41. come with me
“Me too?”
It was, as expected, an unexpected response.
“So, even if it’s frustrating, endure a little. Just until the permission letter arrives.”
“If you go up, wouldn’t you be going alone?”
“You and I are always together. If I move, you have to go too.”
Of course, I vaguely anticipated it.
Blood is needed anywhere.
There might be an unclear imagination that if I go to war, I might stay in his barracks, although it’s unlikely. But the capital was a different issue. Exposing blood in front of many people was too dangerous.
And frightening. If I go to the capital, wouldn’t death be hastened? Disappearing without a trace, without even a corpse to bury…
The more I twisted the original, the closer death came. The time left until death shortened from 1 year and 6 months to 4 months. I didn’t want to make the situation worse.
I corrected my thoughts and stuttered out the words.
“I… I’ll just stay here.”
“Leonie.”
He cut off my words.
He seemed angry, but the words he added were truly warm.
“The outskirts are warm, and even if it’s not as much as the capital, there’s a rich cultural life. According to Viter’s words, there are theaters and famous shops, so even the ladies of the capital often come to visit. If you want, I’ll buy a mansion closest to the dessert shop you wanted to go to. So…”
His deep blue eyes fixed on me. He was choosing his words like talking to a child.
“Let’s go together. You wanted to leave the North. You said you would hold my leash… Why do you keep trying to let me go?”
He stared at me intently. As if waiting for an answer.
“Your hometown has never dropped below freezing even in winter… Maybe that’s why it was hard to adapt. Living in a warm climate will probably be a little better. Your complexion will improve too, better than now.”
The words he spat out on the snowy mountain were not a joke, it seemed. He completely believed that I was lost.
As if consumed by the lie I had created.
“If I go… What about the rumors? What if there are rumors about blood, that’s why I stayed in the North? And if I live in the capital as a son of the wasteland…”
“The favor I put in the capital this time is a lottery.”
He answered firmly.
“This is not a simple request to let me live in the capital. I’ve officially sent a letter requesting my status to be recognized as a prince based on my merits in the war so far. Publicly, I can demand noble status even for commoners. They won’t be able to ignore it completely. So, don’t worry about that part.”
Since I haven’t made any official appearances since coming here, my merits in the war are what I achieved before. The reason he is being recognized is because my blood has not been mixed in at all.
I was puzzled. Why go to such lengths? Moreover, his reason for staying in the North so far couldn’t be simply due to the ‘reflection’ or ‘shame’ that the nobles talk about.
To give up everything that could be prepared in the North. What was he thinking?
What part moved him so much?
Could it be because of Lady Arin? Different from the original?
Lady Arin and I occasionally had meals and conversations when I didn’t come out of the room.
Later, I heard that the usual conversations between the heads of the households and the masters were all there was. I didn’t know if there were discussions about entering the capital.
“I’ll send the blood through the butler. It’s troublesome, but sending someone back and forth should work. I will stay here…”
“I promise that nothing will harm you. You just need to enjoy, eat, spend money, and stay healthy. Send the lady back home too. If you get bored, take the subordinates and go to the territory of the Duke in the capital. That should be acceptable conditions, right?”
It wasn’t just acceptable; it was genuinely considerate conditions.
There was no room to refuse anymore. It was hard to meet his gaze. If I met his eyes, it felt like I could only nod helplessly.
“In return, I have one request.”
What followed was even more unexpected.
“I hope you loved me.”
More than the statement that he would go to the capital and request recognition.
I was surprised and asked, “What?”
I couldn’t see, but he surely had a surprised expression. But his serious face didn’t seem like a joke.
“I’m not saying it seriously. I wish you acted. Convincingly.”
He continued, “Position. You mentioned it back then. You need a proper position when you are somewhere.”
Did I say that? Many things had happened since then, and it felt like it had been erased.
“I’ll give you a position. If you go to the capital, then act like my lover when needed. Even if someone asks, it’s okay to imply that it will happen soon.”
“…Will they really believe it?”
Whether they believed it or not didn’t matter. I didn’t want to bother with mockery and investigations when death was imminent. If not being able to go to the capital together was the reason, I was more than willing to use it as an excuse.
“They will believe. It will be easier to understand than working as a secretary. Show those who don’t believe what you’ve received so far. That way, it will be easier for them to understand why you are staying by my side.”
If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have acted boldly at the banquet. He added quietly.
“Do I have something I’ve received?”
Only after saying it did it come to mind.
It’s not Leonie, but the bride price received by Leonie’s family. Perhaps, if the rumor spreads that the Duke has bought an estate and a mine for Leonie’s family, it would be rare for someone not to believe it.
The Duke, who wants to give anything to his lover’s family, and the benefactor who established the family with his help. Their relationship was entangled, and it seemed quite plausible that they were lovers who loved each other.
“Let’s have anything lacking sent from the capital. No matter how much you summon the upper class to the North, it will be less effective than seeing it in person.”
“Do you think it’s okay? According to Viter, it seems like the engagement of the Baron doesn’t suit the Duke’s status.”
It would lower your value, he said. There might be obstacles in the future. The words that came to mind afterward were not spoken.
“I heard some unnecessary talk.”
“Aren’t you afraid of rumors? The engagement between the nameless Baron and the position of the Crown Prince. It’s more shameful than an engagement that doesn’t match.”
“Are you worrying about me?”
He chuckled lightly.
“If someone mocks, just ignore them. You can get angry too. Stab them with the sword I taught you if necessary.”
The words he spat out with a calm expression were unexpectedly ruthless.
“What if you keep stabbing everyone? If you’re imprisoned, you won’t be able to taste blood until you’re released.”
He stopped laughing.
“It’s not a useless joke. If someone threatens you, just cut their throat. Even if it’s another prince. Retaliate against those who touch you. Just think about yourself and act selfishly. I’ll take care of the rest.”
After speaking in a low voice, he chuckled again.
“As always… Just do what you used to do.”
“When did I cut the Duke’s throat?”
I had to speak up. I’ve never touched you with my fingertips. Sometimes, I’ve imagined hitting that chest hard when you do annoying things. But it was just an imagination.
I wouldn’t feel unjust if I had hit you earlier.
He responded to my words.
“A lot. You always ran away unpredictably in all directions. My back of the head still tingles.”
For a moment, he smiled, then spoke seriously again.
“I’ll never put you in a situation dangerous enough for you to wield a sword. But I don’t know what will happen in the future, like back then.”
Only 4 months. What could happen in those 4 months?
Although my mouth was dry, I couldn’t come up with any suitable excuses. There was no more plausible justification.
Perhaps sensing the silence as a signal, he added.
“I’ll handle my situation. You just handle yours.”
* * *
If his words about leaving the capital were not lies, he immediately summoned a magician.
The magician summoned early in the morning was visibly tense.
When I ordered him to erase the tattoo, he cautiously took my hand.
As soon as I memorized the spell, the magic seeped into my hands. It felt like a cold sensation running through my veins. A blue light shot up, just like when I touched the barrier.
“All done.”
The magician released my hand.
It was instantaneous. The spell didn’t fade or cause any delayed pain; it simply disappeared as if it had never been there.
Could breaking the shackle be this simple? Wasn’t it an illusion?
“Is it really gone?”
I touched my hand. The surface was clean, with no noticeable difference from when the magician touched it.
I had to doubt and doubt again. They were the ones who deceived me and maintained the spell.
“If you want, you can go back to the mountain range and test it. Should I take you there when I leave the mansion soon? Test if they’re trying to deceive you again.”
Don’t walk alone at midnight again. Deon, who silently watched from behind as I clenched my fists and erased the spell, opened his mouth.
“Wait a moment. Take this with you.”
He handed me a small box. It was a jewel case covered with red silk.
“This is…”
When I opened the lid, a necklace hanging along a curve came out. It looked almost like a 5-carat item.
The jewel was wrapped in gold thread like a spider’s web, in the shape of a droplet.
It looked expensive at a glance.
“Is it a bribe? Or a gift?”
A deposit to ensure that I act well as a fake lover in the future?
“It’s a gift.”
He said.
It was dazzling. Afraid of any scratches, I hesitated to touch it, so he picked up the necklace from the box.
Although the pearl was large, it looked small in his big hand.
“Try it on.”
I took the necklace. I tried to put it around my neck like a hawk, but I struggled several times and stuttered. The string was short, so the hawk couldn’t fit well.
He grabbed my hair with one hand and swept it back. Then, he carefully put the necklace around my neck with one hand.
A cold finger brushed against my collarbone. I unconsciously held my breath.
Except for when he drank my blood, it was the first time he touched my neck. Deon, who was standing behind me in a hugging position in the mirror on the opposite side, and I looking at each other directly, were reflected.
The gem hanging around my neck was as blue as ice. The string was short and thin, so it seemed to float just above the collarbone.
“I told the butler to adjust it to a suitable size in case the jewel is too big for comfort. I’m not sure if it’s okay.”
He stepped back gently as he held me.
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