“Soon.”

“You’ve been saying that for the last thirty days.”

‘I’m tired of playing messenger.’

Verdian grumbled, his face full of irritation. If the Marquisate weren’t colluding with the Imperial Family to retain control of the long-running black market, he wouldn’t have accepted such a bothersome role.

Lian glanced at Verdian briefly before returning his attention to wiping the sweat from Hailla’s forehead. He carefully avoided the long, thin scar on her soft skin. She let out a quiet moan as his fingers moved gently over her skin. She was so beautiful that even Verdian’s nagging barely registered. There was no way Lian could walk away from this — not now.

“So beautiful.”

He looked down at Hailla, entranced, resting his chin on the edge of the bed. Verdian clicked his tongue in exasperation. That expression would surely stay on his face until the girl finally woke up.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you? Within two years of coming of age?”

“Of course not.”

“…”

“You’re old enough now to kill Tassen and take his place as the next duke.”

Lian replied coolly, continuing to toy with Hailla’s hand. The tone he used when referring to his father was frigid. Verdian only scoffed, muttering that at least Lian hadn’t forgotten the deal with the Emperor.

The ducal house was a rival to the imperial family in terms of power. Maintaining control of the temple, which held a monopoly on medicine and prophecy, was challenging enough. However, House Huriet also had a formidable private army in the north that was larger and more proficient than the imperial guards.

“I’ve said it again and again since you started staying at that woman’s house: Tassen already knows where you’re living. His Majesty is only being patient because he believes you when you say that Tassen won’t act just yet. But…”

“Enough. I know His Majesty’s patience is wearing thin, as is yours.”

Lian cut him off, worried that Verdian’s rising voice might wake Hailla.

“Tell him not to worry. I’m eager to cut off my father’s head and serve it up on a silver platter. Though, of course, I’ll have to hand it over to His Majesty first.”

The current Duke Huriet was notorious for abducting the Emperor’s younger sister and forcing her to marry him. The emperor hated him with a passion. Therefore, it came as a surprise to many that he showed so much affection towards Lian, the duke’s son, despite ordering him to deliver the duke’s head.

“I just want to go back home with Hailla already.”

He really doesn’t seem to care. Lian showed no trace of guilt over committing patricide. In fact, he already saw himself as the rightful master of House Huriet, having mentally installed Hailla as his duchess.

Seeing no point in continuing the conversation, Verdian stood up and walked briskly towards the door. He was beyond bored — he was exhausted.

“Don’t let anyone into this room tonight.”

“Sure.”

‘Ugh!‘

It was painfully obvious what Lian was planning to do: take advantage of a vulnerable, feverish woman. This irritated Verdian. While he had been running back and forth between the palace and the temple on Lian’s behalf, he hadn’t had a moment to himself. And now Lian was having all the fun.

He thought he would spend the night rolling around with some temple priestesses. Verdian believed he was more than entitled to indulge himself.

The women who served the gods were deliciously sweet. They writhed under the weight of guilt and cried out like beasts. This made them all the more enjoyable. They would probably be far more satisfying than Hailla.

“Oh, and I’ll visit the palace in ten days’ time. Until then, I’ll be sending letters.”

The announcement came as a shock. Lian’s declaration meant one thing: he intended to continue using Verdian as a messenger for a few more weeks.

‘He should just die with her.’

Cursing under his breath, Verdian grabbed the doorknob. He reminded himself to be careful not to strangle whichever priestess he would be sleeping with that night. He left the room with a bitter sigh.

—

Everything was pitch black. She couldn’t move a muscle, but she could feel something alive creeping from her heel to her waist. Something wet kept brushing her neck and breastt, licking her.

It moved between her legs, where no other hand had ever been before, spreading her open and teasing her.

Hailla jolted awake, her body trembling. The only thing she could see was the clean ceiling above her. The only things she could clearly feel were her ragged breathing and the strands of sweat-soaked hair clinging to her skin.

“Hailla.”

“Lian.”

She blinked and stared blankly, trying to piece together what had happened. After Rethe pushed her, she had felt a warm sensation trickle down her head. She tried to follow the memory, groping along a wall at the end of a dead-end path, but nothing else came to her. That must have been when she lost consciousness.

“What about my sister?”

Her voice was calm, almost serene. Lian looked slightly disappointed. He looked resentful, realising that even after everything, she was still thinking of her sister first.

“I sent someone to take care of her.”

“… Okay.”

“You were unconscious for three whole days.”

“I see.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. Lian knelt beside her bed, carefully unfolding his hand and pressing his cheek against her palm. It was the desperate gesture of a man worried for his loved one. He kissed the centre of her palm deeply before lifting his head.

“Can you really keep living with Rethe?”

He asked the question hesitantly, as if struggling to get it out — his performance was convincing. If Rethe had been there, she might have clapped mockingly and smiled bitterly. But Hailla simply looked at him and offered a gentle smile.

“It was just an accident.”

“Hailla.”

“I’m going to keep living with her. No matter what happens, that won’t change.”

“All right. Let’s get you something to eat first.”

Adopting a brisk tone, he rang a small bell. Temple attendants entered through the door and bowed deeply. Hailla’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Prepare something soft.”

He ordered in a practised and noble tone. The neatly arranged food was brought in and placed on a tray beside the bed. He cooled it down himself before offering it to her. The rich scent of warm porridge reached her nose.

Hailla glanced between the swiftly prepared food and the attendants, then asked,

“Where are we?”

“A colleague’s house. He’s wealthy and helped get you medicine.”

“Is he a noble, by any chance?”

The room was spacious and cosy at first glance. While she couldn’t imagine Lian being involved with nobility, for someone like Hailla, who had never experienced luxury, that was the only plausible explanation.

“No. Just a merchant.”

“Ah…”

She didn’t press further. While it was surprising that he had such a connection, there were commoners who were wealthier than nobles in the Empire, where trade was booming thanks to heavy government investment. She just hadn’t known any personally.

Hailla stared blankly at the steaming food, then reluctantly accepted a spoonful from him. She held it in her mouth for a long time, until there was nothing left to chew. Swallowing felt like it would make her vomit. Unpleased by her sluggishness, Lian gently rubbed her back.

“You need to eat to get better. It’ll help the wounds heal, too.”

His hand wiped the corners of her mouth, and their gazes met, both full of tenderness.

“Okay.”

This kind of gentleness always felt nice. The way Lian cherished her made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. His eyes held such intense affection that it melted her from the tips of her toes. It was a love that her parents had never given her, and one that her sister no longer showed her. It was like walking on clouds in a dream. Even when she slept, she felt as though she had stayed close to Lian the whole time.

But, by their very nature, illusions are like mirages — impossible to grasp. Hailla realised this the moment she awoke from her long dream: she could no longer lose herself in comfort.

It was time to return to reality.

Hailla thought of Rethe and the last time she had seen her.

“You weren’t going to come back. You were fed up with me and fed up with watching me rot and die in disgrace…”

Hailla had never seen Rethe look so desperate. She had never seen her sister so distraught and consumed by agony. Rethe had once endured all suffering with cold, stoic grace. She had once been noble — the idol Hailla had wanted to become.

What had she done—or rather, what hadn’t she done—while her sister unravelled to the point of picking up a knife?

“Ugh…”

Hailla suddenly vomited everything she had eaten onto the blanket without realising it. Lian, unshaken, gently patted her back and called for a maid. Hailla was the only one trembling, overwhelmed by emotion.

“It’s okay. That can happen when you eat after not eating for a long time.”

“You got scared, didn’t you?’

He whispered softly, his voice still kind. Being cared for so tenderly, like a child wrapped in a blanket, brought a warm, drowsy peace. She wanted to close her eyes and sink below the surface. Her earlier dark thoughts began to fade.

Hailla had no choice but to admit it now.

“I like you.”

The confession came out of nowhere. Lian froze for a moment, then kissed her softly on the cheek.

“I do too.”

She smiled faintly. But somehow, that only made her feel worse. She felt sorry for Lian — a man sharing his love with someone as empty as her. Tears began to fall again, quietly and steadily.

“Why are you crying?”

For once, Lian was flustered. He had remained calm when she vomited, but now he was unsure how to handle her emotions. As he tried to wipe her tears away, his hand was awkward.

“Lian…”

“Yeah?”

“It’s my fault.”

He said nothing, only furrowing his brow slightly.

“I knew my sister was unstable, but I liked you. I wanted to keep you close. Even when I saw Rethe’s condition getting worse, I held on.”

‘I knew that my sister was going crazy.’

Hailla bit her lower lip, sobbing softly. She wanted to cover her mouth to hide it, but she forced herself not to. It was time to confess everything.