IAYATP CHAPTER 4

Episode 4

To sum it up, Ribede had not been able to contact Princess Eos.
Or rather, perhaps it would be more accurate to say he couldn’t.
The princess’s traces had vanished without a single clue. Even when he tried to follow her route, no sign of her could be found.
Even the captain of the ship she had secretly boarded had only seen her disembark at the destination — nothing more.

“What are we going to do? Seriously? You want me to get married? But you said I wouldn’t have to worry about political issues at all! That all I had to do was eat, have fun, and enjoy a ton of money and sightseeing! Those were the original conditions, right? Huh? If this goes wrong, we’re all…”

If the truth came out, Ribede would be executed for deceiving the royal family.
And me… if they found out I had not only deceived the princess but also posed as a fake bride marrying the empire’s grand duke for money, death would be my only fate.

I’d barely escaped death once already. I didn’t want to end my life like this — even if I had been thrown into some ridiculous novel.

“And you just saw it happen! I was found out right away — by the prince!”

“I told you, you have to be careful around His Highness the Prince. Unlike others, he’s extremely perceptive. But he said he’d overlook it, and I’ll go to him personally and ask for his favor, so… you don’t need to worry about that.”

Ribede gave me a side glance, then sighed.

“The palace has gotten busier. This means the wedding in one week is confirmed. What are you going to do?”

“That’s… outside my control.”

“Excuse me!”

“Her Highness the Princess always keeps her word. Which means she’ll definitely return in a month.”

His voice was steady, but his eyes wavered. In short, even he wasn’t confident. Still, his loyalty to Princess Eos was so apparent that I chose to stay quiet.

“So you want me to go through with the royal marriage? In her place?”

“…”

Judging by the complete absence of humor in Ribede’s face, I could tell the idea had been rejected as nonsense.

“I… seriously don’t know anything about this.”

“Madam Hailey and I will be by your side. We won’t leave you.”

“And if something unexpected happens? Like the emperor calling me in alone?”

There was no way someone who had lived their whole life on the streets could manage proper etiquette in front of the emperor alone.

“I’ll do my best to make sure that never happens. For now, if you just practice walking properly, there should be no problem with the wedding ceremony.”

“But—”

“Hey.”

In that moment, Ribede’s brown eyes sank into a depthless darkness. His voice also grew lower and heavier, like a cave.

“You made a promise. One month — to act as Her Highness the Princess.”

“…”

“If you can’t see it through, the worst-case scenario is war. And we can’t let that happen. Just endure a little. I’ll be by your side. I promise.”

Once again, our gazes met in the air, quietly.

“War…?”

He must mean that kind of war — the bloody kind I’d only ever seen in movies, the kind of chaos I was certain I’d never experience.

“This is crazy… I’m crazy. I let money get to me…”

He seemed just as troubled, but he didn’t show it outwardly.
And strangely, that steadiness made the fear pounding in my chest start to settle.

“Haa…”

If the worst-case scenario was war, and I had already decided I would survive no matter what, then I couldn’t let that happen.

After mulling over the tangled thoughts in my head, I exhaled slowly and nodded.

“You’ll take full responsibility.”

“Of course. I promise to keep you safe.”

When I agreed, Ribede’s stiff face finally eased a little.

“And another thing.”

I stopped him just as he was about to stand.

“Hey, don’t call me like that. Use my name.”

“But you said you didn’t have one.”

“Just because I wasn’t given one doesn’t mean I can’t make one. When there’s no one else around, call me Siha.”

“That’s an unusual name.”

“I made it so you wouldn’t forget it.”

Seo Siha — my name from my past life. I had a ready-made excuse in case he asked about it.

The real reason I told Ribede this name I’d kept to myself? Simple.
If he failed to protect me, he’d be my accomplice all the way to the end.

Time passed, and the day to depart for the Kansvine Empire drew near.
And during that time, Ribede drilled etiquette into me until I thought I would die from it.

“That’s not right!”

“What did I do wrong this time?”

“Straighten your back more!”

“I did!”

“It’s not perfectly vertical!”

For the past five days, Ribede’s elite survival etiquette training had been exhausting.

I’d never particularly liked him, but every lesson made me dislike him even more.

“The northern territory of Iarid is extremely cold. In short, you could freeze to death. You’ll need to take care of your body.”

“Yes, yes.”

The only thing I actually liked about all this was that unlike the mostly summer climate here, the territory I was going to would be in winter. The thought of seeing snow again somehow made me a little excited.

“Stop daydreaming and memorize it properly!”

Of course, aside from that, everything he taught me made me want to flip the desk over.

Even now, I could still hear his shouting echoing in my ears.

Eventually, the day came. Ribede, my nanny Hailey, a few maids, and I left the kingdom, arriving in the empire the day before the wedding.

I’d thought it wouldn’t be much different from my own country, but in person, the buildings and people were far more elegant and grand.

“From here on, keep your wits about you.”

Ribede murmured quietly as he led me to the guest room personally bestowed by the emperor.

“If I have to repeat myself, my head will roll.”

Naturally. From now on, it was the real thing.

The wedding dress, the gifts, the venue — all had been prepared in advance by the empire.

And so, here I was, standing before Grand Duke Lankea, wearing the false identity of Princess Eos.

“Next, I ask Her Highness the Princess: Do you vow to take the Grand Duke as your husband, to love him in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, remaining steadfast always?”

As the high priest’s words neared their end, I could feel my heartbeat pounding harder and harder.

Through the veil, I saw Grand Duke Lankea’s face — he was the very definition of perfection.

A statue come to life, really.

Sharp, well-defined features, a small face, monolid eyes slightly upturned at the corners, and thick brows.
On top of that, his build was solid, and — most importantly — his black hair and black eyes hinted at a certain possibility.

Black hair, black eyes, and the northern grand duke…

It was possible that he could be the male lead of this mysterious novel.
Not that I would be the female lead.

Finishing my speculation, I quickly spoke my vow before anyone could grow suspicious.

“Yes, I vow.”

At my answer, Lankea’s cold black eyes swept over me from head to toe — slowly, deeply, like a predator sizing up its prey.

My hand unconsciously went to the silver necklace around my neck.

I’ve imbued this with part of my power. Don’t use it unless absolutely necessary, but if you need proof, use it.

That was what the princess had told me before I left, as she gave me the silver necklace — a hidden royal relic and her mother’s heirloom.

In other words, it was my one and only lifeline.

“I’ve heard you scare easily,” Lankea said then.

Maybe because I’d been staring at him too intently, he looked somewhat surprised. His voice was a pleasant, low baritone — quiet, but steady.

“Oh? Is that so?”

“‘Is that so,’ you say — like it’s someone else’s problem.”

Ah.

Without thinking, I’d tried to act nonchalant and let the words slip out. Lankea, for the first time since the ceremony began, faintly smiled, lifting one corner of his mouth.

“In the northern duchy, you’ll have to take care of yourself. There are all sorts of conflicts up there. I can’t protect you all the time.”

He spoke softly, just for me to hear. His tone carried the same cold wind his appearance and reputation suggested.

“That’s fine. Sir Ribede will protect me.”

“Since this is a mutually unwelcome marriage, if you prefer, I can send you somewhere else after the wedding. A nice warm resort, perhaps.”

Despite his calm expression, I couldn’t smile back. The unexpected suggestion struck me like a hammer, freezing my thoughts.

Did he really hate the princess that much? Was this one of those plots where he had someone he loved already?
Or maybe…

Since I wasn’t the protagonist, it was more likely Princess Eos was, or there was some third-party interference in the plot.

Lankea looked puzzled when I didn’t jump at his offer.
If I accepted, I could keep the princess’s promise safely and protect my own life.

But—

“I like the cold.”

I guess I wanted to see more of this story playing out before me.

“I look forward to your guidance, Your Grace.”