“…Did you think I was going to die?”
“Yes. That guy was so confident I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you anymore. He’s never failed until now. Before arriving at Arnoan Palace, I even wondered if I should prepare a coffin.”
Why is this guy so extreme?
“Haha! I’d love to see that guy make a miserable face. He was so arrogant and full of himself. Don’t think too deeply about it. I’ve had my fair share of losses.”
Arnon lightly patted my shoulder and stood up.
“Well then, I’ll head back to my room and rest. This place always makes me feel like I should be working.”
“W-wait a moment!”
“Hmm?”
Arnon, who was about to leave, turned back to me.
“Then… where is the real Crown Prince? Is he even in Arnoan Palace?”
“What? You still haven’t found Arsen?”
“No…”
“Hmm.”
Arnon looked me up and down as if assessing me.
“Well… I don’t think I should interfere any further. Arsen might get angry if I do. With your instincts, I believe you can figure it out yourself. If there’s a next time, let’s meet again then.”
The Crown Prince’s twin waved and left the room.
As soon as the door closed, I couldn’t stop myself from swearing.
Damn it, I should’ve kept my mouth shut!
Even if I discovered he wasn’t the Crown Prince, there was no way his twin would give me information about him. I should’ve found the real Crown Prince first and then struck from behind.
Ugh! Ryu-rin, you idiot! Why are you acting like an investigator?
In the end, I trudged back to my room empty-handed.
A servant waiting there blushed and quickly bowed.
She seemed to be bringing a tea set to my room.
“Ah… thank you.”
I didn’t want her entering my room, so I accepted the tray right outside.
The moment I took a sip—
This… this is… don’t tell me…
“You…”
“Good morning. It’s a nice day, isn’t it?”
The servant smiled brightly.
Her appearance was completely different, but that smile was unmistakably familiar.
Seonon, you bastard…
“You noticed quickly even though I used a very diluted sleeping drug.”
“What’s the point of giving me sleeping drugs in the morning? And what is that disguise?”
“Isn’t it great? A technique that lets me look like multiple people without magic.”
Seonon tore off the mask from his face.
I stared at him with a disgusted expression.
“You’re really going to keep following me like this?”
“Of course. I’m your direct attendant. Wherever you go, we’ll always be together—like needle and thread.”
“Nice words.”
Then follow me to hell while you’re at it. I haven’t even been there yet.
I opened the door with a pout, and Seonon slipped in right behind me.
Great. Instead of solving one problem, I’ve brought another one with me.
“You went somewhere early this morning?”
“To Arnon.”
“To Arnon?”
Seonon stared at me intently.
Crap. I shouldn’t have said that.
Too late.
I turned away and loosened one button on my sleeve.
“Yes. I met Arnon, who was disguised as His Highness the Crown Prince…”
Wait.
A sudden thought froze me.
Arnon had been disguised as the Crown Prince.
And Seonon had treated him as if he were the real Arsen.
There was no way Seonon—who served directly under the Crown Prince—would fail to notice.
That meant… from the beginning, he knew that the Crown Prince I met at dinner was Arnon.
‘Let’s start from the beginning.’
If I were the Crown Prince, I’d want to know what kind of person Ryuana is.
But as the Crown Prince, I could only observe surface-level behavior. So it would be better to disguise myself as someone who could stay close without suspicion.
Exactly. Like a direct attendant…
“Why are you so quiet?”
I turned around sharply.
Seonon was smiling with narrowed eyes.
“Is something wrong?”
“You…”
It was you.
‘This guy is the Crown Prince.’
The realization hit me like a hammer.
My body stiffened.
“….”
As he watched my changing expression, Seonon looked amused.
“So you figured it out now. I thought you let me live because you suspected it. Guess not. Should I make it easier for you next time?”
Seonon—no, the Crown Prince—pulled off his wig and wiped his face with a handkerchief.
As he removed the mask beneath it, the face I had admired at dinner was revealed.
Arsen didn’t stop there. He released the magic as well.
His true eyes appeared.
Frozen blue eyes, like a lake locked in winter. So cold it felt like they could freeze the air itself.
He didn’t feel human.
And in those eyes… I saw killing intent.
“Aah… I liked that disguise. It helped me observe what kind of person you are.”
“….”
“And Arnon ruined everything. Poor acting, sending assassins… I told him I would handle Ryuana myself.”
“You…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Arsen smiled—a dangerously beautiful smile.
But to me, it felt more like the face of a reaper.
“Why are you making that face?”
Did he really not know?
He was smiling, but killing intent overflowed from his eyes.
The oppressive presence of a ruler filled the room.
I could barely breathe under it.
Damn it… when he was Seonon, I didn’t feel anything!
“Do you want me to go back to being your attendant again? Like this?”
Arsen cleared his throat.
“‘Ryuana-nim, are you alright? Shall I bring you some warm tea? Ah, perhaps some sugared pear water like yesterday? Don’t make that face—it’ll give you wrinkles.’”
“….”
“How’s that?”
No. This guy is dangerous.
Fear surged instinctively.
I stepped back without realizing it.
Arsen looked surprised, but only briefly.
“Ryuana Riberveil Arbesk.”
“W-what—huh?!”
In an instant, he was in front of me.
His hand grabbed my throat and slammed me into the desk.
KUUUUNG!
Pain shot through my back, but fear was worse than pain.
I struggled, but he tightened his grip.
His face came closer.
“…!”
Those inhuman eyes up close made me want to scream.
Arsen looked at me with fascination.
“So this is a Nehturin’s eyes.”
His free hand brushed my face gently.
It was almost affectionate—far more terrifying than the hand choking me.
“So fragile. I could break it with just a little pressure. Like this.”
“Ugh—!”
The pressure tightened. I couldn’t breathe.
I grabbed his wrist instinctively, and he laughed.
“Heh… that expression suits you. Very pretty.”
His grip tightened further.
I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even reach my gun.
“You know, Ryuana.”
Arsen spoke softly.
“At first, I planned to kill you immediately. Even when Arnon suggested poison, I didn’t object much. Even until last night, I felt the same.”
“….”
“But then you pulled out a gun.”
His tone turned almost ecstatic.
“That shooting… it was like lightning struck me. So I decided to keep you alive for a while.”
I was reaching my limit.
Just before I blacked out, he released his grip.
Cough! Cough!
Air rushed back into my lungs.
But before I could recover, he grabbed my collar and lifted me.
“Do you understand me?”
“Th-that’s… very merciful of you…”
“Good answer.”
He dropped me again.
“I found something interesting. Don’t get killed by anyone else. It’d be a waste.”
Then he leaned in close.
“Try to entertain me from now on. Or I might change my mind and kill you.”
He smiled.
And left.
The door closed.
But I could still hear laughter echoing in my mind.
…This guy is insane.
But there’s one thing he doesn’t know.
I’m not his real younger brother, Ryuana Arbesk.
I’m just a substitute.
And worse—
I’m not even from the Arbesk Empire.
I’m a woman from the Young Empire.
