There were many things she couldn’t understand.

Vanessa, who had calmly organized her complex thoughts, squeezed out courage and asked again.

“Are you… in your right mind? Marrying me, the queen of a fallen country? Do you think that makes any sense?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Isn’t it common to plunder and take the wife of the defeated?”

“That’s when you’re taking them as concubines! Surely you’re not saying you’ll have a formal wedding ceremony with me?”

“I have no intention of taking concubines, and of course, I plan to marry you formally.”

“…Why?”

She asked blankly, utterly unable to understand. Marriage? Her mind reeled at this unexpected turn of events.

“If I can’t kill you or leave you be, I’ve decided to… take you for myself.”

Jurgen’s voice as he answered was as indifferent as usual, but in his golden eyes, a mysterious desire flickered.

It felt like some kind of persistence, but also like a cruel and wicked impulse.

“I intend to make you mine and break you within my grasp.”

“…But why.”

The sound that burst from Vanessa’s lips was more like a gasp than a question. Jurgen’s eyes, which had slowly closed and opened, carefully scanned the frightened Vanessa.

He raised the corner of his mouth. As if her agitation, her fear, was very pleasing to him.

“Because that is my revenge, and the punishment I’m imposing on you.”

Again, words she couldn’t understand.

But without any explanation, he turned and left the room. Leaving the confused Vanessa behind.

Click.

The sound of the lock engaging was heard.

She was confined again. In this strangely luxurious space.

“……”

Vanessa, who had been standing in a daze, slid down the wall she was leaning against.

She was confused.

Why on earth was that madman doing this to her…

Had they really met somewhere, sometime before?

But I… I don’t remember anything.

“Ugh…”

Suddenly overcome by a headache, Vanessa frowned and groaned.

Biting her lip hard, she closed her eyes and slowly regulated her breathing.

An immense fatigue washed over her as if she had been subjected to grueling torture. Her body felt limp and languid, like she might melt away at any moment.

Vanessa let out a deep sigh with her face buried in her palms. The tension had eased, but the sound of her unstable heartbeat could still be heard loudly.

✦ ✦ ✦

Jurgen, who had left the room where Vanessa was confined and was walking down the corridor, suddenly stopped.

After standing still for a while, he pressed his forehead against the cleanly wiped window glass.

The window glass, which should have been warm from the sunlight, felt as cold as a piece of ice. It must be due to the lingering heat in his body.

“……”

Jurgen curled up one corner of his mouth, mocking his own desire.

If he could, he wanted to cut it out.

Emotions, memories, everything.

He had expected it, but she really doesn’t remember anything. The meetings, the promises, the hope that was once his only salvation in life―

To forget everything.

I’d rather kill you.

If you disappeared from this world, if you no longer existed…

Would that make me feel better?

✦ ✦ ✦

About an hour later, the maids appeared carrying some documents.

When Vanessa realized that it was none other than a marriage contract, she clicked her tongue softly.

It seems Jurgen wasn’t drugged or possessed. He really intends to marry her.

“You can… sign here.”

The maids pointed to the signature line at the very end of the document, watching Vanessa’s reaction. It seemed they were just as perplexed by this crazy situation.

Vanessa picked up the quill pen, swallowing the sigh that was trying to escape her lips. She intended to do as Jurgen wanted. For now.

Because she had to survive.

Who knows what that madman would do if she refused to sign and resisted. Jurgen Drake was clearly not in his right mind. After all, Vanessa had no memory of meeting him― or even anyone like him.

As Vanessa finished signing at a sluggish pace and handed over the parchment, the maids received it with visible relief.

If she had refused to sign until the end and caused a scene, it would have been troublesome for them.

“Wait.”

Vanessa quickly stopped the maids who were about to retreat as soon as they had the marriage contract in hand.

She had something to ask them. Though she wasn’t sure if they would answer properly.

Facing the maids who were showing signs of confusion while standing at an awkward distance, Vanessa brought up the question she had been mulling over.

“I’d like to know as much as possible about the Duke. Could one of you tell me about him?”

“That is… well… exactly what would you like to know…”

“Just… how he has lived. I know absolutely nothing about him.”

All Vanessa knew about Jurgen was that he was the illegitimate child of the previous duke. That he inherited the title of duke at 20, but had been serving as the Emperor’s executioner long before that. That was about it.

Born and raised in a warm southern country, Vanessa didn’t know the ins and outs of the situation in the north. When she was a princess of Roengreen or during her time as queen of Terevron, she had rare interactions with imperial nobles, but none of them were northerners.

The northern nobles had no time for social activities as they were at war with the endless waves of frost monsters year-round.

A place where the smell of blood never fades. That’s how her father used to describe the north. And as if he was afraid…

[Vanessa, my precious daughter. You must never go to the north. Do you understand?]

He had repeatedly made Vanessa promise never to go to the north.

Moreover, he had told her not to interact with northerners, and not even try to learn about them.

At the time, she thought it was just the excessive worry of a father who cared too much for her… but thinking about it now, there was something odd about it.

“Well… as we are in a position to serve the lord, we cannot speak carelessly about our master…”

The maids hedged, deflecting the question. It was clear they were worried about incurring Jurgen’s wrath if they said something unnecessary in front of Vanessa.

She was just asking them to tell her what kind of life Jurgen had lived, was even that difficult? Jurgen didn’t seem like such a tyrannical lord that he would punish them just for talking a little about him.

“I understand. I’ll ask someone else, so you may go now.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Watching them scurry away like rabbits with their tails on fire, Vanessa clicked her tongue.

✦ ✦ ✦

“Vanessa… was taken by whom?”

Declan, the current king of Roengreen and Vanessa’s brother, was shocked by the unexpected news he had just heard.

“The Duke of Drake, you say. Is this true?”

“Yes, according to what I’ve found out… that seems to be the case.”

“Jurgen Drake… Why on earth would that guy…”

Declan exhaled dejectedly and tapped the armrest of the throne with his fingertips. The signet ring on his right middle finger and the golden crown on his head sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight that streamed through the stained glass.

“I expected the Emperor to subjugate Terevron for a while now. The fall of Terevron isn’t even surprising, but…”

Terevron had been a constant thorn in the Empire’s side ever since that notorious tyrant Leroy ascended to the throne. While the Emperor wanted his vassal states to be peaceful under his control, Leroy kept causing friction with neighboring countries.

Marrying Vanessa off to Leroy was Declan’s rational choice for Roengreen. By forming a marital alliance, they could avoid troublesome conflicts and gain some useful rights.

On the day Terevron would fall to the Empire’s power, he planned to quickly sever ties with the Terevron royal family and bring Vanessa back to Roengreen. He had been making various preparations for that until now…

“…Vanessa being captured by the Duke of Drake is very unexpected.”

Declan clicked his tongue. According to his plan, Arno Terevron― that idiot brother of Leroy― should have brought Vanessa to Roengreen…

For some reason, Arno had arrived alone at the Roengreen royal castle, babbling that he didn’t know whether Vanessa was alive or dead.

Declan deeply regretted dealing with that fool who couldn’t even smuggle out one Vanessa. He was terribly disappointed at having pointlessly lost Vanessa, who still had much use.

And yet.

As it turns out, Vanessa was alive. Captured by none other than the Duke of Drake.

‘To bring her back, I’ll have to pay a ransom in principle. That’s troublesome, but…’

Vanessa, the only princess with the blood of the Roengreen royal family, was still a useful card. Even if she was once married and trailed by ominous rumors.

That child was so beautiful that even the Emperor was surprised when he saw her.

If he showcased that beauty, there would be no shortage of fools who would be stupidly enchanted. Just like how Leroy Terevron had been.

“I need to draft a letter. I intend to send it to the Duke of Drake as soon as possible, so have a messenger ready.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

‘I don’t know why the Duke of Drake took Vanessa, but…’

In any case, her existence must be a burden to them.

So Declan believed without a doubt that they would surely agree to this deal.