Meanwhile, there was someone else who couldn’t sleep.

Princess Jains stared at the window with anxious eyes.

“Really, marriage……”

Marriage, with a man she didn’t even love. Princess Jains clenched her fists with eyes that looked ready to cry. Coming this far was absolutely not of her will.

The King of Jains was a greedy person.

‘The King of Federico will attack Lorenzo. How could an empire possibly lose to a kingdom? Besides, the empire has Princess Marian too. With a mage, what is there to worry about! We will definitely win this war. If we want to get anything out of this, we need to stick close. You’re the only one, Helena.’

She tried running away, tried hunger strikes in protest. But when she ran, she was dragged back, and when she starved herself, food was forced into her mouth.

The King of Jains only thought about keeping Helena alive to send her to Federico.

So she was finally dragged here.

Crown Prince Benjamin was just as terrible as expected. Had she really come here without doing any research? He already had two illegitimate children, and there was no guarantee that Jain’s bloodline would inherit the throne in the future. But that wasn’t all—Crown Prince Benjamin was a petty, incompetent man consumed by his own inferiority complex.

Every time he spent time with Helena these past few days, he talked about Cesare or Marian.

‘Don’t get too close to her, Princess. Marian is a beast who doesn’t know her place. How could such abilities be fitting for that woman? Actually, I should have had that power. I don’t know how that woman stole it.’

‘Even as a duke, he holds his head too high. There’s no need to get close to someone like that, Princess.’

But what she hated most was Benjamin’s sleazy gaze. He must have lived his life to become Emperor since he was born a prince. He was a man who had never been rejected by anyone.

Benjamin believed that naturally Helena would love him too.

‘Princess Helena. Don’t look at me with such expecting eyes. I’m just an ordinary man after all.’

Marriage with such an arrogant man!

“I hate this so much!”

Helena trembled.

“I want to run away.”

Helena turned her body. But how? She was a stranger here. She didn’t know the roads or how to run away. And she didn’t know where to go to avoid Benjamin.

Helena was a princess who grew up precious in the royal family. Even if she wanted to run away, she was a naive girl who didn’t know how to escape.

She gnawed on her fingernails.

Then she thought of Marian. That princess who openly showed her dislike for Benjamin. Though she appeared cold on the outside, her smiling face shone brighter than anyone’s.

Princess Marian who was beautiful like marble…

‘Let’s be close friends. Have tea sometimes too. Contact me if you need help.’

Suddenly, she remembered what Princess Marian had said that day.

‘Would the Princess help me?’

Outwardly, Princess Marian was a weak and noble person. That’s why they said she rarely went outside the imperial palace. But from what Helena experienced that day, it was slightly different.

Duke Madrian looked down on Princess Marian, and the Empress and Emperor ignored Marian.

Moreover, Benjamin even warned her not to get close to Marian.

The enemy of my enemy becomes my ally.

Helena bit her lip hard.

Meeting with Marian wouldn’t be strange. She could plot her escape secretly without anyone knowing.

‘What if Princess Marian won’t help me?’

Though such worry suddenly arose, it seemed better than doing nothing. Helena made up her mind. She would go find Marian around tomorrow morning.

They said Marian’s palace was in a remote location……

‘Should I call for her instead?’

That seemed better after all. Better than spreading rumors about going to meet her while wandering around this vast palace.

Helena thought of her lover. That person was here in Federico too. Helena turned her tear-filled gaze toward the window.

‘I’ll make him watch your wedding ceremony, Helena. I’ll show him how foolish this love was.’

Helena sniffled. Helena buried her face in her palms.

**

At that time.

Marian and Abel were walking down the empty streets.

“Do you know where to go?”

“I’ve been here before. A very long time ago. Nothing has changed at all.”

Abel snickered.

Abel led Marian past the Lucerta merchant guild and went a bit further. Then he stopped in front of one of the empire’s most renowned merchant guilds. Abel lifted his lips.

“Why here? It’s closed.”

“There’s a way to open it, Marian.”

Abel knocked on the door.

“Being the owner is enough.”

“What?”

Marian opened her eyes wide. Giverny merchant guild. It was one of the empire’s top merchant guilds, but nothing was known about its owner.

But Abel was the owner of the Giverny merchant guild?

“My Drake ancestors had always coveted the southern lands. Their dream was to abandon the northern lands and move south someday. So they created the Giverny merchant guild to divert money and build wealth.”

So, Giverny was a merchant guild created by diverting money from Drake.

Marian’s mouth fell open.

When Abel snapped his fingers, bright light filled the dark merchant guild. Abel went inside with Marian.

An employee came out from inside as if waiting for Abel.

“Welcome, Master. And this person……”

“Don’t bother speaking.”

Abel cut him off coldly. Marian looked at Abel with surprised eyes. Abel smiled with his eyes.

“No need to spread unnecessary rumors. They say night words are heard by mice.”

That’s true.

Marian nodded lightly. Abel wrapped his arm around Marian’s shoulders. Abel gave orders to the employees gathering one by one.

“First, dresses she can wear.”

Marian opened her eyes wide. Hadn’t they come out because they were hungry?

Marian blankly stared at the dresses lined up before her. This was the first time she had seen such an eye-dazzling array of luxurious dresses.

“What am I supposed to do with these.”

Marian always wore what the Empress chose and made her wear. When Marian needed to appear before others, the Empress would select clothes appropriate for the time and place and send them with the serving maids.

So she couldn’t possibly have an eye for choosing such clothes.

No, more than that, Marian had no occasions to wear such clothes. She looked at Abel with a disgruntled face.

“I have nowhere to put them, and no occasions to wear them.”

Abel stroked his chin with his finger. The merchant guild employees watched Abel’s reactions carefully. Though Abel was wearing clothes like a shabby hunter, they couldn’t fail to recognize his identity. There were only two people in the empire with such black hair. No, perhaps only two on the continent.

Black hair was the symbol of mages after all.

“If the imperial family finds out, it will cause trouble. They’ll accuse me of being a thief and oppress me more.”

Marian knew well how the imperial family tried to tame her. It worked in the past, but not anymore. Marian had become hardened enough not to be affected at all by whatever the imperial family did. But separately from that, she declined their attention.

Especially in the current situation.

“So no excessive clothes.”

Abel smiled with narrowed eyes. He was a bit curious. People who lived in poverty usually go crazy at the sight of luxury goods. Even without an eye for such things, they would calculate how much money they could make by selling such clothes.

But Marian truly showed not even a bit of interest.

The past Marian was an innocent and weak girl. He just wanted to test a little how that Marian had changed. But Marian not only rejected Abel’s gift but also said exasperating things.

“You said you came because you were hungry, Abel. Filling our stomachs should…… Ah.”

Marian blinked. Until now, Marian had thought Abel would have nowhere to stay in the capital. But if the merchant guild owned by Drake was still standing, wouldn’t it be better for him to stay here comfortably?

“Abel, how about staying here. I thought you had nowhere to stay so I suggested staying together in that uncomfortable place……”

Abel frowned and spoke firmly.

“No.”

“What? Why? It would be more comfortable here.”

“Still no. There’s nowhere to stay here. Besides, I’m officially dead. I can’t stay in such a crowded place.”

Actually, hiding wasn’t that difficult. He could move around without others knowing. But Abel didn’t want to be driven away from Marian’s side like this.

“And I’m still scared of the outside.”

“Ah.”

Marian nodded. That made sense. Abel lifted his lips as he watched Marian agreeing. Marian truly hadn’t changed at all. She was still transparent inside and without greed.

Let’s stop this boring test.

“Bring clothes that are suitable to wear. Nothing eye-catching and reasonably priced. Similar to what she’s wearing now would be good.”

“Yes, Sir Abel.”