At that moment, Ertel felt a jolt of panic.

Before his thoughts could extend to the Kaiya Stone, she diverted the conversation.

“I don’t have anything like that. I was just an ordinary and insignificant person whom Duke Juan took in.”

“Then why did you turn the wedding into a disaster?”

The interrogation began in earnest.

“Weren’t the two of you in love?”

“That’s…”

Ertel hesitated, wondering how she could explain it in a way that would satisfy them.

“It’s a bit difficult to explain all the details.”

“You only need to make me understand.”

“I didn’t love Icarus.”

“……!”

“Is that enough?”

Pedro barely suppressed the smile that threatened to escape at her unexpected confession.

As someone bound by decorum, he couldn’t openly express his relief.

But deep down, he felt a sense of reassurance.

‘Thank goodness she didn’t love that devil.’

Still, his curiosity continued to grow.

The reason “not loving him” wasn’t enough to justify ruining the wedding.

If she didn’t love him, she could have simply not married him in the first place.

Henry, who had been silently standing by, spoke up.

“I saw you attack Icarus.”

Thud.

Ertel’s heart sank.

She thought no one had seen it.

“I saw blood dripping from his hand onto the floor.”

The sharp eyes of the knight captain, who had been through countless battlefields, had not missed a thing.

Ertel, who had been standing tall, felt her confidence shrink.

“You saw it?”

Now that it was all out in the open, there was no point in denying it.

“So I wasn’t mistaken after all.”

“…….”

“Alright, then. Why was Icarus bleeding?”

“…….”

“What exactly happened between the two of you?”

Of course, when she aimed for his heart, she had already prepared herself for the possibility of being caught.

Ertel lowered her gaze heavily.

She had wrestled with her decision to act against Icarus. Thinking about the sleepless nights spent in torment made her feel bitter again.

She had tried, even if forcibly, to continue the marriage. But she couldn’t endure it.

Her memories of loving him passionately before her regression, coupled with the fear that spending more time together would weaken her resolve, had driven her to act.

Taking a deep breath, Ertel calmly continued.

“Icarus possesses martial skills far superior to most knights. To confront such a beast, I judged that a public setting would be the safest and most certain option for me.”

“…….”

“Of course, the outcome was a failure.”

“Are you saying… you tried to kill Icarus?”

“……Yes.”

Her unexpected confession made the king’s expression turn serious.

It seemed there was a far more complicated story behind her actions.

Ertel braced herself.

The next question would undoubtedly be, “Why did you try to kill your husband?”

She needed to come up with an excuse unrelated to the gemstone. At the same time, she was afraid.

After all, Icarus was one of the king’s trusted vassals. As the foreign minister, he had made significant contributions to Tiamor Kingdom.

Before being her husband, he was the king’s subject.

‘I won’t be able to resist whatever judgment is passed on me now.’

They might consider her an extremely dangerous woman.

Ertel felt as though all hope was slipping away.

She knew full well that she couldn’t win against the kingdom.

“Good.”

A warm yet calm voice seeped into her ears.

When she looked up, Pedro was smiling kindly, to her disbelief.

“Become my ally.”

“……What?”

Ertel’s eyes widened in shock.

“You and I share the same goal.”

“……?”

“My enemy is Icarus.”

>><<

The Juan family estate.

The atmosphere in the mansion was icy and tense.

Everyone was careful not to provoke Icarus’s temper.

Since that day, he hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep.

Even in his dreams, Ertel appeared. He repeatedly dreamt of her stabbing a blade into his heart.

“Did you have trouble sleeping again today?”

Amar, noticing his master’s stiffness as he turned his head to massage his neck, expressed concern for his condition.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“As you instructed, I’ve assembled a search team with carefully selected individuals. Shall we begin the search for Ertel now?”

“Yes, we should.”

“What will you do when you find her?”

Amar was curious about what Icarus planned to do next. He wondered if his master’s resolve had softened.

“I’ll hear her reasons first.”

“Reasons?”

“Whether she resents me for something or if she truly knows her secret. We can’t be certain of anything yet, can we?”

“Ah, this is why you can be so frustrating, my lord.”

As Amar suspected, Icarus was still in denial, unwilling to believe in Ertel’s betrayal.

This was unlike the usual Duke Juan.

“Isn’t it obvious? She knows about the gemstone. That’s the only explanation for such a disaster. It doesn’t make sense for her to wield a blade out of mere resentment toward you.”

“That’s a bit extreme.”

“Why are you trying to show mercy to such a dangerous woman?”

“This isn’t mercy.”

Whenever he thought of Ertel, Icarus felt suffocated, as if he couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t pinpoint the source of this feeling.

“My lord.”

The only one concerned for him was Amar Miguel.

“Do not harbor any compassion or pity for a woman you intend to kill anyway.”

“…….”

“Wasn’t the whole point of this marriage to carve out her heart?”

“That’s right.”

Amar’s sharp words brought Icarus back to his senses.

He nearly forgot the reason and purpose that had driven his fiercely determined life up to now.

“I was just overthinking. Don’t worry.”

“Are you sure I shouldn’t be worried?”

“To feel pity for a woman who’s merely a tool? That’s absurd.”

“Then I’ll prepare the horses for the search.”

The horses were readied for the journey.

As Icarus exhaled deeply, his eyes gleamed with the persistence of a predator hunting its prey.

“It’s time to begin the hunt.”

>><<

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Icarus and Amar’s horses led the way.

They first roamed slowly through the city center.

Amar, holding the reins and scanning the surroundings, spotted something.

A house surrounded by dense foliage, a well-known landmark in Elruk.

It was a place every Elruk citizen had visited at least once—the fortune-teller Magrid’s shop.

“My lord, that’s Magrid’s house. Shall we stop by for a prophecy while we’re here?”

At Amar’s cheerful suggestion, Icarus frowned slightly.

“I don’t believe in fortune-telling.”

“Couldn’t it be helpful? Magrid is known to be genuine. He even predicted the exact date of the former king’s death.”

“That was mere coincidence. Fortune-telling is for weak-hearted women.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be worth consulting during these troubling times?”

At Amar’s insistence, Icarus reluctantly entered the shop.

As Amar pulled back the tent and Icarus followed, Magrid clicked his tongue the moment he saw him.

“Your ambition is immense.”

Before Icarus could say a word, Magrid had already assessed his essence.

Staring into Icarus’s soul with his unnervingly large pupils, Magrid clicked his tongue again.

“You are a very dangerous man.”

The certainty in Magrid’s tone irritated Icarus.

He despised being analyzed or seen through, and fortune-tellers were his complete opposite.

Magrid emphasized once more.

“You harbor very dangerous thoughts.”

“Enough with the personality analysis. Answer my question.”

“The path you are about to take will be stained with the blood of many.”

Ignoring Icarus’s demand, Magrid continued to speak his mind.

Amar, sensing Icarus’s growing irritation, nervously glanced at him.

Finally, Icarus asked the question he was most curious about.

“Will I one day become the sun of the Eastern Continent?”

“……!”

It was a question laden with meaning, and even Magrid was taken aback.

“Hmm, that’s…”

Though Icarus claimed not to believe in fortune-telling, he was tense, eager to hear the answer.

Having recently lost Ertel, he was in no mood to hear anything negative.

Lowering his voice, Magrid whispered.

“For a man with your audacity, it’s entirely possible.”

The words were as sweet and tempting as the devil’s whisper.

“Oh, my lord…! See? What did I tell you? You’re the perfect candidate! Even the heavens are on your side. The Juan family is destined for greatness.”

“Quiet, Amar.”

Icarus silenced his overenthusiastic aide.

Magrid continued his prophecy.

“Icarus, you have the power to turn your thoughts into reality.”

“Is that so?”

“But there’s one thing you must remember.”

Magrid’s expression turned grave.

“Do not fall in love.”

“……!”

It was an unexpected warning.

For a moment, Icarus’s pupils wavered.

It felt as though this mystical fortune-teller could see right through him.

“If you avoid falling into such a shallow emotion, it will be possible.”

“…….”

“But if you succumb to that fleeting feeling…”

It was a warning that one day he would have to choose between ambition and love.

“All your efforts will be in vain.”