Episode 9
When Cedric turned his head, his eyes met Arne’s.
Her bangs, almost white in color, covered half her face, but the eyes visible between them shone straight and clear.
They had steady, unshakable eyes—yet inside them, something quietly rippled.
Looking into them made him feel like he was being pulled in without realizing it. That was why he found it hard to look away.
Cedric brushed his hair back. Heat spread up to his forehead, and his hand felt cool against it.
Slowly, reason returned.
The answer to Arne’s question had already been decided from the start. It was pointless to hesitate—yet for some reason, opening his mouth felt difficult.
“That would be difficult, young lady.”
Why not? You said you’d grant anything you could!
Seeing Arne’s round eyes, Cedric felt like he could hear her thoughts and let out a small laugh.
“That’s not something I can grant. I’m expected to have a fiancée.”
Expecting to have one? You either have one, or you don’t!
Arne frowned at the vague answer.
“My grandfather plans to push for an engagement with the Marquis of Leverun’s daughter.”
“Then you’re not engaged yet.”
“That’s right.”
Cedric raised one eyebrow as he looked at her. Once their eyes met, he found himself speaking about family matters he normally wouldn’t.
“As always, my grandfather’s wishes as the Grand Duke of Renigrad will likely prevail. He’s very interested in the Leverun family’s land-route rights.”
Cedric slowly lifted his teacup again. The tea tasted bitter.
“My grandfather believes financial power is essential to strengthening the Renigrad family. He wanted to expand trade through the Leverun family, a rising bourgeois house.”
“And what about you, Cedric?”
At Arne’s question, Cedric tilted his head, confused.
“Do you want that engagement? Do you love the Marquis of Leverun’s daughter?”
Cedric felt strange.
No one in the Renigrad household had ever asked him something like that.
If the Grand Duke of Renigrad decided something, that was the end of it. No one questioned it.
In the North, the Grand Duke was that kind of existence.
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. I’ve never even met her.”
Arne’s face twisted oddly—relief and shock mixed.
“Then you were going to get engaged to someone you don’t even like?”
“That’s how noble marriages usually work.”
“Oh.”
Arne’s eyes rolled.
Political marriages were common among nobles.
That was why Bianca constantly begged the Duke of Ronia to arrange meetings with the best possible suitors in high society.
At the very top of that list was Cedric Spendha de Renigrad.
The only son of the Empire’s sole Grand Duke, and unrealistically handsome.
If his mother were an elf, that beauty makes sense.
Bianca had thrown herself at Cedric several times.
After being rejected, she insisted Cedric was famous for being cold to everyone in society—not just her.
Then she took it out on me.
Pushing aside memories of Bianca’s cruelty, Arne’s eyes rolled again.
“Is the land-route right needed because you’re planning to present Renigrad’s northern liquor to the Second Prince and sell it in the capital?”
At Arne’s sharp question, something flickered in Cedric’s eyes.
“To deduce the Grand Duke’s plan from just ‘land-route rights’—impressive.”
“Renigrad liquor is famous for being delicious. Strong, but without a hangover the next day. The Second Prince praised it himself.”
Of course, she knew.
In her previous life, this incident had been infamous.
The Second Prince got drunk on that intoxicating liquor and caused a massive scandal.
Prince Liam, once a bastard, was only acknowledged as a prince after his mother Abigail became Empress.
Resentment had built up inside him.
Drunk, he went to the Emperor and insulted the late Empress, even criticizing the Emperor himself.
It caused an uproar.
Thanks to Empress Abigail’s intervention, he wasn’t expelled—but the enraged Emperor declared prohibition across the entire Empire.
As a result, the joint Renigrad–Leverun project completely collapsed, leaving massive losses.
That’s when southern tea culture replaced Renigrad’s liquor.
The First Princess seized the moment, visiting the Emperor daily for tea, comforting him.
Soon, rare southern teas became a trend, and people praised the Princess’s devotion.
“To get engaged to you, Cedric, I’d need your grandfather’s approval. Let’s get engaged. To me.”
Arne’s eyes sparkled.
Cedric laughed at the boldness of the young lady.
“Earning my grandfather’s approval wasn’t easy. Even if you’re the Lady of Ronia, you can’t offer land-route rights through Leverun territory.”
Arne smiled calmly.
“Then I’ll change my wish. Invest in me. Support the merchant guild I’m about to build. I promise profits at least three times what Leverun expects.”
Cedric stroked his chin, intrigued.
A merchant guild that didn’t even exist yet—was she fearless or reckless?
Seeing his expression, Arne spoke again, looking like she’d thought long and hard.
“I’ll give you half the profits. That’s my limit. I can’t give up more than that.”
Cedric chuckled.
He didn’t care about profits at all. Serena’s life was worth far more than that.
“You can keep all the profits. Are you worried about the Grand Duchy’s finances?”
“You’ll need them. That way, you can report tangible results to the Grand Duke.”
Bold—talking about ‘results’ in front of the Grand Duke of Renigrad.
And the confidence in her voice only deepened.
“Or does your grandfather need honor? Status? I’m a duke’s daughter too. And—”
She was about to reveal that she’d earned massive merits as a secret knight of the Ronia family during monster wars when—
Bang. Bang.
That damn knocking again.
Arne let out a quiet sigh.
“Lord Cedric! The Grand Duke of Renigrad ordered me to deliver an urgent message—”
“Warren! I told you not to come in! You should be resting!”
“It’s the Grand Duke’s order! I heard news from the capital society—just avoid the snow rabbit and”
The Knight Commander’s voice and others followed, and the door fully opened. A faint scent of pain-relief herbs drifted in.
The Knight Commander awkwardly removed the arm draped over Warren’s shoulder.
Though it was the Grand Duke’s order, he was honestly curious about the young lady.
Cedric had hidden her face, restricted access, and imposed silence.
Rumors had spread among the knights.
Who was the woman Cedric had been holding?
Then Warren slowly pointed at Arne.
“That— isn’t that the Lady of Ronia?”
“The Lady of Ronia?”
“The snow rabbit! An orphan, violent, known as the Empire’s mad villainess!”
At Warren’s hostile words, Arne’s expression turned cold.
Her conversation with Cedric had been interrupted, which irritated her further.
She decided to focus on finishing things quickly.
“Invest in my merchant guild. You won’t regret it.”
“A merchant guild? What nonsense is this?”
“Warren.”
Even with Cedric’s heavy voice, Warren kept shouting.
Always aggressive and hot-tempered, he was a brave knight in war—but outside it, his temperament caused trouble.
Now, he wasn’t even fully sane, loaded with painkillers.
“It’s a scam! She lies whenever she opens her mouth! Claims she killed monsters alone—she probably just knows how to ride a horse!”
“Sir Warren, I was an orphan, yes. But now I am the Lady of Ronia.”
Her calm, powerful gaze made Warren flinch—as if a true duke’s daughter were looking down on him.
Just a fake noble with no background. A nobody orphan daring to glare at me? And seducing the noble Cedric?
Her words were an elegant warning—demanding proper respect.
Don’t pretend to be noble. I know what you really are!
Countless young ladies aimed for Cedric.
Many hide their true nature behind a pure facade.
Warren burned with certainty—she was one of them.
“Lord Cedric, do you know how cruel she is? At a banquet, she poured wine on the hostess’s dress!”
“She poured wine in mine first.”
“Ridiculous excuse! Everyone there saw it—your dress was fine while you poured the wine!”
“I only wear black dresses. Stains don’t show. Even now, Sir Warren can’t tell that my dress was soaked in blood.”
“Watch your excuses. You only drank tea—did invisible wine spill on you?”
Arne’s eyes drifted emptily.
Right. What had she expected?
They never listen.
If Warren had looked around, he’d have noticed bloodstains on the bedding—evidence of her coughing up blood all night from mana overload.
They only see what they want.
Seeing her silence, Warren smirked.
“See? She can’t say anything.”
Cedric, knowing the truth, wanted to grab Warren by the collar and shut him up.
He endured only because everyone knew Warren wasn’t in his right mind.
Warren had taken a lethal blow meant for Cedric and was surviving on strong painkillers.
Those herbs clouded judgment.
And due to secrecy orders, Warren hadn’t even received proper treatment yet.
I need to shut him up.
As Cedric moved, Arne squeezed his hand to stop him.
Her eyes held no emotion—only exhaustion and emptiness.
Like someone already burned down to ash.
Something boiled inside Cedric.
As he was about to speak, Arne spoke first.
She had no intention of letting someone who refused to listen keep interrupting.
“I’ve never lied—now or in the past. I’ve slain monsters. I can ride horses. But Sir Warren clearly has no intention of listening.”
“Still making excuses? That’s why they call you the Empire’s mad villainess.”
“Then I’ll propose. A riding match. If I win, you’ll never call me a liar again—and you’ll apologize for every insult.”
“Young lady, just admit it. You’ll get hurt.”
“Are you scared? Afraid you’ll lose to me?”
Arne sneered, just like Warren.
Provoked, Warren ran a hand through his hair.
“Fine. I won’t go easy. If you get hurt, that’s on you.”
“Good. First to reach the blue flag on the trail wins. I’ll choose a horse from the stable.”
“If I win, never approach Lord Cedric again. No merchant guild talks either.”
“Agreed.”
Their gazes clashed.
Breaking the tension was Cedric’s low voice.
“Warren. I forbid this.”
“Lord Cedric!”
Cedric spoke gently—not to Warren, but to Arne.
“This is too dangerous. You need rest. Horses are dangerous animals.”
“My mana is stable now. Granny Teresa’s medicine will let me manage for a short while.”
“I’ll apologize on Warren’s behalf, so”
“Cedric, trust me.”
Her red eyes burned fiercely—the same eyes as last night.
Cedric couldn’t look away.
“Just once. If it’s dangerous, I’ll stop. Please… trust me.”
