Chapter 35

Certainly, Eric had once planned a night with her, similar to their first encounter, to verify her intentions. However, that plan had ultimately failed, leaving Eric unable to sort out his emotions clearly.

But there was one thing he was certain of: he no longer wished for Euphrasia’s misfortune. Not only did he want to ensure her future happiness, but if possible, he wished to change her hellish past as well.

And now, standing before Eric was a figure who had been a part of Euphrasia’s unhappy childhood. Yet, shamelessly, this person dared to speak her name.

Eric’s expression grew even colder as he stared at Isaac. His blue eyes glimmered with frozen anger.

“I have never considered her as a stranger! No matter what anyone says, Euphrasia is my sister!”

Isaac’s voice trembled with indignation, though his confidence faltered momentarily under Eric’s sharp gaze. Realizing he had committed a grave offense in front of Duke Herrington, Isaac hurriedly bowed, his lips pressed tightly in frustration. He had only meant to express his joy at meeting Eric and ask him to care for his sister. 

“If that’s how you feel, then start considering her a stranger from now on. Just because Euphrasia has become Duchess Herrington doesn’t mean I have any intention of supporting your family. Oh, and one more thing.”

Eric added a sharp warning as he brushed past Isaac with a look of disdain.

“Don’t let your mouth run wild. If I hear anything about Euphrasia coming from your family again, Count Olden, I won’t leave the aftermath to your imagination.”

Isaac’s fists trembled as he gripped the blunt training sword tightly, his knuckles turning white. Even after Eric had completely left the palace, Isaac remained frozen in his bowing position.

Just because Eric had a high status, immense power, and was Euphrasia’s husband didn’t mean he had the right to dictate the relationship between the siblings. The disappointment was especially bitter because Isaac had once respected him deeply.

‘Euphrasia, will she be okay?’ 

Isaac suddenly grew worried about his sister. A man so arrogant and self-centered could never make a good husband for her.

***

“Hm.”

A quiet hum escaped from the corner of the Imperial Palace’s training grounds. Albert had been observing the entire interaction between Isaac and Eric from beginning to end.

He had deliberately timed Isaac’s sparring sword to land near Eric, who had been walking briskly, seemingly lost in thought.

‘Just as expected.’

At the end of their brief conversation, Duke Herrington had disappeared after delivering cold, cutting remarks. Isaac, still bowing, trembled with pale fists. Witnessing this, Albert’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Albert recalled the secret command he had received from Princess Isabella before leaving the Kingdom of Kettlin:

“Her name is Euphrasia. She inherited the emerald hair from her wretched mother and, arrogantly, the violet eyes of my noble father. She was raised as an illegitimate child in the Count Olden family within the Lockvela Empire. Take only your most loyal men, confirm her identity, and kill her immediately. One sip of poison will suffice. It’ll be easy; the girl probably doesn’t even know her own identity.”

“Trust me, Princess. As always, I will deliver results that satisfy you the most.”

Albert had judged the command to be straightforward. However, upon arriving in the Empire under the guise of a victory celebration delegation, he was caught off guard. To think that Duke Herrington, the hero of the victory, was tied to his target, Euphrasia.

The secret order to poison Euphrasia had ultimately failed. Albert had made the mistake of assuming success without considering unexpected variables. According to protocol, he should have reported his failure to Isabella immediately. If he had done so, Isabella would likely have issued a new command tailored to the changed circumstances. Despite her cold nature, she was excessively generous to her subordinates.

But Albert couldn’t let go of this opportunity. After much deliberation, he decided not to use the artifact Isabella had bestowed upon him—a lump of clay imbued with spirit magic that could relay minimal information to her from afar.

‘If I return to the kingdom, I can’t be sure when I’ll set foot in the Empire again.’

More than anything, Albert couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing Princess Isabella. 

‘I need to find another way.’

For now, his priority was to separate Leopold from Euphrasia. This wasn’t particularly difficult. The rat-like Prince still seemed uncertain about Euphrasia’s true identity. If Leopold were convinced that she was indeed his half-sister, he wouldn’t be lingering indecisively but would have taken her back to Kettlin by any means necessary.

‘The real challenge comes after separating them.’

Albert and the Kettlin delegation were confined to the annex palace. Avoiding the Emperor’s watchful eyes was no easy feat, but Albert did his best.

Finally, Albert found a solution: Isaac, a member of the Imperial Knight Order.

Albert deliberately befriended Isaac, quickly gaining his trust. He also worked to integrate the delegation and the Imperial Knight Order, creating a natural camaraderie between the two groups.

‘I didn’t want to involve outsiders.’

While Albert was pleased that everything was proceeding smoothly without a hitch, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of bitterness. It wasn’t guilt over using Isaac—he wasn’t burdened by such weak emotions. Rather, it was the unease that came with an increasing number of variables. The more people involved, the more complex the plan became, and the greater the risk of errors.

‘It’ll be fine. Worrying unnecessarily only ruins things.’

Isaac was transparent inside and out. He was straightforward, cheerful, and righteous. Manipulating someone so simple and pure was hardly a challenge.

‘I’ll end this as quickly as possible.’

Resolving himself, Albert brightened his expression. By now, most of the people in the training grounds had dispersed, leaving the area relatively quiet. A few blunt training swords lay scattered in one corner.

Albert picked up one of the swords and approached Isaac.

Thud.

Isaac felt a light pressure on his shoulder as Albert tapped him with the blunt sword.

“Sir Isaac. I was waiting so long that I decided to come to you myself.”

Albert’s playful voice reached Isaac’s ears. Smiling, Albert rested the blunt sword on Isaac’s shoulder.

Albert continued in a joking tone, 

“I must have been too merciless when I sent your sword flying earlier. Should I have gone easier on you? As I said before, if you’re scared, you can always give up on the sparring.”

Albert’s small eyes crinkled and his broad cheekbones lifted. Though his face wasn’t particularly attractive, Isaac felt inexplicably comforted by Albert’s smile.

Despite their short acquaintance, Isaac found Albert to be surprisingly relatable and a good friend.

“I’m warmed up now. This time will be different.”

Isaac’s voice carried a hint of mischief. Despite witnessing the argument between him and Duke Herrington, Albert tactfully pretended not to notice, maintaining a casual demeanor. Isaac appreciated this thoughtful gesture and felt grateful.

Albert pointed back toward the training grounds. Isaac nodded with a brighter expression and followed him.

“Prepare yourself, Sir Albert.”

“As much as you’d like. I look forward to it.”

The two returned to the training grounds, each grabbing a blunt training sword and facing off. Just before their swords clashed, Albert’s lips moved slightly.

“By the way, Sir Isaac, you mentioned having a younger sister? I also have a younger sister back in the kingdom, and I’m constantly worried about her.”

The remark seemed casual, like small talk. Yet it caused Isaac to unconsciously think of Euphrasia.

***

“Wow, I used to eat this with my brother all the time when I was little.”

Standing in the bustling heart of the Empire’s capital, Euphrasia held a fruit skewer in her hand with a nostalgic gaze. The skewer, a popular street snack in the Empire, featured various colorful fruits coated in melted sugar.

During her childhood, whenever she made small mistakes, committed minor offenses, or angered Devonie for no reason, Devonie would mercilessly starve and lock her in her room. Crying herself to sleep, Euphrasia often woke up in the middle of the night, feeling hungry. These incidents occurred frequently.

During those times, Isaac was always there for her. Apologizing for being late because he had waited for their mother to fall asleep, Isaac would hand her a slightly melted, sticky fruit skewer.

It was one of the few treats young Euphrasia ever got to enjoy. On nights when she was too exhausted to wake until morning, she would always find two neatly placed fruit skewers by her bedside.

To her, the sweet and tangy fruit skewer was more than just a snack—it held a deeper meaning.