Chapter 3.3

I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but I woke up only when it was bright outside. I was embarrassed by my clothes, so I had to wait for someone to come. Soon, I heard a presence outside.

“My lady, it’s Cedric. I will come in for a moment.”

“Oh? Okay.”

Cedric, who couldn’t bring his whole body in, pushed a neatly folded woman’s dress into the room from the doorway. It was not the dress I had worn yesterday.

“There are no maids in the castle right now.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You can put this on and come out.”

“But, Cedric, my maid came with me yesterday.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I sent her back to the count’s mansion last night.”

As soon as Cedric left the room, I quickly grabbed the clothes and put them on, while looking around. The fact that there were no maids in this big castle must be related to what happened yesterday. Curious about the events of yesterday, I quickly went out to find Cedric.

“Cedric, what on earth happened yesterday?”

When I came out into the hallway, I saw him standing there.

“Please have a meal first, my lady.”

When I entered the dining room with Cedric, Owen was already waiting.

“Please, sit down, my lady.”

“Okay. It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

I felt a bit awkward seeing Owen. It was the first time since I last saw him in the forest.

“What about His Royal Highness the Grand Duke?”

“He had an urgent matter, so he left early in the morning.”

“An urgent matter?”

Cedric answered my question instead of Owen.

“Yes, he went to see Lady Celine Ianster.”

“Cedric!”

“What, Commander? Shouldn’t the lady know as well? His Grace has been meeting Lady Ianster often lately.”

“Is that so…?”

A voice that sounded disappointed, to anyone who heard it, leaked from my lips. I quickly changed the subject, my face flushed as if my feelings had been revealed.

“Neither of you are hurt, right?”

“No. Ken told me about what happened yesterday in detail. How did you know to come this time?”

“Know what?”

“Didn’t you save His Royal Highness the Grand Duke and our lives yesterday?”

“Oh… did I?”

“Did you know that something like this was going to happen? Do you also know who instigated it?”

Thinking about it, the food was very simple. It seemed that all the servants had disappeared except for the knights who had come with them from the North.

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then how on earth were you able to appear at the Grand Duke’s mansion at that exact time? So late at night, without any prior notice?”

I couldn’t possibly say that I came here to ambush their master.

Yes. The answer that Glenn Doherty, that brilliant genius, had given me was…

To have a child of a royal. During this period, a woman bound by the marriage ban was absolutely forbidden to have a child. But if it was a child of a Quinze-Nouais royal, the story changed. It was the only way to avoid this marriage ban, which could not be violated without an act of treason.

“Ah… well…”

As I stumbled over my words, Owen stared intently at me.

“Owen, you remember, don’t you? The time I went to the harbor to catch a boat to save Sir Doherty.”

“Ah!”

He made a face as if he had been hit on the head with a hammer.

“Then you had a dream again?”

A pleased smile spread across my face. Of course. This is why this novel is a romance fantasy. This time, too, my wonderful knight Owen believed my words without a doubt.

“Yes. You know me well, Owen. I have very intuitive dreams.”

“Yes, this time you had a dream that the Grand Duke’s mansion was on fire.”

“Exactly! I had a dream that you were in agony, surrounded by black flames.”

“Ah… my lady, I owe you my life this time.”

“It’s nothing.”

According to Cedric, it seemed that all the servants in this Grand Duke’s mansion had been swayed by the Empress. This was the first time Adrian had stayed in the Grand Duke’s mansion in the capital. The three of them had drinks that the butler had given them yesterday and fell into a deep sleep, as if by a lie. It was a big mistake that they hadn’t thought the Empress would also reach her hand into the Grand Duke’s mansion. And fortunately, at that moment, the woman with the most impure heart had done the most noble thing.

 

***

 

“You stayed out last night, didn’t you?”  

“Eek!”  

I was startled badly when Celine entered my room without a sound.  

“Please don’t come barging into my room like that.”  

“Why be so uptight between sisters?”  

Her voice was sharper than ever, with no attempt to hide it anymore. But ironically, her face looked as angelic as always.  

“What is it this time?”  

“You… you went out last night and only came back today, right?”  

“Yes, yes. So what? I lived away from home for two years—do you think staying out is hard for me?”  

“Fine, be reckless all you want. But don’t tell me you went to see Adrian?”  

The way Celine said Adrian’s name grated on me.  

“Surely you wouldn’t have the face to go looking for him. Anyway, Adrian’s coming to our house today. I heard there was a fire at his mansion last night. Since it needs quite a bit of repair, he’ll be staying here for the time being.”  

I turned away from her. Earlier they said he had gone to see her—now she already knew about the fire at Adrian’s mansion too. If I kept facing her, my face would surely give away all my feelings.  

“You’re going to be the crown princess soon. Do whatever you want with your skirts, but at least don’t bring disgrace to this family.”  

I couldn’t stand listening to her foul words anymore, so I waved her out of my room.  

“Alright, enough. Get out. Come into my room again without permission and you won’t like what happens.”  

“Oh? And what happens then?”  

“Try and find out if you’re curious.”  

Once Celine left, I opened the window. A cool breeze swept in, soothing my heart. It was already winter in the north, but here the weather felt like autumn in Korea.  

And before I could even calm down, word came that Glenn Doherty had come to see me—bringing along the crown prince.  

“This is about the school for the hospital.”  

As soon as we sat in the drawing room, Glenn brought up the hospital again. I shook my head, and the crown prince sitting beside us only laughed quietly at my reaction.  

“Alright, go ahead.”  

Pressed by Glenn’s persistence, I told him what I could. I wasn’t a medical professional, so I couldn’t give him proper knowledge. But Glenn was a genius—if you told him one thing, he could figure out a hundred and twenty-eight more.  

“Probably easier to manage things separately, trauma and internal injuries.”  

“Oh… fascinating.”  

The crown prince, bored of waiting, cut in.  

“Glenn, that’s enough. I’d like to talk to my fiancée.”  

“But Your Highness, didn’t you only bring me along as a shield so you could see Lady Ianster’s face?”  

At his words, the crown prince’s face flushed red in an instant.  

Glen might be a genius, but tact was something he’d eaten and forgotten long ago. To make the crown prince that embarrassed and still live as his aide was truly remarkable.  

I cleared my throat and tried steering the conversation.  

“Your Highness, aren’t you busy?”  

“I’m not busy at all. I always have time for you.”  

“No, you are extremely busy. Why did you even insist on coming here? Ah… you said you wanted to see Lady Claire’s face, didn’t you? But what exactly is it you mean by ‘wanting to see her’?”  

‘Ah, Glen. Please shut your mouth if you don’t want to be the first aide in the empire to lose his head at the guillotine.’  

His words were irreverent, but his attitude was so serious that no one could call him out.  

Just then, Celine entered the drawing room, and Adrian followed her like a shadow. His face was cold and composed, so unlike the one I’d seen last night.  

“I greet the Crown Prince of Quinze-Nouais.”  

“Ah, Lady Celine Ianster… and the duke as well. The two of you seem to be meeting often these days.”  

“I came quickly when I heard His Highness was here. We just returned from an outing.”  

I struggled not to look at them. Though I had only seen Adrian last night, he suddenly felt distant, as if I hadn’t seen him in years.  

The crown prince looked at them with interest.  

“The two of you suit each other well. What do you think, Claire?”  

I didn’t even need to look—I could imagine how brightly they shone right now.  

“I’ve never really thought about it. I’m not interested in other people’s business.”  

With that, Glenn excused himself under the pretext of work, leaving the four of us in awkward silence.  

The crown prince sank back into the sofa, long legs crossed. A simple gesture, yet it seemed almost elegant in slow motion.  

Adrian’s face showed no expression. He only shifted his gaze between me and the crown prince. Finally, Celine broke the silence.  

“Your Highness, did you know? There was a fire at the duke’s mansion last night.”  

“A fire?”  

“Yes, and a rather large one. So His Grace will be staying at our estate for a while.”  

“What?”  

The crown prince’s displeasure was plain on his face, but Celine went on unfazed.  

“After all, repairing a mansion takes time.”  

Now I understood—Celine was saying these things on purpose. Because she wasn’t really Celine.  

“Why specifically the Ianster estate?”  

The crown prince half-rose from his seat as he asked, and Adrian took a moment before answering, lifting one corner of his lips.  

“What other reason could there be?”  

“When I heard about the fire, I invited him to stay. The duke was very kind to me when I visited the north.”  

A dull ache throbbed in my head. Now that the crown prince knew Adrian would be staying here, he would never leave me alone in this place.  

Adrian had the excuse of repairing his estate. The crown prince’s next move was obvious.  

“Claire.”  

“…Yes.”  

“Don’t you think your little outings have gone on long enough?”  

“…Yes.”  

“I’ll send a royal carriage tomorrow. You’ll return to the palace.”  

“Tomorrow?”  

“Yes, tomorrow.”  

Looking at his face, I knew resistance was pointless. But it all felt too rushed.  

“And you, Duke.”  

“Yes, Your Highness.”  

“Since you’re in the capital again, stay for the Founding Festival. You should also attend Claire’s and my engagement ceremony on the final day.”  

“Of course.”  

Adrian’s face revealed nothing.  

When the crown prince left the mansion, Adrian also excused himself, saying he’d return to his estate. Celine insisted she could help and followed after him. Adrian didn’t stop her.  

By evening, a carriage carrying Adrian’s luggage and knights arrived at the estate. They said I was expected at dinner, but I didn’t go.  

“Young lady, please try this.”  

“Wow, what’s all this?”  

“The head chef prepared it specially for you.”  

The trolley held dishes from appetizers to the main course.  

“Sit down too, Hailey. Let’s eat together.”  

At first she had been hesitant when I invited her to meals, but now Hailey sat comfortably across from me.  

“Yes.”  

I skipped the appetizers and went straight for the well-cooked meat.  

“Are you preparing well for the academy?”  

“Yes.”  

Her cheeks reddened as she answered.  

“What do you want to study?”  

“I haven’t… decided yet. I thought I’d take the general courses for the first year before choosing.”  

“That’s fine, no rush. But a new program is opening—medicine. I’d like you to study that.”  

A flicker of puzzlement crossed Hailey’s face before vanishing.  

“Yes, I’ll look into it.”  

“Good.”  

“Young lady… honestly, when you first brought me back from the labor camp, I didn’t completely trust you.”  

“I understand. I wronged you before…”  

I never thought saving her from that place alone would erase everything I’d done to her.  

“But now it’s different. I’ve received more from you than I deserve.”  

“Then… you forgive me, don’t you?”  

“Forgive? No, that’s not it.”  

“Still, say you do. It would ease my heart.”  

“Of course. I’ve already forgotten. Tomorrow… once you go to the palace, who knows when we’ll see each other again?”  

“Right. And you’ll be at the academy too, so it won’t be easy. Have you seen Cedric?”  

“Yes.”  

Her expression brightened at the mention of her brother, easing the sadness of parting.

“My brother is also very grateful for the grace you have shown him. Besides, you saved my brother’s life yesterday, didn’t you?”

“Ah… well, yes.”

We finished our meal in a friendly manner. Talking with Hailey about this and that made me feel like this was a real farewell, and I suddenly felt scared. Was I really going to have to get engaged to the Crown Prince? With this feeling?

As night fell, my frustration grew, and I opened the door and stepped out onto the balcony. And at that moment, I saw a familiar color of hair.

“Adrian…”

He shouldn’t have been able to hear my voice, but he turned toward the window without hesitation. And he met my eyes without a single inch of error.

‘Come here, Claire.’

He seemed to be saying that.

I ran down the stairs, forgetting that I was in my pajamas. A myriad of things I had to do and say swirled in my head.

‘I didn’t want to leave. Did you see my letter? Why did you come here? …Did you fall in love with her now?’

But all these words disappeared before I could say them, the moment I saw Celine standing next to Adrian like a painting. A familiar pain I couldn’t deny found me.

Even though his arm was given to her, his gaze was fixed on me. Celine, who had been following Adrian’s gaze, saw me and made an exaggeratedly surprised face.

“Claire, were you not sleeping yet? We were just taking a walk in the garden since the weather is nice. But you, your clothes…”

I bit my lip and chose my words carefully.

Just then, a long shadow fell over me, and someone appeared and placed a piece of clothing over my body. When I looked up, a somewhat familiar face came into view.

“Oh? You?”

He neatly adjusted my clothes and then turned to Adrian and paid his respects.

“I greet the one and only Grand Duke of the Quinze-Nouais Empire. I am Count Ianster’s Knight Commander, Chris Curtis.”

Adrian didn’t respond to Chris’s greeting, and since he didn’t respond, Chris just stood there and waited. At that moment, I remembered his face.

“Chris!”

When I called his name, he finally turned his body toward me.

“Yes, my lady.”

“It’s you.”

Chris was the low-ranking knight who had tripped me. Since it had been two years since Owen and Cedric left this house, it wasn’t strange that he had become the Knight Commander. And I knew from when he trained me in swordsmanship that he had quite a good skill set.

“It’s been a long time, my lady.”

I smiled broadly at him in my delight.

“I was quite depressed for a while because my student suddenly disappeared. I thought it was because I was a bad teacher.”

“Pfft, no way.”

“The wind is still cold. Please go inside.”

I was genuinely happy that Chris had appeared in front of me in such an awkward situation.

He reached out his hand again as if my clothes had slipped a little. But at that moment, Adrian slapped his arm with a loud smack.

“How dare you put your hand on her?”

At Adrian’s intensity, Chris took a step back from me.

“I apologize. Her clothes were about to fall off, so I…”

But I squeezed in between Chris and Adrian.

“It’s not something for the Grand Duke to worry about.”

He was holding another woman’s arm, but he still wanted to interfere with me. I couldn’t see what kind of expression he was making because I was turned away from him.

But then I felt him turn away from me.

A moment later, Celine followed him, who had walked into the darkness.

“Behave yourself, Claire.”

Celine, who was scurrying after Adrian, didn’t forget to nag me.

Only after they had moved away from me did I look straight at Adrian. With my eyes still on him, I spoke to Chris.

“Would you like to take a walk with me, if you don’t mind?”

Chris readily nodded at my impulsive suggestion, as I didn’t want to go back to my room right away.

“It would be an honor.”

And so, we walked through the quiet garden of the count’s mansion.

“Did anything happen while I was gone?”

“Of course a lot happened. But it’s all in the past.”

Thankfully, Chris didn’t ask me any more questions.

“After the lady disappeared, there was a great commotion in the count’s mansion.”

“I heard about it.”

“You wouldn’t tell me why you disappeared, would you?”

I smiled awkwardly and held my tongue.

“But Chris, Sir, what do you do when you have a problem where you can’t decide which of the two is right or wrong?”

“Like the two sides of a coin?”

“That’s an interesting expression. Yes, like the two sides of a coin.”

“I toss a coin to decide.”

“What?”

I let out a hollow laugh, finding his words funny.

“If it’s heads, I do it, and if it’s tails, I don’t. It’s simple, isn’t it?”

“Hmm, so like a teacher.”

“Why don’t you try it?”

Chris rummaged through his pocket and handed me a coin. I took the coin and, following my teacher’s instructions, threw it up with a strong toss without hesitation. The coin soon landed in Chris’s palm.

“Which side do you think it is?”

I couldn’t answer, as if this was a serious matter.

Feeling that I was tense, Chris showed me his palm without saying a word. When he opened his hand, the face of the proud previous Empress glittered in the moonlight.

It was heads.

 

***

 

By the time I returned to my room after a long walk with him and having this and that conversation, it was already late at night. Still, I was planning to go to my room, change my clothes, and go see Adrian. After all, all this would be over tomorrow. If I entered the Imperial Palace, I would have to stay there without being able to leave until the engagement ceremony was over.

The surroundings were quiet, so I moved my feet carefully. But as I opened the door with a click, someone’s arm snatched me and pulled me inside. The room was dark, but I knew who he was instantly. Soon after, I heard the sound of the door closing behind me, and I stood with my back against the door.

“Adrian.”

As my eyes got used to the darkness, I could see his blue gaze. The coat Chris had put on my shoulders slipped off as he pulled me. Adrian clutched my wrist and stared intently at the coat half-draped on my shoulder. Then he moved his gaze to me.

“What were you doing that made you so late?”

“A walk.”

I didn’t back down and met his gaze defiantly.

“You went for a walk with that guy until this late?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

His wavering eyes stared at me obsessively.

 

***

 

Adrian had stayed awake by Claire’s side all night last night. It didn’t matter why she had come to his house so late. Just the fact that she was sleeping by his side like this was enough for him to finally take a proper breath after a long time.

He had met countless people since he came to the capital. Adrian’s mere appearance was enough to stir the capital. Some sent invitations requesting an audience, but others would show up uninvited. This was because those who had been in power during the previous emperor’s reign but had since stepped down wanted to regain their influence. And at the center of it all was the Count Ianster’s family.

Adrian’s blood boiled just at the thought of Claire being with Sebastian. Every time she sat next to the Crown Prince and let out a wry, bitter laugh, his heart felt hot and pained as if it had been burned. What if this woman wanted him? But as he looked at this woman, who had saved his life, sleeping in his house, even the small hesitation that had remained deep in his heart disappeared. And everything became clear. If he could only get this woman back, he would sell his soul to the devil.

Adrian could bear it even when he saw Claire with the Crown Prince today. He thought that in just a little more time, he would be able to bring her back to the Grand Duke’s castle completely. But the moment he saw her sitting on the windowsill, Adrian was overcome with a longing to face Claire up close.

‘Come here, Claire.’

As if she had read his mind and was running away, she disappeared from the window. As he was looking at the window where Claire had vanished, the person who appeared in front of his eyes was not Claire but Celine. The woman who had hair the color of moonlight gracefully walked over and took her place next to him as if it were a matter of course.

But Claire’s bright smile, which appeared after Celine, was directed at another man. It was the kind of smile she had once shown him. And the moment another man’s coat was draped over her shoulders, his patience reached its limit. Adrian also knew that guy. Chris… the one who taught Claire swordsmanship. He was the guy who always blushed after his lessons with Claire. A strange, unfamiliar emotion suddenly entered Adrian’s heart. He walked straight to Claire’s room.

When he pulled her inside, he saw her flushed face. His brows furrowed.

“You went for a walk with that guy until this late?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

‘What’s the problem?’ Adrian repeated Claire’s question to himself. And he finally found the answer. He hated her looking at another man. He hated her smiling brightly at other people.

But Claire didn’t wait for the speechless Adrian and just twisted her wrist to get out of his grasp. He obediently released her arm. But then, the woman who he thought would run away from him wrapped both of her hands around his neck.