Juliana’s submissive demeanor suddenly changed. She gripped the branch tighter and charged at Ryuel with a shout.

“Die!!”

The branch was aimed precisely at Ryuel’s heart. Despite being just a branch, its tip was very sharp and thick enough that it seemed capable of easily piercing skin.

Thud.

At the chilling sound, Lesia tightly shut her eyes. After a moment of silence, someone’s painful groan emerged.

“Ugh.”

“This is why one should never give commoners an opportunity.”

The one who groaned and collapsed was the woman. Instead of Ryuel, a dagger was lodged in Juliana’s heart. The moment Juliana had charged, Ryuel had pulled out a dagger from his clothes and stabbed her in the chest first. 

“M-mom?”

“Le…sia… run… away.”

Juliana desperately reached toward Lesia, her lips trembling. Seeing her mother dying and coughing blood, Lesia froze like a statue.

“Tsk, filthy blood…”

Brushing off Juliana’s blood from his white robe with disgust, Ryuel stepped over her and approached Lesia. As the man’s body blocked her view of Juliana, Lesia remained frozen.

“A commoner with white hair. Young Master Cesar certainly has unusual tastes.”

After this muttered comment, he extended his hand. Following his arm, Lesia stiffly raised her head.

With blood splattered on his cheek, Ryuel smiled broadly and said, “By Young Master Cesar’s order, I’ll be taking you with me, Miss Lesia.”

“N-no. Mom. Mom…”

Refusing his hand, Lesia tried to move toward Juliana, who was hidden behind Ryuel. Clicking his tongue, Ryuel’s expression quickly changed as he looked down at Lesia with cold eyes.

“This is why children are…”

Thwack!

Suddenly, a strong impact hit the back of her neck. Her body tilted forward and her consciousness became hazy.

Even as Ryuel’s arms caught and lifted her, Lesia’s gaze remained fixed on her dying mother.

‘Mom.’

That’s where Lesia’s memory ended.

* * *

Despite regaining consciousness, Lesia groaned for a while from the impact to her neck before suddenly remembering Juliana and bolting upright.

“Mom?!”

But waiting for the awakened Lesia was not her mother, but a room so vast and antique that it was difficult to take in at a glance. The bed Lesia was lying on was wide and soft enough to comfortably fit five adults.

Everything was dreamlike, magnificent and excessive, but Lesia was in no state to be impressed or captivated by such things. She frantically jumped off the bed and immediately pulled at the massive wooden door.

Creak.

“…?”

However, because someone was opening the door from outside at the same moment Lesia pulled it, she momentarily lost her balance and nearly fell onto the carpet. No, she almost fell.

“…! Are you okay?”

If the person entering hadn’t quickly grabbed Lesia’s arm, she would certainly have fallen ungracefully. Lesia looked up at the person who caught her.

Ruby. They were ruby.

“We meet again…”

The beautiful boy she had met on the night of the banquet was looking at Lesia with a shy smile. She stared at him blankly before finally parting her lips.

“Are you Cesar?”

“…?!”

When Lesia suddenly spoke his name, Cesar’s eyes widened like saucers. That was answer enough.

“So you’re Cesar.”

The man’s voice flashed through her mind.

-By Young Master Cesar’s order, I’ll be taking you with me, Miss Lesia.

Then everything fell into place. That day, by the lake, the Grand Duke had clearly said she came looking for her son. The man in white said the next Velius Grand Duke had chosen her as his companion.

“Cesar Velius…”

“Lesia…”

Just as Cesar was about to check Lesia’s concerning expression, she abruptly raised her head. She lifted her hand high and slapped Cesar’s cheek with all her might.

Smack!

The sound of flesh striking flesh rang out sharply. Cesar’s head turned so forcefully it seemed it might break, and Lesia raised her hand once more.

“My.”

But someone who had appeared silently grabbed Lesia’s arm, preventing her from striking again. A seductive voice spread through the air.

“What bad manners this child has.”

“…Grand Duke, you killed them.”

Lesia glared at Teresa with wide eyes, grinding her teeth with murderous intent.

“Setting fire to the village, killing the villagers, ordering my mother’s death. It was you.”

“Well, you’re quite perceptive.”

This direct confirmation surprised Cesar more than anyone.

“What… did you say? Mother, what does this mean?”

Teresa replied dismissively.

“Why are you so surprised? It was you, Cesar, who wanted this girl. I merely granted my son’s wish.”

“B-but what I wanted was…”

He had only wanted to meet Lesia once more. He wanted to call her name and hear her name. He could state with certainty that he never intended to burn down Lesia’s village and k*ll her family…

But soon Cesar realized that all of this was meaningless. To Lesia, saying “I didn’t know” would be nothing but a cowardly excuse.

“I’ll curse you.”

Still with her arm held by Teresa, Lesia muttered darkly. Startled by her voice, Cesar looked at Lesia. With reddened eyes, she glared at Cesar and Teresa, speaking through clenched teeth.

“I’ll curse you forever. I’ll have my revenge…”

“Bad manners and bad language.”

“Mother!”

When Teresa showed her displeasure, Cesar hurriedly intervened. He blocked Lesia’s view and looked at her pleadingly.

Teresa, watching her son quietly, released Lesia’s arm and stepped back, saying, “She’s your companion, so handle her well.”

Click.

When the door closed, only the two of them remained, but Lesia kept her head down, not giving Cesar even a glance. Eventually, Cesar approached Lesia, knelt down right there, and with his head lowered, began dropping tears.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

But his apology did not reach Lesia. Cesar now fully realized what tragedy his first and last selfish desire had caused.

From then on, Cesar apologized for a long time, but Lesia never once acknowledged him.

* * *

She didn’t know when she had lost consciousness again. Lesia blinked, looking up at the ceiling.

‘I hoped it was a dream…’

No matter how many times she closed and opened her eyes, the ornate chandelier didn’t disappear.

“Sob…”

Resentment welled up again, but now even tears wouldn’t come. She felt like all the moisture in her body had dried up.

‘How can I live without Mom…’

She had nowhere to return to, no one to take her in anymore.

‘I…’

That’s when it happened.

Knock knock.

With the knocking sound, the door opened. That door was structured so it couldn’t be opened from inside. Since it could only be opened from outside, Lesia felt like she was in a prison cell.

She sensed someone entering but didn’t bother to look. However, the moment she heard the voice, Lesia bolted upright.

“My. If you’re planning to starve yourself to death, you should reconsider. Miss Lesia’s life is no longer her own.”

“You…!”

Snow-white robe and green hair. The young man with deep green eyes smiled at Lesia.

The moment she saw his face, the scene of her mother dying flashed through her mind. As the color drained from Lesia’s face, the man clicked his tongue and approached, trying to place his hand on her forehead.

“D-don’t touch me!”

Smack.

Lesia fiercely resisted, slapping away the man’s hand. Immediately, her face turned pale.

She was certain the angered man would k*ll her like he did her mother. But the man withdrew his hand without showing any displeasure and instead placed the clear soup he had brought next to Lesia.

Lesia glanced at it from the corner of her eye.

“Don’t worry. I, or rather, no one in this mansion can harm you.”

“…Why me of all people?”

Seeing that the man showed no signs of harming her, Lesia gathered courage to ask. She couldn’t understand this situation at all.

She understood that all this happened because Cesar wanted her. But why? Why her? She was just a worthless commoner.

“That’s because Young Master Cesar, well, it’s cliché, but because he loves you, Miss Lesia.”

“…What?”

Lesia looked directly at Ryuel, dumbfounded. Cesar loves her?

That was the most absurd thing she’d heard. Why would the perfect Cesar Velius love someone like her?

And even if he truly did love her, why would he commit such horrible acts? Seeing Lesia’s completely unconvinced expression, Ryuel made a rare troubled face.

“Explaining further would be overstepping my bounds, but…”

Ryuel looked down at Lesia with an inscrutable gaze and muttered.

“Since I am human after all, I’m not completely without guilt for killing a parent in front of their child…”

Despite his words, there was not a trace of guilt visible in Ryuel’s eyes. Rather, he seemed to be enjoying himself.