“A little cat has snuck in, I see.”

A deep male voice resonated through the dim space. Rosé froze on the spot.

Slowly turning around, she saw someone leaning against one of the walls, one leg crossed casually over the other.

The dim, flickering wall lamp cast a faint glow, barely illuminating his presence.

The prominent, shadowy figure under the bluish light looked almost demonic.

It was undoubtedly Maxim Lankert.

“A fearless little lady, aren’t you?”

Pushing himself off the wall, he crossed his arms and slowly approached her.

His black shirt was unbuttoned deep down his chest, and with every step, his toned, muscular torso came into view—exuding an air of decadent allure.

His long, well-built legs, clad in fitted black leather pants, looked as powerful and elegant as a stallion’s.

Every nerve in Rosé screamed at her that this man was dangerous.

Yet, refusing to show any sign of unease, she stood her ground, lifting her chin proudly.

“I saw someone enter the chapel and got curious, so I followed.”

“Didn’t anyone tell you not to wander around? It’s dangerous.”

“I had no choice if I wanted to meet you.”

Maxim stopped right in front of her.

Up close, he was even taller than she had thought. Even as she tilted her head back to meet his gaze, her eyes barely reached his strong jawline.

“You wanted to meet me?”

“That’s right. When is the wedding?”

Rosé asked bluntly, skipping any unnecessary preamble.

One corner of Maxim’s lips curled in amusement, though his golden eyes gleamed with fleeting curiosity.

As if he were thinking—

What is this?

“Who said I agreed to a wedding? I don’t recall asking for a bride.”

Looking down at her with a scoff, his golden eyes, shimmering like scattered gold dust, finally came into clear view.

Maxim was intrigued.

Despite the slight tremor in her frame, the woman before him met his words head-on.

His eyes gleamed with interest, but he was studying her intently beneath that.

‘Just who is this fearless woman?’

“……!”

Suddenly, Rosé flashed him a bright smile.

His brow furrowed slightly at her unexpected confidence.

Then, crossing her arms, she leisurely began to circle him—observing him as though he were the subject of her scrutiny.

“If someone saw us, they’d think I was begging you to marry me.”

“Weren’t you?”

“I have my standards, you know. I have eyes, and I have preferences. I may have come here unwillingly, but since I’m already the sacrificial lamb, I might as well make the most of it.”

Maxim’s handsome face twisted slightly.

He had expected her to plead for her life, to beg him to send her back home.

To fall to her knees in desperation.

But this little woman?

She was calmly declaring that she would claim what was hers.

“You’re partly responsible for this situation, aren’t you?” Rosé continued. “If you didn’t want an alliance with Solstern, you should have clarified it. You could’ve sent a special envoy or at least a letter.”

“Hah! An alliance?”

Maxim scoffed, his voice laced with disdain.

“If you despise it that much, why not declare war?”

The word “war” made one of Maxim’s eyebrows arch slightly.

“That way, there’d be no need for pitiful noblewomen to be sacrificed. You could crush this absurd alliance between Solstern and Hellevant yourself.”

“An interesting woman, indeed.”

He was now beginning to grow curious about who this woman indeed was and her real intentions for being here. From the start, he hadn’t even bothered to open the letter that had accompanied her from Solstern.

He had assumed that if left alone for a few days, she would either run away and be torn apart by beasts or throw herself into the river.

“I happened to see your army. They’re quite formidable,” she remarked.

“……”

“There’s no way you would raise such a force just to defend a fortress like this.”

The nervousness she had shown earlier had vanished entirely, and words flowed effortlessly from Rosé’s lips.

“With an army like that, how long do you plan to endure being scorned as mere barbarians? The king of the North is rumored to be a monster, a man who sold his soul to the devil. You must be aware of the stories about you.”

Rosé looked directly at him, her voice carrying a deliberate provocation.

“And yet, despite hearing such rumors, you still dared to come here and propose marriage?”

“I’m not some naive child. Those tales about monsters and devils were absurd from the start.”

Maxim, now relaxed, asked, “Then why do you think such rumors surround me? Just because I seem normal on the outside doesn’t mean I’m not truly a demon or a beast.”

“What do you mean…?”

“For instance, in bed?”

Caught entirely off guard by his words, Rosé’s face flushed red to the tips of her ears.

His slightly lowered gaze felt like it was piercing through the robe, concealing her body. The sheer intensity of it made her feel as if she were suddenly n*ked. Overwhelmed by the strange sensation, she quickly turned away from him.

“Powerful figures who don’t reveal their true nature are always followed by malicious rumors.”

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” he asked a hint of amusement in his smirk.

“I don’t fear people. I fear making the wrong judgment.”

“You speak as though you’ve lived through everything the world offers.”

Rosé flinched, feeling as though he had glimpsed into her very thoughts. She focused her mind, determined not to get caught up in his pace.

“On my way here, I resolved. If I cannot marry you, I would rather die here. Even if you show me mercy and send me back home, who would welcome me? A woman abandoned even in these barbaric lands?”

“…These barbaric lands?”

His brow furrowed, clearly displeased. Rosé had deliberately provoked him.

“Isn’t that the truth? The Solstern Empire and its imperial family still stand. No matter your strength, this land is a remote barbarian state. There cannot be two suns under the same sky. Kasiax will become a brilliant sun, while you will always remain a shadowed second.”

She pushed him further, her words sharp and deliberate.

Perhaps her provocation had worked, for he suddenly seized her and spun her around, trapping her between the wall and his arm.

“Ugh!”

Maxim reached out as if to grasp her throat but caught her small chin in his hand instead.

His thumb slowly trailed upward, brushing lightly over her lips. Rosé gazed up at him without even blinking.

His golden eyes had darkened slightly as if contemplating what to do with the prey caught in his grasp.

“…!”

The hand holding her chin drifted aside, tucking away a loose strand of her hair.

His fingers briefly grazed her earlobe, and the warmth of his touch was so intense that Rosé instinctively swallowed dryly.

As Maxim’s piercing gaze bore into her, Rosé felt like prey standing on the brink of being devoured.

His face slowly descended toward hers.

They were close enough to feel each other’s breath—a strange sensation coiled in the pit of her stomach.

‘No. Get a grip, Rosé Etoile!’

She scolded herself as if desperately trying to break free from an impending trap.

The moment his cold lips brushed against her upper lip, Rosé placed her hand firmly against his chest to stop him from coming any closer.

When he hesitated, she twisted slightly and slipped out from the space he had confined her in.

“Your ancestors are staring so intently that it’s making me self-conscious,” she remarked.

At her absurd excuse, a faint laugh escaped Maxim’s lips.

“I’ve never met a woman like you before.”

“And I’ve never met a man like you either.”

Maxim smirked as if observing a rare and intriguing specimen.

A woman who never backed down from his words. A woman who, in a situation like this, would cite his ancestors as an excuse to defuse the moment. She was downright fascinating.

Unlike him, Rosé remained serious throughout. Yet, she didn’t seem to fear him.

“Natalie will be alarmed when she realizes I’m missing. I expect you to formally invite me to meet you when the sun is up. Somewhere less dreary than this.”

“Do you still have more to say to me?”

“We haven’t even begun our conversation.”

“What if I’m not interested?”

“Then I suppose that’s the extent of your fate.”

Rosé pulled up the hood of her robe, letting her long red hair cascade down like a flowing waterfall.

She looked up at him one last time before bowing politely.

“Well then.”

She swiftly turned on her heel and ran toward the exit.

Maxim did not stop her. He silently watched her retreating figure as she leaned against the wall.

“A Stern woman like her, yet so different from Mother. Did you see that?”

With a mocking tone, Maxim gazed at the portrait of his mother hanging before him.

His golden eyes dimmed slightly with a hint of sadness.