“I don’t care why Madam Cyrille picked you up—whether it was out of pity, idle curiosity, or, like you said, genuine goodwill. It’s irrelevant.”
“….”
“What matters is the truth right in front of you: you’re nothing more than her pet. That’s the role you’ve been given. And If you want to crawl out of that filthy reality you’re stuck in, you’ll have to do exactly as I say.”
Marquis Hexion tilted Yudite’s chin upward. She’d just barely to stop crying, but now her eyes were brimming again—an expression so fragile, it almost hurt to look at.
“Do you know when Baroness Etisha and Duke Kaiyen are getting married?”
“…Yes. I overheard Madam say it’s in a month.”
“That’s rather soon.”
“Why do you care about the wedding?”
“Why do you think? Once those two are married, you’re finished.”
“…”
“Right now, you’re the Duchess’s little charity case. A possible plaything for Kaiyen. But once House Winter has a proper lady, you’ll be nothing. The moment the new Duchess takes her place, the nobles who smile at you now won’t even remember you exist.”
She wanted to deny it but he was right.
What would happen to her once Kaiyen married?
For now, she was living comfortably under Madam Cyrille’s protection.
But once the Winter house had a new mistress… would she still have a home?
Would she still matter?
“A month. That’s all the time you have to secure your position. Make your mark in high society and establish your standing within the Winter family, so no one can treat you carelessly.”
“…How exactly am I supposed to do that?”
Marquis Hexion smiled, as if he’d just been asked the simplest question in the world.
“Easy. Make allies.”
“….”
“Starting first with, like it or not, the Countess of Montmartre.”
Yudite’s golden eyes flickered with an unreadable light.
At that moment, the moonlight outside the window faded.
The night sky darkened, as if veiled by clouds.
***
Only one bed…
Etisha paced slowly beside the bed.
There’s… only one bed…
In such a large castle, why was the master’s chamber only one bedroom—and only had one bed?
This can’t be right. Am I seeing things because I’m drunk on wine? There’s no way there’s only one bed.
Etisha hesitated before sitting on the edge of the bed.
As expected from the Winter family’s furnishings, the bed was not only soft but surprisingly warm.
For it to be warm in this cold northern climate… there had to be some kind of magic placed on it.
Ah… the bed must be a magical item. It’s probably rare, which is why there’s only one; Etisha thought before stopping her dwelling on the number of beds and finally laying down on the blankets.
She was still wearing her banquet gown, but she had no energy left to get up and change.
She was tipsy from the wine, exhausted, and the bed was far too warm and comfortable.
So… am I really supposed to share this bed with the Duke starting tonight? But we haven’t even had the wedding yet… I’m not even mentally prepared. And besides, from the brief glimpse she’d caught before, Etisha knew that Duke Kaiyen didn’t wear clothes to bed.
She had seen it clearly back at the capital estate—Kaiyen lying on the bed, shirtless…
“What am I supposed to do…”Etisha grumbled, burying her face into the pillow.
Her hair, neatly coiled and pinned in place for the evening, tugged uncomfortably at her scalp, but she was far too overwhelmed to care.
Surely… surely he’s not going to sleep naked again tonight… right?
If something like that actually happened, there was no way Etisha would get a wink of sleep. She’d be lying there all night, eyes wide open, heart pounding.
This is ridiculous…
She had never imagined anything like this would happen in the North.
Even if they were getting married, she had assumed—of course—their bedrooms would be separate. Honestly, she hadn’t expected to even see much of Kaiyen at all.
Because the Duke already has a mistress whom he loved.
She was just supposed to exist quietly, like air—unseen, unnoticed—until the day she died.
….Hold on! Etisha blinked, realizing something didn’t quite make sense.
But Yudite isn’t even the Duke’s lover. She’s Madam Cyrille’s foster daughter. She’s not his lover, so… why did he accept my proposal?
She had assumed the Duke agreed to marry her to cover up the existence of his mistress.
But Yudite didn’t seem to be it.
So he… never actually had a mistress?
Then why did Duke Kaiyen agree to marry her?
I don’t understand.
Etisha slowly closed her eyes. Her eyelids lowered, and her soft lashes fell neatly into place.
Maybe… I’ve had it wrong from the start. Maybe even Yudite was just a decoy. Maybe there’s someone else—someone he’s truly hiding…
With someone as calculating as Duke Kaiyen, it wasn’t impossible.
Just like her, Yudite could have been nothing more than a cover. A shield to protect the woman he really loved—someone he’d go to any lengths to keep secret.
What are you really thinking…?
Her thoughts began to drift, growing hazy.
Her mind was slipping, lulled by the pull of sleep.
Your Grace…
She was still in her ballgown, and hadn’t even begun to prepare herself for the idea of sharing a bed with him. Yet, the warmth of the blankets and the pleasant haze of the wine were enough to drown out her hesitation.
In the end, Etisha gave in and quietly fell asleep.
***
Well past midnight, Kaiyen made his way to the bedchamber after tending to his overdue duties.
The only sound echoing through the silent halls of Winter Castle was the steady fall of his footsteps.
Everything is proceeding according to plan.
Reaching the third floor, he pushed open the heavy bedroom door.
His fingers moved to the collar of his shirt, loosening the first button as he stepped inside, walking toward the lone bed waiting deep in the room.
The wedding is in a month… That’ll be the final checkpoint. After that, everything ends—just as planned.
With each button that came undone, more of his skin was revealed—firm muscle, carved beneath a dark shirt.
His skin looked like It wouldn’t yield to even the sharpest blade, as impenetrable as the secrets locked behind his eyes.
“….”
Kaiyen’s gaze, dark and unreadable, fell to the figure asleep on the bed.
Etisha.
Dressed in a gown as white as snow, she lay fast asleep, looking like a figure plucked from a fairytale.
A sacrifice… or Is it a bait.
This fragile offering had handed over what remained of her life to him—all for the simple wish to break free from her past.
If she wasn’t in the same boat as me, I wouldn’t have spared her a second glance.
His reason for accepting her proposal had never been something so trivial as a mistress.
There had never been a hidden mistress to begin with.
The rumors about the Grand Duke’s lover were nothing but baseless gossip—misunderstandings spread by those who didn’t know Yudite’s identity, who was occasionally seen by his side.
Nor had he accepted Etisha’s proposal because of pressure from his family. He was well aware that his mother wanted him to find stability through marriage, but that was a wish Kaiyen had no intention of granting.
No. The real reason Kaiyen agreed to marry Etisha was because, like her, he had a past he desperately wanted to escape.
But unlike Etisha, he knew gentle methods alone wouldn’t be enough to sever the chains that bound him.
What he needed was revenge.
Cruel revenge, where necks would be severed, corpses burned, and ashes crushed beneath his heel, was the only thing that could free him.
That, and that alone, was what he truly desired.
“….”
He slipped off his jacket and draped it over a chair, then slowly unbuttoned the rest of his shirt.
Even with Etisha lying asleep beside him, he undressed without a hint of hesitation.
As if her presence meant nothing to him. As if she were entirely irrelevant. His demeanor was cold, detached—utterly indifferent.
When the last button came undone and his bare chest was exposed, Kaiyen finally sat on the edge of the bed.
The mattress dipped under his weight, and the sensitive Etisha flinched in her sleep, shifting slightly.
“Mmm…”
Kaiyen gazed down at her, his eyes black as obsidian.
Her soft pink hair, flushed cheeks, and delicate eyelids looked so fragile, it seemed a single touch might scatter them like dust.
…Foolish girl.
That was always his thought whenever he looked at her.
Why didn’t she seek revenge? Why didn’t she want it?
She had gained the power to crush those who had once oppressed her—so why…
His gaze drifted downward.
From her small, pale face to her slender neck, over the gentle curve of her shoulders, and down to her waist.
And then, as if giving in to impulse, Kaiyen reached out to her.
Not to touch her skin, but the hem of her dress.
He gripped the shimmering hem of her dress, heavy with magic, in one large hand—and let out a cold laugh.
“Hah.”
This was a dress designed by the capital’s couturiers—the very same ones who had once dismissed Etisha, now pouring their magic and pride into it.
He had promised to commission new clothes for her once they arrived in the North. But today’s celebration had come too suddenly—there hadn’t been enough time to prepare another outfit.
Kaiyen’s grip on the fabric tightened.
The skirt wrinkled under the strain, threatening to tear, and as it bunched up, it revealed Etisha’s slender legs beneath.
Why am I so angry about it? He asked himself. Why…?
With a sharp rip, the fabric gave way. The sound sliced through the silence and in that moment, Etisha’s eyelids fluttered—trembling faintly.
“Ugh… mm…”
Drowsily, Etisha opened her eyes and looked toward the man beside her. Her blue eyes, hazy with sleep, looked far more defenseless than usual.
“Your Grace…?” She called out to Kaiyen, but he gave no reply. He only stared at her in silence, his expression unreadable.
Pale pink hair, cheeks flushed with warmth, and blue eyes glowing faintly like gems submerged in water.
Kaiyen’s jaw tensed. He had almost let his raw emotions slip through in front of her.
“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”
He didn’t want anyone—especially her—to know the truth behind his intentions.
His past. Winter house’s shame. And the vengeance he would see through to the bitter end.
All of it was darkness he would swallow up, determined to keep buried forever.
He released the torn hem of her dress from his hand.
Fortunately, Etisha quickly drifted back into sleep. It seemed she’d already convinced herself that everything she saw was just a dream.
“…Haa,” he let a light scoff out, before pulling the blanket over her, then laying down beside her.
He only intended to rest his eyes briefly before leaving for his office early in the morning.
Beside him, Etisha’s soft, rhythmic breathing filled the space.
Ironically, the turbulent emotions that had surged within him at the sight of her in that dress began to settle—slowly but surely—as he listened to the quiet sound of her sleeping.
Calming him. Little by little.
Like raging waves calming after a storm, the sharp edge of Kaiyen’s bloodlust slid back into its sheath.
Still, he brushed off the shift in his heart as nothing more than a passing illusion.
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