However, Joel could not bring himself to blame his sister.

How could he possibly condemn her?

The only reason she had made such a choice was

It was because of him.

Joel pressed his lips tightly together.

He felt a violent disgust surge inside him.

Perhaps things would have been better if—on the day the bandits attacked—things had been different.

His expression darkened.

Seeing this, Lianna gave him a bitter smile and quietly asked if he was tired.

Joel could not answer.

Instead, he simply lifted his gaze and looked at Lianna in silence.

The fact that there was nothing he could do for his sister made him feel even worse.

***

Click.

Lianna quietly closed the door behind her.

“Haah….”

Lianna leaned against the door, slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the floor.

A deep sigh escaped her lips.

She had pretended to Joel that everything was fine, but the truth was that their situation was hopeless.

Count Chester’s letter of introduction had been completely useless.

This proved just how little influence he truly held in the capital.

Lianna regretted trusting him so foolishly.

But she could not afford to give up now.

One year.

It might already be too late by then.

She had to find a way to have Joel examined by a physician before then.

Whether or not the city knew of her despair, cheers still echoed loudly beyond the window.

Wherever you went in the capital, people seemed to be celebrating the victorious army’s return: Calix.

The silent echo of his name in her mind brought back the memory of him that she had tried so hard to forget.

Suddenly, Lianna remembered the object tucked away in her inner pocket.

She took out the small leather pouch hanging from a cord.

It was something the man had given her before they parted ways.

She had missed the chance to return it, accepting it without much thought.

A small part of her had been curious about what was inside, but she had never taken the time to open it.

Her mind had been entirely consumed by the urgency of getting Joel to the doctor as quickly as possible.

Slowly, Lianna loosened the plain leather pouch.

The moment she opened it, she could see what was inside.

“Ah.”

The instant she realized what it was, a quiet sound slipped from her lips.

The ring that he had given her when he made his insincere proposal rolled into her palm.

***

“If you ever need help, come find me.”

“Well… I won’t turn you away at the door, at least.”

As they were about to part ways, the man spoke, as he always did, with an air of arrogance and superiority.

Even though she was desperate for help, Lianna was almost certain that she would never seek him out.

And yet, here she was, on her way to find him.

It was almost laughable.

But now was not the time to cling to meaningless pride.

If there was even the slightest chance of saving Joel, she would use any means necessary.

Before she knew it, the carriage carrying Lianna arrived at the Royal Palace of Gloucester.

The Royal Palace of Gloucester was the most magnificent and imposing building she had ever seen.

Its towering spires stretched high into the sky and the emerald-colored gables glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, exuding overwhelming grandeur.

Lianna approached the royal guards standing watch at the gates.

When they demanded to know her identity, she slowly took the ring out from under her clothes.

“This is something His Highness Calix entrusted to me temporarily. I came because I wished to return it. May I ask what I should do?”

Although her voice trembled slightly with nerves, she managed to finish speaking calmly.

The guard who received the ring told her to wait a moment before disappearing into the palace.

Anxiously, Lianna clenched and unclenched her hands.

What if they thought she had stolen a royal ring and were going to throw her in prison?

One dreadful thought after another flooded her mind.

Not long afterwards, the guard returned.

With a stiff expression, he instructed her to follow him.

The fact that she had actually been granted entry left her feeling both relieved and unable to quite believe it.

Truthfully, even when she presented the ring, she had only half believed that it would work.

She had never imagined that a single ring could enable her to step inside the royal palace.

As Lianna realized just how extraordinary the ring truly was, she found that she understood the thoughts of the man who had entrusted it to her even less.

The interior of the palace was every bit as lavish and magnificent as the exterior.

Vast murals stretched across the arched ceilings, overwhelming anyone who dared to look up at them, while gold- and ivory-adorned corridors seemed to extend endlessly into the distance.

Fearing that she would get lost if she fell behind, Lianna hurried after the royal guard.

Fortunately, the room he led her to was not a prison cell, but an enormous chamber.

After instructing her to wait there, the guard disappeared from sight.

Lianna was left alone, without even being given the opportunity to ask when she would be allowed to meet Calix. She stared at the closed door for a moment before slowly turning away.

The place she had been brought to was so vast that it could hardly be called a room; it resembled a grand hall more than anything else.

Although there was no sign of anyone living there, the space was immaculately clean.

There were very few decorations or paintings adorning the walls.

Only a single portrait hung there.

Without realizing it, Lianna found herself drawn towards it.

In the painting, a young noblewoman with an elegant demeanor wore a graceful smile.

With her pale skin and black hair, the woman in the portrait was breathtakingly beautiful.

‘Who is she?’

Judging by her attire, the woman appeared to be of extremely high social standing.

Yet, for some reason, Lianna felt she was not entirely unfamiliar to her.

It was strange.

She had never seen her before, so why did she feel this way?

In truth, that odd sense of familiarity had begun the moment she first stepped into the room.

Despite having clearly never been there before, the space felt strangely comforting.

It was almost as though she had visited it long ago.

This thought made Lianna let out a small, self-mocking smile.

What nonsense.

How could she, someone who had never once approached the royal palace in her entire life, possibly know the noblewoman in the portrait?

And how could she ever have set foot inside this room?

She was surely just exhausted after everything that had happened in the last few days.

Lianna sighed quietly and slowly shook her head.

***

Calix did not return until long after sunset.

Lianna remained in the room to which the royal guard had led her, waiting for him without moving.

Mealtime had passed long ago, yet she did not dare call for anyone.

She simply stayed awake, waiting for Calix to return.

At last, the sound of the door opening broke the silence.

Lianna immediately sprang to her feet.

Turning her head, she saw Calix step into the room, impeccably dressed in formal attire.

“Your Highness.”

Lianna greeted him properly as she looked at him.

Calix merely shifted his gaze towards her before loosening the cravat around his neck.

He carelessly tore off the cumbersome ornaments and leaned back against the sofa in an almost indolent posture.

She stared at these actions, slightly bewildered — they lacked any royal dignity.

Then his calm voice reached her ears.

“Didn’t you say you would never need my help?”

The mockery in his tone as he repeated her words was unmistakable.

Lianna regretted speaking so rashly when they parted ways, but she knew that once spoken, words could not be taken back.

Pressing her lips together tightly, she said.

“I need your help, Your Highness. There’s no one else I can ask.”

Of all the people she knew, Calix had the highest status.

In fact, she doubted there were many people in the kingdom higher up the social ladder than him.

Fortunately for her, it seemed that he had no intention of mocking her further.

Lowering her gaze, Lianna spoke quietly.

“My younger brother… Joel is very sick. He won’t survive long enough to wait until we can meet the physician.”

Count Chester’s letter of introduction had been utterly useless.

But this man would be different.

“Please… I’m begging you. Joel is my only family. I can’t lose him like this.”

Her voice grew desperate as she pleaded with him.

He was the only person she could rely on now.

If he refused, saving Joel would become almost impossible.

Even if she waited years to see the physician, Joel’s illness would probably be beyond saving by then.

After Lianna had finished speaking, her desperation plain to see, Calix slowly rose to his feet.

“You really know nothing about the basics of a transaction.”

His shadow fell over her.

“When you ask something of someone, you should show your hand first. Don’t you think?”

A deal.

Lianna slowly rolled the word he had reminded her of across her tongue.

“If I grant your request, what can you give me in return?”

His piercing golden eyes fixed themselves on her as he demanded a price.

“Tell me. What is it that you can offer?”

Money, honor and status.

He already had more than anyone could ever need.

What could a woman like her possibly offer him?

But forcing her to say it was cruel, and Lianna bit down hard on her lower lip.

“Anything Your Highness desires… I will give it to you.”

In the end, what he wanted was surely nothing more than her body.

Unable to bring herself to meet his gaze, Lianna lowered her eyes.

“Anything?”

“…Yes.”

Calix looked down at her as she twisted the fabric of her skirt in her hands, feeling overwhelmed by miserable humiliation.

Then, with a faint curl of his lips, he laughed and gave her a merciless command, showing her no pity whatsoever.

“Then take your clothes off.”