Prologue
I woke up and quickly jumped out of bed.
Without even putting on slippers, I ran to the window.
Standing there, I grabbed the golden curtain, shining under the sunlight, and squeezed my eyes shut.
Please, please!
After repeating that to myself many times, I opened my eyes and slowly pulled the curtain aside.
The morning sun warmly covered the land.
Fresh grass and flower buds had grown overnight.
Birds were chirping happily, grooming their feathers under the perfect blue sky.
“…Damn it.”
All my strength left my body, and the curtain slipped from my hands.
It swayed gently, covering me as if mocking me.
“Why isn’t it raining? Not even thunder or lightning? Ugh…”
I covered my face with both hands.
In a few hours, he would arrive.
If it had rained, if there had been a dust storm, maybe today’s meeting could have been delayed.
But now, in just a few hours, I would have to meet the man fated to kill me.
“Did something happen to His Grace?”
I tried my best to keep my voice from sounding too happy, forcing a worried expression instead.
It was the time the great Duke was supposed to arrive, but instead of him, one of his knights had come to my house.
That had to mean something happened—maybe the Duke had to cancel the meeting!
It was hard not to smile.
The friendly-looking knight spoke with a smile.
“Ah, His Grace’s morning meeting took longer than expected…”
Yes! God might not have sent me rain, but at least He granted me this wish!
“…So he asked me to escort Lady Leriana to the restaurant.”
…My happy celebration inside instantly died.
If he was going to be late, why not just cancel?!
“You could’ve postponed if you were busy…”
I blurted out my true feelings before I realized it.
The knight still smiled kindly.
“He won’t be late, my lady. It just might take him a little longer to come pick you up, so he sent me ahead of time.”
“…I see.”
She added, “His Grace’s carriage is waiting outside. Shall we leave now?”
Our family has carriages too, but since the Duke himself sent one, I had no choice but to use it.
“…Alright. Let’s go.”
Dragging my reluctant feet, I walked ahead with the knight following behind.
Then a terrible thought hit me.
What if she’s an assassin?
Maybe the Duke sent her to kill me!
Otherwise, why would a noble Duke’s knight walk behind me like a servant?
I stiffened my back and walked carefully, paying attention to every sound.
But nothing happened, and I reached the front door safely.
That’s when I saw the Duke’s carriage.
“What the…”
Four white horses, an overly luxurious carriage glittering with jewels, and the Duke’s crest proudly displayed.
Even Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage would look plain compared to this.
“…His Grace’s gift to Lady Leriana,” the knight explained.
Or maybe… a trap.
The big, flashy design could be hiding weapons or a secret assassination device.
“I… Our family has a carriage—”
“Please don’t refuse His Grace’s kindness.”
…That’s basically saying, ‘Shut up and get in.’
In the end, I climbed into the possibly-dangerous carriage.
At the restaurant, I was shown to a private room.
“…Is this the right place?”
“Yes, this is the one His Grace reserved.”
Please say no… please say no…
But no.
So I calmly nodded and moved on to Plan C.
I whispered something to the waiter, who seemed confused but agreed.
Once I was alone, I rested my head on the table.
“This is a trap… a perfect place for a locked-room murder.”
The Duke had reserved a private room—meaning I’d be alone with him.
Could I survive today?
The door opened.
“Are you alright?”
A deep, handsome voice filled the room.
If I only heard the voice, I might think he’s nice.
I forced a smile. “Just felt dizzy for a moment.”
He—Kashiyar, the Duke of the Empire and the man destined to kill me—came closer.
His red eyes were beautiful, almost holy. His face was like a perfect work of art.
And yet… he was the greatest danger in my life.
“Let’s go see a doctor,” he suggested, frowning slightly.
For a moment I hesitated. If we went to the doctor, I could escape this room…
No! The doctor could be part of the plan!
I looked around. Luckily, there was a window. If things got dangerous, I could jump out.
“No, I’m fine.”
“You should’ve told me earlier if you weren’t feeling well.”
…Wait. That’s all it takes? I could’ve just pretended to be sick?!
“Even if we miss today, we can just meet twice next time,” he said with a smile.
That’s the same thing!
The waiter brought cutlery. I froze.
Knives… all deadly weapons.
I wanted to stop the waiter from putting a knife in front of Kashiyar.
“Will you be needing meals for three?” the waiter asked.
Kashiyar frowned. “I reserved for two.”
The waiter glanced at me. “But the lady said…”
“Yes. Three, please. And an extra chair,” I said quickly.
Soon, the door opened again.
“Oh my, am I late?”
My savior—Ashes, a beautiful woman with platinum hair—walked in and sat down.
Kashiyar frowned at her, but I ignored him.
With a third person here, he couldn’t just kill me!
…Of course, I was still a day-by-day survivor.
But I had another goal—living like a human being.
Eating across from the man who might kill me didn’t feel human.
So I clutched my head and groaned.
“Leriana, are you unwell?” Ashes asked in concern.
“I’ve had a headache since earlier…”
“Then you should rest at home,” she said.
“Yes, that’s probably best.”
Kashiyar stood. “We’ll escort you back.”
“No, it’s fine. And Ashes just got here—it would be rude to leave her.”
“…But, sister—”
“I’m not feeling well, so please take care of my guest for me. I’m counting on you.”
Smiling, I slipped toward the door.
“Sorry, Ashes. See you next time, Kashiyar.”
Then I bolted out of the restaurant.
I wasn’t going to take his carriage—better to find a random one in the street.
I escaped! I survived another day!!
Ever since Kashiyar reappeared, my life had been like this—running, avoiding, living in constant fear.
I didn’t know how long I could keep this up.
Why had he come back?
Where had things gone wrong?
“Sister!”
I turned slowly. Kashiyar was chasing me, looking furious.
Please, please!
Couldn’t he just leave me alone?
All I wanted was to live.
