Her eyes crinkle. The princess, known for her gentle nature, spoke softly as she put down her teacup.
“I see that the Duke holds his ex-wife in high regard.”
“That’s right.”
The noble ladies nodded. Just a short while ago, rumors circulated about Princess Yermondi’s engagement to Carlothian.
However, it seemed those were just rumors, as there had been no movement from either the imperial family or the Denaves family. Especially since Yermondi herself had shown no particular reaction, the noble ladies slurped their tea as if deflated.
“More importantly, Your Highness. How does the palace view this situation?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, they’re trying to take back the woman who cursed the Crown Princess, aren’t they?”
At those words, the princess replied, “Well.”
Yermondi lifted her teacup again, whispering. But the warmth she had shown earlier was gone.
“Why don’t you ask the emperor directly?”
Everyone froze at that statement. It was a clear warning. She was implying that they had asked something they shouldn’t have.
“Th-that’s not it, Your Highness.”
The noble lady who had asked the question hurriedly tried to smooth over the situation. But Yermondi deliberately set her teacup down with a clatter and soon stood up.
“I just remembered something urgent, so I must end today’s tea party here. I hope everyone understands.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
The noble ladies looked at the one who had asked the question with pitying expressions. Princess Yermondi left her seat, followed by her ladies-in-waiting.
As soon as she stood up, all the noble ladies rose from their seats—except for the one who had asked the earlier question.
“I guess we won’t be seeing her at tea parties anymore.”
“Indeed, why did she ask such an inappropriate question?”
They whispered as if to be heard and left the table, leaving behind the noble lady who was teary-eyed.
Yermondi walked down the hallway with a gentle expression. She smiled warmly at every courtier she passed.
Everyone responded brightly to her lovely smile.
The imperial palace loved Princess Yelmondi. Yes, everyone except for those who were directly serving her thought she was kind.
Creak—
As Yermondi arrived in her room, she instantly wiped the smile off her face. Cold, piercing gazes were directed at her maids.
“So, have you found anything?”
“Well…”
One of the ladies in waiting lowered her head.
“We couldn’t find out who ordered the assassination of Ariadeline.”
“You couldn’t find out?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Yermondi let out a hollow laugh.
“Not even I know.”
Would the Denaves family know? Yermondi bit her nails anxiously.
“How dare they target my prey?”
It was at that point that her anger flared. Ariadeline. That woman must fall at her own hands, by her own doing.
She could never let her fall into someone else’s hands.
“Do whatever it takes to find the one who ordered it.”
“Understood.”
The ladies in waiting bowed and left the room. Yermondi leaned on her vanity with both hands, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
The face, marred by obsession, was disgusting even to her own eyes. Yet, despite that, it was hard to let go of the obsession.
“Carlothian Denaves…”
What on earth is he thinking? Why is he suddenly acting like this after treating her so poorly back then?
Yermondi gritted her teeth. That woman had to die by her hands. She had decided that.
“So don’t touch her.”
Yermondi locked eyes with her reflection in the mirror.
A fleeting childhood memory surfaced. Yermondi’s blue eyes widened.
‘Mother, mother, mother!’
A scream pierced the air.
‘Please, please, I was wrong. Please don’t do this!’
She remembered herself crying and begging on the floor.
The last gaze they shared.
The blood that flowed.
‘You shouldn’t love just anyone.’
Her mother’s cold gaze and words pierced her. Watching the blood flow on the floor, she cried until her eyes felt like they would melt. Those eyes that had lost their light.
In an instant, Yermondi grabbed a cosmetic bottle from the vanity and hurled it at the mirror.
Crash!
The cracked vanity reflected a distorted Yermondi. She clutched her head, remembering a past she never wanted to recall again.
“I must… with my own hands…”
The fragile Ariadeline, who could die at any moment. So, I must act quickly before it’s too late…
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“I—I don’t know anything…!”
The coachman’s cries were desperate. But the gaze of Carlothian looking down at him was nothing but ominous.
Since being captured, the coachman had been repeating only those words.
In reality, it seemed he had heard nothing, having only moved the carriage to the forest for money from Index.
“I see.”
“P—please. Just let me live…”
“Well…”
Carlothian stood up. The coachman’s pleas echoed in the air. But the one torturing him merely silenced him with a gag.
“Ugh, Aaaah—!”
The coachman’s scream came from behind Carlothian. However, Carlothian didn’t look back even once as he left the basement of the annex.
As he headed straight toward the main building, laughter could be heard from somewhere.
Instinctively turning his head, he saw Ariadeline playing with the maids in the garden. Maicher stood behind her, arms crossed, guarding her.
Soon, the sound of singing reached him. The maids listened attentively, and Ariadeline continued singing joyfully.
She often sang songs he had never heard before. Those songs always told stories of love.
Carlothian twitched his eyebrows for a moment. Such songs shouldn’t be shared with just anyone.
Every time someone heard that voice, frustration built up inside him.
He was afraid that someone might see that scene, hear that song, and take an interest in Ariadeline.
Fear?
Carlothian asked himself. Was he feeling fear right now? He let out a hollow laugh at his own thoughts.
Fear? Carlothian Denaves?
It was something that would have been laughed at if someone had heard it. But Carlothian knew that it was his true feeling.
He was worried that someone might recognize her lovely side, which no one else knew, and take her away.
He was afraid she might abandon him and fly away, having been worn down by him.
So he walked slowly toward Ariadeline’s side. To keep her from flying away. To cage her in his embrace.
“Oh, Carlothian!”
Ariadeline stopped singing and called his name.
Her smiling face, her approaching footsteps.
She walked towards him naturally, as if she had never been rejected before.
In that moment, Carlothian felt a sense of relief that was hard to express in words.
Turning away from the tiresome gaze and the words that had trampled on her, she was still coming closer to him.
A mix of guilt and a feeling of lovability he had never felt before filled him completely.
He felt a mix of guilt and a sense of loveliness that he had never felt before, filling his heart.
“What is it?”
“If I’m opening my arms, it’s obvious.”
“Wow…”
Ariadeline looked at him with a face that said he was being silly. But even so, he could see her slender arms reaching out to wrap around his waist.
He thought as he held Ariadeline in his arms. People pointed fingers at him, saying he had gone mad for the villainess, but the truth was that he had truly gone mad when he turned his back on Ariadeline.
Carlothian buried his nose in Ariadellin’s neck, and the maids’ soft gasps could be heard.
“What’s going on? Why are you like this?”
He heard Ariadeline speak in confusion, but he didn’t care at all.
“Carlothian, are you doing this because you’ve given up on marrying someone else?”
That damn marriage talk. Carlothian frowned, still burying his nose in her nape.
How long would she keep saying such things? Now that they have come this far. Carlothian thought it was her stubbornness.
A petty revenge for the wounds he had caused her.
Suddenly, Carlothian lifted his head to look at her nape. When he looked again, the neck that had been full of bruises was now stained with marks he had left.
Ariadeline looked up at Carlothian, and upon realizing where his gaze was fixed, she made a displeased face.
“I can’t wear a dress that shows my neck outside.”
“Who said you would be going out?”
“Of course, it’s me. But it’s still uncomfortable.”
Ariadeline was being brazen. Compared to before, that was the case. Hearing her shameless words, Carlothian let her go from his embrace.
“Let’s talk about it inside for now.”
“You’ll say that and then not listen, right? I know everything.”
Ariadeline chattered on. Carlothian took her hand and headed toward the main building. He thought it was peaceful, as if everything that had happened until now had been an illusion.
“Here, this is what you asked me to check.”
Once inside the office, Carlothian sat down and naturally placed Ariadeline on his lap.
Now accustomed to this scene, the aides were each going about their tasks.
Ariadeline tilted her head as she looked over the list of items that Princess Yermondi had brought to the palace this month.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s anything strange.”
The list was filled with new dresses, jewelry, and gifts arriving before the birthday celebration. This meant there was nothing unusual to be found.
“There must be some hidden agenda…”
Ariadeline bit her nails. Carlothian lightly grasped her hand and said,
“Since you’ll be with me anyway, try not to worry too much.”
At his words, Ariadeline narrowed her eyes.
“Well, that may be true, but what if something happens that you can’t handle?”
“What could possibly happen?” He smiled confidently.
“That would be…”
Ariadeline seemed to struggle to think of anything specific and fell silent. But just then, they heard someone rushing in urgently.
Bang-!
“We’re in big trouble!”
“What is it?”
The butler burst in without knocking, bringing up something he had mentioned before.
“Her Highness, Princess Dorothea, has been cursed…”
Carlothian frowned, feeling as though he had experienced a similar situation before.
And it seemed Ariadeline felt the same, as she stared wide-eyed at the office door.
“Don’t tell me, I’m going to be taken again?”
But the words that followed were shocking.
“She has collapsed and cannot get up!”
“What did you say?”
