“……Has the princess learned the art of the bedchamber?”

The Emperor muttered grumpily.

“Your Majesty!”

The secretaries called out to the Emperor with shocked expressions. Such things were learned by women on the streets. It wasn’t something a noble princess should learn. The Emperor raised his eyebrows.

“What exactly has that girl learned from the streets! She should be useful at times like this! If nothing else works, tell her to take off her clothes!”

The secretaries kept their mouths shut like they’d eaten honey. The Emperor raged, and that day, Marian’s outing was decided. Whether this was fortunate or unfortunate for her remained to be seen.

**

Meanwhile, Abel, who had laid in a comfortable bed after a long time, fell ill unwillingly. The tension from before had released, and having properly slept for the first time in a while, his body had unconsciously completely relaxed.

He groaned and suffered throughout the night with a fever, and Marian personally took care of him. Marian let out a faint sigh as she watched the dawn breaking sky.

She felt no sense of belonging to the imperial family and didn’t think of them as family. She didn’t consider the imperial family’s crimes as her own either. But when she looked at Abel, an inexplicable guilt would rise. She kept thinking that she was responsible for making him like this.

Why couldn’t she have saved him?

Why wasn’t Marian stronger?

Why was Marian just a maid’s daughter, and her only friend…… Marian let out a sharp laugh.

“……It’ll be okay, Abel.”

Marian’s eyes turned red. Marian gripped Abel’s large hand. She had seen it while treating Abel yesterday. Abel’s body was covered in wounds. There were deep gouges that had left tracks, and marks that looked like they came from whips. There were wounds that could have been life-threatening.

Marian checked Abel’s breathing.

Peace had settled on his handsome, angular face. The one fortunate thing was that they hadn’t touched his face, saying it would lower his value as an attractive commodity.

‘Is that really fortunate?’

Marian let out a tearful sigh.

He was someone who had no reason to suffer such pain. He shouldn’t have been hurt and suffered to the point where his skin was torn in various places. Abel.

‘Someday I’ll become a duke too, Marian. When that time comes, I’ll save you.’

‘How?’

‘I’ll propose to you. Once you become the Duchess of Drake, we’ll be invincible, won’t we? No one will be able to defeat us with force.’

‘……Is your dream to become a strong couple?’

‘How could that be? Marian, what I want is for no one to be able to touch us. Not even bother us. That’s what I want. I’ll protect you, and you protect me.’

He was the first person who said he would protect Marian. But those who shared even half of Marian’s blood had reduced Abel to this state. Perhaps Marian’s life had been much more of a flower path than Abel’s. Abel had been living in an even deeper hell.

The wounds that wouldn’t disappear no matter how much Marian rubbed them remained in Marian’s heart. Marian stared blankly at Abel’s face. Marian caressed Abel’s face with trembling fingertips. At least he hadn’t died.

He was here by her side like this. The first day she had to swing her sword at Abel. And all the days they had rushed at each other trying to kill one another. Marian remembered all those days. It was truly fortunate that it didn’t have to be that way anymore.

It was fortunate that Abel wouldn’t have such bad memories.

Marian gazed at Abel with tenderness. She whispered in a small voice.

“I’m…… honored that I can protect you.”

Abel, who was my only good dream.

Time flowed endlessly while Marian watched over Abel.

The sun had fully risen. Marian wiped Abel’s body with a wet towel one last time. It was a poor environment where they couldn’t freely call a doctor, and they only had what Rosette had managed to obtain. Nevertheless, Abel had endured well. Though she wanted to stay by his side longer, regrettably it was time for Marian to move as well. She needed to live each day busily to change the future. After casually giving her bedroom to Abel, Marian went to find Rosette.

Rosette hadn’t slept all night either. Rosette smiled faintly with dark circles under her eyes.

“I have somewhere to go today too. Can you take good care of Abel while I’m out?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Please be careful. And don’t worry.”

Though Rosette seemed puzzled, she didn’t ask Marian about deeper matters. She didn’t cross that line.

Rosette was also someone who had stayed by Marian and Liebe’s side until the end.

“I absolutely won’t let anyone find out.”

“Thank you, Rosette.”

It’s truly fortunate to have someone trustworthy.

**

Unlike Marian’s trust, Abel was someone without trust. Abel even doubted Marian.

After Marian left, he regained consciousness and got up. Marian’s palace had only one servant. He could clearly hear the movements of the woman who was diligently sweeping and cleaning the palace from early morning.

Though Marian had left Abel in her care, trusting that woman……

‘Is that really so.’

When someone remains so diligently by Marian’s side who has nothing, wouldn’t there be a reason?

Abel raised his leaden body.

“Tsk.”

To think he’d be broken to this extent. With his entire body in shambles and his magic stirring up, even a body like steel couldn’t endure. Abel wiped his sweat-soaked body once with his hand. Still, he could feel he had recovered somewhat. After washing off his sweat in warm water, Abel came out of the room.

Using magic made it easy to find the woman.

Abel moved slowly with the steps of a predator hunting its prey.

The woman cleaning the corridor window came into his view.

The woman who discovered Abel turned her head sharply toward him. A face like a wary cat. Abel tilted his head with a gentle smile.

“It’s nice to meet you like this.”

“……Her Highness has gone out now. She said she’d return before evening today.”

The woman spat out words rapidly. The woman who backed away as if Abel were a thug let out a sigh.

The woman had a terrified face.

“Why make such a face? Do you have sins to confess?”

“There’s nothing like that.”

The woman shook her head quickly. Abel snapped his fingers. The woman whose ankle was caught struggled. Unable to scream, she  who had turned pale watched Abel approach. The woman spoke in a hushed voice.

“……I’ll tell Her Highness when she returns.”

“I might kill you before that.”

The woman trembled, seeming to think that was entirely possible. Her knuckles turned white gripping the rag.

‘She’s excessively afraid.’

Yet Abel hadn’t done anything yet. Abel stopped with one step’s distance from the woman. He could feel every trembling breath of the woman.

“Your name?”

“Ro, Rosette.”

The woman looked like she wanted to run away from Abel.

“Rosette.”

A name he hadn’t heard before.

“How long have you been by Marian’s side?”

“……It’s been five years since I started serving Her Highness.”

“What did you do before that?”

Only then did Rosette realize she was being interrogated. Abel was suspicious of Rosette. His body covered in thick muscles was threatening. That alone made it feel like her small heart would burst, but Abel was displaying his killing intent without restraint.

He wasn’t the ‘kind and gentle’ person with ‘currently no strength due to illness’ that Marian had described. Marian had been deceived. Rosette barely swallowed her tears.

“……Before that, I was outside the palace.”

“I think differently. This imperial family isn’t very kind to Marian. Isn’t it more ridiculous to believe that the only maid placed by Marian’s side is just innocent?”

Rosette shot back in a sharp voice.

“Are you suspecting me of being an imperial spy?”

“It’s entirely possible.”

“I don’t do such dirty things! I……”

Rosette bit her lip hard.

“Think carefully, Rosette. Haven’t you ever betrayed Marian to protect your own body? Isn’t there someone who calls for you regularly?”

His voice was gentle. However, his flashing blood-red eyes were sufficiently threatening Rosette. Don’t think about escaping until you spill everything inside.

Rosette trembled violently.

She traced her memories. Had there been such times? Rosette was just satisfied with having food to eat and a roof to keep out the rain. She no longer had to run away from men targeting her body while wandering the streets, nor have money taken from her that she’d earned from shining shoes all day.

“Who brought you here?”

Rosette dry heaved. An invisible force stirred up her insides. Her heart pounded wildly. It was Abel’s doing. It felt like Abel’s eyes were watching Rosette from all directions.

“You…… you, ruffian……”

“I’m being quite gentlemanly right now.”

Abel replied coldly.

“Answer, Rosette. Who brought you here?”

“……Co, coming to the palace was my own will!”

Rosette cried out sharply. Tears fell heavily. Her pale blue face held venom.

“It was after I killed the bastard who r*ped me! I just found a place where I could hide! If I hide here, Her Highness will protect me! No bastard dares target me while I’m in this palace!”