HDBMTD 06

Chapter 6

Aria’s earlobes flushed red with shame as she listened to the conversation.

Even private details like her missed menstruation were being reported to her brother.

Padba calling infertility an “advantage” for a noblewoman was unbearably insulting.

He meant that since Aria couldn’t have children, there was no risk her child would threaten the throne, so she could be used more conveniently as a political tool.

He didn’t treat her as a beloved sister—not even as a human being.

And then came her mother’s reply, even more shocking:

“If we’re going to marry her off, how about introducing her to Prince Elisha?”

“You mean Lucien? It’s true he showed interest in Aria, but…”

“Yes, and there’s a diplomatic meeting in a few days. It’s dreadful I have to see that thing’s face again.”

“But if we send the princess abroad, there will be strong backlash at home. Besides, doesn’t Aria already have a fiancé? Duke Vendrix, the Empire’s only S-rank Eshafe since the Emperor passed.”

Padba lowered his voice.

“How well I control the duke will be the true measure of my ability. To tame him like a loyal dog that won’t bite his master, Aria must marry him. She will become his leash.”

Aria recalled how Padba had come to her earlier that day, asking for her support. She had sincerely wondered how she could help.

Not realizing that what he really meant was using her to control Nocturne.

“I understand your intent. But keep an eye on her—make sure she doesn’t leave the palace.”

“Ha! That’s nothing to worry about. Now that she’s lost her powers, the palace is her only safe haven. She wouldn’t dare leave. Even if we drove her out, she’d cling to stay.”

As their laughter rang out, Aria felt her mind reel.

Are these really the people I thought were my family?

Forcing her trembling hand forward, Aria pushed the door open.

She needed to get out. Immediately.

Clunk.

As the door closed, she glimpsed Padba turning toward her. Aria spun and ran. She burst from the study and sprinted across the corridor.

Mother and Brother tried to kill me.

She had been abandoned.

Oddly, she didn’t feel pain, or even anger. Just confusion.

Is this real?

The family that promised to always protect each other… tried to bury me the moment I became a cripple.

Everything she once believed had been denied. It felt more believable that she was still in a coma, dreaming all of this in a nightmare.

But the pain in her ankle and the tightness in her chest as she ran felt brutally real.

The imperial palace where she was born now felt as foreign as a back alley in an unknown land. She wanted to run and hide.

But… where to?

Aria stumbled to a stop, caught in panic.

There was only one name that came to mind.

“Noc…turn.”

Her fiancé, her promised future.

Even if her family abandoned her, she could trust him.

I’ll ask Nocturne for help.

She had heard his voice when her power briefly returned. He had to be in the palace. But she hadn’t sensed where exactly.

Then, her eyes landed on a wall sconce. As she turned her gaze, a memory stirred.

When my empathic power activated… I saw fire.

Hesitating, she stepped toward the wall. Her steps faltered like a drunk’s. Beads of cold sweat slid from her temple as the orange flame cast its glow on her cheek.

This was self-harm.

It felt like a stupid move.

But a sudden gust made the flame leap higher, and the fire turned once again into a butterfly.

Huff…

Startled by the flood of voices, she braced against the wall. She sifted through the noise, focusing on anything related to Nocturne.

— Why hasn’t Duke Vendrix come? It’s been a month. Shouldn’t he at least visit?

— After what happened to Her Highness, it’s no wonder his feelings cooled.

— Did you see her left ear? If I were a man too…

The harsh gossip from the attendants made Aria instinctively hold her breath.

Padba’s cruel words echoed:

“All that’s left is a half-melted monster.”

She struggled to remain composed and kept listening.

— While Her Highness was comatose, the duke started seeing someone else, didn’t he?

— The rumored mistress is Lady Minette.

What?

My soulmate, my fiancé Nocturne, is cheating on me?

With my dearest friend Minette?

The absurdity of it made Aria almost laugh aloud.

“Ha…”

Royal gossip was always a favorite pastime for idle maids. But this?

Even their imagination has limits…

— I’m exhausted.

The familiar voice made her open her eyes wide.

Found him.

Nocturne’s voice came from the annex. Aria picked up the wall sconce and headed there.

Nocturne, my soulmate.

The servants, ignorant of Eshafe bonds, might believe in silly rumors, but a soulmate bond wasn’t something easily broken. That’s why Padba was using her to control Nocturne.

Soulmates, born with matching marks.

She recalled the day she first met Nocturne. Though a nightmare now, it had once been a beautiful memory.

Her fourth birthday had made her a legend, when she read the hearts of many at once. But that day left deep emotional scars.

The Emperor and Empress had warned her never to read minds recklessly. But a child who had tasted universal love couldn’t resist.

Eventually, her obsession with reading hearts disrupted her life. The Empress, unable to bear it, forcibly sealed her powers with a control ring.

But the moment her powers were sealed, Aria became so weak she couldn’t even lift a finger.

“Ari, what’s wrong?”

“When I can’t hear other people… it feels like I’m alone in the universe.”

Realizing the seriousness, her parents brought in top counselors. Thanks to their care, she grew into a reliable, mature student by academy age.

Yet deep inside, she always carried an inexplicable emptiness.

That’s why the concept of a soulmate had given her hope.

Maybe her loneliness was the result of missing her other half.

So when she finally found Nocturne, she had been so excited she acted completely unlike herself.

“I’m reporting today’s incident to the Headmaster. Be ready for the disciplinary board.”

“W-What? Isn’t that too much for such a minor thing…”

“Minor? Nocturne’s life was in danger! This won’t be overlooked. I’ll be watching him from now on. If something like this happens again, I’ll personally make sure punishment is swift.”

After rescuing Nocturne from the lake, Aria had delivered a stern warning to the boys.

The bewildered boys whispered:

“Why is the princess taking your side like that? She usually helps weak kids, but never like that.“

“Yeah! Tell us, what are you to her?”

“How would I know? We met today for the first time.”

Thanks to her S-rank empathy, Aria could hear every word even from afar. She turned toward Nocturne and declared:

“You decide!”

“…What?”

“What do you want us to be?”

Thinking back to the stunned look on young Nocturne’s face made her blush slightly.

Why had she been so bold?

But that’s how happy she was. Meeting her long-lost other half felt like recovering the last missing piece of herself.

Eshafe of the combat class like Nocturne, who controlled fire, possessed immense power—but also a fatal flaw.

Using their powers built up madness, and if left unchecked, it led to berserk episodes.

Only a mental-type Eshafe could cleanse that madness.

But doing so required deep intimacy and trust. Even married couples often failed to reach a 100% match rate.

Only soulmates were naturally capable of 100% synchronization without building that bond.

Two halves of one soul, destined from birth, incapable of betraying one another.

Even if the whole world turns its back—my person will stay beside me.

As she reached the annex, knights greeted her in alarm.

“Your Highness, why are you here…?”

“Nocturne is here, isn’t he?”

When they hesitated, Aria pushed past them and entered the annex. As startled maids came running, she declared:

“I go where I decide. Nocturne is here, right?”

“We can’t say… Please return to the West Palace.”

It’s fine. I already know.

“Your Highness!”

Ignoring them, Aria walked confidently toward Nocturne’s room. The knights and maids rushed after her.

How did she know?

When she pushed the door open, they froze.

The guest room was spacious, with a parlor and adjoining bedrooms. The door to the bedroom was open.

Inside was Aria’s beloved, Nocturne.

…with her most trusted friend, Minette, sitting on his lap.

“…”

Blinking in disbelief, Aria struggled to believe her eyes.

The scene only became clearer.

The room was a mess.

Empty bottles and half-eaten food littered the table.

Minette’s silver hair was still damp, as if she’d recently bathed.

She wore only a sheer negligee that clung to her curves.

And she sat on the lap of the handsome young man.

Nocturne, wearing just shirt and trousers, looked slightly disheveled, some buttons undone. Flushed from drink, his loose posture made his muscular form even more striking.

The beautiful pair sat intimately close. Anyone else might have quietly retreated, not to interrupt.

If that man weren’t Nocturne Vendrix—Aria’s fiancé.

Her clenched fists trembled.