IFLDMHF | Chapter 90

Episode 90

“The Duke of Rudion from the North.”

“The Duke of Rudion?”

He was someone Kaiden had neither seen nor paid any particular attention to before.

Since he was a northern noble who rarely visited the capital, he must have had no connection with Evgenia.

If so…

“The Duke of Basilian, then? He must have forced the marriage through.”

At this moment, Kaiden completely disregarded how stubborn Evgenia was, how fiercely she had opposed the Duke in their constant conflicts.

The only thing he remembered was the obsession and tenacity she had shown him all this time.

That was why he was certain—without a doubt—that Evgenia would never have willingly accepted marriage to someone else.

She was a weak woman, after all. Whether through force or some other method, she must have been coerced into this marriage.

Kaiden had always known that the Duke of Basilian, despite keeping silent and seemingly respecting his daughter’s wishes, secretly resented Kaiden for not accepting Evgenia.

Still, he had believed the man would continue to merely watch over her.

‘Damn it. Was sending a proposal to her cousin crossing the line?’

Regret hit him belatedly, but he convinced himself there had to be a way to undo this situation.

Surely, Evgenia was just waiting for him to resolve things.

As he steadied his thoughts, Alexis cautiously but firmly corrected the Crown Prince’s misunderstanding.

“Your Highness? As far as I know, it wasn’t my father but Evgenia—no, my sister—who wanted to get married first.”

Deep down, Alexis still held resentment over Kaiden ignoring Evgenia and proposing to Melissa instead, and for the way he had spoken about taking on a mistress before his departure.

Even though it no longer mattered now, he still wanted Kaiden to understand how much Evgenia had been hurt and humiliated.

Yet, Kaiden didn’t seem to care about Evgenia’s pain or shame at all.

He stood completely frozen.

Because in that moment, he suddenly recalled their last conversation before his departure.

She had said she would let go of her feelings for him completely.

She had told him not to worry, that she wouldn’t bother him anymore.

And then…

‘I’m going to marry someone else.’

She had definitely said that.

Of course, he hadn’t believed it.

He had thought it was just a cruel joke, a desperate attempt to provoke him.

Had she also mentioned that she had already sent a marriage proposal?

Recalling that day now, he let out a hollow laugh.

“…”

No, in truth, he couldn’t even laugh.

Kaiden gritted his teeth, overcome by a sense of betrayal.

Anger, delayed but now uncontrollable, surged within him.

Sensing the ominous shift in the atmosphere, his adjutant trembled with fear.

So the Lady of Basilian had actually married someone else, leaving the Crown Prince behind.

This was nothing short of a direct betrayal.

No one could predict how Kaiden would react.

And in situations like this, it was always the closest aides who suffered the most.

“Y-Your Highness! Your hand is bleeding!”

At that moment, the still-clueless Viscount Tria noticed drops of blood dripping from Kaiden’s tightly clenched fist and shouted in alarm.

Though he had no idea why he was facing such danger, he instinctively tried to prove his loyalty by acting concerned for the Crown Prince.

“A handkerchief! Does no one have a handkerchief?”

But Kaiden showed no interest in the blood seeping from his palm where his nails had dug in, and the adjutant was too flustered to do anything.

Just then, Viscount Tria caught sight of Alexis flinching.

“You! Don’t you have a handkerchief?”

Alexis, realizing his mistake too late, wore a brief expression of regret before nodding and pulling out a handkerchief.

Viscount Tria quickly snatched it from his reluctant hands and wrapped it around Kaiden’s bleeding hand.

Although the wound wasn’t deep, it was on the very hand he wielded his sword with, which was enough to cause concern.

Of course, Kaiden, who was still clenching his jaw in suppressed fury, had no intention of reacting.

Embarrassed by Kaiden’s indifference, Viscount Tria redirected his attention to Alexis.

Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to mention Evgenia again.

“Is that from your lover? You seemed unwilling to part with it just now.”

Instead, he pointed out how Alexis had looked reluctant to let go of the handkerchief, as if he treasured it dearly.

Alexis flinched, then jumped up in protest, looking as if he had heard the most absurd thing.

“A lover?! No way!”

“Then who gave it to you?”

“Well… uh… ahem.”

Clearing his throat, Alexis hesitated before answering, now looking oddly smug.

“My sister gave it to me. She told me to return safely.”

“Y-Your sister?”

Then that meant the Lady of Basilian…

Why, of all people…!

Viscount Tria’s playful expression immediately stiffened.

Instinctively, he glanced at the Crown Prince.

As expected, the moment Evgenia’s name was even indirectly mentioned, Kaiden’s vacant eyes sharpened into a dangerous glint.

His gaze was fixed on the pale lavender handkerchief wrapped around his own hand.

It was completely different from the pink, lace-trimmed handkerchief he had once kept so carefully, the one he had wrapped in a white cloth to protect from stains.

“Hah… haha…”

Finally, Kaiden let out a hollow, bitter laugh.

It was only after seeing the handkerchief that he fully realized the truth.

Evgenia had planned everything.

From the moment he had sent that marriage proposal, she had intended to betray him like this.

She had shown him a glimpse of something different that day—just enough to make him believe there was still hope—before handing him that handkerchief.

But no matter how furious he was, how could she have gone as far as to actually marry someone else?

“Not even once…”

She never gave in. Not even once.

If one were to argue, it had always been Evgenia who accepted Kaiden’s misguided actions.

Yet, in reality, it was Kaiden himself who had lived begging for even the slightest bit of her true feelings.

He clenched his teeth to keep his already tattered pride from becoming even more pathetic.

“Ugh!”

“Ah, Your Highness!”

As Kaiden clenched his fist, the neatly wrapped handkerchief in his hand was crumpled beyond recognition.

Alexis, concerned about the handkerchief, and the Viscount, more worried about the blood seeping from the prince’s reopened wound, both stood frozen.

Just then, another figure appeared in the tent.

“An urgent message from the Imperial Palace, Your Highness!”

In the midst of all the confusion, the only one who had managed to maintain some composure—the adjutant—hurriedly stepped forward, receiving the emperor’s letter from the messenger and immediately handing it to Kaiden.

After taking a slow, deep breath to regain his usual composure—though his eyes still burned with venom—Kaiden quickly read through the letter.

A heavy tension filled the air as he slowly lowered the message and made his declaration.

“All current strategies are to be discarded. We will draft new plans from start to finish. The priority is to end the war as quickly as possible and return.”

9. The Secret of House Rudion

A warm afternoon bathed in golden sunlight.

I savored the relaxed atmosphere, holding my teacup as I gazed out of my office window.

Life at the Duke of Rudion’s estate with Euclid was something I cherished every day, always grateful and happy—even on the day I discovered that Evgenia was the master of both Gold and Black!

But today felt especially peaceful and warm.

And it wasn’t just my imagination.

When I first arrived, the bitter northern winds—so different from the capital’s climate—had made thick fur coats a necessity.

But now, the weather had softened to the point that I no longer needed to light the fireplace, and a light coat was more than enough for daily life.

The northern climate isn’t so bad after all.

Before coming here, both the Duke of Basilian and even Anne, who had been packing my clothes, had expressed their worries.

But it turned out I had nothing to be concerned about.

Still, the real reason I felt so warm and at ease today was something else entirely.

Inside, I raised both hands in victory and shouted to myself:

I’ve finally paid off all the debts!