“I have no such plans.”

Prelia looked up at Keinen, who was pressing her down on the carriage seat with both hands.

Even though he still had the black cloth over his head, she could feel his intense gaze.

“Your butler and maid seemed to have such plans. And I’m willing.”

“If you want compensation for the kidnapping, I’ll provide it later.”

“Forget the compensation. Just don’t let any random man into your carriage.”

Keinen suppressed a laugh and moved his body away.

“Hmph, I’m not that kind of woman.”

“You seem exactly like that kind of woman. That’s why.”

Prelia glared at Keinen, who continued to tease her.

When she narrowed her eyes as if ready to burn through the black cloth with her gaze, Keinen slightly turned his head away.

“Call me if you need a man to hold hands with.”

“Hah, you’re easily kidnapped yet so full of yourself.”

She spoke haughtily with a slight smile.

In response, Keinen shrugged his shoulders once, then pulled out a thin whistle about the length of a pinky finger from inside his jacket.

“Blow this. An eagle will understand and inform me.”

“I don’t need it!”

“Don’t drag random men into your bed.”

Though Prelia hurriedly refused, Keinen placed the whistle in her hand and leaped out of the carriage.

Despite the black cloth covering his face, he approached the butler very naturally.

“The lady likes me. So don’t look for anyone else.”

“What? Yes.”

When the butler responded in surprise, Keinen flipped back the gold coin he had received from him.

Prelia stared at Keinen’s back through the open carriage door as he left.

After Keinen departed, Jane hurriedly entered the carriage.

“Miss! That man didn’t do anything bad, did he?”

Though she had pushed a man on Prelia out of desperation after seeing the third card, she seemed worried.

“Nothing happened, Jane. Don’t worry.”

“To think you must steal the essence of a handsome man with a strong heart every night. Every night while doing that…”

Jane mumbled her interpretation of the third card’s image.

‘Every night?’

While Prelia was confused by Jane’s interpretation, which differed significantly from her own, Jane clapped her hands.

“Miss! Your complexion looks much better!”

Jane was delighted to see Prelia’s face gaining color in just a few minutes.

This was probably because her complexion had been as pale as a corpse due to her stopped heart.

Walking corpse.

That was the expression the royal physicians, who came once a month to check if Prelia was dead, had used among themselves.

“Countess, your hands seem a bit warmer too.”

“Do they?”

When the butler, who had entered the carriage due to Jane’s fuss, said this as well, Prelia placed her hands against her cheeks.

‘When he grabbed my wrist, it felt like a hot energy was flowing in. Was that magical power?’

As the butler said, her hands did seem a bit warmer.

She felt more energetic too.

‘What a shame. I should have removed the cloth to see his face.’

His voice was quite nice, so his face was probably good-looking too.

That’s probably why the butler had deliberately brought him into the carriage.

“Both of you, don’t do this again. We could end up in more danger.”

Prelia coldly admonished the butler and Jane, then tucked the whistle deep into her pocket.

* * *

The next day, late in the afternoon, the royal decree arrived before Prelia’s strength fully returned.

“It’s been a while, Viscount.”

Prelia entered the main reception room wearing her only dress.

“I am here to see Countess Transk.”

A middle-aged servant from the royal palace, who had been drinking tea, slowly rose from his seat.

Then he carefully observed her gait and posture.

‘Quite good for someone who just woke up after a thousand days.’

That morning, Viscount Vers Aren from the Aslan Empire had an audience with the Grand Duke.

During that meeting, Vers mentioned Prelia’s name without even taking a sip of tea.

“Haha. Viscount, Prelia Transk is not just a lady. She’s a noble with a title. A countess, at that.”

The Grand Duke broke into a sweat at the subtle pressure to include Prelia in the Festival of Flowers list.

“That is not my concern. I’m merely curious about her, the one who woke up after a thousand days.”

Vers simply smiled with his eyes, appearing relaxed.

‘How does Viscount Vers Aren know about the Countess? Did he really become curious after reading the newspaper?’

The Viscount, hiding his suspicions, sat down again and took out a white envelope from his chest.

“Viscount, what does this mean?”

Prelia frowned after opening the envelope and reading the royal decree.

“At this Festival of Flowers, brides will be selected for the Aslan Empire’s officers.”

“I’ve heard about that, but what does the Festival of Flowers have to do with me?”

“It’s a royal decree that all unmarried noble women between the ages of 20 and 25 must attend the banquet.”

“Viscount, I am a countess. Not just a lady.”

“His Highness the Grand Duke said he would personally take care of the Countess’s dress.”

Prelia, who had been listening quietly, crumpled the letter tightly.

“Countess! How could you treat His Highness’s letter like that!”

The Viscount turned pale and snatched the letter from her hand.

‘Transk! Even a thousand days ago, you were arrogant and outspoken, relying on your title. You still haven’t broken that habit!’

The Viscount inwardly clicked his tongue as he unfolded the letter.

Both father and daughter had spoken their minds regardless of who they were addressing.

‘Not realizing that it shortened their lifeline. If they had just maintained appearances, they wouldn’t have been sent to the front lines.’

Noble Transk.

It was a term used by commoners to praise the Transk family, but also used sarcastically by nobles.

“Viscount, inform His Highness the Grand Duke that I will visit him tomorrow.”

Prelia coldly rebuked him, rose from her seat, and held her head high with dignity.

“Countess, I’m glad you’ve awakened. However, you shouldn’t behave so rudely toward His Highness the Grand Duke.”

At her clear dismissal, the Viscount put down the letter he had spread out with his palm and stood up.

“Thank you for the advice. Having just awakened after a thousand days, I seem to have heard too many shocking things. For example, humiliating diplomacy.”

“Countess!”

“I wake up after a thousand days only to be told I’m to be sold off as a trophy.”

“Ha… Countess, you haven’t changed.”

The Viscount, who had been about to give Prelia advice with sharp eyes, swallowed a sigh and shook his head.

It seemed she had brought that habit with her even after a thousand days.

“I won’t see you out. As you can see, my body is quite weak after waking up after a thousand days.”

“Yes, Countess. I hope you recover your health as soon as possible.”

The Viscount exhaled a low sigh, bowed deeply to Prelia, and turned away.

*

Prelia watched the Viscount leave the reception room completely before collapsing into her seat.

The butler, who had been listening from the side of the reception room just in case, rushed to her.

“Countess! How could they include you in the list…”

“It’s alright, butler. The news of my revival has already been published in the newspaper. The people’s attention is on me, so the Grand Duke will meet with me.”

Yesterday, the butler had carefully explained the situation to her.

That their country had lost the war and become a grand duchy, and that the king had changed.

That’s why the first thing Prelia did through the butler was this:

To announce her return to the world.

The Grand Duke cannot ignore her, the only survivor of the war against monsters.

“I’d like to be alone for a while.”

“Yes, Countess. I’ll send Jane in shortly.”

After dismissing even the butler, saying she needed to think, Prelia took out the whistle from her pocket.

‘Could that man really have magical power?’

She paced by the terrace window, holding the whistle in her hand.

The red sunset, breaking through the white clouds occasionally covering the sky, came through the terrace window.

That light dyed her hair an even deeper shade.

*

Meanwhile, Keinen was observing her from a tree beyond the terrace window, with the sunset at his back.

‘Prelia Transk. Will she blow the whistle?’

Keinen casually examined his attire.

Dressed in black from head to toe, he could insist it was chic in its own way.

As Keinen returned his gaze to Prelia’s face, Jane quietly knocked on the reception room door twice and entered.

“Miss, you need to have dinner. You must eat well to regain your strength quickly.”

Jane, having heard from the butler, approached Prelia with an intentionally bright tone.

“Alright, Jane.”

Prelia also responded brightly so as not to worry Jane.

Then she put the whistle back in her pocket and left the reception room.

* * *

At the Festival of Flowers, Keinen recalled the events of a few days ago and pulled up one corner of his mouth.

‘I wonder if she realized what that whistle was?’

Now before him stood Prelia, rolling her bright blue eyes in confusion after learning his identity.

‘How fearless to walk right into my arms.’

From the moment she approached him with her red hair flying, confidently walking forward and presenting her token to him, he had been itching to smile.

“Grand Duke of Peltra, have the other officers proceed as well.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Keinen’s instruction, ten officers also selected the women they liked.

‘Now those fellows can receive noble titles too.’

This was a promise with his father, the Emperor.

He had agreed to bestow the title of baron on his commoner aides if they married noble women from the vassal state.

‘Of course, he never thought I would be included in this.’

If the Emperor grabbed the back of his neck because of this, that wouldn’t be so bad either.

‘Prelia Transk, you’re already pleasing me in many ways.’

Keinen looked down at Prelia, whose complexion was changing moment by moment as she looked up at him.

“Third, because you’re the most handsome.”

Recalling her words, he pulled his lips into an arrogant smile.

*

Prelia was overworking her brain cells trying to think of a way not to be taken away while watching the officers choose ten women.

‘My brain must have stiffened after not using it for a thousand days.’

She should have asked a servant.

Not thinking of that and giving the token to just anyone!

If he was the crown prince, he wasn’t someone she should have given the token to in the first place.

He must have just been sitting because his legs hurt.

‘They said they would take ten noble women!’

Suddenly, a fact dawned on Prelia.

Now the other ten officers had also chosen their women. All very beautiful women.

Of course, even if she gave her token to another officer, that officer would not choose her.

She composed her flustered expression and called out loudly.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, I made a mistake and gave you the token in error. Since you were not supposed to receive a token from the beginning, please return it. I will give it to someone else.”

At Prelia’s brazen statement, Keinen’s perfect smile cracked.