“Break off the engagement. I’ll handle things well with the Duke. What can even a Duke do when you say you want me?”

Moreover, she couldn’t understand what thought process led to such a conclusion.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

As the Prince stepped forward abruptly, Saena startled and stepped back. The lantern she held swayed, causing light and shadows to dance wildly between them.

“Forgive my impudence, but I don’t want the position of Empress.”

“…What?”

The Prince suddenly stopped.

With the lantern barely illuminating their feet, the Prince’s upper body was swallowed by darkness, making him look like a monster targeting her with only his lower half visible.

“What woman wouldn’t want to be Empress? Don’t say such nonsense.”

She had no desire for the position of Empress, unable to even leave the palace freely. What was there to envy?

“…I don’t understand why you’re suddenly acting like this, but I really don’t want to be Empress.”

“Ah, why are you playing hard to get… Aha! You must want something else. What is it? Tell me. I’ll grant whatever I can.”

“……”

This felt like talking to a wall.

“Your Highness has Hebeta.”

Even the Prince couldn’t guarantee the position of Empress.

Hoping he would realize his position again, Saena spoke.

“Hmph. You mean that incompetent daughter from the Barnes family? I broke off the engagement already.”

Broke it off? She thought it might happen soon but it’s already done?

Ah, perhaps the incident in the sky garden was discovered? But why hasn’t there been any announcement or news? Is the Prince really aware of it?

Saena waited to see if more details would come from his mouth, but what followed wasn’t about Lady Barnes.

“In my eyes, you’re the perfect Hebeta candidate. I’ll give you the glorious opportunity to serve the Empire.”

“……”

No, who even wants that…

She didn’t understand why the Prince considered her suitable for Hebeta, but she thought of herself as an ordinary person. She neither wanted such a glorious opportunity nor had anything she wished to achieve through it.

Decisively, she didn’t find it glorious at all.

“You’ll come with me now. No need to go further. I’ll handle Duke Kramer myself.”

“N-no!”

Startled by the Prince’s sudden approach, Saena shouted without thinking.

“What? No?”

The Prince asked back as if he couldn’t understand.

“I-I’m already promised to marry! I can’t become either Empress or Hebeta!”

“You’re not married yet, are you?”

“I will be. And I want to be. I want to marry the Duke. That’s what I want.”

“What’s the problem here? I told you to say what you want, right? Territory? Gold mines? Say anything.”

Despite just explicitly stating what she wanted, the Prince pressed her to say what she wanted.

“I want Duke Kramer.”

“……”

The Prince silently stared at Saena for a moment.

In the flickering lantern light, she could see his lips twisting in the barely visible lower part of his face.

Saena felt her heart shrinking.

“…Well. Women are strange. Generally, what they say they want and what they actually want are different.”

No, what I want is not you but Constantine! How many times do I have to say it! You stone wall!

Saena felt both fear and a frustrating suffocation simultaneously.

“Fortunately, I’m quite generous. I’m prepared to talk slowly until you tell me what you ‘really’ want.”

At his wall-like demeanor that deflected everything she said, Saena let out a small sigh.

“I’ll be going to the Duke now. I’ll pretend this meeting with Your Highness never happened.”

What use was there in continuing a conversation with someone who had no intention of listening?

She gave a light bow and moved to continue on her way.

Having to pass by the Prince’s side was concerning, but she felt urgent about missing the sunrise if she delayed any longer.

“But you shouldn’t test my patience too much.”

However, the Prince approached sharply and grabbed Saena’s wrist forcefully.

“Ah!”

Her wrist stung from his grip that showed no restraint. The lantern she was holding fell to the ground and shattered with a crash.

As darkness descended with the loss of the only light source, the black bird that had been in Saena’s arms slipped out and flew away with a flutter.

“…What was that just now?”

“Please, let go. It hurts.”

“I asked what that just was!”

“Ugh, it hurts!”

Saena truly began to feel scared.

Despite the darkness, she could clearly see the Prince’s eyes glinting, making her shiver.

“Come here!”

“No! Why are you doing thi– kyaa– mmph!”

When Saena started to scream as he tried to drag her forcefully, the Prince covered her mouth.

“Your contractor commands you! Appear, Dios!”

“Mmph!”

A bluish form began to appear before the Prince. He seemed to have summoned a Guardian Spirit.

Guardian Spirit? Why does the Prince have a Guardian Spirit? If he has one, why couldn’t he become Crown Prince?

Even in this urgent situation, such questions flashed through her mind.

But when the Prince mounted the Guardian Spirit while holding her tightly, Saena began to panic.

She absolutely couldn’t let herself be taken like this!

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Though she twisted her body with all her might to resist, there was no way she could overcome a man’s strength.

“Let’s go!”

As she felt them begin to move, Saena screamed internally.

‘No!’

The Guardian Spirit’s leap began to gain momentum.

“Faster–!”

Tears welled up in Saena’s eyes at the feeling of having her will forcibly bound. Her heart felt like it was burning black.

If only she could scream loudly…

He might have heard her…

She never thought the Prince would be this unreasonable and barbaric.

The thought that she might have to repeat another hopeless marriage made her nape tingle with dread.

Perhaps due to these extreme emotions, her vision suddenly seemed to turn black.

‘Please…’

A chill like despair crept around them. It felt as if the surrounding temperature had dropped several degrees. Just as she vaguely felt something strange about this being more than psychological coldness, the Prince suddenly screamed.

“…Aaargh!”

Then she felt her body being thrown into the air. The Prince’s Guardian Spirit had suddenly disappeared.

“……!”

As Saena tightly closed her eyes at the floating sensation, she felt someone firmly embrace her.

A familiar scent wafted over her.

“…Hah, Saya.”

When she heard the familiar voice, tears of relief burst from Saena. Deep inside… she must have been waiting for him.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Cons, Constantine.”

Saena raised her trembling hands and hugged him back tightly. With a shallow breath, he embraced her even more firmly.

In his solid embrace, Saena could finally feel relief.

“…Duke! How dare you!”

The Prince, who had been rolling ungracefully on the ground, showed his anger as he got up.

“Well…”

Constantine approached the Prince slowly, emanating a deeply settled killing intent.

“Shall we hear what made you think you could intimidate my fiancée?”

Constantine stared at the Prince with an expression beyond emotionless, radiating coldness.

Beside him, Morev’s massive form approached the Prince with its mane rippling threateningly. Since Guardian Spirits follow their Oathkeeper’s commands, this sinister approach was surely Constantine’s will.

Moreover, with Caligo approaching alongside at Morev’s feet, it would feel like darkness itself was approaching with each step Morev took.

Like an inescapable swamp of darkness creeping up from beneath one’s feet.

The Prince gulped.

“D-Duke! This is… killing intent! Do you d-dare to kill me?!”

“……”

Constantine simply tilted his head slightly to one side without answering. As if to say ‘So what?’

“I-I am the Prince of this Empire! The future Emperor!”

“Such… poor grasp of the situation.”

Regardless of what the Prince shouted, Constantine’s attitude remained unchanged. He looked down at him with a gaze that was not just cold but mechanical, without the slightest movement.

Given the obvious difference in both size and strength, the Prince trembled like a rabbit before a lion in front of Constantine.

A grinding sound came from between his clenched teeth.

“Prince Gillian.”

“I-I won’t forget this insolence–! Aaaagh!!”

Saena could only understand the situation through sound as she kept her face buried in his embrace.

“…Ugh …Aagh!”

When she heard the Prince’s ominous screams, she tried to turn around, but Constantine wouldn’t allow it. He held Saena tightly, as if caging her body, while seemingly taking some action using his Guardian Spirit’s power.

“……”

“……”

The surroundings suddenly grew quiet.

‘What… exactly happened?’

Even though he was an Oathkeeper and a Duke, was this really acceptable? She suddenly felt worried.

As she slowly raised her head, Constantine slightly loosened his grip on her. Though he hadn’t completely released her from his embrace, she could turn her upper body to look around.

The Prince had vanished without a trace.

“…What about His Highness?”

“I sent him back to the palace.”

“He was… alive when he went, right?”

Constantine paused for a moment before giving her a subtle smile.

“What a thing to say. How could I possibly do anything to him? He is His Highness the Prince.”

“……”

But why those screams…

The Prince’s cries seemed less like shouts of frustration at being forcibly sent away, and more like… screams of pure terror.

“Oh my, we might miss the sunrise at this rate.”

“Ah…”

She could see a faint curtain of light beginning to drape across the sky.

They might miss the sunrise again at this rate. Unlike her past life, she had hoped to watch the sunrise together this time, so even though she thought his change of subject was a bit strange, she decided not to press the matter.

“Let’s hurry and watch it.”

“May I hold you for a moment?”

“…Pardon?”

Saena’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden unexpected request.

“H-here? Why…”

“We’ll be late if we walk up.”

“…Oh, y-yes, of course!”

Saena hastily replied, misunderstanding his expression of ‘holding.’ Her face felt hot. It must have turned red.

‘Thank goodness it’s dark.’

Though this level of darkness was actually no hindrance to Constantine, Saena had no idea how good his eyesight was, so she thought this way.

Constantine smiled long at her face, but it wasn’t the time to tease. He lifted her up while calling out.

“Morev.”

As soon as he commanded, Morev appeared smoothly, and Constantine leaped onto him while holding her waist more tightly.