Before long, a mystical forest unfolded before them. Leaves of various hues swayed softly as they fell to the ground. In the near distance, the deep cry of a deer echoed.

“There it is.”

The gentle look in Icarus’s eyes immediately turned sharp.

He dismounted first and extended his hand toward Ertel.

“Take my hand, Ertel.”

Due to the height of the horse, she fell into Icarus’s arms.

His strong and sturdy hands touched her chest and legs as he supported her. Then, he pulled her closer into his embrace, as if to observe her face more closely.

“…!”

Their faces drew near with his unexpected actions, and Ertel momentarily held her breath.

“What mischief are you planning now…?”

“This time, it’s no joke.”

A gust of wind blew through.

Suddenly, his lips touched hers, leaving her wide-eyed in shock.

With a light kiss, he succeeded in surprising her. Icarus gently set the now stiffened Ertel down onto the grass.

Ertel, dazed, touched her lips with her hand. It was a moment she did not want to process. Before the fleeting sensation could fully fade, Icarus grabbed her wrist and began leading her.

“There’s no need to be so startled. Next time, I’ll make it deeper.”

“…!”

“Come on, follow me.”

As if being pushed by the forest wind, Ertel’s body moved. Watching Icarus tightly grip her hand without letting go, she bit her lip.

She vowed to herself that she would repay this humiliation one day.

‘I no longer believe in your kisses.’

There was nothing sweet about it. There was nothing thrilling about it. The sudden kiss only made Ertel clench her fists tightly.

Unaware of her turbulent emotions, Icarus strolled through the vast area in good spirits. In the middle of the wide meadow, he stopped and took hold of a bow in both hands.

As Ertel watched him prepare his hunting bow from the side, she carefully lifted the hem of her dress.

Icarus’s eyes followed the deer, while Ertel’s gaze remained fixed on Icarus.

‘Icarus, enjoy today as much as you can. You won’t have many moments of leisure like this in the future.’

Icarus whistled sharply into the sky. He moved quickly, following the deer’s movements, and aimed his bow. Birds flying above chirped noisily as they watched the scene unfold.

A shadowy figure resembling a deer emerged from the bushes. Icarus didn’t miss it.

He gripped the long bow with ease, pulled it back, and steadied his breathing before releasing.

The arrow soared through the air.

‘Thud!’

It struck the deer’s body with precision, piercing it completely.

As bright red blood spattered, Ertel felt her mind grow hazy. The defenseless deer collapsing to the ground reminded her of herself in the past.

She saw herself in that deer—the moment when her husband had attacked her in a locked room before her regression.

The sinister smile on Icarus’s face after killing the deer also overlapped with that moment.

“What do you think, Ertel?”

Icarus approached, carrying the deer over his shoulder with its legs tied. He looked proud, as if expecting praise.

“This is a trophy for you.”

Ertel smiled at him, but her eyes remained cold.

Icarus, who seemed perfectly suited for extinguishing life, utterly disgusted her.

Yet her words betrayed none of her true feelings.

“As expected of you, my lord. To succeed in hunting so quickly—you’re incredible.”

“This is nothing. It’s no big deal.”

“I’m so glad we could enjoy the fresh air today.”

Uttering words she didn’t mean made Ertel feel embarrassed with herself.

Icarus briefly set the deer down and lightly embraced her with one arm.

“I’m glad I could spend this time with you as well.”

“So am I.”

“Let’s head back. I’ll have the chef prepare venison with this.”

And so, the two smiled at each other.

>><<

A few days later.

In the middle of the library, which housed countless books filled with wisdom and insight across multiple levels, Icarus stood.

With his hands in his pockets, he gazed out the window. The neatly trimmed green lawn and the vibrant flowers decorating the garden stretched before him.

In one corner of the garden, a beautiful fountain had been installed, and the sound of its water was refreshing. The warm sunlight shone down upon it.

As he admired the abundant scenery, Icarus was fixated on one thought.

‘What kind of wedding would be best?’

Though it hadn’t been long since he brought Ertel into the mansion, watching her gradually adapt made him realize it was time to plan for the future.

Just then—

‘Knock, knock.’

A knock echoed through the library.

“My lord, it’s Amar.”

At the aide’s arrival, Icarus granted him entry.

“Come in.”

Noticing Amar’s tense expression, Icarus raised an eyebrow.

“Why the serious face?”

“Well…”

Amar had no choice but to report early that morning. He had obtained critical information through informants placed in the capital.

Amar asked cautiously,

“My lord, when do you plan to marry Ertel?”

“I intend to proceed as quickly as possible, but I haven’t yet discussed it with her in detail.”

“You should hurry.”

Sensing that something was wrong, Icarus turned fully toward Amar.

The aide continued,

“There are rumors that jewel hunters have appeared in Elruk.”

“…!”

Elruk—the capital of the Tiamor Kingdom.

“No, to be precise, it’s not just a rumor; it’s nearly confirmed. It seems they’ve crossed over from the Luna Kingdom, moving from the outskirts of the continent and now reaching the capital. They’ve caught the scent.”

“How many of them are there?”

“Groups of five or six seem to be operating together, with multiple groups moving around.”

“They must be completely out of their minds by now.”

“Indeed. But they likely haven’t imagined yet that the jewel they’re after is inside this mansion.”

Faced with news he couldn’t ignore, a long silence stretched between the two men.

Icarus narrowed his eyes sharply, his displeasure evident.

It was an unwelcome moment, to say the least.

“They don’t know that the Kaiya Stone is with Ertel, do they?”

“No. It seems they haven’t discovered that much yet. All they know is that it’s inside the body of a young woman. As a result, they’re searching indiscriminately among women in Elruk, whether commoners or nobles.”

“So that’s why there have been so many reports of noblewomen being kidnapped recently.”

“Yes. It all makes sense now.”

Icarus’s expression darkened.

The prestige of the Juan family was unmatched in Elruk. No, not just in Elruk—throughout the Tiamor Kingdom, their influence was unparalleled.

Even so, while the jewel hunters had nothing to lose, their agility meant it was only a matter of time before they discovered where the Kaiya Stone was.

Once they realized it was within Ertel’s body, they would stop at nothing, even resorting to assassination.

Just as they had killed Ertel’s adopted mother using similar methods.

A flicker of irritation crossed Icarus’s face as memories surfaced.

“We’ll expedite the wedding.”

“Yes. If you’re going to marry her anyway, it would be wise to move up the timeline. I’ll instruct the attendants to begin preparations for the ceremony immediately.”

“I was already considering how to hold the wedding with her.”

“Becoming the Duchess of Juan is a dream for many noblewomen. To ensure no one dares to touch the jewel, the wedding must be grand and widely publicized.”

“Indeed. Once she becomes my wife, no one will easily approach her.”

“Exactly. They won’t even suspect her. Ertel will be excluded from their considerations entirely.”

“The important thing is to ensure that Ertel remains unaware of her fate until the end.”

“Yes, I’ll keep a close watch on her.”

The thought that other forces might also be targeting Ertel ignited an unexpected sense of possessiveness in Icarus.

Her death—he wanted to claim it for himself.

‘It has to be me.’

Imagining the future where he would carve into Ertel’s chest with a blade, a twisted smile spread across his lips.

Watching the duke’s cruel expression, Amar felt a chill run down his spine.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

After Amar left, Icarus was once again alone in the library.

Suddenly, he recalled the day he first met Ertel in the Yukai Forest.

Surrounded by the mystical forest, she had been sitting on the ground.

Had she not possessed the jewel, anyone would have wanted to claim her as their lover—she had been that captivating at first glance.

Back then, Ertel had looked at him with sorrowful eyes, as if she already knew her fate.

Of course, it must have been his imagination.

“Blame fate, not me, Ertel.”

Icarus murmured softly, as if to absolve himself of guilt, though no one was there to hear him.