Chapter 3 (Part 10)

As soon as Demian stepped out of the room, his face turned cold, and he walked away with a tightly closed mouth.

“I really want to kill him, that Duke Luman. Sending her to the Mage Tower right after breaking off the engagement?”

His eyes started to twist with murderous intent.

After leaving the Ducal residence, Demian went straight to see Luruna.

“Mother.”

“You’re here, Demian?”

“He didn’t say anything till the end, so I just gave him the invitation.”

“I see… Well done.”

Luruna gestured for the maids to leave and then had Demian sit down.

“Is it certain that Lady Meia went to the Mage Tower?”

Demian handed over a newspaper and magazines he was holding.

“This is?”

“It’s a newspaper written by Ashilom. Pirates attacked the cruise ship heading to Teillon, and it seems Lady Meia saved the people.”

“Teillon, you say.”

At Luruna’s words, Demian nodded with a smile.

“There’s a Mage Tower in Teillon.”

“So it’s certain she went to the Mage Tower.”

“I’m thinking of going to the Mage Tower myself.”

“She’ll be back soon anyway, why go to the Mage Tower?”

“Marquis Ferzen’s eldest son, Marcus, who is known for being a playboy, has decided to support and seduce Lady Meia. It’s not just Marquis Ferzen’s family. Baron Herrion, Viscount Bernard, and Earl Mason. Countless handsome young men are waiting for Lady Meia’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Even though the Second Prince has declared his intentions, no one listens.”

“It seems that since the Duke’s family hasn’t taken the initiative in Lady Meia’s marriage, everyone is acting like this. Even Earl Emerson offered five diamond mines as dowry, but the Hatzbellua family refused.”

“That greedy Duke Hatzbellua isn’t selling his niece at a high price?”

“This doesn’t make sense, Mother.”

“But thanks to that, Lady Meia hasn’t been sold off in a political marriage.”

“But she could be sold to another empire. That’s why I’ll go to the Mage Tower quickly and bring her back.”

Luruna smiled, clearly pleased.

“You’re confident, aren’t you, Demian?”

“We’ll have to talk, but she won’t refuse.”

“If Lady Meia becomes your princess, the dynamics will change. It’ll be quite a sight to see the Empress and the Crown Prince’s faces, hoho.”

Luruna laughed cheerfully.

Everything had been progressing smoothly since the death of the former Duke and Duchess Hatzbellua.

If only Meia came as his princess, Demian’s position would be solidified.

No, it wouldn’t just be solidified. It was certain he would be the next emperor.

Luruna shared her thoughts with Demian.

She suggested taking revenge on the Crown Prince and Duke Luman through Meia. If she, who was abandoned during difficult and lonely times, joined hands with them, it might work.

Listening to Luruna, Demian thought that Meia Hatzbellua was no ordinary woman.

From birth, she was meticulously groomed and raised to become an Empress.

She was also exceptionally intelligent. Her eloquence made her a reigning flower in social circles.

No one opposed Meia, and everyone admired and followed her words.

Even those of lower status respected and followed her.

“Honestly, it’s a bit strange.”

“What is?”

“It bothers me that she, who lived her whole life to become Empress, easily gave up her position as the fiancée.”

If it were her, she would have done anything to keep her position.

But she stepped down from her position as fiancée too easily.

Demian assumed that Meia, feeling abandoned by the Crown Prince she trusted, gave up her position out of wounded pride.

“Mother, you also found it strange, but even a proud woman like Lady Meia would be hurt and lose her pride if abandoned. And it hasn’t been long since her parents passed away… Maybe she didn’t want to stay in the Carpen Empire. I think she boarded the cruise ship to spend time looking at the sea.”

Demian closed his eyes and thought of Lady Meia.

“I want to put her in my cage quickly.”

“Demian…”

“She is my woman. It was decided from the beginning. If that damned brother hadn’t taken her as his fiancée, I wouldn’t have gone this far.”

“Excessive obsession drives women away. You need to be more relaxed at times like this.”

“I know. I’m restraining myself because I know how long I’ve waited for this moment. I’ll prepare to leave for the Mage Tower.”

Demian was thrilled to the point of shivering at the thought of bringing Meia into his arms.

*   *   *

Meia, who had arrived at the Mage Tower, could meet Puring immediately, but Theodore and Aethon had to wait in the first-floor reception room as their meeting with Puring was not immediate.

“Grand Duke Theodore, please wait here.”

“Yes, Lady Meia. I’ll wait for you.”

Theodore smiled brightly, looking only at Meia.

“I’ll wait here quietly… When you return.”

“Should I praise you for waiting well?”

At those words, Theodore blushed to his ears.

Finding his reaction cute, Meia turned once to smile at Theodore as she headed to meet Puring. He widened his eyes to capture her image.

To him, her careful ascent up the stairs looked like a flower in bloom.

Theodore blinked his large eyes and called Aethon.

“Aethon.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“She looks like a lily of the valley climbing the stairs.”

“Lady Meia is a person, not a flower.”

“Why does she look so much like a flower and a fairy to me?”

Theodore’s eyes sparkled as he continued to gaze at Meia’s back.

“Grand Duke Theodore, please don’t look at my lady with such eyes.”

Juan, who appeared out of nowhere, glared at Theodore with a wary look and pulled out a dagger.

At that moment.

-Beep!

-You must not fight here. Please put away the knife. If you do not put away the knife, you will be expelled from the Mage Tower.

Startled by the Mage Tower’s voice, Juan hesitated before putting the dagger back in his pocket and sitting next to Aethon, munching on the snacks in front of him while continuing to glare at Theodore.

Meia recounted the events that had happened during the short or long period to Puring.

“I’m glad I listened to your advice, Master.”

Listening to the story, Puring chuckled. Then he handed over the letters that had been specially delivered to Meia at the Mage Tower.

“I burned all the love letters and marriage proposals, keeping only the personal letters. The gifts were returned.”

“Thank you, Master.”

The letters Puring handed over were from Olivia, as well as from familiar young ladies and noblewomen.

A smile spread across her face as soon as she saw them. Upon reading them, she found the contents were quite similar.

They started with expressions of concern and detailed the current happenings in the social circles.

Reading about how young men were grooming themselves to win her favor made Meia burst into laughter.

The free marriage contract stated that she would not marry any man from the Carpen Empire for five years.

“Do you know what prolongs human suffering, Master?”

Puring thought for a moment at Meia’s question.

“There are many kinds of suffering.”

“I believe the most torturous form of suffering for humans is ‘hope.’”

“Did you give them hope before you came here?”

“No, I did not. But they strive to torture themselves with hope, and that is quite amusing.”

For five years, she could not marry any man from the Carpen Empire. That’s what was written in the free marriage contract.

Meia laughed at the thought of people trying to seduce her, driven by hope born out of ignorance.

Tilting her head to the left and smiling enchantingly, Meia spoke.

“There are many who wish to pluck the beautiful flower of the social circles, Master.”

Puring laughed heartily at Meia’s words.

“Hmph! My lady, if anyone tries to pluck you, I’ll break their wrist. I hope you meet someone kind-hearted who knows how to transplant a flower into a beautiful pot.”

Puring clicked his tongue as he skimmed through the letters Meia had finished reading.

After setting down her teacup, Meia continued discussing the letters.

It was because of a letter from the painter, Quinny, who was at the Ducal residence.

The letter mentioned that Demian had visited Luman recently and warned her to be cautious as he might come to the Mage Tower.

The thought of something unpleasant happening made Meia’s brow furrow.

“The Second Prince is coming to the Mage Tower.”

“Prince Demian von Mavro is coming?”

“I don’t want to see him.”

Since she left, Demian had been telling people that he would make Meia his crown princess.

Unlike Patzraelli, he did not disregard social circles. He was smart and strategic.

Meia, who had known him since childhood, knew he had a cruel nature.

Seeing Meia’s serious expression, Puring asked cautiously.

“What can I do to help?”

Meia picked up her teacup again and inhaled the aroma.

“There is something you can help me with.”

She needed to avoid meeting Demian as much as possible.

“But Lady Meia, are you certain that Prince Demian will come?”

Meia responded firmly to Puring’s question.

“He will come. He has always been greedy for me.”

To Meia, Prince Demian was ambitious and greedy.

And he didn’t hide it.

<Even when my brother became the Crown Prince, I was envious, but I was more envious that you became his fiancée, Lady Meia.>

<There are many young ladies better than me, Your Highness.>

<Ah… but no one else has your beautiful silver hair and blue eyes. I fell for you at first sight… My brother took you away. No, perhaps it’s because I’m not the Crown Prince?>

Meia kept her distance from Prince Demian due to the possessiveness she always felt when he looked at her.

<My brother is busy; may I request the first dance?>

<You are beautiful, Lady Meia.>

Prince Demian always openly tried to seduce her and showed his ambition for the Crown Prince’s position without hesitation. He had been like that since childhood, always demanding to be the center of attention and throwing tantrums.

As a member of the royal family, Demian often crossed paths with her. Each time, he seemed to change a little. Though he smiled, his eyes did not. The murderous intent and possessiveness emanating from his smiling eyes always sent chills down Meia’s spine.