**Claudia left for the Duke’s estate.**
Nathan, left alone in the imperial palace, headed to the training grounds.
He then engaged in as many duels as he could.
Since there was no knight in the empire who could match his skill, no one was worried that he would get hurt.
However, when the number of duels exceeded twenty, his subordinates began to show concern.
“Your Highness, are you overexerting yourself?”
“I’m fine.”
“There are no knights left who can be a match for you.”
Felix, the deputy commander of Nathan’s knights, gestured to the group behind him.
There lay numerous knights, exhausted from their bouts with Nathan.
“Then why don’t you step up?”
Felix scratched his chin awkwardly, unable to respond.
He was the one who had sparred with Nathan the most, simply because he had decent enough skills.
Therefore, he knew all too well how excruciating the joint pain would be after blocking just one of Nathan’s sword strikes.
Still, it wasn’t like he could refuse. Just as he was about to reluctantly draw his sword, someone spoke up.
“I’ll take him on instead.”
Regis, who had arrived unnoticed, picked up one of the swords from the rack.
Amidst the dust, sweat, and countless men, Regis stood out like oil floating on water.
Even the way he held the sword was awkward and clumsy.
“Don’t bother. You can’t handle me,” Nathan warned.
But Regis didn’t back down. Instead, he tightened his grip on the sword.
Seeing Regis, who was unusually stubborn, Nathan let out a deep sigh.
‘Annoying brat.’
Then, Nathan charged at him in an instant.
Although it was a fierce charge, Nathan wasn’t going all out.
Unlike Nathan, who inherited his father’s talent for the sword, Regis had no such aptitude.
If Nathan swung his sword seriously, his frail younger brother would end up with broken bones.
Even without using his full strength, Regis was an easy opponent.
“Ugh…!”
Too weak. There wasn’t even a need to find openings.
Nathan simply slammed his sword down hard on Regis’ guard, and his stance crumbled.
Nathan then pointed his sword at Regis, who was now kneeling on the ground.
“Are you going to continue? This seems like a waste of time. If you want a proper duel, practice more…”
Before Nathan could finish his sentence, Regis stood up and charged at him again.
Normally, even when dragged to the training grounds, Regis wouldn’t pick up a sword.
But today, he kept rushing in, despite the obvious skill gap between him and Nathan.
‘He must be holding a lot of resentment over that incident.’
Realizing this was no ordinary sparring match, Nathan took his younger brother more seriously.
As their faces drew closer while crossing swords, Regis spoke in a burning voice.
“No matter how much you hated me, did you really have to go that far?”
“Are you talking about the marriage?”
“Yes. You knew exactly what would happen to me.”
Regis hadn’t slept a wink the night before.
He dreaded how the nobles would gossip after witnessing his fiancée being taken by his brother right in front of him.
Both Nathan and Claudia only filled him with anger now.
“You may not care what happens to me, but it’s pitiful what happened to her, forced to marry a man she neither loves nor is loved by.”
Nathan hadn’t intended to provoke Regis, but his words triggered his younger brother’s rage.
“You cared more about Claudia than your own brother, didn’t you?!”
Blinded by anger, Regis launched a wild attack.
But Nathan’s defense was solid, like striking a rock.
In fact, Regis’ wrist hurt more from attacking than Nathan’s did from defending.
“Even now! Just say you won’t do it! What does it matter anyway when you can’t even touch each other?!”
Hearing Regis’ fragmented words between sword swings, Nathan remained silent.
What would happen if Regis found out that he had actually reached the deepest part of Claudia?
His already furious younger brother would completely lose control.
“…Yeah, we won’t touch each other. But that’s none of your concern.”
After saying those words, Nathan immediately switched from defense to offense.
“Ugh!”
Nathan’s wooden sword struck Regis hard in the side.
Though it was only a wooden sword, the pain was enough to feel like death.
By tomorrow morning, there would no doubt be a large bruise.
“Ugh… cough… cough!!”
Regis collapsed, coughing violently.
After a while, he looked up at Nathan with a deeply furrowed brow.
“You… didn’t love her either… did you? This is all just because you wanted to get back at me…”
“Me?”
“If you truly loved her, you wouldn’t have sent her to the Duke’s estate alone.”
Regis was right.
Nathan had sent Claudia to the Duke’s estate by herself.
He had originally planned to go with her, but her cold, purely contractual attitude toward him angered him.
Looking back now, it was definitely something he should have felt sorry about.
“…”
As Nathan remained silent, Regis let out a bitter laugh.
“You claim to love her, but you don’t even know how her father views his daughters. What a joke.”
“…What do you mean? How else would he see her, if not as his daughter?”
“Claudia isn’t his family. She’s just another asset. Do you know how much benefit he’s gained through her? He wouldn’t just stand by and let the engagement be broken. She’s probably locked in a solitary cell right now, her head shaved.”
Regis’ lips twisted into a mocking smile.
It was as if he was laughing at Nathan for even considering marriage without knowing this.
But Nathan, lost in thought, didn’t notice Regis’ expression.
—
**Meanwhile…**
I expected that being in solitary confinement would at least mean a bed and wardrobe.
But the place I ended up in wasn’t even a room.
It was a basement storage, without windows or wallpaper.
It wasn’t a room—it was a prison.
‘…How much time has passed? There’s no clock or window, so I have no idea.’
Judging by my hunger, it must be close to dawn. At that moment, I had my first visitor. It was Luke.
“I heard from Father. You announced that you’re breaking off the engagement? I thought you were joking, but were you really out of your mind?”
“I want to be left alone. I already feel like I’m going crazy.”
I had underestimated the Duke.
‘I thought, with the Emperor’s approval, how much could he really oppose it?’
I had been too complacent, and this was the result.
‘I never thought the Duke would go as far as imprisoning me and then beg the Emperor.’
I really didn’t expect this. I never thought he would go to such lengths to protect the marriage with Regis.
In any case, my head was already pounding.
Luke wasn’t helping, but he wouldn’t stop.
“Or is this just another strategy to win over His Highness? You know he won’t care, so you’re trying to make a bold move by breaking off the engagement?”
Was he deaf?
I had clearly told him I wanted to break off the engagement for its own sake, but Luke kept twisting the story.
It seemed he was convinced I was still desperate for Regis.
“Didn’t you hear? Who I’m marrying instead of Regis?”
It was odd that he kept bringing up Regis, so I asked, suspecting he didn’t know.
Indeed, he was unaware, judging by his wide eyes.
“You’re marrying someone else?”
“I made a pact with Prince Nathan. We’re getting married.”
Luke just stared at me, speechless.
‘Is it really that shocking?’
I guess Luke had always seen me as nothing more than a stalker desperate for Regis.
A pathetic villainess who would resort to any dirty trick to marry him.
And now, I had easily chosen another man. Of course he’d be surprised.
“I have no interest in becoming empress by pushing aside Naila. So stop bothering me. I’ll be leaving the Duke’s estate soon. Isn’t that enough for you?”
I had expected him to welcome this news with open arms, but instead, he just looked at me with confusion.
Would he only be happy if I were dead?
Apparently leaving wasn’t enough to please him.
“Nathan? Have you really given up on the Crown Prince?”
“Yes. Let Naila have him. I don’t need him.”
I thought this would be the end of our conversation, but instead, Luke started meddling.
“The second prince is a cold monster with no emotions. I hear he spends his nights hunting monsters in the forest, drenched in their blood.”
“…”
“Do you really think you can win the heart of a man like that?”
“Were we close enough to exchange unsolicited advice?”
I shot back coldly, eager to get rid of him.
Luke furrowed his brows.
“I’m warning you: don’t come crawling back to the Crown Prince after the monster prince abandons you. The Crown Prince will marry Naila.”
I almost argued back that there was no chance of that happening but stopped myself.
If I did, the conversation would drag on.
After a long silence, Luke finally left the cell.
