The Bright Ducal residence, shrouded in darkness, seemed completely unaware of April’s absence. April safely slipped back inside through the door she had exited and walked down the hallway.

The corridor where her room was located was still empty. Clicking her tongue at the maids who were nowhere to be seen, April tiptoed into her room.

“Hah! Seriously…!”

April, determined that she wouldn’t let whoever was responsible off the hook the next time she saw them, climbed onto her bed and punched her pillow—then loosened her grip, worried it might burst. Venting her anger might feel good now, but dealing with a burst pillow would be a bigger problem later. She couldn’t sleep without it, after all.

Rolling this way and that atop her bed, April thought about the man.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out his identity. If he were a high-ranking noble, there was no way she wouldn’t know him.

He was someone she’d never seen before.

But it was hard to believe he wasn’t a noble, given the knight who followed him and his demeanor. He was far too refined to be a commoner. There were plenty of nobles who looked down on others with arrogance, but his presence was different from the rest.

It was raw.

That air about him—one you only sensed from those who lived rough lives outdoors. The same feeling she’d gotten from mercenaries who had once visited the ducal house.

It was strange.

Had there been any news of mercenaries entering the capital?

Unable to sleep, April lay awake, lost in thoughts about the man’s identity.

***

The atmosphere in the imperial palace shifted dramatically. It was all because of the second prince’s return. It had already been a week since he came back, but no one had seen his face.

Rumors about him ran wild, but the most credible ones were about his appearance.

“I heard he’s really ugly, isn’t he?”

“They say he has a huge scar on his face. Well, surviving the battlefield, a scar or two is to be expected.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

As the noble ladies whispered among themselves at a palace banquet, one woman joined the conversation. She was the countess of the famous Herace merchant family.

“There’s a rumor that His Majesty the Emperor is searching for a bride for the second prince.”

The other ladies turned their attention to the Countess of Herace. Pleased with the attention, the countess shrugged her shoulders.

“I heard Her Majesty the Empress wanted to give the second prince some time to adjust, but His Majesty the Emperor refused. Apparently, he said the prince keeps going out because he has nowhere to settle his heart.”

“Oh my, didn’t the second prince leave the palace of his own accord?”

“I’m not sure about that part.”

The countess’ lips curled as she fluttered her fan. But the faces of the other noblewomen fell at her words. Especially those with daughters, who now worried their girls might catch the eye of that terrifying second prince.

According to the rumors, he wasn’t handsome, nor was he the crown prince who would inherit the throne. Even if he was a skilled swordsman, the first prince was still healthy and the third prince existed as well. On top of that, the empress herself was watching him closely.

Without a powerful family to support him, the second prince was just another royal—less influential than certain nobles. That was the reality of the second prince.

Words, passed from mouth to mouth, could be more frightening than a sword. Before long, Calsion had become someone so ugly and fearsome that no one wanted anything to do with him.

The words spoken at the banquet spread throughout the capital overnight and reached the Bright Ducal residence by the next morning.

“Really? April is marrying a prince?”

“My lady! A prince? He’s only a prince in name. She’s marrying a half-wit who barely deserves the title.”

“But he’s still royalty!”

Wendy bounced in the middle of her room, unable to contain her anger.

“How is that royalty? Without power or backing, even a royal is beneath a noble.”

Meril tried to soothe her, but Wendy’s expression twisted, as if she couldn’t accept April becoming someone of higher status than herself.

“This won’t do. I can’t stand it.”

“My lady!”

“If you try to stop me now, I won’t forgive you!”

Knowing Wendy’s temperament, the maids hesitated and stopped in their tracks.

Just a while ago, the Duke of Bright had strictly warned everyone not to cause any commotion as he was meeting an important guest. He had instructed them to be extra careful while entertaining the distinguished visitor who had arrived unexpectedly that morning. But faced with Wendy’s ferocity, the maids didn’t know what to do.

At that moment, the guest was with the duke in the reception room. Since the reception room was at the very center of the first floor, even the slightest noise could be heard.

Meril signaled to the maids. The maids belatedly followed Wendy, who had stormed out so noisily that finding her destination wouldn’t be difficult.

***

At that time, the Duke of Bright was meeting the guest who had arrived early in the morning.

“Weren’t you supposed to come in two days? How is it you’re here today…?”

“Something urgent came up. Why, am I not allowed to visit?”

“…I was just surprised by your sudden arrival.”

Despite the duke’s reply, Calsion remained unruffled. He hadn’t even touched the tea in front of him, sitting with his legs crossed and back straight.

Calsion looked down at the duke with an air of authority and spoke.

“Was there any trouble at the ducal residence last night?”

“Why are you interested in the affairs of my house, Your Highness…?”

“I’m not interested in your house. I’m concerned about the one who will be my consort.”

“Consort? You mean April?”

“I met her last night.”

“You… you met April?”

“Shouldn’t you be more worried about the fact that she was out late at night than about her meeting me?”

At Calsion’s next words, the duke’s eyes trembled.

“She left the residence at night… How did you…?”

“Are you asking me that now?”

The Duke of Bright was flustered. April had always been quiet and well-behaved, so he hadn’t paid much attention to her. But to think she had slipped out in the middle of the night and met Calsion…

“She said she ran away because she didn’t want to marry me.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“Just what I said. She told me she didn’t want to marry me.”

As Calsion stroked the hilt of the sword beside him, he drew it from its sheath. With a metallic shring, the sharp blade caught the light and reflected in the duke’s eyes. Seeing his own face on the blade, the duke flinched and turned his head slightly to hide his unsettled expression.

“His Majesty has high expectations for this matter.”

Calsion spoke slowly, looking at the duke’s face reflected in the blade. His eyes curved as he stroked the hilt, but his lips remained firm.

Calsion was someone who had never failed to achieve his goals. But April had nearly escaped, almost ruining what he wanted.

To win the emperor’s favor and aim even higher, he needed the marriage alliance with the Bright Ducal house.

‘Whatever his reasons, the emperor is after the Bright family’s power. As public opinion wavers due to my neglect, he’s trying to pair me with a suitable match and restore my reputation through this marriage.’

Calsion had no need for marriage. But if he wanted to stay in the palace instead of returning to the battlefield, he had to follow the emperor’s wishes. If he missed this chance, he might never set foot in the capital again.

“Your Highness…”

The duke’s trembling voice called out to him, but Calsion did not look away.

“If anything happens to go against His Majesty’s expectations, neither I nor my knights will sit idly by.”

“That… That won’t happen!”

“Really?”

Calsion slowly turned his head toward the duke. The duke was reflected in his obsidian-black eyes. Swallowing his fear, the duke forced himself to speak again.

“Yes.”

“Good. Then I’ll trust you.”

Calsion sheathed his sword and stood up from his chair.

“Besides, it doesn’t matter even if you do something that goes against my expectations. I’ll be staying here until the wedding.”

“What? You’ll be staying at the ducal residence, Your Highness? That’s…!”

Calsion didn’t even bother to answer the duke’s question, his fingers gliding over the sword hilt with elegant yet chilling grace.

Feeling the cold air, the duke’s shoulders flinched. Calsion’s lips curled into a faint smirk as he watched.

“If I leave things to you, I doubt anything will get done properly.”