Gulp.

Selvia felt her mouth going dry without realizing it.

Meeting his gaze made her feel like she was being seen through, causing her to keep turning away first.

Selvia pressed her lips shut at Harwin’s words.

“……Could it be that you got engaged to Leliana to get close to me?”

“Ah, that’s not it.”

Then that’s good. Why did she feel disappointed?

Selvia stopped abruptly while trying to get her confused feelings under control.

Their joined hands caused his steps to stop as well.

Her trembling voice and slender arms seemed pitiful.

Harwin still didn’t let go of Selvia’s hand. Standing face to face with him, Selvia’s lips moved.

“Then why did you create time for us to be alone? As if you had something to tell me.”

“That’s because I’m interested in you.”

“But earlier you said it wasn’t……”

“I said the engagement with Leliana wasn’t a means to get close to you, not that I wasn’t interested in you.”

He removed his cloak and met Selvia’s eyes.

“Does that matter?”

A strange light flickered in Harwin’s blue eyes.

His golden hair swayed in the wind flowing through the corridor. His languid eyes looking down at her revealed an indecipherable emotion.

Though she was the one who asked, she kept wanting to ask more questions.

Selvia stared at him blankly with an uncomprehending expression.

“I already knew Leliana was trying to use me temporarily for her needs. You said so that day, didn’t you?”

“What……”

He pulled Selvia’s captured hand, drawing her into his embrace.

As his face drew near, Selvia pulled her body back.

“You said not to use people like that. That statement woke me up as well.”

Selvia furrowed her brow.

Doesn’t that mean he too was trying to do something in the same way?

“Don’t misunderstand. I only approached to learn about the Light family.”

“……You’re just the same as everyone else.”

“Is that how it is? But my interest in you is genuine.”

Selvia pulled her hand away and gave him a contemptuous look.

What was it about the Light family that had everyone in such an uproar?

In the end, was he too approaching the family just to gain power?

The Karina Empire must also be curious about the power of light.

Before darkness befalls the world, having someone with the power of light would bring peace to the entire nation.

“That’s why I came to apologize. To ask forgiveness for deceiving you.”

Deceiving.

Selvia laughed bitterly.

She had received countless such deceptions throughout her life.

Rather, the word ‘forgiveness’ felt unfamiliar.

No one had ever repented their wrongs or asked for her forgiveness.

Perhaps that’s why Selvia felt an even greater wave of emotion at his words. However, she firmly withdrew her captured hand.

“There’s no need. Duke Harwin Grey and I are nothing to each other.”

Harwin Grey.

Harwin’s Adam’s apple bobbed at hearing his name spoken so formally.

It hurt when she spoke like that. She must be quite angry.

He slightly lowered his head and looked at his empty hand. Though he was glad to have met her, it seemed he was already marked.

“I came risking threats to win your heart.”

He made a sad expression, looking truly wounded.

They had only met a few times, yet why was he so……

At Harwin’s words, Selvia looked at her hand that had forcefully pushed his away.

She could still feel his warmth on her palm.

“I’ll keep trying until Your Highness the Queen’s heart softens. Besides, it must have been hard for you here.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Your expression shows you’re not happy.”

Thump.

No one had ever wished for her happiness. Therefore, Selvia had never thought about happiness either.

She had just been enduring with thoughts of overcoming this situation, but he had touched that pain.

“Not everyone lives for happiness.”

“When I saw you before, I thought you smiled brightly.”

Selvia’s eyebrows twitched at Harwin’s muttered words.

Before? Then does that mean he had seen her before?

“You won’t be staying here long anyway.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Come to me.”

“Hah……”

“I can treat you well.”

Did this man know what he was saying?

Telling another country’s queen to come to him… she had no idea how to interpret this.

Selvia stared at Harwin, unable to hide her displeased expression.

“Of course, not now. Whenever you want, come to me after you get what you want and escape from here.”

“……Do you think a duke from another country can defeat a king?”

If it was Selvia’s power, not the naturally light-gifted Leliana, that the prophecy spoke of, Beatus would search the entire realm to find her.

Because he was that kind of person, Selvia didn’t want to gamble.

Unless it was a certain power, she shouldn’t grasp it. Perhaps if it was the Emperor of the Karina Empire……

At her words, Harwin nodded as if agreeing.

“Then, would you reconsider if I became Emperor?”

“……What.”

Anyone listening would think becoming Emperor was just a matter of will.

The Emperor had already changed. Saying he would become Emperor was like saying he would start a rebellion.

Yet he spoke as if it could really happen.

Selvia swallowed a laugh at Harwin’s confident attitude.

“Alright, I’ll think about it. If you gain enough power to protect me.”

“Excellent. Promise me.”

He smiled brilliantly and held out his finger.

Her lips twitched involuntarily at the action that didn’t match his large frame and build.

Selvia hooked her finger with his extended pinky, playing along.

“But why me specifically?”

Even if he was interested in the Light family, wasn’t Leliana there?

Her power was actually closer to light.

At Selvia’s words, Harwin smiled even more deeply than before and said:

“It was love at first sight.”

An awkward silence fell between them.

Like a carriage rushing without brakes, it seemed it would continue unless stopped.

Selvia turned her reddened face away and created distance.

“Your jokes go too far.”

“Am I being rejected right now?”

“……This isn’t funny.”

“Let me know whenever you’re ready. I’ll always welcome you.”

Harwin shrugged his shoulders.

Was what he said sincere?

Selvia found herself genuinely considering it. If she accepted his offer, she would go to the Karina Empire.

His proposal seemed attractive. After all, what Selvia wanted was to escape from here.

The palace was good for training her power since others rarely entered.

But that was all.

Once Leliana bore Beatus’s child, her existence would become unnecessary.

That would be the perfect opportunity to escape this place.

She smiled slightly and turned towards her room.

“Alright, I’ll think about it when I need you.”

Rather, there was no better option than this right now. But if she showed regret, she would have to yield.

Selvia brushed off his words casually.

Harwin stopped in his tracks as he watched Selvia turn away without hesitation.

“I’ll wait here.”

“You don’t need to. Wouldn’t it be better to return to your post?”

Harwin had said he came as the Imperial Guard Captain for protection.

Whatever the case, it wasn’t good for him to be separated from the head of the delegation while on guard duty.

“It’s fine. There are other knights besides me.”

Harwin spoke to Selvia with an expressionless face.

His tone showed no anxiety either.

“Still……”

“Lord Belrocan is dancing with Lady Leliana Flandre now, so it would be troublesome if I went back.”

“Are you concerned?”

“Ah, I’m just worried she might get clingy.”

Wrinkles formed on Harwin’s beautiful face. Well, with Leliana, she could guess what he was worried about.

……He’s strange no matter how you look at it.

The more she learned, the more it felt like he was hiding something.

How would Leliana react when she found out Duke Harwin Grey was different from what she knew?

Selvia was curious what expression Leliana would make if she faced Harwin where Beatus was.

Though just imagining it was quite interesting, she shook her head feeling it might cause an uproar.

“Alright then.”

Selvia entered her room without exchanging any more words.

Though she acted nonchalant, his words still echoed in her ears.

‘It was love at first sight.’

Those blue eyes that had gazed at her without a hint of wavering lingered in her mind.

Selvia closed the door and tried to suppress her pounding heart.

“Calm down. What are you expecting?”

When she lowered her head, she saw the wine-stained hem of her dress.

She thought it had only stained slightly, but it had already spread quite far up.

Even if it was just the edges.

Still, it was unavoidable that it bothered and irritated her whenever she saw it.

Even small things can have a big impact on some people.

Selvia sighed and sat on the sofa, waiting for her maid.

Knock knock—

Soon after, someone entered with a knock.