At Calsion’s chilling words, the Duke of Bright froze. He had been quietly looking down on Calsion, who was not fully recognized by the emperor, but that thought vanished completely.

“Th-then, I’ll prepare a place for you to stay.”

“But you must keep your mouth shut about my identity.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Just say I’m the captain of the knights serving the second prince.”

“Th-then…”

“Not a word to anyone in your household, Duke. I can’t stand things getting noisy.”

“Ah, understood.”

The Duke of Bright assumed that Calsion staying at his residence was the emperor’s will and kept silent. He never imagined that Calsion had stepped in personally because he couldn’t trust April, who had already tried to run away once. The duke also couldn’t guess just how important this marriage was to Calsion.

When the duke tried to follow him out to see him off, Calsion waved him off and left the reception room, and the duke, clenching his fists, stormed out as well.

***

Wendy, who came to April’s room, immediately grabbed the doorknob. But the door was locked.

“Look at this?”

Scoffing in disbelief, Wendy yanked the doorknob roughly. The already shabby door rattled as if it might break from her force. April, who had fallen asleep just before dawn, woke up with difficulty at the noise.

Barely managing to open her heavy eyelids, April hesitated for a moment as a thought struck her.

‘Ha, do I really have to get up? I failed to run away, and now I’m going to be dragged to the palace and forced to marry.’

Still, she tried to get up to face the unwanted guest, but ended up burying her face back into the bed. She figured if she waited a bit longer, Wendy would lose patience and break down the door, but somehow she just didn’t want to move.

But as the banging grew louder and the door seemed like it would really break, April irritably got up and flung the door open. Wendy, who had been pushing with all her might, almost fell forward, but April didn’t bother to catch her.

‘What a shame.’

She should’ve just fallen and smashed her nose on the floor.

Unfortunately, Wendy didn’t fall thanks to a maid who hurriedly grabbed her from behind. Erasing any trace of disappointment, April spoke calmly.

“Did you just call me ‘hey’?”

“That’s right! Hey, who do you think you—!”

April cut Wendy off with a raised hand, her eyes gleaming.

“How long are you going to keep calling me ‘hey’ and ‘you’? Once I marry the second prince, I’ll be a princess consort. Will you still talk to me like that then?”

A smile played around April’s lips. The corners of her mouth slowly curled up, almost like a sneer, making Wendy’s expression twist. Seeing her reaction, April stepped forward.

“You know a princess consort outranks a young lady, right?”

“You, you…!”

“‘You’? Call me ‘sister.’ If the second prince sees you acting so rudely, it’ll be quite a scene.”

“Hey!!”

Even as Wendy shoved the table aside in a fit of rage, April didn’t flinch. She leaned in toward Wendy as if daring her to try something.

“You know the second prince’s personality isn’t great, right? I don’t mind, but what about you? If I refuse to marry, wouldn’t you have to step in?”

“Y-you…!”

“You should finish your sentences, little sister. Did you forget how to speak?”

April’s smile deepened. Not only Wendy, but even Meril was so shocked by her attitude that she couldn’t respond.

Until now, even when April rebelled, she’d always ended up going along with things, laughing it off. But now, with her marriage decided, she was baring her claws.

“Get out.”

“Are you crazy?!”

“My lady!”

Meril quickly tried to stop Wendy.

Normally, it didn’t matter what Wendy said or did. But today, with an important guest in the house, nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

If word got out that something had happened to April, it would interfere with the Duke’s plans to align with the second prince. More accurately, it was about currying favor with the emperor.

The Bright family was slowly declining, and Meril, who had spent her whole life in the mansion, felt it keenly. Even just last month, only a handful of servants received their pay on time. Meril was one of the few who did, but she had nearly missed out as well.

‘If not for the money the madam set aside, I would’ve been in trouble.’

No matter what, April had to marry the second prince. Only then could the family receive the bridal money, which would give the household some breathing room.

Meril, calming Wendy, gave her a meaningful look.

“She’s about to be married. Please be generous.”

“Ah, but still!”

At Meril’s words, Wendy stepped forward. The thought of what April’s marriage might bring her made her want to smile, but she still believed April should remain beneath her.

‘How dare an illegitimate child talk about becoming a princess consort and look down on me.’

Having failed to find something to criticize, Wendy looked around April’s room and spotted a sapphire brooch on the table.

“What’s this?”

Wendy walked over to the table and gestured to Meril. Meril hurried over and looked where Wendy pointed.

“This belongs to you, doesn’t it, Miss Wendy?”

“It’s my brooch.”

Wendy nodded firmly, then picked up the brooch and threw it to the floor.

Clang!

The brooch shattered, and the sapphire rolled across the floor. The maids, and even Meril, froze at Wendy’s actions, but April stood there calmly, her expression unchanged.

“You.”

Wendy took a step forward, standing right in front of April. Her eyes flashed with anger.

“Are you a beggar?”

‘Wow, she’s really lost it.’

April was at a loss for words at Wendy’s insult. Wendy seemed desperate to humiliate her no matter what.

“This is unbelievable.”

At that moment, a man’s voice rang out, making both Wendy and April turn.

Dark hair, eyes like a night sky with no stars.

‘That’s—that’s him!’

April’s eyes widened in shock as she saw the man leaning against her bedroom door.

‘That’s the man from last night!’

The surprise lasted only a moment. Remembering how she’d failed to escape because of him, April’s eyes narrowed.

Meanwhile, Wendy, blushing at the man’s handsome face, blinked in surprise, then glared when she realized what he’d said.

“You! Who do you think you are, barging in here?!”

“This is just ridiculous.”

His words were too refined for a commoner, yet too bold for a noble.

“A mere noble girl—one without even a title—speaking so rudely. The Bright family’s standards are clear.”

“You!”

Wendy, her face turning red for a different reason, tried to step forward. But Meril, remembering the duke’s warning about an important guest, stopped her.

“My lady, you mustn’t!”

“What do you mean, mustn’t! I won’t let this slide! How dare—!”

“I think he’s the important guest the duke mentioned.”

Meril whispered quietly enough that only Wendy could hear and grabbed her arm.

“So for now, you need to withdraw.”

“…Ha!”

Muttering under her breath that he was probably just some knight despite his looks, Meril led the grumbling Wendy out. April, however, was far more concerned about the man standing in the doorway than about Wendy leaving.

“How did you…?”

“His Highness sent me.”

“By ‘His Highness,’ do you mean the second prince?”

“That’s right.”

The man shrugged and answered April nonchalantly.

‘Why does he keep speaking so informally?’

‘He should know my status clearly by now, so why does he keep talking down to me?’

“So… did His Highness tell you to look after his future consort?”

She didn’t need to mention her failed escape last night for him to understand—she could tell by the way the corners of his mouth lifted.

“Answer me. Who exactly are you, and what are you doing here?”

“My name is Karl. I’m the captain of the border knights.”