“Have you ever seen such an insolent bastard.”

The harsh words spilled out involuntarily. Declan crumpled the letter in his hand and smiled ferociously.

Not only was the news that his direct messenger had been arrested for insulting the Emperor utterly absurd, but Jurgen Drake’s reply was beyond imagination.

No matter how much he was the ruler of the northern Empire, to think he dared to send such a letter to a country’s king.

“His life won’t be long. What an arrogant bastard.”

Declan threw the crumpled letter into the fireplace and sighed deeply, trying to calm his boiling insides.

The Drake family’s messenger didn’t give details about exactly what happened to the messenger.

It was just a one-sided notification that he had been arrested on the spot for daring to insult His Majesty the Emperor, and that His Majesty would decide the punishment personally.

Declan gritted his teeth at Duke Drake’s arrogance and insolence. A burning desire for revenge rose in his heart, vowing to repay this humiliation someday.

However, the urgent matter at hand was to send a letter to the Emperor explaining the situation and asking for forgiveness and mercy, as well as preparing for the journey to the capital.

If Jurgen Drake intended to see the Emperor in person to report the messenger’s crime, Declan too had to show his face to the Emperor and rectify this matter.

‘This is not the time to be away from the throne for long… How annoying.’

Declan roughly ran his hand through his blonde hair and picked up the glass on the table. As he downed the fragrant wine in one gulp, it seemed to somewhat calm his burning insides.

The current situation in Roengreen was complicated. Although he had ascended to the throne after his father’s death, Declan had not yet properly consolidated control over the nobles.

Behind this was the significant presence of Duke Evanwood’s faction, who viewed Declan unfavorably. The Evanwood family was related to the royal family by marriage and had the highest succession rights to the throne after the royal family.

To keep in check the Evanwood family, who were like wolves that might bare their fangs at any moment, Declan needed to both expand and solidify his own power base. By any means necessary.

And a political marriage was the easiest and most effective card to play.

It would have been good if he had children of his own, but Declan was still unmarried. He needed to find a bride soon, but that in itself was a political headache.

‘The most suitable candidate for the queen’s position would be the eldest daughter of Count Rubern, but…’

As Declan closed his eyes momentarily due to the throbbing headache, he sensed someone approaching.

Declan opened his eyes slightly. The beautiful Glena, who had grown up with him like a sister though not related by blood, was staring at him with worried eyes.

“What was written in Duke Drake’s letter, brother? Was it serious?”

Hearing Glena’s high and clear voice like a nightingale seemed to ease his headache. Declan smiled faintly and gave his answer.

“He says he doesn’t need the ransom and has no intention of returning Vanessa. That’s all. How arrogant. He didn’t even bother to write a greeting.”

“That’s… truly rude. Even if the Drake family is the ruler of the northern Empire… you are the King of Roengreen, brother.”

Glena spoke with a tone clearly showing her bewilderment and displeasure. Declan pulled up the corner of his mouth crookedly and sneered in a mocking voice.

“He’s blinded by the Emperor’s favor. Like a lowly butcher.”

Declan knew that the current Duke of Drake, Jurgen, had risen to that position from the bottom.

That’s why he thought with contempt. It seems he still hasn’t shed his vulgar habits. A barbarian who doesn’t even know manners.

“Then… what will you do now? I know that Marquis Biochen clearly said, ‘If Your Majesty allows, I would like to take the princess as my wife’…”

There was undisguised anxiety underlying Glena’s probing words. Declan, who quickly perceived the reason, spoke kindly with a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Glena. I won’t send you to Marquis Biochen in Vanessa’s place.”

Glena flinched slightly at being caught off guard, then immediately mumbled in a small voice.

“That’s… right, I’m not a real princess after all.”

Glena was an adopted daughter brought in by the late king, and although she grew up as a member of the royal family like Declan and Vanessa, she was not recognized as a ‘real’ royal.

This fact was always something of a complex for Glena. Although she was treated like a princess, she was an empty shell without true noble blood. Glena didn’t even receive the title of ‘Your Highness’ from the servants, being called only ‘Lady Glena’.

And that wasn’t all. Among the maids serving Glena, there were some who looked down on her with subtle contempt.

Declan knew this fact too, but… to some extent, he deliberately left it unchecked.

He laughed as if sighing and reached out to her. Caressing Glena’s cheek, who flinched, he looked at his unrelated sister with deep affection.

“Glena. Don’t you know how much I cherish you? I won’t marry you off to anyone. You will stay by my side for life.”

“……”

Glena’s long, thick eyelashes trembled. Her quivering lips managed to form a gentle curve. Glena spoke in a thin voice like the resonance of a string instrument.

“Yes, brother…”

Declan’s sticky hand moved down to Glena’s shoulder, caressing her white and smooth skin.

This kind of contact, which started around adolescence, became more blatant when Glena became an adult.

Glena was so accustomed to Declan’s touch that she couldn’t even count how many times this had happened.

“Yes, that’s a good girl. My lovely Glena.”

“……”

As Declan smiled gently, Glena smiled back.

The lovely and beautiful Glena.

Declan’s eternal doll.

✦ ✦ ✦

Vanessa overcame the flu. As always, tenaciously, she managed to survive.

Thanks to the court physician’s opinion that light walks would be good for her recovery, Vanessa was finally able to be released from confinement. Instead, she was assigned guards doubling as surveillance.

There were two guards doubling as surveillance. One was the maid Renee. She wasn’t just a simple maid but a swordswoman who had learned the sword from her knight father. Apparently, in the north, there were many women like Renee who learned martial arts.

The other was the arrogant knight, Garcia. He was still acting impudently and every word he spoke seemed to have a strange barb in it, but Vanessa didn’t find him uncomfortable. Perhaps because he wasn’t the type of person she disliked.

“You’ve already heard the news that the King of Roengreen sent a letter to His Majesty the Emperor opposing the marriage between our lord and Your Highness? He seems to think you’re quite precious.”

Garcia walked a little distance from Vanessa during the walk and sneered. Vanessa looked at him with wide eyes, curious about how he seemed to see through Declan’s intentions.

When their eyes met, Garcia tilted his head as if to ask why she was looking at him like that.

Vanessa expressed her doubt in a calm tone.

“Don’t people usually think that my brother cherishes me so much that he wants to get me back even by paying a huge ransom? Your words are quite unexpected.”

“…I don’t think a person who cherishes his sister would marry her off to a ruffian like Leroy Terevron.”

Vanessa burst into laughter at Garcia’s words that hit the nail on the head. It was an open-hearted laugh. Seeming to suggest that even the darkness of her unhappy past, when she suffered from her husband’s violence, couldn’t weigh her down.

“You’re right. My brother is trash who only sees me as a tool. The funny thing is, he hid that vile nature perfectly until our father passed away.”

“…You didn’t know either, Your Highness? What kind of person Declan Roengreen was?”

“Of course I didn’t know. When our father was alive, Declan was the kindest brother in the world. He constantly whispered that he would protect me forever. It was all lies though.”

“…I understand there’s another princess in the Roengreen royal family.”

“You mean Glena? She’s not royalty. She grew up almost like a princess though.”

Garcia suddenly paused, and for some reason asked with a probing look.

“Then, don’t you consider her your sister?”

Vanessa turned to look at Garcia with a puzzled expression, wondering why he would ask such a thing.

“Of course I do. Glena is my sister. But unlike me, she’s Declan’s favorite and she’s not a real princess, so she probably won’t be sold off in a marriage deal.”

Garcia seemed lost in thought for a moment, then glanced at Vanessa with a slightly surprised look.

“…I see. Your Highness is unexpectedly compassionate. You don’t seem to be a bad person. Though you’re still somewhat ominous.”

“What? Is that why you asked? Worried that I might be a heartless person who doesn’t even consider the sister I grew up with as family?”

“I don’t trust the so-called noble bloodlines. Can’t look at them favorably either. Of course, our lord is an exception.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes at his still ill-mannered reply. It’s only because this is the north and this guy’s master is Jurgen; if it were another noble family, he would have lost a wrist or ankle for such impertinence.

“Well… I guess I can somewhat understand why you might have such values, considering the life you’ve lived.”

Throughout the walk, as they exchanged such idle chatter, the maid Renee quietly followed the two. She was shooting sharp glances at Garcia as if telling him to shut his mouth.

Waiting for Vanessa when she returned to her room after the walk was, as always, Jurgen with his fierce face.

His gaze, scrutinizing her carefully, was somewhat persistent, but of course, he didn’t offer any greetings.

Jurgen’s words were, once again, a one-sided notification.

“We need to go to the capital to get the Emperor’s approval for the marriage. We’re set to leave in four days, keep that in mind.”

The journey to the capital wasn’t surprising as Vanessa had expected it since hearing about Declan’s news.

To counter the letter that bastard had sent, Jurgen would need to see the Emperor in person. Vanessa nodded silently, avoiding Jurgen’s gaze.

Although she was truly grateful that he had saved her when she fell into the lake last time, she was still afraid and uncomfortable with his presence.

From what he said, it seemed he had some grudge against her, but Vanessa had no idea what it could be, so she was completely in the dark.

Seeming to have nothing more to say, Jurgen left the room, and Vanessa, left alone, stood by the window lost in thought. The western sky was turning red with the sunset.

‘The capital…’

As they say, it’s darkest under the lamp, and it’s easier to shake off pursuers in a large and complex city. So perhaps this trip to the capital could be an opportunity for Vanessa.

‘I might be able to escape far away from that man’s grasp. But…’

And after escaping?

She would have to hide for a while. She couldn’t stay long in the capital or any city, so perhaps in a remote mountain village… For a few years…

That wouldn’t be a bad life. It might be fine to just let everything go and live leisurely like that.

But then…

‘I won’t be able to get revenge on Declan.’

The intense hatred and resentment that suddenly flared up and burned her heart black, even when she thought she had forgotten.

Could she live peacefully while suppressing this desire for revenge?

Is such a thing really possible?