Chapter translated by Loulou.
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“This is the couple’s bedroom.”
As Kaiyen finished speaking, the two of them arrived on the third floor. Standing in front of an enormous door, Etisha couldn’t stop herself from gaping.
The couple’s bedroom? What does that mean? Is he saying that he and I will share the same room?
Etisha recalled the arrangement during her stay at the mansion in the capital.
At that time, Kaiyen’s bedroom had been next to hers, but a wall and a door had separated the two spaces.
While they could visit each other’s rooms if they wished, their living arrangements were clearly separate.
But here…
Why is there only a single door leading inside?
Was the layout of the castle different from that of the mansion?
Could it mean that Kaiyen and I are supposed to share a bed?
Etisha hesitated, unable to bring herself to open the door.
At that moment, Kaiyen gently released the hand he had been escorting her with.
“Well then, I shall head to the office. Valdebram needs to brief me on events during my absence from the North,” he said.
After bowing slightly, Kaiyen turned to descend the stairs. But before he could leave, Etisha quickly stopped him.
“Your Grace!”
“…”
“Please wait a moment. I have something I’d like to ask.”
Etisha steadied herself, forcing her thoughts into order. While the design of the couple’s bedroom intrigued her, there was a more urgent matter demanding her attention.
“I have an important question.”
Since coming to the North, she had faced a series of unexpected events in a short time.
The sudden change in her surroundings and the new experiences had thrown her into one unforeseen situation after another.
I may have managed to get by so far… but I can’t keep relying on luck.
People like Yudite, Lady Cyrille—Her lack of understanding of who they truly were had led to repeated misunderstandings and emotional turmoil.
She couldn’t afford to let that happen again.
“After thinking it over, I realized there are certain people I need to know about if I’m to fulfill my role as Duchess Wintel—people like Yudite, Madam Cyrille, and….”
As she spoke, Etisha thought of one person in particular.
Kailes Wintel.
Kaiyen’s father and the former Grand Duke.
If she was bound to meet him someday, she wanted to be prepared this time.
As if he had guessed her thoughts, Kaiyen expression changing slightly.
“If you’re referring to my father, he isn’t in the castle right now,” he said, his dark eyes fixed on her pale face.
“He’s away on diplomatic matters. He’ll return before the wedding, but you won’t see him anytime soon.”
“Ah… so he must have gone far.”
“Yes. If he were here, he would have attended the celebration. But I’d advise you not to have high expectations for him.”
“Sorry? What do you mean by that?”
Kaiyen solemnly shook his head.
“My father only shows his gentle side to my mother. To everyone else—myself, Yudite, or anyone else—he is completely indifferent.”
“…”
“He won’t care about this marriage, and even if he meets you, he’s unlikely to say much.”
Come to think of it, Etisha had heard something similar before.
Something about Kaiyen being the spitting image of his father, Kailes Wintel, the former Duke.
Cold, ruthless, and merciless—the Sword of the North.
Suddenly, Viscount Heinz, her own father came to mind.
The verbal abuse and physical violence she had suffered from him flashed through her mind. Etisha couldn’t understand why someone like him was suddenly on her mind now.
But Duke Kaiyen is completely different from the rumors—he’s a good person.
If he were truly merciless, he wouldn’t have helped her so much.
If he truly resembles his father, perhaps Grand Duke Kailes is a good person too.
Determined, Etisha decided to discard any unnecessary biases about Kaiyen’s father. However, despite her decision, her heart was racing uncontrollably.
Father…
The beating she had received from Baron Heinz in the past had left her back and legs numb.
Those memories made her heart feel like it were being squeezed, making it hard to breathe.
No, my father and the Duke’s father can’t be the same.
Rumors were just rumors. There was no point in making assumptions until she met him herself.
With great effort, Etisha forced her racing heart to calm and changed the subject. She wanted to stop thinking about her father.
“Then… is there anyone else I should be aware of? Someone in high society, perhaps? There were so many guests at the party earlier.”
Fortunately, Kaiyen easily accepted the change of topic.
“Yes. There are two people you should be cautious of.”
“Who?”
“The first is Countess Montmartre. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say all the gossip and scandals in the North stem from her. Be careful with your words around her, and don’t get too involved.”
“Ah. Yes, I understand…”
Etisha already had an idea about the kind of person the Countess was.
If Lady Cyrille was the commanding queen who ruled high society, then Countess Montmartre was surely the boss of the shadows, controlling the underworld.
“And the second one is…”
Kaiyen’s tone turned colder.
“Marquis Hexion. Don’t give your heart to him.”
“…”
“He’s dangerous. He enjoys toying with women, and anyone who gets involved with him ends up ruining their life.”
With that, Kaiyen gave her a polite bow of farewell before heading to his office.
This time, she didn’t stop him.
So Countess Montmartre, and Marquis Hexion huh…
Etisha quietly memorized their names and faces as she pushed open the large door at the end of the hallway.
As she walked down the long hallway, she saw several dressing rooms, private rooms, and bathrooms on either side.
The bedroom was located at the far end, and it was enormous. The single bed in the center was also very large.
It was big enough for both her and Kaiyen to lie down comfortably.
***
Meanwhile, a secret meeting was taking place in the Star Tower, which glimmered under the moonlight on the outskirts of Wintel Castle.
“This is the place. Please come in,” Yudite said, dabbing at her tearful eyes as she led Marquis Hexion into the room.
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?”
“It’s just me here, anyway.”
“Hah. Looks like Lady Cyrille raised you like a fragile flower in a greenhouse. If you want to be seen as a Duke’s daughter, never say something like that again.”
Marquis Hexion wandered around the room as if it were his own, casually examining the items and tapping them with his fingers.
“Although you haven’t received an education befitting a noble, the things you use are all high-quality.”
“They’re gifts from the madam. Please don’t touch them carelessly.”
“Did she give you that dress too?”
“Yes. She gave it to me for today’s banquet.”
Hexion’s gaze swept over Yudite from head to toe. The light green dress complemented her blonde hair, giving her an innocent and delicate appearance.
“I see. I understand now.”
“…Understand what?”
“I understand what Lady Cyrille thinks of you.”
“What are you talking about?”
As Yudite was looking puzzled, Marquis Hexion stepped closer, whispering in a sweet, almost melodic voice;
“This reminds me of a story—the emperor’s canary. Have you heard of it?”
“…”
“It seems you haven’t. Here’s how it goes. One day, the first emperor, while climbing a mountain, found a hawk with golden feathers. The emperor immediately took a liking to it, captured it, and began raising it. He named it, fed it, and cared for it with great attention.”
“What are you talking about? You just said it was a canary.”
“Just listen.”
The Marquis lightly brushed a strand of Yudite’s blonde hair with his fingers, just as he had casually touched the objects in the room earlier.
“Naturally, the hawk, being the emperor’s prized bird, was treated with great care. The servants, fearing it might get hurt, kept it in a cage and watched over it daily. Over time, the hawk, under such care, grew even more beautiful, with finer feathers.”
“So? What’s your point?” Yudite asked.
“Well, something interesting happened. The emperor, wanting to see the hawk fly, took it out of the cage. But, guess what? The hawk couldn’t even spread its wings; it just kept chirping.”
“…”
“The noble bird, kept in a cage by its noble keeper, no longer resembled a hawk. Its claws had dulled, and its eyes lost their sharpness. It had become nothing more than a yellow canary, helplessly chirping.”
Marquis Hexion brushed her hair aside again, his fingers grazing the fabric of her dress.
“Right now, you’re no different from that canary. It’s no wonder Lady Cyrille treats you like a pet.”
Yudite shook her head, resisting his words.
It wasn’t Lady Cyrille who treated her like a pet—it was those noblewomen.
“No… that’s not true. The madam is a kind person. She raised me with great care, even though I was an orphan with nowhere to go. If it weren’t for her, I would have spent my life in an orphanage.”
“Well, you’re lucky. It was good fortune that she took notice of you. But that’s all there is to it.”
“…”
“You’re just like a bird that got lucky enough to catch the emperor’s eye, only to end up locked in a cage,” Marquis Hexion said with a laugh, as if all this was nothing more than a game to him.
“No, that’s not true. She treats me like her own daughter…”
“Ha, get a grip. Have you already forgotten what you said earlier?”
“It’s only because you kept speaking ill of her!”
“Quiet. You were the one who asked me to help you become the future Duchess and Kaiyen’s mistress. So, face the reality you’re in.”
As they argued, the moonlight shining on the stone tower briefly illuminated Marquis Hexion’s face.
His white hair shimmered like silk, his pale skin almost translucent, and his ruby-red eyes gleamed coldly, like two red jewels.
He Looked like a demon toying with some poor human’s emotions. The very essence of one.
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