~Chapter 04~
After exchanging a few polite words, I left the audience hall.
Having waited an entire day, my body felt heavy, like wet cotton.
“Miss, did everything go well with your meeting?”
“Yes.”
Even I could tell that As, who had spent the entire day in the corridors, looked far from well.
“You look exhausted… Your complexion isn’t good.”
As denied it, but I didn’t really listen.
“You should get to the carriage and rest as soon as possible.”
I also had to think about what to tell the Count—he might be curious whether I had successfully tempted Diego.
As we passed through the palace gardens at a brisk pace, As asked hesitantly:
“…Would it be rude to ask what was discussed?”
Now that she was my maid, I couldn’t hide everything from her. Of course, that didn’t mean I had to tell her everything; it would be better to summarize.
“The Emperor has given his approval, so the wedding will take place soon.”
“…What?! With… that Baron?”
“As, that man is suspected of having murdered two wives.”
I let out a hollow laugh.
“And now, at over seventy years old, he wants to marry a twenty-year-old like me. The nerve of him.”
I’d rather die than marry such a man.
“Th-then… who exactly—?”
I smiled faintly at As, whose eyes darted around in confusion.
It was a dreadful choice—picking the lesser of two murderers—but I had no other options. Ever since the Emperor forced this absurd marriage, there hadn’t been many choices left. And now that he had even threatened to stop my departure, there really were no choices at all.
‘I’ll hold Louis’s hand and help him get revenge on the Emperor.’
Diego would be dealt with along the way. Once it was all over, I’d get a divorce and live my own life.
Rustle. Crack.
From the bushes ahead, a shadow appeared, and a familiar man stepped into view.
‘…What’s with today?’
Dressed in splendid red, his purple eyes unreadable, cheeks lightly flushed, and perfectly chiseled features. He always looked flawless.
I forced my tired expression into something more composed and slightly bowed to the man I hadn’t seen in a while.
“Marquis Rigen, it’s a pleasure.”
He was my ex-fiancé, Diego Rigen—the Emperor’s illegitimate son.
“Diego? What are you doing here… oh!”
The woman walking behind him froze when our eyes met, clearly still shaken from the earlier chaos.
Diego and I, however, continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.
“What brings you here?”
“On our way back from seeing His Majesty.”
Diego’s brow furrowed. He disliked repeating questions, preferring to have everything explained at once. Back then, I might have done so—but now?
“You look well. That’s good. I’ll leave you be then.”
I tried to ignore him and move on, but my wrist was grabbed.
“I haven’t finished speaking.”
Before I could protest, he spoke to his companion.
“You, leave now.”
“…Yes?”
“Didn’t you hear me? Go.”
“Ah, yes!”
The woman’s startled expression reminded me of a time I feared being abandoned in such a way—though in reality, it would have been far worse for me, since I’d be murdered.
I sighed and told As to go ahead to the carriage.
“Leonia Bellacy.”
I looked up at Diego’s call.
“Are you jealous?”
“I thought I made myself clear when I showed you the annulment papers,” I replied calmly. I had already declared that I wanted to end this wretched relationship.
Apparently, he hadn’t understood.
“Fine. How do you plan to get away?”
…I wasn’t going back.
Still, thinking he might not understand, I gestured vaguely to the tallest tower in the palace.
“Jump off there, and then we’ll see what you’ll do.”
Of course, I only meant it as a threat.
“You’re crazy! What are you asking me to do?”
Unfortunately, Diego didn’t comply.
“If you don’t have the courage, don’t even try to hold on.”
“You think you’re something special just because I’m holding you?”
He always reminded me to be grateful I was betrothed to someone like him. In the past, those words made me panic—but now, they just made me laugh.
“Honestly, it’s amusing to see you so worked up over me.”
Then, I asked the question that had been nagging at me:
“Do you like me? Is that why you won’t let me go?”
“…Don’t be ridiculous! Like I’d care about someone like you.”
It was just a test, and Diego spat the words in fury.
“I don’t care about you. I just can’t stand my property being taken by someone else.”
“That’s why I annulled the engagement. I can’t block the future Sun’s path, can I?”
I wanted him to finally step aside. I was exhausted from the day and the confrontation.
“Don’t be so confident—His Majesty won’t change his mind. I personally arranged your marriage.”
His words jolted me. So he was the one behind this.
“Going to the Emperor won’t help. You might as well beg me.”
Diego moved closer, gripping my chin to make me face him.
“Kneel and plead, and I’ll make sure you’re not sold to that old man as a wife.”
“….”
“Of course, I have no intention of marrying you. That’s your problem for annulling me, ignorant as you are.”
“Then… you mean to make me your mistress?”
“Why? Would you prefer not to be?”
Even though we spoke the same language, he seemed impossible to reason with.
“Given your situation, you should be grateful for a position as a mistress.”
“It’s not that—I already have someone I care about.”
I calmly lied. Soon, I would accept Louis’s proposal, so better to plant this now to avoid complications later.
Diego twisted his lips in disbelief.
“Someone you care about? Don’t be ridiculous. Who besides me…?”
“I’ll introduce you soon enough.”
Just those words distorted his face horribly. I expected anger, but what came next surprised me.
“…You’re serious? You really like someone else?”
“Yes.”
I said it without changing expression, clenching my teeth.
‘Unexpected.’
I pulled my hand free from Diego’s grasp and drove the point home.
“If I marry, it will be that person.”
Not him.
The carriage began to move, and exhaustion hit me immediately.
Seeing Diego’s twisted expression at the end was slightly satisfying, though the day’s events had done me more harm than good.
‘I should find Louis soon… but I can’t arrange a meeting immediately.’
Returning to the Count’s mansion would mean staying in for a while.
“Miss. Someone asked me to deliver this letter to you.”
“A letter?”
“Yes. I checked in case it was dangerous, but it was just an ordinary letter.”
After being stuck in the palace for a full day, it wasn’t strange that someone knew my location.
I opened the letter. As said, there was nothing remarkable in it.
But by the end, I changed my destination.
The letter was ordinary—filled with vague compliments about the day, the clear lake, and such, typical of noble correspondence.
‘The only useful thing was the shop address at the bottom.’
What made it impossible to ignore was the seal.
A rose-shaped seal.
It wasn’t an official noble seal.
But…
‘The same pattern was on the inside of the coat Louis lent me before.’
I rummaged through the coat to check, and sure enough.
Ding!
The shop bell rang as I opened the door, welcoming As.
“Miss, where are we?”
“This is the café I often visited with Alice.”
It was also the meeting place Louis had chosen.
“The lemon tart here is famous—you must try it.”
“Oh, thank you, Miss!”
I instructed As to order everything she wanted in the name of the Bellacy family, then showed the rose seal from the letter to the staff.
“This way, please.”
The staff guided us to a table on the third floor.
It seemed we had the entire floor to ourselves.
“Miss Bellacy has arrived.”
Louis, busy with his papers, finally looked up at me.
“My apologies. I had some urgent matters.”
“That’s alright.”
