That was also why Grand Duke Evander had pushed through the marriage in such haste. But unfortunately for him, it was a future that would never come.

Because you will be dead before then.

She had already made her move that far ahead.

“Blair.”

Helena picked up the white hydrangea beside her and called for her maid.

Tall, with short violet hair.

Blair, with her cold eyes, bowed quietly.

“Everything is going as planned?”

“Proceeding without issue. The symptoms are growing worse as well.”

The Grand Duke’s complexion growing paler by the day, the headache symptoms worsening. It meant the poison was working well.

“Yes. Let him wither and die slowly. Without leaving a single trace.”

Snip.

Helena cut the hydrangea stem with her scissors.

The extravagant young lady can be dealt with after that. There is no rush.

Thud.

A white petal fell to the floor.

A smile rose at the corners of Helena’s lips as she watched it.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

After the wedding ceremony, Alicia spent a busy stretch of time receiving the Empire’s envoys and nobles who had traveled from afar.

Among the guests was an unexpected visitor.

“I pay my respects to Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

A woman curtsied properly, holding her skirts. It was Mariella, the daughter of Count Wagner.

“What brings you here, Miss?”

“That is…… I came to congratulate you both on your union.”

Her manner of speaking had changed considerably from before.

That was the position and authority that came with being Grand Duchess.

“How unexpected. I thought you were someone who disliked me more than anyone.”

Mariella’s expression stiffened for a moment.

But she smiled again and opened her mouth.

“I sincerely apologize for what happened at the boutique that day. I made a mistake out of immaturity. I would be grateful if you could forgive me just this once.”

She glanced back as she spoke.

A waiting attendant brought a small box forward and presented it to Alicia.

Inside was a necklace set with a great many jewels. Even at a glance, it was an extraordinarily expensive piece.

Nobody dislikes money.

It was a lesson from her father, Count Jeffrey.

Sure enough, Alicia’s expression shifted upon seeing the necklace.

“To bring such a precious gift……”

She shook her head with a satisfied smile.

“Don’t worry about what happened that day. From this moment on, I have forgotten everything.”

A smile spread across Mariella’s face as well.

‘Just as they say, she’s obsessed with luxury…… you really are just another shallow person.’

She concealed her true feelings and bowed her head once more.

“I thank you again for your great generosity.”

“Oh, speaking of which, Miss Mariella. Did you find a good match at this ball?”

Mariella’s expression stiffened in an instant.

“Unfortunately…… I did not.”

Was she mocking her even after accepting an expensive gift?

Mariella chewed on her lip.

But then,

“Hmm. Such a lovely young lady, and yet no match was found…… how unfortunate. If it would not be too presumptuous, might I recommend a suitable candidate?”

Mariella’s eyes went wide at the unexpected words.

“Do you happen to know of a good match?”

“Of course. Someone I had my eye on throughout the ball has come to this gathering today…… just a moment. Rina, please bring the gentleman I mentioned.”

“Of course.”

The plump maid hurried off at the command.

What is she scheming?

Mariella watched with a suspicious eye.

But then,

a moment later,

“You called for me?”

A strikingly handsome man approached.

Mariella’s surprised eyes went wide.

“Mariella, this is Edmond, son of the Charlot comital household. Edmond, this is Miss Mariella, the only daughter of Count Jeffrey. From the moment I saw you both, I thought you would suit each other well and hoped to introduce you.”

Edmond’s eyes lit up in an instant.

More precisely, he reacted to the words “only daughter of Count Jeffrey.”

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Edmond.”

Edmond greeted Mariella with a light kiss on the back of her hand. Mariella’s cheeks flushed red in an instant.

“Oh, hello.”

“You are truly beautiful. Your exquisite dress makes your beauty shine even more.”

“You flatter me……”

“I cannot imagine why I failed to see you at the ball…… I find myself blaming my own poor eyes.”

Alicia gently chimed in at Edmond’s regretful words.

“No need to blame innocent eyes. The two of you have met like this, and surely that is fate.”

“Ha ha ha. Indeed. Fate……”

Edmond’s handsome face broke into a bright smile, and a smile spread across Mariella’s lips as well.

Fate.

That thrilling word made Mariella’s heart stir all the more.

Mariella had eyes only for Edmond’s face, and Edmond had eyes only for her dazzling jewels.

Alicia looked back and forth between the two of them, smiled, and took a step back.

“Well then, I hope you both enjoy your time together.”

At Alicia’s farewell, Mariella leaned in and whispered carefully.

“Thank you so much. For introducing me to such a wonderful gentleman, Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

Mariella’s tone had grown noticeably warmer.

Edmond then took Mariella’s hand and led her away, and their stroll began.

Edmond, a womanizer and gambling addict.

She knew well what kind of ripple effects a romance with him would bring.

‘That will be your burden to bear going forward, Mariella.’

The two of them were already laughing as they walked away. Alicia watched their retreating figures quietly, and a smile of a slightly different kind touched her lips.

“What a perfectly matched pair.”

The small pleasure of a minor revenge.

A smile rose at the corners of Alicia’s lips.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

The wedding reception did not end until late into the night. Alicia returned with an exhausted body and washed herself clean in hot water.

It was because of the last item remaining on her schedule.

The wedding night is still to come……

Alicia’s heart pounded.

She had steeled herself for everything, yet her heart refused to settle.

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess, it is time.”

At Rina’s words, Alicia forced herself to her feet.

Splash.

Alicia stepped out of the water and stood bare before the mirror.

A perfect, unclothed form.

She covered herself barely with a thin garment and then looked at the small vial in her hand.

A colorless, odorless liquid.

It was the oil extracted from the Siren’s Flower over the course of a full day.

It will work. No, it has to.

An antidote found at the end of days of research.

Dressed in a thin, nearly translucent garment, she stood before the bedroom door.

“Phew.”

He was on the other side.

“……”

Her fingertips were trembling.

Alicia was afraid.

She had to spend the night with a man as savage as a beast and as cold as a glacier.

She steadied herself and opened the door.

Click.

The door shut, and the moonlit interior came into view.

A man was sitting alone in the dark room.

His silhouette was waiting for her.

“Whether we like it or not, we’re in the same boat now.”

Two travelers sharing a direction but not a destination.

‘But when we each get off is our own affair.’

She reminded herself inwardly that this was a relationship born of necessity, not love.

Perhaps he could read her thoughts.

Grand Duke Evander’s eyes went cold.

“You seem to be thinking a great deal.”

Without warning, he pulled her slender waist firmly toward him.

A rough, forceful touch.

No one had ever held her like this. Their bodies pressed together without a single gap between them.

She had prepared herself, but being held by this dangerous man made her tense all the same.

Thump. Thump.

She was afraid her pounding heart would give her away.

She twisted to pull free, but he would not let go. His breath, faintly heated, touched the back of her neck.

“Are you nervous?”

“……”

“You should have been prepared for at least this much.”

Grand Duke Evander looked down at her with cold eyes. The hand sliding down her waist was slow and deliberate. Yet his gaze showed not a flicker of emotion.

Eyes as fierce and burning as a beast’s.

Exactly as history had recorded him.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

A wedding night with no love in it.

All Grand Duke Evander needed was a means to keep Helena in check. And no one understood that better than Alicia.

Haa.

His hot breath drifted down and settled on her collarbone. Alicia’s body drew back on its own.

Fluttering lashes.

A slightly husky voice sought her out.

“There is no need to be afraid. We are each simply fulfilling our obligations to one another.”

Right.

All of this was obligation.

For him, the obligation of securing an heir.

For her, the obligation she had to bear for the sake of revenge.

‘I am no longer Seraphiel. I am nothing more than a tool moving for the sake of revenge.’

But her heart refused to settle.

Then,

the man stopped all movement.

“You’re trembling too much. I was only teasing.”

“……”

“Revenge is the goal, but this isn’t the time for it yet.”

Evander leaned down and whispered softly in her ear.

“Well, that time may come eventually.”

Alicia answered in a rush, flustered.

“Th, that day will never come.”

“We’ll see about that when the time comes. So prepare yourself in advance.”

With those playful words, he released the waist he had been holding firmly.