Chapter 11.9

“Sir Mule… didn’t ask me out. So I just said it first.”

“You confessed first?”

Unbelievable. A woman living in a strict class society confessing first? Syria had been surprised many times before, but it was still amazing.

“And then he rejected you?”

“Yes.”

Her gloomy expression said it all. Mule had turned her down.

“Why? Does he already have someone else?”

Melanie was a maid, but she came from a lower noble family, so there was nothing lacking compared to Mule’s status. Age, looks—she was in no way inferior to Mule, who had a knight’s title.

But if he rejected her, it meant there was another woman. Of course, there were rumors about Mule that gave this theory credibility.

“He said he doesn’t want to get married. If I don’t want marriage, we can date, but if I do, then we pretend I never said anything…. Hng…. What’s that supposed to mean…….”

“Ah… So he doesn’t want to marry.”

“How is that possible? How can someone not want to get married? That’s something everyone should do.”

“Well… Not really. Everyone has different thoughts about marriage, and we should respect that.”

It wasn’t a statement fitting for this era, but just as personalities differ, so do views on marriage. Syria herself preferred not to marry. She supported loving someone, but didn’t agree that every relationship had to end in marriage.

Even though Syria tried to comfort her with a gentle voice, Melanie pouted her lips in protest.

“Why are you taking Sir Mule’s side? You should be on my side.”

“No… It’s not about sides. He just doesn’t like marriage. It’s not that he doesn’t like you.”

“Oh… Is that it?”

‘See? She only hears what she wants to hear….’

Syria was all too familiar with Melanie’s personality by now. Melanie’s eyes widened and sparkled again.

“Yeah. Just do what you want and enjoy it together.”

“What if I never get married and die?”

“Then just enjoy life until you die. Be someone who doesn’t marry and only dates. That’s fine.”

“Aha…….”

A hint of realization appeared in her big eyes. So Syria managed to explain her own non-marriage views to her innocent maid.

* * *

‘Finally, the last banquet.’

Once today passed, the Duke of Dronia had said they would leave the capital and return to their territory together. She likely wouldn’t return to the imperial palace again for a long while.

Thinking about leaving made her feel oddly down, knowing she wouldn’t see the ridiculous Emperor or her bothersome fiancé anymore. Still, she’d gotten close enough with some of them to even share her body.

‘This feels strange.’

It was like a fluffy cloud swelling inside her chest, a feeling close to frustration.

Today, her father was attending, so Syria entered the hall escorted by him, her hand resting on his arm. Just like the first day, the nobles parted like the sea and bowed deeply as she passed.

Not far away, Alpen gave her a charming smile and a nod. Syria received his greeting and walked gracefully forward, just as Miland, who had kept silent the whole way, finally spoke.

“Listen carefully. This is important.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Today, do not leave my side, no matter what. If you must, Firenze will be with you.”

Miland gestured with his chin toward Firenze, who was quietly walking behind them.

“……? Yes, I understand.”

The sudden, serious tone made Syria want to stop, but the Duke’s brisk stride pulled her along.

‘He seems a bit off today…….’

The Duke rarely showed emotion, so his unusually dark expression was unfamiliar. He walked straight ahead, but his dilated pupils searched like a hawk for someone. He seemed almost desperately anxious.

‘What is he so wary about?’

The arm she held was so tense and muscular she could barely grip it.

“The great Emperor of the Aranhurud Empire is entering!”

At that moment, the attendant’s loud announcement echoed through the hall, and all the nobles looked up at the second floor. Thick red curtains parted, and someone revealed their face. The nobles, seeing who it was, gasped in confusion.

‘Who is that?’

Syria had expected to see Karl’s face, but was startled by the unfamiliar face that appeared when she looked up. It was someone she’d never seen before.

“My goodness…….”

“Who is that…….”

Except for Syria, the other nobles seemed to recognize the man immediately, exclaiming in awe.

“Do not leave my side, ever.”

It was a sigh-like warning from Duke Dronia, tense to the core.

* * *

“D*mn. These blasted delegations.”

“Y-Your Majesty, please slow down a bit.”

Gallion struggled to keep up with the Emperor’s hurried pace, complaining as he went. After two days of delegation visits, the Emperor finally lost his temper and chased them all out.

‘What’s going to happen to this country now…….’

He’d begged Duke Dronia to stay, but the Duke had only shown his face briefly yesterday before leaving, and Duke Roxihart, who was Chancellor, had disappeared without a word. He had come back later, but was lackluster and inattentive with his work.

Suddenly missing the reliable nobles, Gallion had clung to the Emperor’s coattails, but today the Emperor had finally snapped.

‘Sigh…. If I want to feed my family, I have no choice.’

The weight of being the head of the household felt heavier than ever today.

“Your Majesty, you’ll need to enter through the first-floor entrance today.”

The Chief Attendant, walking behind Gallion, spoke up.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a problem with the second-floor door, it’s under repair.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

Even his closest advisor hadn’t been informed.

“It’s a sudden issue.”

“Still…. I’ll check it again myself.”

“No need. Let’s go to the first floor.”

Karl, who hadn’t seen Syria yesterday because of his busy schedule, hurried his steps. Whether he entered from the first or second floor didn’t matter to him. He was planning to jump down anyway. In fact, he headed straight for the first floor, thinking only of going to Syria.

“……!”

As soon as he reached the door, Karl realized how unusually quiet it was inside and stopped dead.

“Why are you stopping, Your Majesty?”

The Emperor, staring intently into the room, aroused Gallion’s suspicion, prompting him to ask. But even Gallion realized something was strangely quiet, and his expression hardened.

Not a single note of music leaked out. When the attendant tried to announce their entrance, he was stopped, and the door was abruptly thrown open. A bright, spacious hall appeared, as bright as midday, filled with pale-faced nobles standing in place.

“You’re here. The lowly blood has arrived. Hahahahaha!”

“Second Prince. As expected, you weren’t someone who would die so easily.”

Karl glared at the fox-like face sitting on the throne upstairs, letting out a sneer. The Second Prince, who had supposedly ended his life by poison, now showed his sly face and chattered away.

“How amusing…….”

For a moment, Karl forgot his surprise and sneered.

* * *

‘Second Prince? Who’s the Second Prince? Am I the only one here who doesn’t know this person?’

The sound of people gasping erupted throughout the room. Seeing Alpen and the Emperor’s faces, Syria realized they knew who he was.

‘What is this? Why am I the only one who doesn’t know? Is he a character that appears later? No, they said all the blood relatives were killed…….’

She couldn’t figure out what was happening. Who was this man, as pale as watered-down rice gruel, who had suddenly appeared? If he wasn’t in her memory, he must not have appeared even as a minor character in the novel……

But judging by everyone’s reactions and the suddenly heavy atmosphere, something was clearly wrong. Syria could only roll her eyes, stifling her frustrated curiosity.

“Last time, you slipped away with a cheap trick, but this time, I’ll finish you for good.”

The Emperor’s voice, as rough as a beast roaring out of the forest, echoed through the hall. Only then did people snap out of it and force themselves to step back. Eventually, silhouettes at the back screamed and tried to flee the banquet hall, but the threatening soldiers surrounding the outside made them hesitate.

“Unfortunately, your opponent isn’t me.”

“What?”

“Duke Dronia, kill that lowly wretch.”

The Second Prince named someone unexpectedly—Syria’s father.

‘What is he saying?’

Syria turned to Miland, but he looked at her with resigned, shadowed eyes.

“Father, why is that man giving you orders?”

Miland parted his lips, as if to speak, but only moved them silently several times. His face was deeply sorrowful, but no words came out.

“Can’t you hear me? Last time, thanks to my broad heart, your daughter came back to life, but if you keep acting like this, it’ll be different this time.”

The Second Prince stretched out his arm, fiddling with something in his hand.

“…Came back to life?”

It was a threat, but clearly related to Syria.

“I failed last time, but this time, I’ll protect you.”

Finishing his words, Miland drew his sword and blocked the Emperor’s path. Karl, about to rush at the babbling Second Prince, frowned when Miland suddenly stopped him.

“So you’ve finally chosen a side?”

He was always ambiguously in the middle, irritating everyone. Now that he seemed to have chosen, there was no reason not to finish him. Karl scoffed and prepared to leap, but hesitated when he saw Syria behind Miland.

‘Why am I hesitating?’

Karl, who had never shown mercy, felt conflicted as soon as he saw her. If he killed her father here, how would she look at him? The fleeting dilemma grabbed hold of him.

“D*mn…….”

Karl cursed roughly, scratched his head, and readjusted his grip on his sword.