“It’s… all…. it!”
As Rosalie’s consciousness gradually returned, she immediately tried to assess her surroundings. She was lying on the floor with her hands tied in ropes, and judging by the darkness outside the window, it was still night.
Looking around, she guessed that she was in an abandoned house. She noticed that her wrists were bound tightly and heard voices coming from the door that was slightly ajar.
As a man burst into the room, Rosalie closed her eyes again and pretended to be unconscious.
“We lost three people because of that woman, so we’ll be demanding more payment for this!”
“What? She’s still unconscious!”
Rosalie heard a thin and angry girlish voice. It had a strong accent that one wouldn’t forget, and Rosalie didn’t have to open her eyes to realize who it belonged to.
‘Bianca? But why did she have me kidnapped and not Sonia?’
She racked her brain, trying to figure out why it went wrong compared to the novel.
“She’ll wake up soon. But she seems like a noblewoman with a high position…”
At the words of the man who seemed to be worried about the aftermath, Bianca approached Rosalie and spoke.
“That duchy was headed to ruins anyway. They haven’t had a proper connection since the previous Duke, and even this Duchess can’t do anything without that Sonia.”
“I see.”
“Sonia alone was annoying enough! Why is there suddenly a rumor about Derivis and the Duchess?”
“Is that woman the Crown Prince’s lover?”
“No! That will be Bianca! If anybody interferes, I’ll get rid of them. How impudent of her to go on a date with Derivis.”
Rosalie repeated Bianca’s words to herself, trying to deduce the situation from their conversation.
‘A date? Could it be that the rumor about me and Derivis going out yesterday has spread? So that’s why the story became messed up.’
Rosalie sighed involuntarily as she felt a headache coming on. Bianca was faithful to her emotions and had a bulldozer-like personality. Because of this, it was quite possible for her to change the plan at the last minute and kidnap Rosalie.
‘I must’ve been unconscious for quite some time.’
Bianca huffed and left the room. Rosalie opened her left eye a little as the sound of a man’s footsteps approached her, noticing the dagger at his waist.
“Um…hmm.”
Rosalie pretended to toss and turn while moving her untied leg to lift her dress. The man leaned forward and squatted down to admire her pure white legs beneath the dress, gulping.
‘Closer…’
Rosalie, waiting for her prey to come closer, kicked the man’s chin as hard as she could with her leg when he was within reach.
“Keuk.”
Fortunately, her kick was stronger than her punch, and the man passed out immediately. Rosalie quickly drew the dagger from his waist and cut the rope around her wrists.
As Rosalie finished cutting the ropes with the dagger, Bianca and the mercenaries, hearing the commotion, burst through the door.
“What the hell!”
The mercenaries, who alternated between looking at the fallen man and Rosalie, who had freed the ropes, drew their swords and grabbed an unsuspecting Bianca.
“Kyaaa!”
The mercenary brought the sharp blade to Bianca’s delicate throat. Feeling the chilling sensation in her neck, Bianca trembled.
“If you move, we’ll kill this woman and slit your neck after!”
“H-help me.”
Although she didn’t care much, Rosalie couldn’t move her body easily because she was troubled by a sudden thought. Bianca looked at Rosalie desperately, her eyes filled with tears of fear.
‘If Bianca dies here…’
Rosalie’s mind quickly raced.
⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰
Meanwhile, a loud commotion erupted in the garden where three bodies had been found. The banquet was immediately halted and Derivis headed straight for the garden.
White shoes and emerald accessories were scattered in the garden. Sonia, who had come out with him, exclaimed in horror.
“These are Rosalie’s shoes and necklace!”
Derivis picked up Rosalie’s shoes from the garden. Sonia, who was next to him, was immobilized because of the blue Auror and intense energy emanating from
“Search the palace right now.”
“Yes!”
At Derivis’s command, the Imperial guards quickly set off. Sonia couldn’t say anything and just trembled at the intimidating energy that seemed to choke her throat.
“D*mn it…”
He crudely tore off a necklace hanging around one of the bodies’ necks then turned and began to leave the garden. Sonia was unable to stop him as he quickly moved away.
⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰
Derivis quickly rode his horse out of the Imperial Palace and headed to a shabby tavern in an alleyway of the capital.
Dismounting from his horse, Derivis ignored the ‘closed’ sign on the door and pushed it open, the door sliding effortlessly as if it were unlocked.
All the windows were blocked with wooden boards, and the only light in the dark store was a faint candle.
“Why did Devi come without any warning?”
In the store, a man with black leather clothes and fiery red hair tied up in a high ponytail lay on the only sofa like a cat.
“Find it.”
Derivis tossed him the necklace he’d ripped from the corpse’s throat. The man picked it up from the floor with a languid gesture and smiled.
“I can find them with my eyes closed. They’re bad kids… Where did you get this necklace from?”
“Find them, Nathan.”
Nathan’s grin deepened at the look in Derivis’s eyes and he stood up. He hadn’t seen him so angry in a long time, and it intrigued him.
Nathan covered his face with a black cloth. All that was visible in his little face was his golden eyes.
“And?”
Derivis answered Nathan’s lively question with an impatient voice.
“Kill everyone except the platinum-haired woman.”
Derivis repeatedly sheathed and unsheathed his summoned sword. Nathan’s eyes flickered, and he stepped over to the candle and snuffed out the flame with his finger.
Clink, clink.
The only sound in the pitch-black darkness was the clinking of Derivis’s sword handle against its scabbard.
⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰
Soon enough, Rosalie’s worries came to an end. Nathan, who had entered the house unnoticed, made quick work of all the mercenaries.
“Move.”
However, Nathan didn’t stop there and tried to kill Bianca as well. Rosalie blocked his sword, standing between them.
She tightened her grip on the dagger with trembling hands. The only thing she had done was block Nathan’s sword, but her wrist was already strained.
“You were sent by the Crown Prince, weren’t you?”
“Hmm. How did you know?”
Rosalie swallowed a small gulp of saliva as Nathan’s golden eyes flashed. She was beginning to feel a little panicked at the inconsistencies in the novel.
According to the original story, Nathan would find the place where she’d been kidnapped. However, he shouldn’t have tried to kill Bianca.
“You’re not answering. Anyway, I have to do what I was asked to do.”
Rosalie tensed as Nathan adjusted the oddly shaped, curved swords he held in each hand. However, having already experienced their difference in power, she could not recklessly attack him.
‘I can’t let the story deviate from the original flow anymore.’
Bianca was the youngest daughter of Marquis Bright and had been treated like a princess by the Marquis. If Bianca died in Nathan’s hands, the Marquis would investigate it persistently and it would make things difficult for her.
In addition, if Bianca’s brother, the captain of the Imperial Knights, intervenes, there was a possibility that Derivis’s involvement would be revealed.
‘Small disturbances can cause big waves.’
As a result, there was a possibility that the territorial war with the Marquis of Windell would become more complicated. She had to avoid creating any more unexpected events.
Nathan’s golden eyes flashed for an instant as he scanned Rosalie.
“Your expression is blank, but your heartbeat is really fast. It’s amusing.”
Nathan’s role in the novel that Rosalie had read was minimal. The only information Rosalie knew about him was that he was a staunch ally of Derivis and had exceptionally keen senses that surpassed human limits.
Rosalie glanced at Bianca, who was trembling heavily behind her. She concluded that it was impossible to escape Nathan’s senses even if she created a momentary opportunity.
‘Chocolates.’
Rosalie suddenly remembered a brief sentence in the novel.
‘Nathan was a man with a sweet tooth, thanks to his sensitive palate.’
“We have a famous chocolate artisan in our territory whose chocolate is so excellent that it’s directly imported to the palace. It’s so popular that it’s difficult to buy.”
Nathan’s body flinched for a moment at Rosalie’s words. Not missing that moment, she quickly continued.
“And in the territory of Bianca behind me, there is a candy maker whose work is coveted even in the Lentil Kingdom. I promise you those chocolates and candies if you spare Bianca’s life.”
Nathan listened to Rosalie’s heartbeat with a troubled face. Her face was still as impassive as ever, but her heartbeat was faster than anyone else’s.
“But Devi will be angry.”
“I’ll convince him.”
“Are you sure? I get scared when Devi gets angry.”
“I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt, at least.”
Nathan, greatly intrigued by Rosalie, thought about it, then nodded. She didn’t seem to be bluffing.
“Okay.”
As Nathan sheathed his sword in the scabbard at his waist, Rosalie’s heartbeat changed once again. It was a bit quieter, but the pace didn’t slow down as if she was still tense.
But as her expression remained unchanged, Nathan felt amused.
“And the platinum-blonde lady will come with me.”
Rosalie turned to Bianca and grabbed her shoulder, looking her in the eyes. Bianca’s pupils, still frightened, were shaking fiercely.
“Pull yourself together.”
“W-what is this?”
“You’re not the culprit in this. If you want to live, forget everything you saw today and run to your mansion. If this is revealed… you know what will happen, don’t you?”
As Rosalie trailed off, Bianca, who was looking at Nathan, nodded vigorously with fear. As Bianca fled the room, Rosalie turned to Nathan.
“Let’s go, interesting lady. Devi is waiting.”
Nathan led Rosalie to his horse and took her to the tavern where Derivis was waiting. As Nathan opened the door and entered, Rosalie followed suit.
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