* * *
“I wish you a safe journey home.”
Raios’s last words especially echoed in my ears.
A safe journey home. What a blatant warning.
Why? Is he planning to ambush me on the way home?
But even if that were the case, it didn’t matter. I genuinely thought so.
I don’t care if Ignis dies.
Ignis de Windsor, this terrible man. He threatened my life, using violence against me and defiling my bed. I had no mercy left for someone like that.
So, this was a kind of experiment. If Raios is the murderer who killed Justin Lancaster. Raios would totally, utterly, and ultimately never leave Ignis alive.
So what if Ignis survives? Then it would mean someone else’s doing it, not Raios’s.
“Hmm, the crown prince is greedier than I thought.”
It was inside the carriage on the way back from meeting Raios. Ignis made a cold remark.
“Crown Prince Raios, he’s quite greedy.”
“Is that so?”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect him to want all your wealth.”
“You think so?”
“Of course. Hey, he’s the crown prince. The future emperor of the empire. The sole heir to the throne.” Ignis seemed a bit disgusted. “A man who owns everything in the world. With looks, martial skills, learning, wealth, and status… It’s hard to find anything he doesn’t have. Yet, there he is, wanting more.”
“…”
“It’s always people who have everything who want more, don’t you think so?”
I smiled at the man who didn’t even realize he was part of my experimental subject. “Indeed.”
At my mild response, Ignis glared at me fiercely. Then, he sighed deeply. “Hey, Danae Windsor.”
“Yes?”
“You really need to get a grip.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve thought about this for a while now.”
“…”
“Why are you so naive?”
“Pardon?”
“Why are you so naive?”
Naive? Who, me?
As I looked at him quietly, Ignis expressed his annoyance. “Look at you right now. Do you know what kind of expression you have?”
“What kind of expression do I have?”
“Look in the window. See for yourself.”
At his words, I turned my head slightly to look. Reflected in the window, my face was… smiling gently, softly, warmly. It looked quite gentle even to my own eyes.
I was always lightly smiling at most moments.
Looking at me like this, really… I did look like a saintess. Shining all white, with only my irises sparkling like clear green glass beads.
Danae Windsor looked very pure when she smiled brightly, elegant when she smiled lightly, and somewhat sad when she didn’t smile. When I’m expressionless, it’s kind of… triggering a protective instinct.
I examined this face closely. It was rare for me to observe it in such detail.
Indeed. I soon admitted. Danae Windsor looked kind, benevolent, and infinitely merciful, just like a tender deer that would eventually make any predator lower its guard.
Well, in the end… it’s still my face.
However, there wasn’t anything particularly new about this. Danae Windsor looked quite similar to me, Yeon Dana. Only the color of the eyes and hair and the features are a bit more pronounced.
This body’s overall appearance was strikingly similar to mine when I was Yeon Dana. The height, body shape, voice, and even the shape of the nails. Maybe that’s why I adapted better to living as Danae Windsor.
“Right. You do look a bit foolish, don’t you?”
Yet, Ignis criticized me and pointed at me with his finger.
“Why are you smiling at me? Fool, you’re not even a real saintess…”
“…”
Oh my. To hear such naive words from a blackmailer.
I was a bit dumbfounded, so I just smiled.
“Why do you keep grinning? Are you an idiot?”
I thought he was just making empty talk, but Ignis seemed quite serious. He clicked his tongue.
“You know, speaking of which. You really didn’t have to come with me here.”
“Pardon?”
“Why? Were you worried I’d get beaten up by the crown prince?”
“…”
“Did you suddenly develop a soft heart?”
No. How could that be? I just needed to experiment to see how Raios Geranze would react to my bold request for annulment and how he would respond afterward…
“If I were you, I’d already have slapped me ten times. Idiot.” Ignis, who was saying that soon changed his mind and shook his head. “Ten times slap? More like stabbed me with a knife ten times already. F*ck.”
“Why are you swearing? It’s vulgar.”
“Vulgar my foot. A b*stard trying to manipulate my life deserves to be stabbed.”
“….”
“But what about you? You haven’t slapped me even once.” Ignis laughed insolently, tapping his own cheek. “I was even prepared to get slapped by you out of courtesy. How come you haven’t slapped me even once?”
“…”
Why is Ignis acting like this all of a sudden? I couldn’t understand why he was saying such things out of the blue. Why now, of all times?
Could it be that me accompanying him to Raios made him feel like I was protecting him? That’s hilarious. But there was no need to explain, so I just stayed silent.
“…”
Ignis didn’t click his tongue any further. He just looked at me with a peculiar and subtle gaze before sighing deeply. “Hey, Danae.”
“Yes.”
“You know.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what kind of family Windsor is that you cling to?”
“…?”
What is Ignis talking about?
I blinked silently.
What kind of family is Windsor? It’s Danae Windsor’s family, Danae Windsor’s household. In the era when knights existed, it was a prominent knightly family. After the knights vanished, it became a distinguished military family. Now, in the age of capitalism, it’s a family of wealthy businessmen…
“The Windsor.”
Ignis’s voice grew low. Even as he spoke, he seemed to be struggling intensely whether to say it or not.
“The Windsor isn’t suitable for someone like you.”
“…Pardon?”
“The Windsor.”
At that moment, thud, Ignis’s words were cut off. Not just his words, but his expression vanished too. The flow of emotions that seemed to struggle with doubt froze instantly.
Why is he like that?
Suddenly, Ignis’s eyes sharpened. He breathed slowly as if sensing the movement of the air. And then…
“―!”
He stretched out his arms and pulled me towards him.
Just as I was about to ask why he was doing this,
Kaboom!
With a loud noise, the carriage shook. No, my vision shook. Let me correct it. It exploded. Everything turned upside down, shaking and breaking apart.
“―!”
In the shock of what felt like the world exploding, I couldn’t even scream. I was only aware that my body was being thrown around, hitting the walls, floor, and the seats of the carriage. And that Ignis was holding me tightly.
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