“Your hair should at least be sleek and shiny, shouldn’t it?”

Soon, the blue silk dress enveloped her body, and the makeup was nearly complete. Just as the red tint was being applied to her lips, Joanna entered the room. She spoke mockingly:

“You look quite presentable when dressed up! You have absolutely nothing to be proud of, but it’s fortunate that at least your face is decent. If you didn’t even have that face, you wouldn’t be able to earn your keep! Shouldn’t you hurry up and get married to be of some help to us?”

Golden hair like shimmering sand, skin like white jade, and deep blue eyes that seemed to hold the sea within them. The elaborate dress enhanced her appearance even more. However, Kayla instinctively hunched her shoulders, uncomfortable with the exposed neckline. Even in summer, she always had to wear long-sleeved dresses to hide the wounds all over her body. When she stood before the mirror, her breath caught. Unable to summon the courage to face herself in the reflection, she turned her head away.

“If you want to escape from here, just do well today, just today.”

Joanna lightly tapped Kayla’s cheek with her finger as if caressing it. Then she spoke urgently to the maid:

“Get ready to leave now! At this rate, we won’t even see the Grand Duke’s face!”

Kayla couldn’t understand why she needed to be dressed up so elaborately for the Grand Duke’s homecoming ceremony. If it was to attract attention, she thought it was a foolish judgment—to think that one could shine among the countless crowds with just an elaborate dress. With an ominous feeling weighing on her chest, she boarded the carriage with the Baron, her stepmother, and Neville.

※※※

Teoran Empire’s central district.

The streets were already so packed with people that there was hardly room to step. The crowd filling the streets erupted in cheers, welcoming the Black Knight Order and Grand Duke Theodore’s return. He’s the imperial hero who had returned after completing the northern subjugation in just three years, when it had been expected to take ten. The Black Knight Order he led was a symbol mixed with fear and reverence, and the excitement of the people who had gathered to see the Grand Duke in person showed no signs of cooling down.

“Long live His Highness the Grand Duke! Long live the Black Knight Order!”

“Your Highness the Grand Duke, you’re magnificent!”

“Long live the Teoran Empire!”

Powerful cheers shook the streets. Joanna got out of the carriage with Kayla and pushed through the crowd to move forward. Caught in the crowd, Kayla was shoved back and forth, barely able to breathe properly. When she finally managed to lift her head, a man on a black horse slowly appeared in her field of vision. A black uniform embroidered with gold, firmly built shoulders and an imposing physique, and a sharp jawline. Rather than being dazzlingly handsome, he had a presence that overwhelmed those who saw him. As his figure became clearer, the cheers of the noble ladies grew louder.

“Kyaah, if only I could exchange just one word with His Highness the Grand Duke…!”

With each hoofbeat striking the ground, Kayla’s heart trembled along with it. She instinctively held her breath. As if her entire body had frozen, an inexplicable tremor rose from a corner of her heart. The magnificent scene before her eyes, the crowd’s cheers, and the Grand Duke’s overwhelming presence blended together, making Kayla seem to forget reality.

‘That person… His Highness Grand Duke Theodore.’

Kayla was overwhelmed by his aura. While she was momentarily distracted by him, Joanna whispered to her with a wicked smile.

“Listen carefully, Kayla. If you do well here, you’ll catch the Grand Duke’s eye. But if you make a mistake…”

Joanna brought her lips closer and whispered softly:

“…you’ll die.”

“What?”

Before Kayla could even ask again, instead of answering, Joanna smiled wickedly and roughly pushed her from behind.

“…Ah!”

From the sudden impact, Kayla fell in front of Theodore’s horse. The large horse’s breath blew right in her face. Startled, the horse raised its front legs, and its massive hooves came crashing down toward her head. People’s screams mixed together.

“D-dangerous!”

“Kyaah, aak!”

Kayla couldn’t move. She was frozen in place as if rooted to the ground. There was no time to escape. A giant shadow fell over her. That shadow was “death” itself.

Amidst people’s screams, Kayla trembled and remained frozen in place. She wanted to open her mouth and scream, but even that was impossible. All the sounds in the world seemed to fade away, and the whole world seemed to stop for a moment. In that instant, the memory that flashed through Kayla’s mind was the day of her mother’s funeral. Blackened, withered lips, firmly closed eyelids. Her younger self, unable to say anything. Her father’s face, covering his nose with a handkerchief, felt much colder than this moment.

“Whoa, whoa!”

At that moment, Grand Duke Theodore sharply twisted the reins and caught the horse. The massive horse slammed its front hoof down beside her and stopped, and Kayla barely managed to take a breath. If just one more hoof had fallen to the side, she would already be lying on the cold ground, soaked in blood. Feeling the fear of death, she felt her hands and feet freezing.

“What is this.”

But the Grand Duke’s voice was cold and indifferent. There was no trace of concern to be found, no trace of emotion. At that voice, Kayla shrank even more. The gazes of the people around felt sharp, and her dazed mind slowly began to return to reality. Just then, from somewhere, Joanna rushed over in an instant and stroked Kayla’s head. That touch was far from affectionate.

“Oh my, Your Highness the Grand Duke! I’m so sorry. I am Baroness Grenville, and my daughter was pushed by the crowd… I apologize for blocking the procession.”

A lie. Joanna lied to Grand Duke Theodore with a face showing not the slightest hint of guilt. Pretending to be a caring mother, she helped Kayla up and dusted off her clothes. Joanna affectionately wrapped her arm around Kayla’s shoulders and said to her:

“Kayla, are you alright? You’re alive thanks to His Highness the Grand Duke. Hurry and thank him.”

But Kayla’s mind was tangled with confusion and fear.

‘She really tried to kill me… She didn’t care if I died…’

Kayla felt goosebumps all over her body. Her frail body trembled despite the heat.

“Raise your face and greet him, girl.”

Joanna whispered quietly while jabbing Kayla in the waist. Kayla clutched the hem of her dress with trembling hands and slowly raised her head. Through her disheveled hair, she could see Theodore. His black, flowing hair, red eyes as if rubies had been embedded in them, and a cold impression without any trace of warmth. The moment their eyes met, she even had the illusion that the scent of blood was seeping from him. Kayla gathered her wits and stammered:

“I-I’m sorry. I…”

“You nearly died, my lady. Be careful.”

Theodore’s voice was still cold. At that moment, the corners of Joanna’s mouth dropped. Her eyes changed as she realized that the final card she had been building up for years, watching for an opportunity, had been torn apart before her eyes. She had been looking for a marriage partner to help the baronial family, but due to their enormous debt, they had been rejected, and appearing before Grand Duke Theodore was their last chance. Literally, this plan was the very last gamble they could make with Kayla’s life.

“Let’s go, dear. I’m sorry, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

After bowing her head, Joanna took Kayla and headed toward the carriage, pushing through the crowd. People kept sending glances to Kayla asking if she was alright, but their gazes quickly returned to Theodore. When Joanna and Kayla got into the carriage, Baron Grenville, who had been waiting, asked in an excited voice. A smile full of expectation hung on his lips.

“Well, did he fall for it?”

The moment she heard those words, Kayla realized that even her father had abandoned her. She realized that her father’s will was also included in this insane plan. Her eyes lost their vitality, and her heart froze cold.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake! We’re finished now! That man wasn’t interested at all! Maybe the rumors are true that he’s interested in men.”

“What? So we can’t eat something delicious?”

Meanwhile, Neville spoke, acting spoiled.

“Neville, oh, my child. Don’t worry. Mommy’s here.”

Joanna pretended to be affectionate for a moment, stroking his head, but soon her eyes turned cold.

“We can just sell her off somewhere. The money will be less than planned, but we need to find a place where we can get as much as possible. If only she had been run over… tsk.”

Joanna said these terrifying words casually while holding Neville. Baron Grenville, with a regretful expression, gave instructions to start the carriage. He showed no affection whatsoever for his daughter, making it impossible to think of him as her real father.

‘How did it come to this…’