I glanced back to see Dielo shake his head ever so slightly.
“…Are you really asking me to touch the dress of a lady I’ve just met?”
“I gave you permission, didn’t I? More importantly…”
I turned to face him.
Then, I reached out and gently pulled his slightly raised hand toward me.
I saw myself reflected in his blue eyes.
“This concerns both your fate and Argentta’s. Don’t you think you should see it with your own eyes?”
“…”
Dielo hesitated, silently taking in my words.
Then, finally, he stood up.
— Click.
As I turned my back to him again, the sound of my heels echoed unusually loud across the room.
“…”
Soon, his hand approached slowly and touched my back.
It was only through the fabric, on the buttons—but a strange warmth climbed up my spine.
I couldn’t tell if it was due to nerves or because of the fire ability Dielo Argentta wielded.
— Click.
His hand undid a button.
I could feel the air touch the exposed area of my upper back, where his name should be inscribed.
“Look closely. This is proof I’m a fake.”
I bit my lip. I had to do this. My hand clenched into a fist without me realizing it.
Croa Allozé could control water.
Though the original novel said she couldn’t even stir a puddle, if she could manipulate water, she should be able to move the blood in her own body.
Even if it’s difficult, I have to make it move!
— Flash!
The moment I thought that, a pale blue light shimmered from my hand.
And I nearly froze in surprise.
That… was easier than I expected?
Could it be that Croa’s power is stronger than portrayed in the original novel?
Moving the blood in my body felt no harder than lifting a finger.
Had something changed when I possessed her?
“…!”
Meanwhile, Dielo’s expression kept shifting rapidly.
And for good reason.
The wound-like mark inscribed between my shoulder blades—where his name was embedded—was fading.
“This is…”
A true Phero’s mark wouldn’t disappear like this.
I turned to face him.
I had no time to fuss over my loosened dress.
This moment was critical—I had to convince Dielo Argentta.
“Duke Allozé forcibly carved your name into my back.”
If she could control water, surely blood was no exception.
“That’s proof I’m a fake.”
I met his gaze.
His storm-tossed blue eyes stared directly into mine.
“So now… do you feel even slightly inclined to make a deal with me?”
Can you trust me?
— Clack.
I pressed a hand on the desk and asked him.
Moving the blood that had pooled beneath my skin into the shape of his name brought sharp pain.
But oddly enough, that pain helped me stay clear-headed.
“Duke Allozé deceived you. He only commanded me to act as your Phero. This proposal—this deal—is entirely my own doing.”
I opened my hand.
“In other words, no one—not even a single soul in House Allozé—knows what I’m planning.”
Dielo, who had been silently observing me like he was trying to read my mind, finally opened his mouth.
“A fake Phero, huh… I knew Argentta was being looked down on, but I didn’t realize it was this bad.”
His blue eyes bore into me.
“Do you think Argentta will let someone who tried to deceive its duke go free?”
“No. I don’t think you’d let me live.”
No matter how gentle Dielo Argentta seemed.
“That’s why I’m offering a deal. Because I want to survive.”
At my words, Dielo looked down at his slightly cooled teacup.
“You’re saying that despite being a fake, there’s still a reason I should go through with this marriage?”
“Yes. Two, actually.”
I answered him confidently. Dielo raised an eyebrow.
“First.”
I looked him straight in the eye as I continued.
“Argentta is currently considered the weakest of the three houses. That’s why Allozé of water and Cartiel of wind are dismissing you. So much so that they’d try something like planting a fake Phero.”
As I stared into his blue eyes, I went on.
“If you marry me, you can pretend to be fooled. It’ll buy you time until your real Phero appears and you gain power.”
Duke Allozé would assume Dielo had been thoroughly deceived once we were married.
“Second.”
I looked down at my fingertips.
“This is Argentta, the house that guards the Boundless Sea. I heard your borders are struggling because your Phero hasn’t appeared yet.”
Then I looked directly at him.
“Until the real Phero comes, my water powers could help guard the sea.”
In the novel, Croa Allozé supposedly had such weak control over water she couldn’t even contain a spilled cup.
But the author had also revealed in a side note that magical powers amplified in places rich with their element.
So by the sea, surrounded by water, even a small talent could be a great asset.
I glanced down at the teacup before me.
If I could manipulate that water more freely, it might help convince Dielo.
In the original, Croa couldn’t even control spilled tea.
But when I had just used my powers to manipulate blood… it had felt effortless.
What about now?
— Splash!
The water in the teacup lifted into the air—morphing into the exact same shape as the teacup it had come from.
…This is supposed to be a weak power?
I didn’t just stir spilled water—I lifted a whole cup’s worth and shaped it freely.
But I had no time to be stunned.
Right now, I had to be a convincing negotiator.
I stared at Dielo.
“…”
As I moved the water, his gaze followed the floating teacup.
For someone who wielded fire and faced an endless sea of water, my ability had to be tempting.
Would he take the bait?
Our eyes met—and Dielo finally spoke.
“…Let’s say your power is real. Even so, I’m not a strong duke. Making a deal with me won’t be enough to stop Allozé.”
A bitter smile.
But that was a lie.
A bluff.
“No. You can stop them.”
I firmly rejected his words. Even without the novel’s knowledge, there was proof.
“The world says you’re weak, but if your power were truly lacking, many of your retainers would’ve defected.”
Yet most of Argentta’s leadership remained.
That meant his power wasn’t weak—it just wasn’t yet fully mastered.
And I knew the truth from the original.
He wasn’t incompetent—he was waiting for the right moment to overturn everything.
Even without finishing the book, I knew.
If the synopsis and reviews weren’t all lies—
Then if I could derail the plot before that moment—
If I didn’t erase his lilies by taking his first nights—
He could still awaken as the strongest duke in Argentta’s history.
The only issue was buying him time until then.
“Duke Allozé is already suspicious of you.”
A man familiar with deceit—he couldn’t help but sense something was off about Dielo.
A supposedly weak, passive duke—yet none of his vassals had abandoned him?
That raised questions.
So Duke Allozé had gambled everything on a fake Phero.
If Dielo was really weak, Allozé would’ve taken this chance to crush Argentta completely.
I leaned in a little closer.
His sharply defined jaw and striking nose came into clearer view.
Dielo Argentta—the one praised for his striking looks since childhood.
He was wavering. I needed to seal the deal.
“I have no intention of seducing you.”
His gaze snapped to mine.
“If I robbed you of your potential like Duke Allozé planned, I’d become an outcast in both houses.”
To Allozé, I’d be a used-up pawn. To Argentta, a thief of the duke’s power.
“And if I didn’t believe you, what would you have done?”
Dielo’s cautious eyes scanned me again.
“I came because I thought you’d be wise enough to accept this deal.”
I let out a short breath.
If the negotiation failed—I’d die. So I had to act confidently.
I straightened my back.
“Like I said earlier—let’s get married.”
The marriage itself won’t change.
“And let’s spend the night, just as Allozé wants.”
His expression began to harden—but I gently added:
“—Except.”
I held out my hand to his pale one.
“We’ll only hold hands.”
We’ll pretend we spent the night together. Until your real Phero appears.
At my words, Dielo’s eyes widened.
“When your true Phero arrives, let’s catch Allozé and Cartiel off guard, and with your fully awakened power—sweep them away.”
According to the novel, the real Phero shows up about two months after Croa is introduced.
Until then, we just had to maintain the ruse.
I opened my palm.
“You… have more than enough power to do it, Duke Argentta.”
This was an irresistible deal.
He had many enemies—but no allies.
And the one who came offering an alliance… was Croa Allozé, his enemy’s hidden card.
“That’s your condition?”
His blue eyes searched mine. I nodded lightly.
“Yes. In exchange for this contract marriage—destroy House Allozé and protect me. Duke Dielo Argentta.”
At my words, Dielo thoughtfully brushed his lips with his fingers.
A long silence. A long deliberation.
And just as I thought his once light-blue eyes looked like the deep sea…
He finally spoke, a gentle smile curving his lips.
“Very well. Then, call me Dielo from now on.”
He extended his hand to me.
“As far as both our houses are concerned, I will marry Lady Croa. We’ll share our wedding night soon…”
His blue eyes closed gently.
“And from that day on, I’ll begin to lose my chance to awaken.”
A wistful voice.
“—Or at least, pretend to.”
Dielo stepped closer.
I instinctively stepped back—but he closed the distance again, placing his hand gently on my back.
I froze.
“Let me at least show some belated courtesy, my lady.”
He smiled faintly.
“…Ah.”
I let out a small breath as the tension left my shoulders.
— Click.
He re-fastened the buttons on the back of my dress.
Just as a strange heat and tension spread across my back and neck—
— Rustle.
He took off his uniform jacket and draped it over my shoulders.
Warmth enveloped me.
He smiled at me. The deal was sealed.
The original story… had officially started to shift.
