“Excuse me?”

“She appears to be around the age of a young adult, with long, orange-colored hair. She’s probably wearing a wedding dress by now. Have you seen anyone like that around this alley?”

“……!”

It was obvious to anyone that he was referring to the woman who had just rushed into the store.

The fitting room, where the suspicious woman had entered, remained quiet, as if she had no idea what was happening outside.

The shopkeeper found himself in a brief moment of conflict.

It seemed highly likely that they were looking for Ertel, but what kind of response would be most advantageous for him?

“I haven’t seen anyone like that.”

“Is that so? If you do see her, please report it to us.”

“Yes, I will do so.”

For now, he pretended not to have seen her.

It wasn’t because he wanted to help Ertel but because he thought it would be better to avoid getting involved altogether.

However, that resolve didn’t last long.

‘Who knows what kind of trouble might come my way later. Should I just tell them now?’

As soon as the soldier left, the shopkeeper changed his mind.

He hurriedly opened the door and called out to the soldier.

“E-Excuse me! On second thought, the customer in my store matches the description you gave.”

“……!”

The soldier’s eyes sharpened.

Meanwhile, Ertel, who had finished changing into simpler clothes, felt much more comfortable than in the cumbersome wedding dress.

“Now I look more like a normal person.”

Having changed her clothes, it was time to pay and leave.

With a satisfied smile, Ertel pulled back the curtain and stepped out.

“Shopkeeper?”

But the man who had been at the counter was nowhere to be seen.

“Did he step out to use the restroom?”

Without much suspicion, Ertel placed the money on the counter.

She was just about to leave when, as soon as she opened the door, a large hand clamped over her mouth.

“Mmmpf!!”

Someone covered her mouth to prevent her from making a sound. With their other arm, they restrained her, making it impossible for her to move.

‘What’s going on!’

Ertel instinctively thought they were one of Icarus’s men.

She tried to counterattack with her elbow.

“Calm down.”

“!?”

“Don’t make a sound.”

The arm she was about to strike with froze.

“Given your current situation, drawing attention to yourself won’t do you any good. We are people sent by King Pedro.”

It was an unexpected turn of events.

“We were ordered to bring you safely to the royal palace, so you can relax.”

>><<

And so, Ertel found herself riding in a royal carriage.

Sitting next to her was Henry, the captain of the knights.

The name faintly rang a bell.

‘He was the one by the king’s side…’

She remembered him as the dignified figure who had stood by the wall during her audience with the king.

He had been discreetly searching various places with a small group of royal guards, trying to find her before Icarus did.

‘If he’s not one of Icarus’s men, then why…’

Ertel was confused and bewildered by the current situation. She couldn’t understand why they were taking her.

Moreover, no matter how determined she was, she couldn’t fight against the royal guards.

“Are you taking me to punish me?”

Ertel asked cautiously, not letting her guard down.

“Did Icarus ask the king to do this? Since the wedding was held in the royal chapel, it wouldn’t be something the king could ignore, right?”

Henry’s face, though slightly stiff, had a strangely reassuring presence.

He glanced at her and answered.

“No, this has nothing to do with Icarus.”

“Then…”

“We won’t tell him that we’ve brought you here.”

“……Why not?”

“You’re quite bold, Ertel.”

“Pardon?”

“You should be thanking His Majesty right now.”

Ertel’s eyes reflected fear as she still couldn’t fully grasp the situation.

“His Majesty, despite his busy schedule, is granting you mercy and ensuring your safety.”

What bothered her most was Henry’s choice of words.

“Mercy? What do you mean by that…”

Henry leaned closer, perhaps finding her response frustrating.

He locked eyes with Ertel’s trembling gaze and said firmly.

“You’ve already committed a crime against the king, haven’t you?”

“A crime?”

“You claimed to be the daughter of the Ruschello family of the Luna Kingdom. But that was a lie, wasn’t it?”

“!!”

“The Ruschello family did exist, but it was a noble house that was destroyed 50 years ago. It’s a name that’s easy to use to deceive people because similar-sounding noble families still exist.”

Ertel’s heart began to race.

“Why would you tell such an easily exposed lie?”

“T-That’s because…”

Following the king’s orders, Henry had conducted an investigation. He had sent people to the Luna Kingdom to thoroughly examine the family’s history.

As a result, it was revealed that Ertel’s claimed origins were false.

Ertel’s face turned bright red. The entire scheme had been orchestrated by Icarus.

He had fabricated the story to make her seem like a noblewoman, saying whatever was necessary to convince people.

If he had introduced her as a woman of unknown origin, it would have surely aroused the king’s suspicion.

Strictly speaking, the crime wasn’t hers but Icarus’s.

Still, Ertel felt a pang of guilt.

In the end, she had unwittingly committed fraud against the king.

Ertel lowered her head in shame.

“…I’ve committed a grave sin.”

“……”

“I have no excuse. I must beg His Majesty for forgiveness.”

“When I saw the fake parents you brought to the wedding, I was appalled. It was clear that you and Icarus were up to something.”

Ertel nervously bit her nails.

For some reason, she felt as though she would have to confess everything to Pedro when she met him.

But she still hadn’t made up her mind.

“Ertel. Who are you, really?”

“……”

“Is that name even real?”

“…The name is real.”

“Then where are you truly from?”

Ertel turned her head away to avoid answering.

Of course, Henry didn’t intend to uncover everything in the cramped carriage.

That authority belonged solely to the king.

Ertel’s eyes wavered as she stared out the window, her emotions in turmoil.

“In any case, when we arrive, the king will have many questions for you. Cooperate as much as you can.”

“Will you keep your promise?”

“Promise?”

“The promise to protect me from Icarus.”

Henry hadn’t made any particularly solemn promise, but looking at Ertel’s face, which resembled a lost kitten, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.

He cleared his throat instead.

The carriage entered the royal palace through a secret passage.

>><<

Ertel entered the private chamber under Henry’s escort.

The chamber was a secluded area reserved for the king, consisting of several private rooms for his personal use.

Pedro’s face, which had been filled with boredom, lit up as he saw her.

‘Finally.’

Seeing Ertel step lightly over the threshold, even in her plain dress, her aura remained undeniable.

Pedro felt an unfamiliar flutter in his chest.

The sound of his heartbeat was so loud that he worried it might escape.

To think he was feeling this way about someone else’s bride.

Embarrassed by himself, the king quickly composed his expression.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

Since his days as a crown prince, he had seen countless beautiful women. But Ertel felt distinctly different from them.

There was something special about her.

While the king struggled to manage his feelings, Ertel trembled for an entirely different reason.

Not knowing what kind of arrows might be aimed at her, she remained on high alert and bowed respectfully.

If the king noticed her trembling, he didn’t show it. Instead, he calmly looked at Henry and praised him.

“You’ve brought her back safely.”

“Fortunately, there were no signs of Icarus’s men.”

The king gestured for Ertel to come closer.

Cautiously, she took slow steps forward. The king, who had many questions for her, began to ask them one by one.

“Ertel, you are not from the Luna Kingdom, are you?”

“I’ve committed a grave sin.”

“Will you tell me your real surname?”

At that moment, Ertel thought of Adin.

She wanted to say her real name, “Ertel le Agnes.”

But she couldn’t muster the courage.

What she did know was that she wanted to protect the Agnes family.

“Ertel Leslie.”

“Leslie…”

Henry whispered to the king about the Leslie family’s genealogy.

Hearing this, Pedro seemed slightly surprised.

“Then you’re not of noble birth.”

Ertel took a deep breath before speaking slowly.

“Icarus urged me to lie. In any case, we both committed the act, so I have no excuse before Your Majesty. Whatever punishment you deem fit, I will accept it.”

“Hmm. Predictable. He tried to make you appear noble at all costs. Knowing his nature, he must have thought marrying an ordinary woman would arouse suspicion. Even going so far as to fabricate a connection to a noble family in another kingdom.”

“……”

“What reason could he have had to go to such lengths to hide your identity?”

As with anything, there must have been a reason behind Icarus’s actions. Pedro was curious about his scheme.

For someone who usually treated women indifferently, introducing her as his bride-to-be and even concealing her origins was unusual.

As Pedro stroked his chin, deep in thought, he sensed something suspicious.

“Do you… possess something special?”