmanship together, and they used the one that was advantageous according to the situation. Furthermore, who would say anything about the crown prince using magic? ¡°But it will be difficult if there¡¯s nothing left.¡± At Enoch¡¯s mumbling, Rupert felt inferior again. His confident attitude, of course, used to make the person next to him feel intimidated sometimes. ¡°If that¡¯s what you decided.¡± There weren¡¯t many creatures left, and even if Enoch, currently in 2nd place, caught them all, it seemed impossible to catch up to him. Rupert swung his sword and swept away everything that was left. Enoch clapped and whistled in surprise. ¡°I was worried it would take longer, but it ended earlier than usual.¡± ¡°Who is Your Highness giving your score to?¡± Rupert¡¯s blue eyes gleamed as he asked Enoch. Enoch smiled faintly at him and avoided the answer vaguely, ¡°Well, what about you?¡± Rupert looked at him as if asking an obvious question and frowned at the contempt that momentarily crossed Enoch¡¯s eyes. ¡°What kind of answer do you want?¡± Did he want him to dedicate his points to the dead Erin? For what? For simple condolences? ¡°Nothing. I hope that your love will go on smoothly in the future.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Your Highness be also blessed with a Crown Princess?¡± Rupert brought up what the crown prince hated the most¨Chis love life. However, contrary to expectations, Enoch smiled leisurely. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it.¡± ¡®What a load of crock,¡¯ Rupert thought as he watched Enoch descend ahead. Because of that, he didn¡¯t see Enoch smirking. The battle at night was fierce. The place that Rupert and Enoch handled was now clear of monsters, but others weren¡¯t. Advertisements Since the number of monsters was much higher than usual, several have gotten injured or died. After transporting all of them, it was not until the sun rose that the knights and warriors came down from their area and gathered at the headquarters. Relatively healthy people lined up one after another and brought their bracelets to the magic sphere. Then, the number of monsters they caught would appear on the magic ball, and the scribe would write it down. Even after registering their scores, people did not leave. Instead, they stayed to see how others fared. Even if the score didn¡¯t make it into the rankings, their numbers helped with future promotions. Enoch turned to one side and watched them, his face blank. Time seemed to pass very slowly. ¡®I¡¯m sure everything¡¯s fine.¡¯ He looked up towards the mountain, his gaze seemingly on the sky, then turned toward the person approaching him. ¡°Your Highness¡­!¡± He thought it was a familiar face, and when the person came near, he recognized him as Damon Rosen, the young knight who broke the news of Erin¡¯s accident to Enoch. His eyes wide, he went down on one knee in front of Enoch and asked, ¡°Really, is she dead? Really?¡± Enoch swallowed hard. Because of Damon¡¯s contribution, he couldn¡¯t decide whether it would be better to keep quiet or tell him the truth in advance. However, when Enoch heard his next words, his resolve hardened. ¡°She¡¯s the first lady who stole my heart¡­ Oh, god¡­¡± Enoch smiled in vain as he watched Damon shed tears. This guy, that guy[1]. ¡°She was already Lord Clifford¡¯s wife then. What were you going to do with the fact that she stole your heart?¡± ¡°What does it matter? He loves another woman anyway. If I woo her when she¡¯s left alone, I can take his place.¡± Advertisements While Enoch was struck speechless by the young knight¡¯s too-honest remarks, Damon bowed, muttering an apology to pardon his disrespect, and returned alone. ¡°Sir Rosen.¡± Enoch¡¯s voice calling him was drowned out by the ensuing roar. ¡°WOW¡­!¡± It was the sound that rang the moment Rupert brought his bracelet. ¡°¡­O-over a thousand! Five thousand four hundred points?¡± When Enoch heard the score, he sighed. He must have almost caught up with him. He¡¯s known him since childhood, but Rupert was, by all means, a great swordsman. Just then, a delicate voice called him, ¡°Rupert¡­!¡± Upon hearing her voice, Enoch¡¯s eyes narrowed. He watched as Rupert rushed to Chloe and hugged her when she ran to him and almost fell. People whistled and teased the lovers. In an instant, a festive atmosphere pervaded. Plenty of food was prepared for the warriors who had to suffer through the night, and each had their story to tell. Rupert and Chloe were in the midst of it. Whenever Rupert and Chloe¡¯s eyes met, relief and anger intersected. Even the noble wives, who weren¡¯t close to her before, approached Chloe and offered her a friendly congratulations. ¡°It¡¯s really easy to forget,¡± Enoch muttered bitterly as he glanced at them. The incense in front of the memorial and chrysanthemums hadn¡¯t even burned out. If Erin had really died, he wouldn¡¯t have stomached such a scene. Just then, Rupert, who was seated far away, turned to Enoch, and when their eyes met, Enoch quickly looked away. He couldn¡¯t stay any longer because he didn¡¯t want to see Rupert quickly forget what he had and instead enjoy the glory. But Rupert didn¡¯t give him the chance to leave. ¡°Your Highness, you haven¡¯t registered your bracelet yet.¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot.¡± Instead of going directly, Enoch took off his bracelet and handed it to the servant. The servant carefully took it and handed it to the scribe, who put it on the magic sphere. ¡°Two thousand eight hundred points!¡± ¡°Oooh, Your Highness is also great!¡± Advertisements Although he was in only second place, everyone reacted as if Enoch, who had participated in the competition for the first time, scored higher than expected. However, the difference in scores between first and second place was almost double, and Rupert looked almost relieved when he congratulated Enoch. ¡°Congratulations, Your Highness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early for that.¡± Those who did not understand his words simply congratulated the Crown Prince Enoch. Enoch waved his hand and left. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ While Rupert pondered on it, Chloe filled the glass. Rupert recalled Erin, expressed his bitter condolences in his heart, and drank his glass. A bright smile appeared on Chloe¡¯s face as she looked at him, but she skillfully hid it. Then, she made a sad face. ¡°But can we have so much fun together? The more I think about it, the more my heart aches, and I can¡¯t stand it¡­¡± Everyone became solemn at her sad voice. Chloe asked someone to bring Erin¡¯s necklace, then she took out her ring. ¡°I want this to be burned at the funeral as well. It¡¯s what Madam wanted, and if you gave it to her, she might have come back alive¡­¡± ¡°Stop it, Chloe.¡± Rupert drank again, seemingly annoyed by her words. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. Forget it.¡± That¡¯s what he kept telling himself. Chloe, who was staring at Rupert, nodded and wiped away her tears. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t mention it anymore. But please do as I say for the funeral.¡± Rupert nodded without answering. Then he suddenly remembered what Enoch had said when they were up in the mountain. ¡®¡­all of these things are good for her.¡¯ He glanced at Chloe, then shook his head again, looking into her orange eyes filled with tears. ¡®What am I thinking?¡¯ Chloe was an angelic woman who always understood him and gave up everything for him. ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯ Trying to smile, Rupert stroked her soft brown hair. Advertisements ¡°I transfer all my points to Lady Chloe Andron.¡± The scribe repeated his words in a clear voice, and the people once again cheered and congratulated them. ¡°For our two main characters.¡± From a distance, Prince Breiman raised his glass towards Rupert and Chloe, and put it on his lips. The tongue that brushed the alcohol-drenched lips turned black, then soon returned to its original color. [1] Enoch thought, ¡®???? ????.¡¯ I assume he meant ¡®???? ???? ???,¡¯ which literally translates as ¡®this one and that one are the same.¡¯ It¡¯s an expression to show they¡¯re annoyed/unsatisfied with someone. CH 40 ¡°The hunting competition must be over by now.¡± I changed into the clothes that Lia brought. Before that, I looked around here, and it looked like a mountain with nothing but soil and trees. However, when I opened a small door and entered, a unique structure led to such comfortable accommodation. I heard knights were guarding this place outside, but I couldn¡¯t see where they were stationed. ¡®It¡¯s surprising that the Crown Prince knows a place like this.¡¯ While I was resting, I recalled the contents of the novel in my head once again. Perhaps it was Chloe who claimed to have discovered the magic stone cave. And people probably believed me to be dead. So, Chloe found the cave and told them about my death. But, how could she say I died without a dead body? While I was wandering around the room and thinking alone, the person I had been waiting for arrived. When I heard the sound of the door opening, I went and met him. ¡°Count, you¡¯re not sleeping anymore?¡± ¡°I slept all day, so I¡¯m fine now.¡± Advertisements This time, I didn¡¯t avoid the hand reaching out the check my temperature and stayed still. ¡°Your fever¡¯s gone.¡± I also looked at him from head to toe as soon as he arrived. The uniform that he wore earlier looked immaculate, with no dirt in sight. ¡°You didn¡¯t hunt much?¡± ¡°I did it in moderation, just enough that I didn¡¯t lose my strength.¡± I inadvertently muttered as I listened to him, ¡°Then Rupert must have won first place.¡± I was referring to the original story, but it must have sounded different from Enoch¡¯s point of view. ¡°You¡¯re speaking as if it¡¯s inevitable,¡± he grumbled back, sounding as if his pride had been hurt. Surprised at his tone, I said, ¡°It¡¯s just, um, it¡¯s always been like that¡­ I heard. Hmm, is it different this time?¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯m in second place.¡± ¡°Oh, well done.¡± I meant it as a compliment, but he still had a grumpy expression on his face. ¡°Now¡­ it¡¯s just that it¡¯s not a good idea to disclose it. But unlike Rupert, I didn¡¯t do my best because the morale of our subjects is important for the Imperial family.¡± As I listened, I thought that, for some reason, Enoch was making excuses for losing first place. I really didn¡¯t care. And I just noticed that he kept saying ¡®for now¡¯ and ¡®now.¡¯ ¡°Your Highness, when His Majesty comes, do you intend to reveal everything?¡± He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. By revealing it before His Majesty, we can prevent the Count from getting caught up in unnecessary drama.¡± You¡¯ve thought that far, yet I thought I only needed to find a cave. I was amazed that Enoch expected that far even though I didn¡¯t tell him my plan in advance. ¡°When should we get ready?¡± ¡°His Majesty will arrive around noon. I¡¯ll come back to pick you up then.¡± He stood in front of me with a sad look. I knew his heart, so I didn¡¯t shy away and simply smiled. Even after we successfully moved past this, the wall would still remain in front of us. ¡°I bet Rupert gave Chloe his points.¡± Enoch nodded silently, and I looked down with a bitter smile. ¡°Are you sad because of him?¡± ¡°Rather than sad¡­ I¡¯m disappointed because it¡¯s just as I expected. I really was nothing to him.¡± Not only did Rupert save Chloe, but he still cared for her even after hearing I had died. As expected, I should get divorced. It would be a pity not to be able to use the Magic Stone Cave right away, but it would be good for them if I let them go. ¡®So, I hope you don¡¯t disturb me, Rupert. At least I¡¯ll be able to protect your love.¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t covet the love of the male lead in the romance novel, so it should be fine. As I pondered and looked at the ground, Enoch looked at me as if he had something to say but left instead. Upon hearing the news of the Emperor¡¯s arrival, the servants and soldiers began to move around, cleaning up their surroundings. They had cleaned up the drinking tables and organized the weapons that had rolled around the ground. Advertisements They tried to look for the Crown Prince, but he was nowhere in sight. Reluctantly, the commander of the Imperial Knights went to the next rank, Prince Breiman, and asked for help. ¡°I can¡¯t believe brother isn¡¯t here.¡± Prince Breiman stepped forward with a pleasant smile. The Crown Prince always took the spotlight, but it wasn¡¯t bad to be called a substitute. Especially since today was the day he had fulfilled one of his wishes. The carriage carrying the Emperor has arrived. Conscious of his escort, the Emperor arrived in a nondescript carriage. As the Emperor got off the carriage, he was surprised to find out that Prince Breiman was welcoming him. ¡°Where did Enoch go?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve looked for him but couldn¡¯t find him, so I came instead, Your Majesty.¡± The Emperor nodded carefully at him and walked past him. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, too.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± When the people gathered in the center saw the Emperor, they all knelt and bowed their heads. Looking at their faces, the Emperor rose up to the platform. It was the first time for some of the people gathered there to see the Emperor closely. If it were a regular event, they wouldn¡¯t have seen him this close, but due to the peculiarity of a hunting competition, the distance between them was slim. ¡°Wow, the King really looks like the Crown Prince. The resemblance is uncanny.¡± He looked jovial, but his sharp, shining eyes were just like Enoch¡¯s. ¡°This Emperor[1] has been told there was good news today, so I have come personally. So, today¡¯s winner, come forward.¡± Chloe, who had been sitting among the crowd, stood up with a shy smile. People around her praised her, and she looked back at Rupert. With a smile on his face, Rupert nodded. All eyes were on Chloe as she walked through the crowd. She faltered for a moment when her eyes met Prince Breiman¡¯s, but she resumed her light steps to the podium. The unmarried warriors just smiled mischievously as if they were happy to see a pretty lady. Chloe lightly waved to them as well. ¡°Let this Lady¡¯s knight come forward as well.¡± Rupert, who stiffened at the aide¡¯s words, eventually rose to the podium. And he knelt with Chloe before the Emperor. ¡°Hmm.¡± The Emperor stared at them for a while, then looked for the Crown Prince again. ¡°Is Enoch still not here?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. His Highness is still missing.¡± ¡°That boy[2], he shouldn¡¯t dilly-dally.¡± Advertisements An aide with a shining trophy stood next to the Emperor. Before the Emperor could receive it, Chloe carefully opened her mouth, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯d like to say something before I receive it.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± The Emperor returned the trophy and looked down at Chloe. Chloe stood up, bowed politely, and said in a sad yet emotional voice, ¡°I am the one who discovered the magic stone cave.¡± ¡°Hmm, it was you?¡± The Emperor raised a brow, and Chloe continued speaking, looking forlorn. ¡°There was a terrible tragedy before I found it. To honor the victim of that tragedy, I would like to give the rights of the cave to her husband, Sir Rupert Clifford.¡± It was a lovely day with moderate wind and mild sunshine. On such a day, the forest¡¯s rich green color shone even more. Just like this person¡¯s eyes. The green forest swiftly passed under our feet. ¡°Y-Your Highness, do we have to go like this?¡± ¡°There are other ways, but for now, this is the fastest. It¡¯s also effective. Hold on tight, Count.¡± ¡°Kyaaah!¡± I was flying in the sky. With my dress fluttering wildly in the air, I wrapped my trembling arms around Enoch¡¯s neck as he carried me in his arms. I could hear him chuckling throughout. ¡°You¡¯re a real magician!¡± I screamed through the roaring wind. ¡°Did you think I wasn¡¯t?¡± It wasn¡¯t like that. I¡¯ve already seen Enoch use magic a few times. But it was the first time it felt real. It was a little scary, but honestly, it was fun and exciting. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Count would like flying so much.¡± ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡± At first, I only had my eyes closed, but now, I leaned on him and opened my eyes slightly as I looked down. I could see the open forest, the valley, and even the waterfall, and the headquarters of the hunting competition down there looked so small. It looked like we were almost there. Honestly, I was a little sad that we came too soon. ¡°Can we just fly like that? It¡¯s so exciting.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll try.¡± He landed behind the barracks of the hunting competition headquarters and dropped me off in a secluded area. I noticed beads of sweat on his forehead that weren¡¯t there before. I quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. Then Enoch looked me in the eye, his expression caring. ¡°Weren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°I was, but it was a good experience.¡± With a sigh, I looked over the podium on the other side. His Majesty, the Emperor, was already there, and Chloe and Rupert were kneeling next to each other. As if I had been hit by cold water, my excitement died down after I saw them. I looked at them with a remorseful smile. I would make them feel like they had it all but lost it. ¡°Count.¡± Enoch reached out to escort me, and I took his hand and walked towards the podium. [1] The Emperor referred to himself as ?. Only emperors use that pronoun. That¡¯s why in the sentence, I used ¡®this Emperor,¡¯ then changed it to ¡®I¡¯ since it might get annoying if he kept saying ¡®this Emperor¡¯ haha. [2] The Emperor said ¡°??, ??????¡±, which is funny because ?? can be an endearment to call a guy, but ????? is a rude way to describe someone. CH 41 ¡°This¡­ this is Madam¡¯s necklace that I found.¡± Chloe held up the sparkling necklace with both hands and offered it to the Emperor. ¡°This¡­¡± The Emperor lifted the necklace and looked at it closely, his expression strange. At that moment, the commander, who was looking at the distance, exclaimed, ¡°Your Majesty! His Highness, the Crown Prince, is coming.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes, including the Emperor, fell on Enoch and Erin. Nervous, Erin unknowingly grabbed Enoch¡¯s hand. The closer they got, the more people screamed. ¡°¡­ D-didn¡¯t they say she¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard, too.¡± While some looked on as if they¡¯d seen a ghost, others had a different expression. Advertisements Among them, Damon stepped out of the crowd, his mouth agape as he stared at Erin, then turned to Enoch. He narrowed his eyes at the Crown Prince in resentment. When he met Enoch¡¯s eyes, the prince waved his hands, looking apologetic. Damon stepped back, but he wouldn¡¯t let it go. Rupert, who was kneeling on the podium, jumped up when he saw Erin. ¡°How¡­¡± Erin raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. Rupert¡¯s eyes shook as he continued to stare at her. Betrayal, anger, relief, love, and hate came rushing in, but no words appeared. Erin raised the corners of her lips as she took Enoch¡¯s hand and slowly made her way up the podium. Enoch bowed before the Emperor, and Erin went down on her knees to show her respect. ¡°Greetings to His Majesty, the Emperor. My name is Erin Spilet.¡± The Emperor looked at her carefully, then nodded once before he turned to Enoch and said, ¡°Enoch, tell me in detail what happened.¡± To anyone who heard the Emperor, they would think he was furious, but his expression was full of nothing but anticipation. Enoch said, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. First of all, Count Spilet did not die. I saved her when she was at the magic stone cave, and I¡¯ve been protecting her since then.¡± The Emperor glanced at Erin sitting next to Enoch and showed her the necklace. ¡°Then, is this yours?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The Emperor smiled at Enoch when he heard Erin¡¯s answer, then asked Chloe, ¡°You said you found this in the magic stone cave.¡± ¡°Yes, I did, but¡­¡± ¡°Enoch, where did you find Count Spilet?¡± ¡°Inside the magic stone cave. I rescued the Count who was being threatened by monsters.¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± Then Chloe suddenly stood in front of Enoch. Of course, it was tremendous disrespect to stand in front of the Crown Prince the way she did, but she didn¡¯t seem to have thought of that. Advertisements Enoch looked blankly at her while the Emperor frowned at her impertinence. Rupert, who still had the sense of mind, grabbed Chloe¡¯s arm and pulled her back. ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°But, I-I discovered the cave first¡­! I saw the dead monster.¡± ¡°But for you to pick up the necklace, doesn¡¯t it mean that the owner entered first?¡± ¡°That¡­!¡± While Chloe sputtered, Enoch called his aide to bring a small bottle filled with something dark and thick. At first glance, it looked like a part of a mollusk. The Crown Prince¡¯s aide carefully handed the bottle to the Emperor¡¯s aide. The Emperor looked at it and grinned at Enoch. ¡°You brought a part of the monster. He must have just died when you got this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I took some of it when it died.¡± ¡°So, you used your brain. Good.¡± Chloe trembled where she stood. She seemed furious that things didn¡¯t go her way, but she also looked frightened. ¡°¡­Then the first person to discover the magic stone cave is Count Spilet,¡± The Emperor said as he turned to Erin. Instead of answering, Erin merely lowered her gaze and curtsied. Rupert didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in the magic stone cave at all. Instead, he continued to stare at Erin, his eyes swimming with mixed emotions. Chloe watched Rupert like that, so she pulled on his sleeve. ¡°Rupert¡­¡± But Rupert was frozen like a statue as if he couldn¡¯t hear Chloe¡¯s voice. ¡°Your Majesty, defeating the monsters would not have been possible without Count Spilet¡¯s help.¡± The scribe who tallied the scores came out and whispered something to the Emperor¡¯s aide, who then spoke to the Emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, monsters are also included in the score. It didn¡¯t reflect in the bracelet, but if you add up His Highness Enoch¡¯s current score and the corresponding points for defeating monsters, his total is now 6,000 points.¡± Woooow¨C! When the aide announced Enoch¡¯s new score, the crowd went wild. Rupert, who stood frozen, trembled. With a small sigh, he grabbed Chloe¡¯s wrist and led her down. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°But, Rupert¡­! I wanted to give you¡­¡± ¡°Not anymore. Go down.¡± With those words, Rupert bowed to the Emperor and trudged down, leaving Chloe behind. As the Emperor looked at Chloe, who was still standing there, he said, ¡°There must have been some misunderstanding. But you worked hard finding it. You should go down now.¡± When the Emperor said that, Chloe had no choice but to curtsy and walk off the podium. She went to Rupert¡¯s side, biting her lip when she felt Breiman¡¯s gaze on her. Now, only the Emperor and his aides, the Crown Prince and Erin remained on the podium. The Emperor raised the trophy and showed it to the crowd. Advertisements ¡°Enoch, tell me. Is there anyone you want to give your points to?¡± At the Emperor¡¯s question, Enoch smiled confidently, took a step back from Erin, and pointed at her. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer my score to Count Spilet, who helped find the magic stone cave and catch the monster.¡± Erin had a hunch this would happen, but she still couldn¡¯t hide her surprise when it did. At Enoch¡¯s gesture, Erin took a step forward. The Emperor looked at Erin with curious eyes and handed over the trophy. ¡°In the name of the Emperor, I acknowledge my right as the first discoverer of the Magic Stone Cave and the first place in the hunting competition.¡± ¡°Wow, congratulations!¡± The crowd cheered. ¡°It is your luck to have found the magic stone cave, but it is also a huge benefit for the Empire, so I am pleased. Is there anything else you want?¡± Erin thought for a moment. Of course, he would think she was humble if she stepped back and said nothing, but there was no benefit in that. Erin knelt lower, the trophy still in her hands. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I have a request.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°The mining rights and operating rights will, of course, belong to the Imperial family. However, I would like you to appoint the person in charge as His Highness the Crown Prince and allow me to participate in the work.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s what country officials do. Is there a need to do that? You can take more than half of the profits from the mines even if you do nothing.¡± ¡°I ask you to consider my preference in the process, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s your gain, so you¡¯ll do it thoroughly. I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°I am grateful, Your Majesty.¡± As Erin was about to stand, Enoch held her hand and lifted her up. The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Enoch and said, ¡°Will you give this necklace back to Count Spilet? Enoch.¡± Erin had no idea why the Emperor had asked Enoch that question, so she turned to Enoch. Then his ears turned red, and he coughed, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Like Father, like son. Slow,¡± the Emperor clicked his tongue and handed Enoch the necklace. ¡°You will fill it in yourself later.¡± Advertisements With the necklace in Enoch¡¯s hand, the Emperor descended from the podium. The crowd knelt as he made his way to the carriage. Then, without delay, he went back to the capital. After all, he was a man with a lot of work to do. I kept looking at Enoch, wondering what that exchange meant. Instead, Enoch roughly put the necklace in his uniform pocket and reached out to me. ¡°First, let¡¯s go down. I¡¯ll explain it to you later.¡± When I grabbed his hand, I was conscious of the gaze that was focused on me. Most were surprised, but others were not. ¡°Brother, you¡¯ve done a great job. How could you hide the Count like that?¡± ¡°The Count wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I let her rest.¡± As soon as I came down from the podium, I let go of his hand and approached Rupert, who had continued to stare at me. Before I could even speak, Rupert asked, ¡°Is it fun to play with people?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit extreme for a first greeting to someone who had gone through something difficult,¡± I muttered bitterly. Rupert faltered, took a deep breath, then spoke in a softer voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t tell me you were alive? You don¡¯t know how much, how much¡­ I¡¯ve been looking for you¡­¡± He grabbed my shoulders with both hands and exposed his anguish. But when I looked at him, my heart froze more than ever. In the first place, he chose Chloe over me when my life was at stake. I grabbed his wrists and shook off his grip on my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I want to rest.¡± ¡°¡­Erin.¡± I walked past Rupert, who called me with a hoarse voice. CH 42 Just before entering the barracks, I looked back for a moment. Rupert looked at me with a face stained with anger and betrayal. His eyes were red, and he looked like he was about to cry. Why are you looking at me like that? I was so startled that I couldn¡¯t move. I only came back to my senses when I saw Chloe grab his arm. ¡°Rupert, come on. Let¡¯s go,¡± she said, pulling helplessly. Rupert remained frozen as a wooden doll but was dragged away. I couldn¡¯t believe a person like that could make such an expression. I almost misunderstood for a moment. Even so, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. With a small sigh, I finally came into the space prepared for me. It was easier to breathe because I had finally escaped people¡¯s eyes. I sat down on the bed and closed my eyes for a moment. I didn¡¯t even notice my fingertips were shaking. With a deep breath, I looked down at my hand again. Although I had planned everything based on the novel, I really didn¡¯t expect to achieve what I had. Moreover, more than half, if not more, was done with Enoch¡¯s help. But, I was happy. I was thrilled that I had done something. I couldn¡¯t make a sound because I didn¡¯t want people outside to hear, but I clasped my hands tightly and let out a silent shout into the air. I was rich! Advertisements ¡°I, um¡­ ahem.¡± ¡°Ack,¡± I turned my head, startled by the coughing sound from behind me. Enoch, halfway through the curtain. He covered his mouth with his fist, seemingly desperate to hold back his laughter. My whole face burned, no doubt completely red, and I turned my head away. ¡°If you want to laugh, you can laugh.¡± ¡°Oh, haha, no. You looked so happy,¡± Enoch said, finally laughing as he went inside the barracks. Maybe it was because I had spent the day at his secret camp, but being in the same room wasn¡¯t so awkward. I stood to prepare the water for the tea. When I scooped some tea leaves, I noticed that they had already turned black. I sniffed the can and tilted my head. It didn¡¯t smell weird, so was it because of the moisture? Enoch reached out his hand as if asking for the tea leaves. ¡°I think the tea leaves are spoiled. It¡¯s only been a day. What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better not to drink it. If you want tea, I¡¯ll call for a person¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m going to clean up here,¡± I said as I sat across from Enoch. In this calm atmosphere, I stared quietly at him¨C neat black hair, beautiful eyes that reminded me of emeralds, a high nose bridge, and sharp jawline, and broad shoulders and narrow waist. As I continued to look at him, his bright smile muddled my thoughts. How would my life change after I get divorced? Although I had the rights to the magic stone cave, it would still take time to make a profit, pay off my debts, and get a divorce. I would safely get divorced, earn money, get my own house, but then what? Would I retreat from society and live in solitude or enjoy the splendid single life and stir up the social world? Advertisements Then what would Enoch do then? Who would Enoch¨C who had feelings for me¨C have as his Crown Princess? I shook my head at the endless thoughts. Even though a mountain¡¯s worth of concerns was in front of me, there was no point in thinking too far ahead. Furthermore, my life right now was complicated enough as it is, and the uncertain future with the Crown Prince only added to the confusion. While I was lost in thought, Enoch, too, was staring at me. I cleared my throat, ignoring the significant look he was giving me. ¡°What brought you here? Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°Yes, Count. I think I have to go back to the capital a little early because I have something to do.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Looking at it from afar, the Crown Prince always looked busy. Now, the people should know that the crown prince is so diligent. He would probably be a good Emperor. It was a pity he had to leave. When would we see each other again? ¡°By the time the magic stone mine development is in full swing, we will set up a seat for Count.¡± ¡°A seat¡­? Oh.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to participate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but I didn¡¯t think you would make a separate seat for me.¡± ¡°You will need an official position to work.¡± I nodded lightly at his explanation. Enoch gazed at me, his hand on his chin. He pursed his lips and was about to speak, but instead, he closed his mouth. Eventually, I asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I happened to hear it, uh¡­ that you¡¯re planning to divorce,¡± he answered in a much lower and careful voice than before. Listening to him, I could see why he hesitated. I calmly waited for him to continue. ¡°I think it would be better if you didn¡¯t go to the Duke¡¯s house. You¡¯ll have a hard time if you keep bumping into Rupert.¡± I agreed with Enoch. Staying in the same house with Rupert was like living with a time bomb. But when it comes to human affairs, you have to organize things yourself. ¡°But I have nowhere to go right now. When I have enough funds, I¡¯ll set up a townhouse then¡­¡± ¡°I will prepare a place for you to stay in the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be hard to do. Among those who work in the Imperial Palace, residences are provided for those who have difficulty commuting to work. When the Count is in the Imperial Palace, it¡¯s easier to deal with each other, and¡­¡± I blinked, looking at him intently to see if he was serious. Then I saw his neck turn red, and he looked away. His reaction made me feel playful. ¡°Hmm, are you thinking of anything more?¡± Advertisements Enoch flinched at my words. The redness on his neck rose to his face, and he wouldn¡¯t look me in the eye. ¡°That¡­¡± He gripped his nape, closed his lips, and looked straight at me. ¡°My heart is.¡± His response caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily speechless. Belatedly, I covered my red face with both hands, breathed heavily, and exhaled. Was I anxious? He¡¯d been helping, protecting, and confiding in me the whole time, but I think I was still apprehensive. After being betrayed once in my previous life, I was deeply aware of the uncertainty of the emotion of love, so it was hard to believe anyone who said that they had feelings for me. But still, his words made me happy. ¡°Count Spilet? Are you upset?¡± Prince Enoch, who had always been confident, was carefully looking at me. I took another deep breath and lowered my hand to face him. What should I do? He was the Crown Prince of an Empire. Could this person be a part of my future? No, did I even have a place in his? I couldn¡¯t think of an answer that would assure me. In the end, I looked at him with a calm face and raised the corners of my lips slightly, ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. Let me think about it.¡± Anyway, even if I couldn¡¯t leave the house right away, it would be good to have a place to stay just in case, whether in the Imperial Palace or anywhere else. He smiled wryly at my polite attitude and lowered his gaze. Yes, not yet. I watched him get up slowly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you in the capital.¡± At the short greeting, I nodded, and Enoch hesitated for a while before disappearing out of the barracks. He¡¯d only left the room, but now it looked exceptionally empty. I must have gotten used to his presence that the lack of it affected me so. My heart was walking on a tightrope. ¡®No, I have to hold on,¡¯ I thought as my eyes remained glued to his chair. After sitting in a daze for a while, I decided to call Lia. ¡°I need to pack.¡± Fortunately¨Cor unfortunately¨C since they thought I had died, they burned all the clothes I had brought to the hunt, so I had less than half of what I had to take with me. I packed up with Lia and had a servant load it on the carriage. It seemed that Enoch had left first, just as he had said earlier. One by one, people started leaving in their carriages. Has Rupert gone with Chloe? It¡¯s kind of funny that I was worried about the husband I was about to divorce soon. With that in mind, I was about to hold Lia¡¯s hand to try to get on the carriage, but someone else grabbed my hand. I sat inside and saw that it was Rupert. His previous heightened expression disappeared, and he looked as calm as usual. Thanks to that, I was still able to have a normal conversation. ¡°You haven¡¯t gone yet?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ride together.¡± ¡°¡­Why? How about Lady Chloe?¡± ¡°I sent her ahead because she wasn¡¯t feeling well. I don¡¯t have a carriage to ride.¡± Advertisements When I frowned and didn¡¯t answer, Rupert sighed and said, ¡°Please, I have work to do, and I have to go back to the capital.¡± I was a little puzzled by his serious request, because I thought he would have gotten angry if it didn¡¯t go his way. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I flinched again at his words. Why did this person become nice? Was he always this kind of person? Was it because of the guilt? Shaking off the questions that bothered my thoughts, I looked out the window to avoid seeing him sitting across from me. The imperial carriage set off smoothly. I thought he would say something about the carriage, but thankfully, he didn¡¯t. After a long stretch of silence, he spoke unexpectedly in a calm voice, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Startled, my eyes widened. I blinked, then answered, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Rupert then smiled faintly and nodded as if relieved. His change in attitude flustered me, so I looked out the window that had just gotten dark. We were nearing the capital. Before I knew it, most of the warm energy had disappeared in the air. The green fields slowly turned yellow, creating red waves in the setting sun. Even though I felt Rupert¡¯s gaze on me, I didn¡¯t look at him until the end. CH 43 As soon as I arrived at the townhouse in the capital, I stretched and washed up. Now that I¡¯ve decided to push through with the divorce, this house didn¡¯t make me feel relaxed. Still, I couldn¡¯t ignore the comfort of the bed and the bathroom with hot water. When I woke up at around noon, it was to the sound of birds chirping outside the window. I combed through my frizzy hair with my hands then opened the windows. The warm late summer breeze passed through the leaves and blew my rose-pink hair. I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the wind, then found Rupert staring at me in the middle of the garden. What, since when have you been looking at me over there? Startled, I slammed the window shut and closed the curtains. For a moment, I wondered why he was doing that but felt uneasy because it was as if I could read his mind. Advertisements I had to tell him I was planning on divorcing him, but I didn¡¯t know when to say it. If he acted as he did before, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated. But he¡¯s changed. I didn¡¯t know if it was related to the changes I showed since I possessed Erin¡¯s body, but Rupert¡¯s attitude now was completely different from when I met him on our wedding day. Obviously, he had feelings for me, Erin. Moreover, after the accident, guilt was added into the mix, and now he kept looking at me like a lost dog. However, that did not weaken my resolve; I was worried the situation would interfere with a smooth divorce. ¡°He still probably likes Chloe¡­¡± That was another annoying part. Of course, at this point, it would be even difficult for him to give up Chloe and go all-in on me. ¡°How troublesome.¡± Chloe didn¡¯t go to the mansion, so she probably went straight to Count Andron. Why didn¡¯t she go with Rupert? Chloe was definitely suspicious, but she was the heroine who must be tied to Rupert. That was the only way I could benefit from her existence. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going away because of me. The thought made me anxious. I¡¯d rather bring the two closer so that Rupert wouldn¡¯t pay attention to me. I shook my head. I told myself I was no longer getting involved. After pondering on it for a while, I pulled back the curtains and opened the window once more. He was no longer there. Just as I was about to turn around and leave, I heard the sound of a horse running from afar. I narrowed my eyes to stare at the person approaching. It was only when they were close enough that I recognized who it was. ¡°Richard?¡± He had only visited recently, but why was he rushing back? I hurried out the door and ran downstairs to meet him. When I reached outside, Richard was almost there, and Rupert, who probably had seen him in the garden, was by the front door. As I approached, I heard Rupert¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°His Grace¡¯s health has turned for the worse. I think you should hurry up and go.¡± Advertisements As soon as I heard him, I thought back to the timeline in the novel. Although they didn¡¯t specify the date in the novel, the Duke¡¯s death was definitely near this point after the hunting competition. Maybe¡­ It might be possible to save him. However, could I do that? ¡°Madam, let¡¯s go together. We need to take off right away.¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away. The thought of my impending divorce made me hesitate. ¡°And you can go and stop by Count Spilet¡¯s grave.¡± Ah, so Erin¡¯s father¡¯s grave was there. I finally nodded when Rupert looked at me as if to ask for consent. I had been in correspondence with the Duke this whole time, and even though I had never met him, I had a shallow affection for him. But, of course, the fact that he was on Erin¡¯s side in the original also played a part. That¡¯s why, no matter how close the divorce was, I wanted to see him at least once before he passed away. ¡°Then let¡¯s get ready to go.¡± As I entered the main building with Rupert, I pondered for a moment. ¡°What is Miss Chloe doing?¡± At my question, he frowned. Come to think of it, whenever I mentioned Chloe, he would never have a good reaction. ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s resting at her house.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± As expected, he answered in a plain tone. Are you really not taking Chloe with you? It was nice not to see people I didn¡¯t want to see, but it was still concerning. In the novel, Chloe and Rupert went ahead, and Erin rode a different carriage. However, even before Erin arrived, the Duke had already died. But Chloe wasn¡¯t even here, so were Rupert and I going together? More than that, wasn¡¯t the time shorter compared to what happened in the original? Shaking off my thoughts, I called Jenny to pack simply. ¡°Lia, send this to the Imperial Palace.¡± In the meantime, I wrote a short letter and had it delivered to Enoch through Lia. He would probably contact me about something related to the magic stone mine, so I thought I should inform him of my absence in advance. Advertisements When I arrived in front of the carriage, Rupert was already there, standing by the door and holding out his hand. Such a gesture wasn¡¯t normal between us. I climbed onto the carriage while holding onto his fingertips. I let out a small sigh without realizing it. I was hoping for a smooth and quick divorce in the future, so it¡¯s not good for him to be kind to me. However, I couldn¡¯t even point it out. It was confusing to see Rupert sitting across from me. Even if it hurt, I would have preferred he treat me the way he did before. As the carriage departed, I closed my eyes and tried to recall the shame I felt at the wedding and the betrayal I felt when I fell off the cliff. When I opened my eyes, Rupert¡¯s eyes were also closed. What a relief. How long would it take to reach the Duke¡¯s estate? I looked out the carriage window and tried to estimate the distance, but again, I had never gone this way, so I couldn¡¯t guess. Could we arrive on time? Could I reach the Duke when I arrive? Could I recognize the maid? And¡­ could I save him? ¡°It takes about half a day to arrive,¡± Rupert muttered as if he read my thoughts. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡°My father has always liked Count Spilet. And Erin, you too.¡± I had to keep a straight face as he mentioned the past. I knew nothing about Erin¡¯s childhood, however, I was able to give an appropriate answer. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to see him, even though he¡¯s your father.¡± Rupert, who had little response to my blunt answer, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that day.¡± My eyes widened at the sudden apology, then realized he was talking about what happened on the cliff. ¡°That¡¯s enough. The profit I¡¯ve gotten at the cost of my life was significant. Of course, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of you.¡± ¡°I just caught the horse that was near me at the moment,¡± he continued his excuses regardless of my answer. ¡°¡­it wasn¡¯t because you were less important.¡± I bit my lip. Let¡¯s not be weak. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter. Whatever your heart is.¡± ¡°I know you hate me so much.¡± Advertisements I avoided his eyes and looked out the window. I felt betrayed and sad as soon as I fell, but I didn¡¯t hate him that much in the first place. I never had much expectations in the first place. But if it happened to the real Erin Spilet, she would have hated him already. ¡°Don¡¯t you? I¡¯m the one who took your lover hostage and threatened you. It wouldn¡¯t be too strange if you didn¡¯t save me.¡± So, should I now check the real Rupert¡¯s heart? ¡°But¡­ Now that I think about it, I wonder if it was too much. I¡¯ve been turning a blind eye to you that long.¡± Ah, don¡¯t do that! Why are you trying to forgive Erin so easily? I took your cherished lover as collateral. ¡°¡­I can still tell the Duke that I¡¯m in trouble because you and Miss Chloe are still seeing each other.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ll really say that?¡± Rupert asked, his expression brightening. I kept my mouth shut because I felt like I was being dragged into an unintended direction. I could be effortlessly cold to those who were strong against me, but I couldn¡¯t do that to those who were weak and soft. Be it reason or emotion, this was my basic attitude towards people. Even so, I would divorce him anyway. The more that person showed such feelings, the more resolved I was to get divorced. It was better for the both of us. I didn¡¯t like Rupert. And while Rupert¡¯s been acting like he has special feelings for Erin lately, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s really in love with Erin. As expected, should I be nosy? Or should I stick to him the way Erin did to make him want to get away from me? While I wondered how to cut off Rupert, the carriage quickly arrived at the Duke¡¯s estate. Thanks to its mild weather, fertile land, and large port, the Clifford¡¯s estate was a thriving and abundant territory. They were contributors to the founding of this empire along with the Archmage Rikephoros. For this reason, he supported only the Crown Prince, who was the head of the Imperial faction and had a clear lineage of the Archmage. Advertisements So, the Imperial family always favored them and welcomed many Empresses from the Clifford family into their homes. I heard that the previous Earl of Spilet was originally a vassal of the Duke of Clifford. However, they weren¡¯t just vassals; they even climbed up to the status of their predecessors. Just as the Cliffords produced many Empresses, the Spilets produced many Duchesses. Following that, Erin¡¯s attempt to marry Rupert wasn¡¯t that excessive. In hindsight, Chloe pushed Erin out in the name of love¡­ When I leaned my elbow against the window and looked outside, I froze. What¡¯s wrong with what Chloe did? It didn¡¯t matter whether Chloe was good or bad. Unless she touched me directly. Contrary to my troubled heart, the wind was gentle, and the emerald sea was calm under the warm sunlight. As I looked at the sea, I thought of someone. What was he doing now? CH 44 As soon as I arrived at Clifford Manor, I was blown away by the tremendous hospitality. From outside the gate to the carriage, the people of the estate waved their hands as they greeted us. Moreover, when the gate opened, all the knights and the vassals of the territory came out to greet us. As the carriage door opened, Rupert got down first and reached out to me. When I looked up, I accidentally made eye contact with the people outside the door. The moment the heartfelt hospitality in their eyes, I avoided them and looked away. It was burdensome. Burdensome. Those words kept repeating in my head. Their hospitality was burdensome, especially to me, who was leaving soon. Was it wrong of me to come here? I even said I didn¡¯t care if the Duke died or not. Meanwhile, Rupert, who was standing next to me, nudged me with his elbow. I turned to him to see him speak without barely moving his mouth, ¡°Why don¡¯t you smile?¡± I had no idea if he was aware that more than half of the reasons why I couldn¡¯t smile was because of him. However, I couldn¡¯t just ignore such warm hospitality. Advertisements I tried to think of the happiest memory I could think of. ¡®The magic stone mine. I¡¯m rich now. I can divorce this man once I sell the stones.¡¯ Thanks to this, I was able to effortlessly put a smile on my lips. I had to maintain my image because life would not end after divorce. If I had a neat and graceful exit from this family, it wouldn¡¯t haunt my life as a divorced noble lady in the future. Even if this world did not consider divorce a flaw, there was no way to avoid the speculations and rumors that were sure to spread in the social world. As we made our way forward, someone on horseback rushed to us. Instead of the butler, Rupert looked at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the Imperial Knights?¡± The Imperial Knights were recognizable from a distance. They were all wearing uniforms with blue roses on a silver-gray background. The man jumped off the horse and saluted Rupert. He said, ¡°His Majesty told me to deliver this letter. He was very concerned about the health of the Duke, who is one of the great leaders of this country and the aristocracy. And so he sent the Crown Prince precious medicinal herbs to give His Grace.¡± The knight handed the letter to Rupert, whose expression hardened the instant he saw it. Seeing his expression, I nudged him the way he did a while ago. Rupert turned to me, his face still sour. I faced him with the brightest smile I could muster and whispered in a small voice only he could hear. ¡°Smile.¡± Another man greeted us inside the castle¨C the Duke¡¯s younger brother, Count Melaton[1] Clifford. When Rupert saw him, his expression softened slightly. ¡°Uncle, since when have you been here?¡± ¡°Oh, Rupert. How long has it been? How could I not come after hearing that my brother was ill? By the way, I heard that you were married. Why did you do it in such a hurry without telling me?¡± Melaton gave me a once over and smiled. Rupert moved to stand in front of me and said, ¡°It just happened.¡± Advertisements I observed Melaton¡¯s face as I stood behind Rupert. Of course, I already knew through the novel that he wasn¡¯t a good person. I stepped out from behind Rupert and curtsied. ¡°I am Erin Spilet.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the remaining member of the Spilet family.¡± Melaton looked curiously at me, but Rupert once again blocked his view. ¡°We¡¯ll go to Father first.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± On the way to the Duke¡¯s quarters, Rupert stopped and spoke to me in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s better not to get close to Uncle.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°A person who has never visited after the separation of families but suddenly appears now surely does not have good intentions.¡± I found it surprising that Rupert told me this. It made me realize that while Rupert was a fool in his relationship with Chloe, he wasn¡¯t a fool at all. Knock, knock¨C. Rupert stood in front of the heavy door and knocked, and I waited behind him, suddenly feeling nervous. I knew the Duke and Rupert weren¡¯t on good terms, but I didn¡¯t know to what extent. But if he came to see his sick father, maybe it wasn¡¯t that bad? No, he hasn¡¯t inherited the title yet. That was an important issue. Did Count Melaton Clifford¡¯s sudden visit have something to do with it? Soon someone came out and opened the door. ¡°Welcome, Young Master, Young Madam. His Grace is expecting you.¡± I watched as she bowed to Rupert and me. Was it this maid? And there was a woman by the Duke¡¯s bedside. As soon as she saw us, she jumped up and bowed her head carefully. ¡°I¡¯m Eliana.¡± I tried to recall who she was. She didn¡¯t say her surname, so she probably wasn¡¯t a noble lady, but based on her attire, she didn¡¯t seem like a maid either. ¡°You¡­ Weren¡¯t you the maid who served Father before?¡± Oh, so she was a maid. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Young Master.¡± When Eliana blushed, I finally understood the situation. From working closely with the Duke as his maid, it looked like Eliana had become his lover. Her polite manner might be a habit ingrained in the past from when she was a maid. Advertisements I couldn¡¯t help but frown. The novel never mentioned Eliana. Would her presence affect the flow of the story? Just then, the Duke gestured for us to approach him. The Duke looked like a powerless old man from up close, but he didn¡¯t seem to be at death¡¯s door just yet. Eliana, who came next to me, said, ¡°He could sit up fine until yesterday, then all of a sudden yesterday, he started having a hard time. The doctor just said it¡¯s because he¡¯s weak, and we thought we should call for a priest¡­¡± Looking genuinely concerned for the Duke, Eliana turned to Rupert. A priest¡¯s healing ability was certainly superior to normal doctors, but it was difficult for just anyone to meet them. Of course, it was possible for the Imperial family, but ordinary aristocrats had to wait a month to see a priest. I was able to receive treatment from a priest in a hunting contest before was only because Enoch was the Crown Prince. As I recalled the privileges I had received, my chest fluttered. Still, since Duke Clifford wasn¡¯t the average nobleman, he might be able to see one sooner than later. However, Eliana, a commoner, couldn¡¯t make such a request. Rupert listened and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± The Duke looked at Rupert and me, then made eye contact with me. He licked his chapped lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s you, Erin. I saw you when you were very young, and you¡¯ve become such a pretty lady.¡± I felt an indescribable feeling toward the Duke, who welcomed me even in the midst of pain. It was like a grandfather treating his beloved granddaughter. I responded by curtsying and politely greeting him. ¡°I¡¯m Erin Spilet, Lord Clifford.¡± ¡°How much I would have liked to see you if the former Count Spilet had not died.¡± The Duke expressed his pleasure at seeing me, but his only son only stared at me and didn¡¯t say anything. The Duke gestured towards me again. I glanced at Rupert and moved close to the bed to sit next to the Duke. I held the Duke¡¯s stiff hand when it hovered in the air like an old tree. ¡°Dear Erin.¡± ¡°Yes, please speak.¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes were wrinkled, but his eyes were so blue that it was hard to believe that he was unwell. ¡°You must be going through a lot. I know everything.¡± CH 45 When we got out the door, the butler was waiting for us. I followed his directions and found a room that looked comfortable. The room, which had a fantastic view, had sky-blue curtains and a gorgeous lace bed that matched it well. The wallpaper was light, the decorations cute, and the carpet cream. Fresh red roses were placed on the bedside table and tea table in a vase. There were two chairs by the tea table, a heart-shaped cake, and two teacups. I was more concerned about it than anything else. It¡¯s like a room for newlyweds¡­ As I stared at the room, the butler said with a smile on his face, ¡°This bedroom is for the two of you. There¡¯s a wardrobe on either side. If you have any concerns, please let me know. I think it would be better for the young master to guide you through the rest.¡± ¡°Good job,¡± Rupert answered instead and sent the butler answer. ¡°¡­Wait! Rupert, are we sharing a room?¡± ¡°Lower your voice. They know us as a couple here, so of course, they¡¯ll prepare one room for us.¡± ¡°But how can you just let it go like that?¡± Rupert took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa without replying to me. The seat was spacious, so it seemed enough for one person to lie down. If I could, I¡¯d sleep over there. Advertisements As I thought so, someone knocked on the door. I opened it to see a restless servant looking at me and calling out to Rupert. ¡°Uh, young master¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you have anything to say to me?¡± Rupert asked, approaching the servant. The servant begged Rupert to forgive him then whispered something in his ear. ¡°What¡­? Who¡¯s here?¡± Rupert¡¯s eyes widened as he asked the servant, but the servant merely bowed and nodded. Then Rupert suddenly looked at me with troubled eyes. ¡°¡­?¡± I blinked up at him, confused. But roughly guessing from Rupert¡¯s words, someone seemed to have come, but who was it? Rupert picked up the coat he had thrown on the sofa and said, ¡°First, eat dinner and rest. I have to go somewhere.¡± There was a look of regret on his face for some reason. I answered calmly, ¡°Okay.¡± Looking at that face, it was easy to guess what was going on. Chloe must be here. Advertisements Perhaps because I was expecting it, her visit wasn¡¯t surprising to me. But when I recalled Rupert huffing out of the room after acting like he was happy to share the bedroom with me, I could only laugh. The door closed, and I slowly made my way towards the window. The afternoon sun cast long shadows. The gardens at Clifford Castle were beautiful. In the middle of the round garden, a stream of water sprang out in a cross-shaped waterway. Under the late summer sun, the freshly mowed grass glistened with dew. Manicured red rose vines climbed along the white wall, and the breeze carried the scent of flowers from there to the window. The townhouse in the capital also had a fairly large and well-maintained garden, but it was still not comparable to the castle. I walked over to the heart-shaped cake on the table then dug a hole in the middle with a fork to put it in my mouth. The fresh strawberry and sweet whipped cream melted in my mouth. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t sit down and eat something so delicious with Rupert. I sat alone and relaxed, enjoying the beautiful scenery and delicious tea and cakes. I felt much better after the fatigue went away. ¡°If Chloe came¡­¡± Would I meet him, too? I thought about it as I calmly put the fork in my mouth. Obviously, I didn¡¯t like Chloe. She had many more suspicious aspects than just that of an innocent heroine. Although there¡¯s no clear evidence, something about the way she acted made her seem aware of the carriage kidnapping incident in the past. If Chloe¡¯s reason for trying to harm me was because she was worried about losing Rupert to me, I had no interest in him at all, so I was going to tell her she could keep him after our divorce. If I could calm unnecessary trouble that way, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to sit face to face and talk about it at least once. ¡°¡­they said Enoch¡¯s coming, too.¡± Advertisements My stomach started to feel queasy as I continued to eat sweets. I only felt a little better after rinsing my mouth with bitter tea. In any case, the four main characters in the novel have gathered on one stage again. It seemed like a coincidence, but it was all inevitable. I set the teacup down and pulled on the string to call for a maid. The bell rang outside the door. ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± Jenny, who was unpacking in the next room, quickly ran to me. ¡°I need to wash up. Bring me some bathwater.¡± While Erin enjoyed such a relaxing break, Rupert went to the eastern villa the servant mentioned. The detached eastern villa was mainly a space for guests. Rupert felt happy but a little disappointed at the news that Chloe was here. Before entering the villa, Rupert looked up at Erin¡¯s bedroom. He thought they¡¯d be able to use one room for the first time, but he knew the chance had passed. He couldn¡¯t pretend he didn¡¯t know Chloe, who came all the way to see him. Even today, Erin¡¯s calm attitude bothered him, but she¡¯d always been like that after they married, so it was nothing special. ¡®I¡¯d rather be sitting there.¡¯ Then the door swung open, and Chloe ran out. As she jumped into his arms, her soft brown hair soaked in the warm sunlight and gave off a pleasant scent. Rupert comforted her but tried to get into the building quickly. It was because he was worried that Erin might see it. ¡°Rupert, Rupert.¡± Advertisements ¡°Chloe. You surprised me. When did you arrive?¡± ¡°I arrived a little earlier than you. I was worried that His Grace is sick¡­ Of course, I couldn¡¯t go and see you,¡± Chloe muttered, frowning, but she clung to Rupert. ¡°I have something to say.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in and talk there.¡± At the sound of her whisper in his ear, Rupert followed her into the room she was leading. The room was dark thanks to the curtains drawn. Sitting next to each other on the sofa, Chloe spoke carefully, ¡°You¡­ You said that you and Madam agreed to stay married for a year?¡± Rupert nodded, but he seemed nervous when Chloe brought up such a topic. Did she suddenly change her mind? When he first converted Erin¡¯s proposal to Chloe, she suggested accepting it even if it broke her heart. What should he do if Chloe¡¯s mind has changed? Even so, a contract was a contract. Also, somehow now¡­ One year felt very short. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°The magic stone mine¡­ Have you talked about it? What will she do?¡± Rupert looked into her orange eyes for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Is that so. No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Chloe?¡± Chloe placed her hand on the back of his rough hand and gently stroked his wrist. ¡°Tell me the truth. For Madam¡­ you have feelings for her, even a little, right?¡± At her question, Rupert tensed. ¡°Chloe.¡± Tension was evident on his face, but Rupert didn¡¯t deny it. Chloe smiled weakly, still holding his hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand. I¡¯m always looking at you so I can tell right away. When you get married and live together¡­ it¡¯s possible. Even if you were trying to save my life, you¡¯d probably forget it.¡± ¡°Chloe, wait a minute, that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say I¡¯m sad.¡± Chloe raised her index finger and gently pressed his urgently moving lips. ¡°Keep your marriage going for a year and beyond that. Until your heart permits.¡± Rupert¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected remark, and he looked at Chloe. He looked hard to understand her intentions, but Chloe remained resolute, her big eyes filled with tears. ¡°Will you be okay? Chloe¡­¡± Advertisements ¡°I¡¯m fine. As long as you understand how I feel, I have no greed.¡± Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, Rupert cradled Chloe¡¯s face. ¡°Rupert, be kind to her as you are to me. Even if it seems like I¡¯ve changed because I¡¯m so sad now¡­ Madam has also been watching you all the time. Don¡¯t be so hard on her. I feel sorry for her as a woman.¡± ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chloe nuzzled her face into his palm, then put her arms around his neck. The magic stone bracelet on her wrist shone as black as obsidian. ¡°I¡¯m more sorry. I wish I had been born into a family that was helpful to you¡­¡± Rupert wrapped his arms around her back and patted her. He pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair, her scent enveloping him. ¡°What are you talking about. No matter where you were born, I would love you, Chloe. I will never leave you no matter what.¡± ¡°Okay, Rupert.¡± Chloe no longer hid the raised corners of her lips. Orange eyes flashed in the dark room. ¡°I love you, too.¡± Burying her darkened lips on the nape of his neck, Chloe went to bed with Rupert. The day was getting dark. Eventually, Rupert didn¡¯t go back to Erin¡¯s room, so Erin could sleep for a long time without waking up that night. CH 46 I sighed and put on a bitter smile. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do if you can¡¯t tell me. I guess I came here for nothing.¡± ¡°¡­Wait.¡± He blocked me as I was about to leave. Seeing his helpless and perplexed expression, it seemed that there wasn¡¯t much time left. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sorry for not trusting you. I won¡¯t bother you now. Please step aside, Your Highness,¡± I bowed my head politely to him while maintaining a stoic expression. Then he spoke to me in a bewildered voice, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t bother me. Not at all. Do you not know why I came here in the first place?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I turned my head slightly towards him but didn¡¯t answer. He looked even more restless at my reaction. And after a while, he frowned as if in agony. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you trusted me?¡± I raised my head and looked him straight in the eye. ¡°But Your Highness doesn¡¯t trust me.¡± His emerald eyes trembled. He didn¡¯t answer, but his silence was answer enough. You really don¡¯t trust me. It was a bit unexpected. ¡°You must be disappointed in me.¡± If Enoch¡¯s eyebrows had not drooped as he said that, I might have completely changed my judgment and attitude toward him. It made me proud to see Enoch look like a puppy with his tail hanging down. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand, but it doesn¡¯t feel good.¡± But that also didn¡¯t mean I would just let it go. When I said I trusted him, I meant that I believed in the goodwill and abilities he showed me and that we could grow closer in the future. Advertisements Whether he showed the same trust as me was beyond me. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think we have anything else to say, so would you mind letting me go?¡± I softened my cold demeanor a little, even smiling faintly at him. But it must have felt like a wall to him because this time, Enoch¡¯s expression hardened. If it was a secret serious enough to ruin my relationship with Enoch, I wasn¡¯t going to continue asking him. He gave me his choice. As I was about to pass by Enoch, he blocked my way again. But he seemed more hesitant than before. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Enoch didn¡¯t step out of the door but instead led me back to the sofa. ¡°I will tell you some things.¡± So, not everything. I decided to accept that compromise. I was going to divorce Rupert anyway, and Enoch will show me complete trust when that happens. Enoch ruffled his bangs with his hand and invited me to sit down again. I made my way to the seat and made myself comfortable. Picking up the mug, I sipped the mint tea that had gone cold. Enoch sighed and faced me. He opened his mouth slowly, looking at my expression with a glimmer of nervousness. ¡°What are you curious about?¡± Based on his expression, there were probably many things he couldn¡¯t answer even if I asked. I thought deeply and decided to ask the most relevant question to me. After all, my identity was the most important thing. Of course, I was curious about the issue regarding the Duke, but that¡¯s a problem for later. ¡°The scent from yesterday seemed to be something only you and I could smell. Why is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure why you could, but for me, it¡¯s because of my lineage.¡± ¡°Lineage? Is it because you¡¯re a descendant of the first emperor?¡± Enoch nodded and continued, ¡°It¡¯s almost like a legend now, but when the first emperor defeated the demon king and built the empire, he fused himself with a being from a world beyond ours.¡± My hand holding the mug trembled at his explanation. Fortunately, Enoch didn¡¯t seem to notice because he went on. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know the exact details, but because of that, successive emperors and crown princes could use special powers and see and feel more. That¡¯s why I could smell it.¡± And he said he didn¡¯t know why I could smell it. But that alone was enough for me. I didn¡¯t have such a tremendous ability, but I was an outsider who borrowed Erin¡¯s body. I looked into his eyes, wondering if Enoch had expected this far, but he just sat there, looking calm and collected. ¡°¡­so, what¡¯s causing the smell? Does it have anything to do with His Grace¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This time, he sighed. Was it something he couldn¡¯t answer? ¡°It has something to do with it, but not in the way the Count is thinking, maybe.¡± Not in the way I was thinking¡­ Advertisements I thought the smell would worsen the Duke¡¯s condition and lead to his death. So, it wasn¡¯t that? ¡°How about you, Count? If you were sick, which would you choose¨C the painful and ugly side that will let you keep your life or the side that will let you pass quietly when the time comes? My thoughts were a jumbled mess. After hearing Enoch¡¯s words, I sat there for a while and thought about it, then got up. Of course, I had many more questions to ask, but we¡¯ve decided to put it on hold for now. I could know a few things just by thinking about it hard enough without having to ask him. I knew I had a lot of things to ponder about, and I had to do it on my own. This time, Enoch opened the door himself, and on my way out, he said, ¡°If you have any questions, please feel free to visit.¡± But he wasn¡¯t going to answer everything. Still, I gladly thanked him. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to the conversation, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­Count.¡± The conversation, which I thought would end, continued a little longer. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to leave soon.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t intend to stay here long. I had to leave, but I just didn¡¯t have a chance. ¡°When I posted an announcement about the magic stone mine, people gathered like clouds. I¡¯ve finished the screening process to some extent¡­¡± ¡°Ah, then let¡¯s go. When shall we go?¡± Finally, an opportunity. I had no reason to hesitate. Enoch seemed rather surprised by my attitude. ¡°I think it would be appropriate to leave in two days, Count. Will it be okay?¡± ¡°Is there any reason it shouldn¡¯t be?¡± I asked, and he stopped. Of course, a few concerns worried me, but the issues in this place were up to the people who lived here. If things get solved in two days, then that¡¯s good. If not, there¡¯s nothing I could do about it. Still, I had to gather my thoughts from the conversation earlier, so I headed to my room. The newlyweds¡¯ room was prepared for Rupert and me, but this room was just mine. Except for the first day, Rupert never showed up in this room. The moment I opened the door, I frowned when I found an uninvited guest in my room. I didn¡¯t want to meet you now. No, not necessarily just now, but anyway. As I was about to leave again, Rupert, who had been lying on the sofa for a while, got up and said, ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Just lie down. I¡¯m leaving.¡± I was about to turn around and go out, but I heard him get up. I raised my arm reflexively, and his hand trying to grab my wrist lost its goal and reached my waist instead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to repeat the same thing? I think I said everything I had to say then.¡± ¡°¡­I know you¡¯re angry, I understand. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know, but I get it.¡± Advertisements Did Rupert find out that Chloe was hooking up with Melaton? I looked back for a moment out of curiosity, and Rupert came up with a completely different answer with an anguished look on his face. ¡°If I stay away from Chloe for a while, then will you be satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­ What are you talking about? Why would you think so?¡± ¡°I listened to you and thought about it.¡± He hurried towards the door and closed it. It worried me that my escape route had been blocked, but I didn¡¯t want to continue this stupid game of tag, so I let it go. ¡°Yeah, jealousy. Jealousy is a painful feeling. Now, I understand why you closed your heart to me like that.¡± Slowly, anxiety began to creep in. What other nonsense was he going to say? But I didn¡¯t have to listen to this nonsense. Enoch mentioned we had to leave two days later. I knew it would take a long time for the money to come into my hands if I followed standard procedures, but I would use a different method to make it quicker as soon as we went. While I was thinking so, Rupert kept on expressing his agony in front of me. ¡°Every time I see you with His Highness, I feel annoyed. You were trying to let me experience this. You want me to feel it, too, right?¡± I didn¡¯t even want to listen anymore, but I felt I should say something to correct the fatal error in Rupert¡¯s words. Well, I didn¡¯t know if he would understand it. It¡¯s definitely not the first time I¡¯ve said this. ¡°Rupert, I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re with Chloe.¡± It certainly wasn¡¯t the first time, but his face hardened as if he were hearing it for the first time. ¡°Because I don¡¯t like you at all. I don¡¯t love you at all. It¡¯s strange. I think I¡¯ve said it before.¡± I smiled sadly as I said that. It was kind of a bonus. CH 47 ¡°Rupert, your heart must be broken because the Duke is sick,¡± Enoch offered words of comfort to Rupert, who was standing next to me. ¡°I will engrave the Emperor¡¯s consolations in my heart.¡± Instead, Rupert thanked the Emperor who sent him, not the Crown Prince in front of him. To me, the intention was too obvious, but on the surface, there was no problem. After all, the Crown Prince came here because of the Emperor¡¯s orders. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll deliver it to him when I return.¡± The short conversation ended with the Crown Prince tapping Rupert on the shoulder. Anyway, now I had to be the hostess of this castle, so I walked a little ahead and said, ¡°This way, Your Highness.¡± But Rupert came up to me and tried to hold my hand again. Then, while I flinched a little, Enoch turned his head to look at Chloe behind him. ¡°So, Lady Andron was also here.¡± ¡°Yes. I greet Your Highness the Imperial Crown Prince.¡± As a result, Enoch naturally escorted Chloe, who was alone. Yet, as I stared at that scene, something in my heart went cold. Advertisements ¡°Come on. You have to guide.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I glanced to the side to see that Rupert didn¡¯t seem to mind what was happening. Wasn¡¯t he jealous that another man was escorting his lover and such a handsome prince at that? Was I jealous, too? Even though the thought startled me for a moment, I continued to walk at a leisurely pace, maintaining a gentle smile on my face. It was warm thanks to the sun shining brightly, but fortunately, it was cool under the shade of the tree. After escorting Chloe there, Enoch bowed lightly and came closer to me. At the same time, I let go of Rupert¡¯s hand. ¡°Sit this way, Your Highness.¡± The nobles were wary of each other and chose seats close to us according to their rank. ¡°Your Highness, you look taller every day. My nephew is like that, too. Seeing the two of you together makes the Empire¡¯s future seem brighter,¡± Count Melaton Clifford said as he sat down to the Crown Prince¡¯s left. I was to Enoch¡¯s right, and next to me sat Rupert. One seat was empty, but it looked okay. While servants came and went carrying bread and appetizers, a shout suddenly came from a table a little away from us. ¡°There is no place for you! Did you come down here knowing where you were?¡± It was the table with Chloe. I looked up to see what was going on and saw Miss Eliana. I didn¡¯t call her on purpose because I thought something like this would happen if I did, so why was she here? ¡°I am¡­ They told me to come down.¡± Viscount Marend asked in a sharp voice, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°The maid serving His Grace¡­¡± Then Chloe got up and led Miss Eliana to her seat. ¡°There must have been some misunderstanding. But how can we just send someone back after coming down like this? Since she is serving the Duke and is by his side, I ask for your understanding, Viscount.¡± I didn¡¯t know why she was asking for his understanding. Did you pity her for being a lover, as well? And I certainly didn¡¯t call for Miss Eliana. Chloe led Eliana and had her sit on her spot. The newcomer looked around pitifully, looking completely helpless. ¡°Then where are you going to sit, milady? There¡¯s no room now.¡± ¡°Um, I¡­¡± Chloe smiled awkwardly and looked around, saw the remaining seat on this central table, and lowered her gaze to look away. Advertisements ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t think I can sit there.¡± Upon hearing it, Rupert stood up and pointed to the remaining chair and asked me, ¡°Can I let her sit here?¡± I stared at Rupert in disbelief then turned to Enoch. While I was contemplating what to do with his rude behavior, Enoch nodded lightly in my place and said, ¡°There¡¯s space left, so she can come over here.¡± Since Enoch had said so, I had nothing to say. Instead, I looked into his eyes as I gripped my fork, and Enoch slightly raised the corners of his mouth. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Chloe approached and bowed to those seated and then sat down in a chair that Rupert had taken out. ¡°You worked hard. You probably couldn¡¯t sleep well last night.¡± Rupert sat down again and praised me for my hard work, but the nuance of his words was strange. ¡°No, it¡¯s all thanks to the hard work of my subordinates. And I slept very well last night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You always sleep well.¡± What the h*ll was this guy talking about? We¡¯ve never slept in the same room. I cut the steak on my plate into small pieces and looked sideways at Enoch. Enoch glanced at me with a thin look, tilting the glass of champagne into his mouth. As I was about to speak, Count Melaton Clifford intervened without notice, ¡°As expected, it¡¯s warm because of the sunlight, Your Highness. How does the champagne taste? Isn¡¯t it a very mellow scent?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s champagne made from grapes harvested in the Clifford estate. The amount of sunlight is good, so now is the perfect season.¡± Enoch put down his champagne glass and stirred it lightly. His lips were raised, but his eyes were cold. Advertisements Oh, I don¡¯t know. I eventually put a glass of champagne to my lips. The sweet scent and bitter taste mingled together in my mouth. Enoch asked, ¡°How about the Count, do you think it tastes good?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fine with it, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Then I¡¯ll pour you another glass.¡± The Crown Prince himself picked up the bottle and poured it into my glass. W-what, why are you doing this? When our eyes met, Enoch showed a pretty but mischievous look. Could it be¡­ was he jealous? ¡°Eat this too. You¡¯re too skinny.¡± Rupert suddenly sliced ??the baked potatoes from his plate and placed them on mine. I didn¡¯t really like potatoes. So I didn¡¯t know why Rupert was trying to take care of me without even knowing that. In the meantime, I could see Enoch¡¯s eyes turning toward Chloe once in a while. Come to think of it, I felt that Enoch was particularly concerned about Chloe. As soon as I saw Chloe, I understood why. Today, she was pretty. I thought the bright dress would be appropriate for a fancy ball at night, but it looked even better under natural light. Cherry-colored red lips, a modest gaze, and gentle hand movements showed that she was the female lead. But she, who was quiet, suddenly said, ¡°Madam¡­ What are you going to do with the magic stone mine you found?¡± ¡°Why are you curious about that?¡± ¡°I just¡­¡± Chloe glanced at Rupert and wiped her lips with a napkin. ¡°Madam is lucky, so I think it¡¯s a great pleasure for the Clifford family. Congratulations to both of you.¡± Chloe looked at Rupert and Melaton alternately. I put down the fork and knife I was holding and looked at her with a smile on my face. I could endure her touching my husband, but I couldn¡¯t stand her touching my money. ¡°Strange. His Majesty recognized it as something owned by Count Spilet. Well, I¡¯ll still accept your congratulations for me. Thank you, Lady Andron.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it right to manage the couple¡¯s property together?¡± Chloe asked, pretending to be innocent with that wide-eyed look on her face. ¡°Is that so? Well, I was wondering if His Grace would like me to manage the Duke¡¯s estate? What do you think?¡± I asked, turning to Rupert. Advertisements Taking over the finances of the townhouse and taking care of the Duke¡¯s household were two different things. It was a matter of becoming the de facto ruler of the duchy. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that later. I don¡¯t think this is the right topic for this party, Chloe,¡± Rupert scolded Chloe and cautioned her. Again, the reaction was as expected. There was no way that this wary young master would suddenly hand over the management of the Duke¡¯s estate. I didn¡¯t mean to receive it. I had no intention of getting it either. Most of the conversations that came and went after that were trivial. However, one thing was oddly worrisome¨C Melaton was expressing a subtle interest in Chloe. As he drank, he tapped her wrist with his hand and said, ¡°Milady¡¯s wrists are thin and pretty. Is this bracelet opal? It¡¯s such a mysterious color¡­ It goes really well with your fair skin.¡± ¡°Thank you, Count.¡± And Chloe didn¡¯t show much displeasure from his actions. The stranger thing was Rupert. He didn¡¯t care when his uncle was harassing Chloe. Rather, he was preoccupied with arguing with Enoch over me. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you then, but thank you for saving my wife, Your Highness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have two bodies, so how can you take care of two women? Thanks to that, I caught a monster and won first place.¡± Enoch didn¡¯t hold back either. The bread I was eating got caught in my throat, and I coughed while covering my mouth with a napkin. At the same time, a glass of water and juice were held out in front of me. ¡°Count, are you okay?¡± ¡°You should eat slowly.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand this anymore, so I jumped out of my chair. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be out for a second.¡± I felt like I was constantly being swayed by others. This really wasn¡¯t like me. Fanning my red face with my hands, I rushed out of the scene. CH 48 After passing through the castle¡¯s lobby and going to the dining room, I asked a maid passing by, ¡°Bring me a cup of water, something cool.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± As I was about to take a sip of the water I had received, a person immediately followed me. It was Rupert. ¡°Are you okay? Your face is red.¡± I almost spat the water I was drinking. I left to avoid Rupert, but instead, he followed me all the way here. ¡°Why did you follow me?¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯d see you separately. Isn¡¯t that why you came in?¡± After making sure that no one was around, I lowered my voice and said, ¡°That¡¯s for later. What if both hosts are away?¡± ¡°Hmm, do you have a strong sense of responsibility? Or do you want to be a good hostess?¡± He smirked, fiddling his chin with interest. His expression startled me, and I put the cup down on the table. ¡°Did you follow me to be sarcastic? Good. Shall I quit being the hostess?¡± ¡°Ah, calm down. I¡¯m just trying to talk to you,¡± Rupert said as he patted my shoulder. I slipped away from his touch. Advertisements I could clearly see the garden party through the first-floor dining room window, spotting Melaton pouring Chloe a drink. As I continued to glance in that direction, I said, ¡°Say what you need to say. I have to go soon.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Rupert suddenly spoke in a serious tone. ¡°I wasn¡¯t being sarcastic a while ago.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Being a hostess. If you want to do it properly, you can.¡± Not understanding what he said, I rubbed my ears without realizing it. ¡°We can stay married for more than a year or more. So don¡¯t worry about the debt. You can pay it back as soon as you can.¡± Crossing my arms, I stared at Rupert¡¯s blue eyes. ¡°Why did you change your mind so much? Isn¡¯t it different from the first contract?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad for me to stay married to you. Don¡¯t you feel the same way?¡± I covered my mouth to hide my smirk and muffle the scoff I couldn¡¯t suppress. Was it because his feelings had changed that made him think the exact opposite of me? ¡°Does your lover think the same?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This is actually Chloe¡¯s suggestion. She¡¯s really nice. She cares about you.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so.¡± I wondered why Chloe said that, but I can only guess that it wasn¡¯t with good intentions. I had no intention of refuting what he said because I just didn¡¯t care. But being here with him right now made me uncomfortable. I glanced out the window and saw a carriage arriving, and then a lady hurriedly got off it. ¡°Who¡¯s that woman?¡± ¡°¡­ it¡¯s my aunt, Uncle Melaton¡¯s wife. Now answer my question.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t you want to marry a woman who cares so much about you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I feigned a kind look because he didn¡¯t seem to understand. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to make her your Duchess? If you really loved her, you wouldn¡¯t let her stay your mistress.¡± ¡°She understands. How many times do I have to tell you? Do you not want me to have a mistress? Is that why you¡¯re not answering?¡± I shrugged and shook my head. ¡°No, not at all. I don¡¯t care. Well, what I¡¯m saying is that¡­¡± I spoke slowly, watching with interest the way Rupert¡¯s well-groomed brow wrinkled. Truthfully, I pretended to be relaxed, but I think I was a little nervous. ¡°You want to maintain your status, and you want to keep the people you love by your side. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s cowardly?¡± I had always thought so about Rupert when I read about him in the novel. However, it annoyed me how clingy he was, so I just spoke my mind. ¡°¡­What?¡± Advertisements Still, I was relieved I didn¡¯t say I wanted to divorce him before the year ended. I wanted to be at peace with him and keep a certain distance. It was purely for fear that he would interfere with what I was doing. The moment I had money in my hands was the moment I would notify him of the divorce. As always, I avoided answering by telling a relevant and convincing story. ¡°I understand. People are just inherently selfish. But I don¡¯t want to keep it that long. It doesn¡¯t feel good to be an interloper between the two of you,¡± I said so and tried to turn around, but he suddenly snatched my wrist again. ¡°Why would you be an interloper?¡± ¡°Am I not?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my wife. How can you be an interloper?¡± His comment was so off-putting and made me angry. Finally, when I frowned from pain at his tight grip on my wrist, he let me go. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Then is Miss Andron the interloper?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Again, he couldn¡¯t answer. Instead, he said something else. ¡°You look furious. Okay. Then starting today, I¡¯ll treat you as my wife. Is that fine?¡± ¡°¡­what does that even mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be your husband. Are you mad because I left the room last night?¡± The audacity¡­ I was speechless for a while because I didn¡¯t know where to begin, then sighed. ¡°Rupert, listen to me. We had a contract marriage. I needed money, and you did it for your position and comfortable love life.¡± ¡°Really¡­ Do you have to say that?¡± I looked out the window to see the nobles rising one by one. Melaton¡¯s wife, who had just arrived and looked exasperated, said something to the seated Melaton. ¡°I was just stating the truth. Why do you keep talking nonsense? Stop it. I really need to go back now.¡± At that moment, when I turned around, Rupert said words I never wanted to hear. ¡°Why? I like you, Erin Clifford. That¡¯s why.¡± I paused at his words but didn¡¯t look back. If I did, I might have cursed at this selfish man. ¡°That¡¯s a mistake. You¡¯re in love with Miss Andron. I¡¯ll say this one more time¡­ I won¡¯t be here for long.¡± Then I hastened my pace to leave the castle. As I walked back to the garden party, I hesitated and watched the scene unfolding there. Rupert¡¯s uncle, Melaton, came out to one side, and his wife seemed to be questioning him. Her voice was so loud that I could hear it all the way here. Advertisements Based on what I heard, it seemed that she was scolding him over a woman. However, considering his attitude toward Chloe earlier, the wife¡¯s anger was reasonable. More than that, my attention was on the two people sitting at the table. Chloe sat right next to Enoch, and she was smiling as she talked about something. ¡°Wait, Erin. I¡¯m not done talking to you yet.¡± After I stopped, Rupert caught up to me. Even in the absence of several seats, Enoch continued to eat gracefully. Occasionally, he would look towards a window on the side of the castle, but that was it. ¡°Your Highness, won¡¯t you consider staying longer and taking a look around? Nobles of this nearby estate will hold a party soon.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to stay for long because the government is busy. His Majesty is waiting for me.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, Your Highness the Crown Prince must be very busy.¡± The nobles approached him to speak to him and greet him, and Enoch accepted it all with a nod of his head. However, since he didn¡¯t offer them a seat, the nobles had to stand up and only say a few words before returning to their spots. ¡®I think it will take some time, shall I go?¡¯ While Enoch turned to where Erin had disappeared, Chloe came to the seat next to Enoch with her cup. ¡°So, it¡¯s just you, and I left, Your Highness. Where have the two gone?¡± Chloe held out her glass, and Enoch, staring at it, lightly clinked his with hers before putting it down again. ¡°They¡¯ll return when the time comes.¡± ¡°¡­by the way, Your Highness.¡± Chloe leaned closer, her face slightly flushed as if tipsy with alcohol. She must have gotten intoxicated from when she accepted the drinks that Melaton gave her earlier. ¡°In the eyes of Your Highness¡­ am I beautiful?¡± Without turning his head, Enoch glanced sideways at her, then leaned back against the back of his chair. Why was this woman doing this? ¡°I¡¯m not sure you need my answer.¡± However, Enoch seemed to know at least two of the reasons Chloe approached him. One was to get the attention of many nobles, and the other was to avoid the glare of Countess Clifford, who was now reprimanding her husband. After Rupert left, Melaton harassed Chloe more aggressively, and Chloe accepted it all. No one could fault the Countess for getting angry over it. ¡°Your Highness, actually¡­¡± Chloe licked her lips as if she had something to tell Enoch, and sighed. At the smell of alcohol, Enoch frowned and turned his head to the other side. ¡°Ahh¡­ I have something to tell you, but it would be difficult right now.¡± Chloe pointed towards where Erin was walking, Rupert following her behind. Enoch got up reflexively and distanced himself from Chloe. Chloe stood and followed suit. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m too drunk¡­ I¡¯m getting dizzy.¡± At that moment, Chloe suddenly touched her forehead and leaned toward him. It was too obvious, but Enoch reflexively supported Chloe¡¯s body as she collapsed. Advertisements Erin stopped as soon as she saw it and left. About 20 steps away, Enoch and Erin¡¯s eyes met. ¡°¡­D*mn it.¡± Enoch sighed, muttering to himself in a voice that no one could hear. CH 49 What was that. Why was Enoch hugging Chloe? Of course, I could see with my own eyes that Chloe suddenly fell, and that¡¯s why Enoch embraced her. But my heart couldn¡¯t easily accept it. Seeing the two of them so close reminded me that Enoch was the second male lead in the novel. Even though their feelings were already far from the original, anxiety still flooded in. Meanwhile, Rupert stuck to me like a leech. ¡°Erin!¡± ¡°Look at that, Rupert. Your lover is down.¡± This was all Rupert¡¯s fault. Instead of taking care of his lover, he¡¯s following me and saying useless things. Rupert looked startled when I pointed in Chloe¡¯s direction as if it was only then that he had seen her. At that put, Enoch was about to put Chloe down on the chair. And when I say ¡®put,¡¯ I mean it. He just placed her there unceremoniously, and she looked like she was about to slide off. Rupert looked at me and at Chloe, then walked over to her. ¡°Chloe, Chloe.¡± Advertisements He straightened her, shook her gently, and looked at Enoch with a gaze I found quite disrespectful. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°I think she drank too much.¡± But, Enoch, who answered him, did not bother to look at him as he continued to stare anxiously at me. Seeing his embarrassed expression, looking as if he wanted to make an excuse, comforted my heart for a moment. But Rupert, uneasy, looked at the two of us and eventually embraced Chloe. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± It was a relief to see him trudging towards the annex. That¡¯s right. If you¡¯re going to talk nonsense, just go in there and don¡¯t come out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. It seems that something happened while I was away.¡± At my words, Enoch waved his hand to deny it but suddenly changed his attitude. ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s right, Count. So, don¡¯t leave your seat.¡± While his tone was firm, yet his eyes fluttered to and fro, and he clenched and unclenched his fists, revealing his uneasy feelings. Pretending to be sulky, I turned away from him. ¡°Why? You looked so sweet?¡± ¡°I¡­ Count, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t even hold me and instead hesitated behind me. As I turned my head slightly, I was surprised to see him closer than I thought. ¡°Ah.¡± My face, which had barely cooled, became warm again. I bowed my head and awkwardly said, ¡°Ahem, Your Highness. First of all, would you like to go see the Duke first?¡± ¡°That would be nice.¡± I approached the table of nobles without making eye contact with him. It was to say goodbye. They stared at the Crown Prince with disappointment, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Advertisements ¡°Then take your time. I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Anyway, the real reason he came here was to visit the Duke. I walked ahead, but I strolled alongside him when we entered the building. As we made our way, I felt a little pathetic. I, too, was jealous that Enoch had touched Chloe when I was still Rupert¡¯s wife anyway. It¡¯s not like I could accept Enoch¡¯s heart. ¡°Count,¡± Enoch stopped and called me in a soft voice. A little calmer than before, I turned to him. ¡°I was nervous. They said I was going too far.¡± ¡°I should thank His Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­I made the request first. As soon as I received the Count¡¯s letter.¡± My mouth opened slightly as soon as I understood the meaning of his words. Flustered, Enoch looked away before turning back to me again. ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°However, there¡¯s something I want to find out about that lady. Even if you see something, I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°What¡­ do you mean?¡± ¡°Shh,¡± He raised his index finger to his lips. I wondered why he was doing that, then found out why a moment later. The sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs grew louder. The source of the noise was none other than Eliana. When she spotted us, her pace quickened, and she bowed to us. She then walked ahead as if to guide us. From here on, it seemed right to accept her guidance. After all, she was the one who looked after Duke Clifford¡¯s wellbeing. Still, it was really worrying. Who was poisoning him? After Eliana knocked, we entered the room to see the Duke sitting alone. He sat on the bed, rummaging through the papers, his gaze fixed on it. He was lying in bed just yesterday, but now he looks much better. Advertisements ¡°I told you not to go, but did you have to go there to eat just because they called for you?¡± Anyone who heard him nagging could feel his affection for her. ¡°I, Your Grace,¡± Eliana hesitated as she called the Duke. The Duke glanced up at us, and as soon as he saw Enoch, his eyes widened. ¡°His Highness, the Crown Prince¡­? Is that you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Duke Clifford. How are you?¡± As Enoch approached him, the Duke trembled and tried to get up. Seeing him struggle, Enoch assisted him to stay in bed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°What brings you all the way here?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a loyal subject of the Empire? His Majesty sent me because he was worried.¡± ¡°This old man¡­ As you can see, I couldn¡¯t move until yesterday, but today I¡¯m feeling a little better. Still, I¡¯m glad to be able to sit and see Your Highness like this.¡± As they talked, I turned to Eliana and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. He worsened rapidly a few days ago but got better after the Young Master and Young Madam visited yesterday.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It¡¯s a relief that he¡¯s feeling better, but Enoch looked at the Duke at me, his expression thoughtful. I mouthed, ¡®Why?¡¯ Enoch merely shook his head. Eliana came closer and fussed over the Duke¡¯s hair and clothes. ¡°It was really tough. He suddenly passed out¡­¡± She sighed. I watched as she continued to take care of the Duke meticulously, her genuine concern for him evident in her hands and eyes. Then, it wasn¡¯t Eliana. ¡°Duke, I¡¯ll call for a priest if necessary,¡± Enoch offered, but the Duke slowly waved his hand. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to call a priest just because I¡¯m old. Say hello to His Majesty for me.¡± ¡°Alright. If you change your mind, please let me know.¡± ¡°Rather than that¡­¡± The Duke hesitated for a moment before continuing. ¡°About my son. If he¡¯s being incompetent or causing trouble for the Empire, please hit him anytime, Your Highness. It¡¯s okay to do that.¡± It was the first time the Duke had mentioned Rupert. Hearing those words, I realized that the Duke was truly a loyal servant of the Empire. But, on the other hand, I also realized that he must not have been a caring father to Rupert. ¡°Rupert is¡­ He¡¯s a great knight, Duke.¡± The Duke neither denied nor affirmed those words. He only smiled faintly and placed his hand on Enoch¡¯s. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m relieved to see His Highness all grown up. Now I can comfortably close my eyes.¡± ¡°Duke, don¡¯t say that. You have to live a long time and share with me your opinion.¡± Advertisements My hands clasped together, I watched the two of them from behind Enoch. Duke Clifford looked at me for a moment with his wrinkled eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been forced to draw the relationship, but¡­ I still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good thing.¡± Enoch didn¡¯t respond to those words. Soon, the Duke waved his hand, and spoke to us in a tired voice, ¡°Well, I think we need to get some eyes on the boy. I hope you enjoy your stay at this castle. Please stop by at least once before you go, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Of course. Then please rest.¡± Eliana rushed over and laid down the Duke, and Enoch and I watched him in bed for a while before leaving the room. After walking a few steps, Enoch stopped for a moment and said, ¡°Count, can I talk to you for a moment?¡± I nodded and led him to a small parlor close to my room on this floor. I didn¡¯t use the drawing room on the first floor to avoid the eyes and ears of the people who came and went. After asking Jenny to serve tea, we sat down on both sofas. ¡°It¡¯s about the magic stone mine.¡± As soon as I heard the subject, my eyes widened, and I straightened. He looked like he wanted to smile, and continued, ¡°As soon as you come to the capital, you can go to work in my office. And¡­.¡± ¡°You want me to work directly in your Highness¡¯s office?¡± Enoch raised the corners of his lips and nodded. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll officially announce it in the name of the Imperial family. And we will hire separate investors and miners to invest in initial capital. Then, the Count will come and see the interview in person.¡± When he explained a specific schedule, it felt like something was finally starting. I wanted to go to the capital as soon as possible. Perhaps he knew how I felt, because Enoch comforted me with a kind tone, ¡°Once the announcement has been made, we¡¯ll need time to gather anyway. Just relax. Of course, it¡¯s not going to go well with me.¡± ¡°Why, Your Highness?¡± At my question, he crossed his arms and shook his head sullenly. ¡°Are you asking because you really don¡¯t know?¡± I just looked at him blankly. CH 50 By: Ms MTLer May 25, 2022 Novels, YCKTML Previous Table of Contents Next Advertisements That night, I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I got up from my bed, walked over to the window, and opened it. In the season between summer and autumn, days were hot, but chilly winds blew at night. The light in the east room of the castle had not gone out yet. It was Enoch¡¯s room. Although he was a guest, he was of such a special status, so I arranged a room in the east of the palace. But, of course, the fact that Chloe was in a separate building was also one of the reasons why I assigned him a room there. ¡°¡­Are you not asleep yet?¡± I didn¡¯t know if it was fortunate, but I haven¡¯t heard from Rupert again after he went to the separate building. I looked out the window for a while and put on my robe, thinking of going for a walk. ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, sleep more. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Jenny, who was in the next room, didn¡¯t follow me, so I went down to the first floor, then headed to the west side, not to the east where Enoch was. I slowly walked along the low shrubs that served as a fence in the backyard, fastening my robe to protect myself from the cool air. Advertisements When I stared at the moon reflected in the small pond, I stopped walking and fell into thought. In the novel, it was the maid who poisoned the Duke. In the end, Rupert punished only the maid in question, but when I entered this world and thought about it more, it certainly seemed that the maid didn¡¯t do it alone. Even in the novel, Rupert doubted them but went on without revealing it. Why, why did he do that? There must be a reason. The relationship between Enoch and me, Chloe and Rupert were similar to the original, but a lot has changed. However, as time passed, things that would have happened in the novel continued to happen. Could the things I do really change the future in the novel and my future? It was a concern that refused to leave my mind since I came here. It was nice to walk and think quietly around the western garden. Few people passed by during the day and at night, and it was cozy and elegant without being too spacious. But I guess I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought so. As I was about to circle the area again, I saw a moving figure in the glass greenhouse on one side of the garden. ¡°Ghost¡­mph!¡± I jumped at the hand that quickly covered my mouth from behind me just as I was about to scream. However, he revealed his identity immediately and reassured me with a ¡®Shh.¡¯ Eyes wide, I looked at Enoch. His eyes met mine, and he nodded slowly before putting down his hand covering my mouth. I mouthed, ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ Enoch made sure his footsteps didn¡¯t make a sound and took me behind the pillars of the building. From there, we could see the inside of the glass greenhouse clearly. Hiding behind the pillar, I covered my mouth in surprise as I watched what happened inside. Astonished, I turned my head to make eye contact with Enoch behind me. Enoch was also looking at the place with an interesting but tense look. As I held my breath, I could hear whispers inside. ¡°Looking at you like this, you are truly beautiful, and I can see why Rupert fell in love with you. Well, shall I tell you one secret of this family?¡± Advertisements The source of the voice was Count Melaton Clifford. And it was Chloe who was with him. ¡°A secret? Can I know that? It¡¯s kind of scary¡­¡± Chloe sat beside Melaton on the bench, her head on his shoulder. And Melaton¡¯s hands, his hands, his hands were¡­ Where are you going?! I gulped without realizing it. What I was seeing and hearing was shocking. ¡°You should keep it to yourself¡±. Why did it sound so clear that only Chloe should know? Although the surroundings were quiet, those words were almost whispers. I glanced back again, and Enoch grinned. Maybe Enoch amplified their voices with his magic? I clenched my fists as I listened to what came next. ¡°The truth is Rupert is a b*stard. He¡¯s not the Duchess¡¯s child.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Ngh, ah¡­ Rupert is¡­ Really?¡± Chloe was slightly breathless as she asked. Half curious, half embarrassed, I was restless as to whether I could keep listening, but I couldn¡¯t turn away. ¡°That¡¯s right. But when the Duchess continued to fail to conceive, she eventually adopted Rupert as her son. So he grew up like their son, but he¡¯s actually an illegitimate child.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± My body froze at what I had just learned. Could that be the reason why the Duke hasn¡¯t passed on the title to Rupert yet? ¡°But the Duke, my older brother, seems to doubt whether he¡¯s even his son. Rupert¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t even his mistress. She was just a woman he spent the night with.¡± ¡°¡­Count.¡± Chloe stopped Melaton from speaking, calling out to him in a soft voice. It was dark, so I couldn¡¯t see exactly what they were doing, but it was clear that there had been some close contact. ¡°You¡¯re a smart kid. Obviously, I have more right to inherit the throne in terms of rank. Even if you¡¯ll still be a mistress, wouldn¡¯t it be better to go to this side?¡± ¡°Shh, stop talking now¡­ I understood everything.¡± As the intense physical contact continued, I covered my eyes with the palm of my hand. And I hurriedly followed Enoch as he led me away. As I walked back to the quiet path of the garden, I could hear my heart pounding too loudly. I took a deep breath only after walking for a long time and completely moving away from the west garden. ¡°Your Highness¡­ That was.¡± As I quietly called him, at a loss for words at what we saw, Enoch glanced at me with an awkward smile. When I looked up, I realized I was in front of Enoch¡¯s room. Advertisements ¡°Shh. I don¡¯t think we should be talking about that here. Would you like to go in for a moment?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I instinctively looked around, and instead of answering him, I opened the door first and went in. Enoch followed in silently and locked the door. With lamps lit everywhere, the room was quite bright, just as I had seen earlier in my room. Enoch drew the curtains and made me sit on the sofa. I had a lot of questions, but I had to ask one thing first. ¡°Your Highness, is Rupert not in the castle right now?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw him suddenly leaving the castle in the evening. I didn¡¯t know where he was going.¡± ¡°I see. Ah, no, that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± As I was speaking, I shut my mouth at a sudden thought. Can I blame Chloe? Not really. Rupert was trying to hold Chloe and me in both hands right now, so who¡¯s to say Chloe couldn¡¯t do it as well. However, I think it came as a bit of a shock because the other man was Rupert¡¯s uncle, she was the female protagonist in this romance novel, and their conversation could really betray Rupert. ¡°By the way, Rupert¡­ he¡¯s an illegitimate child. Did Your Highness know?¡± Enoch nodded slowly, his legs crossed as he leaned back on his seat. Somehow, his laidback appearance felt a little distant because he looked like a person who could handle everything in the world. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know when I was young and we were growing up together. At least the Duchess was much more benevolent to their children than my mother, the Empress. I later stumbled upon it while doing another investigation.¡± Was it just my feeling that his smile looked bitter? ¡°But since the Duchess adopted him, there are no legal problems for Rupert to inherit the title. Of course, if Count Melaton proceeded with a lawsuit, well, it could get a little complicated.¡± The information made my thoughts even more complicated. So, who would benefit the most from killing the Duke at this point? Melaton or Rupert? Or was it a third party with a personal grudge? While I was here, the Duke was far from dying. In fact, he was recovering. Was it possible that nothing would happen and things would go on? I couldn¡¯t help but think optimistically. If I questioned someone about something that might or might not happen in the future, they would be suspicious of me and, ¡®How did you know that?¡¯ I stopped thinking and looked around the room slowly for a moment. ¡°Are you uncomfortable with your room? You haven¡¯t slept yet.¡± Enoch¡¯s long, smooth fingers slid along the wooden armrests of the sofa, repeatedly went up and down. ¡°It¡¯s not an easy night to fall asleep.¡± ¡°Ah yes, you¡¯re not used to the place.¡± ¡°More than that, I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was excited to be in the same place as someone.¡± Advertisements I blinked, wondering what I had just heard, and avoided his eyes because of the heat rushing into my face. To say such a cheesy line so plainly and casually, you really can¡¯t ignore the second male lead. So while the heroine likes the hero, she¡¯s not sure what to do with the second guy. I shuddered[1], but my heart was pounding with excitement as well. After I lowered my gaze and calmed down, I looked at him again. ¡°Your Highness, you sound like a playboy when you¡¯re saying things like this.¡± ¡°Do you mean me? A playboy? That¡¯s kind of unfair.¡± ¡°If you say that to any woman, they will misunderstand. Therefore, please say such words only to the one who will become the Crown Princess.¡± As I spoke, my neck tingled a little. And I waited for Enoch¡¯s answer, watching his expression harden. Just a little, it was also meant to test his mind. [1] Most likely because of the cringe haha CH 51 The silence lasted for a while. I didn¡¯t expect him to immediately say, ¡®I think of you as the Crown Princess.¡¯ Rather, it would be disappointing, but it was quite embarrassing that he was so quiet. Just as I was thinking of changing the subject, Enoch spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve never said that to any woman. But more than that¨C¡± I raised my palm to stop him. I didn¡¯t really want to hear that, nor did I want to trouble him. The fact that he was someone I could depend on and that he liked me was enough for now. It¡¯s also something I shouldn¡¯t be swayed by. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I told you something difficult. You don¡¯t have to say anymore, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Count.¡± I smiled in understanding, but he called me more urgently. The relaxed attitude from before had disappeared entirely. Advertisements ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just didn¡¯t want to make my own decisions about the future when I didn¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Enoch¡¯s emerald eyes shook, a deep embarrassment in his eyes. Then at one moment, a flash of resentment and bitterness came out. Of course, it soon disappeared without a trace. Anyway, now I desperately needed his help, and I had to hold onto his heart to some extent. Let me give you a little bit of leeway. But I couldn¡¯t lie. I couldn¡¯t tell him the future, but I could tell him the present. ¡°Your Highness is¡­ You¡¯re the person I trust the most.¡± It was only this much, but his stiff expression immediately softened. He¡¯s easy to please, but I was still glad to see him relieved. He bowed his head deeply, covering his mouth with a large hand. He seemed to want to hide his smile. ¡°Pfft.¡± It was so funny that it made me laugh without realizing it. ¡°You are truly a master of torturing a man with hope.¡± ¡°So, do you hate it?¡± ¡°No.¡± His straightforward answer followed silence again, but, fortunately, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t as bad as before. ¡°What are you planning to do tomorrow?¡± Enoch asked, breaking the silence. I replied, ¡°I plan to see Father tomorrow. It¡¯s not far from here.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll follow you. Do you have any other companions?¡± ¡°No,why would Your Highness¡­¡± I trailed off and stopped when I saw him staring at me and thought that he wouldn¡¯t tolerate my original train of thought. Standing up, I answered int he lightest tone I could, ¡°Ah, alright. Then, I¡¯ll send you a message tomorrow.¡± Enoch got up without a word and opened the door, so I bowed to him and quickly walked out. My heart ached yet pounded with excitement with each step I took. I was definitely using his heart. ¡°¡­Even if I¡¯m a wicked woman, I have nothing to say.¡± Of course, that¡¯s only for Enoch, though. I could see the door to the annex through the window in the hallway. It looked like her tryst with Melaton was over because Chloe cautiously made her way back. But before she closed the door, she suddenly looked back. Startled, I hid behind the pillars. I didn¡¯t know why, but I instinctively felt like I had to. Our eyes probably didn¡¯t meet, right? When I peeked outside the window once more, I could see where Chloe was looking. She wasn¡¯t looking at me but at Enoch¡¯s room, the room down the hallway where I currently stood. After staring in that direction for a while, she entered the annex. An unpleasant sensation overwhelmed me, but I tried to ignore it and returned to my room. The following day, I felt nauseous, perhaps because I slept late. My head was heavy, and I felt dizzy. When I sat up, I realized that the air in the room was strangely cloudy. I held onto the bedpost, got up, and opened the window. Advertisements ¡°Haa.¡± I felt much better when the fresh air rushed in. It must have been because I had trouble sleeping, I thought. I went near the bed and pulled the string. Looking at the sunlight by the window, it was probably the middle of the morning, but Jenny was still nowhere to be seen. Ring, ring, ring¨C. I tried several more times, but no one came. I knocked on the door beside mine and opened it. Jenny was still lying in bed, asleep. ¡°Jenny, Jenny.¡± She usually woke up earlier than me, so I shook her shoulder to check if she was sick. She didn¡¯t seem to have a fever. I opened the window first because the air in this room seemed cloudy, too. Only then did Jenny open her eyes and get up. ¡°¡­Madam?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you tired? No matter how much I called you, you didn¡¯t come.¡± Still in a daze, Jenny blinked, looked out her window then jumped out of the bed in shock. ¡°Oh my, what time is it now! I must be out of my mind! Madam, didn¡¯t you say you had somewhere to go this morning?¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s right. Go ahead and get yourself together.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam. Please wait a moment!¡± Jenny slapped herself on the cheek and ran out to wash her face. My room and Jenny¡¯s room had a slight burning smell, but it was so faint that I wondered if I just imagined it. A little later, I closed the windows in Jenny¡¯s room, moved back to mine, and closed the windows as well. And Jenny, who returned soon, helped me get ready. I chose a dark dress and a black hat since I was going to a shrine. The Duke of Clifford said that the former Count of Spilet was buried here in the cemetery of the vassals and not in his territory. I wonder if Erin brought him here intending to sell the estate when the Count died? Advertisements Has Enoch not risen yet? I looked toward Enoch¡¯s room for a moment and turned to say hello to the Duke. Knock, knock¨C. When I knocked on the Duke¡¯s door, Eliana opened the door. The Duke looked much better than yesterday, already up and sitting down, looking as if he had just finished eating. There was an empty bowl on the table. ¡°¡­Father[1]. Did you have a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± I curtsied as I greeted him, not used to addressing him that way. The Duke looked at me and answered in a friendly voice, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been a while since I slept well. Looking at your outfit, you must be on your way to visit your father.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A lot of thoughts came to mind when I saw the Duke. Although he didn¡¯t have a huge presence in the novel, he was a person who held many keys in the intricate story. Questions came to mind, including one about Rupert¡¯s illegitimacy. I didn¡¯t know how I could bring that up, so I asked a question about where I was supposed to go today. ¡°My father¡­ Why did he make that choice?¡± I wondered whether this question made sense. Maybe the Duke knew more about the situation where the former Count Spilet committed suicide because of his large debt. ¡°I tried to help him somehow because I didn¡¯t want him to go that far either. But I couldn¡¯t reach him at all,¡± The Duke recited as if making excuses to me. ¡°When he first talked about investment to me, I stopped him. But he looked like someone out of his mind. He was no longer my family¡¯s duchy, so there was a limit to what I could say¡­¡± Then, did Count Spilet eventually fail after making excessive investments, ignoring other people¡¯s advice? It wasn¡¯t much different from what I expected. I sighed and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Your Grace. You don¡¯t have to feel responsible. But thank you for your concern.¡± The Duke looked at me for a moment without saying a word and nodded. ¡°Then, be careful on your way. Take Richard with you.¡± ¡°Yes, then rest comfortably.¡± I greeted him once more then left the Duke¡¯s room. He was definitely getting better each day since the first time I saw him. It¡¯s a relief. Before leaving, I made a special request to Eliana, who followed me. ¡°Please pay special attention to His Grace¡¯s food. Like water and drinks¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t tell her to be careful because it might be poisoned. I didn¡¯t know if Eliana understood, but she answered me obediently, ¡°Yes, Madam. I always take great care when going into His Grace¡¯s room.¡± Advertisements She still wasn¡¯t out of the list of suspects yet, but I had no one else to ask. The Duke is Rupert¡¯s father, but I hope he doesn¡¯t die. As I thought so, I went back down to the first floor. The hallway near the Crown Prince¡¯s room remained silent. In particular, the entire castle seemed to be quiet today, and the burnt smell appeared to be a little thicker than before. ¡°Has the Crown Prince not risen yet?¡± I asked a servant passing by. He said politely, ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t seen His Highness come out yet.¡± Were you really still asleep? I hesitated and finally walked to Enoch¡¯s room. [1] She addressed him as ???, a term used to address the father of one¡¯s husband. ??? can also be used to address a father who¡¯s not your own. CH 52 At first, I knocked carefully, but I didn¡¯t hear anything from inside the room. ¡®Are you still asleep? You don¡¯t seem to be the type to sleep in.¡¯ At this rate, I¡¯ll have to go alone. I knocked hard on the door once more. Bang, bang¨C! ¡°Your Highness! Are you awake? If you don¡¯t come, I¡¯ll just go on my own!¡± But when I knocked on the door, I could smell the same scent I had just smelled from nearby. I had a little ominous thought. I turned the doorknob, but it didn¡¯t open because it was locked from the inside. I looked around, but there was no one around, the hallway still engulfed in silence. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m going in!¡± Advertisements I lifted my skirt, thinking I would just kick the door. But, just as I was about to lift my leg and kick it, the door suddenly opened. ¡°Ah..!¡± My body tilted forward, and Enoch grabbed me as I was falling. I couldn¡¯t even feel embarrassed because the thick burnt smell immediately assaulted my senses. ¡°Your Highness, have you slept this whole time?¡± Blushing, I kept my gaze on his face. He looked as if he had just woken up, but he was still so handsome. His black hair was ruffled, and tight muscles peaked through his loosely draped nightwear. I looked into his eyes, trying my best not to look down. Was he still half-asleep? His slightly cloudy eyes blinked a few times before becoming more alert. He was still holding my arm. ¡°You must have been exhausted. Will you rest more? I can go alone.¡± ¡°No, no,¡± he replied urgently, shaking his head. Enoch also seemed to smell the strange scent. After inhaling deeply, he frowned. ¡°It smells weird, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯m not imagining it, right? Especially in this room¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for waking me up¡­ I think it will be okay. I¡¯ll get ready and go, Count.¡± He smiled at me and slowly let go of my arm, stroking his palm along my skin as he did. ¡°Oh, okay. But you¡¯d better ventilate. Where and what are you burning¨C?¡± Advertisements ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Enoch pushed me out of the room before I could finish speaking and closed the door. Did he hate showing his disorganized side? Anyway, I headed to the drawing room to wait for him. ¡°Young Madam, I heard you called for me. I hope you slept well,¡± Richard, whom I had called in advance, greeted me. ¡°Richard, there¡¯s a burnt smell in the castle. Are you burning something?¡± ¡°Burnt smell? We always incinerate trash outside the castle,¡± Richard sniffed around and tilted his head. ¡°Over there, the area around the Crown Prince¡¯s bedroom was especially strong.¡± Richard went around the area I mentioned, smelled it, shook his head, and returned to me. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Madam.¡± ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t you smell anything?¡± ¡°Yes, not at all. But just in case, I¡¯ll come back in the afternoon and look around.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I¡¯m such Enoch smelled it, too, but Richard didn¡¯t? Does Richard have rhinitis? After a while, Enoch arrived, dressed in an immaculate black uniform, his messy hair slicked back. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping you waiting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re properly dressed.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to see someone important.¡± Without answering that, I strode forward. Richard went out first and stood by the carriage outside. But Melaton rushed out from behind. ¡°Your Highness! You must be leaving now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. See you later.¡± Enoch¡¯s attitude toward Melaton had changed. He had treated him amicably yesterday, but now it was the complete opposite. Of course, no one would fault him for it. Advertisements ¡°Uh, um¡­ Yes.¡± Melaton looked flustered, but eventually bowed his head. ¡°Have a safe trip. Take care of His Highness,¡± Melaton turned to me and said. Soon, Chloe approached from the other side. She appeared in bright clothes with a refreshing smile on her face as if nothing had happened last night. ¡°I guess you¡¯re going somewhere.¡± It was ridiculous that she wasn¡¯t making eye contact with Melaton. ¡°Yes, I am going to visit my father¡¯s grave.¡± ¡°Oh, how nice. After all, you can¡¯t ignore the bond of blood even with a father like that.¡± Chloe smiled sadly, hitting the first blow. Ha, you¡¯ve crossed the line involving my parents. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a noble. Respect for parents is fundamental. Like anyone else, I wasn¡¯t taught to switch to another family as soon as my parents died.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate to point out that Chloe became Count Andron¡¯s adopted daughter as soon as Count Verezian died. Seeing her expression cracking was quite satisfying. ¡°Count Andron has cared for me for a long time¡­ He felt sorry when I lost my father and welcomed me to his family. He¡¯s a good person,¡± she muttered, lowering her gaze as if she were sad. It was Chloe¡¯s signature look, the damsel in distress. ¡°¡­Is that so? Although considering things, he doesn¡¯t seem to have much interest in his daughter, Lady.¡±* ¡°What do you mean?¡± Enoch stared at me with interest while Melaton looked away as if it wasn¡¯t his business. How hilarious. ¡°She¡¯s such a beautiful young girl, but he doesn¡¯t seem to care for her. With you there, the precious young daughter of Count Andron is in second place, so there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡±* ¡°Madam, what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡± ¡°¡­Maybe he sees the Lady as his lover? Seeing as you always go there on your own.¡± As she was with Rupert now, even if Chloe switched to Melaton¡¯s side, she would still be nothing but a mistress. Pleased with Chloe¡¯s distorted expression, I decided to make the final wedge. Even for mistresses, being a lover of a married man was different from being a lover of an unmarried man. It was mainly commoners who became unmarried men¡¯s lovers. Unmarried nobles were conscious of their reputation in society, so they didn¡¯t date, and if they did, they tended to hide it. Advertisements This world saw ¡®dating after marriage¡¯ as perfectly acceptable and was the norm. It didn¡¯t fit my values, but that¡¯s how it was. ¡°The Clifford duchy has a lot of people and a lot of eyes. You know, the backyard garden is great for taking a walk at night.¡± Chloe¡¯s eyes widened at my words, and Melaton¡¯s face had flushed red. I smiled brightly at Enoch¡¯s beautiful emerald eyes and said, ¡°We should go, Your Highness. We¡¯ve been delayed a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± In the midst of this, Richard stayed in his spot and bowed to us politely. Enoch took my hand as he escorted me up the carriage, then followed suit. Jenny loaded the luggage into the carriage¡¯s compartment and climbed into the back with Richard. I stared at the window behind the departing carriage to see that Chloe had not moved even a single step from her spot. I stared at her for a moment, then turned around to look ahead. We¡¯re on the way to the former Count Spilet. Suddenly, I wondered about Enoch¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Has Your Highness seen my father often?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say often, but I did see him. He was one of the families who supported me along with Duke Clifford.¡± ¡°I see. What kind of person was my father like?¡± Enoch stared at me and said nothing for a moment. I waited quietly to give him time to think. ¡°I remember him as a serious and thoughtful man. He was so until his first wife¡­ until she died.¡± Enoch spoke carefully, still staring at me. The first wife he must be talking about was Erin¡¯s mother. Advertisements ¡°Then after she died?¡± ¡°As you know, he seemed to have changed a lot since he married his second wife and the group he spent time with had changed.¡± I didn¡¯t know, but I nodded anyway. Come to think of it, Erin still had family left. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d call it ¡®family,¡¯ but the Count had a second wife and a son. I¡¯d have to look into it later when I¡¯d get a chance. With that in mind, I looked out the window and saw the tombs gathered inside the low fence. We must be near. It was a cemetery, but the atmosphere wasn¡¯t so gloomy. The trees and lawn were well maintained, and there was a small park and benches on one side. ¡°You just have to go and show Madam¡¯s token.¡± At Richard¡¯s words, I went to the family shrine and showed him the Clifford token. The gatekeeper then bowed and opened the closed fence. Jenny came over and handed me a bouquet of flowers, and Richard led me to the former Count Spilet¡¯s grave. ¡¸Arthur of the Spilet family rests here.¡¹ The tombstone only had a short phrase without any modifiers. In the first place, no one would have been able to write his whole story. I stood in front of the tomb and its headstone, laid down the bouquet, and bowed my head. Enoch stood next to me silently and gave a brief salute. In that short time, many thoughts crossed my mind. This was Erin¡¯s father. What should I say, having taken over her body? Erin died because of the debt he had passed on to him. And now, that debt was mine. Erin¡¯s fate was tragic, but I didn¡¯t feel sorry for her. ¡®Come to think of it, Erin doesn¡¯t even have a grave.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t feel sad about it. I just hoped that the father and daughter would meet in heaven and have a conversation. *Not 100% confident with this translation. Please take it with a grain of salt. CH 53 After paying our respects, we headed over to a small chapel near the tomb, where a statue of the goddess Terrsa benevolently smiling stood. I stood in front of the statue and whispered a prayer for the dead, ¡°¡­I pray for the souls that have been laid to rest here¡­¡± I only prayed as a formality, but on the other hand, I did it with Erin, who owned this body, in mind. I was the only one who knew of her death, and I wanted to express my condolences. For now, I was pretending to be her, but I also reminded myself that I was different from Erin. If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from Erin¡¯s fate. I looked up when I finished praying and saw a bright light pouring in from the window beyond the statue. I frowned, and my eyes met the figure of the goddess. Of course, when I said our eyes met, it was only in my head. The statue¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t even visible. I just felt that way. ¡°Madam, I think you can rest over there.¡± Advertisements When noon passed and the afternoon sun shone, Richard recommended going to the park rather than going straight to the castle. Seeing that he had recommended it so naturally, it seemed that staying there for a while after paying respects was the norm of the place. ¡°Alright.¡± Anyway, returning to the castle now would only give me a headache, so I decided to stop by and chat with Enoch. With Richard standing guard in the distance, Enoch and I sat under the shade of a large tree in the park next to the cemetery. We took out the sandwiches and fruits Jenny had packed and took a quick bite. Enoch had already put food on the plate in front of me and encouraged me to eat it. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°At least drink this,¡± Enoch said, handing over a cup full of apple juice. I accepted the cup and glanced at him, who gestured with his chin as if telling me to drink. Puzzled, I drank half of the apple juice and put it down. He chuckled at my confused look, and poured the remaining juice from the cup into his mouth. ¡°You didn¡¯t have breakfast, did you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have an appetite in the morning. It smells¡­¡± Then I suddenly remembered the smell again. ¡°Did you smell it too? It smelled like something was burning¡­ Did you burn anything in the room? Do you smoke?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± he immediately denied, stroking his chin with his hand. Then, he looked into the distance, immersed in his thoughts. I continued, ¡°But Richard says he didn¡¯t smell anything. It doesn¡¯t seem like his nose is congested either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know something? Your Highness?¡± He just smiled and didn¡¯t answer. At first, I thought the smell wasn¡¯t a big deal, but looking at Enoch¡¯s reaction, it probably was. When I continued to stare at him, Enoch smiled sheepishly and said, ¡°I will tell you when the time comes.¡± Advertisements ¡°When will that time come?¡± ¡°I just hope it won¡¯t be too long.¡± I finally found the answer from his cool and cryptic answer. It was a little bittersweet, but I soon understood. The time he was talking about, it was probably after the divorce. After a little more small talk, we got up. Enoch escorted me inside the carriage, but just before he got on, Richard, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke, ¡°Your Highness, did our young master swear an oath of allegiance to you?¡± I thought about the oath of allegiance that I had only read in books. It was a kind of oath a knight made to his master. It meant that he would be loyal to his master first, then the empire second. ¡°No, not yet. If Rupert becomes the Duke, wouldn¡¯t he do it?¡± Richard nodded slowly, looking skeptical. ¡°¡­I guess. But the relationship between the two is wrong.¡± Enoch tapped Richard¡¯s shoulder as if he didn¡¯t care about what he said, and got on the carriage. After listening to Richard, I guessed that the former Dukes of Clifford must have pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince even before becoming a Duke. Rupert¡¯s legitimacy must not be the only reason Duke Clifford hasn¡¯t officially appointed him as his successor. Considering Rupert¡¯s attitude towards the Crown Prince, it wasn¡¯t surprising. So what was he going to do? I suddenly looked at Enoch. Did he believe in Rupert, or did he know more but was hiding it? Our eyes met and he smiled. Perhaps this, too, would remain unanswered. That in itself might be the answer. ¡®The Crown Prince is suspicious of Rupert.¡¯ As soon as the carriage arrived at the castle, I saw Rupert and Chloe walking affectionately in the garden. Chloe clung to Rupert¡¯s arm, saying something in a cute voice. She even seemed to be whining. Rupert looked apologetic as he comforted her. This was purely a guess, but it was probably about going out last night. Ah, it seemed that Chloe didn¡¯t give up on Rupert. ¡°Count, let¡¯s get off.¡± I took Enoch¡¯s hand and went down, and Rupert saw us. He let go of Chloe and walked over to me. Advertisements Before Rupert could ask, Enoch said, ¡°We went to the family shrine in the territory.¡± ¡°Did His Highness accompany you?¡± ¡°Yes, since there¡¯s no one at the castle.¡± Enoch smiled and looked at Chloe approaching Rupert¡¯s side. She curtsied to Enoch and me, her face devoid of any trace that we had that conversation earlier. ¡°Have you been well? If you had given me a message, I would have gone along with you, but I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°That¡­ There¡¯s no need to apologize, Lady Andron. We went to the cemetery where the remains of Duke Clifford¡¯s family and vassals are buried. Only people related to the family can enter. Even sir Richard can¡¯t go in alone.¡± I said so to emphasize how absurd it was for a mistress to try to enter the cemetery. I didn¡¯t forget to show the Clifford seal the Duke had given me through Richard the first time I met him. ¡°Oh, of course, the Crown Prince is an exception.¡± With a gentle smile on my face, I bowed to Enoch, and he smiled at me when our eyes met. Rupert and Chloe¡¯s faces hardened at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first, Count. Go in and rest.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for accompanying us,¡± I thanked him as he left, then stood stiffly again and looked at the other two. Rupert didn¡¯t hide his jealousy while Chloe quickly cleared her expression and smiled again. Not so long ago, I didn¡¯t hate Chloe that much, but the hatred piled up from the moment she messed with me. Looking at her now, I wanted to wipe the smile on her face. The method was simple. I looked at Rupert and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I want to go inside and rest. Will you come with me?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, are you tired? That¡¯s understandable. Come on, let¡¯s go in.¡± Rupert reached out to me. He seemed oblivious that this conversation wasn¡¯t normal; he just seemed happy that I had made the offer first. I knew Rupert would act like this. He liked Chloe but wasn¡¯t considerate. It was the other way around too. He was so jealous; I didn¡¯t know how he thought Chloe would be okay with it. It was pathetic, but it had nothing to do with me. I put my hand very slightly over Rupert¡¯s outstretched hand. Advertisements After all, I only had one goal. On the one hand, it was fortunate that Enoch went in first. Whether Rupert misunderstood or not didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Then see you later, Lady.¡± I turned around to look at Chloe¡¯s face. Chloe had gone completely pale as she chewed her face. I liked the expression on her face, but was she in pain? As soon as I thought about it, Chloe collapsed right away. Rupert immediately let go of my hand and ran to Chloe. ¡°Chloe, get a hold of yourself. Chloe!¡± This time, I was surprised, too. It didn¡¯t look like Chloe was acting; she really looked unwell. As I followed Rupert to Chloe, I smelled a faint scent from her. It was similar to the burning smell that had spread in the castle this morning. So, did she burn something? While I was speculating, I heard urgent footsteps rushing towards us. I turned towards the sound and saw Eliana running and huffing towards us. I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw her. Something must be wrong. ¡°His Grace is, haa, His Grace¡¯s condition is critical!¡± So suddenly? How could the Duke¡¯s condition, which seemed relatively normal this morning when I saw him, suddenly turn for the worse? For a moment, I turned to look at Rupert and Chloe in his arms. His eyes wide in surprise, Rupert asked, ¡°Since when was he in critical condition? How is he now?¡± ¡°A-a couple of hours ago¡­¡± While watching Rupert and Eliana, I saw the tip of Chloe¡¯s pale lips rising slightly. The hairs on the back of my neck rose at the chilling sight. Rupert tightened his hold on Chloe and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your room and come out.¡± While I watched Rupert¡¯s arms drooping and shaking with every step, I wondered if what I had seen earlier was a mistake. Still, I rubbed my hands to calm the goosebumps on my arms. CH 54 I hurriedly followed Eliana to Duke Clifford¡¯s room. But as I followed her, I wondered why it became more pronounced. ¡®¡­That smell.¡¯ It was getting stronger. It was the same scent that I smelled in the morning and the one I smelled from Chloe a while ago. Belatedly, Richard ran behind me. ¡°Madam!¡± When I saw him coming, I paused for a moment. ¡°Richard. Have you looked into it?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. There were no signs of burning inside or outside the castle. Madam, did you really smell something burning? I asked around, but neither I nor others smelled anything weird.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Richard looked cautious as he said it. He didn¡¯t outright accuse me of being mistaken, but it didn¡¯t feel like he believed what I said. The investigation must have been done just out of respect for his superiors¡¯ opinion. Advertisements I looked at Eliana¡¯s face just in case. She didn¡¯t seem to know what I was talking about either. Anyway, it was useless to explain it to someone who didn¡¯t smell it. So I gave up trying to persuade him and headed back to the Duke¡¯s room. And just as I was opening the door, Enoch made his way from the other side of the hallway. He, too, seemed to have just arrived after hearing the news. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Enoch looked at me, nodded, opened the door and entered the room. Eliana ran to the Duke as soon as we entered, her tears falling. ¡°¡­Your Grace.¡± I also approached and saw him lying in bed. His face had turned dark blue, and he looked as if his life was fading right before us. He still looked fine in the morning. How did it get so bad in such a short time? I looked around. Again, a thick, burning smell filled the room. Did no one really smell this? Unintentionally, her eyes met Enoch¡¯s, who was standing next to her. I tried to ask him about the smell with my eyes, but he glanced away, looking troubled. Instead of asking more about the smell, I said, ¡°¡­Your Highness, I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°I would like you to call the priest.¡± Yesterday, he said he would call for one personally, so I knew he wouldn¡¯t refuse. As expected, Enoch nodded slowly. ¡°Okay. But let¡¯s wait one more day.¡± ¡°Will it be okay?¡± I asked, looking at Enoch anxiously. Enoch took one good look around the room and said, ¡°Maybe. Please stay in this room for a while. You, follow me for a while.¡± Enoch pointed to Eliana with his chin. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Madam, please take good care of His Grace.¡± Even though the order was sudden, Eliana obeyed the Crown Prince. She seemed thrilled by Enoch¡¯s promise to call for a priest. Enoch looked at me for a moment, greeted me with a wink, then went out with Eliana. Advertisements I didn¡¯t know why he took Eliana with him, but I¡¯ll ask when they get back. Left alone with the suffering Duke, I stared blankly at him, then suddenly realized what I had to do¨Clet this turbid air out of the room. I went to the window and opened it wide. Cool air rushed into the room. ¡°Huu, I think I¡¯m going to live a little now.¡± Since there was a patient in the room, they probably kept the window closed to keep it warm. After that, I slowly made my way to the bed where the Duke was lying. The dark blue complexion had subtly faded from before. I looked around. Did the ventilation have anything to do with his complexion? However, his condition was still not good, and his forehead was covered with cold sweat. I glanced at him and wiped his face with the towel on the side table. Rupert¡¯s father, Duke Clifford. Truthfully, there might be no reason for me, who would soon divorce Rupert, to do this. But I had a hunch that the drastic change in his condition wasn¡¯t natural. ¡°No matter how foolish you are¡­¡± And Chloe¡¯s smile I saw earlier. It was very subtle, so there¡¯s a possibility that I saw it wrong. After all, she fainted. Enoch seemed to know the truth of the situation to some extent. However, he, who was usually favorable in most cases, did not even give a clue about this. Just thinking about it made me sad. ¡°¡­Should I say it¡¯s sad?¡± In my head, I thought it was sad, but my heart wasn¡¯t convinced. When I thought the air in the room had changed considerably, I got up again and closed the window. I pulled the duvet to the end of His Grace¡¯s neck, and he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Your Grace? Are you awake?¡± He nodded slowly and took a deep breath. Still, I was relieved to see him awake. Just in time, Eliana returned. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Oh! Your Grace!¡± Her eyes wide, Eliana rushed towards the Duke. ¡°That¡¯s a relief, really¡­ I was so surprised earlier.¡± Advertisements As soon as she saw the Duke open his eyes, relief washed over her face. Seeing that proved Eliana¡¯s sincerity towards the Duke. ¡°What did His Highness see you for?¡± ¡°¡­Um, that¡¯s¡­¡± If she¡¯s hesitating to speak, did Enoch swear her to secrecy? ¡°Eliana, you belong to the Clifford family. Of course, he¡¯s the Crown Prince¡­¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a little vague.¡± Eliana understood what I was saying and hurriedly shook her hand to deny it. ¡°His Highness just asked if I was tired these days, and when I said I was fine, he took me to the drawing room and told me to drink a cup of tea before going back.¡± ¡°¡­Tea?¡± ¡°Yes. I wondered if he¡¯d say something during tea, but I drank tea by myself¡­¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything else?¡± ¡°He told me I should rest properly to take good care of the patient.¡± That¡¯s true, but it was too out of the blue. Was it just to get Eliana to rest? It¡¯s too much attention to detail, and Enoch didn¡¯t seem like he could afford to even think about that. I had my doubts, but Eliana was oblivious to it. Before leaving the room, I asked her to keep the room ventilated often and take care of His Grace. Enoch left Eliana in the drawing room and walked down the hallway. As he went down the stairs to his room on the first floor, he saw Rupert coming up. Rupert paused when he saw Enoch, then bowed briefly. ¡°Are you on your way back from seeing Father?¡± ¡°Yes. He looked worse than the last time I saw him. I¡¯m going to call for a priest tomorrow to check his condition.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You look as if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Enoch said, questioning Rupert¡¯s expression. ¡°No, I appreciate your concern.¡± Rupert rushed to say. Enoch shook his head, passed him, and muttered to himself, ¡°Are you really ignorant, or are you pretending not to know¡­¡± Rupert paused in his steps when he heard him, but Enoch didn¡¯t look back and continued walking down the stairs with an elegant pace, neither slow nor fast. When Enoch reached his room, it was still dark with only a sliver of light. The musk had long since disappeared as if it had been washed away. Someone was already in the room. He went down on one knee when he saw Enoch and bowed deeply. Enoch merely glanced at him and sat on the sofa. ¡°Tell me.¡± Advertisements Viscount Therien, still kneeling, stood and came to his side. ¡°It¡¯s too easy. The source is over there,¡± Therien said, pointing a finger towards the other building. Enoch nodded, his expression not changing. ¡°Will you leave it as it is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing special; it¡¯s insignificant. And it¡¯s still useful.¡± Viscount Therien didn¡¯t refute him, although he looked at Enoch with a slightly incomprehensible look. Instead, he changed the topic. ¡°You haven¡¯t told her yet¡­ Is it because you don¡¯t trust her?¡± Enoch¡¯s eyes trembled when Therien mentioned ¡®her[1].¡¯ He got up from his seat and walked towards the window. A thick curtain still hung over the window. ¡°Have you seen me trust anyone else?¡± There was no way he could see outside, but Enoch stood there with his back turned against Therien. He seemed to be hiding his expression. He took a few deep breaths then looked back at Therien. ¡°I trust you because I¡¯ve been watching you for so long.¡± ¡°But¡­ Don¡¯t you like her?¡± ¡°Liking someone and trusting them is different.¡± Enoch opened the curtain and stared out the window, his gaze on Erin¡¯s room. Contrary to his cold words, Enoch¡¯s eyes gave him away. Therien wanted to call him out on it but stopped. Even if he did, it was obvious that he would melt down in front of Count Spillet as if he had never done so.* Enoch, who had been quiet for a while, said, ¡°I need to speed up the time.¡± Anyway, he had many opportunities to be with Erin for the time being. He would have to pull her towards himself step by step. [1] Therien used ??, a polite form of a pronoun. It¡¯s typically used for men, but could be used for men or women. *Not 100% sure about this translation. Please take with a grain of salt CH 55 Viscount Therien, who had been staring at Enoch¡¯s back, suddenly spoke in a much lower voice, ¡°But it was dangerous, letting her into the room.¡± His gaze then shifted towards the eastern part of the building. Enoch shrugged, moved away from the window, and turned to Therien. ¡°I didn¡¯t let her in. She sneaked in last night.¡± Therien didn¡¯t even blink at his excuse. ¡°You know, you left me alone, didn¡¯t you? Thanks to you, I was hit by the incense.¡± There was no way that a person as strong as Enoch could not have detected such a low-quality magician sneaking in. However, it was also true that it was dangerous to have been so complacent. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they¡¯d come wearing such a troublesome thing. Maybe they used it because things didn¡¯t work as they¡¯d planned, but if Count hadn¡¯t come to wake me up, I would have overslept even more. I only noticed it later, but the Count seems to be much more sensitive.¡± Advertisements In the midst of this, Enoch expressed his admiration for Count Spillet. His admiration sounded more like boasting about one¡¯s person than just pure respect. This was why Viscount Therien didn¡¯t believe the Crown Prince when he said he didn¡¯t trust her. ¡°Then¡­ What did the witch say?¡± Therien didn¡¯t mention the name, but they both knew who he was talking about. Raising his eyebrows, Enoch said, ¡°She wanted to join forces.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°An enemy of an enemy is a friend, and she told me to let her have Rupert. Then she thought it would be nice for me to have the lonesome Count.¡± Therien almost laughed. ¡°She¡¯s pretty naive for a witch.¡± ¡°Yeah. So, I guess she¡¯s just listening to someone¡¯s orders and naively using black magic,¡± Enoch muttered sadly, yet the corners of his mouth raised. Unlike his tone, his eyes showed no sympathy. The fact that she had dabbled with black magic was proof of her greed. Being naive was a different matter. ¡°Obviously, you refused.¡± ¡°It was interesting, but not enough to join hands with someone so dirty.¡± ¡°You were quite honest.¡± Enoch crushed the carpet with his feet and kicked it. There was something like ash under his feet. Advertisements ¡°Count Spilet saw what she was doing last night. The thought that she had defiled the Count¡¯s eyes, I guess I became more sincere without realizing it.¡± His words suddenly annoyed Viscount Therien, but in the end, he gave up and decided to just get used to this conversation. ¡°So what are you going to do next?¡± ¡°¡­the Duke¡¯s life is already coming to an end. Surprisingly though, she¡¯s not after the Duke¡¯s life. I¡¯m jut helping out with guiding things. As long as Count isn¡¯t in danger¡­¡± ¡°Is it okay for Rupert to become Duke as he is now?¡± Enoch smiled, then he turned and looked out the window again. The flag of the Clifford duchy fluttered outside the window. With a white shield on a red background, the family¡¯s symbol meant the ¡®protector of the Empire.¡¯ Long ago, the Clifford family pledged allegiance to the first Emperor, archmage Rikephoros, and generations after generations made a blood oath to continue that. Still staring at the flag, Enoch said, ¡°For now.¡± Whether they liked it or not, Cliffords would remain loyal to them unless they released their oath. The next morning, after stopping by the Duke¡¯s room, I slowly walked down the hallway in a daze. The Duke looked much better than he did yesterday. I couldn¡¯t believe his health had gone back and forth like this. Was that why Enoch said to observe his condition for a day? Thanks to that, we ended up not calling the priest. There were only a few priests with healing powers, and they were incredibly busy as they traveled all over the continent to make use of their divine powers. So, even if one was a member of the Imperial family, they could only call for a priest if it was really urgent. Still, it disturbed me that the Duke¡¯s condition changed from day to day, and not because of his age or an illness. ¡°¡­Strange.¡± Advertisements But all I knew was a fragment of information from the novel. So while the situation was strange, I couldn¡¯t think of a clue. The scent that only I could smell, did that have anything to do with the Duke¡¯s condition? But I didn¡¯t have enough knowledge about it to judge it. ¡°I should ask him one more time.¡± I didn¡¯t think he would tell me this time, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Enoch was the only one who knew about this. My pace quickened as soon as I made up my mind. As I quickly descended the stairs, I ran into the maid, climbing up with two teacups on a tray. The teacup was filled with a dark liquid? What was it? For a moment, I hesitated. The moment I passed by the maid who bowed to me, I deliberately tapped her shoulder and walked ahead. ¡°Ah!¡± Crash¨C! The tray shook, and the two teacups fell to the floor and shattered. The maid, bewildered, looked at me in resentment. I looked her straight in the eyes, and then the maid looked down. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­My name is Lenin, Madam.¡± The disrespectful gaze disappeared, and she clasped her hands together and bowed. Advertisements Then I smelled it again. I couldn¡¯t tell if the smell was coming from the maid or the spilled tea. ¡°Where did this tea come from?¡± ¡°From the kitchen¡­ I was on my way to deliver it. It¡¯s brewed with tea leaves and medicinal herbs as it is said to be helpful for the Duke¡¯s condition.¡± In a roundabout way, she was blaming me for ruining something precious. I nodded slightly but didn¡¯t change my expression. ¡°I see, but don¡¯t take things without a doctor¡¯s prescription.¡± ¡°This is what Eliana ordered.¡± Frowning, I spoke in a more stern voice. ¡°Which do you think has more seniority in this family, me or Eliana?¡± ¡°¡­that, it¡¯s Madam,¡± Lenin stuttered. ¡°Then go up. Deliver my message to Eliana, as well.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Lenin bowed her head deeply once more and tried to clean the shattered glass on the floor. ¡°Leave it. I¡¯ll call for someone to clean up.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± She straightened, nodded, then made her way upstairs. After watching her climb up and disappear into the hallway, I leaned over, tapped the wet floor with my fingers, and pressed it to my nose. There was the smell of bitter herbs, not no hint of that burnt scent. ¡°Am I being sensitive?¡± I got up, shook my hands, and sniffed around, but I couldn¡¯t smell it anymore. So, was it really from Lenin? I bit my lip and rushed down the stairs. I went straight to the Crown Prince¡¯s room and knocked. Thump, thump¨C. ¡°What¡¯s going¨C¡± Enoch immediately opened the door, and his eyes widened when he saw me. Did I knock too hard? ¡°¨CCount, what¡¯s are you doing?¡± ¡°No, rather than doing¨C¡± ¡°Once inside,¡± he said, opening the door and stepping aside. I managed to keep my mouth shut as I entered the room. The smell from yesterday was completely gone. ¡°Please sit. Would you like a cup of tea while you¡¯re here?¡± He asked as he poured tea leaves in the teapot. I noticed that the tea leaves weren¡¯t something I had seen before upon closer inspection. ¡°The tea leaves must have been brought from the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°You have a good eye. You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°The scent is slightly different¡­¡± Enoch poured tea into the cup and glanced at me. ¡°Tea is the perfect item to deceive someone. So, regardless of other things, I tend to prepare tea leaves separately wherever I go.¡± He talked as if he knew what I had just gone through. Was it a coincidence? Anyway, it made sense. Enoch was a prince, and it seemed his life got threatened frequently. He would naturally have to be cautious. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as he handed me a cup. The fragrant, minty aroma cleared my jumbled thoughts. Advertisements He sat across from me and stared at me. As if he was expecting what I was going to say, there wasn¡¯t a hint of impatience on his face. Rather, I was the one who had this feeling of urgency. I took a sip of tea and looked down. Where should I start? ¡°What do I have to do for you to tell me?¡± ¡°When the time is right, I will tell you.¡± Enoch gave a small smile, his eyes drawing into arcs. Despite his characteristic soft smile, he remained firm. But this time, I wasn¡¯t going to back down easily. ¡°It would be too late. Because I want to know now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He certainly seemed to want to talk, but he didn¡¯t. Then, it¡¯s useless to persuade him with words. I didn¡¯t come all the way here and leave without getting what I needed. I wiped the smile on my face and coldly said, ¡°I guess you can¡¯t¡­ I see. I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡± I put the cup on the table and stood. I deliberately didn¡¯t make eye contact with him. ¡°Count?¡± And as expected, Enoch immediately got up with me. As I watched his relaxed expression disappear, I internally sighed in relief. CH 56 I sighed and put on a bitter smile. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do if you can¡¯t tell me. I guess I came here for nothing.¡± ¡°¡­Wait.¡± He blocked me as I was about to leave. Seeing his helpless and perplexed expression, it seemed that there wasn¡¯t much time left. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sorry for not trusting you. I won¡¯t bother you now. Please step aside, Your Highness,¡± I bowed my head politely to him while maintaining a stoic expression. Then he spoke to me in a bewildered voice, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t bother me. Not at all. Do you not know why I came here in the first place?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I turned my head slightly towards him but didn¡¯t answer. He looked even more restless at my reaction. And after a while, he frowned as if in agony. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you trusted me?¡± I raised my head and looked him straight in the eye. ¡°But Your Highness doesn¡¯t trust me.¡± His emerald eyes trembled. He didn¡¯t answer, but his silence was answer enough. You really don¡¯t trust me. It was a bit unexpected. ¡°You must be disappointed in me.¡± Advertisements If Enoch¡¯s eyebrows had not drooped as he said that, I might have completely changed my judgment and attitude toward him. It made me proud to see Enoch look like a puppy with his tail hanging down. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand, but it doesn¡¯t feel good.¡± But that also didn¡¯t mean I would just let it go. When I said I trusted him, I meant that I believed in the goodwill and abilities he showed me and that we could grow closer in the future. Whether he showed the same trust as me was beyond me. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think we have anything else to say, so would you mind letting me go?¡± I softened my cold demeanor a little, even smiling faintly at him. But it must have felt like a wall to him because this time, Enoch¡¯s expression hardened. If it was a secret serious enough to ruin my relationship with Enoch, I wasn¡¯t going to continue asking him. He gave me his choice. As I was about to pass by Enoch, he blocked my way again. But he seemed more hesitant than before. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Enoch didn¡¯t step out of the door but instead led me back to the sofa. ¡°I will tell you some things.¡± So, not everything. I decided to accept that compromise. I was going to divorce Rupert anyway, and Enoch will show me complete trust when that happens. Enoch ruffled his bangs with his hand and invited me to sit down again. I made my way to the seat and made myself comfortable. Picking up the mug, I sipped the mint tea that had gone cold. Enoch sighed and faced me. He opened his mouth slowly, looking at my expression with a glimmer of nervousness. ¡°What are you curious about?¡± Based on his expression, there were probably many things he couldn¡¯t answer even if I asked. I thought deeply and decided to ask the most relevant question to me. After all, my identity was the most important thing. Of course, I was curious about the issue regarding the Duke, but that¡¯s a problem for later. ¡°The scent from yesterday seemed to be something only you and I could smell. Why is that?¡± Advertisements ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure why you could, but for me, it¡¯s because of my lineage.¡± ¡°Lineage? Is it because you¡¯re a descendant of the first emperor?¡± Enoch nodded and continued, ¡°It¡¯s almost like a legend now, but when the first emperor defeated the demon king and built the empire, he fused himself with a being from a world beyond ours.¡± My hand holding the mug trembled at his explanation. Fortunately, Enoch didn¡¯t seem to notice because he went on. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know the exact details, but because of that, successive emperors and crown princes could use special powers and see and feel more. That¡¯s why I could smell it.¡± And he said he didn¡¯t know why I could smell it. But that alone was enough for me. I didn¡¯t have such a tremendous ability, but I was an outsider who borrowed Erin¡¯s body. I looked into his eyes, wondering if Enoch had expected this far, but he just sat there, looking calm and collected. ¡°¡­so, what¡¯s causing the smell? Does it have anything to do with His Grace¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This time, he sighed. Was it something he couldn¡¯t answer? ¡°It has something to do with it, but not in the way the Count is thinking, maybe.¡± Not in the way I was thinking¡­ I thought the smell would worsen the Duke¡¯s condition and lead to his death. So, it wasn¡¯t that? Advertisements ¡°How about you, Count? If you were sick, which would you choose¨C the painful and ugly side that will let you keep your life or the side that will let you pass quietly when the time comes? My thoughts were a jumbled mess. After hearing Enoch¡¯s words, I sat there for a while and thought about it, then got up. Of course, I had many more questions to ask, but we¡¯ve decided to put it on hold for now. I could know a few things just by thinking about it hard enough without having to ask him. I knew I had a lot of things to ponder about, and I had to do it on my own. This time, Enoch opened the door himself, and on my way out, he said, ¡°If you have any questions, please feel free to visit.¡± But he wasn¡¯t going to answer everything. Still, I gladly thanked him. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to the conversation, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­Count.¡± The conversation, which I thought would end, continued a little longer. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to leave soon.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t intend to stay here long. I had to leave, but I just didn¡¯t have a chance. ¡°When I posted an announcement about the magic stone mine, people gathered like clouds. I¡¯ve finished the screening process to some extent¡­¡± ¡°Ah, then let¡¯s go. When shall we go?¡± Finally, an opportunity. I had no reason to hesitate. Enoch seemed rather surprised by my attitude. ¡°I think it would be appropriate to leave in two days, Count. Will it be okay?¡± Advertisements ¡°Is there any reason it shouldn¡¯t be?¡± I asked, and he stopped. Of course, a few concerns worried me, but the issues in this place were up to the people who lived here. If things get solved in two days, then that¡¯s good. If not, there¡¯s nothing I could do about it. Still, I had to gather my thoughts from the conversation earlier, so I headed to my room. The newlyweds¡¯ room was prepared for Rupert and me, but this room was just mine. Except for the first day, Rupert never showed up in this room. The moment I opened the door, I frowned when I found an uninvited guest in my room. I didn¡¯t want to meet you now. No, not necessarily just now, but anyway. As I was about to leave again, Rupert, who had been lying on the sofa for a while, got up and said, ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Just lie down. I¡¯m leaving.¡± I was about to turn around and go out, but I heard him get up. I raised my arm reflexively, and his hand trying to grab my wrist lost its goal and reached my waist instead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to repeat the same thing? I think I said everything I had to say then.¡± ¡°¡­I know you¡¯re angry, I understand. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know, but I get it.¡± Did Rupert find out that Chloe was hooking up with Melaton? I looked back for a moment out of curiosity, and Rupert came up with a completely different answer with an anguished look on his face. ¡°If I stay away from Chloe for a while, then will you be satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­ What are you talking about? Why would you think so?¡± ¡°I listened to you and thought about it.¡± He hurried towards the door and closed it. It worried me that my escape route had been blocked, but I didn¡¯t want to continue this stupid game of tag, so I let it go. ¡°Yeah, jealousy. Jealousy is a painful feeling. Now, I understand why you closed your heart to me like that.¡± Advertisements Slowly, anxiety began to creep in. What other nonsense was he going to say? But I didn¡¯t have to listen to this nonsense. Enoch mentioned we had to leave two days later. I knew it would take a long time for the money to come into my hands if I followed standard procedures, but I would use a different method to make it quicker as soon as we went. While I was thinking so, Rupert kept on expressing his agony in front of me. ¡°Every time I see you with His Highness, I feel annoyed. You were trying to let me experience this. You want me to feel it, too, right?¡± I didn¡¯t even want to listen anymore, but I felt I should say something to correct the fatal error in Rupert¡¯s words. Well, I didn¡¯t know if he would understand it. It¡¯s definitely not the first time I¡¯ve said this. ¡°Rupert, I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re with Chloe.¡± It certainly wasn¡¯t the first time, but his face hardened as if he were hearing it for the first time. ¡°Because I don¡¯t like you at all. I don¡¯t love you at all. It¡¯s strange. I think I¡¯ve said it before.¡± I smiled sadly as I said that. It was kind of a bonus. CH 57 ¡°¡­¡± I stared at Rupert, who looked as if he had lost everything in the world. It was strange. Ironically, that desperate expression somehow felt the most vivid of the emotions he had ever shown. ¡°Why¡­ Only you, to me¡­¡± At the eerie low-pitched voice, I passed him by and left through the open door without looking back. I wondered what would happen if he stopped me by force again, but luckily he didn¡¯t. It was upsetting to see the raw expression on his face, but I soon calmed down. Since it was Rupert, I decided not to care anymore. I walked from the center to the end of the west hallway, looked out the window, and saw the back garden. The last time I took a walk there, I saw Chloe and Melaton¡¯s illicit rendezvous. Someone was strolling under the warm autumn sunshine. ¡°Who is that?¡± I moved closer to the window to see better. It was Eliana. After walking a few steps, she settled down on a bench near the pond. She didn¡¯t look like she was doing much; she just sat there. Was she just out for a walk, then? It definitely wasn¡¯t easy to take care of the sick. Advertisements Instead of going to Eliana, I decided to head to the Duke¡¯s room upstairs on the third floor. The Duke¡¯s bedroom was on the west side, and I saw it immediately after making my way up the staircase. As I was going up, I heard a strange noise. ¡®A human voice?¡¯ Someone kept saying something over and over again. I slowly headed toward the source of the noise, keeping my steps light to make sure I didn¡¯t make any sound. The source of the sound was the Duke¡¯s room. I covered my mouth, not even breathing. Then I walked closer to the door and listened to the voice. To my surprise, the voice I heard inside was a man¡¯s. The words were muffled, so I couldn¡¯t hear it exactly, but I knew who it was¨CClifford, Earl of Melaton, the Duke¡¯s younger brother. ¡°Brother, you can¡¯t go back like this. Now, drink more of this.¡± Just what were they doing inside? The curious situation puzzled me, and I carefully opened the door a little bit. The scene I saw through the crack surprised me even more. ¡°This will make it last longer. Hey, why do you hate it that much? Don¡¯t do that and open your mouth. Come on.¡± Melaton supported the Duke with his arm, scooped out medicine with a spoon, and fed him. He carefully poured the antidote into the Duke¡¯s mouth, wiping it with his hand in case it spilled. Moreover, just listening to his words, it seemed like he was feeding the Duke medicine to save him. But I could smell the burning scent again. Advertisements ¡°Stop, Count. Please stop making him drink it,¡± I said, jumping as I opened the door and entered the room. The Duke looked blankly at me as Melaton struggled to feed him the medicine. ¡°What are you doing here? I was just making my brother take his medicine.¡± ¡°The medicine¡­ What kind is it?¡± The answer came from behind me. ¡°It¡¯s a drug that makes the Duke live a little longer. Count Melaton told me about it, and it¡¯s a drug we¡¯ve been using for a while now.¡± ¡°¡­But.¡± But even if that statement was true, what was the cause of this ominous smell? Furthermore, the Duke was refusing to take medicine with that weak gesture. Eliana approached the men and took the medicine from the Count. ¡°Thank you, milord. I will do it from now on.¡± ¡°Well, you heard her¡­ Brother, take good care of yourself. See you again,¡± Melaton said in a serious tone, then glanced at me before leaving. ¡°You need to take your medicine¡­ Please stay by my side for a long time.¡± Eliana begged as she put the spoon to the Duke¡¯s mouth again. The look in the Duke¡¯s eyes revealed his pity for her. I couldn¡¯t say anything about it, so I went back. The people here had their own circumstances. I thought Melaton wanted the Duke to die soon. But, given the circumstances, it seemed that he did. As I slowly walked down the hallway, a sudden thought made me stop. The long corridor was filled with silence. No one came to this floor where the Duke stayed except those assigned. It was frustrating to have a clue that seemed to lead to something but didn¡¯t. Advertisements They said the drug makes people live longer, but they didn¡¯t say it was a cure for the disease. Was it simply a difference in expression? Was I being paranoid? I started walking again. The words Enoch said a while ago replayed in my mind. ¡°How about you, Count? If you were sick, which would you choose¨C the painful and ugly side that will let you keep your life or the side that will let you pass quietly when the time comes? Of course, I don¡¯t know what the Duke¡¯s intentions are.¡± At the sound of footsteps getting louder, Chloe looked at herself in the mirror. She stared back and forth, checking her large orange eyes, moist eyes seemingly ready to burst into tears right away, and pale cheeks and lips. She deliberately messed up her long brown hair to add to the illusion. She didn¡¯t want to look overly weary, even though it seemed like it just happened. Her ivory pajamas that were thin enough to see through her underwear added a subtle charm to it. No matter how much enchantment potion she used, it wouldn¡¯t work if she didn¡¯t possess basic charm. Of course, Rupert had already fallen in love with her and would have called her pretty no matter how she looked. Just before he could knock, she hurriedly laid her body on the bed. The curtains were still drawn, and so the room was dimly lit. Knock, knock, knock¨C. ¡°Chloe, it¡¯s me.¡± Rupert entered the room and sighed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He dragged a chair to the side of the bed and sat down. Chloe looked at Rupert with a hazy expression on her face, as if she had just woken up. ¡°¡­Rupert.¡± ¡°You suddenly fell down again. I was surprised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I made you worry again,¡± Chloe said, getting up and sitting on the bed. Rupert held her as he always did and made her lean on his shoulder. Chloe looked into Rupert¡¯s face and patted his cheek. ¡°You, you¡¯re worried about something.¡± ¡°How did you know? You know me very well.¡± ¡°I know everything just by looking at your face¡­ because I love you.¡± Rupert smiled shallowly at the loved confession that flowed so easily. ¡°It¡¯s not easy, it¡¯s different from you.¡± Advertisements ¡°¡­Erin, your wife, she didn¡¯t open her heart to you?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think she hates me a lot. She said it herself that she didn¡¯t like me at all.¡± At that, Chloe turned and sat across from him. She cupped his cheeks with her hands and forced him to meet her eyes. ¡°It can¡¯t be. You know how long she¡¯s been watching you. And that¡¯s why she was so jealous of me.¡± ¡°I know, I know. But now she¡¯s changed her mind.¡± Rupert shook his head, a bitter smile on his lips. Chloe couldn¡¯t hold back her anger and cursed through her teeth, ¡°D*mn, idiot¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± Fortunately, Rupert didn¡¯t seem to have heard it correctly. It was a good thing Chloe didn¡¯t say much. With a gentle smile, Chloe stood and rested her knees on the bed. Then, she bowed her head and kissed his forehead and nose. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. You¡¯re a charming person. It¡¯s hard to open one¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°¡­Chloe,¡± Rupert called to her and looked at her with his blue eyes. His eyes were clear and earnest like that of a knight. ¡°Are you really okay?¡± ¡°¡­Am I okay? What do you mean, Rupert? ¡° ¡°I¡¯m asking if it¡¯s really okay if I live with Erin for a long time or get along with her.¡± The hand stroking Rupert¡¯s blond hair stopped, and Chloe¡¯s eyes trembled. Soon, she sat down helplessly and wiped her tears. ¡°To ask me that question¡­ How cruel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll be okay. I asked you even though I experienced it myself. But then¡­ Why did you make such an offer to me when it would be too painful for you.¡± Advertisements ¡°Well¡­¡± Tears fell down her cheeks. At this point, Rupert would have been busy fussing over Chloe. But today, he just looked at her as she wept, waiting for her answer. In the end, Chloe muttered, ¡°I¡­ I have nothing more to give you than your wife. I thought it would be better to have someone next to you to make you shine. Even now¡­ my mind hasn¡¯t changed.¡± After hearing Chloe¡¯s answer, Rupert wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. ¡°If it¡¯s too hard, don¡¯t overdo it, Chloe. If you still want to be a Duchess, say so. It¡¯s still okay.¡± Chloe shook her head, burying her face in Rupert¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No, I¡­ I¡¯m alright. Your love is enough. Do as you please.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Rupert held her in his arms and gently stroked her back. But even then, as if something remained unclear, his expression darkened. CH 58 After calming down, Chloe and Rupert moved to the sofa. Rupert pretended to drink the tea Chloe had served and put it down. Chloe watched him and fiddled with the cup in her hand. Chloe sat next to Rupert and said sadly, ¡°But Madam is too mean not to understand how you feel¡­ It¡¯s hard to believe, especially considering what the old Erin Spilet was like.¡± Rupert shook his head slowly. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been ignoring her for too long. Even though I knew¡­ Yes, I was too indifferent to her to blame her.¡± As Rupert closed his eyes and recalled the past, Chloe¡¯s lower lip curled slightly as she bit it then released it. To carry out the prince¡¯s command to retrieve the Magic Stone Cave, Rupert and Erin¡¯s relationship had to improve, and Erin needed to transfer ownership to Rupert. But when she watched Rupert troubled by his feelings for Erin right in front of her, she was filled with jealousy. In any case, the second prince¡¯s orders were absolute. If this plan with Rupert failed, she would have to go to the Crown Prince. Although she saw an opportunity a few times, Enoch wasn¡¯t an easy subject to lure. And above all, Chloe herself wanted Rupert. The reason she messed with black magic was to have him in the first place. Chloe gripped the teacup to hide her trembling fingertips. Rupert, who had been quiet, said, ¡°But, crucially, she changed because of the Crown Prince.¡± He hunched over, resting his elbows on his knees. He clasped his hands together, and his eyes lit up condescendingly. Chloe¡¯s silence an affirmation, Rupert¡¯s tone became harsher. ¡°As the Crown Prince, he already has everything he could have with his noble position, but he wants something else. The Crown Prince didn¡¯t like Erin looking at me. To take away the only thing I have left¡­¡± Rupert sighed and shook his head again. That was all he could say. No matter how much hatred and jealousy he had in his heart, it was a different matter to say it out loud. Even when he was out of earshot from him, the blood oath remained in place. It was this powerful even when they¡¯re apart, so it was much more when he¡¯s in front of the Crown Prince. He would barely stare at him, but when he did, he would end up bowing his head when he met his emerald eyes. The best thing Rupert could do in that situation was not to make eye contact with him. Chloe scooted closer to him, and rubbed his arms and shoulders to comfort him. ¡°¡­the Crown Prince is so mean to you, Rupert. But, nevertheless¡­ Are you going to continue to support him?¡± Rupert turned his head and stared at Chloe as she spoke. Then Chloe said, ¡°Oops,¡± and smiled awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything by it. Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± Rupert sighed and played with Chloe¡¯s hair. ¡°No, Chloe, why wouldn¡¯t I have thought of that?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But what I want has nothing to do with it. I¡¯m stuck in what my godd*mn ancestors did. Even my father seems to have endured it without any complaints¡­¡± ¡°You never know, Rupert.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right about that. I don¡¯t know. There may have been someone like me. But the bottom line is that my family is still not freed from the blood oath.¡± Chloe, who had been listening to him quietly, pondered for a moment then said in a low voice, ¡°Then if¡­ If you could break the bond of the oath, would you do it?¡± Rupert looked at her cautiously at her question and shook his head. ¡°Is there even such a way? If there is¡­¡± ¡°Of course it won¡¯t be easy, but if, there is.¡± ¡°¡­If there¡¯s such a way.¡± Momentary anticipation flashed through his disappointed smile. ¡°Then I will try to solve it even if I have to risk everything I have. Whether I support the Crown Prince or not, I don¡¯t like the feeling of unconditionally bowing my head.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Chloe lowered her gaze, a dark glint flashing in her orange eyes. ¡°But the wind is the wind, so I don¡¯t really expect anything.¡± ¡°If you earnestly wish it, it will come true¡­¡± Chloe leaned on Rupert. Rupert smiled bitterly for a moment as he looked at her with his eyes closed. ¡°More than that, Chloe.¡± Rupert kissed her forehead, tucking her hair gently behind her ear. ¡°If it¡¯s too much, don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± Then Chloe smiled and turned to face him. At that moment, she decided to change her mind. ¡°Okay.¡± Unless Erin had feelings for Rupert, it would be much quicker and easier to use another method. Night finally came. ¡°If Count Melaton really wants to save the Duke¡­¡± As I wandered around the garden that Eliana was taking a walk in earlier, I quietly fell into my thoughts. I looked around to see if I¡¯d run into anyone, but the place seemed deserted. As I threw fish food into the pond, I struggled to organize my thoughts. But, far from being collected, my heart was getting more and more frustrated. ¡°¡­Then Rupert.¡± I grabbed my head and sat in front of the pond. Why didn¡¯t I think of this until now? If the Duke died now, Rupert would benefit the most. In that case, he could inherit the title and territories of His Grace without argument. ¡®But I didn¡¯t sense that Rupert was trying to kill His Grace. I have no idea what he¡¯s thinking, but he didn¡¯t have a trace of that burnt scent. Besides, that burnt smell saved the Duke¡¯s life.¡¯ After one time or so, that burning odor was thickly spread throughout the mansion, but only in certain situations and people. ¡®Which one is Chloe?¡¯ I was sure I smelled it on her, and I saw her smile the moment she collapsed. Some might say that alone was not enough evidence, but I had a strong feeling Chloe had something to do with it. But I was still uncertain how she was involved. At first glance, I thought she might want the Duke to die for Rupert, but she also had a close relationship with Melaton. ¡®Besides, there¡¯s that smell, too.¡¯ But even if Chloe fooled around with Melaton, what could be the reason for her smell? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard or seen Chloe come and go to the Duke¡¯s room. Maybe I should ask Eliana about it. No, I was leaving soon, so I shouldn¡¯t get involved. While I was thinking about it, suddenly something flew and hit me hard on my back. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± I had been squatting in front of the pond and was on the verge of falling into the water. I flapped my arms to balance myself, but it was in vain. As the tip of my nose nearly touched the surface of the pond, an arm grabbed my waist. A heavy yet gentle scent wafted through the air. ¡°Count.¡± ¡°O-oh. Your Highness? What brings you here?¡± I asked, his arm still around me. It must have been quite heavy to carry a person using only one arm, but he casually lifted me and placed me on the ground. Holding his arm lightly, I looked around. ¡°Count, what were you doing there? It was really dangerous.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me. But wasn¡¯t there anyone here?¡± Enoch took me a few more steps back from the pond and said, ¡°For now, there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°For now? Something hit my back. Ah, then maybe it wasn¡¯t a person¡­¡± I was confused, not knowing how to explain the situation. Enoch¡¯s expression stiffened, then he turned his palms upwards. A small tornado roared in his hand, and it expanded and grew like a typhoon. The strange thing about it was that my clothes didn¡¯t flutter at the wind blowing so hard in front of me. Then, as the wind continued to blow, a black bird suddenly fell to the ground from the big tree behind me. ¡°¡­Ah! A bird!¡± As I trembled in shock, the wind calmed down. Enoch trudged forward and lifted the tip of the bird¡¯s wing. ¡°Is it dead? Why is that bird¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not dead.¡± The bird in Enoch¡¯s hand flapped its wings a few times but didn¡¯t budge. Its eyes looked red, which made it a little creepy. When I tried to reach out, Enoch warned, ¡°If the Count touches it, it will most likely die.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± My hand stopped mid-air. Puzzled, I stared at him, but he only gave me a meaningful smile. ¡°But it¡¯ll have a comfortable death.¡± I observed the bird a little more closely. What had been hidden by the red eyes gradually became visible. It was pitiful to see a bird flapping its wings helplessly. To live a hard life and face a comfortable death. Somehow, it reminded me of the Duke. When my eyes met Enoch¡¯s, he placed the bird in his hands and said, ¡°The decision is yours.¡± ¡°What happens if I don¡¯t touch it?¡± ¡°It will be used until its body reaches its limit.¡± Hesitating at his words, I gently stroked the bird¡¯s body. There was that smell that I had gotten used to now. And the bird flapped its wings once, then quietly closed its eyes. CH 59 The sight of it confused me. I wondered if I was doing something good. For example, this was basically euthanasia, which was an issue that has not yet been defined by the moral conceptions of the world I lived in before. But it was Enoch who put an end to my confusion. ¡°The lifespan of that bird ended long ago.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°It was a forcibly extended. The bird was alive, but all I can say is it was in an indefinite state.¡± Enoch put the bird down on the grass in the corner of the garden. The bird then quickly corroded and penetrated the ground. I turned my eyes away from the astonishing and horrifying sight. ¡°Why¡­¡± Confused, I looked at Enoch, but he raised his index finger and motioned for me to keep quiet. He had noticed the person approaching behind him without looking back. Perhaps because of his lineage, he had a far superior sense to others. I noticed a beat behind Enoch, even though I was looking in that direction. Perhaps because he was an excellent knight, Rupert¡¯s footsteps were barely audible. I have a lot of questions, but why are you showing up now! What an unhelpful man. Whether or not I should be angry, Rupert came closer without taking his eyes off me. He glanced at Enoch and said, ¡°It¡¯s late. What have you been doing here?¡± The question was obviously for Enoch, but he looked at me as he said it. Despite that strange gaze, Enoch answered kindly, ¡°As you see, I was out for a night walk.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ just the two of you.¡± Advertisements Rupert¡¯s voice grew more hoarse. Again, he seemed to be misunderstanding things for no reason. Well, it¡¯s not quite a misunderstanding, but it wasn¡¯t what Enoch and I intended. ¡°No, that¨C¡± I tried to explain quickly, but Rupert glared at me like he was going to eat me. ¡°Are you insane? Walking around in the middle of the night¡­ You¡¯re aware you¡¯re the hostess of this castle, aren¡¯t you?¡± So he¡¯s just angry? I tried to move on moderately because I was in front of Enoch, but I lost my temper and got angry for a moment. But I didn¡¯t shout because it didn¡¯t suit my style. I kept my tone as even as possible and spoke softly, ¡°Shut up, Rupert. You are so noisy.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Really, I don¡¯t know where you left your senses. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever interfered with you this way.¡± As I spoke, I glanced at Enoch before Rupert. If he was displeased, I would have stopped at once. But Enoch smiled brightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything or criticize me. Well, then. ¡°Even after your lover had a secret meeting here, I was willing to pretend I didn¡¯t know. Can¡¯t you just turn a blind eye? Young Lord Rupert Clifford.¡± ¡°¡­Erin, are you really going to act like this?¡± When his voice grew louder, mine did, too. ¡°What did I do? Rupert, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Erin¡­!¡± Even in the dark, I could clearly see Rupert¡¯s face. But, as he seemed too agitated, Enoch eventually mediated. Advertisements ¡°Rupert, calm down. Your voice is too loud.¡± Rupert whipped his head around to look at Enoch, and their eyes met. Just by looking at Rupert¡¯s eyes, it looked like he was ready to hit Enoch. This seems like something I¡¯ve seen a lot somewhere. Was it at the ball? At such an awkward moment, Rupert lowered his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He apologized first with a sharp voice. I thought his action was unexpected, but at least he seemed to have calmed down. Without realizing it, I sighed in relief. Erin glanced back and looked at Enoch as if a little anxious. He nodded once, and Erin walked back in peace. Rupert continued to stare at her as she entered. And it was Enoch, not himself, who held her hand. ¡°F*ck.¡± It was only when Enoch was completely gone that Rupert swore. D*mn this blood oath; He couldn¡¯t properly say a word in front of him. When he looked into the eyes of the Prince and his infinitely relaxed eyes, he couldn¡¯t think of anything. He felt helpless to carry out any orders from the Prince. It felt as if he had become a child standing in front of an adult. Rupert hated that feeling. ¡®I would have rather stayed unaware.¡¯ Advertisements It would have been better if the oath was strong enough to destroy even one¡¯s own self-consciousness and feelings. It was ridiculous that he had to separate his emotions and loyalty. So Rupert tried to find a way to loosen the oath in his own way, but it was all in vain. In this situation, if he even swore his loyalty, he would be the Prince¡¯s dog. So he put it off as much as he could, but because he didn¡¯t do it, he still wasn¡¯t the Duke. ¡®It¡¯s not long now, though.¡¯ Rupert clenched his fists and looked out the window on the third floor, where the current Duke slept. Rupert admired and hated the Duke of Clifford the most. ¡®And that Crown Prince.¡¯ When Rupert desperately rejected his instinctive attachment to the Crown Prince, the Duke suspected and hated him. The Duke would even be open about his suspicions that Rupert might not be his real son. Rupert would never forget that. ¡°But don¡¯t blame me, Father. You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t clean up the house.¡± Rupert hated complicated things. The reason he agreed with Chloe wasn¡¯t just because she whispered sweetly. Enoch kindly escorted me to the front of my door. ¡°I still have a lot of questions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you do. I still have a lot to say, too.¡± Advertisements ¡°Then¡­ Would you like to come in?¡± I hesitated a bit this time because I wasn¡¯t entering his room. He was entering mine. It wasn¡¯t like this when Rupert burst into the room, but the thought of Enoch going inside made me feel strange. Enoch leaned against the wall next to the door, smiling vaguely without answering. ¡°Shall we finish what we talked about earlier?¡± His voice was very low, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to hear because he spoke clearly. ¡°Yeah, so. Do I have any bad energy?¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say first, so I asked what immediately came to mind. Enoch seemed to smile a little. ¡°Are you talking about the dead bird?¡± ¡°Yes. I touched the bird, and it died. A bird that was fine¡­ No, he didn¡¯t look fine.¡± ¡°Technically, it wasn¡¯t a living bird. It was forced to take lives.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ What?¡± Enoch paused for a moment at my next question. ¡°There is no need for the Count to feel guilty. You don¡¯t even have to worry about having any bad energy.¡± This person still hasn¡¯t answered me directly. Thanks to you, I used all my imagination. Does such a thing exist in this world? ¡°Was it some kind of zombie? The bird.¡± ¡°Zombie? Similar, but not quite. Should I say it¡¯s undead? It means forcing the soul into the body and controlling it gradually as you brainwash it.¡± Fortunately, I was aware of what a zombie was. But the explanation that followed made things more serious. If the bird¡¯s life was controlled by extending it, was the Duke possibly in the same situation? Advertisements ¡°Then why did I touch him¡­? Will the undead be released?¡± In response to this question, Enoch leaned against the wall and stared intently at me. Then, out of nowhere, he said something else. ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard the Count speak to Rupert like that.¡± ¡°Like that? Ah.¡± He was talking about speaking informally. I was just angry and reacted, but when I listened to Enoch¡¯s words, it seemed that Rupert and I talked informally to each other when we were young. Were we close? Since I didn¡¯t know Erin¡¯s childhood, I had no choice but to stay quiet. ¡°I was so envious of it back then, but I feel pretty good that you got back at him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you were envious?¡± Enoch nodded his head softly. I tilted my head and asked, ¡°Do you want me to speak informally now?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± He looked at me with a slightly blank expression on his face, and his lips twitched. ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± But soon, I could see the anticipation in his eyes. I looked around involuntarily and whispered in a low voice, ¡°Enoch, are you really not going in[1]?¡± Enoch¡¯s eyes widened. What, didn¡¯t you ask me to do it? Why are you so surprised? He suddenly opened the door and slowly pushed my back, ushering me into the door. ¡°For now, please go in.¡± ¡°¡­Your Highness?[2]¡° ¡°Later, no, we¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, I still¡­ !¡± I quickly turned around, but Enoch shut the door. So I opened it again and tried to chase him but eventually stopped. The back of his neck was red. I slowly rubbed my neck and walked to bed. ¡°What the heck, we didn¡¯t talk.¡± But it was also true that I got a huge hint. As I put together the story I heard today in my head, I picked up the hand mirror by the bedside. My face in the reflection was as red as Enoch¡¯s nape a while ago. As soon as I saw myself, I pulled the blanket over my head. [1] Erin¡¯s tone became more casual than before. [2] She shifted back to formal speak CH 60 I didn¡¯t hear anything from the Duke of Clifford until the afternoon the next day. The same went for Rupert and Chloe. I couldn¡¯t sleep last night because of all the thoughts I had. ¡®After all, do I just have to leave tomorrow like this?¡¯ I really was an outsider, not only in this castle but in this world itself. Knowing a little bit of the original story didn¡¯t change the grand scheme of things. If the Duke was like the bird I saw yesterday, he would have already reached the end of his lifespan. ¡®It¡¯s fate, so to speak.¡¯ So, what would be Erin¡¯s fate? If the course of the original story was the ¡®fate¡¯ of this world, Erin should have died sooner. Of course, Erin, the former owner of this body, died long ago, but I was still alive. ¡®Did I get out?¡¯ Advertisements As I walked down the hallway, I glanced at the stairs leading to the third floor. I know I was about to leave, but I couldn¡¯t shake off the Duke¡¯s appearance overlapping with the bird from yesterday. Should I sit on the sidelines even though I know he¡¯s in pain? However, if I approached the Duke prematurely and he died, I had no idea how it would affect the people around him. I wasn¡¯t ignorant of Duke Clifford¡¯s status in the empire and what it meant for his title to be inherited. ¡®Anyway, we can talk about it.¡¯ With my lips pursed, I picked up the hem of my skirt and strode up the stairs. When I reached the Duke¡¯s room on the third floor, I smelled it again. I opened the door without knowing and went inside. ¡°Miss Eliana.¡± Startled, Eliana jumped up from her seat. As usual, she held a medicine bowl. ¡°Madam?¡± I approached the bed and glanced at the Duke¡¯s face. With a dark blue complexion, the Duke breathed out as his eyes met mine. I couldn¡¯t speak, but I could understand what he meant. The faded, bloodshot blue eyes reminded me of the bird again. I grabbed the medicine bowl from Eliana¡¯s hand. ¡°Ack, Madam! The medicine!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡± Eliana looked desperately at me, but I shook my head firmly. ¡°Get out first. We¡¯ll go to the drawing room downstairs,¡± I commended despite her resentful look. Eliana eventually succumbed to me and walked out the door. With the medicine bowl in my hand, I looked down at the Duke. ¡°¡­¡± I thought of asking him if he wanted this, but his eyes closed before I knew it. Advertisements ¡®He¡¯s alive, but I don¡¯t know if I should call it that.¡¯ He seemed relatively fine on my first day here, and the day Enoch arrived. Was it the power of the drug, or was it because of my unknown influence? Well, it didn¡¯t matter. I opened the window and threw the liquid in the bowl out the window before following Eliana. When I went to the drawing room on the second floor, I saw Eliana standing there, watching me as I entered. ¡°Miss Eliana.¡± ¡°Madam, why are you interrupting?¡± Eliana was furious. She clenched her fists tightly and she didn¡¯t know what to do, but the way she looked at me showed she could barely control her anger. I thought it was a little strange. I didn¡¯t say anything yet, but it seemed unusual to be so agitated. ¡°Miss Eliana, please sit down.¡± I comforted her by gently holding her fist. From what I¡¯d seen here, Eliana had no malicious intent, at least as far as the Duke was concerned. ¡°Come on,¡± I whispered, patting her hand, then her quivering breath soon calmed down. Then I led her to settle down on the sofa. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s been a little bit intense.¡± Her eyes were red. Rather than asking about the drug immediately, I decided to take a little detour. ¡°What was the Duke to Miss Eliana?¡± Eliana lowered her head and remained silent. Without letting go of her hand, I calmly waited for her answer. The redness around her eyes grew even more profound, then tears welled up and ran down her cheeks. ¡°The Duke¡­¡± her trembling voice trailed off as she wept. I waited patiently for her to continue while Jenny served us tea and left without a word. Advertisements ¡°He¡¯s my benefactor. I was an orphan and His Grace took me in and hired me to work as a maid.¡± I quietly nodded my head and let go of her hand to pick up the teacup. Working as a maid in a noble household might not seem much from a nobleman¡¯s point of view, but it¡¯s actually the best among the jobs that a commoner woman could do. Of course, the difficulty varied depending on the character of the nobleman they¡¯re serving. Still, the salary was high, room and board were provided, and people outside didn¡¯t treat anyone¡¯s maid carelessly. ¡°Then one day, I fell ill for a long time and couldn¡¯t work. In fact, if it¡¯s that much, you¡¯re usually kicked out¡­ You have to go out yourself.¡± Again, tears flowed. ¡°But His Grace brought me closer! They accuse me of being his lover, but he and I are not like that. The Duke¡­ He¡¯s like a father to me.¡± She couldn¡¯t control her emotions and looked at me again, the spark from before returning. ¡°¡­So I didn¡¯t want the Duke to die. But why, Madam!¡± ¡°Miss Eliana.¡± Startled by her sudden outburst, I put my hand on her shoulder and whispered, ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Her rigid body relaxed and she calmed down. This was starting to feel more and more strange. I couldn¡¯t be sure, but it felt like it wasn¡¯t just the situation that easily agitated her. ¡°First of all, I know very well that the Duke is precious to Miss Eliana.¡± I didn¡¯t know why but I felt like I had to hold her hand. When I took her hand and tried to meet her eyes, Eliana lowered her head and avoided my gaze. Then, in a tone lower than before, I whispered, ¡°What are you hiding?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Miss Eliana, look into my eyes. Tell me the truth.¡± Eliana turned to me, her eyes trembling. When she met my gaze, her eyes gradually calmed down. ¡°¡­I.¡± But her sobs grew stronger. ¡°I actually saw His Grace pass away.¡± ¡°¡­Then.¡± It was quite shocking. I thought that the Duke¡¯s life¡¯s might be forcibly extended, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be already dead. ¡°When did that happen? When did you start feeding him the medicine?¡± ¡°I started giving him medicine a week before Madam arrived. He was very weak at the time, but he was still alive. But after Madam and His Grace met¡­¡± ¡°After?¡± ¡°I thought he was sleeping comfortably, but he wasn¡¯t breathing. I was so surprised that I rushed to put the medicine in his mouth¡­ then he started breathing again,¡± Eliana said in disbelief. Advertisements Honestly, she didn¡¯t make sense. Even if she used the drug to make him survive, the dead couldn¡¯t swallow it. ¡°The drug is to save the Duke.¡± ¡°But the Duke didn¡¯t seem to like the drug, did he?¡± ¡°¡­but if there is a way to save him, how can I just watch him die?¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong about what she said. If a loved one died, they would do anything to save them. However, the problem was that this was not really saving. So, someone took his soul and became someone¡¯s puppet. Was Count Melaton doing this to control the Duke? Where did he get the drug? ¡°Do you really think he can live on that drug? You¡¯ve seen him.¡± ¡°Of course, after taking that drug, his complexion still hasn¡¯t improved¡­ I felt like I was losing my mind. But¡­ since he¡¯s alive, I¡¯m glad I did it,¡± Eliana spoke to me earnestly, but in a tone of uncertainty. Seeing her like that made me feel distant. I don¡¯t think she could be convinced. I got up from the sofa and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re glad¡­ the Duke seems to be in pain.¡± I glanced down at Eliana¡¯s face. Then she trembled as if agitated by my words and shook her head. She started rubbing her palms against her skirt. ¡°Is it really for him to live in pain because of your own greed? Well, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°¡­Madam.¡± ¡°Even if he lives, he won¡¯t be living. Think carefully. I¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± ¡°Leave? When?¡± Eliana jumped up to ask. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Advertisements She looked a little surprised, but she didn¡¯t particularly hold on to me or regret it too much. It was too short a time for us to develop a special relationship, and since she didn¡¯t know that I was going to get a divorce, she might think that she would see me again. ¡°¡­That, Madam,¡± Eliana cautiously called me. I looked back at her as I was about to leave. ¡°Take care.¡± It seemed that the drug had something to do with Chloe. Eliana was obsessed with the Duke¡¯s life-saving drug, but she knew that the situation was very strange. ¡°Thanks.¡± After a brief greeting, I left the drawing room. Now the choice was up to her and the people here. Whatever happened after that, I would no longer care. CH 61 After speaking more with Eliana, I headed back to the Duke¡¯s room. The smell in the room was less pungent than before. I stood by the bed where the Duke was lying and focused on the dark, dried-up skin that reminded me of a wilted tree for a moment. If this was like the bird, the closer I got to the Duke, the closer he was to his death. As I thought about it, the Duke opened his eyes. His dry lips opened, and a hoarse voice said, ¡°¡­E¡­rin.¡± It was the voice of the dead. ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± On the day I met the Duke, was our first conversation the last I had with the living Duke? Thinking like that made me feel weird. ¡°Rupert, that¡­ poor guy¡­¡± But was the father still the father? He was showing compassion for his son. Advertisements I looked down at the Duke calmly, then wondered about what he wanted. I bent down and whispered, ¡°Duke, the medicine you are taking is a medicine that prolongs your life. Do you want to keep taking it?¡± I struggled to ask him directly if he wanted to live longer. And since it¡¯s the drug he¡¯s taking, I thought he should know that too. The Duke didn¡¯t answer and only blinked slowly. Then he immediately closed his eyes. There were deep wrinkles on his forehead. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sleepy. I want to rest now.¡± He looked exhausted. That was the answer. My hand moved on its own, gently stroking the back of his hand, dry and rough to the touch. I wondered if this was possible or if it was really my ability. ¡°Your Grace.¡± As I stroked the back of his hand once more, his expression relaxed. Of course, he wasn¡¯t dead yet. He closed his eyes and licked his lips as if he was about to say something. I moved my ear closer to him to hear him speak, ¡°¡­I understand.¡± I took a step back, picked up my skirt, and curtsied. ¡°Then sleep well.¡± And without hesitation, I turned around. Tomorrow I will leave this place. As soon as I went down, I instructed Jenny to prepare to leave. As soon as the day dawned, we hurriedly prepared the carriage. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± When I heard Jenny speak, I looked out the window. The Imperial carriage, which His Highness often rode, was in front of the castle. I felt like I knew the reason, so something tickled me. I smiled as much as I could and turned around, then walked out the door. My pace gradually quickened. Advertisements When I reached the carriage, the door opened from the inside, and a handsome man appeared. ¡°You came early.¡± ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t sleep. And again maybe¡­¡± A little nervous, I looked around. A few servants came to say goodbye, but Rupert and Chloe were nowhere to be found. Enoch reached out his hand, and I turned to look at it. ¡°Shall we?¡± Enoch asked. I knew I had to answer him, but I was at a loss for words for some reason. ¡°Count.¡± ¡°Your Highness, I think¡­¡± He nodded his head lightly as if telling me to continue. ¡°I think I have to go and tell him.¡± I didn¡¯t want to meet Rupert, and I thought the event was inevitable anyway, so I figured I would just leave. However, the Duke¡¯s will changed my mind. I got off the carriage again and headed back to the castle. Eliana carried the tray, looking blankly ahead as if deep in thought. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot on your tray today, so be careful carrying it.¡± As usual, Melaton placed a bowl of medicine on the tray. Eliana stood there, staring for a moment at the liquid swirling slightly on the bowl. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going yet?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± At Melaton¡¯s urging, Eliana moved slowly. Melaton looked at her distastefully and followed her. ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish, otherwise this medicine won¡¯t work. Then my brother will die soon.¡± Advertisements ¡°¡­¡± Eliana, who would normally apologize, silently climbed the stares without answering. But Melaton didn¡¯t care. He didn¡¯t have time to consider the feelings of a mistress, especially one that¡¯s merely a maid. As he made his way upstairs, Melaton looked around. Fortunately, the Duke¡¯s son, Rupert, had little interest in the Duke and rarely came to the third floor. When they entered the Duke¡¯s room, Melaton stared at Eliana and the Duke from behind. Eliana stared at the Duke as she held the medicine bowl and spoon. The Duke¡¯s complexion was brighter than yesterday. He seemed to be sleeping comfortably as if he had a good dream. ¡°What are you doing? Come on, give Brother the medicine,¡± Melaton grumbled, but Eliana didn¡¯t move. ¡°Hey, Eliana!¡± Melaton approached and patted her, and Eliana trembled and stepped back. ¡°How frustrating!¡± Melaton grabbed the bowl from Eliana¡¯s hand, opened the Duke¡¯s mouth with one hand, and tried to pour the medicine into his mouth. However, the Duke didn¡¯t swallow the medicine, and the liquid flowed out. ¡°What, why? Brother, brother?¡± Melaton shook Duke Clifford to wake him up, thinking he had fallen asleep too deeply. That¡¯s when he realized something was wrong. ¡°Brother¡­?¡± Upon closer inspection, the Duke¡¯s complexion looked pale. Melaton¡¯s shaking body stiffened. Melaton placed the medicine bowl on the floor and put her hand on the Duke¡¯s neck under the ear. ¡°No, it couldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Eliana¡¯s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in disbelief. ¡°Brother, brother! No, you can¡¯t die like this!¡± Melaton shook the Duke even harder and took the medicine bowl from the floor. The Duke had already died once and was brought to life with this drug. He could survive again this time. With trembling hands, Melaton placed the vial in the Duke¡¯s mouth and poured the drug. Then the door suddenly opened. Melaton and Eliana turned to the door. ¡°¡­Rupert!¡± Advertisements Rupert entered the room with a terrifying expression on his face. He looked at Melaton coldly and said, ¡°Get your hands off him. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Y-you. What are you doing to your uncle?!¡± ¡°Uncle? Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± Rupert stepped closer to him, took the medicine bowl in his hand and pushed him to one side. Rupert checked the Duke¡¯s condition then turned to Melaton. ¡°From this moment, you¡¯re the murderer who poisoned Duke Clifford.¡± ¡°What¡­! This is not that kind of drug!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just seen you feed him, but you¡¯re still pretending to be innocent..¡± Rupert placed the medicine bowl on the bedside table, glanced back and said, ¡°Arrest this man and put him in the dungeon.¡± The knights who followed Rupert pulled Melaton. The preparations were thorough as if he had known that this would happen. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t kill him! He was already dead when we arrived!¡± Eliana stood in her corner, trembling. Rupert turned to her with his terrifying glare and said, ¡°Tell me right now. You were right next to him.¡± ¡°I, that¡¯s¡­¡± Melaton definitely drugged the Duke, but he didn¡¯t poison him. She confirmed it herself. But strangely, now she couldn¡¯t speak. So while she stuttered, discomposed, Chloe quietly entered the room. ¡°¡­Rupert.¡± ¡°Chloe, don¡¯t come in. It¡¯s not going to look good.¡± Then Richard ran in and looked into the room in disbelief. ¡°No, His Grace¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Richard! Listen to me! I didn¡¯t kill him!¡± Advertisements Richard, still in shock, asked Rupert, ¡°Young Master, how did this happen?¡± ¡°¡­That man was giving my father that drug, And this is where it is now.¡± ¡°Count Melaton! Is it true?¡± ¡°No, no, it isn¡¯t!¡± After hearing the news, the servants also ran in. ¡°Your Grace, this can¡¯t be!¡± After seeing with their own eyes that the peacock was dead, they sat down and wept bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not poison!¡± ¡°Then what kind of drug is it?¡± ¡°That¡­ I mean¡­¡± Melaton glanced at Chloe. But as their eyes met, he started stuttering, feeling as if something had blocked his mouth, and then suddenly uttered something completely different. ¡°Hey, Rupert! Let¡¯s talk about being a b*stard!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± When the word ¡®b*stard¡¯ came out of Melaton¡¯s lips, Richard and the other servants looked at Rupert in disbelief. Although they had worked for a long time, they were completely unaware of this fact. Despite Rupert¡¯s harsh warning, Melaton exclaimed with more excitement. His words were an outrage to Rupert. ¡°How can we be sure this person born from the womb of a lowly woman is my brother¡¯s son! You did this to attack me!¡± As soon as Melaton finished speaking, all reason left Rupert, and his blue eyes flashed. He finally drew his sword. CH 62 ¡°How can we be sure this person born from the womb of a lowly woman is my brother¡¯s son! You did this to attack me!¡± When I had rushed to the third floor, I could hear Count Melaton¡¯s booming voice echoing in the hallway. ¡°Ahh!¡± And the screams of the employees. When I heard it, I had a sinking feeling I was a second too late. Rupert stood in the middle of the room, his sword drawn. However, Melaton was choking himself and vomiting blood before Rupert could even attack. ¡°Ugh¡­ Cough, cough.¡± His face was purple, a sight I had seen once before. Rupert didn¡¯t panic when he saw it but stood still, fixing his angry gaze on Melaton. ¡°Huuu¡­ U-ugh¡­¡± He watched closely as Melaton vomited until his blood pooled on the floor, eventually collapsed on the spot, and died. Advertisements Rupert lowered his sword only after confirming that Melaton was completely dead. If he hadn¡¯t died, Rupert would have killed him himself. My body froze at the terrible sight I saw as I stood outside the door, but I mustered up my courage and walked slowly into the room, one step at a time. Rupert seemed too angry to notice I was coming inside. His sword was pointed at Eliana, trembling in the corner. ¡°I won¡¯t say it twice. Did Melaton poison my father?¡± Eliana licked her lips but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°A-ah¡­ Um¡­¡± She stared at Chloe, looking completely terrified of her. ¡°Have you been poisoning my father all this time with Melaton? If you tell the truth, I won¡¯t be able to save you from your sins, but I can give you an easy death.¡± ¡°Hicc, ah¡­ P-poison¡­¡± Eliana still looked at Chloe, her expression not changing. I didn¡¯t know why, but I instinctively walked over to Eliana and hugged her tightly. ¡°Erin!¡± Rupert shouted, but I patted Eliana, ignoring him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Calm down and close your eyes.¡± ¡°Ma¡­dam?¡± After seeing Eliana¡¯s mouth open, I pulled her away and made eye contact with her. ¡°How are you? Are you feeling better?¡± Eliana nodded slowly, looking a bit dazed and confused. Even I who asked this question did not know the reality of this power. Advertisements ¡°Tell us then.¡± I turned Eliana to Rupert and everyone else. But Rupert was already looking at me, not Eliana. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Weren¡¯t you¡­ weren¡¯t you leaving?¡± He looked really embarrassed. Did he know I was leaving and did this on purpose to take advantage of my absence? Why? ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t want to show you this.¡± He mumbled, and it struck me how unfamiliar to see him act that way. Meanwhile, Eliana, who managed to calm down, spoke in a clear voice, ¡°The medicine Count Melaton gave me isn¡¯t poison.¡± ¡°But I saw him administer the drug, and now Father is dead. Then he committed suicide? What more do you need to say?¡± Rupert concluded that Melaton¡¯s bloody death was suicide. ¡°If it¡¯s not poison, what kind of drug is it?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Eliana glanced at me, and I was at a loss. Before coming here, Enoch told me not to talk about the Duke becoming undead. I also objected to mentioning it since it could reveal my identity, regardless of the seriousness of the matter. I shook my head slightly, and Eliana bit her lip and lowered her gaze. ¡°Tell me, if it¡¯s not poison, what kind of drug is it? Or try drinking it yourself. You didn¡¯t stop him from taking the drug, so you¡¯re an accomplice.¡± ¡°That¡­!¡± Advertisements Rupert was about to kill Eliana as well, so I had no choice but to do it. I sighed and walked out in front of Eliana. Rupert faltered and stepped back. ¡°Erin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not poison.¡± ¡°Father is dead.¡± Eliana screamed urgently, ¡°He was already dead before he even took the medicine!¡± ¡°Who would believe that?¡± Rupert also exclaimed in frustration. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I grabbed the medicine bowl on the side table. ¡°Erin, what are you doing!¡± ¡°Look.¡± My hand holding the bowl trembled slightly. Please, I hope I have some really special powers. If not, what will happen to me after that? Will I become undead? I had countless thoughts in my head the moment I hesitated. But, when Rupert came to steal the bowl, I swallowed it in one breath. ¡°Erin¡­!¡± The drug, which seemed to be very useful, surprisingly had no taste at all. After I showed everyone that I had emptied the bowl, I put it back on the nightstand. Everyone turned to me. Before long, Enoch also arrived and leaned on the door. I averted my gaze from his stiff expression. Rupert, who came in front of me, was furious. Advertisements ¡°What are you doing? What if you die!¡± ¡°¡­If I die, I die.¡± I sighed and sat on the bed. The Duke, his expression serene, was lying behind me. Thump, thump¨C. I pretended to be calm, but I was also nervous. I was afraid that the result wasn¡¯t what I expected, so I focused on the sound of my heartbeat. While silence filled the room, people removed Melaton¡¯s body. I narrowed my eyes at him. Perhaps the reason he died¡­ I turned to Chloe, and our eyes met. She seemed to stare at me curiously. After seeing the body being removed and the blood being wiped off, I got up from the bed and walked forward. ¡°So, don¡¯t I look fine?¡± ¡°You, Erin¡­ Are you okay?¡± Rupert¡¯s voice trembled as he walked to me. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m fine.¡± I took a step away from him and looked at him proudly. ¡°So, stop talking about the Duke being poisoned¡­ He was very ill and died.¡± I didn¡¯t detail the process, but it was true. And there was a person by Rupert¡¯s side who knew better than anyone that it was. I was almost certain that Rupert knew and just pretended not to know. Suddenly, my fingertips felt cold. ¡°Before I leave for the capital, I am here again because I have something to tell you.¡± I had to say what I had to say, so I looked at Rupert with all my contempt. ¡°Last night, when I was greeting the Duke, he told me something.¡± It wasn¡¯t something I wanted to say, especially in this situation, but I couldn¡¯t distort the words and wishes of the deceased. So, I tried to speak as calmly as possible to convey what I heard. I breathed in briefly and exhaled. Advertisements ¡°This is absurd¡­ To my son, Rupert, I pass on both the title and territories to you. His Grace said he entrusts the work of the next generations to his heir.¡± Rupert stood frozen at the words I spoke, and everyone held their breath. I held my tongue and looked at him. I wanted it to sink in that the Duke already thought he was his real son and that all of this was unnecessary. He must have felt like a fool because Rupert held his head with one hand as he threw his sword. Then he ran away from the room. Richard looked at the Duke, his expression unreadable, and Chloe stared at me with a mixture of suspicion, curiosity, resentment, and envy. ¡°It¡¯s really¡­¡± At that moment, a calm voice broke the silence. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Duke Clifford, the pillar of the Empire, passed away. But I don¡¯t know what to tell His Majesty what I saw today.¡± I walked to Enoch and muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go now, Your Highness.¡± Enoch nodded but glanced at me in reproach. I feigned ignorance at the look and walked ahead. He was probably concerned and wanted to rebuke me for swallowing the medicine. I also thought what I did was risky. When we reached the first-floor lobby, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the funeral?¡± ¡°¡­I already said goodbye privately. I think that¡¯s enough.¡± Erin Spilet had already bid him farewell personally. However, enacting the role of the Duchess of Clifford, the hostess of this duchy, was now out of the question. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I accepted Enoch¡¯s hand and climbed into the carriage, stopping myself from saying, ¡®Before someone catches me.¡¯ As soon as Enoch got on the other side, the carriage departed. When I glanced back, I saw Rupert, who had followed me belatedly as expected, watching the carriage moving away. I quickly turned my head forward again and closed my eyes. Although Rupert succeeded in finally getting the title, Melaton revealed his birth secret and made several people aware of that disgrace. Advertisements Even if they kept their mouths shut for a while, it would still eventually spread. Not unless he killed everyone present at that time. But Richard was there, and so was Enoch, so that would be impossible. In this age where blood was valued above all else, rumors would probably follow Rupert around like a target. Rupert was guilty of turning a blind eye to someone¡¯s evil deeds for his own benefits, so I thought he should bear that much. Melaton hadn¡¯t been poisoning the Duke either, but it was like feeding the Duke a more dangerous drug than that, so he paid the price with his life. ¡®Only one of them didn¡¯t commit a crime.¡¯ I opened my eyes again to see Enoch sitting in front of me, smiling softly at me. I smiled back. Once I¡¯ve left this castle and reached the capital, I¡¯ll finally go through the divorce proceedings with Rupert. CH 63 When the carriage reached the vicinity of the capital, I said to Enoch, ¡°I would like to go to the temple first.¡± ¡°The temple?¡± Enoch asked, his expression serious. I nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to go. I now know that I have a special ability. But Your Highness doesn¡¯t tell me anything, do you?¡± Enoch sat gracefully across from me, his legs crossed, and muttered awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I kept it from you on purpose. Sometimes it¡¯s easier to live in the world not knowing some things.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s up to me to decide.¡± Despite my blunt reply, Enoch continued to look at me with his signature gentle smile. Flustered, I looked out the window. ¡°When you know you have the power, you are often forced to do things you don¡¯t want to happen. Those are difficult and dangerous things that ordinary people can¡¯t do. Sometimes, you will have to risk your life.¡± There was a faint hint of concern in the way he spoke. It was easy to understand that Enoch was also talking about himself. I turned my gaze back to Enoch. Enoch Dwell Rikephorus, a direct descendant of the Archmage. He¡¯s a noble crown prince who took on so many things himself, but because of that, he¡¯s more exposed to danger, yet he never carried an escort with him. Advertisements I asked him once about it, and he said it¡¯s harder not to get caught up in magic. ¡°I¡¯m going to go though. Don¡¯t stop me.¡± It didn¡¯t make sense that I didn¡¯t know about it myself. Of course, I thought about the possibility that while I was learning about this power, people might find out that I came from the outside world. ¡®I¡¯m still curious.¡¯ At my firm resolve, Enoch nodded in defeat. ¡°Then I will guide you to a place other than the temple in the capital.¡± ¡°Somewhere else?¡± ¡°The temple has a lot of visitors.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Then.¡± More people meant more risk for annoying things to happen. Enoch stopped the carriage, talked to the coachman about the destination change, then we went off again. The carriage exited by the right side road behind the city gate leading to the capital. Enoch wasn¡¯t in a particularly social mood today. He closed his eyes, looked out the window, but would look at me sometimes. Still, thanks to the ambient noise from the carriage, the silence wasn¡¯t awkward. The carriage made its way through the well-maintained road towards a quiet trail. A cool breeze came through the window. At first glance, the color of the leaves looked faded. The seasons have passed here, too. After going a little further, a small temple appeared. I got off the carriage and looked around the place. Contrary to the grandeur of the temple in the capital, there was only one small and simple building made of white marble. Although it had a garden, it must not have been maintained as vines crept through everything, and the weeds were overgrown. However, those things didn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t come to the temple just to pray. Could I find a clue about my abilities in a place like this? Advertisements Enoch walked ahead of me. Because the temple was small, there was a door similar to any other house. Before entering, Enoch turned to me and smiled. My eyes widened when his hand came to my head, but he only took off my hat. ¡°Ah.¡± One mustn¡¯t wear a hat in the temple. I smiled back and followed him inside. But as soon as we entered, I came across something unexpected. Obviously, the structure inside looked like a small chapel, but there were thick books and other things on the chairs, and it was full of dust as if it had not been cleaned for a long time. ¡°Your Highness, are we in a temple? It¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since we don¡¯t have visitors, we stayed casual here. Anyway, I had no idea you would come so suddenly.¡± A familiar man approached from the inside, carrying a torch. ¡°Father Antonio?¡± Enoch stepped aside to let me and Father Antonio face each other. ¡°Your Highness, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were coming? And leave the temple at the capital and go to a place where everything is collapsing¡­¡± ¡°The Count wants to know about it.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Father Antonio nodded knowingly and scratched his chin. He had a thick beard on his face as if he hadn¡¯t shaved in days. It was a stark contrast to the clean look I had seen before. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Please follow me. There¡¯s no place to sit here.¡± Father Antonio picked up the limp and walked towards the hallway deep inside. Enoch motioned for me to walk first, and I looked back at him before walking ahead. The temple was much deeper and wider than it looked. It looked like a small building from the outside, but inside, a series of winding corridors continued. One could easily get lost without guidance. Upon entering one of the rooms, another chapel appeared. It was smaller than the first space I saw, but it had a more refined and sacred atmosphere. There was a small statue of a goddess in front of the altar in front, and light poured from the small window behind. Small flowers were also decorated around the altar. And what was unusual was that there was a large table and a chair in the middle. ¡°Please sit here. And I¡¯m sorry, but the tea¡­¡± Advertisements ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± At Enoch¡¯s words, Father Antonio nodded and approached the altar to pull something out of it. ¡°This¡­¡± He showed me what he got, and it had the same shape and color as the one I knew. When I hesitated, Father Antonio spoke in a tone with conviction. ¡°This is the brooch.¡± I picked it up and lifted it to reflect against the sunlight. Light entered the transparent and clear gem, scattering and spreading. ¡°What happened? The jewel was originally black.¡± ¡°I soaked it in holy water for a long time, so it purified the monster¡¯s blood inside. In fact, before you came, it was almost fully purified.¡± I nodded and placed the brooch on the table. I asked, ¡°But why are you showing this to me?¡± Father Antonio sat opposite me and Enoch. After taking a deep breath, he said to Enoch, ¡°Whatever it is, there must be a reason you didn¡¯t go to the temple at the capital and went to me.¡± Enoch did not answer right away, but looked at me. ¡°How was it when you saw it from the side?¡± ¡°It was beautiful¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± I think I heard something. Enoch coughed and Father Antonio before speaking confidently, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Of what?¡± I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I stepped in, but Father Antonio went somewhere again and returned carrying a lot of things. He placed a washbasin full of water on the table. Then he opened a small, tightly sealed bottle and poured the liquid it contained into a basin. As soon as the dark red liquid touched the water, it wriggled like a living creature before slowly mixing into the water. Even though I frowned at the disgusting sight, I watched it to the end. ¡°What is this?¡± Advertisements ¡°It¡¯s the blood of a monster.¡± I remembered the monster I saw in the magic stone mine in the past. Was this the blood of such a monster? The dark red liquid continued to wriggle, creating random shapes, and it made me imagine a new baby monster being born inside. So, looking at the priest with a questioning look, he smiled and said simply, ¡°Put your hand here.¡± ¡°Excuse me? No, wait!¡± I jumped and stepped back. What did he mean, put my hand in it! Even from a distance, the blood of the disgusting monster smelled pungent. ¡°She hates it,¡± the priest said. Enoch turned to me. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t have to. But this is to test the Count¡¯s abilities properly. Would you prefer to skip it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I widened my eyes at Enoch. He merely shrugged and glanced back at the basin. I took a half step forward and looked into the water. Obviously, Father Antonio hadn¡¯t added more blood, but the water in the basin had turned dark. ¡°Is it bad for my body or not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good for the average person. You¡¯re not going to die right away.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t a fool, so I have a rough idea of what kind of abilities I have. I rolled up my sleeves and walked closer. ¡°Can I just put my hand in?¡± Father Antonio held up a small hourglass and said, ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t have to take it out until I tell you.¡± I closed my eyes tightly and reached into the basin. ¡°Ah¡­ Ew.¡± The water I thought was cold was rather warm, and I hated it even more. I couldn¡¯t help but groan. As the hourglass stood upright, the sand inside began to fall. CH 64 ¡°Woah, this is amazing.¡± At Father Antonio¡¯s astonished cry, I slowly opened my eyes and looked into the water. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The water was like a dark red liquid monster fluttering before, but now it just spread in the water at a constant concentration. Most of all, it looked like the color was fading. It was a fantastic sight. But after seeing this scene, I was even more convinced that my powers seemed to be the kind that could dispel these evil spirits. Before the sand rat out in the hourglass, the dark red liquid became clear and transparent. ¡°I think this is enough. Can I take out my hand?¡± Father Antonio merely nodded then faced Enoch, his face grave. Enoch¡¯s expression was not that different from his. ¡°W-what¡¯s the problem?¡± I looked at them, and Father Antonio sighed deeply. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a lot quicker than I expected.¡± ¡°How¡¯s it compared to the temple goddess?¡± ¡°The goddess is no match for her. It would take her two full days and two nights to purify blood to this extent.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about, but it seemed to be about my ability. But why did they look so serious? After Father Antonio had settled down, we sat face to face at the table again. ¡°I can confirm that the Count has excellent purifying powers.¡± ¡®Purifying powers.¡¯ It made sense. I drove away the effects of the medicine on the Duke, purified the undead bird, and let it lead to a comfortable death. At first, I thought that the ability I had wasn¡¯t good, that it killed living things. But when I heard they were forced to live by evil forces in the first place, I realized that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Your Highness, how and for what purpose did the incident at the duchy take place? Am I the one who purified them?¡± When Enoch remained silent, the priest smiled and said, ¡°You can tell her. As long as she is born with the ability anyway, she cannot lead a completely irrelevant life.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. But I wanted the Count to live a normal life.¡± In Enoch¡¯s muffled voice, I could hear his sincere concern once more. It would be in the same vein as he said before I came here. Did he mean it would be hard for me to live a normal life as soon as I understood what he said? However, coming to this world was already out of the ordinary. What difference would it make to have one more unique ability? ¡°It¡¯s okay, Your Highness. Anyway, it¡¯s my choice. Tell me, please.¡± ¡°Alright. First, all of the undead incidents you saw at the duchy were fueled by black magic.¡± ¡°Black magic? Is it different from normal magic?¡± Enoch nodded once and continued. ¡°Magic is the product of talent and hard work. Once¡¯s magical ability is determined by the mastery to control mana, that is, how much magical power you have and how efficiently you can use it.¡± Enoch briefly explained the basic concepts of magic and then moved on to black magic. ¡°But black magic is an entirely different concept. There¡¯s no talent or effort required. One would have to form a contract with the devil and draw powers from him.¡± ¡°Devil¡­ and a contract. There must be a price for that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The user¡¯s soul is collateral for the contract.¡± ¡°If you sell your soul like that¡­ what will happen?¡± ¡°Nothing significant at first. So, even though black magic users are careful, they get more and more reckless. Then the instincts and desires are stimulated and they become emotional.¡± Surprisingly, the first thing that came to mind was Rupert. So maybe the emotional changes he had shown me recently had something to do with that. ¡°Do you become emotional just by being exposed? Without using dark magic?¡± ¡°Yes. Long-term exposure can result in black magic-like changes.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Then.¡± Chloe really dabbled in black magic. She never did anything outright, but everything she did was suspicious. ¡°If you keep using black magic like that¡­ What will happen later?¡± This time, Father Antonio answered. ¡°As they get more and more emotional, they lose reason and behave unusually; then the devil will eat their soul. After that, the devil will take over their body.¡± ¡°The devil¡­ their body¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t this more serious than I thought? Demons appeared in this world. ¡°That¡¯s why black magicians who are still conscious often take their life before they¡¯re completely consumed. Or the people around him who know him give him rest.¡± ¡°You know that yet you still use black magic¡­ Just, why? Why?¡± I talked with Chloe in mind. They never mentioned that Chloe used black magic, but I was already convinced. Chlo was the beloved female protagonist in the novel. So what was it that she lacked to put her hands in black magic? I didn¡¯t voice out my concern, but Enoch continued as if answering my unspoken question. ¡°People who want what they can¡¯t have mostly turn to black magic,¡± he said. ¡°So all black magic is a product of greed.¡± At Enoch¡¯s words, I looked blankly at him. ¡°Anyway, you have the power of purification. If the temple finds out, they won¡¯t let you go.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­? why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Anxiety rolled in. What did it mean to be taken by the temple? ¡°They will say that the saintess has appeared for the first time in hundreds of years, and they try¡¯ll to take you to the temple. You will be treated preciously, but at the same time, your life will belong to the temple. Every move will be monitored, and every event you have will be supervised¡­¡± He spoke of what it would be like if the temple really did take me in as the Saintess. ¡°Saintess¡­¡± It was such an unrealistic word. And even if Enoch didn¡¯t explain it, it was obvious that the future would be bothersome. ¡®Saintess¡¯ was probably just a pretty title; they would probably drag me around, asking me to use my ability for one thing or another. Was this why Enoch didn¡¯t want to tell me? Now it made sense. I paused and looked at Father Antonio. ¡°Are you alright, Father? In any case, you belong to the temple, right?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know why His Highness believed in me to come here,¡± Father Antonio said, but I thought I knew why Enoch came here. ¡°Father Antonio is one of the few priests capable of exorcism. He belongs to the temple, but he has a lot of different duties, so he goes out and spends his life separately.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just an oddball.¡± In addition to Enoch¡¯s introduction, there was a sense of playfulness in Father Antonio¡¯s voice. ¡°But if I¡¯m not mistaken, the Count¡¯s abilities seem stronger than the last time.¡± ¡°Rather than stronger, it¡¯s become more solid. That¡¯s how often they were exposed. The ability that had been hidden before manifested every time she came in contact with the black magic.¡± When they talked about being exposed often, did it mean Chloe had tried black magic on me, too? It would have been weirder if she hadn¡¯t. If so, up to what extent did she use it? ¡°Anyway, I shouldn¡¯t reveal this ability to anyone, right?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what the Count wants.¡± ¡°¡­Of course.¡± I had no desire to live as a Saintess. It would have been fine if he told me this, but why did Enoch want to hide it so much? Was it because he didn¡¯t trust me? It didn¡¯t matter anymore because I knew it now. I would have to live my life as quietly as possible. As long as I had the ability to purify, I was safe from Chloe¡¯s safe tactics. That¡¯s what mattered. The Duke of Clifford¡¯s funeral ended. Rupert held the funeral as quietly as possible without informing the rest of society, keeping it to the people in the castle. The Duke¡¯s body was buried in the mausoleum, and they prayed a short prayer to complete the funeral procedure. The employees stared at Rupert, curiosity and anxiety in their gazes. Rupert didn¡¯t mind it, and as soon as the funeral was over, he entered the castle. Chloe, wearing a black dress and a hat with black lace that covered her face, followed him. As Rupert headed for the room upstairs, she continued to follow him. The room on this floor was the room Erin had occupied a while ago. As soon as he arrived in the room, he took off his coat, untied his tie, and laid it loosely on the table. Chloe stood behind his back and wrapped her arms around him. Startled, Rupert stiffened, pulled her away, and turned around. ¡°Rupert?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, Chloe. I¡¯m a little tired.¡± Rupert ruffled his hair and sat across the sofa. Chloe smiled sadly, hiding her awkwardness, and she sat next to him. ¡°I get it. It¡¯s hard to hold a funeral alone, and well, Madam, too.¡± Rupert stared blankly in the air. Chloe continued sullenly, taking his silence as sympathy, ¡°You¡¯re in such a difficult situation yet she¡¯s the first to go¡­ She¡¯s still the hostess of this house. She doesn¡¯t seem to have a sense of responsibility.¡± ¡°Still?¡± Rupert stayed silent the whole time until he heard that word. Chloe was flustered, but skillfully moved on from it. ¡°Until you want it.¡± Rupert looked at her feeble smile and opened his mouth quietly. His voice was low and heavy. ¡°Chloe, you said that taking that drug doesn¡¯t mean he will die right away.¡± CH 65 Rupert stared intently at Chloe. Her eyes fluttered for a moment before calming down. ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t affect Madam.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s a drug that slowly kills a person?¡± Rupert still looked at Chloe with concern, but Chloe knew clearly that it wasn¡¯t for her. ¡°It¡¯s not a drug that will kill a healthy person just by taking it once. It¡¯s just medicine that slowly gives rest to the terminally ill.¡± Rupert¡¯s face softened at her explanation. Then, he stroked Chloe¡¯s hair, his expression thoughtful. Chloe rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°I thought of the first time we met.¡± Chloe looked up at Rupert, and he grinned and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s amazing. That day, I was really fascinated by you.¡± ¡°So was I, Rupert.¡± Advertisements Rupert didn¡¯t respond to that. He paused for a moment, looking pensive, and asked, ¡°Chloe, Baron Verezian was originally a doctor, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡­He was.¡± ¡°It must have been such a great skill that a doctor was awarded a noble title just for his abilities.¡± Chloe smiled bitterly at Rupert¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think that¡¯s how it went.¡± Chloe, leaning on Rupert, got up from the sofa. ¡°Chloe?¡± ¡°I need to go to my room and rest for a while. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Okay, get some rest.¡± Even after saying that, Chloe looked back several times as she left. But Rupert leaned back on the sofa, staring blankly at the wall. Chloe looked regretfully at him, but she had to leave alone in the end. It was surprising that Rupert wouldn¡¯t go to her room with him. What¡¯s more, wasn¡¯t this the room Erin used? After Chloe left, Rupert slowly turned and looked toward the door where she had left. And he vividly remembered the time they first met. It was a day in the prime of their youth. ¡®Of all people.¡¯ Rupert looked at Enoch in front of him and tightened his grip on his sword. Enoch stood leisurely and held his sword loosely. Advertisements Today was the last day of the knighthood ceremony examinations. After this tournament, one would officially become a knight if they entered a certain ranking. The noblemen of the Empire took the compulsory knighthood exam before they reached adulthood. However, not everyone passed, and only a few who excelled in martial arts as knights passed. So, not all of them became knights just because they were aristocrats. Rupert faced Enoch at the final gate of the knighthood ceremony in the individual tournament. As he faced the person he most wanted to avoid, he couldn¡¯t control his expression. ¡°Wooooh! It¡¯s the Imperial Crown Prince!¡± Glancing at the audience, everyone cheered for Crown Prince Enoch. They didn¡¯t care about Rupert. But Rupert knew that one gaze had been fixed on him the whole time. One girl, wearing a wide-brimmed white hat, watched him in the back seat. ¡®Erin Spilet, you came all the way here.¡¯ Power filled Rupert¡¯s shoulders. He straightened himself and looked at Enoch again. When Enoch caught his gaze, he smiled softly and said, ¡°Good luck, Rupert.¡± ¡°I should be the one saying that, Your Highness!¡± The two swords collided with a shout. The sound of metal hitting each other rang out so loud that it was threatening. The speed of the two was so fast that the average human eye couldn¡¯t follow. Truthfully, the two often sparred and knew each other¡¯s skills quite well. Truthfully, the two often sparred and knew each other¡¯s skills quite well. Advertisements Thousands of spectators were now cheering for the Crown Prince. Even if Rupert lost here, his standing as a knight was secured thanks to the grades he had already achieved in the previous exam. Even if he let the Crown Prince defeat him, it would be fine. Duke Clifford would like it, too. Just as he started considering that, he saw the white hat blown away by the wind and fly into the air. The moment he opened his eyes, he couldn¡¯t stop the sword from coming quickly to his side. Rupert instinctively turned to the side and raised Enoch¡¯s sword hard from the bottom up. At that moment, Enoch lost his grip on the sword, and it soared into the air before falling to the ground. Wow! Rupert stared at Enoch in bewilderment as Enoch took a step back with a sheepish smile. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Rupert looked at his sword, then the one on the ground. He had fallen amidst the shock of it all, but it was Rupert¡¯s victory. He was about to lose on purpose, but at a moment¡¯s notice, he gave his all to it. Still, was it enough to disarm Enoch? Puzzled, he turned back to Enoch, but Enoch went up to him as if he didn¡¯t know anything and said, ¡°You were great, Rupert.¡± ¡°I think Your Highness has more skill.¡± Enoch stretched out his hand toward Rupert sitting on the ground. Rupert accepted his assistance and stood, praising his skills. Whatever their feelings, they were still close friends. ¡°Now, go and stand on the podium. Rupert, you won first place.¡± ¡®First place.¡¯ Advertisements Rupert turned to where Enoch had pointed and was overcome with a strange sensation. As he walked to the podium, his gaze drifted to where Erin sat. But she had already disappeared. ¡®Where did you go?¡¯ Even if no one else knew, he wanted her to see. When such a thought entered his mind, Rupert¡¯s eyes widened and he shook his head violently. ¡®What am I thinking?¡¯ He climbed the podium and had the gold medal placed around his neck. Enoch, who had won the silver medal on the lower podium next to him, smiled brightly. But what caught Rupert¡¯s eye was the white hand in the Crown Prince¡¯s hand. ¡°Your Highness, that hat¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I found it behind here. It¡¯s a pretty hat, isn¡¯t it?¡± Enoch waved his hat indifferently and handed it to the servant standing next to him. Rupert muttered to himself, ¡°It is¡­¡± As soon as the awards ceremony ended, Rupert felt something wet on his side. When he touched it, he saw a finely cut garment with blood oozing out of it. And the moment he recognized his wounds, the bitter pain came rushing in. ¡°Ah, ugh¡­¡± He thought he had dodged Enoch¡¯s attack, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Rupert stopped in his tracks and looked behind him to see Enoch smiling, showing his silver medal to the crowd. ¡®It must be a coincidence.¡¯ Enoch also had far superior swordsmanship than ordinary knights, but he was far behind Rupert. Rupert was well aware of this fact when he faced Enoch. Advertisements But maybe since the hat distracted him, Enoch found his chance. Enoch turned to him, and their eyes met. Enoch waved his hand gently, and Rupert shook his head to shake off his discomposure. ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have time to treat it properly.¡¯ The sun was about to set. The Emperor would formally ordain the knights tonight, and a banquet would follow to celebrate it. Rupert, the heir to the Clifford duchy, was the main character who took the lead today, so he had to attend early. Rupert roughly threw his shirt off in one of the locker rooms. And he stopped the bleeding by pressing it on his side with a clean towel. ¡°It looks like a pretty deep cut.¡± When he took off his clothes and looked closely, the wound was deeper than expected. Before changing clothes, he tied a cloth around his chest. There was no time to lose. The person Rupert feared the most was attending the banquet. Night soon came. The entrance to the banquet hall of the imperial palace was dazzling with colorful lights that outshone the night sky. The lamps lit with magic stones boasted their own colors illuminated the whole place. While the banquet hall was open, not everyone was inside. The nobles who arrived early were all outside the entrance, keeping an eye out for those who attended. Each time someone arrived, close friends approached them, greeted them, and entered the banquet hall together. Enoch sat near the inconspicuous stone wall by the entrance. Around him were the members supporting the Crown Prince. Of course, Rupert was there too. They sat together and made idle conversation. Some even had cigars in their mouths. The way most full-blooded men did, they mostly talked about women. ¡°I heard that the Earl of Felsix¡¯s daughter is making her debut today. I heard she¡¯s pretty.¡± Advertisements ¡°Arthur, she¡¯s already in a relationship with Viscount Chelton.¡± ¡°Already? Sheesh, that sucks.¡± As they exchanged words, they saw someone getting off the carriage. It was easy to tell that the black undecorated carriage was rented. A middle-aged man and a young woman departed the coach. ¡°Wow, who is that?¡± Rupert looked up at someone¡¯s cry. There was defintely a beauty that would catch anyone¡¯s eye. Count John Batten came to meet the strangers. ¡°What the, it¡¯s that guy.¡± The nobility of the present Empire was divided into two factions. Families that supported the Crown Prince were the so-called Imperial aristocrats. Only one person became the Emperor from each generation, and the transfer of power from the Emperor to the Crown Prince was perhaps natural. However, this time, Prince Breiman also manifested magical powers, so some nobles supported him. They judged that a prince who can be persuaded to their taste is better than a prince with an orthodox support base and ability. Although Prince Breiman was not the Empress¡¯s son, he was the Emperor¡¯s eldest son, and also had the minimum qualifications of magical powers. For them, that was enough. CH 66 ¡°She¡¯s pretty though. We need to find out who she is.¡± Hans, the most impatient of the group, approached Count John Batten. He smiled, exchanged a few words with them, then ran back to the group. ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of Baron Verezian. Have you heard of him? Baron Verezian¡­ Oh, but she was really pretty up close. I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful woman.¡± ¡°Well, I think this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of them.¡± As the crowd whispered amongst themselves, Enoch pondered for a moment before speaking. ¡°I heard that the former Imperial physician was awarded a barony. He¡¯s a Verezian.¡± ¡°Oh, really? So the doctor got a title?¡± Hans asked in disbelief, and Rupert stood beside them, quietly listening to their conversation. ¡°Well, sometimes people with exceptional skills are given titles. A barony isn¡¯t too much; it¡¯s just a conferred title with no territory.¡± ¡°Then¡­ It¡¯s not a noteworthy family.¡± Advertisements When the men heard that, their eyes shone. It would be difficult to marry such a person, but a pretty but lowly noblewoman would be the perfect person to date casually. The man next to Hans tapped him and said, ¡°Let me request for a dance first. You can go after me.¡± ¡°What about you, Rupert?¡± ¡°Arthur, you know that Rupert is to marry the woman chosen by the Duke.¡± Rupert frowned at those words. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± At his annoyed reply, the men jumped in excitement. ¡°Oh? Rupert! Are you going to enter the competition?¡± ¡°But Rupert, Lady Erin is pretty, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Lady Spilet is beautiful. She¡¯s not very friendly, but when her ice-cold eyes turn towards me¡­!¡± Rupert jumped up and walked away from his seat as if he didn¡¯t want to hear any more. The merely found his reaction entertaining, and they laughed. Then Enoch beckoned them to be quiet. ¡°Shh.¡± Soon after, a grand carriage arrived at the banquet hall entrance. The eyes of the nobles, who had gathered to socialize with their friends, shifted to the carriage. Hans exclaimed, lowering his voice, ¡°Rupert¡¯s father is here.¡± With Rupert nowhere in sight, Enoch went ahead to meet the Duke. ¡°You¡¯re here, Lord Clifford.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where to put myself because the Your Highness the Crown Prince is personally coming to meet me.¡± The Duke, who shook Enoch¡¯s hand lightly, looked around to find Rupert. ¡°My son¡­¡± ¡°We were together the whole time, but he excused himself a moment ago. The timing wasn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk. He¡¯s supposed to escort the lady inside.¡± ¡°Who came with you?¡± Advertisements At Enoch¡¯s question, the Duke spoke to someone inside the carriage, his tone kind. ¡°Erin, come out.¡± A pale pink skirt fluttered out from inside the carriage. When Enoch noticed that the person inside was a lady, he reflexively stretched out his hand. Erin¡¯s eyes widened when she saw Enoch, but she grabbed his hand, and curtsied the moment she departed the carriage. ¡°Erin Spilet greets Your Highness.¡± However, while greeting him with courtesy, her face remained expressionless. The Duke coughed and explained the situation. ¡°Count Spilet said he couldn¡¯t attend today, so I brought her along with me. But now Rupert¡¯s nowhere to be seen¡­¡± Everyone already knew that Duke Clifford wanted Rupert to marry Erin. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Enoch smiled as he led the Duke into the banquet hall. Emperor Longard von Rikephoros and Empress Meribel Janiere entered the banquet hall. The nobles socializing in the center moved to the side and knelt toward the Emperor and Empress. Prince Enoch and Prince Breiman walked naturally behind them. When Enoch spotted Rupert, he nodded at him, gesturing for him to come forward. After the Imperial family had walked past them, the Duke saw Rupert approaching him, and rebuked him in a low voice, ¡°You surpassed the Crown Prince and took the lead.¡± ¡°Yes, it somehow happened¡­¡± Rupert¡¯s answer angered the Duke even more. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have done it properly? You are the Crown Prince¡¯s subject. What¡¯s the point of beating him?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± He wasn¡¯t the type to make up excuses, and he wasn¡¯t in a situation to do so. As the Emperor ascended the podium, the commander of the Imperial Knights called out the names of those who passed the knight exam today. Enoch, who joined his family for a while, also came down when his name was called. Several others, including Rupert, gathered at the center. Advertisements ¡°Rupert Clifford, congratulations on ranking first. Now, come up on the platform,¡± the Emperor announced, grinning at Rupert. Everyone in the room clapped awkwardly, staring at Enoch as they did. In the previous knight tests taken by the heirs apparent to the throne, it was customary that they won. However, Enoch congratulated Rupert nonchalantly and patted his shoulder. ¡°Go ahead, Rupert.¡± Rupert clenched his fists and stepped forward. He topped the exam because of his skills, but in the end, no one congratulated him. Not even his father. He wondered what¡¯s the point of trying so hard. The wound on his side suddenly hurt. Emotionally and physically bruised, he couldn¡¯t manage his facial expressions well. Rupert knelt before the Emperor as he handed him a sword given yearly to the person who topped the knight exam. Rupert thanked the Emperor with a faint smile and then came down from the podium. As he descended, Rupert made eye contact with Erin. Her eyes widened, and she immediately lowered her gaze, her face flushed. But she still peeked at him through her lashes. Rupert looked away, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Come to think of it, it was all because of Erin that he took the top position regardless of her intentions. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for that hat¡­!¡¯ Starting with Rupert, the participants received their knighthood one after another. Soon, a lively tune played to mark the start of the ball. Then, the Emperor and Empress opened the dance, and the rest followed to the center in search of a partner. After leaving his sword to a servant, Rupert paused as he approached his close friends. People still surrounded Enoch as they congratulated him on getting second place. Rupert could neither approach nor back away, so he stood alone, feeling Erin¡¯s gaze again. His face felt warm. For now, he wanted to escape from her eyes. ¡°Rupert.¡± Then Enoch found Rupert first and motioned for him to come closer. It might be better that way. Resigned, Rupert joined the crowd and stood by Enoch¡¯s side. Fortunately, the subject has changed. After the current dance ended, the young nobles went to the center as was customary. Some had already left in search of their fianc¨¦es, while those who didn¡¯t have a suitable partner looked for one. Naturally, their target for today was Lady Verezian, whom they saw earlier. ¡°Can I go first?¡± Advertisements ¡°No, wait. I want to¨C¡± Rupert leaned against the wall alone, arms crossed, his eyes on the ground. If he raised his head, he¡¯d meet the gazes of the two people looking at him¨CDuke Clifford and her. Enoch, who stood next to Rupert, handed him a glass of champagne. Rupert only looked up when he took the glass. Enoch stared at the center of the hall, his gaze on Erin, and muttered softly, ¡°I envy you, Rupert.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Her eyes are only on you. I can¡¯t help but envy you.¡± Smirking, Rupert looked around them and said, ¡°There are a lot more ladies watching your right now, Your Highness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only because I¡¯m the Crown Prince. If I didn¡¯t have that position, would they still look at me?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Rupert could not easily refute, and Enoch continued, sipping champagne. ¡°But Erin Spilet will still look at you no matter the circumstances. Rupert, you know the truth, right? People like that are rare.¡± ¡°Not really, that has nothing to do with me.¡± Enoch drank the rest of his drink and handed the empty glass to a passing server. He said, ¡°Then, I have to go do my job.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Since the princess of the Chelda Kingdom has arrived, I must entertain her,¡± Enoch smiled, looking a little miffed, then waved his hand and disappeared. After a while, Rupert saw Enoch with the princess of Chelda Kingdom as he escorted her to the center. Playing his role as the Crown Prince of the Empire, he must have asked her to dance. Rupert sighed and looked ahead until his eyes met Duke Clifford, whom he had so avoided. The Duke silently pressed Rupert from afar, turning towards Erin and then back. Rupert glanced at Erin standing alone and bit his lip. He had seen her dress before. He had heard that Count Spilet was going through financial troubles recently, so that must be why Erin couldn¡¯t get a new dress for this banquet. Well, even so, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to dance with Erin. Still, he felt uncomfortable. It also hurt his self-esteem that he had to choose a dance partner because of his father¡¯s pressure. Then he saw Hans, who approached Chloe and was rejected, make his way toward Erin. When Rupert saw it, he reflexively straightened and took a step. CH 67 That guy, why¡¯s going over there after being rejected from this side?¡¯ Hans¡¯ behavior was strangely unpleasant. After Erin politely refused Han, she glanced at Rupert. As soon as their eyes met, Rupert, who had been about to go to Erin, turned to Chloe. At this point, his face was strangely red. ¡°Lady, my name is Rupert Clifford.¡± He politely reached out to Chloe. He could feel Erin¡¯s and Duke Clifford¡¯s gaze on the back of his head, and he felt even more flustered. ¡®D*mn it, why am I here?¡¯ Chloe looked up at him in surprise. It was then that Rupert saw Chloe properly for the first time. Blinking her innocent orange big eyes, she seemed at a loss what to do with his outstretched hand. Indeed, Hans was right that she¡¯s a beauty worth making a fuss about. But he wanted her to say no. What came to Chloe was an impulsive act that followed the stream of consciousness. ¡°Then¡­Thank you.¡± Advertisements Contrary to expectations, Chloe took Rupert¡¯s hand. Unable to rescind his offer, Rupert had no choice but to escort Chloe and head to the center. Enoch, who was already dancing with the princess of Chelda, gave a curious look at Rupert, but Rupert ignored it. He didn¡¯t know what to do with the situation. Emperor Longard von Rikephoros looked at the hall with a funny expression. Then he glanced at the Duke next to him and said, ¡°Your son is going out to dance.¡± ¡°¡­Boy, why are you useless?¡± The Duke tried to suppress his anger because he was in front of the Emperor, but his frustration toward his son inevitably leaked out. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that and leave it alone, just like me. How can we stop young people from making their own decisions?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, that¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t have much time.¡± While the Duke looked well, he was already aware of his illness. So he also guessed for himself that he had only a few years left. The Emperor also noticed that fact to some extent, but he feigned ignorance and muttered, ¡°If he married into the Spilet family, love and feelings wouldn¡¯t matter.¡±* ¡°I don¡¯t know what my son¡¯s thinking. Rupert doesn¡¯t hate Miss Erin either. He¡¯s been paying a lot of attention since they were young. I¡¯m just worried he¡¯s wasting his time on unwarranted antipathy.¡± The Duke narrowed his eyes as he watched the dancing pair. ¡°And it¡¯s not just because of her family. Miss Erin is intelligent, and she¡¯s also a child who gives Rupert absolute support. It¡¯s hard to get such a person even if you give them a thousand gold.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t things be difficult if he met someone else before he even got married?¡± ¡°Well, it seems like there are still a lot of guys who are looking at Miss Erin.¡± Advertisements The Emperor looked curiously at Erin leaving the ballroom. He also saw Enoch¡¯s head turning in the direction Erin was going. Without seeing it, the Duke changed the subject and asked the Emperor a question. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Aren¡¯t you interested in taking in a Crown Princess?¡± The Emperor shrugged and said, ¡°Well, Don¡¯t you know the legend of the Imperial Family?¡± The Duke blinked in confusion. Although he was aware of the legend, he didn¡¯t know that the Emperor actually believed it. According to the legend, the first Emperor, Archmage Rikephoros, felt sorry for the weight of the Empire that the descendants of his lineage would bear and prayed a favor to the goddess. ¡®Give me strength not to be weighed down by the weight of life.¡¯ Then the goddess answered. ¡¸The only thing I can give you is that those who inherit your power will only be with their true love.¡¹ So, all the princes who inherited the Archmage¡¯s powers welcomed their true love as their crown princess, or something like that. ¡°Are you going to leave it alone?¡± Advertisements ¡°Well, he¡¯ll figure it out. Just like me,¡± The Emperor replied with a smirk. Of course, the current Emperor could certainly say so. The current Empress Meribel Janiere was a widow who lived alone after her husband had died after her marriage. Besides, her family didn¡¯t have much influence. It was a national marriage that was pushed by the Emperor, who was the Crown Prince at the time, to be with Meribel. However, as the Duke knew, many previous Crown Princess came from the Clifford family. Did they all get married with that kind of feeling? Well, the Emperor said so, so the Duke didn¡¯t respond anymore. Instead, he just looked at Rupert and Chloe dancing with displeasure. Rupert stood facing Chloe, holding hands and moving to the music. Nevertheless, he reluctantly looked for Erin, but she wasn¡¯t where she stood a while ago. ¡®Where did you go?¡¯ He scanned the hall to see if she danced with another man, but she was nowhere to be seen. On the one hand, he felt reassured. Rupert was so precise in his dance moves, even though he was thinking about something else the entire time. Since he had been doing it since he was young, his feet moved automatically. But there was nothing Rupert could do about it. It was not only because the partner who was dancing now couldn¡¯t keep up with the beat, and she kept stepping on his feet. Rupert tried to control his irritation and finally began to focus on his partner. ¡°Lady Verezian, can¡¯t you dance?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t learn¡­¡± Chloe blushed in embarrassment and lowered her head. Rupert recalled the Baron Verezian was originally a doctor, not a nobleman. So, the young lady might not have learned to dance yet. Rupert sighed and held her hand tighter to lead the dance. Then Chloe came forcefully and slammed into his shoulder, and Rupert felt a burning pain in his side. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Advertisements It felt like his wound had been reopened at the impact. He had been distracted about other things and had forgotten about his wounds. Rupert¡¯s clothes were dark, so it wasn¡¯t obvious that the blood had already seeped out of his wounds and soaked his side. ¡°Sir Rupert?¡± He had tried to control his facial expressions, but it wasn¡¯t easy to hide the pain he felt. Moreover, they didn¡¯t stand still, and it wasn¡¯t exactly easy to lead a partner who didn¡¯t know her strength. As he clenched his teeth and tried to hold back, he suddenly stopped moving as tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°Sir Rupert, are you overdoing it?¡± While Rupert couldn¡¯t find a word to answer, Chloe left him and disappeared. He was a little perplexed, but on the other hand, he understood. Chloe couldn¡¯t even dance, and he¡¯s not in good shape to make up for it. So, left alone, Rupert moved to a corner where Prince Breiman stood. ¡°Your Highness, you were here.¡± Until then, Rupert had not paid much attention to the prince. Breiman handed him a glass of champagne, and while Rupert wanted to say no, he felt thirsty. In the end, he accepted the glass and drank it. It was much sweeter than the champagne that Enoch had given him earlier. ¡°Ha, the world isn¡¯t fair. It¡¯s a pity that a talented person like you hides in a corner like me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Over there, my brother. Look at our Crown Prince.¡± Enoch shone, and crowds always surrounded him. ¡°What even is bloodline. Am I right? I can use magic, too. You are the number one in the Empire when it comes to swordsmanship. But you have to surrender everything to the Crown Prince. No matter what I do, it won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°¡­Your Highness, you seem drunk.¡± Rupert felt a little perplexed, not knowing what to say to him. ¡°Rupert, are you really okay?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± In response to Rupert¡¯s sharp reaction, Prince Breiman smiled and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s just words, words. If you suddenly feel frustrated one day, come over for a drink.¡± And then he disappeared just like that. Rupert scratched his head in frustration and frowned at the pain that rose again. Guess I¡¯ll have to look at the wound again. There was the wound, but it seemed like the body was heating up somewhere. There were lounges all over the ballroom used as rest areas, so Rupert opened the door to one and entered. The room had a sofa, a bed to relax in, and a bathroom. Once he took off his top, he sat on the sofa and inspected his wound. Bright red blood dripped from the place he had roughly tied. ¡°Ha.¡± Advertisements Even if the Crown Prince got injured, he recovered quickly because of his bloodline. Suddenly, Rupert remembered Prince Breiman¡¯s words, and he burst into laughter. Was he okay? What did he mean by that? What if he wasn¡¯t okay? The Duke always compared him to Crown Prince Enoch. He told Rupert to be humble when he excelled and look at Enoch and learn when he floundered. He said that the servant should not be superior to his master, but he should not be left behind. No matter how hard he tried, he never received a word of praise from the Duke. Rupert suppressed the unpleasant feeling that crept up, and pressed a clean towel over his wound. Then, suddenly and carefully, the door opened. Unexpectedly, Chloe stood there. ¡®Did I not lock the door?¡¯ Rupert looked up to see Chloe enter the room with an unknown basket in her hand and lock the door. He couldn¡¯t see her expression well since she entered with her head down, but at first glance, it seemed that the corners of her lips were slightly raised. She had a different aura from when she danced before, so Rupert felt like he had misunderstood for a moment. And above all, she saw him with his top off in the room, so why did she lock the door and come in? ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lady Verezian?¡± When Rupert asked, Chloe lifted her head. The look on her face as she looked at Rupert was filled with sadness. CH 68 Rupert followed her gaze to his wound, whispered a small ¡°Ah,¡± and motioned for Chloe to leave. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I entered the room first. I mistakenly forgot to lock the door, but¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I saw Sir Rupert enter here, so I followed you in.¡± Chloe went to Rupert¡¯s side with the basket and then knelt on the floor by the sofa to look at Rupert¡¯s wound wrapped in a towel. Rupert glanced at what was in the basket. It contained vials and bandages. ¡°Are you going to give me treatment here? How did you know I was hurt?¡± ¡°I smelled blood.¡± Advertisements Could an ordinary woman smell blood? It was a little odd, but Rupert just let Chloe do it. He did seem like he needed some treatment. Still, she¡¯s from a family of doctors, so he could probably do it. But since then, his fever had risen, and he felt increasingly confused. He must be drunk. ¡®Did I get drunk on just two glasses of champagne?¡¯ Then Chloe¡¯s slender neck, busy taking care of his wound, caught his eye. Her touch bothered him a lot. ¡®She¡¯s a pretty girl. Somehow now more than when we danced¡­¡¯ Chloe had a sweet and gentle aura, much different from anyone he knew. As he continued to stare at her, his heart fluttered more and more. As she moved closer to bandage him, he smelled her sweet aroma. It smelled similar to the taste of champagne. But as soon as he smelled it, hot energy wriggled in his throat. Then what happened? When Rupert woke up, he was in bed, a naked Chloe sleeping next to him. Upon waking up, Chloe cried bitterly and confessed that she had a crush on Rupert. She then went home after she told him he didn¡¯t have to feel obligated. But then, Rupert continued to see Chloe. After a few days of contemplation, Rupert eventually visited Chloe and began to date her. The more Rupert met Chloe, the more he fell in love with her. He felt comfortable with Chloe, who didn¡¯t want anything and didn¡¯t ask. Advertisements However, Erin¡¯s presence continued to bother him as he dated Chloe. Before that, Erin often came to Rupert¡¯s place. But when he started seeing Chloe, he couldn¡¯t see Erin at all. Rupert was strangely annoyed by the fact. So he just let it go. He knew that Count Spilet was deceived by a conman and had invested too much in a scam, but he just watched. In fact, when he met the Count, he encouraged him very slightly. And he waited for the penniless Erin to finally look for him herself. A few days later, I headed to the outer palace of the Imperial Palace to interview the investor responsible for the capital of the Magic Stone Mine development. After the funeral, Rupert had to stay to clean up after the estate. At times like this, we had to proceed as much as possible. The Imperial Palace was divided into inner and outer palaces, and the Crown Prince¡¯s office was located on both sides. It seemed really busy in the outer palace. People with darkened undereyes quickly passed by me, some of them women. Unlike the women I¡¯ve seen in society, they didn¡¯t seem to care much about their makeup, but they looked really cool. Fortunately, my attire wasn¡¯t too flashy. Slowly looking around the inside, I headed upstairs to the Crown Prince¡¯s office, which Enoch had informed me of beforehand. Then I ran into Enoch, who was just coming down to meet me. As soon as Enoch, slowly making his way down, found me, he quickened his pace. Advertisements ¡°Greetings, Your Highness, Crown Prince Enoch.¡± I lifted the hem of my skirt and bent my knees. Enoch smiled ambiguously and shook his head. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m a little late.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You gave me the location.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go.¡± Enoch walked up ahead and glanced back at me. As I followed him, I tilted my head in confusion, wondering why he was staring at me. Then I realized that he seemed worried about what I¡¯d think about him not escorting me. Certainly, when I looked around, everyone was busy walking, but there was no atmosphere for anyone to escort or be escorted. I nodded to him as if to go, and he guided me, walking half a step ahead. ¡°You will be working here from today, Count,¡± Enoch said, leading me down the long hallway to the large double door. Knights were posted by the doors, and when they saw the Prince, they opened the door right away. The inside was more spacious than expected. And there were many people. Their heads were buried in piled of paper, not caring whether the Prince came or not. They only looked up when Enoch clapped his hands. ¡°Gather over here.¡± Among them, the person with the darkest under eyes came forward first, scratching his green hair that seemed to have not been washed for days. ¡°Count Spilet, this is Count Liam Stevens, my chief aide and chief of staff here.¡± Advertisements ¡°I¡¯m Liam Stevens. Please feel free to call me Liam here,¡± he said, his purple eyes filled with sleep. ¡°Okay, Liam. Nice to meet you, please feel free to address me casually, too. My name is Erin Spilet.¡± I was then introduced to the two officers who followed. ¡°This is Viscount Adam Johnston, and this is Viscount Flora Walsh.¡± Among the two, Adam Johnston merely nodded his head and stared at me with unusual eyes. Wasn¡¯t this our first time seeing each other? I couldn¡¯t tell if his gaze was friendly. ¡°My name is Flora Walsh, Erin. It is really nice to meet you.¡± On the other hand, Flora Walsh was kind to me. Enoch was supposed to introduce two more assistant officers, but apparently, they went out and weren¡¯t here. After that, Enoch escorted me to my seat. The moment I saw my workplace, I glanced at him and my desk in disbelief. ¡°This¡­ Is this my place?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Count Spilet, you can sit here and review the nomination papers.¡± ¡°Wait, no, what is this?¡± There were three reasons why the desk surprised me. First of all, the seat was right next to Enoch¡¯s desk. My desk was closer to him than Liam, the chief of staff. Second, the desk was much bigger and wider than that of other employees, and even at a glance, its wood was a high-quality material. So, it was similar in size and shape to the Crown Prince¡¯s desk. Having received such special treatment, I finally understood Adam Johnston¡¯s unfriendly gaze. The third was the amount of paperwork piled up on the desk, looking like two towers on the table. ¡°Are those all candidate documents?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what we¡¯ve already summarized¨Ceok.¡± Liam was about to answer, but Enoch suddenly slapped his arm across his chest and pushed him away. Advertisements ¡°Yes, you must check all of it yourself.¡± Liam and the secretary looked as if their eyes were trying to tell me something, but I couldn¡¯t understand them. They eventually went back to their respective seats with their mouths shut, and I sat down, too, unable to contain my bewilderment. When I sat there, I almost became because my view was entirely covered by the tower of documents. ¡°Why are there so many?¡± ¡°The magic stone mine is an investment with a guaranteed return. Of course, many will want to invest.¡± ¡°By what standard should I look at it?¡± ¡°If you look at your credit rating or basic financial power, you will find your own standards.¡± After saying that, Enoch sat down a little further away from me. As I stared blankly at him, there was a lot of work in his place as well. So, the job of the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t easy. I looked around a bit more. The office at the end of this floor of the outer palace had a peculiar hexagonal structure. And there was a window on each side, and in front of them were their desks. So, they were placed in a circle so that they could see each other like a conference room. It was simply an efficient but cruel arrangement, unable to do anything else. Both Enoch and the other two officers were engaged in their work. I sighed and brought the papers on the right in front of me. I could feel Enoch glance at me, but I tried not to let it get to me. The document contained information such as name, identity, biography, property size, investment location, investment activities, and how to operate a magic stone mine efficiently. I read the first few pages carefully, but soon realized I didn¡¯t need to. In the first place, most of the people whose money came from the mountains, the land, or buildings could not invest immediately. Advertisements Those who have already made large investments were excluded. I needed someone with a lot of liquid assets, someone who could give me money now. However, even if I set such a standard, the amount we needed was too much in the first place. Soon, I could feel my eyes darken like the people I saw earlier. Then, after working like that for several hours, I suddenly looked out the window to see that the sun had set and it was getting dark. Amazing. I hadn¡¯t even seen half of this document. ¡°Can I take these home and look at them?¡± Enoch also shook his head resolutely. Today, Enoch was unrelenting. It felt like I was dealing with a boss at work whose memories were now fading. ¡°No, for security reasons, you can¡¯t take it outside of the palace.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, then.¡± It took a long time for me to come here and see everything for myself. Anyway, the sun had already set, but the others didn¡¯t look like they even thought about going home. ¡°Come this way.¡± Enoch, sitting next to me the entire time, got up and headed out of the office. I followed him without knowing what was happening. CH 69 The lamp illuminated the hallway stretched out in front of the office. And the people who were working overtime were still busy. Enoch picked up one of the lamps and turned left when we exited the office door, the hallway relatively dark and quiet. A few steps later, I saw another door. When I opened it, I saw a familiar person inside. ¡°Lia?¡± ¡°Oh, Madam.¡± Lia was taking out familiar items from a large bag and organizing them. Confused and at a loss for words, I turned to Enoch, and he said, ¡°I thought you would stay here for a while, so I sent a message to the mansion. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have someone familiar with you to stay comfortably?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ I don¡¯t know how long.¡± Advertisements ¡°Then, take a break for today. After all, you won¡¯t be able to see all of those documents all night.¡± ¡°Wait, Your High¨C!¡± Despite my call, Enoch shut the door and left. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be staying overnight.¡± Well, it was fine either way. Going to that townhouse was a bit cumbersome now, so I was thinking of looking for another house. Until then, as long as I could buy time here, I had no complaints. I sat on the sofa for a while and looked around the room. There was a bed, a couch, a small table, a dresser, and a door that seemed to lead to the bathroom. It was more spacious than I thought. Perhaps because the employees often worked overtime, the overnight room was quite luxurious and comfortable. Given the situation, the Imperial Palace staff welfare was good, wasn¡¯t it? Lia moved behind me and untied my hair. I felt my long, wavy hair falling down my neck and shoulders. She massaged my shoulders and asked, ¡°Would you like to wash up first? Shall I prepare the bath water?¡± ¡°Should I? Ah, wait,¡± I jumped up and left the room. I thought of bringing some papers from the office and reading them. A single lamp hung on the hallway wall, which was originally dark and empty. Enoch must have placed it there earlier. The sight made me smile. I walked down the hallway and stood in front of the office door. However, I heard a rumbling noise from inside. ¡®I thought everyone left already.¡¯ Advertisements When I slowly opened the door, I saw a black afterimage disappear from the room, leaving Enoch alone, standing by the open window. ¡°Your Highness? Were you alone?¡± Enoch looked bewildered for a moment and then skillfully changed his expression. He asked, ¡°Count, why are you back?¡± ¡°I wanted to look at the documents a little more before going to bed. There are so many¡­¡± I looked at him calmly and approached my desk. The black blur a while ago was probably Enoch¡¯s Shadow Knights. I read about them occasionally in the novel. While I was curious about what happened, I decided not to ask. It was a very windy day today. A strong wind blew through the open window, and my loose hair fluttered. Some of the piles of paper threatened to get blown away, so I pressed the rest with something heavy to make sure they wouldn¡¯t fly in the wind. Suddenly, I felt a hand touching the tip of my hair from behind. I turned around in surprise, and before I knew it, Enoch, who had approached me, dropped his hand and stepped back. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°Ah, well, the wind¡­¡± ¡°The wind?¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­ without realizing it, my hands.¡± Enoch blushed and lowered his gaze. No, it¡¯s not something to apologize for. I looked at him, grabbed my hair, and shook it in front of him. ¡°Are you curious? You can just touch it.¡± Hesitating, Enoch touched the tip lightly and then let it go. His face was a lot redder than before, and he looked away. Advertisements ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go back to my room.¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no need to rush. There¡¯s a lot of time.¡± I left without answering him. A lot of time, huh? I knew we didn¡¯t have a deadline, but I had to hurry to get my money back before Rupert arrived. After returning to my room and taking a bath, I sat by the lamp to review some more paperwork. ¡°Oh, this person seems fine.¡± As I read through the papers, someone stood out. However, there was a trace of someone putting a checkmark on the person¡¯s profile. Curiously, I set it aside before looking at the rest of the documents. I only fell asleep at dawn. A few days later, when I saw almost all the documents, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. There was always a checkmark above the names of people I thought were okay. Eight out of ten did. I asked Enoch once, but he just glossed over it, saying he didn¡¯t know. So this morning, when Enoch was not yet at work, I asked Liam, his assistant, again. Liam seemed busy today as always, but he couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity now that Enoch wasn¡¯t here yet. Liam still had his nose in the document he was holding and answered my question with a glance. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a separate check of the people we saw first and picked.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then why do I have to look at them all¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that, uh, so¡­ Because it¡¯d be nice to look at it carefully again? Isn¡¯t that what he ordered? His Highness the Crown Prince?¡± Liam suddenly panicked and started sweating profusely, and then he got up and walked out the door. I frowned as I reflected on his words. ¡°¡­what, you¡¯ve already chosen everything, and you let me see everything? That many?¡± As I muttered to myself, the door opened, and two officers and an assistant secretary entered. The office had two assistants, one male, and one female. The one who accompanied the officers was the male assistant, Lennon Campbell. ¡°It¡¯s gotten pretty cool these days, so it¡¯s worth taking a walk.¡± At Flora¡¯s words, Lennon shook his head. ¡°It must be because Miss Flora is close to home, but I¡¯m not. I must ride a carriage.¡± Advertisements ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lennon Campbell was one of the few commoners working as an assistant secretary, and working in the Imperial Palace as a commoner meant that he was an excellent resource. He probably didn¡¯t know yet, but he might receive a barony soon. After listening in on their conversation, I asked Flora, ¡°¡­Did you come from your home? Isn¡¯t it too late to go home after working overtime?¡± At my question, the two looked at each other. Flora answered, ¡°Except for Liam, we don¡¯t work overtime no matter how busy we are.¡± Lennon Campbell nodded in response. ¡°She¡¯s right. The Crown Prince¡¯s office has been assigned to this place through tremendous competition because we have little overtime compared to other places.¡± ¡°And the sleeping room is smelly and cramped¡­ The bed creaks, too. It¡¯s better to go home even if it¡¯s late.¡± Flora shuddered and went to her seat. What the. I always thought that the welfare of the Imperial Palace employees was good. What¡¯s the room assigned to me? Soon after, the female assistant, Mila Burton, entered. The daughter of Viscount Burton, Mila excelled in school and volunteered to work here at the Imperial Palace. It was a different move from that of noble girls who usually preferred tutoring over the Academy, and getting married when they got older. I admired Mila Burton, but it seemed the feeling wasn¡¯t mutual. From the day we were introduced, she didn¡¯t look kindly at me. Viscount Adam Johnston had the same reaction but gradually softened up as time went on. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the same case for Mila Burton. We¡¯re already on the third day, but I could hardly get close. ¡®It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¯ I didn¡¯t come here to make friends, so it didn¡¯t matter as long as they didn¡¯t harm me. Advertisements Anyway, the problem was Crown Prince Enoch. Now that I knew that the documents had already been reviewed, it seemed that there was no need to stay in the palace overtime. But Enoch lied to me. He made me stay in that room and gave me so many documents. His intentions seemed clear. Maybe he¡¯s worried about keeping me in that house. ¡°He should have been honest,¡± I unconsciously voiced out my thoughts and felt several eyes on me at the sound. I coughed and looked down at the documents. Ten in total, I looked over them carefully once again. Hmm, it would be difficult for me to decide on my own from here on. Soon, the door opened, and Enoch and Liam, who had gone out earlier, entered. Judging by Enoch¡¯s flustered expression, it seemed that Liam had reported about our conversation earlier. And as soon as he came in, I jumped up as if I had been waiting and stepped forward. As Enoch walked, he hesitated and looked at me anxiously. Seeing him like that made me want to tease him even more. But I persevered and said what I wanted to say. ¡°Your Highness, I have looked through all the documents you mentioned. So I¡¯d like you to preside over the meeting.¡± He looked at me with his mouth slightly open, seemingly nervous about what I said. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°I-I understand.¡± And soon, at my request, a meeting was held. The subject of the discussion, of course, was to determine who had the most money and who was most reliable. CH 70 Although it was presided over by Enoch, it was, in any case, a meeting at my request. He looked back at me and nodded as if telling me to begin. ¡°I picked ten people, but interviewing all of them seems like a waste of time. It would be nice if we could work on it together.¡± While everyone agreed, Mila Burton looked at me with a slightly annoyed look and turned her head. In any case, four people were selected from the meeting. The only thing left to do was notify them of the interview date. After the meeting, I carefully reviewed the proposals of one of the remaining four. Given the different penmanship, they seemed to have written the proposals themselves. However, the handwriting of one person was particularly flashy and familiar. ¡®Hmm, where have I seen this before?¡¯ This person had the most money, had plenty of liquidity, and had good credit. Above all, this person had already invested in mining development several times. Advertisements What was unusual was that, while most of the other people were nobles, this man, although a commoner, achieved such wealth. ¡®If everything was done legally, that would be great.¡¯ The interview hasn¡¯t even happened yet, but I already had this person in mind. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± Enoch approached me from behind and asked. Now it was just the two of us in the conference room. ¡°No, more than that¡­¡± ¡°Looks like someone caught your eye.¡± At Enoch¡¯s words, I turned to look at him. A meaningful smile hung on his lips. I don¡¯t know the meaning of that smile, but the moment I saw him, I remembered the things I had been trying to investigate before. When I slowly rose from my chair, Enoch stepped back and pulled it back for me. I turned around to face him, and with a smile, I said, ¡°By the way, I heard that the Crown Prince¡¯s office doesn¡¯t have overtime?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not to say it doesn¡¯t happen at all.¡± ¡°If you look at it that way, it seems that I am the only one who has been working overtime for a few days. They said that they had already selected all of the candidate documents.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Enoch kept his mouth shut, and I sighed, not because of Enoch but because of me and my weakening heart. But, unfortunately, Enoch seemed to think I was furious. Advertisements He rushed on with an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Count. But I used this method because I was worried you¡¯d stay in the house.¡± ¡°I know, but I would have understood if you had just told me. My eyes feel like it¡¯s about to fall out the last few days¡­¡± As I talked, I realized that he couldn¡¯t have caused me to work for anything. Looking at that many documents, I actually got some pretty helpful information. I saw the names and families of the many wealthy people, their interests, investment decisions, and the flow of money, and I could also know their reputations, even in small ways. Of course, even if I couldn¡¯t memorize all of them because I skimmed past them quickly, remembering a bit of it would be of great help someday. As I paused and looked at him, Enoch asked, ¡°What can I do to ease your anger?¡± I didn¡¯t expect him to say anything like this, but I didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and thought of what to ask. ¡°Personally, I would like to hire an escort knight, but I would like Your Highness to recommend someone you trust.¡± ¡°Then one of the Imperial Knights will serve as the Count¡¯s escort¡­¡± At Enoch¡¯s answer, I slowly shook my head and said, ¡°I need my own person. Of course, I have to find it, and it¡¯s up to me to make it my own.¡± Enoch¡¯s eyes lit up as if he had remembered someone for a moment, then frowned. I tilted my head at his expression. ¡°Is that too much of an unreasonable request? Then¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no, not at all. Could you give me a little time?¡± I nodded, but Enoch¡¯s expression remained vague. A few days later, the interview to recruit investors to develop the magic stone mine began. The four chosen were similar in terms of conditions for finding mining investors. All of them had the upper end, and therefore their funds¡¯ size, liquidity, and creditworthiness were good. Advertisements Of the four, three were nobles, and one was a commoner. I had to choose two under all the same conditions. And one of them had to be able to do a private transaction with me quietly. So, I overlooked everyone else and called out the person with the flashy handwriting that caught my eye. It was Billy Gordon, the commoner. ¡°Mr. Billy Gordon?¡± ¡°Yes, Count Spillet.¡± After a brief interview with Enoch and other people in the Crown Prince¡¯s office, I asked to speak privately with him. He didn¡¯t seem as old as I thought. However, even though he was a commoner, he must have learned manners on his own, and his behavior in this palace was not very awkward. Maybe he hired a tutor because he frequently dealt with nobles. I could have spoken casually with him because he was a commoner, but I addressed him formally since he¡¯s here as an investor. Since the magic stone cave belonged to me, Enoch left the decision to me. While I was grateful that Enoch encouraged me like this, even though the income of the Imperial family was involved, I felt a little uneasy. Would I be able to judge well? Billy Gordon smiled as he stared at me. His smile felt weighted as if there was more to it than goodwill. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Only through a one-time correspondence.¡± ¡°Correspondence?¡± I thought about it for a moment, then trembled at the sudden memory. Then, I looked at the handwriting on the papers on the table once more. I thought I¡¯d seen it somewhere before. ¡°¡­Were you the one who asked me to sell my title?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t write my name, so I didn¡¯t expect you to remember it.¡± Billy Gordon agreed immediately, and I had to be a little wary of him. ¡°Do you still want it?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing to sell it, I won¡¯t decline,¡± he said. I was wary of him, but I leaned against the back of the chair and crossed my legs to look relaxed. Now that I knew his identity, I had to change my attitude a bit. Advertisements ¡°You have money, but since you don¡¯t have a noble status, it¡¯s hard to get information, and you get rejected every time for being a commoner.¡± As I continued, Billy Gordon¡¯s expression hardened little by little. ¡°You need a status by any means necessary, so you¡¯re willing to pay for one for a lot of money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Is that wrong?¡± Billy Gordon answered calmly, his face slightly flushed. Like a seasoned merchant, he knew how to control his emotions even if he wasn¡¯t perfect at it just yet. If he were, he probably wouldn¡¯t have blushed like that, but I held my tongue and decided he would be a good partner. ¡°But you can feel it, the wall of that status that money couldn¡¯t do anything about. So what kind of noble would sell it for a few pennies?¡± Billy Gordon raised an eyebrow and spoke slightly lower, ¡°But I know the Count is not in such a relaxed situation. While you became the future Duchess of Clifford, you only settled half your debt.¡± ¡°Ah, knowing that will speed things up.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± It unsettled me when he mentioned the debt, but I laughed it off and went straight to the point. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve paid off half my debt. But, unfortunately, it will be too much of a loss if I sell my title to pay for the other half. Even ten times that number is still not enough.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you won¡¯t sell it.¡± Billy looked a little uncomfortable, but he seemed quite curious about what I was about to say. ¡°Triple.¡± Billy Gordon¡¯s eyes widened at my words. Of course, I just said I wouldn¡¯t sell it even if it were ten times the amount, so his surprise was understandable. Advertisements ¡°What¡­are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll lend you the title if you give me half the amount you mentioned earlier, triple the four billion gold.¡± I could pay off all of my debt if it were only double the amount, but if I would need three times as much if I wanted to live decently for a while. ¡®Count Spilet¡¯ was really just a title and had no income because Erin had already sold the estate before. In any case, it would take a considerable amount of time before the magic stone mine development began and its product distributed and sold to make a profit. This wasn¡¯t a world where one could easily find a job and earn money, so the rest of the gold was my cushion for an uncertain future. ¡°So, twelve billion gold. Whatever it is, it¡¯s a lot of money. And what do you mean by lending the title?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly what it means. I can¡¯t give you the title, but you can use the title to solve things you couldn¡¯t because you¡¯re not a noble.¡± I didn¡¯t miss the twinkle in Billy¡¯s eyes as I spoke. But despite his obvious interest, he said something else. ¡°I have already made a great fortune. Of course, it¡¯s inconvenient that I don¡¯t have a title, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m desperate enough to pay that much,¡± he said. ¡°How about double? Eight billion gold.¡± ¡°You sure are quick to offer an amount despite not needing it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing.¡± I stretched out my arm and gracefully held the teacup in front of me. Then I turned the teacup back and forth to show it to him. ¡°This teacup is pretty, isn¡¯t it?¡± With just that gesture, Billy Gordon seemed to understand. CH 71 ¡°Which company sourced this teacup to the Imperial Palace?¡± At that, Billy Gordon growled, ¡°Count Spilet.¡± I widened my eyes at his call and said, ¡°Do you know? I¡¯m just asking because I really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°The Ilui must have delivered it,¡± Billy managed to grit out. I really had no idea. But I knew one thing¨Cthe commoner, Billy Gordon, managed to make deals to the mansions of high-ranking nobles. But there was one place, the biggest and most illustrious customer, the leader of all trends. A force that would never fade away unless the empire fell. He did not have a deal with the Imperial family. The Imperial family only dealt with companies directly operated or endorsed by the nobles. No matter how wealthy or vast his network was, Billy Gordon had yet to delve into it. It constantly bruised his ego. It was one reason that Gordon¡¯s company didn¡¯t become the best despite his excellent management skills. I took a sip of the tea before setting it down once more. His eyes were on the teacup I mentioned earlier. When I saw his fierce glare, I knew I was right. ¡°Ten billion gold. How about it?¡± Advertisements ¡°You¡¯re stingier than I thought, Mr. Billy Gordon.¡± ¡°Count Spilet, I¡¯m not a fool. I know you¡¯re not on good terms with your husband, the future Duke of Clifford.¡± That was true. But at this point, that fact wasn¡¯t effective ammunition against me. ¡°What does that mean? Are there any aristocratic couples who get along well?¡± ¡°Of course, but what is the reason Count Spilet would need three times the amount?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked into his eyes for a moment, then closed mine. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re not interested. I think I will have to prepare for the next interview.¡± This secret deal was spontaneous anyway. My priority was still to find an investor for the magic stone mine development. He had to know he might be missing out on something more important than just my debt and title. After all, I was the owner of the magic stone mine. Some might call this an abuse of power, but the twelve billion gold was nothing compared to the combined profits he would get from mining investments and those he would get from the Imperial family. Just as I was about to leave, Gordon hurriedly followed me and called me, ¡°Count Spilet!¡± I slowly turned my head to look at him. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Billy Gordon looked at me, holding his breath, and sighed. ¡°Twelve billion, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± I could barely hold back the corners of my lips trying to rise. I still had to listen to the rest of what he had to say. ¡°There are conditions, however.¡± Of course. It wasn¡¯t pleasant, but I decided to listen. ¡°I¡¯ll give you eight billion first.¡± ¡°What about the rest?¡± Billy Gordon looked nervous. It was inevitable. On my part, it didn¡¯t matter if he refused. I didn¡¯t involve the nobles in this deal because of their ungenerous nature and possibly loose lips that could spread rumors in social circles. It was annoying, but I could still partner with them if I had no other choice. Advertisements ¡°I also need some kind of safeguard. The remaining four billion will be given to you when it is connected to the purchasing decision of the Imperial family.¡± ¡°Mr. Gordon.¡± ¡°Count. While twelve billion is not a lot of money for me, it still accounts for 30% of the assets of my company. While I am the head, I need the consent of the rest to move this amount of money.¡± Hearing his urgent explanation, I nodded my head slightly. When he saw my small nod, he visibly relaxed, and it was evident that he was nervous that I would refuse. ¡°So, if you just let me meet, I¡¯ll give you four billion.¡± I pursed my lips and slowly sat back down on the chair. But who was in charge of Imperial purchases? I had no idea. But if the deal only entailed meeting Billy, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult. I¡¯ll just have to talk to Enoch and have them connect, so I accepted Billy¡¯s terms with ease. ¡°All right. But the contract itself is up to Billy Gordon. I¡¯m not going to get involved in any of the events.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± And so Billy Gordon and I signed the contract on the spot. I wrote the first investment contract to develop the magic stone mine, and on the other side, I also wrote one between Billy Gordon and me. It was completed by filling out two sheets, signing both sides, and stamping a seal between the two sheets of paper. And less than half a day after he left, the sealed envelope was delivered to me. The tightly wrapped envelope was made so that it couldn¡¯t be unlocked except by my magic stone bracelet. When I moved my bracelet and pointed to jewel to the envelope, the seal that had kept it tightly closed unlocked. When I saw what was inside the envelope, I burst out laughing. It was a promissory note issued in Mr. Gordon¡¯s name, the number¡¯ eight billion¡¯ written on it. I quickly put it back in the envelope and hid it in my arms. Then, a few days later, I asked Enoch to give me a little time because I had something to ask about Billy Gordon¡¯s request. ¡°It¡¯s almost dinner time, so let¡¯s talk about it over dinner inside.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Advertisements I thought it would be a restaurant inside the outer palace since it had many types of restaurants that served meals for the many people who worked. Most of the people in the outer palace had their meals there, or if they were too busy, they ordered food to be delivered to the office. I had been there a few days ago, so I knew where the restaurants were located. However, Enoch was heading in a completely different direction. ¡°Your Highness? Where are you going?¡± As I followed him around, the crowd gradually disappeared. It seemed we had come to a deeper part of the palace. When I could see no one except the knights patrolling the palace, a high fence and a large gate appeared. ¡°Your Highness, is this your palace?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why did we go here?¡± When the knights standing in front of the door saw the Crown Prince, they bowed their heads and opened the door. ¡°I wanted to have a proper meal at home. Can¡¯t you?¡± Contrary to his calm voice, there was anxiety in his eyes. But honestly, if he ordered me to go, I would follow him around without saying a word, no matter how I felt. Enoch was the person I needed the most right now. As I watched him fidget when he invited me, I felt something inside stir again. ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to eat properly because you¡¯ve been busy.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m alright, but can I enter this palace? I¡¯m just being cautious¡­¡± I told him my genuine feelings. Wasn¡¯t this a place only the Imperial family could enter? ¡°It¡¯s only natural for you to be my guest, isn¡¯t it?¡± Enoch said as he reached out his hand to escort me. I looked at his hand for a moment, then took it carefully. Then suddenly, my dark khaki skirt caught my eye. ¡°If you had told me in advance, I would have dressed properly¡­¡± As I muttered sadly, Enoch stopped walking and glanced at me. When our eyes met, I smiled. ¡°But I¡¯m still pretty, right?¡± Advertisements At my question, he broke eye contact and looked away. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Your Highness?¡± For some reason, Enoch¡¯s reaction was interesting, so I asked him one more time. Then he slowly nodded his head, looking at me carefully. It would have been better if Enoch had said, ¡®Yes, you are.¡¯ But when he answered like that, quiet yet sincere, it flustered me. ¡°Shall we? I¡¯m curious about the Imperial palace cuisine,¡± I urged to change the topic, and I saw his lips smiling implicitly. It became unclear who was making fun of whom. Since this was the inner palace where the Imperial family lived, the splendid decoration caught my eyes as we walked. Flowers blooming against the season welcomed those who came and went on each side, and elaborate sculptures that looked expensive were everywhere. ¡°These flowers must have bloomed by magic, right?¡± Enoch nodded lightly and explained, ¡°That¡¯s right, but these flowers aren¡¯t just for display. Each of them is a magic trap.¡± ¡°Wow, a magic trap?¡± ¡°This is my palace, so we had this to prevent intruders from entering.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± In order to keep the magic trap like that, one would need a significant amount of magic stones. As expected, the Imperial family¡¯s way of spending money was unlike anyone else. Especially considering that there were only two magic lamps in the Duke of Clifford¡¯s townhouse. ¡®No, it¡¯s strange. Just two?¡¯ The vague thought flashed through my mind, but I shook it off. Their estate management had nothing to do with me now. I wouldn¡¯t care if their magic stone was stolen. After following Enoch, we finally arrived at the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace. It was the palace where the heir-apparent resided. Before I came here, I thought the various palaces of the Imperial family were quite large, but it was nothing compared to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace. I was a ball of nerves when I stood in front of it, but I managed to calm myself and enter. CH 72 I should have changed my clothes too.¡¯ I thought it would be a simple meal, but a dinner setting was on the long table. Enoch and I sat at either end, and the attendants carried food and placed it on the plate in front of me. It was clear that the chefs of the Imperial Palace were excellent, and everything they brought was delicious enough to melt in my mouth. Enoch waited until I was somewhat full before speaking. ¡°Does it suit your taste?¡± ¡°Yes, the Imperial cuisine is different. The duchy is no match¡­ Ah, ahem, ahem. Yes, it¡¯s delicious. It would be really fun to eat something like this every day.¡± I wasn¡¯t a picky eater, but the food I ate when I came to this world was always the same. Occasionally, there were some delicious things, but I didn¡¯t feel like eating them all the time. It was the first time I had tasted this kind of food here. Enoch suddenly responded with a bright smile, ¡°You can eat it every day if the Count wishes it.¡± I wasn¡¯t a fool; I understood what he meant by that. Advertisements With an awkward smile, I pointed out the food I wanted to the attendant. It was really delicious. If someone saw me, they might think I didn¡¯t eat well. ¡°Well, Your Highness. I have something to tell you.¡± Enoch nodded lightly, and I continued, ¡°Actually, I made a promise to Billy Gordon a while ago when we signed the contract.¡± I hesitated if I could tell Enoch about the contract behind it, but in any case, Enoch helped me with my divorce, so he would probably also help and not interfere. ¡°I received money on the condition that I¡¯d open the door for his mercantile relationship with the Imperial family.¡± ¡°¡­Ah yes. That¡¯s right.¡± I thought he would be surprised if he heard it, but Enoch only hesitated for a bit before answering. It was a little strange, but I continued to explain. ¡°But he made a suggestion. He will get me two-thirds of the amount and will only give the rest on the condition that he will meet the person in charge of the Imperial Palace matters.¡± ¡°If it is the person in charge of the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°There must be a person in charge who decides on companies to use for Imperial Palace goods. I never promised he¡¯d get the deal, just that he could meet the person. Do you happen to know who¡­?¡± ¡°Um, that.¡± Enoch put his fork and knife aside, rubbing his chin for a moment, deep in thought. ¡°Is it a secret? Then¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Rather, it¡¯s because it¡¯s much higher than you think. Since a lot of interest is involved, it is directly related to the livelihood of the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°¡­Higher?¡± Of course. The items of the Imperial family were often quite expensive, and the amount of money used must be considerable. Advertisements ¡°Is it from the Ministry of Finance, perhaps?¡± ¡°No. The Ministry of Finance allocates a budget for the Imperial Palace, but is not involved in its use.¡± ¡°Then, who?¡± ¡°Since it involves the household matters of the Imperial Palace¡­¡± Enoch smiled meaningfully as he trailed off. I scoured for hints in his expression and words, and then a man came to mind. ¡°Her Majesty¡­ the Empress?¡± ¡°Um, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± I covered my mouth with my hand. What was I thinking when I told Billy Gordon I¡¯d pave the way for him? ¡°Once we sign a contract with a company, it stays there for quite some time. In addition, factors such as taste must be matched. So he sees and decides the contract.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ is that¡­ so.¡± I saw the four billion gold flying in front of my eyes. How would I even get Billy Gordon to meet His Majesty? ¡°I suppose it¡¯s impossible.¡± When I gave up with a sigh, a puzzled Enoch asked, ¡°Are you going to give up?¡± ¡°Then what should I do? Even I may not be able to meet Her Majesty the Empress right now¡­ He¡¯s a merchant¡­ Moreover, a commoner.¡± I somehow understood why Billy Gordon was unable to penetrate the Imperial Palace despite all his efforts. Enoch shrugged and pointed his finger at himself. ¡°The Count has me, doesn¡¯t she? Why not use me?¡± ¡°U-use Your Highness, the Crown Prince¡­¡± Advertisements Of course, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t think about it and I wouldn¡¯t use him¡­ But it¡¯s quite flustering that he mentioned it directly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can use me. Since I was born as the Crown prince, shouldn¡¯t I give you this kind of help?¡± He smiled. I licked my lips, pretending to think about it for a while, then spoke carefully, ¡°Would¡­ Would it be possible?¡± He told me to use him, but he didn¡¯t answer my questions easily. He looked around as if thinking about something, and answered slowly, ¡°I can get you to meet me, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to Her Majesty whether she¡¯ll see Billy Gordon or not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Her Majesty the Empress is a little¡­ She has a unique personality.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Even if Enoch could get me to meet her, it would still be difficult for me. I thought about it, and I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be able to speak properly because I¡¯d just freeze. Besides, he said that his mother had a unique personality, so why would he say something like that? ¡°I think it will take some time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not urgent. That person won¡¯t even notice.¡± I haven¡¯t said it yet, but Enoch seemed to have a guess on how much I was paid and what I was going to spend the money on. ¡°Did you talk to Billy Gordon separately?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well, it doesn¡¯t matter that you talked. Of course, you would.¡± More than that, I was curious if he had told my story. I was about to ask, but Enoch suddenly changed the subject. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to help you with an escort knight last time?¡± ¡°Ah, I did.¡± ¡°Would you prefer someone who might be an acquaintance¡­?¡± He had asked something that seemed so obvious, but I tilted my head and asked, ¡°¡­I guess? But do I know anyone who could do such a thing?¡± However, without answering my questions, Enoch frowned and muttered to himself, ¡°I see¡­ As expected.¡± Advertisements ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Let me check first.¡± ¡°Um, okay¡­¡± It seemed that Enoch was more concerned about that part than I thought. Honestly, I forgot about it even though I asked for it, perhaps because I had been staying in the palace all this time. In any case, I decided to leave that part to Enoch entirely. I was concerned about Her Majesty, and I was preoccupied with what I had to do right now. Once I get the eight billion, I wouldn¡¯t have to hesitate. I would have to file for divorce then. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡± A young, brown-haired man greeted Enoch bravely. Enoch nodded his head once and offered him a seat. The young man looked to his left and right awkwardly before sitting on the sofa. ¡°For what reason¡­ Did you call for me? Moreover, here¡­¡± This was the exclusive room for the VIPs on the side of the Imperial Library. There was a desk and chair for reading, some refreshments, and a sofa for socializing. If Enoch told him to meet at the Imperial Outer Palace, they might run into Erin, so he set the appointment place here. Enoch was a little annoyed when he told him to sit down. No, he thought he was annoyed since before that. He had been thinking about it all along. But this was the first person that came to mind when Erin mentioned the terms. He couldn¡¯t think of anyone else. And even if someone replaced him, it was impossible to know if the same thing would happen again because of Erin¡¯s beauty. ¡°Count Damon Rosen. I called for you because I had something to ask.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Please ask.¡± Damon¡¯s eyes twinkled, showing how young of a knight he was. When Enoch saw him at the hunting grounds last time, Damon¡¯s movements were light and his swordsmanship good. Advertisements ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get married?¡± Enoch himself was started by the question that came out of his mouth, but he pretended to keep his composure. He hadn¡¯t meant to ask such a question. Damon blinked, and answered after a while, ¡°Uh, yes. I have to, but since my parents aren¡¯t here, I think I can decide slowly.¡± Enoch didn¡¯t respond to his words. Count Rosen, much like Count Spilet, inherited his title at a young age because his parents had died. ¡°Hmm, I asked a silly question.¡± ¡°No, ah! Maybe the Crown Prince is going to arrange a marriage for me¡­?¡± ¡°No, no. I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± Enoch said, waving his hand in denial. He didn¡¯t want to leave any room for a relationship with this guy and Erin. So, Enoch hesitated. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for someone of the same status to serve as their escort, but it was rare. If a person had a title, he would usually go to war to make a contribution or join the Imperial Knights to secure a solid position. ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have an official position yet. Are you not going to go out to work?¡± ¡°Hmm, I am busy just managing the chaotic estate now¡­¡± ¡°You seem to hate the military.¡± When Enoch pointed it out, Damon answered with an awkward smile, ¡°Well, actually, there¡¯s that. I might not be suited for it.¡± ¡°I have an offer for you.¡± ¡°As I said before, the Imperial Knights¡­ The rules¡­ ¡± ¡°No, this is a private escort.¡± CH 73 Damon shut his mouth and tilted his head. Then, he answered, ¡°That¨CI, my parents died in an accident, and I¡¯m a little in need, but I haven¡¯t run out of money.¡± ¡°Right. Then I will understand that you are rejecting it.¡± Even though Enoch was rejected, he felt strangely happy. He knew the young knight misunderstood, but he never bothered to correct it. As Enoch was about to stand up after being so lightly rejected, Damon asked a crucial question. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Enoch slowly sat back down. ¡°Is it someone I know?¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± Enoch rested his elbows on the armrests of his sofa and covered his mouth, flustered. He chuckled inwardly, and eventually, he told the truth. ¡°It¡¯s Count Erin Spilet.¡± Damon¡¯s eyes widened, and his expression brightened. Seeing this, Enoch¡¯s mood worsened again. I sat, idly waving a quill in the air, at the tea table in my room. I didn¡¯t go to the office today. I had to deal with some important work on my own. The paper in front of me had the words ¡°Divorce Agreement¡± written. The content of the agreement itself was straightforward. All we had to do was agree to the divorce and sign it separately. But I didn¡¯t think Rupert would sign it happily just because I sent it his way. Anyway, I decided to write down a letter to explain things. While holding the quill up again, I hesitated as I tapped the paper. ¡®A letter is also a letter, but maybe I should return the money first. He paid back 4 billion gold for a year of marriage. If he used it as an excuse and held onto me, it would be a headache.¡¯ Rupert and I had been married for about four months, and in the meantime, nothing special happened. She thought a year was brief, but considering that she was married to that person, it wasn¡¯t short at all. ¡®Yes, 4 billion. It¡¯s not worth it.¡¯ The remaining eight months might not be that long, but it felt longer than eight years. ¡°Haa, divorce between nobles is complicated.¡± Even if it was a mutual decision, a formal procedure remained. The permission of the Imperial family was required; the consent of the High Court, too. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because they opposed the divorce because they were conservative. It was just a formality. ¡®It will be more complicated if it goes to court.¡¯ Please, please, please don¡¯t go there. How wonderful it would be if Rupert fell in love with Chloe and just divorced me. ¡°Huu, that¡¯s the way it was originally.¡± Except for Erin¡¯s death, why wouldn¡¯t Rupert think of abandoning me and getting married? Anyway, I put the quill on the table and stashed the still empty divorce agreement in the drawer by the bed. Then I went to the wooden cabinet in the corner of the room, opened the door, and bowed. When I put my magic stone on the lock, the door of the safe opened with a click¡ªwhat a convenient system. Inside the safe was the eight-billion note from Billy Gordon. I took the envelope in my hand and hid it deep inside my chest. The envelope was also sealed as before. Unless an assailant kidnapped and searched me, they wouldn¡¯t know what¡¯s in the chest of a noblewoman. Anyway, I had to convert this to cash now. I wore my coat over my dress. I was terrified because I had a large amount on me, so I tried to go there by myself quickly. Fortunately, there was a bank right across the road in front of the Imperial Palace, and it was within easy walking distance. Lia saw me leaving the door and followed quickly. ¡°Madam, where are you going?¡± ¡°Ah, Lia. Just going out for a moment.¡± For some reason, I couldn¡¯t be honest with her. ¡°Wait, where? Madam, please take at least one knight with you. I¡¯ll make a request to the Imperial Palace¡­¡± ¡°No, it takes time to put a request in. I¡¯m not on official duty, I¡¯m going somewhere really close.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, Madam.¡± When I still refused, Lia paused for a while and said she would accompany me. In the end, I had no choice but to take her with me. We passed through the gates of the outer palace and stepped out of the castle gates surrounded by high fences. It was still early in the morning, so the streets were quiet. I was about to go straight to the bank right across the street, but Lia suddenly pulled me from behind. And a carriage passed in front of me. If Lia didn¡¯t pull me back, I would have been hit by it. ¡°Madam! Please look before you cross.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Thank you.¡± I wanted to hurry, so I guess I rushed on without realizing it. I slowly looked left and right before crossing the wide road. Lia followed. ¡°Ah¡­ Mph!¡± When I was almost on the other side of the road, I heard a short scream. I looked back in surprise, but my vision was suddenly blocked, and I soon felt a great deal of drowsiness. I was knocked out then. Eventually, I regained consciousness. My vision was still dark, and I felt vibrations throughout my body. Perhaps I was inside a moving carriage. My hands and feet were tied, and my eyes blindfolded. ¡°¡­mph.¡± I tried to make a sound, but my mouth was also gagged with a cloth. I was in this situation, but I was more concerned about the envelope I had hidden in my chest. My eight billion, would it be stolen? I didn¡¯t expect my dream to come true. CH 74 ¡°Erin Spilet, you will write your will now, handing over the magic stone mine to your husband, Rupert, as soon as you return. And kill yourself on the spot.¡± I had already heard the same words over and over again, but nothing happened to me. I soon noticed that the smell they gave off was the burnt scent I smelled in the Duke¡¯s Castle. ¡®Black magic.¡¯ These were black magicians. As I heard earlier, they seemed to be casting brainwashing magic on me. Assuming they¡¯re definitely black wizards, it probably didn¡¯t work because I had a special ability to purify. What would they do with me if I didn¡¯t get brainwashed? The so-called King casting a spell on me muttered in annoyance, ¡°What the, why aren¡¯t you responding?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, milord? Just kill her. That way we can get the magic stone cave.¡± I was startled by the woman¡¯s words and almost hiccuped. Kill me? ¡°If we kill her now, things will get more complicated. Now that she¡¯s in the palace, if the Crown Prince finds out she¡¯s gone, he¡¯ll look for her soon.¡± Advertisements ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that the King¡¯s energy will be wasted for nothing¡­¡± Jjaak¨C. Suddenly, a shrill sound echoed through the warehouse. The King slapped the woman hard on the cheek. ¡°What the h*ll are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± The warehouse was already tense before, but now the atmosphere was arctic. Anyway, based on their exchange, I could really die. I had to think. How could I get out of here? ¡°Try one last time. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll have to find another way.¡± Again, a hand went up over my head. An eerie sensation pierced through me, forming a light headache. And then he ordered me to commit suicide after writing a will to hand over the magic stone mine. There was nothing I could do but play along with it. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I opened my eyes and answered weakly. Was this right? ¡°Oh, it seems to have worked.¡± I guess it worked. The person who was chanting exclaimed with joy. Then the man called King lowered his hand and sighed. ¡°Okay, good. It was a bit tricky, but I¡¯m glad I succeeded.¡± ¡°As expected, you are amazing.¡± ¡°As expected of a descendant of Samael, the king of demons!¡± Samael? As I tried to recall the name, I looked around a little more while maintaining my dazed look as much as possible. The King bowed his head and looked straight at me. He said, ¡°Tell me what I made you do.¡± It was a familiar voice. Green eyes slowly appeared in the darkness but disappeared again. ¡°¡­Magic stone mine¡­ Hand over to Rupert¡­ Kill myself¡­¡± I tried my best to act as if I wasn¡¯t myself. I was terrified that I couldn¡¯t fool them, but the King smiled and straightened. Advertisements ¡°Alright.¡± Really? That¡¯s all they¡¯re going to do to confirm it? Were these people this clumsy? ¡°The brainwashing seems to have been successful, but we¡¯ll see if it holds up. I¡¯d rather keep her a little longer.¡± ¡°Right.¡± One of them walked out the door, and the rest followed. Would no one keep watch inside? Well, it was a relief I didn¡¯t have to act anymore. ¡°Whew¡­¡± My blindfold was lifted, and I could see, but I still couldn¡¯t see Lia, who had been lying on one side. ¡°Li¡­a?¡± Tuk¨C. Then suddenly, the rope that bound my wrists broke, and my hands were freed. When I turned around, Lia stood there with a dagger in her hand. ¡°Lia!¡± ¡°Shh, Madam. We have to get out of here.¡± ¡°Yes, but I think they¡¯ll return soon and set me free. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay still?¡± Leah dragged her chair under the small window and lowered her voice, ¡°You¡¯re doing fine now, but they might tell you to bring some medication and swallow it soon to be safe. It makes the body die slowly, and it¡¯s used in conjunction with the brainwashing magic.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Lia, how do you know that?¡± ¡°¡­ I will tell you later.¡± Lia climbed up on the chair, opened the window, looked at me, and motioned for me to go up. ¡°It¡¯s not very high, I¡¯ll catch you from below, so go out there.¡± Advertisements I was flustered to see a very different Lia from the one I knew, but I decided to listen to her and get out of here for now. The window was on the small side, but it was big enough for a woman to barely get out. I got up on the chair, grabbed the window sill, and pushed myself out. ¡°L-Lia¡­! Is the sea down there?¡± We seemed to be in a building at the end of the coastline. ¡°Yes! Jump!¡± Leah grabbed my feet as they floated in the air and pushed me up. ¡°Lia, how about you!¡± ¡°I can go out alone!¡± When I was fully on the window sill, I took a deep breath and looked around. Then I saw a man riding a horse over the hill. I immediately knew who he was. ¡°¡­Rupert?¡± The moment I saw him, the scene I had seen and heard a while ago made sense. The female voice I heard must have been Chloe. And at that moment, I threw myself into the sea without hesitation. I thought Rupert might have nothing to do with this, but I was mistaken. Well, it didn¡¯t matter. Splash¨C. I thought I would faint at the shock of the cold seawater, but somehow I swam and came to the surface. ¡°Haa, haa, Lia¡­!¡± I turned around to see a beach nearby. As soon as I saw Lia jump, I swam desperately towards the beach. Then, without even thinking about whether I could swim or not, I instinctively floundered and moved forward. When I was almost at the shore, my vision darkened. I swam with all my might with Erin¡¯s weak body, and all my strength was gone. I gritted my teeth and crawled, and when I reached a certain point, I collapsed. Then, a moment later, I lost consciousness. Chloe and Prince Breiman sat on the terrace on the villa¡¯s first floor by the seafront, relaxing and drinking tea. As they watched Rupert dismount his horse, Chloe waved her hand and shouted, ¡°Rupert! Over here!¡± Breiman smiled brightly as he glanced at him. ¡°Long time no see, Rupert.¡± Advertisements ¡°Hello, Your Highness,¡± Rupert greeted him lightly and looked at Chloe. ¡°You said you were going to the capital first, but you¡¯re here? Why did you call me here?¡± Chloe stood up, intertwined her arm with his, and said in a charming voice, ¡°Because I missed you, Rupert.¡± ¡°¡­I have a lot of work to do.¡± Rupert pulled away his arm and glanced at Prince Breiman, who then pulled the chair next to him to make him sit. ¡°I called you, Rupert. Come sit over here.¡± At Briman¡¯s friendly smile, Rupert sat with a frown on his face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I was saddened to hear of your father, Duke Clifford¡¯s passing. But now that you¡¯ve become Duke, congratulations.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rupert looked like he had a lot to say but kept his mouth shut. Chloe poured tea into his cup, the dark liquid exuding a fragrant scent. It was the tea Chloe often made for Rupert. Rupert silently took the cup and placed it in his mouth. Breiman and Chloe stared at the scene. ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Prince Breiman coughed and said something out of the ordinary. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve met often.¡± Breiman would often call out Rupert with excuses of one kind or another. He talked briefly about personal security and asked about strategic tactics and aristocratic trends. Then, he suddenly revealed his inferiority complex towards Prince Enoch. Rupert wondered why at first, but he related and felt strangely sympathetic whenever Prince Breiman expressed his dislike for Enoch. So he agreed to his invitation. Of course, it was also because of Chloe¡¯s request. Advertisements Still, he didn¡¯t know why the Prince called for him this time. However, he was the heir to the Clifford family, and their family supported the Crown Prince. He had his doubts about what to do. Chloe started the conversation on behalf of Rupert, who remained silent. ¡°Prince Breiman saved me from a crisis. He¡¯s like a lifesaver.¡± ¡°¡­So I¡¯ve heard.¡± It would be disappointing if he tried to appeal to Rupert through his relationship with Chloe. Just because Rupert¡¯s predecessor, Duke Clifford, died, didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t have thoughts about it. But he must refuse unless there was a reasonable cause and method. Otherwise, he would walk down the path of downfall with them. In addition, Erin Spilet was on his mind. The Spilets, along with the Cliffords, supported the Crown Prince. Now that his relationship with her was not what it used to be, what would Erin¡¯s reaction be if she found out he had betrayed the Crown Prince? Would she resent him? That was what bothered Rupert the most. Even though he hated Enoch, who was close with Erin, with every fiber of his being, he feared Erin¡¯s accusations and disregard even more. At Rupert¡¯s lukewarm reaction, Prince Breiman finally spoke in a serious tone. ¡°I won¡¯t say it again, Duke Rupert Clifford. I want you to help me.¡± And the Prince silently extended his hand to grasp Rupert¡¯s. CH 75 Rupert looked at their intertwined hands and pulled away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by asking me for help.¡± Chloe tugged on Rupert¡¯s sleeve and smiled awkwardly, her attitude stiffer than expected. ¡°Rupert¡­ His Highness is making a good offer for you too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s good for me? Becoming traitors together?¡± Taken aback by Rupert¡¯s straightforward comment, Chloe hurriedly removed her hand. Prince Breiman¡¯s lips trembled slightly, but he continued smiling as he glanced at Chloe. Chloe couldn¡¯t even look into Prince Breiman¡¯s eyes, and her fingertips trembled. Compared to them, Rupert had nothing to regret. Although he felt inferior to Prince Enoch and jealous, but that was it. Rupert was not young enough to change course only with his personal feelings. Advertisements So he¡¯s been doing work through Chloe for a long time.* ¡°You¡¯ve been wanting to break free for a long time, that blood oath.¡± Rupert¡¯s eyes widened at Breiman¡¯s remark. The Prince didn¡¯t miss that opportunity and continued, ¡°Well, until when will that bond continue? As a member of the Imperial Family, I am truly sorry. What else would it be if it wasn¡¯t a curse with loyalty as collateral?¡± ¡°So, are you saying that Your Highness will release it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Rupert narrowed his eyes at him and asked, ¡°How are you going to break that bond? I tried to look for ways, but there was no way to solve it with divine power or magic.¡± ¡°I have a way. But I can¡¯t tell you until you tell me you¡¯re cooperating.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lost in thought, Rupert was silent for a moment. In the meantime, Chloe and Breiman eyed each other. ¡°Of course, if the revolution succeeds, I will preserve your position and territory without such restraints. Not only that, your status as a top official will be guaranteed forever.¡± ¡°Are there any chances of success?¡± ¡°If you help.¡± Rupert was definitely a critical asset. The number of soldiers in the duchy was enormous, and many subordinates in the army followed him. And since Duke Clifford¡¯s status was not low in the social world, Breiman obtaining him was no different than gaining thousands and thousands of horses. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to give an answer right now.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. This is very important. Think about it well.¡± Rupert shook his head and rose from his seat. Chloe got up to follow him and asked, ¡°Rupert, where are you going?¡± ¡°Where else? My home.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Advertisements As Chloe hesitated, Rupert stared at her for a moment before answering in a low voice, ¡°And Count Andron¡¯s house is yours.¡± As Chloe¡¯s orange eyes twinkled with tears at his curt answer, Rupert hesitated and stroked Chloe¡¯s head affectionately. ¡°Sorry, I have a lot of work to do. I¡¯ll pick you up soon.¡± ¡°Ah, no. Rupert, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Chloe saw him off with her characteristic smile. ¡°See you later.¡± Rupert saluted, got on his horse, and left. ¡®Prince Breiman.¡¯ He was no fool. The Prince was smart, quick-witted, and also very patient. He also had moderate magical abilities and knew how to handle nobles. However¡­ ¡®Can you really win?¡¯ When he thought of Enoch as his opponent, Rupert thought the other Prince had no chance of winning. His formidable magic skills, solid judgment, and his signature relaxed attitude and charisma that appealed to the audience. Breiman wasn¡¯t a bad prince, but he didn¡¯t look like he could be a match for the Crown Prince either. And it wasn¡¯t just because of their magical abilities. And the thought of betraying Enoch made the corner of his head throb, a contrast to his feelings. Advertisements ¡®Is this because of the bond from the blood oath?¡¯ Rupert continued to speed off. As he did, he suddenly spotted the beach. He kept feeling like he was missing something important. To shake off the feeling, Rupert accelerated even more. He couldn¡¯t stand the heavy feeling pressing on his chest. After Rupert left, Chloe looked where he had gone for a long time. Then, as she turned to the presence behind her, she felt a stinging pain on her cheek. Chloe hurriedly lowered her head, cradling one side of her warm face. ¡°Why is he still so distant?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s because his energy is so clear and pure.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been working on it for years, but this is the only thing you can show for it?¡± ¡°But since he¡¯s been constantly ingesting the drug, the reaction¡­ He will have it.¡± Her explanation didn¡¯t appease Breiman¡¯s anger. He hissed, ¡°If Rupert is still like that by the due date, I have no choice but to summon that body as a medium.¡± ¡°¡­King, please.¡± In desperation, Chloe clung to Breiman¡¯s robe, but he shook her off without hesitation. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be better for you, too? It seems that he still has feelings for that woman.¡± Chloe bit her lower lip without saying a word, and he lifted her chin as he looked down at her. ¡°Come to think of it, your energy is at its lowest again. Now, make your choice¨C your lord or your lover.¡± Chloe looked up at Breiman, her face pale, then she lowered her gaze and bent low on the floor. ¡°¡­Of course, the King comes first. However¡­ Rupert¡­¡± ¡°Oh, not now. I don¡¯t want to take any risks either.¡± Then, Breiman left Chloe like that and headed back to the warehouse where Erin was imprisoned. With a smirk, he fiddled with the vial in his pocket. ¡°There won¡¯t be a problem with this.¡± *¡±Yes, not even a single rat came over here.¡± Advertisements But as soon as the guard opened the door, Breiman¡¯s angry voice rang out. Chloe felt the blood drain from her face as she sat and listened. And soon, the black magic stone on her bracelet shattered and scattered on the floor. The magic stone has reached its limit. Squawk, squawk¨C. The sound of seagulls whirled past my ears from a very close distance. Then, as soon as I felt a cold touch on my cheek, I jumped up and looked around. ¡°Ah¡­¡± I was on the beach. On the other side of the sea, I could see the warehouse on the cliff I had escaped earlier. Looking at it now, the cliff wasn¡¯t very high. It would probably have been difficult to survive if it had been taller. Anyway, it blew my mind when I saw it. ¡®They must have noticed I¡¯m gone, so they¡¯ll start looking for me soon.¡¯ And Lia, who had been lying near me, stood up and looked around as if she had just regained consciousness. ¡°Lia¡­!¡± Lia jumped up and ran to me, and I got up. ¡°Ah, it stings.¡± When I suddenly felt a tingling sensation under my feet, I lifted them to see bright red blood oozing from the soles of my feet. Did I step on a seashell? I looked where I had stepped and saw a black, shiny piece. ¡°Madam!¡± Lia came and supported me. I responded roughly to her and slowly lifted the piece from the floor. The black and dark sculptures were engraved with small initials. And besides that, I could see a lot of black glass pieces scattered around. ¡°Lia, what is this?¡± Leah looked closely at what I had in my hand and answered, ¡°This is a magic stone. It appears to have been used in black magic and has reached the end of its life.¡± ¡°Then, all of these¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but be astonished to see the countless pieces of magic stone scattered on the ground. Not only were they spread around me, but when I looked over, black fragments washed up by the waves formed a mountain. ¡°Lia, do you need a lot of magic stones for black magic?¡± ¡°Yes, because people who don¡¯t have magical powers are forced to make use of them.¡± After hearing that, I now understood more clearly¨Cthose people in black robes didn¡¯t just want the magic stone mine for the money. It was a necessary medium to continue to maintain black magic. So what were these initials? I leaned back and looked at the other pieces. Most of them were blank, but a few had engravings. I picked up several of them. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Lia picked up one of the sharp pieces and ripped the hem of her wet skirt. She then tore it apart with her hand and wrapped it around my feet. Advertisements ¡°It¡¯s not very good because it¡¯s wet. I¡¯ll have to treat your wound as soon as possible.¡± With the leftover cloth, she wrapped the pieces I was holding into a bundle. I stared at her as she worked, and quietly said, ¡°Lia.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lia bowed her head silently at my call. ¡°Who are you? You said you were a maid with experience working in the Imperial Palace. Is that really all?¡± ¡°Madam, I¡­¡± Lia avoided my gaze as she hesitated. ¡°So, you¡¯re not mine?¡± ¡°I am!¡± ¡°Tell me then.¡± Then there was a sound from afar. As soon as Enoch, who had been riding his horse, found me, he jumped off the spot. And he flew like the wind and stood before me. CH 76 ¡°Count!¡± Lia saw the approaching prince and hurriedly bowed her head more deeply. I had a strange feeling when I saw her act like that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m late.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not something you should be sorry for. It was all my fault.¡± Strangely, my words came out coldly. Enoch didn¡¯t seem to care what I said because when he saw my injured foot, he immediately knelt down and inspected it. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll have to treat your injury first.¡± ¡°¡­Wait a moment, Your Highness.¡± My heart softened at his restlessness, but I had to clarify things. ¡°Your Highness, do you know Lia?¡± Then Enoch glanced at Lia with a puzzled look. Lia looked at Enoch and immediately lowered her head. That was enough of an answer. ¡°Haa¡­ Let¡¯s go first.¡± ¡°The carriage will be coming.¡± When I saw Enoch stand and reach out his hand to me, I turned away from him and limped forward. Lia quickly followed and caught me, and I reluctantly let her assist me. Advertisements I thought Enoch would come after me, but he stood still. Finally, after taking a few steps, I turned back and said, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Enoch showed his palm and looked far away. I stared at where he was looking. It was the cliff I fell from. There, men in black robes looked like they were searching for me. In the distance, somehow, I felt as if my eyes met one of them. And at that moment, something black shot and flew. Without even stepping backward in surprise, Enoch created a wind, stopped it, and snatched it with his hand. When Enoch opened his hand again, a gooey liquid came out. After that, when I turned towards the cliff again, the men in black robes had already disappeared. ¡°W-what is it? What flew?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the blood of a demon. Throw away your bracelet.¡± As soon as he said that, I took off my bracelet and threw it into the sea. I didn¡¯t even ask why. Enoch bent down and washed his hands with the seawater, then strode over to support me. Then, probably thinking he was taking too long, he suddenly asked for my understanding. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I didn¡¯t blame him for holding me up. I had more questions about Lia, but now wasn¡¯t the time. If it weren¡¯t for Enoch, I would have been hit by that flying object. ¡°Did they also put magic on the bracelet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you get it.¡± As Enoch walked, another group of men in black appeared with a carriage from when he had emerged earlier. Instead of robes, these men wore masks. They wore the same clothes as the people I met when I was attacked on the way to the bookstore. When they saw Enoch, they saluted lightly. ¡°It¡¯s probably empty by now. But go and search thoroughly.¡± Advertisements ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± And the only one among them who didn¡¯t wear a mask approached Enoch and me. ¡°¡­You are.¡± When I looked closely, he seemed familiar. A little taller and more mature. What was your name again? ¡°Count Damon Rosen.¡± ¡°Oh, you remember, Lady!¡± ¡°Hurry up.¡± Enoch spoke to him in a harsh voice I had never heard before. Damon opened the carriage door, and Enoch hurried in and sat me in the seat next to him. Once Damon sat across from us, the carriage set off. ¡°What about Lia?¡± ¡°She rode in the back.¡± I had something to ask about her, but Damon interrupted. ¡°Lady, it¡¯s been a long time. You don¡¯t know how relieved I was to know you¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. But what are you doing here?¡± I looked at Enoch and Damon. However, Enoch didn¡¯t say anything, a sullen expression on his face. Why was he like that? ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been looking for a personal escort knight.¡± ¡°Oh, I was,¡± I answered, and looked at him blankly. Was he saying he¡¯d do it? ¡°How about me? I have quite good swordsmanship skills, and I have enough stamina to carry you and run¡­¡± Damon showed off his skills and moved his body closer to me. Then, suddenly, Enoch stretched out his arm in front of me and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit up straight?¡± Advertisements ¡°Ah, yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Damon sat back. Still looking displeased, Enoch crossed his arms, lifted his finger, then looked back to the window. I also had something to ask him¨Cwhy did he look so dissatisfied? Anyway, I started talking to Damon again. ¡°Are you really going to be my escort?¡± ¡°Yes, well. You don¡¯t need to compensate me as long as you feed me.¡± My head tilted at his words. Beside me, Enoch¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°No, of course, I should. But can Count Rosen be just my escort?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not doing this for money.¡± ¡°Well, of course. Whatever the reason, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could take over. But I¡¯ll pay you.¡± Damon considered something seriously and sighed as if he had made up his mind. He said, ¡°Hmm, all I want to do is escort the Lady¡­ Ack!¡° Suddenly, Damon¡¯s body shook violently as if the wheels of the carriage rattled, and he banged his head against the ceiling. Strangely, Enoch and I weren¡¯t affected. Did the carriage wheel get caught in stone? But could only one side vibrate? Anyway, I thought Damon would work fine as my personal escort. Enoch had chosen a very suitable person. ¡°Please take care of me from now on.¡± I reached out my hand lightly, and Damon looked at my hand, his face wistful, before taking it. But did Damon know who captured me earlier and followed me? Could a swordsman deal with a black magician? Advertisements ¡°By the way, Lady, that could have been a real disaster. Black magicians, they¡¯re trash. Things that aren¡¯t even strong are despicable.¡± ¡°Right. Do you have any difficulties dealing with them?¡± ¡°Hmm, because the swordsmen develop some resistance to such impurities during the training process¡­¡± He trailed off for a moment, then continued, ¡°Still, it will take some preparation to handle them properly. They¡¯re no rookies.¡± So he wasn¡¯t mindless. I was satisfied with his attitude that he would really escort me properly. ¡°Can you give me some time? I think I need to do some tidying up and go to the temple to get some help.¡± ¡°Please. How long will it take?¡± ¡°I think a day or three would suffice.¡± That¡¯s how I made an agreement with Damon. But, as the conversation went on, Enoch remained silent. That¡¯s why I ended up watching him instead. Soon, Damon got off halfway, and when it was just the two of us, I finally said what I wanted. ¡°Your Highness, the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± Before entering the capital, Enoch answered but suddenly knocked on the car and brought the carriage to a halt. By now, it was getting quite dark. ¡°Why are you stopping all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You have to heal your wounds. You¡¯ll be busy again when you enter.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I had forgotten about the pain. Enoch got out of the carriage, and Lia got some clean bandages and herbal extracts from somewhere, put them on my feet, and bandaged them. It was then that I felt my throbbing feet. Enoch didn¡¯t even look my way. What¡¯s wrong with him? It wasn¡¯t even courtesy in this land, and it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if he could see my feet. As I stared at the two, I felt even more troubled. The carriage door was open. Lia and Enoch would both hear my words. ¡°Now, tell me. What is the relationship between the two of you? and why does my maid, Lia, seem to be acquainted with Your Highness?¡± I could even hear Lia¡¯s breathing. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Enoch slowly turned his head to look at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m a bit confused.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Advertisements ¡°It¡¯s just, I¡¯m a little upset,¡± Enoch said, looking colder than usual. It was awkward with his unusual attitude, but I still needed answers. ¡°At me?¡± Lia got off the carriage, and Enoch got on again. The two didn¡¯t ride in the same carriage, clearly showing their hierarchical relationship. Enoch smiled faintly, shaking his head. Fortunately, it was the usual Enoch again. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Then tell me. Lia is the maid I chose. But I guess it wasn¡¯t like that.¡± Enoch clasped his hands together and briefly stared at the Lia outside. After following his gaze, I continued, ¡°I thought her experience working in the Imperial Palace would be helpful to me. I should have noticed then. Is Lia a person sent by Your Highness?¡± Enoch slowly turned to look at me, a slight hesitation in his emerald eyes. But soon, he looked straight at me and nodded slowly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I sent her to you.¡± ¡°Why did you do that? You could have just given an honest recommendation. Like Damon now.¡± ¡°My purpose for sending Lia to the Count¡­ was to monitor and protect you.¡± As Enoch said so, he covered his face as if he was in agony. Monitor? Enoch had me watched? When I heard the word ¡®monitor¡¯, I undoubtedly felt displeased. I didn¡¯t think that the kindness or consideration that Enoch had shown was so pure. Even so, monitor? I bit my lower lip for a moment and swallowed hard to keep the harsh words from coming out. CH 77 The air in the carriage grew heavy. What should I say first? ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me. Well, you¡¯ve said that before.¡± ¡°Count.¡± ¡°Is it still the same? Do you still have no faith in me?¡± Enoch enthusiastically shook his head. I had no intention of blaming him for not believing me. But sadly, it was true. I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d had people attached to me. I took a deep breath and exhaled to calm down. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Count, let me explain.¡± I stared at Enoch with expressionless eyes. Lia came to me right after Enoch¡¯s confession at the ball and just before the hunting contest. I knew it¡¯s still a difficult time to believe in me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain it to me. I understand.¡± Advertisements However, it was hard for me to accept that he had planted a person who was able to convey my feelings and watch over me at the same time.* ¡°Not now, Count.¡± ¡°But even after that, you didn¡¯t tell me that Lia was your person.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± While Enoch stumbled with his words, unable to explain, I cut him off. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t mean to blame you. But now that I know, it¡¯s hard to keep Lia by my side.¡± ¡°No, Count. Lia is now your person.¡± ¡°Madam¡­!¡± Lia, who had stood and listened like a sinner outside the carriage, suddenly fell to her knees on the floor. ¡°No, Count Spillet.¡± Lia changed the way she addressed me and fell flat on the floor. ¡°It is true that I first went to you under the orders of the Crown Prince. But I later told His Highness that I would live as your person. His Highness agreed, and no report was made after that. Truly,¡± Lia hurriedly explained. I stared at her, then turned to Enoch, who lightly nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s true. I haven¡¯t spoken to Lia since the hunting competition.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± There was no way to confirm what they said, but I didn¡¯t think they were lying. But I still felt unresolved because I was more disappointed in Enoch than in Lia. I¡¯ve had similar feelings before. I think I calmed down quickly then, but not this time. What was the difference between then and now? The situation hadn¡¯t changed. Maybe my feelings did. Advertisements ¡°So, Count. Please don¡¯t abandon me. I want to live with the Count.¡± Conflicted, I looked at her then at Enoch, who looked at me with eager eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Count. Let me explain.¡± His serious voice shook my heart. Should I just let it go? After all, Enoch had helped me a lot. However, apart from being grateful for the help, this was a matter of trust. In a nutshell, I was blindsided. What if Enoch didn¡¯t like me? What if our relationship didn¡¯t get any better? Was putting someone to keep tabs on me worth it? ¡°¡­Right now, I don¡¯t want to hear it. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Suddenly, I felt exhausted. Fatigue flooded my whole body to the point that the aftereffects of being kidnapped appeared belatedly. I really didn¡¯t want to hear them now. I knew, too. Whatever their initial intentions, I knew it wasn¡¯t with malice. But it was hard to move on from it. ¡°Count.¡± ¡°Really, let¡¯s go home. I know what you mean.¡± ¡°Then I¡­¡± Lia stood awkwardly and looked at me, and I glanced at her and answered, ¡°Let¡¯s talk later.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Advertisements Lia bent deeply and returned to her seat behind the carriage. The carriage departed as soon as Enoch closed the door, and he glanced at my complexion. He seemed to have a lot to say, but he didn¡¯t say anything further because I was completely exhausted. When Enoch appeared in the unknown basement, Viscount Therien and his men went down on their knees. ¡°Your Highness, I have searched the place you mentioned.¡± ¡°Okay. Is this all you found?¡± Enoch looked at the things lying on the floor¨C a unused piece of magic stone of a transparent color, several small bottles containing the blood of a monster, a talisman with intricate patterns, and a corpse. ¡°Yes. They seemed to have left in a hurry, so they left quite a bit. But it didn¡¯t seem like they were staying there in the first place. It didn¡¯t look lived in.¡± ¡°Who is this?¡± Enoch asked, nudging the corpse indifferently with his foot. ¡°One of them, who failed to escape, fainted as soon as he saw us and died on the spot.¡± Enoch clicked his tongue and turned over the body with his feet to see a face that had turned purple and lips that had turned black. ¡°He¡¯s not a magician. Is he just a brainwashed errand boy?¡± ¡°Yes. I checked, but this guy didn¡¯t even have a magic stone bracelet.¡± Enoch shook his head and handed the package he was holding in his hand. ¡°May I ask what this is?¡± ¡°This is the magic stone that Count Spilet brought from the beach there.¡± Advertisements Viscount Terrien opened the package. Inside were pieces of magic stone that had turned black. ¡°She picked it up on the beach.¡± In the dark basement, a single magic lamp illuminated the room. Enoch picked up a piece from the package and stared at it by the light. ¡°Even if normal magic stones are used up, they only lose their unique light, but they don¡¯t turn black like this. This is proof of black magic. They must have wanted to hide that he used black magic.¡± Viscount Therien nodded and shared his guess. ¡°Perhaps they had no way to dispose of the used magic stones, so they dumped them all into the sea. Some of the wreckage must have washed up on the beach.¡± The broken pieced that Enoch held looked worn out. However, only the initials engraved on it were recognizable. ¡°Your Highness, this is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very good harvest. All this while, I felt like I was scouring the ground, searching for evidence the whole time. I thought it would be somewhere not too far away, but¡­ The Count brought me an unexpected gift.¡± Enoch smirked, his eyes gleaming coldly in the dark. The next afternoon, I sat back and started working on the divorce agreement. I flicked the quill and filled in the blanks without a hitch. ¡®Family Relations¡­ Should I write Not Applicable?¡¯ I knew Erin had a stepmother and half-brother but decided not to bother, as it seemed they didn¡¯t want to be involved with her. I had heard that she also had close relatives, but after the former Count got buried in debt, they, too, seemed to have cut ties with her. ¡°It¡¯s a tough world,¡± I muttered to myself, and pulled out a check from the safe. Fortunately, the bill I had put in my chest yesterday remained unharmed. At that time, I was worried it might get wet while falling into the sea, but not even a drop of water soaked it because it was sealed with magic. It was a small thing, but once again, magic was amazing. So, as soon as I woke up today, I went to the bank again. Since I couldn¡¯t wait for Damon to come, I hired the knights of the Imperial Palace as my escort. Anyway, it was a temporary arrangement, but the request was easily approved under the guise of doing national work. Advertisements Whether rumors or not started because of it, I thought safety was the best after going through such a thing. So I went to the bank with escorts and changed the bill into a check. For now, I had four checks worth a billion each. I put the divorce agreement and four checks in an envelope and closed it with a seal. I wrote the recipient as ¡°Duke Rupert Clifford.¡± The small letters shone brightly and then disappeared. Even though it seemed impossible to see who it was going to, the post office would ensure that no one could open it except Rupert. After making all the preparations, I rang the bell on the table. Then, Lia ran up to me and bowed her head. After returning yesterday, I didn¡¯t say a word to Lia, who was beside me. When we came back, I slept immediately, so we didn¡¯t have time to talk. ¡°Madam¡­ No, Count.¡± I tapped my fingers subconsciously. Standing in front of me now, Lia looked sincere. But I never doubted her before I found out the truth. ¡°So, who¡¯s person are you now, Lia?¡± Lia bowed even deeper and knelt in front of me. ¡°Yours, of course, Count.¡± ¡°Good, then¡­ What did you tell the Crown Prince before?¡± She hesitated at my question and didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°Lia.¡± ¡°Honestly¡­ Can I say this?¡± Why on earth did she have such a reaction? Did Enoch really doubt me that much? ¡°That, I¡­¡± Lia¡¯s hesitation frustrated me, so I urged her again, ¡°Come on, tell me.¡± ¡°What time do you get up in the morning, what you prefer for breakfast, what color you like, what kind of tea you like¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± As she continued, my face felt incredibly warm. And Lia also glanced at me with a red face and lowered her head as if to hide her smile. CH 78 I tried to maintain a calm expression as I handed the envelope on the table to Lia. ¡°Take this to the post office. You have to go right away, without talking to anyone.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± After that, I turned around and told Lia, ¡°It will take time to rebuild broken trust.¡± After hearing my words, Leah stopped in her tracks. I continued, ¡°It¡¯s up to you to endure that time, Lia.¡± Lia turned without a word, bowed to me, and left. The post office was in the outer palace of the imperial palace, just below the building where I was. Shortly after letting her go, I figured I should meet Enoch, too. So, I followed after Lia. Advertisements I turned the corner and saw Enoch coming from the other side of the hallway and Lia going from this side. I hid behind the corner wall and quietly watched what they did. As their distance grew closer, Enoch seemed to glance at the mail in Lia¡¯s hand. Lia paused, bowed slightly to him, and continued on her way. ¡°¡­Huu,¡± I sighed in relief, then felt surprised. Why was I nervous? Then, our eyes met. As I watched his eyes draw into arcs, I clicked my tongue. I think I¡¯ve been caught peeking. And the moment I saw his smiling face, I realized there wasn¡¯t enough time to put a wall around my heart. It was a disaster. ¡°Count, would you like to come out?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re quite late today.¡± ¡°I had business outside the castle, but I¡¯m here now. Where are you going, Count?¡± ¡°I,¡± I stretched out one of my fingers and gently pointed towards Enoch¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m here to see you.¡± Then Enoch walked ahead and led me to the empty conference room next to the office. That¡¯s when I noticed that Enoch was carrying a fairly large paper bag in one hand. It seemed to contain a square box inside. ¡°I saw Rupert there that day.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± he said, putting the bag on the desk and pulling out a chair for me to sit. I glanced at him when I heard his calm voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± ¡°She must have been there, Chloe, so it shouldn¡¯t be surprising.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Chloe was there, too. So did Rupert come there knowing I was kidnapped?¡± I sat down, and Enoch pulled out the chair next to me and sat facing me. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Advertisements He dismissed Rupert¡¯s topic with a simple answer, as if he was uncomfortable with it. Well, I¡¯d have nothing to do with him once we divorced. It didn¡¯t matter to me whether Rupert knew or not. But for Enoch, it might be important. Was that why he looked gloomy? As I stared at him, I remembered what Lia had just told me in the previous room. I pushed my chair back a little bit when I realized we were close enough that our knees almost touched. No matter how much I thought about it, it was strange that he had monitored me to know the answers to those questions. Enoch¡¯s graceful fingers tapped the table. Then, looking at it as if possessed, I said, ¡°You said you would explain it to me.¡± As soon as I spoke, Enoch¡¯s fingers stopped. I looked up to meet his eyes, and waited. Soon, his earnest voice resounded in the quiet conference room. ¡°Count, I am the Imperial Crown Prince and the one who will become Emperor.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Two people in this generation can use magic. This is unprecedented in the history of the Imperial family. Fortunately, I showed my abilities right after I was born and became the Crown Prince, but I cannot guarantee what will happen in the future.¡± Advertisements I blinked and looked at him. I had read about his story in the novel and had known the circumstances when I came here. I thought Enoch was a little wary about it, but I didn¡¯t know he was genuinely concerned. Because the Enoch I saw was the perfect Prince. On the other hand, while I¡¯d only seen him for a while, wasn¡¯t Breiman too lacking? Was that why you reacted the way you did when we talked about Rupert? ¡°From anyone¡¯s point of view, Your Highness is worthy to be the Crown Prince. Can you overcome that position with your magical powers alone?¡± ¡°Thank you. But on the contrary, it also acts as a weakness,¡± Enoch smiled bitterly, got up from his seat, and walked to the window. I remained seated and listened to his story. ¡°The Crown Prince is the second symbol of the Empire after the Emperor. The range of movement is narrow. There are times when I have to say something different from what I think. Also, even the people around me.¡± Enoch looked back. The moment our eyes met, his gaze became cold. ¡°I think about their usefulness instead of my feelings. There¡¯s no exception.¡±* The cold gaze lasted only for a moment. Then, he smiled softly again and looked at me. It was an astonishing change in expression. ¡°The nobles see the perfect Prince in me, but because of that, they feel distant. But I can¡¯t even lower myself to instill intimacy with them. Do you understand what I am saying?¡± Advertisements I got up and walked to him. ¡°So, you put me under surveillance for fear that I might be on Prince Breiman¡¯s side?¡± ¡°¡­At first, yes. Also, even if you didn¡¯t intend to, exposure to black magic or brainwashing could lead to other behaviors.¡± As I listened to his explanation, I became even more suspicious. ¡°I know what you mean. But why did you ask for those things¡­¡± I blurted out, and Enoch looked away. ¡°Does what I eat for breakfast have anything to do with black magic? What time do I wake up? I tend to sleep a lot in the morning. My favorite colors are pink and blue.¡± If you put it in a positive light, those are questions they¡¯d ask if they were interested in a woman. In a negative light, it¡¯s stalker-ish. It didn¡¯t feel too bad to see his face flush red, though. ¡°So, how did you come to trust me?¡± ¡°I was convinced by watching closely and seeing the Count who fell in the cave during the hunting competition.¡± He still looked flushed, but he stared at me with a straight gaze, my reflection visible in his emerald green eyes. As I looked at him, a slight heat also rose on my face. ¡°Okay, then, Your Highness. Do you have anything else to hide?¡± I didn¡¯t miss it when his thin, red lips smiled. As the sun went down, the image of Enoch bathed in the red sunset was beautiful. His shiny black hair shimmered, reflecting the red light. It was so mesmerizing that I almost reached out to him. ¡°I do.¡± Fortunately, I came to my senses at his answer. I sighed and asked, ¡°Huu, what else?¡± Enoch walked to the table, took out a box from the paper bag he had brought, and opened the lid when I got closer. Inside was a pair of shoes. Advertisements They seemed familiar. I glanced at the shoes and looked at Enoch¡¯s face. He seemed a little puzzled as he stared back at me. ¡°Would you like to know?¡± At first glance, the shoes looked plain, but it was a really beautiful pair. ¡°Hmmm. So¡­ Why these shoes?¡± I answered his question with another question. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at the shoes again. Hmm, they looked like wedding shoes. Ah, wedding shoes! ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°I had my craftsman repair it, but now it¡¯s back.¡± Before I could say anything, Enoch knelt before me and placed the pair under my feet. ¡°Your Highness, wait a minute.¡± ¡°Try it on. Is it alright?¡± I stepped forward at his request, and he personally placed the shoes for me. Still, this man was the Crown Prince, and I stared at the shoes while faltering in this bewildering situation. ¡°It¡¯s the shoes I wore to my wedding. The heel was broken.¡± As I recalled the memory, I put weight on the heel and slammed it on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s strong. It looks like it¡¯s been repaired, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it is.¡± Then Enoch took off the shoes again, put them in the box, and assisted me in wearing my own shoes. ¡°I heard that you begged Rupert for days for these shoes.¡± Advertisements ¡°I did? Ah, well. Yes, I-I did.¡± Erin did? So, I didn¡¯t recognize the shoes you begged Rupert to get? It was unfortunate, but I didn¡¯t know this because it wasn¡¯t in the novel. Not only did I not know about it, I didn¡¯t even wonder about the shoes¡¯ whereabouts. Still kneeling, Enoch closed the box. In a low voice, he asked, ¡°Count, do you have any?¡± ¡°Do I have what?¡± Enoch lifted his head to look at me. As his bangs flowed down, I saw his green eyes. ¡°Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡± I was rather speechless as I stared at the corner of his slightly curved eyes. I licked my lips and shook my head. ¡°No, nothing like that.¡± The only thing I couldn¡¯t tell him was the biggest one¨C I¡¯m not Erin. I couldn¡¯t say that. But other than that, I didn¡¯t deliberately hide anything. Enoch didn¡¯t seem to agree with my words, but he got up from the floor without questioning me further. ¡°Wear those shoes when you see Her Majesty, the Empress. It will help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before I could even ask, Enoch met me eyes briefly and walked out of the conference room. I felt flustered because it felt like I was looking at myself from yesterday. ¡°Somehow, the atmosphere¡­¡± Frozen, I stared at the door where he left. Was Enoch upset? Why? ¡®I didn¡¯t get caught, right?¡¯ What would he say if he found out one wasn¡¯t from this world? No, what would other people think of that person? I was so confused by these thoughts that I couldn¡¯t move for a while. *Not 100% sure about the translation CH 79 After a while, I walked out the door and saw Lia returning. She rushed to me as soon as she saw me. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve filed it with the post office.¡± ¡°Thank you. You did well.¡± I walked slowly into the room and sighed. Her clear tone made me feel refreshed yet nervous. ¡°This should be the end of it.¡± Rupert would accept the terms of the agreement and sign it, and that¡¯s it. Inside the envelope was also a short message to him. ¡®¡­You may not know Chloe¡¯s real identity.¡¯ I decided to trust it and leave it to Rupert. It was only after I signed the divorce agreement that I seriously considered my relationship with him. Advertisements Duke Rupert Clifford, the male protagonist of this novel¡¯s world. As soon as I fell into this world, I was confused and scared at the wedding I faced. If my first meeting with him wasn¡¯t at the wedding, if only I had a little more spare time¡­ then maybe our relationship would have been more amicable than it was. Suddenly, I felt that I was really alone. I stroked my shoulder and arm with both hands as the feeling of falling into an unfamiliar world came back to me. ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I have any regrets.¡¯ I was about to shake off my thoughts and enter the room, but I turned to think of the next thing I had to do. I had spent four billion out of the eight billion gold I had. The remaining 4 billion would also be used to pay off my debts. I couldn¡¯t live in the Imperial Palace forever, and I needed more money to buy a new house. ¡®I have to do what Billy Gordon asked me to do.¡¯ I turned to Enoch¡¯s office, thinking that I should ask more about the Empress, but when I opened the door to his office, Enoch was nowhere to be seen. The only people there had their faces buried in their desks. Liam, Enoch¡¯s assistant, lifted his head and our eyes met. ¡°Where is His Highness?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t come yet today.¡± ¡°¡­He hasn¡¯t? Wasn¡¯t he here earlier?¡± So, did he just give me the shoes and leave? Advertisements ¡°His Highness doesn¡¯t usually go to this office, although he¡¯s been coming a lot lately. By the way, I¡¯m going to hire workers now. Would you like to take a look?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± The mining project was about to begin in earnest soon, so I couldn¡¯t help but pay attention. I rummaged through the papers Liam handed me and answered a few questions. I thought it was a little strange that things were going too fast. It¡¯s good to be fast, but beyond that, it was progressing steadily under Billy Gordon¡¯s preparation as if everything had already been decided. ¡®Wait a minute, my nominee¡­?¡¯ But Billy Gordon was my choice. Of course, he had selected a few of the many documents, but I personally chose him, and after that, I watched the interview and selected him. I tried to move on, but the feeling of dread continued all day. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep because of the thought that plagued my mind until I went to bed. ¡®I¡¯ll probably have to ask Enoch directly.¡¯ Moreover, I requested to have an audience with the Empress tomorrow. I didn¡¯t receive a notice of acceptance, but it would be good to see Enoch at least once before tomorrow. Without waking Lia, I changed into my outerwear by myself. Actually, I didn¡¯t know where Enoch was, either. However, I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I thought meeting him for a night walk would be good. It would be difficult to see him if he was in the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace. With that thought in mind, I walked out the door, and a faint light leaked out from the door of the closed office across the hallway. ¡®Who¡¯s working overtime?¡¯ I cautiously approached and opened the door to the quiet office. A regular lamp, not a magic lamp, illuminated the room with a soft light. Advertisements And there he was, sitting in the Prince¡¯s seat. Great timing. I approached him and said, ¡°Your Hi¨C¡± I stopped when I noticed that he was leaning against the chair with his eyes closed. The sound of regular breathing permeated like the wind in the still silence. ¡®Did you fall asleep?¡¯ I muffled my footsteps and walked closer. He probably didn¡¯t realize how tired he was. Was there no escort around? Wasn¡¯t it dangerous? He usually wore a robe that was closed to the neck, but now, he had taken off his outerwear and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Enoch didn¡¯t wake up even when I reached him. My gaze went to his collarbone and neckline and stayed on his gently closed lips. Then I stared at his straight nose, long eyelashes, forehead, and disheveled bangs. I continued staring at the sleeping man, forgetting the purpose of coming here. He was a really handsome man. And exactly my type. I suddenly wondered. Why was this person being so nice to me? A few strands of hair covered the top of his eyelids, and it looked uncomfortable. It was probably fine to leave it alone, but it bothered me. ¡®Slightly, very slightly.¡¯ Carefully, I stretched my fingers toward his hair. Just as my fingertips touched it, Enoch suddenly opened his eyes and roughly grabbed my wrist. ¡°Ah!¡± At that moment, his body leaned forward against the chair where he sat. I barely held onto the chair¡¯s armrest as my eyes widened, staring at the face in front of me. ¡°That¡­¡± Advertisements Enoch opened his eyes, but slowly blinked his languid eyelids as if still tired. ¡°What are you doing here, Count Spilet?¡± His hoarse voice tickled my earlobe with his breath. It was fortunate that the room was dark, or else he¡¯d see how red I probably was. ¡°I¡­I have something to ask you,¡± I carefully spoke. It felt like we could reach each other if we got even a little closer. As I thought so, a soft sensation passed over my lips. ¡®Oh?¡¯ And Enoch pushed me away a little bit and stood up. With a slight smile on his lips, he said, ¡°I see.¡± Seeing his casual attitude, I felt flustered, wondering if it was my misunderstanding. But I was sure I felt something¡­? Looking back at Enoch, I rubbed the back of my neck with my hand. ¡°Ah, um. You must be very tired.¡± He stared back. ¡°I hear you have something to ask.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± What did I come to ask again? It took me a while to get myself together because my head just went blank. Enoch looked at me slowly, without urging me, and took out a bottle from the cupboard. ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± I glanced at it and nodded. Then he took out a glass of wine and poured a little bit over it. I accepted the glass and leaned on the edge of the desk for a while before finally opening my mouth. ¡°Your Majesty, Billy Gordon¡­¡± ¡°I hoped that the Count would get a divorce sooner rather than later.¡± Before I could even speak further, Enoch beat me to it. He admitted that he thought I would choose Billy Gordon from the start. But he didn¡¯t look as sorry as when I found out about Lia. Rather, he looked at me as if he were ready to devour me. It flustered me to see Enoch look at me like that, but I didn¡¯t avoid it and stared back at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want it too?¡± ¡°I did, but was it necessary to go through such a series of procedures if that was the case?¡± ¡°Would you have believed it if you hadn¡¯t confirmed it yourself?¡± Advertisements ¡°If your Highness recommends it¡­¡± While I was talking, I remembered the contract. Eventually, I sighed and admitted, ¡°Yes, Your Highness always has a reason for what you do. I always realize late.¡± As I readily admitted it, Enoch¡¯s expression seemed to soften a little. I didn¡¯t really come here to question him. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be deceitful. However, there will often be things that I won¡¯t be able to tell you honestly in the future. But I¡¯ll never do anything that¡¯s harmful¡­¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said, no longer interested in interrogating him. By the way, I wonder if I¡¯d gotten drunk from the wine since the atmosphere that didn¡¯t fit the conversation made me unable to take my eyes off him. I felt relieved after sending the divorce agreement. And I was a little lonely and scared. Why and for what did I come to this world? How should I live now? ¡°¡­I sent the divorce agreement to Rupert today.¡± I didn¡¯t explain more because it was something he knew anyway. But Enoch seemed to have misunderstood my silence because he asked me coldly, ¡°Do you regret it?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°It probably won¡¯t be over yet.¡± Enoch, standing in front of me, took a step forward. Again, our distance grew closer. I continued with a bitter smile, ¡°Right, there¡¯s still more to go.¡± If he agreed, some procedures would remain, but if he disagreed with the agreement, it would lead to a tedious litigation process. But anyway, I gave the final notice. I felt relieved and empty. Why? Was it because I lost my goal? ¡°I was going to wait longer, but seeing you like this makes it hard to bear,¡± Enoch murmured in a low voice and quietly took one of my hands. His tone was somehow unpleasant, but there was heat in the fingertips he grabbed. ¡°Don¡¯t think of Rupert in front of me at a moment like this.¡± Advertisements I only drank one glass of wine, but it must have been a strong kind. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have done something like this. ¡°And speaking of which, Count. After the divorce proceedings are over, I¡­¡± I wanted to hear more from him, but I didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t think I could handle it yet. The future with him would never be normal, so I needed more time. So I pressed my lips over his. Don¡¯t say anything. CH 80 ¡®Ugh!¡¯ When I opened my eyes, I found myself on the bed. As I lay down, I blinked and pulled the blanket over me. ¡®I¡¯ve gone insane.¡¯ A glass of wine couldn¡¯t wipe my memory. I was too sober at the time to use being drunk as an excuse. I did it really impulsively but entirely of my own will. I jumped up, sat on the bed, and laid back repeatedly. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I kissed him.¡¯ I lay down again and remembered what had happened yesterday. As soon as my lips touched his, Enoch wrapped his arms around my waist as if he had waited and opened his lips to me. And then the kiss deepened. ¡°Ugh¡­ Haa,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but cry out as I looked back on my memory and how bold I was. After the kiss, Enoch took me to the room and said to me. ¡°You made a move first, so take responsibility.¡± Advertisements He said it so mischievously, then turned around and looked at me. When he didn¡¯t say anything else, I came in and fell asleep. ¡°Haa¡­¡± With a long sigh, I rubbed my face with the palm of my hand and eventually got up again and sat down. There was no time to be lazy now. I was going to see the Empress today. I asked for an audience as Count Spilet, not Duchess Clifford, so I was worried, but fortunately, it was granted. When I rang the bell on the bed, Lia entered the room. ¡°Have you been to Madame Plada?¡± ¡°Yeah, I went there early in the morning. It has already been completed.¡± When Lia clapped her hands, two maids from the Imperial Palace came in with a dress rack with three dresses. ¡°Hmm.¡± When I saw that, my troubles started. I had placed a somewhat contradictory and absurd order for Plada to create an elegant, glamorous, but understated style. The decoration of the inner palace was more splendid than the outer palace of the Imperial Palace. The Imperial family inhabited the inner palace, and most of the people who assisted them were nobles. Of course, I had no choice but to be concerned about my attire. ¡°Let¡¯s go with this.¡± Advertisements After thinking for a long time, I decided on a dress¨C a cobalt blue gown with wide-pleated layers. Although the frills and ruffles made from the fabric were gorgeous, it didn¡¯t look like a dress one would wear to a party because it didn¡¯t have lace. ¡°Plada is a genius.¡± The longer I wore it, the more I liked it. Erin looked pretty no matter what she wore, but she shone even more when I wore clothes from Plada. As I picked my dress, Lia quickly chose hair ornaments to style my hair. When she placed the blue and purple jewel flowers on my rose-pink hair, they looked bright and beautiful. I looked at myself in the mirror with satisfaction. As Lia helped me prepare, I pondered how to act and speak in front of the Empress. I didn¡¯t know why, but for some reason, I felt more nervous than when I stood in front of the Emperor. Before leaving, I wore the shoes that Enoch had repaired last time. I didn¡¯t know if it was okay to wear my wedding shoes to a place like that, but Enoch wouldn¡¯t have suggested it for nothing. When I thought of Enoch, I remembered yesterday¡¯s kiss, and my cheeks flushed again. Advertisements ¡°Count, you are so beautiful. Her Majesty the Empress will probably praise you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going there to receive compliments. I hope things work out.¡± Tying a ribbon tightly around my waist, Lia said, ¡°It will be fine.¡± I didn¡¯t know if it was intentional, but Lia raised the front part of the skirt of my dress a little so that my shoes were visible when I walked. ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s go now.¡± As I walked through the halls of the palace, I encountered Lennon Campbell, assistant secretary in the Crown Prince¡¯s office, and the daughter of Viscount Burton, Mila Burton. ¡°Wow, Count! You look so elegant and beautiful in your dress.¡± Lennon gazed at me in pure admiration. But Mila Burton¡¯s eyes became even colder than before. She reluctantly nodded at me, grabbed Lennon by the collar, and dragged him away. ¡°We¡¯re going to die from too much work. Why are you procrastinating? Is it your first time seeing a dress? Are you showing off being a commoner?¡± ¡°No, Mila! Wait, slow down!¡± I glanced back at them before going on my way. As I did, I quietly told Lia, who was behind me, ¡°I think Mila Burton doesn¡¯t like me.¡± Advertisements ¡°She¡¯s jealous. She¡¯s probably afraid she¡¯ll lose the Crown Prince. In the first place, the reason she came here¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­?¡± I nodded my head in understanding. Still, it was quite childish, but my throat tickled with a subtle sense of superiority. When I left the outer palace, I saw a carriage waiting for me. ¡°The Empress has sent it,¡± the coachman said as he opened the door. I thanked him and got on. How fortunate. Last time, I wore comfortable shoes on my walk with Enoch, but now my shoes were high, and I wasn¡¯t confident enough to go there on foot. The carriage quickly passed through the inner palace garden and stood in front of the beautiful castle. The white castle, covered with rose vines on all sides, revealed the Empress¡¯s definite taste. ¡®I think Enoch once said his mother was peculiar.¡¯ When I asked Enoch again last night, he let me into the room without any explanation, just saying it would be fine. ¡°I wish you told me more.¡± Soon, the carriage door opened, and Imperial knights escorted me. In front of the door, a woman who appeared to be the Empress¡¯s handmaiden came to meet me. ¡°You must be Count Spilet. I am Emily Gelman, the Empress¡¯s maid.¡± ¡°Thank you for meeting me. I¡¯m Erin Spilet,¡± I replied with a smile, and quickly recalled information about Emily Gelman. The documents I saw when I was recruiting investors were helpful. According to the papers, the Gelman family owned a jeweler¡¯s shop. ¡®A jeweler.¡¯ Advertisements Then it¡¯s not wholly unrelated to my business. It would be easier with her help to meet the Empress. Could she help me? ¡°Actually, when I met you, you were very different from what I thought.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I stopped and looked at her. Emily smiled at me. ¡°Seeing you somehow marry Duke Rupert Clifford, I thought you would be a passionate woman.¡± Emily might have said ¡®passionate,¡¯ but she probably meant Erin was a woman crazy in love. Erin was indeed like that before I came, so I didn¡¯t have much to say. ¡°Does I actually look different?¡± ¡°You look a lot calmer. And Lady Chloe is still unharmed. If it were me, I would probably have buried her in the gardens earlier,¡± Emily said those dreadful words with a chuckle and walked a little further ahead. ¡®Do you hate Chloe?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m going to get a divorce anyway. Do I really need to worry about her?¡± Then Emily looked back, startled. She then nodded and said, ¡°So¡­ The rumors were true. That¡¯s probably a good idea. This way.¡± We didn¡¯t have a long conversation, but I liked Emily because she seemed cool. ¡°Thank you.¡± Advertisements Just before Emily entered, she whispered to me, ¡°Don¡¯t be too formal.¡± Don¡¯t be formal? In front of the Empress? I was bewildered for a moment, but I understood Emily¡¯s words as soon as I entered. Empress Meribel wasn¡¯t wearing a dress. While her maids did, the Empress donned a uniform similar to the Emperor, but was more unmade. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± The Empress stretched out on the floor before the audience chair, and when she saw me coming in, she went to the seat and sat down in surprise. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t the first time I saw Empress Meribel. However, I only glanced at the splendidly dressed woman at the ball. At that time, she didn¡¯t deviate much from the image of the ¡®Empress¡¯ that I had envisioned. She looked much younger now than she did then. It¡¯s hard to believe that she had a son Enoch¡¯s age. Now, I understood why Enoch said she was peculiar. First of all, I had to greet her properly. ¡°I greet Your Majesty, the Empress of the Kallis Empire,¡± I raised my skirt slightly and bent my knees to greet her. Then I saw Her Majesty wave her hand. ¡°I just hate talking back and forth. Count Erin Spilet, was it? May I call you Erin?¡± It flustered me, but I could tell she didn¡¯t care much for formalities. So I relaxed my stiff posture and smiled. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Advertisements Then Empress Meribel stood and offered a seat on the sofa. ¡°Sit where you feel comfortable.¡± She sat across from me, picked up a glass of cold water, and gulped it down. Emily served me tea. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go straight to the point.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Oh¡­¡± The Empress trailed off when her gaze went down to my knees. She was staring at my shoes. ¡°Where did you get those shoes?¡± ¡°They were given to me by my husband for our wedding. But the heel was broken, and His Highness, the Crown Prince, had it repaired.¡± The Empress¡¯s expression changed curiously as she listened. She gave me a once-over, smiled, and swept up her flowing hair. ¡°My goodness, he is his father¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Those shoes are mine. I wore them when I married His Majesty, the Emperor.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± I licked my lips, not knowing what to say. How did the Empress¡¯s shoes get to Erin? ¡°Those shoes aren¡¯t just beautiful. There¡¯s magic. No matter the size of the foot, it will automatically fit. But to say that the heel of such a shoe is broken, it cannot be broken in the usual way¡­¡± ¡°Ah, if it¡¯s Your Majesty¡¯s, I¡¯ll return it to you.¡± I tried to take off the shoes on the spot, but the Empress stopped me right away. ¡°No, I gave it to Enoch after all. But to give it to Rupert¡¯s bride, what can I say about this?¡± CH 81 Erin begged Rupert for these shoes, so Enoch gave them to him, and they fell into Erin¡¯s hands? ¡°So why did you come?¡± I was lost in thought for a while because of what I found out, but Empress Meribel¡¯s question reminded me why I came here. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Your Majesty was in charge of the contract of goods within the Imperial Palace.¡± Since the Empress¡¯s posture seemed very comfortable, I also tried to keep my tone as casual as possible. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s troublesome. But why?¡± ¡°I asked you to meet me because I have a recommendation for you.¡± The Empress looked at the shoes and then at my face. ¡°The items of the Imperial Palace are not mere items. Each one is a hugely expensive luxury and a work of art.¡± Advertisements ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, I can¡¯t sign a contract unless it¡¯s clearly guaranteed because I don¡¯t know what will be mixed in with the product.¡± ¡°This is a company I guarantee.¡± Empress Mary Bell sat cross-legged and smirked. But it didn¡¯t seem like one of disdain. ¡°Guaranteed by Count Spilet, huh? So which one?¡± ¡°¡­The company ran by Billy Gordon. Your Majesty must have heard of it.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about the one they say is an incredibly rich commoner?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him.¡± The Empress tapped the table, still smiling. But her next question was sharp. ¡°There is no trust between you and me yet, but you¡¯re telling me to trust you and make a contract with him? Why should I? So far, the supply of goods for the Imperial Palace has only been done by the noble-owned companies. Of course, there are political purposes as well. But do I really need to change it?¡± The question was sharp, but I had expected it. I quietly took deep breaths and calmly met Her Majesty¡¯s gaze. ¡°There seems to be some misunderstanding. First of all, I only suggested Your Majesty meet the company¡¯s owner. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t dare to involve myself in any contract with Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Is it okay if I just tell you the reason for the recommendation?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Advertisements The Empress raised her hand to the maid beside her. Then the maid filled the familiar cup in front of her with cold water. Right now, I wanted to drink cool water rather than hot tea, but I couldn¡¯t say anything and just stared at it. ¡°As Your Majesty said, the nobles were in charge of the goods until now. But did you know? Most goods coming from far across the sea are primarily unloaded from Billy Gordon¡¯s ships.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Many items brought into the Imperial Palace by the nobility are from foreign countries. They have to buy from Billy Gordon to get them.¡± Empress Meribel¡¯s expression changed, now more focused on my words. ¡°Of course, the price will go up in the process. The same is true for the fees between the companies, and the transportation process becomes much more complicated.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t sign a contract with Billy Gordon just because he¡¯s a commoner, the Imperial court will continue to buy things at a high price. The wealth of the Imperial Palace comes from the people¡¯s taxes, and if there¡¯s a way to reduce expenses, it is reasonable to consider him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re arrogant, Erin Spilet. Are you teaching me now?¡± There was slight anger in the Empress¡¯s voice. Have I gone too far? Advertisements However, when I glanced at Empress Meribel, she looked rather satisfied. ¡°I apologize if I have offended you. I¡¯m just making a suggestion. The decision-making authority rests solely with the Empress.¡± I bowed my head in my seat. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll think of it as concern for the Imperial Family, but I think there must be another reason.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The Empress gestured with her chin for me to continue. ¡°I endorsed Billy Gordon, but he¡¯s also an investor in the magic stone mining business. You can say that we¡¯ve already verified his trustworthiness as we selected investors. A title doesn¡¯t necessarily imply trust, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°But, Erin Spilet. I mentioned that those contracts also had a political purpose. I mainly have contracts with the nobles who will become allies of the Crown Prince. How will we deal with Enoch¡¯s political loss when we throw them out?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to throw them out. It¡¯s possible to compete while maintaining the existing contract. Then they¡¯ll try to bring in better, more affordable products. And¡­¡± I grabbed the warm cup of tea with both hands. The moderately cooled warmth restrained my nerves. ¡°By the time I successfully complete my magic stone mining business, my position will be different. I¡¯ll be able to be a stronger ally for the Crown Prince than anyone else.¡± The Empress raised one eyebrow. More than any word I had ever said, it seemed that these words moved her heart. I was being sincere. After all, the Crown Prince had helped me up until now. If I wanted to continue living in this country, it was only natural for me to help him become Emperor. Advertisements ¡°Duke Clifford has been a supporter of the Crown Prince from the beginning. But lately, I¡¯ve heard different rumors¡­ And you¡¯re Rupert Clifford¡¯s wife. Can I believe what you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll soon¡­ I¡¯m going to divorce him.¡± Then the Empress, who had been comfortably reclining on the sofa, jumped up. ¡°Divorce? Are you filing for divorce?¡± Why are you so surprised? It was completely different from the way she had been before. I nodded slowly to confirm again. ¡°Yes, I have already sent the divorce agreement to Rupert.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Oh my gosh, right, of course.¡± ¡°¡­Is there any problem?¡± I asked carefully, and the Empress shook her head at me with a slightly flushed face. ¡°No, no. When I saw the shoes, I was wondering if you were really getting a divorce.¡± ¡°The shoes¡­ Does that matter?¡± ¡°Well, it might not matter much. But Erin, you¡­ What do you think of Enoch? Be honest with me.¡± I was puzzled by the Empress¡¯s contradictory words, but her next question left me momentarily speechless. ¡°That¡­ I am always grateful to the Crown Prince.¡± Advertisements ¡°Gratitude¡­ That¡¯s what you think? Is that all?¡± ¡°Sorry? Should I have something else?¡± I blinked, feigning ignorance at the meaning behind those words. Of course, there were other emotions, but it¡¯s not something I should mention here. ¡°Right, I see.¡± The Empress smiled and shook her head. I couldn¡¯t understand her reaction, so I cautiously said, ¡°I, then¡­ Meeting Billy Gordon¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± The Empress answered me with a solemn expression and tone that did not match her previous actions. It wasn¡¯t a completely positive answer, but looking at her firm attitude, made it seem like she¡¯d do it. ¡°Yes, thank you for your time, Your Majesty. Then I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going?¡± As I stood, the Empressed looked at me, her eyes wide. When I saw her innocent look, I couldn¡¯t help but think how ridiculously cute she was. ¡°Yes, if you have something to say¡­?¡± The Empress, looking blankly at me, waved her hand and said, ¡°No, you can go.¡± ¡°Alright, then.¡± I politely bent my knees, said goodbye, and turned around. ¡°Erin Spilet.¡± When I turned back to the sound of my name, the Empress was looking at me with her arms resting on the sofa. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it before because it wasn¡¯t very noticeable, but today I see you¡¯re very pretty.¡± Advertisements My face flushed at the unexpected compliment, but I bowed and left the room. ¡°Haa¡­¡± I took a deep breath as soon as the door closed. ¡°I was so nervous.¡± I ran out of the Empress¡¯s Palace. As I got into the carriage, I laughed a little. Although the Empress was very different from what I expected, she still seemed to be a wonderful person. I heard that the Emperor pushed ahead with the national marriage with her, but I could understand why he did. After Erin left, Emily, who was cleaning up the drinks, glanced at Empress Meribel. ¡°Why, do you have something to say?¡± ¡°¡­You would have accepted anyway, so why did you say you¡¯d think about it?¡± ¡°Why are you so sure that I¡¯d accept it?¡± Meribel took off her uniform, which had been draped over her shoulders, onto the sofa. ¡°You like Erin Spilet. Also¡­ There is some truth to her argument.¡± ¡°I liked that she¡¯s smart and quick-witted. But it¡¯s a shame.¡± Confused, Emily looked at the Empress. With her hands on her waist, the Empress approached the window and watched the carriage drive away. ¡°Enoch got those shoes when he was a child, saying he would give them to the one who would be his bride.¡± ¡°Oh, but¡­ Erin Spilet wore it to her wedding to Duke Clifford.¡± ¡°So, would Enoch let her wear it at that wedding for nothing? That clever boy.¡± Emily moved the teacup off the trolley and walked over to Meribel. ¡°He¡¯s close to Rupert, so maybe it was just a gift?¡± ¡°Not likely. And the heel of the shoe was broken. The previous Emperor made those shoes. No one could break or fix it.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s only the direct bloodline that could do that. So Enoch himself broke it, fixed it, and returned it.¡± ¡°Why would he do that?¡± Empress Meribel turned around and shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s my son, but he has a dark heart. Do you know what I mean?¡± ¡°Then he was determined with Count Spilet¡­¡± ¡°It seems that only my son has a crush.¡± With those words, Meribel left the room. Emily, who remained, quietly cleaned as if she was familiar with that kind of thing. CH 82 Late in the evening, Rupert was in the townhouse¡¯s office. The Clifford duchy¡¯s business papers were piled up on his desk, so he sat up late, but he couldn¡¯t make progress because his nerves were elsewhere. ¡®How long are you going to stay in the castle?¡¯ Rupert thought Erin would be back in the townhouse when he was tied up in the duchy. But when he arrived, she wasn¡¯t home. Apparently, she was staying in the Imperial Palace for the magic stone mine development project. The moment he heard that, he thought his blood gushed upside down. He wanted to run and catch Erin immediately, but real-life events kept him. Besides, he didn¡¯t have the courage. The day Erin left Clifford Castle, the events of that day were still vivid. But, even then, he couldn¡¯t catch her. It was terrifying to see Erin¡¯s eyes filled with reproach and her cold attitude. The only hope he had, though, was that he and Erin were still married. Even though it was a one-year contract, it gave him comfort. ¡°Haa,¡± Rupert sighed, shook his head to shake off his thoughts of Erin, then tried to focus on the papers again. Advertisements Knock, knock¨C. ¡°Rupert, it¡¯s me.¡± A young woman¡¯s voice came from the outside. It was Chloe. Shortly after Rupert parted from her at the seaside villa, Chloe followed him to the townhouse. Rupert left her unattended and unwelcome. Since he didn¡¯t have time to care about Chloe, but since Erin wasn¡¯t there, he needed someone to manage the house. But if Erin returned and showed her displeasure, Rupert was determined to let Chloe go without hesitation this time. ¡®Chloe doesn¡¯t ask for anything from me, so she¡¯ll understand.¡¯ ¡°Come in.¡± Chloe entered the room, a tray with a teacup on hand. It smelled of bittersweet tea, Rupert¡¯s favorite drink. ¡°Rupert, I think you¡¯re overdoing it. Take a break.¡± Chloe placed the teacup on his desk, but Rupert didn¡¯t take his eyes off the paperwork. He was still thinking of ending things with her. He didn¡¯t know if Erin would come forward actively.* Rupert answered in a friendly voice, ¡°Thank you, I still have work to do. Go and rest first.¡± He took the teacup and brought it to his mouth. The tea was stronger than usual, but it wasn¡¯t bad. Chloe stood by Rupert¡¯s side and watched silently, and when the teacup was half full, she suddenly hugged him tightly. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t do that, Rupert.¡± As Chloe whispered softly in his ear, Rupert grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away. Obviously, at this point, he thought it was a little annoying. But Rupert was overcome with an unknown impulse when he turned and their eyes met. It was something he had often felt since he met Chloe. Advertisements ¡°¡­Rupert, let¡¯s go to your room,¡± she whispered, rubbing his ear and cheek, and Rupert loosened his grip on her arm and slowly got up. The sticky, seductive scent of Chloe¡¯s body gradually eroded Rupert¡¯s senses. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rupert was eventually driven by instinct and grabbed Chloe by the wrist. He thought he would take her by his own will. Chloe just followed him and smiled silently. The next day, Rupert woke up and looked around. Chloe wasn¡¯t there, as if she had already woken up. It seemed that he had slept for quite some time, but his mind was still hazy. One side of his head seemed to be throbbing. He was always in optimal condition, and it had been a while since he felt such symptoms in his body. ¡®I¡¯ve been neglecting my training lately.¡¯ After he had reached a certain level, he stopped practicing. Although he occasionally competed, he only did it with Enoch. But he couldn¡¯t do that these days because of his strained relationship with the Crown Prince. Rupert got up and sat down after being idle for a while. Then, reaching out to his side table to drink his water, he found a piece of mail seemingly for him. It looked like Chloe had brought it. Rupert picked it up and examined it¨Cthe envelope had been sealed with magic, so the sender was still unknown. However, it was quite wrinkled, as if someone had tried to open it first. Maybe Chloe? Advertisements Rupert furrowed his brow and held his magic stone against the envelope¡¯s seal. And as soon as he saw the sender¡¯s name, his heart pounded. ¡®Erin Spilet.¡¯ Why did she send a letter instead of coming directly? Maybe Erin wanted to return, but the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t let her, so she asked for help? Rupert calmly opened the envelope as he went on with his absurd imagination. The paper inside was quite thick. The moment he unfolded the paper and read the text, Rupert¡¯s face began to harden terribly. ¡°Divorce¡­ agreement?¡± There was a check in the envelope and a piece of paper with the words ¡°Divorce Agreement¡± written in bold. It was worth exactly four billion gold. It was a clear indication of Erin¡¯s intention to divorce him. Thanks to the shock of reading the word ¡®divorce,¡¯ Rupert did not find the note fluttering between the papers. The door opened soon after, and Chloe approached him with a strange smile. ¡°Rupert? Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Divorce¡­Divorce¡­! Erin filed for divorce!¡± Rupert screamed as he tried to jump out of bed. But Chloe came over and pressed his chest to calm him down. ¡°Oh my gosh. You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Of course not. I must go to the palace right now.¡± Rupert tried to get up again, but Chloe¡¯s hand stopped him. Somehow, he couldn¡¯t go against the usually weak Chloe. His body gradually lost its strength. Advertisements ¡°Calm down, Rupert. It¡¯s not going to be resolved by pursuing it like that, is it?¡± Chloe sat down next to him, leaned over, and whispered happily. ¡°Come on, sleep more. I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± ¡°Chloe¡­ what?¡± Rupert thought Chloe was acting strange, but his brain was so hazy that he couldn¡¯t make rational decisions. Moreover, as soon as she told him to sleep, he couldn¡¯t help but want to. ¡°I¡¯ll get you to meet Erin, don¡¯t worry. You can¡¯t get a divorce now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rupert opened his mouth to say something but eventually fell asleep. Chloe got up after making sure he was completely out. Then she found a note that had fallen to the floor and picked it up. ¡¸Chloe is a black magician.¡¹ When Chloe saw the note, the corners of her lips rose, and the paper in her hand became ash and disappeared. Then she looked down at Rupert, who was sleeping with his arms crossed. ¡°Stupid woman, I can¡¯t believe you dabbled in black magic because of a man like this. Well, thanks to you, I¡¯m taking over this body. This is gonna be fun.¡± Chloe, no, the thing that had taken over Chloe¡¯s body disappeared out of the door with a smirk. Enoch handed the report to Viscount Therian, who stood before him. The viscount nodded as he skimmed through the pages. ¡°This is enough. It¡¯s up to His Majesty the Emperor to judge, but it¡¯s evidence that, if not certain, arouses suspicion.¡± Enoch took back the documents, and also the blood of the monsters found there. ¡°So I¡¯m going to see His Majesty now.¡± Advertisements ¡°You¡¯re leaving already? Would that be alright? Shouldn¡¯t we gather more evidence¡­¡± Viscount Therien trailed off, worried. Of course, this kind of evidence could convince the emperor. However, at the center of this was Prince Breiman. Even though Enoch was the orthodox heir to the throne, Prince Breiman was treated as a prince who used magic. Therien was worried that he might be accused of trying to get rid of the competition contrary to what Enoch intended. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. Prince Breiman must have noticed by now that I was suspicious of him. And he will come up with a countermeasure,¡± Enoch muttered while holding a small bottle of squirming monster blood in his hand. ¡°Be careful. They might retaliate.¡± Then Enoch¡¯s emerald eyes gleamed coldly. ¡°If he comes to fight, I¡¯ll welcome it.¡± ¡°Well, black magic could be a little tricky sometimes.¡± Enoch nodded as if agreeing to this, packed his things, and went outside. As he walked down the hallway, he remembered what the Empress¡¯s attendant had just said to him. ¡®If you liked it that much, you should have taken it earlier. Why did you give it to others?¡¯ The Empress must have seen her shoes. But, as expected, she didn¡¯t vehemently oppose it. After all, there was a tradition of choosing the companion of the Imperial family. He smirked. ¡°I wish I had, but she wasn¡¯t looking at me back then,¡± he mumbled, then headed to the Emperor¡¯s palace. Advertisements However, when Enoch went to the Emperor¡¯s throne room, the atmosphere was unfamiliar. In front of the door was Prince Breiman¡¯s aide who always exuded an eerie aura. He didn¡¯t know why when he was younger, but he did now¨Cthe aide also had a deep connection with black magic. Enoch spoke to him as usual. ¡°Is Brother inside?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness is attending an audience with His Majesty.¡± Enoch heard something like a growl from the aide¡¯s throat, but the aide maintained a polite expression. This one never went before the Emperor because he was afraid of revealing his identity. When Enoch heard the voice, he went inside the door and told him as he passed him, ¡°Wolves are pretty good at acting like people.¡± Squinting at the assistant¡¯s hesitation, Enoch entered the audience room. And so the door closed, and Enoch realized that he had been one step behind. CH 83 ¡°I greet you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Oh, little brother. Welcome, I have a very important story to tell you,¡± Prince Breiman greeted him with a smile, and Enoch turned to see a grave expression on the Emperor¡¯s face. Besides, next to Breiman was Count John Batten, who supported him. Enoch stared at Breiman and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Enoch, I heard you and Count Spilet were close to the fortress.¡± When Erin was mentioned, Enoch¡¯s nerves became sharp. However, he acted calm as he bowed his head politely to the Emperor. ¡°We¡¯re working together to develop a magic stone mine, Your Majesty. Is there anything wrong with Count Spilet?¡± ¡°Breiman said he found something very important about her.¡± Enoch¡¯s gaze at Breiman could freeze someone to death for a moment, but his expression changed immediately. ¡°Brother, what did you find?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you ahead of time in case you misunderstand. I asked His Majesty to forgive me for keeping her in captivity for a while.¡± Advertisements ¡°¡­Are you saying you admitted to kidnapping and forced detention?¡± ¡°Yes, I deeply reflect on that and take responsibility for it.¡± ¡°How will you take responsibility for the detention of a noblewoman?¡± At Enoch¡¯s sharp reply to Breiman, the Emperor waved his hand to calm him down. ¡°Enoch, that¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Breiman, explain to Enoch.¡± Breiman nodded and turned to Enoch. His face had a gentle smile as if to appease his agitated brother. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it since the hunting competition. Count Spilet was the first to discover the magic stone mine, and there she encountered a monster.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Enoch looked directly into Prince Breiman¡¯s eyes, and raised one corner of his mouth as if ready to hear some bullsh*t. When their eyes met, Breiman wanted to contort his lips for a moment, but he said in a lower voice than usual, ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? Even after encountering a monster, she left unscathed.¡± ¡°I went to get her myself. What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°How long did that take? No matter how fast my brother went, a normal person would have died as soon as they faced the monster.¡± ¡°So, what are you really trying to say?¡± Count John Batten, who was next to Prince Briman, stepped forward. ¡°As the Crown Prince already knows, there are only two types of humans that monsters do not attack. One is if you are the black magician who summoned the monster.¡± Advertisements ¡°Count John Batten, what nonsense are you saying? Do you want to die? Are you saying Count Spilet summoned monsters for show?¡± Breiman blocked Count John Batten, who was trembling from Enoch¡¯s wrath. ¡°Woah, calm down. Brother, Count was just talking about the circumstances.¡± ¡°A-and another thing¡­¡± Count John Batten trailed off. Although he supported Prince Breiman, he knew well that Enoch was a terrifying man. Prince Enoch Dwell Rikephoros could have killed him immediately if he wanted to, unless it¡¯s in front of the Emperor, like now. Because of that, paradoxically, he was also supporting a slightly more noble and weak prince. In addition, if the Crown Prince, a powerful magician, became Emperor, nobles like John Batten would become the hands and feet of the Imperial family and live without prayer. Count John Batten did not want to live in such fear. But right now, his body trembled, and his mouth refused to move. Prince Breiman glanced at the Count and spoke instead. ¡°Another possibility would be that Count Spillet was a being who the goddess had blessed. A Saintess, so to speak.¡± Freezing at Breiman¡¯s words, Enoch took a step back and bit his lip. It was a worrying situation. If Erin¡¯s special abilities were revealed, she would never be able to live as comfortably as she did. ¡°So, brother.¡± Enoch beckoned the Emperor¡¯s aide to come and handed them the paperwork he had brought. Then he threw the bottle filled with the monster¡¯s blood on the floor. A dark red liquid squirmed inside the rolling bottle, and it looked like it was trying to crawl out. ¡°Have you done this?¡± ¡°What is that, Enoch?¡± The Emperor glanced at the bottle as he received Enoch¡¯s documents. ¡°I looked into where Count Spilet was imprisoned and found that. I also captured the circumstances that he used black magic around it and summarized it in the report.¡± ¡°Ah, little brother. I was going to tell His Majesty. We used the blood of a monster to test Count Spilet.¡± Advertisements ¡°¡­Test, you say. If Count Spilet had been an ordinary person and not a magician or a Saintess, she would have died immediately, just as brother said.¡± ¡°But she didn¡¯t die after all, so Count Spilet needs to be tested.¡± Breiman bowed once toward the Emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, although it is true that what I did was too much, Count Spilet must be investigated. She is the owner of the magic stone mine. If she¡¯s a magician, we shouldn¡¯t put such a huge thing in her hands.¡± ¡°Prince Breiman, it looks like you¡¯re trying to get others to cover up what you have done.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you misunderstood, little brother. I will apologize to Count Spilet separately for my disrespect.¡± As the two princes debated, the Emperor, who had been going through the report, raised his hand. Seeing the gesture, both Enoch and Breiman stopped. ¡°Breiman, it is a great sin to capture and imprison an aristocrat like that. Using monster¡¯s blood and bringing in a black magician in the process is a mistake that cannot be ignored.¡± ¡°I admit it. I was in a hurry, so I used an unreasonable method.¡± In principle, the Empire forbade black magic but encouraged those who had already become black magicians to secretly used them. They used black magic only by order, so the level of contamination by demons was relatively low. Prince Breiman said he took two of them. ¡°But it is necessary to verify whether Breiman¡¯s statement is true. Whether she¡¯s a black magician or a saintess, we¡¯ll have to find out what she really is.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, Count Spilet is¡­¡± ¡°Enoch, this is the law of the country. Even the Emperor must obey them. Are you saying that you, the Crown Prince, will break it?¡± Meanwhile, the Emperor, who had been relatively tolerant of Enoch, rebuked him harshly. Enoch gritted his teeth, but in the end, he had no choice but to retreat. ¡°No.¡± The Emperor looked at Enoch in pity, then turned to Breiman. Even though he had defended Breiman, the Emperor¡¯s eyes were surprisingly cold. ¡°Breiman, I understand what you mean. But I can¡¯t just ignore your reckless behavior. As a way of repenting of your sins, you should stay in the Imperial Palace for a while. Don¡¯t meet anyone, and don¡¯t go out until I give you my order. Do you understand?¡± Advertisements Count John Batten hurriedly went out to protect him. ¡°Your Majesty, this is a harsh treatment for the Prince. He only had the Empire in mind¡­!¡± ¡°Count John Batten, step back. I will follow His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡± His expression calm, Prince Breiman bowed in front of the Emperor and turned around. Count John Batten looked at the Emperor as if he was cruel but eventually followed the Prince. Enoch glared at them as they left. Then he turned back to them Emperor when he heard him mutter, ¡°Is he really my son?¡± When Enoch looked at him in confusion, the Emperor waved his hand in dismissal and said, ¡°Enoch.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re angry. He touched the woman you like.¡± ¡°¡­Father.¡± Enoch was startled by the Emperor¡¯s straightforward words, but he did not deny it. ¡°Come on, I am your father. You look like me, but you¡¯re more careful than I am, making things complicated.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If Count Spilet had been the Crown Princess, who would dare to attack her with such suspicion?¡± A smile grew on the Emperor¡¯s lips, which looked like Enoch¡¯s. ¡°When I was the Crown Prince, when I welcomed your mother, I did not even look around her and proposed marriage first. I made sure they knew no one should touch her.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s proposal was no different from an order. Although she could have refused, no family would let go of the honor of having their daughter become the next Empress. ¡°¡­So Mother hated Father very much.¡± The Empress was originally the Crown Prince¡¯s escort knight. She was a master recognized for her outstanding skills and chosen from an early age by the Imperial Knights. ¡°Yeah, I ordered a girl with a lover to be tied to me. No, it¡¯s not necessarily my fault. Who would have known that the two of my escort knights were secretly dating?¡± Enoch did not respond to that. He only waited for the Emperor to continue. ¡°Unfortunately, if Count Spilet is a black magician, it can¡¯t be helped, but if she is a saintess, there is no way. You are probably aware of that.¡± ¡°A black magician¡­ She¡¯s not.¡± ¡°If you say so, then so be it.¡± Surprisingly, the Emperor immediately believed Enoch, but the words that followed were firm. ¡°But the temple must verify it. It will be very complicated. Besides, she¡¯s not Duchess Clifford now.¡± CH 84 His lips, which drew a smooth arc, fluttered before my eyes. I stared at them unconsciously, repeatedly thinking about the situation then. ¡°¡­Count? Are you listening?¡± Enoch waved his hand in front of me. ¡°Ah yes! Yes, I¡¯m listening, I¡¯m listening¡­!¡± I blinked in surprise, trying to focus on his words again. It was the first time we had seen each other since the day we kissed. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help but think of that day. ¡°Are you okay? Your face is red. Are you hurt anywhere¡­?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­ So you¡¯re saying I have to go to the temple?¡± ¡°Fortunately, I bought some time. You don¡¯t have to go right now. We have plenty of time to deal with your matters before we go.¡± As I listened to what he said, I pondered, ¡°Deal with matters¡­ My divorce.¡± Enoch nodded slowly. Come to think of it, Rupert should have received the mail by now, but I haven¡¯t heard anything yet. As if worried about my silence, Enoch said, ¡°If you¡¯re worried that you¡¯ll live as a saintess¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s a problem, too.¡± I barely found my freedom through a divorce, but it would be a problem if I ended up becoming a saintess of the temple. Advertisements But for some reason, I felt out of touch right now. ¡°But won¡¯t it work somehow?¡± With a grin, Enoch answered the question without much thought, ¡°Yeah, it will work. There will be no way the Count will live as a saintess.¡± Knock, knock, knock¨C. We were back in my room after taking a walk with Enoch, when I heard a knock on the door. The knock sounded cautious, yet blunt, and sounded like it came from a strong person. ¡°Who is it?¡± I didn¡¯t know who it was, but Enoch¡¯s forehead wrinkled slightly, as if he was expecting someone. ¡°Come in.¡± As the door opened, a familiar face appeared. It was Count Damon Rosen, who volunteered to be my escort knight. ¡°Damon!¡± ¡°Lady, thank you for welcoming me.¡± As Damon approached with a smile, Enoch jumped up and stopped him about five steps away. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°This is Count Damon Rosen, who will serve as the Count¡¯s escort from today.¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, I know¡­ Anyway, I look forward to your kind cooperation.¡± It was strange for him to reintroduce what I already knew, but I reached out to shake Damon¡¯s hand. Then Enoch suddenly blocked Damon¡¯s way. ¡°The escort knight can wait outside the door. Accompany her wherever she goes.¡± ¡°I know what an escort knight does. But I think I can escort the Lady better if I stay with her in the room,¡± Damon smiled brightly and scratched his head, and Enoch¡¯s expression hardened even more terribly. He pointed his hand out the door and said, ¡°I have something to tell her, so get out.¡± It was a harsh atmosphere, but Damon smiled with his usual bright expression and went down elegantly on one knee in front of me. ¡°Then, Lady, leave your safety to me from now on. I¡¯ll always be nearby.¡± ¡°Thank you, Damon.¡± Advertisements Enoch scowled at the back of Damon¡¯s head as he stepped out. ¡°Pfft, Your Highness.¡± I poked Enoch in the side with my finger. Then Enoch blushed, looking sheepish. ¡°¡­Was it obvious?¡± ¡°Yes, very much. If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you turn it down when I asked for an escort knight?¡± Then Enoch coughed a little, and he gently grabbed my shoulders and sat me on the sofa. He murmured with a sigh, ¡°I can¡¯t help it because you need it. I wish I could be with you all the time, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± I looked up at him to answer his words, and our faces were suddenly at a close distance. Startled, I avoided his head while Enoch stiffened in the same posture he had bowed down in. ¡®Oops.¡¯ Did I avoid him too openly? Rather than avoiding him because I hated it, Damon was out there, and while I did it the first time, this was still close to an accident. While disturbed by these and other thoughts, Enoch sat down again casually. No, it was nothing. He said he had something to say, but he didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t leave either and just sat there with his mouth closed in this awkward atmosphere. The air in the room got hot for some reason. Obviously, I didn¡¯t really like this awkward and uncomfortable situation. I fanned myself with my hand and looked out of the window. And after a while, I received a reply from Rupert. I had hoped for the signed divorce agreement. However, contrary to my expectations, there was only one short letter in the envelope. ¡¸I have something to ask you. If you meet me one last time, I¡¯ll agree to the terms. I¡¯m in the townhouse until this evening. I¡¯ll wait. ¨C Rupert Clifford.¡¹ I suddenly got a headache. I rested my forehead and leaned on the chair. ¡®If I meet you one more time, you¡¯ll agree? Do I have to?¡¯ So, did that mean we won¡¯t reach an agreement if we don¡¯t meet? If Rupert would contest it¡­ Haa, it¡¯s a pain. We would have to go through a really tedious and lengthy litigation process. That was the worst. I gulped down the cold water on the desk and looked closely at the letter. It was definitely Rupert¡¯s handwriting, and it was stamped with a seal. Advertisements Fortunately, he didn¡¯t tell me to come alone. I took the letter and went to the Crown Prince¡¯s office. However, Enoch wasn¡¯t there because of his busy schedule. ¡°What should I do¡­ He said until this evening.¡± I held the corner of the letter paper in my mouth and pondered for a moment, and then my eyes met Damon, who was following me. ¡°Ah.¡± Damon, who made eye contact with me, spoke first, ¡°Lady, is there somewhere you want to go?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Yes, I have to go to the townhouse on Clifford Street.¡± ¡°But what are you worried about?¡± ¡°I think it might be dangerous.¡± Damon smirked. ¡°Get ready, I¡¯ll have a carriage ready outside.¡± He was definitely more reliable than before. Well, I only needed to go there for a little while, so did I really need to go with Enoch? Come to think of it, that¡¯s why I hired an escort. Besides, if the two met, it would be dangerous in itself. If we went together, Rupert would definitely think I was asking for a divorce because of Enoch. As Damon left, I called Lia. After dressing as simply and neatly as possible, I got on the carriage Damon had prepared. And prepared he was. Perhaps because he was afraid that I might be in danger, he didn¡¯t remain overconfident in his skills. He also contacted the Imperial knights to replenish his staff. A total of four knights, including Damon, escorted the carriage and set off. Seeing them made me feel a little more relaxed. I was actually a little worried until just before I left. What if it¡¯s a trap? Would Chloe be with him? Perhaps Chloe would want to kill me. Advertisements After all, she wanted to occupy the magic stone mine even though we¡¯re rivals. But after checking it again and again, dark magic and brainwashing didn¡¯t work on me. If Chloe and Prince Briman were together the day they kidnapped me, Chloe would have known about it. And since I saw Rupert heading there, I couldn¡¯t quite believe him either. So, this kind of defense was justified. I glanced behind the carriage. Damon was also a talented knight with his own defense, so he wouldn¡¯t be so easily subjected to black magic. The problem was the physical force used by people exposed to black magic. If the person brainwashed was ordered to swing a punch, they wouldn¡¯t be able to resist. Of course, that¡¯s why I was taking Damon with me. I told Lia to tell Enoch where I was going as soon as he returned. ¡®Let¡¯s calm down. That¡¯s where we used to live. No matter how hard it is, Rupert¡¯s not the type to hit a woman¡­right?¡¯ I decided to come back if I saw the atmosphere from the outside and didn¡¯t like it. After the kidnapping incident, I became more vigilant. This probably wouldn¡¯t have happened if it hadn¡¯t been for the divorce. But that had been my biggest dream since I came to this world. I wanted to settle this as soon as possible. Why did Rupert want to meet me? I hope it wasn¡¯t some troublesome reason like confirming if affection had risen belatedly. I shook my head and thought of a more realistic explanation. ¡®Right, the note.¡¯ I sent the divorce agreement, a check for four billion gold, and a note saying Chloe was a black magician. Was he trying to ask about the contents of the note? That¡¯s possible. Either he trusted me and wanted to ask more, or he didn¡¯t and wanted to refute it. If that¡¯s the case, maybe I¡¯d feel more at ease. As I closed my eyes and pondered, the carriage made its way into a familiar road and finally stopped in front of the townhouse. Advertisements Before I even got off, Damon and the knights looked around to make sure it was safe. Only then did he open the carriage door. Damon escorted me, and we stood in front of the townhouse¡¯s gate. ¡°Hmm?¡± The building was as I remembered it. But inside, the atmosphere was different. Aside from the eerie energy of an unorganized garden, above all else, there was no sign of human presence. The Duke of Clifford¡¯s townhouse usually had dozens of people working, and I could feel their traces even if I didn¡¯t look. But now, it was just as quiet as a haunted house. ¡°It¡¯s a little strange.¡± Damon¡¯s muttering made me even more convinced. ¡°I want to go back.¡± I didn¡¯t want to take the risk. I didn¡¯t want to go inside this house even if it meant going through a long divorce case. My instincts were warning me. As I was about to turn around, I heard a rustle of footsteps by the house. I turned around and saw Rupert coming out alone. I looked closely at him but found nothing strange. ¡°You came, thank you.¡± Looking up close, Rupert was smiling bitterly. Damon sneaked out and widened the distance between them, and Rupert looked at me calmly. CH 85 ¡°Why did you tell me to come? What do you want to say?¡± As Rupert was about to approach me, Damon grabbed the sword from its sheath and stood in front of me to block him. Then, a spark flashed in Rupert¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then you¡­¡± Rupert recognized Damon at that moment. Even in the hunting competition, Damon had spoken to me while I was with Rupert. I stopped Damon, judging that it was dangerous due to the harsh atmosphere. ¡°Damon, it¡¯s okay. Leave it.¡± ¡°My lady, please be careful.¡± Damon placed his sword back on the scabbard and stepped back. I thought Rupert¡¯s eyes blazed when he looked at Damon, but he turned to me and sighed before I could confirm it. Advertisements ¡°You even came with an escort knight? I said we were just going to talk.¡± ¡°¡­I always have him with me now.¡± Rupert looked around and pointed to my carriage. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I was relieved he didn¡¯t ask us to go inside the townhouse. Before getting into the carriage, Damon blocked Rupert again and said, ¡°Leave your sword before entering, Duke Clifford.¡± ¡°Count Rosen, you must have still been a kid the last time I saw you. You¡¯ve gotten cocky.¡± ¡°I am only responsible for milady¡¯s safety.¡± Rupert looked displeased, but he released the sword and nervously handed it to Damon. Thank goodness he was being relatively obedient. Rupert wanted to escort me into the carriage, but I turned to Damon instead and held his hand. Rupert and I sat facing each other, and Damon stood a little further away with the carriage door open on purpose. ¡°Tell me now.¡± ¡°Do we have to leave this door open?¡± Advertisements ¡°¡­Yes, that would make me feel at ease.¡± Rupert then took a deep breath and suddenly grabbed his head with both hands. I was puzzled by how painful it looked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°These days¡­ I¡¯ve been having headaches. Especially when I¡¯m agitated.¡± Why was that? I was a little worried, but I didn¡¯t make it obvious. Things would get complicated if Rupert had even a little hope. Luckily, Rupert spoke first. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to get a divorce? After all, our contract period was for one year, and if we complete that period, I¡¯ll pay back the four billion gold debt and the rest of the other four billion.¡± ¡°I have money, so I don¡¯t have to stay in the marriage.¡± ¡°Did¡­did you hate it that much?¡± He sounded hurt. I replied coldly, deliberately not looking at his face, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± As I glanced at him, muttering self-deprecatingly, I offered a little comfort as calmly as I could. ¡°Our marriage was contractual anyway, and I don¡¯t want to blame you anymore. We just have to finish it neatly and live well for each other.¡± In any case, in order to reach an agreement here, I had to calm him down so that he wouldn¡¯t change his mind. I carefully spoke, paying attention to the tone of my voice. ¡°Chloe¡­ Where is she now?¡± Before I found out that Chloe was a black magician, I figured it was natural for Rupert to marry her, but now I couldn¡¯t recommend it. ¡°Chloe¡­?¡± Rupert, who was bowing his head, suddenly looked up to stare at me and muttered stupidly. Advertisements ¡°Yes, Chloe. Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Chloe¡­ Ugh.¡± Again, Rupert shook his head in agony. Looking at him, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t just a headache. ¡°Rupert, Rupert.¡± I grabbed his shoulder and shook him lightly, and he took a deep breath before returning to his senses. ¡°As expected, Chloe was the problem.¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, I watched as Rupert jumped and went down the carriage. Then he looked at me and knelt on the ground. ¡°Rupert, what are you doing?¡± Damon, who had been standing outside, stared at Rupert in surprise. Rupert¡¯s blue eyes looked at me in sorrow. ¡°Please¡­ Could you forgive me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let Chloe go. No, I won¡¯t see her anymore if you don¡¯t like it. So please¡­ Let¡¯s just not divorce.¡± For a moment, I was taken aback and at a loss for words. But since he came out like this, I had to keep my cool as much as possible. ¡°Get up, Rupert. This won¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°Erin, Erin Spilet,¡± Rupert repeated as he crawled on his knees and hung around the entrance of the carriage. ¡°I know how hard it was for you. I stupidly realized my heart too late. You¡¯ll regret it if you leave like this. Erin, you used to love me, look at me.¡± As he spoke, I looked into Rupert¡¯s eyes to see tears welling up. The tears reminded me of the day I sent the divorce agreement. Would the result have been different if our first meeting had been different? Advertisements The answer was no. Although Rupert was a bad husband to Erin, it wasn¡¯t just the reason that I decided to divorce him. I didn¡¯t love Rupert, not even for a moment. No matter how well things changed and we got along, I would only have seen him as a good friend. If I were really Erin, I would have been shaken if Rupert told me he¡¯d abandon Chloe. But, I wasn¡¯t her. ¡°Stop it. I have come to see you as promised, so please sign the agreement.¡± Rupert was silent for a while. I urged him, thinking that I couldn¡¯t waste more time. ¡°Where is the agreement I sent you? Is it in the house?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± As he bit his lip and nodded his head, Damon snuck in. ¡°You there.¡± But Rupert¡¯s heavy voice stopped him. ¡°Stay still, because if you move one step, I will kill you.¡± The way he spoke to Damon was ruthless. His tone made me wonder if this person was the one who desperately clung to me. ¡°Rupert.¡± Rupert, who did not answer my call, muttered as he bowed his head, ¡°If we divorce like this, the Crown Prince will not be safe.¡± ¡°¡­What, what do you mean?¡± Then he raised his head and turned to me. There was still earnestness in the eyes looking at me, but behind it was a mixture of obsession and anger. The sight instantly terrified me. ¡°If you keep the marriage, I will continue to be a strong supporter of Enoch Dwell Rikephoros, but if you divorce me, I will do the opposite.¡± ¡°¡­Are you going to commit treason now?¡± Advertisements ¡°Treason is what you say when you disobey the Emperor. Now, Enoch isn¡¯t an Emperor but a mere prince. He could be deposed at any time.¡± ¡°Rupert¡­!¡± The corner of Rupert¡¯s lips rose when he saw how flustered I was. He seemed to think his words had worked. Of course, what he said about Enoch was shocking. I didn¡¯t know Rupert could say such words so openly. ¡°What do you think? I know you are very close with the Crown Prince. Are you going to betray him? If you lose me, that handsome prince will suffer greatly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re threatening because I won¡¯t hang onto you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that. But it¡¯s better for me to be mean than to lose you.¡± I gritted my teeth in anger. I resented myself for having sympathized with him for a while. It had certainly shaken me to think that Enoch could be in danger. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡¯ ¡°Yes, but it has nothing to do with me if His Highness is in danger. My resolve has not changed. So, Rupert, sign it.¡± I spoke to him wearily, and Rupert looked up at me like a convict sentenced to death. He slowly stood up. I thought he was finally giving up. But as soon as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly rushed into the carriage and started strangling me. ¡°I¡¯d rather lose you like this¡­¡± ¡°R-Rupert¡­Ugh¡­!¡± For a moment, the tremendous pressure made it impossible to breathe. I struggled like crazy, but Rupert was already out of his mind from the start. Advertisements Damon and the knights ran up to him and tried to pull him off. However, since it was a small space, several people could not rush in, and Damon couldn¡¯t withstand Rupert¡¯s power. As soon as Damon pulled out his sword and tried to cut Rupert, Rupert stepped back, grabbed Damon by the collar, and threw him on the floor. Rupert had Damon¡¯s sword in his hand. ¡°Ugh,¡± Damon groaned, grabbing his bloody arm. ¡°Cough, cough¡­!¡± I was able to get out of his grasp. But another problem followed. Rupert kicked Damon as if trying to kill him. Upon closer look, he was smirking, his expression like that of a devil. A chill ran down my spine when I saw him. ¡°You¡¯ve gone insane¡­ No.¡± Rupert¡¯s tremendous momentum prevented the Imperial Knights from attacking hastily. It looked like he was going to stab Damon and kill him if they made a wrong move. I immediately jumped out of the carriage and hugged Rupert from behind. ¡°Rupert, please, stop it!¡± Rupert tried to violently shake me off, but I held on desperately. And soon, he became silent. ¡°Rupert?¡± When I slowly loosened my grip on him, Rupert staggered helplessly, dropping his sword to the ground. I turned around and went in front of him before beckoning the knights to move Damon to one side. Rupert¡¯s blue eyes flickered frantically, revealing confusion. ¡°Ugh, I¡­¡± Was it not his will? Could it be that he was being influenced by black magic? I reached out to him. And at that moment, Rupert pulled away, and our eyes met. The corners of his eyes were all red, and fear was clearly reflected in them. ¡°Ru¡­pert.¡± He ran away mid-call without answering. I looked in the direction he disappeared, my heart pounding at the ominous feeling. CH 86 ¡°Ugh.¡± Damon, who had fallen to one side, groaned and got up. The sound alerted me, and I approached him. ¡°Damon, are you okay?¡± I was about to help him get up, but a hand got ahead and did it instead. I turned to see Enoch supporting Damon, his expression hard. ¡°Your Highness, when did you arrive?¡± ¡°Count Rosen, can you get up?¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, yes, d*mn¡­¡± For some reason, Damon looked resentful. He must have hurt his pride after having been completely beaten by Rupert. After sending off in the carriage I had been in, Enoch approached the townhouse¡¯s front door in silence. I stood beside him and glanced at him. ¡°How¡­did you come right away?¡± He only gave me a side glance before sighing deeply. ¡°Weren¡¯t you almost in deep trouble?¡± ¡°¡­ that¡¯s why I also brought Damon. I thought it would be alright.¡± Advertisements Then Enoch looked at me with icy eyes and slowly reached out his hand to me. I flinched and involuntarily closed my eyes, but I felt a gentle touch around my neck. When I opened my eyes again, Enoch looked at me with a sad expression. ¡°You have bruises.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Did you see?¡± ¡°No, but it was really dangerous. You should have waited for me a little longer.¡± His tone was polite, but it was obvious he was angry. His lower-than-usual voice and cold eyes proved it. It was my first time seeing it. At least for me. As I was focusing my gaze elsewhere, Enoch suddenly spoke to me, still with that voice and that tone. ¡°Can I hug you just once?¡± I must have heard wrong because his tone and what he said didn¡¯t match. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Just once, let me hug you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± He pulled me into his arms. I was wrapped in a wide, firm embrace, and a warm, calm scent permeated my lungs. ¡°Ha.¡± He sighed deeply over my shoulder. Only then did I feel his sincerity. He was worried about me, this man. Advertisements Enoch tightened his grip on me before letting me go. After the warmth disappeared, I quickly felt empty. With his arms crossed and his lips tight, he faced me. ¡°Your Highness, Rupert¡­¡± His expression made me hesitate, but I spoke carefully. ¡°Rupert was strange. At first, he begged me on his knees not to divorce him¡­¡± One of Enoch¡¯s eyebrows raised with a twitch. Haa, what am I saying in this atmosphere? I wasn¡¯t exactly sure why, but I decided to apologize to lighten the mood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I left without saying anything. But, to be honest, I thought it would be more dangerous to let the two of you meet.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°¡­Because the two of you are¡­rivals.¡± Feeling embarrassed for nothing, I stroked the back of my neck as my voice became nothing but a whisper. As Enoch¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, I explained, ¡°Strangely, Rupert¡¯s attitude was a little strange. He was jealous and obsessive, unlike before. But Your Highness also told me¡­ Well.¡± I couldn¡¯t bear to say that he liked me, too, so I stopped. Then Enoch, who had been listening to me the whole time, suddenly pressed me and asked, ¡°¡­Has he confessed? Rupert?¡± ¡°Yes, he did.¡± Then, his cold, emerald eyes flinched. ¡°What did the Count say¡­ Did you answer?¡± Was he nervous? ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I smiled softly. The conversation obviously affected the atmosphere in an instant. I moved close to his face and looked him in the eye. It was cute to see his lips closed in a pout and his raised eyes drooping slightly downward. ¡°Your Highness, I came out today to get a divorce agreement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ Haven¡¯t you liked Rupert for a long time?¡± ¡°Hmm? Me? Ah, um. I¡­ I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± Advertisements For a moment, I almost answered as myself without realizing it. It¡¯s undeniable that Erin liked Rupert. I was flustered and changed my words, but Enoch did not miss that brief moment. The corners of his lips rose slightly. ¡°Count, by any chance¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! The carriage is coming!¡± Looking at the carriage engraved with the Imperial family emblem, it was probably the carriage that had followed Enoch, who had set out first. But Enoch wouldn¡¯t let it go. He grabbed my arm as I was trying to avoid his seat and asked again, ¡°So, what did you say?¡± ¡°What do you mean, what did I say¡­ I said I don¡¯t like him anymore.¡± I murmured, and Enoch, as if he fully understood what I meant, placed my hand on his palm. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Count.¡± The carriage pulled up right in front of me, and I glanced at him before getting in. After Enoch got on, the carriage departed, and I continued, ¡°Rupert will support Your Highness if I don¡¯t divorce him, and if I do¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯ll support Prince Breiman.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s right.¡± He touched his chin and seemed lost in thought for a while. I stared at Enoch and asked, ¡°Will it be all right? I mean¡­Your Highness.¡± ¡°Are you asking if I can safely become Emperor even if I lose Rupert?¡± ¡°Yes. After all, the Clifford family is a force to be reckoned with.¡± If my divorce would weaken the Crown Prince¡¯s power, I couldn¡¯t brush it off. ¡°If I am dethroned and cannot become emperor¡­¡± Enoch¡¯s eyes lit up, and he leaned over to face me closely. ¡°Are you not going to see[1] me?¡± ¡°That¡­ Of course!¡± Advertisements My heart skipped a beat when his handsome face suddenly came upon me while I was completely defenseless. ¡°That¡­ Absolutely!¡± With a blushing face, I calmly turned my head and leaned back against the backrest. ¡°Really? Then I must become the emperor.¡± ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t become Emperor, then the Crown Prince will die, right? Of course, we won¡¯t be able to meet.¡± I pointed out the obvious, then urged him. ¡°Seriously, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°As long as Rupert maintains his lineage and spirit, he will never betray me.¡± Enoch¡¯s certainty puzzled me. ¡°How come?¡± Instead of answering, Enoch took something shiny from his pocket and put it on my wrist. It was a magic stone bracelet. It looked like it had been remade since it had been abandoned on the beach before. ¡°In the distant past, both Clifford and Spilet helped the first Emperor Rikephoros build an empire.¡± As Enoch fastened the bracelet, he suddenly began to tell an old story. ¡°Their achievements didn¡¯t differ that much. However, Clifford was established as a first-grade retainer[2], while Spilet became his vassal. Do you know the difference?¡± I blinked without answering and waited for him to continue. Advertisements ¡°A blood oath. Rikephoros and Clifford are intertwined with it. We swore never to betray each other.¡± It was the first time I had heard of it. I listened more to Enoch¡¯s story, which didn¡¯t even appear in the novel. ¡°So, no matter how heated we were during sparrings, we couldn¡¯t kill each other.¡± ¡°Each other¡­ Does that mean that even the Crown Prince cannot betray Rupert?¡± Enoch nodded. He said that was the bond between himself, who inherited the blood of the archmage Rickeporos, and the Clifford family. Looking at the magic stone bracelet jingling from my wrist, I joked, ¡°There¡¯s some kind of bond here, too, isn¡¯t there?¡± But Enoch stared at the bracelet and didn¡¯t answer. I said it as a joke, but now I was wondering if it was true. My eyes widened as I turned to him. ¡°Hello? Your Highness?¡± ¡°Ah, no. If I were to form a bond, I would prefer a ring rather than a bracelet.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± He was speaking casually, but he suddenly covered his mouth and straightened. On our way back, I asked him a few more times, but Enoch didn¡¯t repeat it. Since I couldn¡¯t help but ponder Enoch¡¯s words, I thought. Rupert must have known about the blood oath. And yet, for him to say something like that, did that mean there was a way to get out of the bond? I stared at Enoch in doubt. Maybe he heard the thoughts in my heart, Enoch seemingly muttered to himself, ¡°But if Rupert¡¯s mind isn¡¯t quite right already, it¡¯ll be a problem I just hope it doesn¡¯t get to that.¡± As he said that, his expression darkened. Advertisements Right before entering the castle, Enoch stopped the carriage in an alleyway. I listened to the quiet conversation outside the window. ¡°Find Rupert. Keep it discreet.¡± ¡°Shall I approach him?¡± ¡°Just watch and report back to me.¡± I couldn¡¯t see the two of them directly while sitting here, but I could figure out their actions from the shadows on the ground. ¡°Ah, right. Take this with you.¡± Enoch took something out of his arms and handed it to the other person. The masked man looked at the item he received, lowered his head once, and his shadow disappeared in an instant. And Enoch immediately got back into the carriage. ¡°Can you show me things like this?¡± But Enoch merely shrugged. ¡®No matter how you look at it, Rupert was out of his mind. Will it be okay?¡¯ Anyway, what would happen to the divorce agreement? I didn¡¯t even get his signature. I couldn¡¯t hold back my sadness, and I sighed. When Enoch heard me, he said, ¡°As soon as we find Rupert, we¡¯ll let you know. But just in case, start preparing for the lawsuit.¡± [1] Enoch asked, ¡®? ?? ?? ????¡¯ (an manna jusil geobnikka?) which translates to ¡®Are you not going to meet/hang out with me?¡¯ but ¡®???¡¯ (mannada) can also be ¡®date/romantically meet,¡¯ so given the context between the two, Enoch most likely meant the latter. [2] Clifford was a ¡®?? ????¡¯, or a first-grade meritorious retainer. There are grades for retainers who have rendered exemplary services to the Emperor. So, the more contributions, the higher the grade. CH 87 ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­¡± Rupert was seized with fear and ended up running. Then his breath rose to the tip of his chin, and he felt as if his lungs would explode, so he grabbed a tree and caught his breath. He still couldn¡¯t believe it. Rupert stretched out his hands and looked at them in disgust. ¡°I, Erin¡­¡± He was furious that she was divorcing him, and the next moment, he had lost his temper. Perhaps, if he had applied a little more strength, then he would have snapped her delicate neck. What made it even crazier was that the memory of that moment was still vivid. Advertisements He hit the trunk with his clenched fist. But no matter how hard he tried, this nasty feeling wouldn¡¯t disappear. Rupert looked around to try to come to his senses. Before he knew it, he was already deep in the forest. He shook his head and began to search for his way. As he walked, he was lost in thought. Erin was determined to go through with the divorce. Finally, he tried to use Enoch as bait, and while she wavered for a moment, she didn¡¯t bite. If he hadn¡¯t seen her hesitate, he wouldn¡¯t have been so angry. As he thought about it, he laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡®So, what do I do now?¡¯ Prince Breiman said he could free Rupert from the blood oath and go to a certain place when he made up his mind. It was a beach not far from the capital. ¡°Mennesia Beach, area twenty¡­¡± A strong knight would take about a day to go on foot. Rupert looked at the sun, guessed his direction, and turned. ¡®If only I could break free from the bondage.¡¯ He reached a proper forest road after walking for a while, and since quite a bit of time had passed, the sun was setting. Advertisements Rupert walked, thinking endlessly, and suddenly stopped on his way. Right now, he couldn¡¯t betray Enoch because of the blood oath. But aside from that, did he really want to rebel against Enoch? Rupert had been feeling inferior to him for a long time now. And after getting entangled with Erin, it added to his jealousy, and he hated him even more. However, he never thought he shouldn¡¯t be emperor. Rupert was also a knight in his own way, learning the knight¡¯s beliefs and way of life. His personal loyalty to Enoch aside, his loyalty to the Calix Empire remained. Enoch was the crown prince of the Calix Empire and the next emperor. Rupert stood by the side of the road and sat down, unable to go either way. Gradually, his chest tightened and heat boiled over in his head. ¡®No, not again.¡¯ It was a symptom he felt before losing reason. Rupert tried to control his emotions by evening his breath, but it wasn¡¯t as easy as he thought. Meanwhile, two people walked out at the end of the road in the direction Rupert was looking at. As he stared, his vision blurry, a familiar face gradually grew closer. ¡°Chloe¡­¡± It was Chloe and Prince Breiman. How did they show up here? ¡°What an idiot. If he got angry, he should have killed them on the spot. Why did he hesitate?¡± It was Chloe. Rupert looked at her in bewilderment. The Chloe he knew was someone who wouldn¡¯t say such words. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate. We would have been able to get the magic stone mine more easily.¡± Prince Breiman covered his mouth with his hand and laughed, while Chloe shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t take more time. Since the Crown Prince has noticed, he will interfere earnestly,¡± Chloe spoke casually to Prince Breimanm then pointed toward Rupert. ¡°Samael¡¯s slave, let¡¯s collect the sacrifice now.¡± Advertisements ¡°Chloe, what are you talking about?¡± Rupert got up and walked towards them, trying to keep himself together. He instinctively looked for the sword by his wait, but he had dropped it earlier and didn¡¯t have it. Chloe didn¡¯t even pretend to hear Rupert¡¯s question; instead, Prince Breiman stood before him and asked, ¡°Well, have you thought about it?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Breiman smiled, looking curiously into Rupert¡¯s eyes. ¡°I asked you to help me. Then I said I would free you from your bond.¡± The blue eyes started to tremble aimlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just need you to help me. Then we will definitely win.¡± ¡°What will happen if I don¡¯t help?¡± ¡°Then it¡¯ll be a little difficult to win.¡± ¡°¡­So, are you confident you¡¯ll win?¡± Rupert frowned and looked Breiman in the eye. He was barely holding on. A whirlwind of boiling emotions had been ordering them to kill those in front of them. In front of him, Briman waved his hand. ¡°Yes. Whoops, you look very tired.¡± ¡°What¡­speak.¡± Advertisements At that moment, Chloe, who was standing behind with her arms crossed, leisurely walked over and poked Rupert¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Stop wasting time. Anyway, this is a very strong body. He has good stamina, and his spirit is pure. That¡¯s probably why he struggled for such a long time. But that¡¯s also why he¡¯ll be a great sacrifice to the Demon King.¡± ¡°¡­What the hell do you mean, Chloe!¡± Rupert groaned and grabbed Chloe¡¯s wrist, but Chloe smiled and shook off his grip. Rupert¡¯s body staggered at that simple movement. He couldn¡¯t believe that the power came from Chloe¡¯s slender arms. Chloe didn¡¯t stop there, grabbing Rupert¡¯s shoulders with both her hands and pressing them down. Unable to withstand the force, Rupert¡¯s knees hit the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s take him and start.¡± ¡°It could be a struggle. He¡¯s not completely brainwashed yet.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if he¡¯s only half-brainwashed. If you summon the Demon Lord, Balinos, humans won¡¯t be an issue. Now, slave of Samuel, get ready to go now.¡± Briman nodded and hurriedly pulled out his amulet from his breast pocket. ¡°Demon¡­Lord¡­?¡± Rupert knew something was wrong and tried to get away, but he couldn¡¯t resist Chloe¡¯s grip. As Breiman muttered an incantation while burning the amulet in his hand, a black magic circle appeared on the ground where they stood. Then, a black mist rose from the circle. As if the fog came to life, it wrapped around the three and spun wildly. And soon after the fog lifted, their figures disappeared without a trace. The masked man watching the scene from the back of the forest looked at the mirror-like instrument in amazement. It was an item that the prince had handed over during the day. The mirror¡¯s surface was made of magic stone, and a spell was inscribed to capture the scene reflected in the mirror back onto the glass. Advertisements It was a very useful yet incredibly expensive magic tool, and it was only used for very important things because it reached the end of its lifespan after three uses. The masked man carefully hid the mirror, then ran toward the Imperial palace. ¡°I thought it was just a prank by some nasty black magician¡­ but they were summoning the Demon Lord. And besides, that woman¡¯s obviously¡­¡± He was well-versed in most things, but the scene he saw now was to the point of regret. Rupert, who had been unconscious, slowly came to his senses. Lying on the floor, he barely turned his head to look around him. Inside the dark building, only a few dim lights illuminated the surroundings. The moment he looked around, Rupert was startled and tried to stand. But an unknown force was pressing him to the floor, and he couldn¡¯t move. People in black robes stood in a circle around him. Then, one of them spoke up. It was Chloe¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯re awake, human. It would have been less painful if you had agreed, but please don¡¯t blame us. Still, your lover has guided you quite well to get here.¡± ¡°What¡­What nonsense are you talking about, Chloe?¡± ¡°Yes, her name was Chloe. Rupert, was it? Your lover was a slave to me, Nivas. Then Prince Briman¡¯s voice interrupted. It was dark everywhere, so Rupert couldn¡¯t tell where the prince was. ¡°Nivas, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Advertisements ¡°Shut up! No matter how much you are Samael¡¯s slave, you are still human. Are you trying to give orders to me, a real devil?¡± ¡°¡­a devil?¡± Rupert muttered as he lay down, trying to infer the conversation. Nivas was commonly known as the demon of ¡®illusion and temptation¡¯. ¡°Was it black magic?¡± ¡°Now that you know, you haven¡¯t noticed you¡¯ve been drinking demon¡¯s blood the whole time. Well, my slave was great at making tea. That was the only thing she was good at.¡± While Nivas muttered excitedly, the round magic circle below Rupert began to glow. The light of the magic circle was dark blue, different from what one usually saw. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± At the same time, Rupert could clearly feel something foreign trying to occupy his head. Rupert resisted desperately, even enduring the massive headaches that were coming in. However, his body was already contaminated with the devil¡¯s blood, and that something quickly and easily consumed Rupert. While Rupert struggled, Chloe¡¯s voice flowed in like a song. Then she came over and leaned over to caress Rupert¡¯s cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, human. You¡¯re not going to be a slave. You¡¯ll become our king, the king of kings, Demon Lord Balinos himself. The more you resist, the more painful it will be.¡± He was getting more and more out of his mind. And soon, Rupert was trapped in deep darkness. CH 88 Do I have to go to court after all?¡¯ I stroked my face with the palm of my hand as I sat before the lawyer who had been introduced by Liam, the Crown Prince¡¯s aide. Damon was also behind me, a bandage wrapped around one arm. I told him it was fine, but he still accompanied me. ¡°Viscount Stevens.¡± ¡°Welcome, Count Spilet. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± ¡°About me?¡± Viscount Ron Stevens began to look over the papers I had filled out with a mysterious smile. But, honestly, I was a bit flustered. Unlike the divorce settlement stage, you had to list your reasons for wanting a divorce in the lawsuit. In the process, I had to endure the spread of unnecessary noise and rumors in the social world. ¡°Well, I must have gotten famous.¡± It was perfect gossip fodder for nobles¨C Erin, who forced a man who didn¡¯t like her to marry her, and Rupert, who kept Chloe as his lover even after such a marriage. Advertisements ¡°I never thought you would push through with the divorce, though. They usually think about it, but there aren¡¯t many who can put it into action.¡± ¡°I see.¡± In this world, infidelity wasn¡¯t normally considered a reason for divorce since it happened too often. In many cases, couples were not bound by love anyway, and aristocratic divorces were resolved by just living with each other or cheating on each other because it was too troublesome to deal with title entanglements, property relations, and various scandals. Of course, that was generally the case, but that did not mean that infidelity was desirable. There was a degree to that. ¡°Hmm, he brought his lover into the house. This could be the reason.¡± There was a case wherein a couple ate breakfast with their respective lovers in their house, but in the case of such a one-sided affair, it was obviously rude to bring the lover into the home. ¡°Did the two have any children?¡± ¡°By two, do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Ah, between Lord Clifford and Lady Andron.¡± ¡°Not that I know of.¡± As we talked, Viscount Stevens¡¯s opinion was that this alone wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Are you saying that an affair alone isn¡¯t enough?¡± ¡°Because faith takes precedence over love. Didn¡¯t you make your wedding vows in front of the High Priest?¡± Advertisements Instead, wasn¡¯t it a great sin to commit adultery after making a vow in front of God? It was unbelievable that the affair itself wasn¡¯t a valid enough reason. It would have been better if they had an illegitimate child together because they could have used that. ¡°Any other reason?¡± After all, the interests of the nobles, and their reasons for divorce, in general, were necessary. And their reasons were usually political or economic. If you think about it, this didn¡¯t even make sense. Political and economic reasons preceded faith, and faith preceded love? No matter my opinion, this was the way of this world. I fidgeted with my fingertips, sighed, and finally confessed it again after thinking about it. ¡°Please keep our conversation a secret until the lawsuit begins.¡± ¡°I never divulge my clients¡¯ affairs. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Since Liam confidently introduced this person, I decided to trust him, too. But, even if he did reveal it, it was just a matter of time before the story spread, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. I told him to story of what happened the day I went to get the divorce agreement signed, of being strangled by him, and of what he had done in the carriage. Advertisements Damon, who was by my side at the time, added a testimony. ¡°Their political stances have changed.¡± ¡°Really? The Duke of Clifford? Oh, I got too excited. Excuse me.¡± Viscount Stevens was surprised that the Duke of Clifford, a well-known supporter of the Crown Prince, might support Prince Breiman. Then, he started writing down the information in his notebook. ¡°By the way, does His Highness the Crown Prince know about this?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Then divorce won¡¯t be a problem. It could shake the Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you to keep it confidential. Until it¡¯s clear.¡± Stevens nodded. As I spoke to him, I remembered the last time I saw Rupert¨Cunstable and fearful. It wasn¡¯t very pleasant to think about the person I was about to divorce, but after seeing him, I couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡®Is he okay?¡¯ I looked out the window, felt a sudden chill, and stroked my arms. Enoch clenched his fists as he stared at the Emperor sitting in the throne room. The Emperor examined the magic mirror Enoch had submitted, and a sound escaped his tightly pursed lips. ¡°So this is it. Who brought this?¡± Advertisements ¡°Viscount Therien, my subordinate to the knights.¡± The Emperor nodded lightly and looked into the mirror several times. ¡°One of them must be Breiman.¡± The Emperor immediately called the commander of the Imperial Knights and ordered him to rush to the palace. He told them to capture Breiman if he¡¯s there, and to search the place if he¡¯s not. ¡°I told him not to step out of the Prince¡¯s palace, but I haven¡¯t heard of any reports that he did.¡± ¡°Perhaps the people in the palace were also brainwashed, or they used black magic to trick them.¡± As the Emperor clicked his tongue, Enoch answered him, taking out evidence of Breiman¡¯s involvement in black magic one by one. In the meantime, Enoch looked conflicted. Then, seeing the expression on his son¡¯s face, the Emperor said, ¡°Judging from the mirror, it seems that Rupert has already been exposed to contamination for a considerable time.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°Are you going to abandon Rupert like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the Emperor¡¯s question, Enoch flinched and lowered his head. Then the Emperor softened his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯m not interrogating you. Rupert is a vassal you will choose when you become Emperor, so you can act according to your judgment.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­¡± Advertisements Then, the commander and his subordinates who had been to the Prince¡¯s palace arrived. ¡°Your Majesty! We have been to Prince Breiman¡¯s palace.¡± In the hands of the knight commander, there were a lot of amulets and a doll made of cloth. He placed them on the floor. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°We found this in his palace.¡± The Emperor and Enoch approached the object on the floor and examined it. ¡°When I asked the courtiers from the Prince¡¯s palace, they were completely unaware that Prince Breiman had left. Some said they saw him just this morning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an illusion.¡± Enoch picked up the rag doll. When he dug up inside it, he also found an amulet. The Emperor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°To think that the Empire¡¯s Prince dabbles in black magic¡­¡± The Emperor muttered pitifully but frowned once in a while as if it were strange. Prince Briman had been a bit suspicious since his birth. The Emperor had only been with Empress Meribel and had never had a concubine. One day, shortly after welcoming the Empress, he woke up drunk on the road to find another woman in his arms. And ten months later, the woman returned holding a baby in her arms, saying it was the Emperor¡¯s. He had the same black hair and green eyes as the Emperor, and the Emperor had something on his mind, so he eventually welcomed him as a son. But while he took in the child as the Empress¡¯s adopted child, he didn¡¯t take the woman as his concubine. At first, the baby showed no magical powers at all. However, from when Enoch was born and showed outstanding talent, he began to show magical abilities little by little. ¡°So, that was black magic?¡± The Empire was turned upside down when two members of the Imperial family exhibited magical abilities that only appeared in one generation. From then on, the aristocracy, which had been divided only behind the scenes, split, and public opinion was divided. Advertisements Meanwhile, an attendant rushed from outside. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°An urgent message came from the temple. They said the Demon King has ascended!¡± The Emperor and Enoch¡¯s eyes met. ¡°An emergency meeting, no, no.¡± If it¡¯s true that the Demon King has ascended, it wasn¡¯t right for him to send troops to wage war. ¡°Call for the High Priest first.¡± After the attendant ran out again, the Emperor turned to Enoch. ¡°So, have you made up your mind?¡± Enoch, who had been silent, slowly closed and then opened his emerald eyes. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± A few hours later, the High Priest arrived before the Emperor. According to the law, the High Priest and the Emperor were of the same rank, but in reality, they were still under the Emperor. After all, it was the Emperor¡¯s authority to appoint a high priest among the priests in the first place. However, it was also true that the Emperor could not command the High Priest he appointed as if he were a subject. ¡°Your Majesty, you called for me.¡± ¡°Is it true that the Demon King has ascended?¡± The Emperor cut to the chase. ¡°Yes, Priestess Christina has received a prophecy.¡± ¡°A prophecy, huh.¡± ¡°Yes, but when she delivered the prophecy, she ran out of energy and soon collapsed.¡± The Emperor nodded, his expression grave. ¡°Priestess Christina is now older too. So High Priest, do you know anything about the War of the Demon King?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in a book.¡± ¡°A book¡­ Well, who in our generation has experienced that? But you seem unconcerned about that.¡± Advertisements The High Priest smiled faintly and said, ¡°There are only two instances of the Demon King¡¯s ascension recorded in history. Once in the distant past, before the Empire was even established, and then when the Empire was born.¡± ¡°The birth of the Empire itself was because of the Demon King. They gathered the scattered forces to deal with him¡­¡± ¡°The first Emperor, Rikephoros, appeared and defeated him.¡± CH 89 The Emperor nodded, giving a slightly incredulous look to the High Priest. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re unconcerned? Do you want me to go out and fight?¡± ¡°No way. Your Majesty is also too old¡­¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m still in full swing.¡± Dumbfounded, the High Priest stared at the Emperor. The traces of wrinkles engraved on the two faces were similar. The Emperor and the High Priest were similar in age and were also alums of the academy when they were young. The Emperor cleared his throat, ignored his expression, and continued, ¡°It looks like Rupert Clifford is involved in this.¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so? I remember him as a brilliant young man, but that¡¯s a shame. But it seems that I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s calm. His Majesty doesn¡¯t seem too worried.¡± ¡°How could that be? It¡¯s such a big deal that the Demon King has appeared.¡± The Emperor rose from his seat and slowly approached the window. He instructed the chamberlain next to him to call someone. ¡°However, this world is strangely balanced. If the Demon King appeared, there must be a countermeasure against it somewhere.¡± ¡°Do you have any guesses?¡± The Emperor looked at the High Priest without a word and just smiled. My anxiety was not unfounded. The news of the Demon King¡¯s appearance spread quickly and eventually reached me. ¡°How about the Crown Prince?¡± As expected, Enoch wasn¡¯t in the office, but the assistant secretary, Viscount Burton¡¯s young lady Mila, answered in a sharp voice instead. ¡°His Highness, the Crown Prince, is such a busy person, he doesn¡¯t have time to meet you leisurely¨CHey!¡± As soon as I realized he wasn¡¯t here, I turned around. I didn¡¯t have the time to listen to Mila Burton. ¡®D-demon King?¡¯ I was taken aback by the unrealistic word ¡®Demon King¡¯ for a while, but this world had magic, monsters, and black magicians. So, it wasn¡¯t strange that the Demon King had appeared. However, when I saw people being agitated, it didn¡¯t seem like it happened often. There were a lot of things I wanted to ask, but there was no one I could hold onto and ask. Because there was something else I was curious about. ¡®Does Rupert have anything to do with the Demon King¡¯s appearance?¡¯ Only Enoch could answer that. As I walked through the hallway, I saw a familiar face coming up the stairs. I hurried down and called him, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Enoch paused when he saw me, then a mischievous grin appeared on his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would welcome me like this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ That is¡­¡± I was indeed happy to see him, but it didn¡¯t mean that either. I was a little puzzled by Enoch¡¯s laid-back attitude. ¡°Have you not heard the news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± He walked a little ahead and asked me. I walked close to him and kept my voice as low as possible. ¡°That, the Demon King¡­¡± ¡°Shh, let¡¯s go to your room and talk.¡± Ah, right. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know. Enoch and I went into my room and sat on the couch. As soon as I sat down, a question popped up. ¡°Did Rupert become the Demon King?¡± Enoch turned to me in surprise, and regardless of his reaction, I followed up with another question. ¡°What will happen when the Demon King comes into the world? Will the world end?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. But why are you so certain that Rupert became the Demon King?¡± Enoch asked me, his tone severe, and I answered after a long blink, ¡°A feeling¡­?¡± Chloe seemed too low a rank to be the Demon King, and Prince Breiman had been using black magic before that, but if he were the Demon King, he couldn¡¯t have endured this long. Judging from Rupert¡¯s words, they have been trying to get Rupert on their side before. ¡°They said that if a black magician used his power frequently, his soul would be eaten by demons. Is the Demon King the same?¡± ¡°No, the Demon King isn¡¯t summoned that way. Instead, black magicians who have contracted with advanced demons use human bodies as sacrifices to summon them. With a body tainted by demonic energy.¡± I got a hint about my hypothesis from his words. Rupert has been with Chloe for a very long time. If Chloe had been a black magician since then, then his body probably was already tainted. ¡°Also¡­ It¡¯s not just Rupert¡¯s forces that they want. Rupert¡¯s body would have been sacrificed.¡± Of course, this was a story deduced from the conclusion that the Demon King had appeared. I was taken aback by the sound of Enoch¡¯s laugh as he stroked the back of his neck. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? If not¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Rupert¡¯s body must have been the medium.¡± Seeing Enoch¡¯s expression sink, my mood also plummeted. No matter how much I wanted the divorce, it was hard to believe the man whose face I had been seeing for a long time became a medium for summoning the Demon King. ¡°Is there¡­a way?¡± Enoch looked at the floor with his head down, then turned to me as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Count Spilet. Ordinary physical force or magic don¡¯t work well against the Demon King.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°And¡­ To defeat the Demon King, we will inevitably have to attack the summoning medium, Rupert.¡± I listened to him, feeling conflicted. ¡°Rupert¡¯s life in the process¡­ I can¡¯t be certain.¡± Enoch clenched his fists and muttered lowly, ¡°I should have intervened a little sooner, but I ended up here trying to catch the body by stepping on the tail. It¡¯s my fault. I never thought Breiman would reach out to summon the Demon King¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, I have something to do, right?¡± Enoch gave me a sad look. And before I could say anything else, Damon knocked on the door from outside. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s chamberlain has come to visit.¡± My eyes met Enoch¡¯s. I lifted the hem of my skirt and curtsied toward the Emperor. When I tried to greet the High Priest by putting my hands together, he suddenly shook his hand and expressed disapproval. ¡°I see His Majesty, the Emperor of the Empire.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be polite to me.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Enoch was also with me. I was nervous to hear the Emperor and High Priest suddenly call for me, but I felt a little relieved that he was with me. The Emperor spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you since the hunting competition. I¡¯ve been hearing news, Count Spilet. Preparations for the development of the magic stone mine are progressing steadily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Your Majesty¡¯s consideration.¡± I answered exactly as I read in a textbook. When the Emperor praised a subject, it was written to reply like this. ¡°I heard it from the Empress a few days ago. Your boldness.¡± ¡°¡­Then, her Majesty must have been angry.¡± ¡°No, I was glad the Empress came to me first and told me after a long time. She never comes first.¡± I just listened to his story with my head down and didn¡¯t answer. In any case, it seemed true that the Emperor¡¯s love for the Empress was extreme. ¡°Why did you call for Count Spilet?¡± Fortunately, Enoch brought up the question I wanted to ask first. ¡°Did you hear the news that the Demon King has appeared?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Then, High Priest, ask the question,¡± The Emperor said, handing over the right to speak to the man next to him. I turned to the High Priest to see his expression, a mix of anticipation and anxiety. ¡°Count Spilet, I heard you have a special ability.¡± The story came out as expected. Enoch tried to step out, but I quickly answered, ¡°Yes, I also found out recently. His Majesty ordered us to go to the temple to have it checked, but it¡¯s been delayed due to personal matters.¡± ¡°Personal matters¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you filed for divorce. You said your reason was Rupert¡¯s change in political stance, that he¡¯d rescind his support for the Crown Prince, yes?¡± My eyes widened as I stared at the Emperor, then lowered my head again and gritted my teeth. You told me you kept your client¡¯s affairs confidential, Viscount Stevens! ¡°Ah, don¡¯t blame him. Viscount Stevens is also a subject of my Empire, so he has no choice but to report this. Don¡¯t worry, though. No one knows yet but me.¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be over if the Emperor knew? I had to be careful not to let the thought come from my mouth. ¡°How can I complain about what His Majesty is doing?¡± ¡°Priestess Cristina and all other priestesses of the past came to the temple after receiving a prophecy. Did Count Spilet receive one, as well?¡± Prophecy? I didn¡¯t remember receiving anything like that. When I opened my eyes one day, I found myself in Erin Spilet¡¯s body. In fact, I didn¡¯t know if this ability started from that time or even after that. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t receive one.¡± Then, the High Priest¡¯s expression became vague. ¡°What kind of abilities do you have, exactly?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­ I can resist brainwashing, black magic¡­¡± ¡°Count Spilet has the ability to purify,¡± Enoch said, defining it as one skill for me. That¡¯s right. He said it¡¯s the power of purification. I couldn¡¯t remember the term well. When he heard that, the High Priest frowned and asked sharply, ¡°Do you use holy water for purification? Of course, that can only be done by a trained priest or a priestess who has been entrusted with a prophecy.¡± ¡°No, I have never used holy water.¡± ¡°Then, do you have an object imbued with divine power?¡± ¡°No, not even that¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, is that true?¡± The High Priest¡¯s eyes were no longer on me. He was looking at Prince Enoch. ¡°It¡¯s true. Priest Antonio can confirm that.¡± However, the High Priest remained skeptical. Then, the Emperor intervened. ¡°Since it¡¯s something we decided to do anyway, why don¡¯t we go to the temple and check it out?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go right away. If you leave it to Priestess Cristina, she¡¯ll know her true identity right away.¡± The High Priest immediately affirmed the Emperor¡¯s suggestion. I had expected this when I was in the room with Enoch earlier. I glanced at him, and Enoch gave a small nod, clearly showing disapproval. ¡°Yes, I understand. However, there is something I would like to ask the High Priest.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s true that I have the ability to purify, what will happen after that?¡± CH 90 The High Priest looked at me, his expression solemn, and said, ¡°As you said, if you can truly perform the power of purification without holy objects or holy water¡­¡± He trailed off and didn¡¯t continue. ¡°We¡¯ll see the results and tell you.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± I obediently followed his will, and when Enoch saw me like that, he urgently called the Emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, me too.¡± ¡°It was promised in advance, so go together.¡± And so we followed the High Priest. Fortunately, Enoch and I rode one carriage while the High Priest rode on the temple carriage he rode. As we got on, I asked, ¡°Your Highness, what will happen to me now? Do you know?¡± Advertisements ¡°Count, let me tell you. Priestesses belong to the temple. They wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to bring them into the temple if it¡¯s a priestess who can purify.¡± ¡°Yes, you said that last time. But I heard there¡¯s a way out.¡± I didn¡¯t hear about the method because we were called out after our conversation in my room earlier. ¡°¡­There is, but.¡± Enoch suddenly hesitated. He was supposed to tell me everything before we reached the temple, so why was he like this now? For some reason, Enoch¡¯s face looked a little flushed. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Enoch rubbed his hand over his suddenly flushed face and nape. When I urged him once more, he slowly spoke. ¡°You can escape it with marriage.¡± ¡°Are priestesses not allowed to marry? That being said, I¡¯m married now. Although I¡¯m in the middle of a divorce.¡± ¡°Not with a normal marriage.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s an unusual marriage? But I don¡¯t want to get married again¡­¡± I was about to get divorced, but now I had to get married again? To be honest, I didn¡¯t like the idea. Not at all. I blinked and looked at Enoch. Enoch tapped his fingers on the carriage window and avoided my gaze. ¡°If the High Priest recognizes the Count as a priestess in the situation where the Demon King is now in Rupert¡¯s body¡­ Divorce will go through without a lawsuit. No, the previous marriage would be null and void,¡± Enoch muttered a little gloomily, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. Even though his head was turned to the window, his eyes were on me. ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that a good thing? Oh, it isn¡¯t.¡± That¡¯s how the divorce would be established, but I would also be forced to live as a priestess. Advertisements ¡°What does the priestess do? How will she live?¡± ¡°As far as I know, you cannot take a single step outside the temple unless there is a special reason. She spends more than ten hours a day in prayer¡­Wake up at 5 in the morning¡­¡± Hell, no. Before Enoch could finish speaking, I grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Your Highness, please help. I can¡¯t live like that.¡± I was an atheist before I came here, and even now, I don¡¯t have the slightest bit of faith. I probably wouldn¡¯t survive living a life like that. ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say you had no intention of getting married again?¡± Oddly, Enoch replied in a gruff voice. Hearing his words, I thought for a moment. ¡°Is it really just that unusual ¡®marriage¡¯ that I can get out? What happens if I don¡¯t follow, and I dunno, run away¡­¡± ¡°It is said that if you are ordained as a priestess in the temple of a goddess, you will not have the heart to run away because of your full faith. Nevertheless, if you do¡­¡± I gulped and waited for the next words. ¡°They said the priestess would die shortly after disobeying the goddess¡¯s order. But, of course, the temple would catch the priestess before that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s completely criminal treatment. What kind of priestess is that?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no priestess who ran away in the first place. The life of a priestess in the temple is said to be rich and comfortable. Praying for ten hours a day is something they do from the heart anyway¡­Of course, that might not be the truth.¡± Enoch spoke calmly and then laughed. After hearing it, I was confused about whether this person was persuading me to become a priestess or encouraging me not to. Anyway, did he mean that the priestesses were happy to accept such a life because of their strong faith? Then¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure it would be fine. ¡°Aah, no way. Then the splendid single life I planned¡­¡± Advertisements Hearing my mumbling, Enoch¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°The splendid single life? Like?¡± I cut him off, ¡°I want to date handsome men¡­!¡± I unknowingly spit out my true feelings. In this world, married people were freer to date than unmarried people. However, some people were more free than married people, and that was the formerly married. ¡°Handsome men¡­?¡± Enoch murmured. And the moment I heard his voice, I realized my mistake. Enoch had feelings for me, so wouldn¡¯t it hurt to hear that? My prediction was right. As soon as I said that, Enoch glanced at me then looked out the window. ¡°Hey, Your Highness. So¡­I mean.¡± I tried to placate him, but he wouldn¡¯t budge, and he wouldn¡¯t even tell me how to escape a priestess¡¯s fate. And when we got off the carriage, he even said, ¡°May you have peace in the blessings of the goddess, priestess-to-be.¡± No way, not that. After assisting me off the carriage, Enoch walked ahead alone. His strides were so swift that I felt like I could barely catch up to him if I ran. ¡°Your Highness¡­!¡± As I ran to catch up to him, a stern voice came from behind me. ¡°This is a place that requires silence. Keep your voice down and behave yourself.¡± Advertisements I was startled and turned around to see the priests who had come out to meet me staring at me. They bowed as the High Priest approached. Enoch was already walking away by himself. As I stared at his back, I felt more and more uneasy. ¡°Please follow me this way.¡± The High Priest looked at me once and then walked ahead, going in a different direction than Enoch. I walked behind the High Priest and looked around inside the temple. I saw the incredibly high ceiling and the pure white pillars that supported it. There were round holes all over the ceiling, where white light poured out. ¡°Where are we¡­¡± ¡°First, we¡¯ll go see Priestess Christina, and then she¡¯ll begin the examination,¡± the High Priest answered my question faithfully. And the tone of his words that followed sank low. ¡°Priestess Christina turns ninety-nine this year. She spent a very long time inside this temple.¡± There was a certain wonder and pride in his tone. But on the contrary, the words sent chills down my spine. Maybe my future¡­No, no. I couldn¡¯t come to this world and live like that. as I calmed myself down and followed him, we went to a place that looked like the temple¡¯s back gate. There was a garden behind the temple that led to a small path. ¡°Where are we going? Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯re going to see the priestess?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°But I heard the priestess can¡¯t leave the temple.¡± The High Priest stopped in his tracks and looked behind me. I turned to see the towering white building. The High Priest shook his head and said, ¡°A temple is not just a building. Any place where priests and priestesses stay can become one.¡± Advertisements ¡°Oh¡­? Then, anywhere.¡± ¡°In this forest.¡± Oh, so even this forest behind the temple seemed part of their domain. As I walked along the trail, a small house caught my eye. One of the priests guarding the place bowed silently. Then, I saw a familiar priest, and I met his gaze. ¡°How is she?¡± In response to the High Priest¡¯s question, Priest Antonio pointed to the back of the house with a bitter smile. When I went there, I saw a small old woman watering the garden. She seemed to struggle to lift the watering can, but her expression looked comfortable. ¡°Priestess Christina,¡± Priest Antonio called her first. Then Christina, the priestess, answered curtly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I can take care of my illness? How long have you been bothering me¡­¡± The priestess looked around, her eyes widening as if surprised by the unexpected figures. Then, she frowned at the High Priest. ¡°What¡¯s up with you again?¡± Did I come here for no reason? Even I felt intimidated by that harsh voice. She was very different from the image of a priestess I had imagined at first glance. She¡¯s like a grandmother who was supposed to live in the countryside. ¡°Priestess, please take a look at this person.¡± The High Priest merely smiled as if he was familiar with her attitude and pushed me forward. I was taken aback, but I tried to say hello anyway. ¡°Hello, Priestess Christina. I¡­¡± ¡°No need for greetings.¡± Advertisements Priestess Christina, picked some kind of fruit and came to me with great strides. And before I could say anything else, she popped the red berries into my mouth, the sweet taste spreading. The tension in my shoulders eased. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Sweet and delicious.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s a waste of fruit to go into anyone¡¯s mouth.¡± Saying so, she took my hand and went inside. I held an old woman¡¯s hand, so it was incredibly fine and soft. When the High Priest tried to follow her, she blocked his entry, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± As soon as I entered, I was amazed. When I turned around, Christina, who had entered earlier holding my hand, had changed into a beautiful young woman with black hair. CH 91 The High Priest looked at me, his expression solemn, and said, ¡°As you said, if you can truly perform the power of purification without holy objects or holy water¡­¡± He trailed off and didn¡¯t continue. ¡°We¡¯ll see the results and tell you.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± I obediently followed his will, and when Enoch saw me like that, he urgently called the Emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, me too.¡± ¡°It was promised in advance, so go together.¡± And so we followed the High Priest. Fortunately, Enoch and I rode one carriage while the High Priest rode on the temple carriage he rode. As we got on, I asked, ¡°Your Highness, what will happen to me now? Do you know?¡± ¡°Count, let me tell you. Priestesses belong to the temple. They wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to bring them into the temple if it¡¯s a priestess who can purify.¡± Advertisements ¡°Yes, you said that last time. But I heard there¡¯s a way out.¡± I didn¡¯t hear about the method because we were called out after our conversation in my room earlier. ¡°¡­There is, but.¡± Enoch suddenly hesitated. He was supposed to tell me everything before we reached the temple, so why was he like this now? For some reason, Enoch¡¯s face looked a little flushed. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Enoch rubbed his hand over his suddenly flushed face and nape. When I urged him once more, he slowly spoke. ¡°You can escape it with marriage.¡± ¡°Are priestesses not allowed to marry? That being said, I¡¯m married now. Although I¡¯m in the middle of a divorce.¡± ¡°Not with a normal marriage.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s an unusual marriage? But I don¡¯t want to get married again¡­¡± I was about to get divorced, but now I had to get married again? To be honest, I didn¡¯t like the idea. Not at all. I blinked and looked at Enoch. Enoch tapped his fingers on the carriage window and avoided my gaze. ¡°If the High Priest recognizes the Count as a priestess in the situation where the Demon King is now in Rupert¡¯s body¡­ Divorce will go through without a lawsuit. No, the previous marriage would be null and void,¡± Enoch muttered a little gloomily, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. Even though his head was turned to the window, his eyes were on me. ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that a good thing? Oh, it isn¡¯t.¡± Advertisements That¡¯s how the divorce would be established, but I would also be forced to live as a priestess. ¡°What does the priestess do? How will she live?¡± ¡°As far as I know, you cannot take a single step outside the temple unless there is a special reason. She spends more than ten hours a day in prayer¡­Wake up at 5 in the morning¡­¡± Hell, no. Before Enoch could finish speaking, I grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Your Highness, please help. I can¡¯t live like that.¡± I was an atheist before I came here, and even now, I don¡¯t have the slightest bit of faith. I probably wouldn¡¯t survive living a life like that. ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say you had no intention of getting married again?¡± Oddly, Enoch replied in a gruff voice. Hearing his words, I thought for a moment. ¡°Is it really just that unusual ¡®marriage¡¯ that I can get out? What happens if I don¡¯t follow, and I dunno, run away¡­¡± ¡°It is said that if you are ordained as a priestess in the temple of a goddess, you will not have the heart to run away because of your full faith. Nevertheless, if you do¡­¡± I gulped and waited for the next words. ¡°They said the priestess would die shortly after disobeying the goddess¡¯s order. But, of course, the temple would catch the priestess before that.¡± Advertisements ¡°That¡¯s completely criminal treatment. What kind of priestess is that?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no priestess who ran away in the first place. The life of a priestess in the temple is said to be rich and comfortable. Praying for ten hours a day is something they do from the heart anyway¡­Of course, that might not be the truth.¡± Enoch spoke calmly and then laughed. After hearing it, I was confused about whether this person was persuading me to become a priestess or encouraging me not to. Anyway, did he mean that the priestesses were happy to accept such a life because of their strong faith? Then¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure it would be fine. ¡°Aah, no way. Then the splendid single life I planned¡­¡± Hearing my mumbling, Enoch¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°The splendid single life? Like?¡± I cut him off, ¡°I want to date handsome men¡­!¡± I unknowingly spit out my true feelings. In this world, married people were freer to date than unmarried people. However, some people were more free than married people, and that was the formerly married. ¡°Handsome men¡­?¡± Enoch murmured. And the moment I heard his voice, I realized my mistake. Enoch had feelings for me, so wouldn¡¯t it hurt to hear that? My prediction was right. As soon as I said that, Enoch glanced at me then looked out the window. ¡°Hey, Your Highness. So¡­I mean.¡± I tried to placate him, but he wouldn¡¯t budge, and he wouldn¡¯t even tell me how to escape a priestess¡¯s fate. And when we got off the carriage, he even said, ¡°May you have peace in the blessings of the goddess, priestess-to-be.¡± No way, not that. After assisting me off the carriage, Enoch walked ahead alone. His strides were so swift that I felt like I could barely catch up to him if I ran. ¡°Your Highness¡­!¡± As I ran to catch up to him, a stern voice came from behind me. ¡°This is a place that requires silence. Keep your voice down and behave yourself.¡± I was startled and turned around to see the priests who had come out to meet me staring at me. They bowed as the High Priest approached. Enoch was already walking away by himself. As I stared at his back, I felt more and more uneasy. Advertisements ¡°Please follow me this way.¡± The High Priest looked at me once and then walked ahead, going in a different direction than Enoch. I walked behind the High Priest and looked around inside the temple. I saw the incredibly high ceiling and the pure white pillars that supported it. There were round holes all over the ceiling, where white light poured out. ¡°Where are we¡­¡± ¡°First, we¡¯ll go see Priestess Christina, and then she¡¯ll begin the examination,¡± the High Priest answered my question faithfully. And the tone of his words that followed sank low. ¡°Priestess Christina turns ninety-nine this year. She spent a very long time inside this temple.¡± There was a certain wonder and pride in his tone. But on the contrary, the words sent chills down my spine. Maybe my future¡­No, no. I couldn¡¯t come to this world and live like that. as I calmed myself down and followed him, we went to a place that looked like the temple¡¯s back gate. There was a garden behind the temple that led to a small path. ¡°Where are we going? Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯re going to see the priestess?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°But I heard the priestess can¡¯t leave the temple.¡± The High Priest stopped in his tracks and looked behind me. I turned to see the towering white building. The High Priest shook his head and said, ¡°A temple is not just a building. Any place where priests and priestesses stay can become one.¡± ¡°Oh¡­? Then, anywhere.¡± ¡°In this forest.¡± Advertisements Oh, so even this forest behind the temple seemed part of their domain. As I walked along the trail, a small house caught my eye. One of the priests guarding the place bowed silently. Then, I saw a familiar priest, and I met his gaze. ¡°How is she?¡± In response to the High Priest¡¯s question, Priest Antonio pointed to the back of the house with a bitter smile. When I went there, I saw a small old woman watering the garden. She seemed to struggle to lift the watering can, but her expression looked comfortable. ¡°Priestess Christina,¡± Priest Antonio called her first. Then Christina, the priestess, answered curtly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I can take care of my illness? How long have you been bothering me¡­¡± The priestess looked around, her eyes widening as if surprised by the unexpected figures. Then, she frowned at the High Priest. ¡°What¡¯s up with you again?¡± Did I come here for no reason? Even I felt intimidated by that harsh voice. She was very different from the image of a priestess I had imagined at first glance. She¡¯s like a grandmother who was supposed to live in the countryside. ¡°Priestess, please take a look at this person.¡± The High Priest merely smiled as if he was familiar with her attitude and pushed me forward. I was taken aback, but I tried to say hello anyway. ¡°Hello, Priestess Christina. I¡­¡± ¡°No need for greetings.¡± Priestess Christina, picked some kind of fruit and came to me with great strides. And before I could say anything else, she popped the red berries into my mouth, the sweet taste spreading. The tension in my shoulders eased. Advertisements ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Sweet and delicious.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s a waste of fruit to go into anyone¡¯s mouth.¡± Saying so, she took my hand and went inside. I held an old woman¡¯s hand, so it was incredibly fine and soft. When the High Priest tried to follow her, she blocked his entry, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± As soon as I entered, I was amazed. When I turned around, Christina, who had entered earlier holding my hand, had changed into a beautiful young woman with black hair. CH 92 When Enoch¡¯s emerald eyes turned to me, I involuntarily flinched and slowed down. Then, the High Priest behind me walked ahead. He looked at the object in Enoch¡¯s hand and said with delight, ¡°Your Highness, isn¡¯t that the Bow of Chaos?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Enoch answered briefly and looked down at the bow. Even at first glance, the silver bow looked precious. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Enoch closed his mouth tightly to my question, and the High Priest answered with a sneaking glance, ¡°The Bow of Chaos was used to defeat the Demon Lord in the past.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very valuable item.¡± Advertisements I tried to hold it, but Enoch returned the bow and handed it to the relic¡¯s caretaker. I awkwardly withdrew my outstretched hand, and after that, the atmosphere became even more chilly. The High Priest awkwardly explained, ¡°I heard that the first priestess used that bow. After that, it was kept deep inside the temple. But, thanks to the appearance of the Demon King, it¡¯s finally seen the light again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that will ever happen,¡± Enoch responded. Then he stared at me and said, ¡°Count Spilet won¡¯t become a priestess, will she?¡± I saw the longing in his expressionless face. If it hadn¡¯t been for that, I might have turned around after hearing such an assertive statement and disagreed with him. ¡°Haa, High Priest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Would you mind stepping out for a moment? I would like to speak with His Highness, the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As if the High Priest had waited for that moment, he led all the other party members out the door. After the door closed, Enoch and I stood there in the large, cool space. ¡°Huu.¡± Before I could speak, I sighed once more. What I was about to tell him was a bit difficult for me as well. Even if I could assume his intentions, I couldn¡¯t carelessly guess what he hadn¡¯t said honestly. Moreover, my own position was not yet clear. Still, a conversation was necessary. Advertisements ¡°Your Highness,¡± my voice echoed through the room. I took a step closer to him, and his eyes trembled lightly. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± His voice was colder than usual, but he sounded more serious than ever. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard it from Priestess Christina, but Your Highness, please tell me again.¡± Enoch waited silently for my question. When I saw him in front of me, my confused mind calmed down. His hair as black as the night sky, green eyes shining softly beneath it, long lashes, tightly closed lips, and strong arms and legs caught my eye. And his sincere eyes stared at me. What was I worried about? Without this person, I probably wouldn¡¯t have come this far. Advertisements With that in mind, my confused mind continued to settle. Up until now, the emotions pushed aside by the recent events calmly surfaced. As I calmed my pounding heart, I asked, ¡°If I don¡¯t become a priestess, what happens next?¡± ¡°We will mobilize an army together with the priests to attack the Demon King and his army.¡± ¡°Then¡­Can you win?¡± Enoch stared at the ground with a calm gaze. ¡°It will be a tough fight, but.¡± He paused for a moment, then spoke with difficulty. He looked like he really didn¡¯t want to say it. ¡°If the Count doesn¡¯t want to do it, you don¡¯t have to. Defeating the Demon King is the Empire¡¯s job, and it¡¯s not something we can force the Count to do. For the Count¡­ Isn¡¯t a splendid single life important?¡± His last words sounded like he was whining. No, he really was. I wanted to laugh out loud when I heard it but managed to hold it in. ¡°Then Rupert will die as the Demon King without ever using your hands.¡± Advertisements ¡°Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for him?¡± Enoch¡¯s voice was more subdued than before. I thought you might misunderstand like this. ¡°I¡¯ll have to accept the momentary discomfort, but not necessarily because of Rupert. It¡¯s just that the situation is¡­ I have no choice but to do it.¡± I deliberately shrugged my shoulders with a light sigh. Unfortunately, Enoch didn¡¯t seem to understand right away. ¡°The life of a priestess is not that simple, maybe because of the stuffiness, but all the priestesses did not live long.¡± ¡°So, are you going to leave me like that?¡± When I saw Enoch¡¯s dumbfounded expression, I picked up the Bow of Chaos lying quietly on the side. It looked heavy, but it was lighter than I thought. ¡°Your Highness. In the carriage, that was, I just said it.¡± I shuffled on my feet and glanced at him. Even though Enoch looked at me, it couldn¡¯t be resolved with just that. ¡°I¡­¡± I moved a little closer and tugged on his sleeve collar. He looked down at my hand for a moment before meeting my gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that splendid single life¡­ I mean. I just hated the thought of becoming a priestess.¡± ¡°But wasn¡¯t it the Count¡¯s sincere desire to meet handsome men?¡± Seeing him so jealous brought butterflies to my stomach. How could this person be so ignorant of himself? ¡°When I say handsome men, who could be better than His Highness, the Crown Prince?¡± Advertisements I turned around and muttered in a low voice that only he could hear. Then I heard the sound of breathing change behind my back. ¡°Count Spilet,¡± his voice as he called me trembled. No matter the situation, I was a little embarrassed to talk like this. Hiding my blushing face, I halfway turned to him. In the dark cellar, only dim lights illuminated his face. People around him watched with bated breath for several days after the ceremony. But gradually, those who were tired came out. ¡°Samael¡¯s slave, do you think this failed? Why is it taking this long?¡± Nimas, in Chloe¡¯s body, asked in concern, and Breiman tried to hide his nervousness. ¡°Records say the previous summons took four days. Today is the third day, so just a little more¡­¡± Nimas was about to say something about it when the lamp¡¯s flame on the wall suddenly flickered as if it were about to go out. Advertisements A cold wind blew from the basement. Then the black magicians began to shudder in the chilly, eerie energy. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s here.¡± At that moment, Nimas was the first to speak. With bated breath, they looked at Rupert lying on the floor. Dark blue smoke flowed out of Rupert¡¯s body. Breiman, excited to see his achievement, raised the corners of his mouth even as he trembled. After a while, Rupert¡¯s eyes flashed open as he lay there like a corpse. At the same time, a black storm blew from all sides, and some weak magicians were blown away by the wind and crashed into a wall, where they died. Breiman and Nimas lay flat on their stomachs and remained motionless until the wind died down. Soon after, the storm subsided, and ¡®he¡¯ stood up with Rupert¡¯s face, Rupert¡¯s body, and Rupert¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I came out to play.¡± When the Demon King opened his mouth, the energy around him disappeared instantly. Only then did Nimas and Briman exchange glances, then glanced up at him. Advertisements ¡°Lord of darkness and evil, Balinos, this lowly slave greets you.¡± Breiman¡¯s tone was thicker than before. Because he used a lot of strength while summoning the demon king, the voice of the demon servant Samael became stronger. ¡°King of kings, it is good to see you like this¡­ ¡± Rupert¡¯s shell walked past Nimas, still on her stomach. However, Nimas, who had been confident until just now, couldn¡¯t say anything in front of him. In fact, the difference in status between Nimas and the Demon King Balinos was so far away that they did not encounter each other in the demon world. Breiman quickly stood up and draped the gown over Rupert¡¯s naked body. And Breiman gulped. Looking closer, he couldn¡¯t feel the devil¡¯s energy at all. At first glance, he seemed no different than the original Rupert. However, it was proof of his strength. The lower the devil, the more he couldn¡¯t hide his demonic energy when summoned and would leave an afterimage of the demon¡¯s main body. So Nimas only maintained Chloe¡¯s face, but her eyes had turned bright red, and the skin hidden under her clothes was dark blue. The Demon King looked behind him and glanced at him. He was terrified at the moment, but since the one looking at him was a familiar face, he didn¡¯t feel as frightened either. Breiman was in a more advantageous position now than the real demon species Nimas, who responded more to magic than to appearance.* ¡°You must be hungry, so we should go outside. I¡¯ll tell them to prepare the food.¡± Balinos raised the corners of his lips as he looked at Breiman, bowing his head. ¡°Samael¡¯s slave, you put a lot of effort into luring this guy.¡± Advertisements ¡°You flatter me.¡± Balinos walked up the stairs ahead and exited the cellar. Breiman made a hideout in a cottage in the woods. As Balinos went outside, the clear morning light shone over his blond hair, blue eyes, and stocky shoulders. On the contrary, Rupert looked much more alive than when he was still Rupert. ¡®As expected, from the outside, it looks like an angel has descended, not a demon king.¡¯ ¡°Then please wait a moment,¡± Breiman said, about to turn around and do his job. ¡°Wait.¡± Balinos, speaking using Rupert¡¯s voice, called Breiman. Even his tone of voice was similar, and it gave Breiman goosebumps. ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°Who is Erin Spilet?¡± CH 93 ¡°How did you know that name¡­¡± When Breiman murmured in surprise, Balinos tapped Rupert¡¯s temple with his finger. ¡°A strong afterimage remains in this guy¡¯s head.¡± ¡°Does the memory of the body remain?¡± Balinos looked in the direction of the capital in amusement. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s interesting. Tell me, who is Erin Spilet?¡± ¡°Just a human woman. She was married to the body¡¯s owner, but I know they weren¡¯t very close,¡± Breiman said, trying to cut off his interest in case the Demon King acted capriciously. Advertisements Demon King Balinos didn¡¯t really respond to that. The corners of his mouth were already raised and telling him that his attention was focused on her. ¡°Get ready. We have somewhere to go.¡± ¡°Are you going on horseback?¡± Breiman asked, knowing he could teleport with magic equivalent to that of the Demon King. ¡°That¡¯s right. If I want to move other humans, I¡¯d have to pretend quite a bit, don¡¯t you think? I won¡¯t take it lightly this time.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll prepare then.¡± Breiman immediately bowed his head. Then a dreary voice, never heard before, resounded through the forest. ¡¸Rikephoros and his empire will kneel under my feet.¡¹ It wasn¡¯t Rupert¡¯s but the devil¡¯s true voice. He did not forget the humiliation he had suffered from the first emperor, Rikephorus. Breiman calmed his trembling limbs and hurriedly prepared. ¡°Really, are you okay?¡± Enoch stood in front of the temple as if he couldn¡¯t bear to leave. Advertisements One could say it¡¯s affection, but it¡¯s already been an hour. My legs were starting to hurt. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll train hard.¡± After I agreed to go through the final ceremony to become a priestess, I decided to stay at the temple and do the necessary training for the Demon King battle. Enoch had been at a loss between his position as the Crown Prince and as a man who cared for me the whole time. ¡°It could be dangerous.¡± I smiled as I saw his perplexed eyes staring at me gently. ¡°You will protect me.¡± As the Crown Prince, he had to take me to the battlefield to reduce sacrifices and safely wage war. However, it was my fate to live as a priestess for the rest of my life. Even if I could escape it through the Crown Prince¡¯s proposal, I couldn¡¯t escape the threat of war with the Demon King. In fact, I hadn¡¯t been as worried as I probably should be because I didn¡¯t know what the war was really like. Enoch sighed, grabbed my hands, and lightly placed his lips on my forehead. Then the priests who came out to meet me cleared their throats and looked into the air. ¡°Ah, that¡­ That¡­¡± Advertisements I couldn¡¯t come to my senses at the sudden public display of affection. The corner of Enoch¡¯s lips tilted upwards. ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay to do this much to your lover?¡± ¡°Lover¡­?¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t the Count proposed to me? Could it be that wasn¡¯t your intention, and you were just making fun of me?¡± With a slight glance, I answered quickly, ¡°No, not at all.¡± Even so, I never thought he would change so suddenly. I averted my gaze, feeling the heat on my cheeks. ¡°Anyway, you should go now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity there are too many eyes watching.¡± Enoch looked very sorry. He barely left after graciously bowing and kissing the back of my hand one last time. After Enoch left, I was free for a while. They said that the final ceremony to become a priestess would take place three days later. I thought about what to do and decided to practice my bow while I figured it out. ¡°Can I practice with the Bow of Chaos?¡± When I asked the High Priest, he hurriedly shook his head. ¡°Since that bow consumes divine power with each shot, if you want to practice, I will provide you with a practice bow.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I took the wooden bow I received and went to the gym. Paladins usually trained there, but now it was empty. Advertisements Damon decided to teach me how to practice my bow. Since he had an audience with the Emperor, Damon left later than I did, arriving just before Enoch had left. ¡°Lady, brace your legs. Spread your arms¡­¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°No, please give it to me.¡± Seeing Damon holding the bow, I suddenly remembered the hunting competition. Even then, he briefly taught me how to shoot an arrow. Come to think of it, he was still young then, but now he had become pretty manly. Seeing how drastically he changed in just a few months was amazing. As I watched him, I asked what came to mind, ¡°But really, why did you agree to become my escort knight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it now.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Damon put down the bow and stared at my face. Embarrassed by his persistent gaze, I rubbed my cheek. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do I have something on my face?¡± ¡°Just before¡­ With His Highness, the Crown Prince¡­¡± I stared at Damon, who had trailed off. ¡°Damon?¡± ¡°What you said.¡± Damon sighed, rubbed his face, and suddenly raised his bow to the target. Ping¨C. The arrow flew and hit the center of the target. After that, he stuttered, ¡°No, Lady. I must have been crazy for a while.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Advertisements Damon muttered something incomprehensible to himself before abruptly going down on one knee in front of me. Then, he suddenly cried out, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! No matter who the lady likes or where you are, even if you become a priestess, I will protect you unconditionally.¡± I looked down at him in surprise, wondering why he was doing this. ¡®Perhaps¡­?¡¯ ¡°Damon, please stand.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady.¡± He stood up gallantly, but I looked up at him with a little pity. ¡°Perhaps¡­ If you find it difficult to do this¡­¡± ¡°No, no, absolutely not.¡± Before I could finish speaking, Damon repeatedly denied it, then hurriedly handed me the bow again. ¡°Come on, take your position. I will make sure you can use it against the Demon King.¡± He was avoiding the subject, so there was nothing I could do. In fact, one was unlikely to find an escort knight like Damon again. ¡°Please take care of me, teacher.¡± This was how I got used to life in the temple for a while¨C I woke up at 5AM, took a bath, and after breakfast, I did physical training at the field outside and learned how to shoot an arrow. Advertisements After lunch, I had to pray in the prayer room. Since I was initially basically an atheist, I really couldn¡¯t believe that god existed. So at first, I didn¡¯t know what to pray for, so I just sat there to pass the time. But as I thought about it, if there were a demon king in this world, naturally, there would also be a god. So, as I understood and squeezed out my lack of faith, a thought naturally came to my mind. Because of this, I kept repeating the phrase, ¡°Please protect this world from the Demon King.¡± That was really all I could ask god for in prayer. In any case, I could see that the divine power that had been dormant in me gradually activated due to my clumsy priestess life. Originally, priestesses heard the goddess¡¯s voice during this process, but that hasn¡¯t happened to me yet. Before falling asleep, I practiced purifying by receiving the magic of the black magician I had intentionally invited. In the meantime, I didn¡¯t recognize that it was happening without my knowledge, but when I concentrated on practicing, this also consumed more stamina than I thought. Until now, morning training had always been with Damon, but I had to do it alone since Damon was away today. Advertisements I dressed in comfortable, loose-fitting athletic clothes and held my head high. As I went out, I caught a glimpse of myself through the window, and the sight brought a hearty smile to my face. After all, a natural look couldn¡¯t be this pretty. It would be a national loss for me to live as a priestess. The final ceremony to ordinate me as a priestess had been decided for tomorrow. It had been exactly two weeks since I had been here. It was now the season when the wind was blowing quite coldly, but the noon sun was warm. I tried to block the light with my hand and looked at the sky, but I frowned. Certainly, as the divine power within my body became stronger, it became more clear¨C I could see the demonic spirit shimmering somewhere in the east. ¡®Rupert really¡­¡¯ I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t worried at all. I¡¯d been turning a blind eye all along, but I didn¡¯t think the last sincerity he showed me was just obsession. Without taking my eyes off the dark-clouded eastern sky, I thought for a moment about the last part of this novel. Rupert proposed to Chloe despite his father¡¯s objections after Erin Spilet¡¯s own demise. There were minor incidents in between, but most were developments in which Chloe was in danger and Rupert rescued her. Due to their strong love, Enoch, the second male lead, had completely given up on Chloe. Then, the story ended with Rupert and Chloe happily married amid Enoch and many others¡¯ blessings. What happened after that didn¡¯t appear in the novel. If, in the world now, I had died and Rupert and Chloe had gotten married, what would have happened after that? And could Enoch have safely become emperor? Advertisements And if, just in case, if Enoch and I couldn¡¯t stop the Demon Ding, what would happen to this world? The new sense of responsibility made me nervous. I suddenly thought that the wooden bow, which was light until now, was too heavy. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± While I was lost in my thoughts, someone approached me and started talking to me. When I looked back in surprise, I saw Enoch had come to the temple without prior notice. CH 94 ¡°Oh, Your Highness. When did you arrive?¡± Instead of answering my question, Enoch took the bow from my hand and touched my hand with his other. I still had unripe calluses on the index and middle fingers from pulling the bowstring. A wrinkle formed between his brows. ¡°Aren¡¯t you training too hard?¡± ¡°I still have a long way to go. I still haven¡¯t learned how to shoot anything that moves.¡± You never know how things will change during a war. It was relatively easy to hit a stationary target while standing upright now, but it was still difficult to hit a target with my opponent and me moving. While staring at my hand, he suddenly took a glove from his pocket and put it on one of my hands. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Your Highness¡¯s?¡± ¡°I have time, so let me help you a little.¡± Advertisements It was a relief he didn¡¯t stop my training. It would be rather annoying if he fussed over me and acted overprotective. He silently put the glove on the other hand as well and looked around him. Then, he dropped a fruit from a high branch with just his gaze. So that must be magic, a really coveted skill. Enoch picked up the fruit and showed it to me, the fruit slightly larger than an apple. ¡°It¡¯ll move, so shoot it.¡± ¡°Yes? How?¡± Enoch suddenly threw the fruit before the target, the fruit now floating in front of it. ¡°That¡¯s no different from just hitting a target¡­¡± The fruit, which seemed frozen, soon began to move erratically to and fro. Enoch kept his eyes on the fruit for a moment before coming to me. Woah, now that thing seemed to be moving automatically. ¡°Can you use magic just like this? It¡¯s just training.¡± ¡°Of course not. You¡¯ll be my consort[1], so you¡¯re getting special treatment.¡± My breath hitched when I heard him say those words so casually. Really, this guy comes in right out of the blue. Actually, there was also a moving target for training here. However, it moved in a fixed direction and speed, so it was easy to get used to it, and at the end of the day, it was far from real combat. Advertisements So, I thought that training like that would definitely help. However, when I saw it, I couldn¡¯t help but stare. But along with the warmth wrapped around my back, someone else held the bow instead of me. Enoch stood behind me and took my place. ¡°Take it easy on your shoulders and leave it to me. Keep your eyes on the target.¡± As he said, I focused on the moving fruit, but my mind was focused elsewhere¨C the soft breathing by my ears, the firm, warm chest against my back, or the large hand holding the bowstring over my own. In the meantime, Enoch pulled the bowstring with my hand, and in an instant, the arrow flew into the air. The space was obviously empty, but a fruit appeared in the direction the arrow flew. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the fruit you controlled? How did you predict the direction?¡± A chuckle echoed close to my bewildered voice. I twisted my body out of his arms and said, ¡°Please, do it again.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± We tried it again with a different fruit. Without Enoch¡¯s help, I shot an arrow at the fruit, but it flew through the air and landed on the ground. The fruit did somersaults in the air, but the good thing was that they came back without having to pick up the arrows one by one.* I turned and looked at Enoch. ¡°Please teach me magic next time.¡± No matter how I looked at it, magic was too deceptive. Enoch blinked, smiled again, and answered, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking at you the whole time, but¡­ magical talent¡­¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know until you try.¡± Advertisements ¡°All right. When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Enoch raised both palms in defeat. Honestly, I was slightly annoyed by his reaction, but his smile was so pretty that I loosened my clenched fists without realizing it. I kept shooting arrows, but I couldn¡¯t hit a single shot until the priest came to pick me up, saying that I had to go back to the prayer room. Enoch patted me on the shoulder as I entered sullenly. ¡°Then, do your best.¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow before the ceremony begins.¡± I looked back in regret, but he left after saying goodbye. It seemed he really took some time to come to the temple. The thought distracted me all day, so I couldn¡¯t concentrate on prayer today. I was still unaccustomed to my life now. The next day, I woke up early, took a bath, and changed clothes. I wore a white silk dress and a long, thin white cloak wrapped around my shoulders. I didn¡¯t wear make up, just brushed my hair neatly. This place was off-limits, so even my maids, Jenny and Lia, couldn¡¯t enter. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to dress up too much. While I waited, someone knocked and came in. It was Christina. Because she was inside the temple, she had a youthful appearance. As she walked over to me, my face slightly pale, she grinned and pinned a brooch on my chest. ¡°You might fall while doing it.¡± ¡°Is it that hard?¡± Advertisements ¡°Well, each person is different, but¡­ it¡¯s mental.¡± Christina tapped her forehead and grabbed my hand to raise herself. ¡°The priestess ordination ceremony is supposed to be supervised by the same priestess. Let¡¯s go.¡± I followed her down the hall and asked her questions. ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°Well, each person is so different. It might take several days at most, but it could be over in half a day.¡± The ordination ceremony must have been different from what I had imagined. Didn¡¯t it move in a certain time and order? I thought the priests would attend, but only the High Priest, Enoch, and Priest Antonio were in the temple. And between them lay something familiar yet foreign. It was a coffin. My eyes widened as I approached them. ¡°This¡­ What is that?¡± ¡°You can lie down comfortably here.¡± I looked incredulously at the High Priest¡¯s smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be very comfortable. I¡¯m not a vampire.¡± At a glance, Enoch didn¡¯t look too happy either. Advertisements ¡°I also did this. If you fall asleep here, it will be over when you wake up, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± I took Enoch¡¯s hand and carefully went into the coffin. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t plan on closing the lid. Then, he sat beside me, his hand still holding mine. ¡°I¡¯ll stay by your side until you wake up.¡± ¡°¡­We don¡¯t know how long it will take.¡± Even as I said that, I tightly held his hand. The High Priest brought holy water, and Priestess Christina held her beads in her hands and recited her prayers. When I widely opened my eyes, she smiled and closed them with her hands. ¡°It won¡¯t be dangerous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I heard Enoch¡¯s voice, and I listened to the voice of the priestess answering something, but it was getting quieter and harder to understand. Soon, I fell asleep, and my consciousness fell into the darkness. A while later, I woke up to the sound of dripping water, but I was trapped in darkness when I opened my eyes. I couldn¡¯t tell which end was the floor and which was the wall, and my mind was hazy. I fumbled on the floor for a moment before getting up and slowly approaching where I heard the sound. I thought it was close, but it took quite a while to reach the destination, a pond. Advertisements The surface of the water rippled in the darkness. Feeling like I could see something inside, I sat on the floor and looked into the water. I couldn¡¯t see it well at first, but as I looked more closely, the outline became clearer and clearer. And I witnessed an amazing scene¨Cit was the world I had lived in before. Then, amid the silence, I heard a sound that seemed to be shouting from a distance. ¡®Hyerin, Hyerin, wake up¡­!¡¯ Hyerin, my foreign name, now sounded vague. It was strange and awkward to see my family members entering my room and holding onto my body, not knowing what to do. After coming here, I was deliberately reluctant to think deeply about my previous world. Not only would it make it difficult to adapt to this world if I thought about it, but it would also make me feel lonely and scared on days when those memories haunted me. And the scene quickly changed. It showed the marriage of my friend and ex-boyfriend. The two of them were happy for a while, but the fights became more and more frequent, and every time they fought, they mentioned my name. For some reason, I laughed out loud. I half-mindedly watched the fast-moving scenes, but when one scene appeared, I flinched. ¡°That¡­¡± Advertisements It was me lying in a hospital with all sorts of devices. Then, along with the cries of the family members, a white cloth came up and covered the face. In that scene, I unconsciously reached for the pond. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± But before I knew it, the stagnant water had frozen solid. And I, Erin Spilet, could see my reflection on the frozen surface. It was a strange feeling. Obviously, I was a person named Hyerin, but it felt strange that I felt more like Erin and that Hyerin was someone else. I put my hand on the ice and carefully studied my reflection. At that moment, the ice melted rapidly. My center of gravity shifted, and I fell into the pond. ¡°Ahh, save¡­!¡± While struggling to breathe, a hand forcefully pulled mine. CH 95 ¡°Count.¡± ¡°Haa, cough, cough.¡± When I came to my senses, I was sitting in the coffin, coughing and coughing. ¡®What? That dream. Why did I see the previous world? And also the me of that world¡­ is dead.¡¯ Why did I have a dream related to my personal past during the ordination ceremony to become a priestess? In the final scene of my dream, I became Erin Spilet. And when I faced Erin¡¯s reflection, her old memories came back. But it wasn¡¯t just memories. Even her feelings for Rupert came in full force, causing pain in my chest. Now that I discovered he¡¯d become the Demon King when Erin¡¯s old feelings were added to it, I felt like I was about to burst into tears. Advertisements But the reason I didn¡¯t was because of the person next to me. Enoch still held my hand tightly and patted me on the back. My whole body was drenched in sweat. I couldn¡¯t cry in front of this man because of Erin¡¯s past love for Rupert. With my eyes straining not to cry, I looked around to see that it was already dark outside the window. It was night. ¡°I¡­ How¡­¡± The High Priest wasn¡¯t there, and Priestess Christina was dozing in the chair on the side. And Enoch, as promised, was by my side. As my shaking body gradually calmed down from the hand firmly holding my shoulder, I remembered every moment of my dream. Still in a daze, I saw Christina approaching us. She recited a prayer as she touched my head, forehead, and lips with her fingertips. Then, my consciousness, which had been erratic until then, gradually regained stability. ¡°Good work, go in now and get some rest.¡± ¡°Is it¡­ Is it over?¡± ¡°Almost. It¡¯ll be over once you come here tomorrow and formally greet the priests.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Thank you.¡± Enoch helped me get up, but I staggered because my legs had lost strength. So, Enoch lifted me and hugged me before I even had time to be embarrassed. I was a bit embarrassed, but Priestess Christina seemed uninterested, busy arranging the sacred relics around her. I didn¡¯t have the strength either, so I just leaned on Enoch¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­How long did it take?¡± ¡°About six hours.¡± Answering my question faithfully, he raised his arm and hugged me again. I remained silent until Enoch went to my room and put me on the bed. Advertisements The tangled memories still confused me, but the warmth of the arms tightly holding me helped calm my emotions. ¡®Erin¡¯s feelings¡­ are in the past. And now, I promised a future with this person.¡¯ When he sat me down on the bed, I finally looked up and met his eyes. Enoch stroked my head and said, ¡°You worked hard. Get some rest.¡± Was it because I had the dream? For some reason, I felt terribly lonely. Unknowingly, I grabbed the hem of Enoch¡¯s robe as he turned and tried to leave. ¡°Count¡­?¡± When he looked back in more than necessary surprise, I muttered, ¡°Oh, that¡­ I¡¯d like to talk to you. If you¡¯re not busy¡­¡± I flushed because I realized he might misunderstand my intention. Enoch sat next to the bed, avoiding my gaze as his face flushed, and I knew I was right. Then he lifted the blanket and put it over my body. Only then did I realize that my body was still intermittently shaking. I stared blankly at Enoch. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Perhaps because of my anxiety, I felt the urge to tell him everything. I thought that if even one person knew the real me, I¡¯d be a little less lonely. ¡°Your Highness, actually I¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t given much thought to how he would take it. However, Enoch¡¯s calm gaze put my heart at ease, and I just wanted to confide in him. ¡°I¡¯m not Erin Spilet.¡± I threw it like that and looked at Enoch¡¯s reaction. Enoch¡¯s eyes widened slightly, but his calm expression soon returned. ¡°I, so. On the wedding day, I possessed Erin Spilet. I mean¡­ My original name was Hyerin¡­¡± The more I talked, the more confused I was. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was saying the right thing. In my dream, I was already Erin Spilet. I even remembered all of Erin¡¯s memories. Her memories weren¡¯t from a book and remained as mine. Then who was I now? ¡°Ah¡­¡± I tried to cover my head with both hands, but Enoch¡¯s warm hand held one. He began to speak softly. ¡°While you were asleep, I had a little talk with Priestess Cristina.¡± I waited patiently for his next words. ¡°The priestess ordination ceremony is different from that of ordinary priests, and it¡¯s a ceremony to put the scattered fragments of the spirit back into place.¡± ¡°Scattered fragments of a spirit?¡± Advertisements ¡°Count, you just said you weren¡¯t Erin Spilet.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really know. I¡¯m definitely not from this world. No, I knew I wasn¡¯t. But after the dream I just had, Erin¡¯s memories came back¡­¡± As I spoke, the emotions that I had suppressed came back. I bowed my head, not knowing what to do with the tears flowing down my face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, suddenly.¡± Enoch wiped my tears and calmly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know because I haven¡¯t studied theology either, but apparently, the moment the priestesses are born, their consciousness becomes fragments scattered to another world.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You said a while ago that you¡¯re not from this world, that Hyerin and Erin Spilet, who¡¯s here now, are the same person. Fragments of consciousness lived in different worlds.¡± I blinked as I dazedly listened to his words. I didn¡¯t fully understand it, but I thought I knew what he meant. Indeed, the current me had memories of Hyerin as well as memories of Erin. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure why that happens. However, we know that the first emperor, Rikephoros, went through the same thing. And that gave him a special power.¡± I nodded slightly while I listened to his story, and soon enough, my tears stopped. ¡°There were times when I thought that might be the case. After the wedding, you didn¡¯t think of Rupert at all¡­¡± Enoch stared at me with a strange look in his eyes. After a moment¡¯s pause, he said, ¡°If the memories come back¡­ By any chance, Rupert again¡­¡± He trailed off. I knew what he was going to say. I changed my hand¡¯s position, covered his own, and grabbed it. Then, I shook my head. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just that I didn¡¯t care. The lingering feelings and pity for Rupert were buried in Erin¡¯s memory, but it was not enough to be shaken by it. Advertisements When I saw Enoch¡¯s relief, I knew I had made the right choice. I didn¡¯t want him to feel unsettled at this point. Enoch, who looked depressed, smiled faintly and stroked the back of his neck. ¡°Haa, I showed you something unpleasant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy to look unpleasant with Your Highness¡¯ face.¡± As soon as I answered, Enoch¡¯s eyes widened. It was adorable to see that this person had a naive side. ¡°Memories of the previous world and those of Erin¡¯s now suddenly came together, so I was confused. I didn¡¯t know that the ordination ceremony would be like this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The hard work is over.¡± Knock, knock¨C. A priest shouted outside the door. ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. A person claiming to be your aide¨CHey, look!¡± Bang, bang¨C! ¡°Your Highness, are you there?¡± ¡°Tsk,¡± Enoch clicked his tongue as he approached and opened the door. Then Liam, whose face was flushed red, stepped inside with a sigh. ¡°Your Highness! How long are you going to keep me waiting? Do you know how much work is piled up¨Cmph¨C!¡± Advertisements As soon as the door opened, Enoch covered Liam¡¯s mouth at the nagging that poured in like a storm. Then, he mumbled something and pushed Liam out the door before closing it again. Embarrassed, he leaned against the door and stared at me. I teased him and asked, ¡°Your Highness, you must be busy. By the way, how many hours have you been here?¡± Then Enoch strode forward and rushed to make an excuse. ¡°Liam is just making a fuss. Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Bang, bang, bang¨C! But Liam was still pounding on the door, so I finally gave Enoch a push on the back. ¡°Hey, come on, go. The Crown Prince can¡¯t be negligent about country affairs.¡± Enoch looked at me with eyes that seemed to keep his feet on the ground, but I didn¡¯t think this person should be here for this long. He sighed heavily and opened the door again. ¡°Ugh!¡± Liam, who had been leaning against the door and knocking on it, stumbled, but Enoch didn¡¯t even spare him a glance. He looked at me affectionally. ¡°I¡¯ll come to see you in a week.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll train hard.¡± After a brief kiss on the cheek, Enoch left the room. When he left, and the door closed, a deep silence fell. I trudged over to the bed, sat down, put my legs together, and hugged them with both arms. It was a day I was grateful for and sorry for Enoch¡¯s kindness. So, I prayed and prayed that Rupert¡¯s afterimages would end today. Advertisements And I replayed the story in my head. So, the fragments of my consciousness have lived as Hyerin and Erin, respectively, and at the same time merged into Erin¡¯s body when Hyerin died. Was that possible? No matter how much I thought about it, it wasn¡¯t something I could easily come to terms with. I stopped thinking about it and went to the bathroom to wash up. CH 96 Demon King Balinos, in Rupert¡¯s body, looked around at his subordinates¨CSamael¡¯s slave Breiman, the demon Nimas, several black magicians and brainwashed knights, and even private soldiers from families that supported Prince Breiman. Balinos shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°How can it not be with the King? We just need to wipe out all those human bastards!¡± Nimas, still in Chloe¡¯s body, flattered him with a sad smile on her face. ¡°You stupid devil, if you kill all humans, the power to maintain the Demon Realm will also disappear. Preserving the number of humans to a certain extent but fostering fear and hatred is what helps the Pandemonium.¡± Balinos looked at her pathetically, then said to Breiman, ¡°There must be a reason for using this body to summon me.¡± Breiman smiled to himself and answered, ¡°Of course. The Clifford soldiers have comparable skills and weapons to the Imperial Army. Just call them to join us with the Lord¡¯s authority.¡± ¡°Good, good. Which one is of higher standing, you or this body?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s me. Because I¡¯m a member of the Imperial family.¡± ¡°Then, from now on, treat me as you normally would. That won¡¯t arouse suspicion.¡± ¡°Do you mind if I do? But it would be better to persuade the Knights of the Clifford family to avoid anyone¡¯s suspicion.¡± Then Balinos mounted his horse with a sinister grin. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Erin Spilet was the wife of this body?¡± Breiman¡¯s face hardened at his words. Advertisements ¡°But she¡­ She¡¯s probably a priestess. It¡¯s in conflict with the Demon King, so you have to kill her as soon as you see her.¡± ¡°A priestess? Hahaha, that would be more fun. Anyway, from now on, just do what you normally do. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, Duke Clifford.¡± Read at Novel Endeavors. Certainly, unlike the lesser demon Nimas, the Demon King was no fool. On the contrary, he was smarter and more cunning than most humans. Breiman swallowed hard and mounted his horse, then headed for Clifford manor, guiding Balinos. The ordination ceremonies were over. After the High Priest declared so before the priests, the event ended with a prayer of blessing with them. I thought the ordination ceremony was just a ritual, but I could clearly feel the divine power in my body after it. I could now pull it out and use it proficiently at my fingertips. ¡°Wait a minute, Priestess.¡± I was about to return after the ceremony, but the High Priest called and stopped me. Then, he pointed to the paper on the podium. ¡°You have to sign here.¡± As I read the paper carefully, I realized it was an oath to annul my marriage with Rupert. Feeling a bit calm, I grabbed the quill and looked at the paper. ¡°Can I just do it on my own?¡± ¡°Yes, because you can¡¯t call the Demon King here and have him sign it. It has already been approved by me and His Majesty, the Emperor.¡± Right before signing it, my hand holding the pen trembled slightly. ¡®Goodbye, Rupert.¡¯ After blinking my reddening eyes and finally signing, I made a vow to myself. ¡®Even so, I¡¯ll definitely save you from the Demon King.¡¯ After that day, I devoted myself to training more. No matter how well I could use my holy power, it would be useless if I couldn¡¯t hit the enemy with my bow. I tried it while walking and running, and I also shot while riding a horse. The hit rate was still low, but it was still meaningful to improve day by day. Then one day, a person came to the temple. His face was tattered, like someone who had barely escaped a battlefield. Damon found him dying and brought him back. Apparently, the person called my name when he lost consciousness in front of the temple. So when I went to see him, I saw a familiar face. ¡°Richard¡­?¡± Advertisements It was Richard, a loyal knight of the Clifford duchy. When I left the manor, I was worried that I never got to say goodbye to him. ¡°We¡¯re done with the first aid, but he still hasn¡¯t come to his senses because of the severe pain.¡± Richard was seriously injured, but his face was blue as if he had been poisoned. He had yet to call the priest. I looked at my hands and thought for a moment. I haven¡¯t formally learned it yet, but since I had divine power, wouldn¡¯t I be able to use healing magic to some extent? With that thought in mind, I placed my hand on Richard¡¯s chest. Then, with a short prayer, I tried to capture the energy in my body and slowly let it out through my fingertips. Then a very faint beam of light came out of my hand and penetrated his body. Read this translation novel at Novel Endeavors. Just in time, Priest Antonio, whom I had called in advance, came, and I quickly removed my hand. ¡°Why are you stopping? You¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°Really? I was afraid that something might go wrong.¡± ¡°It is a very clean and pure healing technique. You seem to be much better than me.¡± ¡°Is this how you do it?¡± Advertisements ¡°Yeah, just¡­ ¡± He taught me how to make fine adjustments by changing the position of my hands. ¡°Divine power is not infinite. It would be better to save it when you can.¡± According to his advice, my healing definitely reduced the waste of divine power. After some time had passed, Richard suddenly stood up and gushed blood. ¡°Cough, cough¡­!¡± ¡°Towel, bring me a towel!¡± Richard, who had been coughing up blood, spat out words urgently, ¡°Madam, cough, the Duke, he took all the soldiers of the territory, cough, cough.¡° ¡°You mean the Demon King took the soldiers?¡± ¡°D-Demon King? My god¡­ How can it be¨Ccough, cough!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard and talk slowly.¡± Damon put Richard back on the bed, and Richard gasped for breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was the Demon King. He just suddenly asked for military service without stating his reason, so I opposed it. Seeing that even Prince Breiman was by his side¡­ It looked like he¡¯s trying to betray His Highness, the Crown Prince, cough.¡± ¡°Right now, the Demon King is inside Rupert¡¯s body.¡± ¡°H-how, how could he¡­¡± ¡°How was it? How did he look?¡± Richard looked confused. With shaky eyes, he tried to recall what had happened. ¡°He¡­ He looked exactly the same. It was just Duke Rupert himself. The knights in the castle probably didn¡¯t know and followed him.¡± Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone in the room hardened. I immediately told Damon, ¡°Damon, I need to tell His Highness about this. Please go quickly.¡± ¡°Will you be okay by yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only be inside the temple. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡± With Damon gone, I focused on the treatment once more, infusing more divine power into Richard¡¯s body. Advertisements Richard muttered incredulously, ¡°Demon, Demon King¡­¡± He looked astonished. The news that the Demon King had ascended had already spread widely from the temple, but only a few people were aware of who it had ascended on. However, if the soldiers wearing the Clifford coat of arms moved, it would be impossible to keep quiet any longer. I put Richard, who had been moaning in pain, to sleep to recover quickly. ¡°Please let me know when he wakes up.¡± ¡°Yes, Priestess.¡± I left the nursing care to another priest and came out. ¡°Army¡­¡± Since he was with Prince Breiman, I had somewhat expected that they would mobilize an army. However, now that they did it, even if it wasn¡¯t because of black magic, the sacrifice of the soldiers was inevitable. Prince Breiman¡¯s side had also been working so far, so he would never back down. The casualties might be more significant because of the political fight between humans than one against the devil. ¡®Is there anything I can do?¡¯ Defeating the Demon King as quickly as possible was the only thing I could do in the end. I put on light armor and tied the Bow of Chaos behind my back. It¡¯s a rather large bow, but amazingly, I can barely feel the weight. ¡°Use it only when absolutely necessary.¡± The High Priest made me promise so several times. He mentioned that the Bow of Chaos consumed divine power with each shot. ¡°Yes, I will keep that in mind.¡± I also got a dagger just in case and hung it from my belt. Just as I was finishing my preparations, I heard footsteps outside. When I turned around, Enoch and other knights came to pick me up. ¡°Priestess.¡± He addressed me as ¡®Priestess,¡¯ not ¡®Count.¡¯ However, Enoch¡¯s eyes widened as he looked me up and down. Why? ¡°Why? Is it because I¡¯m so pretty?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± Advertisements He came over, visibly embarrassed. I seemed to have hit the mark. Enoch suddenly lowered himself without saying a word and straightened the laces of my combat boots. Was it because of this? However, when I looked at him from above, his ears were stained red. Perhaps my guess was right. Without realizing it, I placed my hand on his black hair and lightly infused divine power into it. Then Enoch flinched and lifted his head to look up at me. ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt. Everyone seems to be blessed at least before leaving¡­ Did you get it from someone else besides me?¡± ¡°Of course not. Thank you, Priestess.¡± After tying the laces of my combat boots, Enoch shook his hands and stood. He, who was much taller than me, looked down at me with a gentle smile, and it felt quite different from before. ¡°Don¡¯t leave my side even for a second.¡± Enoch¡¯s long, large hands clasped mine, then led me outside without a moment to panic. Eyes turned to us, startled by the sudden appearance, and I had to lower my head to hide my blushing face. CH 97 I returned to the Imperial Palace with Enoch and stared at the beautiful dark horse prepared for me. Then, with Enoch¡¯s help, I sat on the saddle and took the horse¡¯s reins with familiarity. Since Erin had already learned horseback riding, riding one was easy. However, as I got on the horse, I suddenly had a question. I galloped to Enoch¡¯s side and asked in a voice only he could hear, ¡°By the way, do you fight on horseback? In a world where magic has developed so much¡­¡± They could¡¯ve flown around, drawn a magic circle and teleported as a group, or ridden a magic chariot at least. ¡°Movement is only verbal. You have to get off when you go and fight.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you magically move at once?¡± Enoch glanced behind him and whispered back, ¡°It pollutes the environment. Magic disrupts order because it draws on nature¡¯s mana. So I don¡¯t use it except where absolutely necessary. Moreover, it¡¯s unreasonable to move so many people at once.¡± ¡°Pollute¡­¡± I never dreamed I would hear such a word in this world. So, magic¡­ Did it mean it¡¯s polluting the environment? Read this at Novel Endeavors. Before the battle, the Emperor gave a short speech and encouraged the troops. I got goosebumps from the loud shouts that rang out from behind me. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t be participating in most battles. Since I was a hidden card against the Demon King, my role was to hide in a corner not to disturb as much as possible, and shoot an arrow when he appeared. But perhaps rumors had already spread everywhere that I was a priestess, and the eyes of the soldiers looking at me shone brightly. Perhaps the fact that the Goddess of Luck was with them seemed to fill them with morale. To avoid disappointing them, I glanced back and smiled and waved. After that, their reaction was more explosive than before. Then, the High Priest cleared her throat, and Enoch gave me a sour look before saluting the Emperor as if he had come to his senses. ¡°I will trust your choice no matter what, Enoch.¡± After answering the Emperor¡¯s encouragement with a look in his eyes, Enoch took the lead and drove his horse. I was obviously a little behind Enoch at the start, but Enoch took the horse¡¯s reins, slowed it down, and rode alongside me. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Most of the Demon King¡¯s troops depart from Clifford¡¯s estate. There will be a confrontation between that place and the mountain range in the northern part of the capital.¡± ¡°¡­ He¡¯s the Demon King, but he must be familiar with human warfare.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯ve been watching over the human world for a long time.¡± I looked closely at Enoch as he said that. He was dressed a little lighter than the other knights; he only wore one sword and armor made of leather, not metal. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried? Is the Demon King an easier opponent than you thought?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s a very difficult opponent. That¡¯s why it¡¯s reassuring yet scary for the Priestess to go with us,¡± Enoch muttered bitterly to himself. ¡°But fortunately, the Demon King insisted on the human way, so I can handle it. If he had only wanted the destruction of the human world from the beginning, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to prepare for it so leisurely.¡± ¡°Why does the Demon King insist on the human way?¡± ¡°Because the power of the demon world comes from the evil emotions of humans. The ultimate goal is to dominate the human world and make it live in one of suffering.¡± It was a little hard to accept, but I tried to understand the story as it was. Still, it was much easier to ask questions, perhaps because I said I was from another world. Even after Enoch heard the truth, he treated me the same. It was probably because Rikephoros¡¯ lineage had a similar history. After talking for a long time and riding the horse, a large mountain range and forest appeared in front of the flatland. This was probably the beginning of the northern region mountains that Enoch mentioned. He abruptly raised his hand to halt the ranks. When everyone got off their horses, Enoch suddenly asked for my hand. ¡°We¡¯ll go up. Don¡¯t be surprised.¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± I reached out to him, and we suddenly levitated up. Enoch rose high into the sky with me in his arms. I was glad I didn¡¯t scream in shock. ¡°W-what the?¡± ¡°Look ahead. From now in, this is important.¡± When I came to my senses, we were floating very high. Come to think of it, I had a similar experience before. Was it during the hunting competition? ¡°Are you showing me the Demon King¡¯s location?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Can you see it?¡± I saw the forest at a glance from here. I calmly raised my divine power and energy. ¡°No, the fog is too seen. I can barely see it, but¡­¡± A strong wind arose when Enoch hugged me and recited a short word. The trees in the forest swayed all at once, and with the sound of a shot, the fog suddenly cleared. It was a truly admirable ability, but there was little time to be surprised. ¡°Can you see now?¡± Then, I could see the dark energy I had not seen before spreading all over the distant forest. ¡°There, in the valley there, and the hills above. The highest hill in the middle has the darkest demon energy, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the Demon King.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Unlike when we floated up, we came slowly down when we descended. Enoch assigned the location to the knight commanders around him as soon as we came down. ¡°But if you run into the Demon King, Rupert Clifford, retreat immediately and report it here. The same goes for Prince Breiman.¡± As he said so, he handed them a magic tool for communication. ¡°Damon.¡± When Enoch called Damon, who was nearby, he immediately ran toward them. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You will perform the duties of an escort knight here as well. Protect the Priestess as safely as possible, but in case¡­¡± ¡°Is it okay if I take the Priestess and run away? I¡¯ll throw everything away.¡± ¡°No, hang on, Damon!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I immediately tried to refute Damon¡¯s reply, but Enoch immediately agreed. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°It would be best not to have that happen.¡± Enoch looked at me and spoke affectionately but firmly, leaving no room for discussion. Seeing that, I suddenly realized that he was the Crown Prince. The soldiers moved diligently and pitched tents on the plains. With this place as a base camp, six knights and troops would climb as if surrounding the mountain range. As this war was not simply between humans, several other priests were in each unit besides me. Read this at Novel Endeavors. Priests, wizards, and some knights were moving and planting something in the ground. Enoch, who followed my gaze, explained briefly, ¡°We¡¯re setting up a barrier. So most of them won¡¯t be able to get close.¡± After confirming that the barrier was completely installed, Enoch told me to rest, then disappeared somewhere. I looked up. The overcast sky grew darker as the sun went down, and there was even fog on the ground. It certainly wasn¡¯t natural. It must have something to do with black magic. ¡°I can¡¯t see much, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°The knights have sharper eyesight than the average person, so it should be okay,¡± Damon answered my mutterings. Although there was intermittent chatter in the camp, tension remained, probably because it was the first day of the way. The place was quiet. After a while, when the wait got a little boring, I heard weapons crashing from a short distance away. A large explosion sound followed. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I had been sitting blankly, but I jumped up and looked in the direction where the sound came from. I was worried about Enoch, who wasn¡¯t here. When I saw the other knight jumping out, I reflexively tried to run, but Damon grabbed my arm and stopped me. ¡°Damon.¡± ¡°Lady, since the knights are out, they¡¯ll bring news.¡± After a while, Enoch and some knights returned covered in dark red blood. Enoch paused when he saw me from afar, then changed his shirt and wiped off the blood with a towel before approaching me. ¡°What happened? Your Highness, are you hurt?¡± I immediately tried to use divine power on him, but Enoch held my hand and stopped me. ¡°No, it¡¯s not my blood. I¡¯m fine.¡± The knights brought the man tied up with rope and threw him to the ground. ¡°Your Highness, everyone else ran away, and I only caught this one because he was hiding in the grass over there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the one who fought against me earlier.¡± The person looked around and suddenly widened his eyes when he saw me. ¡°Madam¡­! You¡¯re Madam Clifford!¡± ¡°What?¡± Who was this person who recognized me? Of course, I was divorced now and was no longer Madam Clifford, but I had no time to argue with that. ¡°I¡¯m a servant at the Clifford duchy!¡± ¡°You? But, what were you doing hiding in a place like this?¡± ¡°I, I just¡­¡± When the servant hesitated and refused to speak, the knight drew his sword and threatened to cut his throat. ¡°Answer straight.¡± The servant looked at the sword, trembled and said, ¡°The Duke¡­The Duke said Erin Spilet¡­ He wants us to bring Madam¡­ They sent me¡­ I-I didn¡¯t mean anything bad¡­!¡± ¡°He asked you to bring me? If it¡¯s the Duke, do you mean Rupert Clifford?¡± ¡°Y-yes. He¡¯s waiting over there now.¡± CH 98 The servant pointed to a hill far away. At first glance, I didn¡¯t feel any magic in that place. Rupert was now the Demon King. But it was strange that such a being would ask to bring ¡®Erin Spilet.¡¯ ¡°What did he say when he ordered you to bring me?¡± ¡°He said it was only natural for a couple to share their will¡­ He said to bring you without putting you in danger¡­¡± Before the servant could finish speaking, Enoch stood in front of me. ¡°Take him in and examine him for signs of brainwashing.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Oh, oh, Madam¡­!¡± The knights dragged the servant back, and Enoch looked at me and said urgently, ¡°You should never go.¡± I smiled faintly at his words. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t. What are you worried about?¡± Even if Rupert himself called for me, I had no intention of going, so would I even consider going just because the Demon King in Rupert¡¯s body summoned me? But I couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered. How did he know Erin Spilet? Did Prince Breiman tell him? Even so, why did he call for me this way? While I was lost in my thoughts, Enoch draped a robe over my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s late at night. Let¡¯s go get some rest.¡± ¡°¡­Can I sleep?¡± ¡°There will be no battle today. And since it may take several days, of course, you should sleep when you can.¡± I nodded at his explanation and quietly approached the barracks. The barracks where the Priestess stayed were right next to Enoch and Damon¡¯s barracks. Aside from Damon, a bunch of knights deployed to escort me. The inside of the barracks was more cozy and warm than I thought. In one corner, a cloth separated the bathroom area. Steaming warm water was prepared in a large wooden tub. This was probably a perk. Unfortunately, ordinary soldiers and knights wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy this luxury. Without a second thought, I took off my clothes, stepped into the tub, and enjoyed the warm water. My whole body was throbbing because I had been riding my horse all day. After washing and changing clothes, I sat down on a well-made bed. Still, I didn¡¯t wear pajamas because I knew I was at war and enemies could pop out anytime. But when I tried to sleep, I couldn¡¯t because of this strange anxiety. No matter my personality, I wasn¡¯t a person who could easily sleep in this situation. ¡®¡­What is Enoch going to do?¡¯ I got up and walked out of the barracks. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t Damon¡¯s shift because another knight guarded the front. I met his eyes and walked slowly toward Enoch¡¯s barracks. The Crown Prince stayed here, but somehow there were fewer escorts than me, the Priestess. And even when I approached, there was an atmosphere that didn¡¯t particularly guard or block me. ¡°Is His Highness inside?¡± ¡°No, he just went to wash up.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t wash inside¡­?¡± ¡°Pardon? The officers¡¯ bathroom is over there.¡± The knight blinked at my question. Was it because I was a woman that he set up a separate bathtub for me? ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. Can I go inside and wait?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, Priestess. The night air is cold, so go inside and wait. I¡¯ll let you know when His Highness comes.¡± The knight bowed and lifted the curtain of the barracks for me. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± In fact, I was thinking of going back quietly if he said no. I felt butterflies in my stomach at the thought of what Enoch had been saying about me. I cautiously entered and looked around. Pens and paper were on the desk, and clothes that had been taken off were hanging over a chair. It was a battlefield, but considering it was the Prince¡¯s bedroom, it was too simple. Looking for a place to sit, I ended up sitting on the bed. ¡°Did I come here for nothing, or should I have just waited in my room?¡± The blanket felt soft against my palm. I stroked the quilt and thought I would have to return in a little while. Wiping his wet hair with a towel, Enoch made his way back to the barracks. ¡°Your Highness, the Priestess is waiting inside.¡± ¡°¡­She is?¡± There was a hint of delight in his voice when he asked. Enoch paused before going in, ran his hand through his hair, and straightened the collar of his loosely draped shirt. As soon as he entered, Enoch burst into laughter. Erin was asleep on her side, her leg still on the floor as if she had fallen asleep as she sat on the bed. ¡°Priestess,¡± he called out softly, but she didn¡¯t wake up. Enoch approached the sleeping Erin as if possessed, kept his steps lights, and then bent over to examine the slumbering woman¡¯s features. He thought she was pretty whenever he saw her, but today she was exceptionally beautiful. Moreover, it was rare to get a chance to see her in such detail. Her skin and hair were damp, even though she had probably washed a little while ago. He held his breath and listened to the sound of her sleeping soundly. She seemed to have a faintly pleasant scent. It was too seductive. ¡°¡­Erin.¡± He called her name in a low voice, but she didn¡¯t even move. His gaze naturally shifted to her slightly parted, thick, red lips. And the moment he realized that their lips were close, Enoch finally came to his senses and stood. ¡°Haa.¡± A long sigh leaked out of its own accord. Then when he looked down at her again, he felt possessed again. Enoch shook his head and laid Erin properly on the bed, pulling the blanket over her neck. And he looked around. ¡°It¡¯s a little cold.¡± He wasn¡¯t cold at all, but thinking about Erin made the air feel a bit chilly. Enoch kindled a spark with his hand and set fire to the useless magic stove in the corner. Then, as soon as he saw Erin tossing and turning a little, he held his breath again. Finally, when Erin settled, Enoch escaped as if being chased. ¡°Your Highness?¡± The puzzled knight outside called out to Enoch. Enoch merely raised his index finger, and the knight stopped. After placing all the knights guarding the Priestess¡¯s barracks this way, he went to the barracks where the high-ranking knights stayed. Surprised by the Prince¡¯s sudden appearance, the knights stood, but Enoch went to the bed in the corner and lay down. The knights quietly noticed that the Crown Prince didn¡¯t mind them, and each did his own thing. Enoch closed his eyes but could not sleep. Erin¡¯s lips from earlier kept lingering in his mind. He tried to fall asleep but eventually woke up. ¡°Your Highness! Where are you going?¡± He ran alone into the dark forest without answering the knight¡¯s question. I couldn¡¯t open my eyes well because of the warm, cozy blanket. As I rubbed my face on the pillow, I realized that something felt different from usual. ¡°Huu¡­¡± She forced her eyes open to see the hexagonal roof of the barracks. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m on the battlefield.¡¯ There was no time to laze about. But when I jumped up, I noticed something was wrong. ¡°Oh¡­ This is Enoch¡¯s quarters.¡± After quickly getting out of bed, I hurriedly tried to leave the barracks but then came back. The sun was already high in the sky, and soldiers and knights were preparing meals outside. ¡°Wah, this is really embarrassing.¡± While tearing my hair out and lamenting, I caught my eyes on my clothes and bow, neatly laid out on the chair. No one was around, but I looked around as I changed my clothes. I sighed in embarrassment. ¡°Sleeping here¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t enough that I fell asleep; I even covered myself with a blanket and slept soundly. Thanks to that, my condition improved considerably, but then where did Enoch sleep? After washing my face, I shyly went out and found Enoch outside, talking with his aide, Liam, and several knight commanders. After the knights dispersed, Enoch and I exchanged eye contact. Then he smiled and approached me. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°I-I¡­ I must have fallen asleep while waiting yesterday.¡± I averted my eyes and rubbed the cheek with the palm of my hand. ¡°I just came out because you were sleeping soundly.¡± Enoch¡¯s dark eyes looked a little more tired than usual. ¡°Sorry, I took the bed unintentionally. Where did you sleep? You look tired.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I slept well in the officers¡¯ quarters. Well then, I have some work to do.¡± I grabbed Enoch¡¯s arm sleeve as he tried to turn around. ¡°What should I do today?¡± Enoch paused for a moment and then pointed to the inside of a fairly large tent. But he wasn¡¯t talking to me. ¡°Lead the Priestess that way.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Damon came over and answered while Enoch walked away. Damon led me to a barracks used as a dining area where I could see knights eating. As soon as we sat in the corner, someone brought us food. They gave me soup with large chunks of meat, soft bread, and fruit juice. ¡®The supply situation seems to be on the good side. The food is better than expected.¡¯ As I ate, I overheard the conversation a few tables away. ¡°I was shocked when His Highness, the Crown Prince, suddenly came in yesterday.¡± ¡°I know, right? But didn¡¯t he leave soon enough?¡± ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°When I went out at dawn, I saw him coming down from the mountain.¡± I unknowingly listened intently to their conversation. ¡®He came down from the mountain? What did he do that night?¡¯ ¡°He was completely drenched in sweat,¡± the knight replied admiringly. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that he hasn¡¯t neglected his training even after coming here.¡± Did he really go up to the mountain in the deep dawn and train? ¡®I guess Enoch is much more diligent than I thought.¡¯ Thinking so, I tilted the bowl of soup and ate it. CH 99 ¡°What¡¯s happening today? Is there no battle?¡± ¡°Since the reconnaissance ended yesterday, the advance team will be deployed. Even if a battle breaks out right away, it won¡¯t be an all-out war, but war doesn¡¯t always flow as expected,¡± Damon answered calmly, munching on bread in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do yet¡­ right?¡± ¡°Yes, it would be good for everyone if there isn¡¯t.¡± Even though I understood that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit depressed. Needing a priestess meant that the other side started using black magic, so it would be nice to have nothing to do, but it didn¡¯t feel good to stay still when everyone was busy. As if he knew how I felt, Damon said, ¡°Still, Lady has the most important role. In the end, it will be your bow that will destroy the Demon King.¡± ¡°I know, I do.¡± After finishing the meal, I went out and saw the troops now ready for battle. Damon whispered, quietly leading me towards them, ¡°Please go and encourage them. They¡¯ll be delighted.¡± How could I not do it after seeing their expression upon seeing me? I smiled, slowly approached them, and shook the hand of the highest-ranking knight among them. ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt, and come back safely.¡± As if the knight commander didn¡¯t know what to do, he bent down excessively and lightly held onto my fingertips. ¡°Priestess, since you came out to see us off like this, I think we will win today¡¯s battle.¡± I lightly grabbed his hand, shook it, and put some divine power into it. I also shook hands with the vice-captain next to him and several other knights, one after another. ¡°Woaaah!¡± ¡°Thank you, Priestess!¡± The knights blessed by the Priestess knelt down and thanked me. I shrugged my shoulders at their cheers, but it was an overreaction to the light blessing, so it was a bit burdensome. Fortunately, as Enoch approached, they calmed down and looked tense again. ¡°The advance team is responsible for identifying the location and size of the enemy. Try not to overdo it and constantly report on the situation.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Perhaps because it was in the forest, a team of agile knights was put in place rather than a large army. Then, as I was watching them depart, I heard Enoch¡¯s stern voice. ¡°Did you use divine power?¡± ¡°Yes? Very little¡­?¡± I didn¡¯t do anything bad, but I felt guilty. Enoch said with a smile, ¡°Thank you for taking care of them, but you¡¯ll have a lot to use soon, so you¡¯d better save it as much as possible.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I will.¡± Enoch was busy reviewing the operation on a large conference room desk, and I sat next to him and just watched him. Even if I tried to go elsewhere, Enoch would not allow me to leave his side. Finally, when he started, he told me to stay by his side, and he really kept his word. Even so, it was impossible to exchange much words with him, as knights came and went, reports were constantly posted, and short meetings continued to be held. At other times, he seemed very busy going through paperwork, and most of all, he seemed nervous. It wasn¡¯t too obvious, but I felt bad he was handling it all alone. ¡®Is there anything I can do to help?¡¯ As I pondered about it, another knight came in. ¡°Your Highness, I have something to report.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Enoch hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off the papers. ¡°We found no signs of brainwashing on the guy we caught yesterday.¡± Only then did Enoch raise his head. ¡°No signs of brainwashing, huh? Then what he said yesterday was true.¡± There was a rare displeasure on his face, which had not shown much emotion throughout his work. ¡°Yes, he really didn¡¯t know that Duke Rupert Clifford was the Demon King. He didn¡¯t believe us at all even when we told him.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°I heard that the Duke who had become the Demon King really seemed to be worried about Erin Spilet, no, I mean the Priestess¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s hilarious.¡± Enoch hit the desk with a thump and got up. I flinched a little, but I wasn¡¯t surprised. I thought I knew where his overreaction came from, so I stayed silent. After the knight left, I looked up at Enoch with my hands on my chin. Enoch turned to me when he felt my gaze. With a smile, I said, ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I know.¡± Enoch pushed his disheveled hair up and slumped into his chair. Embarrassed that his true intentions were revealed, he smiled awkwardly. ¡°But how does the Demon King know me and ask to bring me to him?¡± Enoch stared at me but hesitated to speak. ¡°Do you know something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not certain because I only rely on records about the Demon King.¡± ¡°Tell me anyway.¡± ¡°Unlike other demons, the Demon King controls the human body as soon as it possesses it, so he has very little memory of his life¡­ But if a certain thought is very intensely imprinted in the head of the host, then the memory remains.¡± ¡°Very intensely imprinted¡­¡± It flustered me a little to hear that. Did Rupert think of me that way? Then he should have been nice to me before. I had no idea why you avoided me so much and acted so ruthlessly. I felt like I had moved your feelings towards the end, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be that extent. ¡°It¡¯s a bit new, huh?¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say to Enoch. Enoch looked back at me then turned to the document as if he had found nothing to say. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. I could hear Liam, Enoch¡¯s aide. ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness! I think you should see this!¡± Enoch and I turned to each other before rushing outside. It seemed that the knights who had gone out to battle had returned in a hurry. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± They all looked as pale as a sheet. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°T-that¡­¡± A few people who had come to their senses quickly began to stutter. When I looked closely, they were the people who had shaken my hand earlier. I grabbed the hand of the knight commander I saw earlier and lightly infused divine power into it. Only then did his face become more relaxed. Enoch didn¡¯t seem to like it, but since it worked, he remained silent. The knight commander caught his breath and slowly explained the whole incident. ¡°There was a light skirmish halfway up the mountain. We tried to avoid friction as much as possible but couldn¡¯t help it because we were confronted head-on.¡± The knight commander had a look of regret, but Enoch shook his head and said, ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°At first, it looked like we had an advantage because there were only a few of them. Then, one by one, casualties started to appear¡­ The dead suddenly jumped up and began to attack us all at once.¡± One of the priests¨CJohann, who had a lot of war experience¨Cmuttered, ¡°Undead¡­¡± ¡°As a result, the number on their side gradually increased, and we decreased, and in the end¡­¡± Enoch stopped the knight commander since he was starting to get overwhelmed from recalling the incident and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I got it. That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Haa, thank you, Your Highness.¡± Knights crossing the line of fire would not be so frightened just because they lost a fight. They must have been surprised by the strange situation. ¡°Undead?¡± Priest Johann bowed at Enoch¡¯s question and said, ¡°Yes. What that knight just said is a kind of black magic, and a corpse that has come to life is called the undead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it, but I know the power of each individual isn¡¯t great.¡± ¡°Yes, they can only use half of the body¡¯s strength. However, as the number of casualties increases, so does the power. And since the dead do not feel pain, it would have been difficult for ordinary knights to deal with them.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± I naturally followed Enoch, but when he saw me, he hesitated for a moment before walking again. Priest Johann, Liam, and some knights came in as well. As soon as Enoch sat down, he said, ¡°The undead are tricky, but why were outstanding knights so frightened?¡± ¡°Of course, the battle itself is like that. But if you think that you will become like that after you die, you can¡¯t help but be afraid.¡± Johann shrugged, and Enoch nodded slowly, his finger on his chin. ¡°How do you defeat them?¡± ¡°Just blow off the head of the undead corpse.¡± Even though Johann was a priest, he didn¡¯t hesitate to speak. ¡°Being already undead means a loss of troops. Is there any other way?¡± Then Johann looked straight at me and said, ¡°Prevent them from being undead in the first place.¡± ¡°Is this something I can do?¡± ¡°Yes, if the priestess helps us, it will be much easier than doing it among us priests.¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Enoch tried to interrupt the conversation, but I talked over him and asked Johann, ¡°What can I do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. You just need to give a blessing. I saw some fairly unscathed knights earlier. Didn¡¯t the Priestess save them?¡± ¡°I refuse. There are too many of them,¡± Enoch interjected again, and this time I was also silent. Surely, if I blessed everyone, the consumption of divine power would be too great. But then the battle against the Demon King would be more difficult. While Johann and Enoch pondered, Damon quietly raised his hand in the corner. ¡°How about sharing holy water?¡±