Vanessa ended up catching a cold. And of all things, it was a severe flu.

On the day she was kidnapped by Escal and fell into the lake, she soaked her body in warm water and even ate ginger preserved in honey as soon as she returned to Rivadel Castle, but she still came down with a cold.

According to the news she heard while enduring the raging fever, Escal had fled with the secret funds he had been hiding.

Hearing this, Vanessa was certain. Escal had planned from the beginning to stab Jurgen in the back and leave.

It was just that she had become the catalyst.

‘That bastard…’

He said he would be back, didn’t he? Clearly.

At the time, she thought it was just the ramblings of a madman, but now that she thought about it, it was unsettling. A premonition that she would be caught up in another troublesome and dangerous affair.

She heard that Jurgen had sent people to track down Escal, but well, it didn’t seem like he would be caught easily. It seemed he had been preparing for his escape for quite some time.

‘Snake-like bastard…’

Vanessa coughed repeatedly and pressed the back of her hand against her hot forehead. If this flu developed into pneumonia, she might finally die.

But, Escal Drake… it would be unfair to die without properly getting revenge on that damned bastard.

‘I should properly pay back Declan too before I die.’

Her teeth remained clenched at the mere thought of Declan.

Traitor. The source of misfortune. Deceiver.

He had sworn before their dying father that he would cherish and protect his only full-blooded sister for life.

Yet he betrayed even that oath and sold his sister. That son of a b*tch worse than a dog.

She had imagined countless times what words, what voice she would use to curse Declan if she met him again.

Vanessa wished for Declan to suffer as much as she had suffered at Leroy’s hands. For that evil bastard to pay the price for pushing another into hell…

Yes, so…

‘I can’t die yet.’

She would survive with all her might.

Even if curse-like misfortunes befell her, again and again.

Groaning, Vanessa got up and picked up the bell on the bedside table, ringing it.

When a maid appeared at the sound and bowed her head to Vanessa, she spoke, trying to maintain her dignity even with her dying voice.

“I think my fever is rising again, could you bring me some fever reducer? And I’d be grateful if you could change the wet towel to a cold one.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare it right away, Your Highness.”

Soon after, the maid returned with the fever reducer, and Vanessa swallowed the bitter medicine with the determination to recover no matter what.

Just you wait, Declan Roengreen.

Someday, I will surely see that brazen face of yours stained with despair.

✦ ✦ ✦

“A messenger from Roengreen?”

“Yes. He says he has brought a letter from the king.”

“…Let him in.”

As soon as the lord’s order was given, the tightly closed castle gates opened and the drawbridge was lowered. The king’s messenger, carrying the flag of the Roengreen Kingdom, slowly rode his horse into the castle, and Jurgen watched the scene from atop the inner castle walls.

Soon, the messenger reached the entrance of the inner castle and was stopped by knights with fierce eyes. Shortly after, as the gate opened, a giant man with his back to the light appeared through the gap.

The messenger unconsciously flinched at that murderous pressure and tightened his grip on the reins.

A pair of golden eyes glared at him. Jet-black hair and the pale complexion typical of northerners… This man was Jurgen Drake―the Emperor’s most capable executioner and the ruler of the North.

“What business does the King of Roengreen have with Valencia?”

At the cold inquiry, the messenger swallowed hard and pulled out the king’s letter from his br*ast.

The parchment, rolled up and sealed with a silk ribbon, hadn’t even wrinkled on the way here, thanks to how preciously he had held it. The messenger held out this precious letter to Duke Drake and said,

“This is an important letter sent by the King. He instructed me to wait here for a reply.”

“……”

Jurgen, who had been staring at the messenger with terrifyingly calm eyes, nodded slightly, and one of the knights lined up on either side approached the messenger and snatched the letter.

Literally, snatched. With a motion rough enough to be unpleasant.

The messenger was momentarily angered by this action, which could be considered quite rude, but he forcibly suppressed his emotions, trying to remain calm.

After all, this was the northern part of the Empire.

A place beyond the influence of the southern kingdoms.

The letter snatched by the ruffian-like knight immediately went into Duke Drake’s hands.

Jurgen Drake unfolded the letter on the spot without moving, and smiled a grim reaper-like smile that sent chills down the spine of those watching.

“I see…”

He muttered in a low voice to himself.

“I expected they would make such a demand.”

Smirking mockingly, Jurgen threw away the king’s letter carelessly and ordered a servant to bring paper and pen.

The messenger looked down at the king’s letter on the ground with shocked eyes. He couldn’t believe it. How could he treat a letter from a country’s king like this?

‘Even if he has the Emperor’s favor behind him…!’

His whole body trembled finely with indignation, his insides boiling. Just as the messenger, having finally lost his patience, was about to open his mouth impulsively―

“Oops.”

A knight with hair that shimmered like gold threads picked up the king’s letter. He had a face as fair as a minstrel’s, yet somehow gave off a sharp impression. The knight dusted off the dirt on the letter and smiled, closing his amethyst-colored eyes.

“I’ll take care of this. Our Grace has a habit of handling things carelessly. So please understand, and don’t make such a grim expression.”

“……”

Clearly, he was smiling kindly, but… why did it feel so strangely unpleasant?

Anyway, just as the messenger, having regained his senses, nodded silently―

“Garcia.”

The duke’s dry voice calling someone was heard.

“Ah, yes, what do you need?”

Judging by the answer coming from right beside him, it seemed this blonde knight who had picked up the king’s letter was ‘Garcia’. As he scurried over, the duke said indifferently, holding paper and pen in both hands.

“Lend me your back.”

“Geez, am I a desk?”

“Shut up and do it.”

“Seriously…”

As the knight called Garcia grumbled and bent over, Duke Drake used his back like a desk, placing the paper on it.

The messenger watched this bizarre and outrageous scene with his mouth agape. Not only was that knight committing insubordination so casually, but the duke who responded with curses was no less mad.

…A battle slave and former mercenary, they said. Is this where that lack of proper upbringing shows? The messenger secretly clicked his tongue.

A moment later, Duke Drake approached the messenger and handed him a single sheet of paper, not even properly sealed, as if throwing it.

The messenger received the duke’s letter, trying not to show his displeasure. A cold voice, seemingly tinged with mockery, fell on the messenger’s head.

“Check it.”

“……”

The messenger, glancing up at the duke, unfolded the crude one-page letter. It was to confirm if the Drake family seal was properly stamped.

Originally, he should only check that, but the content of the letter that caught his eye was so short and absurd that he ended up reading it all.

[I refuse the deal. I don’t need any ransom. Vanessa Roengreen is my prisoner, and I will do with her as I please.]

The messenger’s hand holding the paper trembled.

‘This madman…’

Is this truly a reply he should be sending to a country’s king?

The messenger’s eyes bloodshot with anger and humiliation at the disrespect shown to his lord. Unable to contain himself any longer, he pointed at Duke Drake and shouted.

“Have you ever seen such an insolent person! Duke Drake! Do you think your power will last forever? How long do you think the capricious Emperor will protect you!”

His words were thrown like a bomb.

A chilling silence fell over the place.

In that frozen atmosphere, Jurgen Drake, who had been heading towards the gate, slowly turned around.

As those burning golden eyes stared directly at him, the messenger shrank like a herbivore before a predator.

“That statement just now.”

Very slowly― approaching with leisurely steps, Jurgen Drake declared.

“Is an insult to His Majesty the Emperor. Messenger of the King of Roengreen.”

“……!”

The messenger’s eyes widened.

Capricious Emperor. That was something he shouldn’t have said.

Belatedly realizing his slip of the tongue, he moved his lips, but couldn’t think of any excuse to make up for it.

“And I, as His Majesty the Emperor’s loyal dog, have the duty and authority to judge a criminal who dared to insult my master.”

“Hii, hiik…!”

As Jurgen grabbed him by the collar, the messenger groaned in fear. For someone who had shown such audacity, he was quite cowardly.

“I, I, that’s not what I meant, that―”

As the messenger stammered excuses, Jurgen roughly threw him to the ground and turned to the knights, ordering in a cold voice.

“Bind him and lock him up. I intend to see His Majesty the Emperor in person soon to report this crime.”

The messenger’s face turned pale in an instant.

“W-wait a moment! Duke Drake! I am a nobleman of Roengreen and the king’s direct messenger, how can you do this! Duke Drake!”

The messenger screamed as he was dragged away by the knights. However, his indignant voice did not reach Jurgen.

✦ ✦ ✦

A few days later.

Duke Drake’s messenger arrived at the Roengreen royal castle.

What Declan heard from that messenger was― the shocking news that the king’s direct messenger had been arrested and imprisoned for the crime of daring to insult the Emperor.