At the man’s commanding words, the group blocking the path scowled. One of them drew a dagger from his cloak.

“Sorry, mister, but…”

The man did not finish.

The man shielding Valetta moved quickly, disarming him and throwing the weapon far away. It happened so fast that even Valetta, who had been watching the whole time, was stunned and confused at how quickly it had all happened.

“Aaagh! Ahhh!”

The man whose arm had been twisted screamed, begging to be released. The rest of the thugs, angry, drew their own weapons.

“W-Watch out!”

Valetta shouted as she saw the blades flash in the sunlight. The man clucked his tongue for a moment and turned to face the attackers coming towards him.

Even to Valetta, who didn’t know much about combat, it was clear that this man’s skills were anything but ordinary. While holding the first attacker with one hand, he fought off the others – and despite his solid, muscular build, his movements were nothing short of graceful.

Having subdued the gang with his bare hands, he offered some advice to the man still screaming beneath him.

“Don’t go around drawing weapons so carelessly. With skills like yours, you’ll only get a surcharge for insolence.”

With that, he pushed the subdued man aside and turned back towards Valetta. At that moment, the wind blew, ruffling the dark hair that had been swept neatly back from his forehead.

Valetta’s gaze was fixed on his face, now fully illuminated by the sunlight. His broad forehead, thick eyebrows and sharply defined nose made for strikingly handsome features.

Though his expression was stern and his eyes cold, he was undeniably attractive. Not brutal, not overly delicate – just the right balance of rugged masculinity and refined beauty.

Then, just as Valetta stood there, her hair tie – barely hanging on – was swept away by the wind.

“No, wait…!”

She tried to pull it back, but her hands were full with her shopping basket. The tie was blown away, and her once-bound hair unraveled, blowing wildly in the wind. Her golden blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight.

As she fidgeted in embarrassment, unsure what to do, a hand suddenly appeared in front of her, holding the hair tie she thought she’d lost.

“Huh?”

It was the man who had saved her. Valetta looked back and forth between him and the hair tie in surprise. With a slight nod, he motioned for her to take it.

Blushing, she accepted it and quickly put down her basket to tie up her windswept hair.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind them and a new voice called out.

“Hey, Leonard! I heard which way you went. Let’s go!”

Valetta muttered the name of the man who had saved her.

Leonard…

Leonard turned to the approaching companion and asked.

“Yeah? How much further?”

“Another twenty minutes from here. Seriously, what kind of man chooses to live so far out? Anyway, what are you doing over there?”

Just as Valetta finished tying up her hair, another man approached. Like Leonard and Friedrich, this man was tall and broad-shouldered, with an imposing presence.

“Oh? This young lady is…”

“Daniel. It’s not like that. I was just asking for directions.”

“Right. Of course not.”

Daniel’s eyes lingered on Valetta.

Realising he was staring at her face, Valetta lowered her head shyly. Leonard gestured to Daniel.

“Let’s go then.”

With a curt nod, Leonard told her to take care and turned to discuss the route with Daniel.

As Valetta picked up her basket, she jumped at the words she had overheard in their conversation.

“Number 30 Mannheim Street is quite a way from here. They say it’s near that hill over there.”

Number 30 Mannheim Street was where she lived.

Valetta looked at Leonard. He was listening intently to Daniel, his expression serious. A faint blush coloured Valetta’s cheeks. After taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and said.

“Um… if you’re going to 30 Mannheim Street, I could show you the way.”

Daniel’s face lit up at her words. Valetta, embarrassed for reasons she couldn’t quite explain, added awkwardly.

“My house is in that area. So… I’m going that way anyway…”

Their eyes met in the air. Leonard’s gaze, shining like burnished gold in the sunlight, held hers. Valetta found herself staring, entranced by the shimmering colour of his eyes. Her heart began to beat helplessly.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound of her heartbeat drowned out Daniel’s words of gratitude. All she could focus on were those golden eyes, soaking up every detail.

Perhaps that pounding heart was a warning of what was to come – a signal to the future.

A warning from her instincts to beware of Leonard Carnies.

And yet she found myself drawn to him…

How pathetic.

***

After spending the night with barely a wink of sleep, Valetta finally emerged from her thoughts of the past and opened her eyes. Her head and eyes throbbed painfully – probably from all the crying she had done the day before.

Gently turning her head, she saw Leonard asleep beside the bed. He hadn’t even changed position – he was still in the same position he had dozed off in the night before.

‘He’s definitely asleep… right?’

Carefully, Valetta stood up and tested the doorknob. Fortunately, it was unlocked. Someone must have unlocked it earlier in preparation for Leonard leaving her room in the morning.

Wearing the same dress as the day before – with the buttons he had undone now properly fastened – Valetta slipped out of the room. She hurried across the estate. It was still dawn and there were no guards or servants to stop her.

Without looking back, Valetta hailed a carriage. The coachman, preparing to end his shift, eyed her suspiciously – especially as she was still wearing a torn wedding dress.

“I’ll pay you triple the fare. Just take me to the courthouse. Please, as soon as you can.”

At the mention of triple pay, the coachman’s eyes lit up. He snapped the reins and the horses lurched forward. Valetta watched anxiously from the window, her heart pounding as if someone might come after her at any moment.

Her fingertips grew cold with the tension. She looked out through the rattling carriage as the sun began to rise.

‘What if Uncle uses his influence at court…?’

Her uncle was a Count, and Leonard was a grand duke – one of the most powerful men in the land.

Meanwhile, she was a penniless orphan with no family to support her. Worse still, she had already walked down the aisle and been publicly married by the priest. It wouldn’t be easy to get an annulment.

And more than anything…

‘We spent the wedding night together.’

Nothing had really happened between her and Leonard. Of course, the fact that he’d unbuttoned her dress wasn’t insignificant – but thanks to the blood he’d spilled, everyone would think the wedding night had been consummated.

Not only would it be difficult to annul the marriage, but even if she succeeded, she would never be the same again.

In the aristocratic society of the capital, she would never be able to marry into another noble family. At best, she would be shunned, if not despised.

‘It was all right.’

She had been born a noble, but had lived more like a servant. Having done menial work all her life, she had nothing to regret. There was only one thing she truly wanted: to build a loving home with someone she loved.

She didn’t mind working hard in the country. What she longed for was a marriage born of love, a warm and peaceful home built with someone who truly cared for her.

That had always been Valetta’s dream – something she had longed for as someone who had grown up without a real family.

‘As soon as the annulment is finalised, I’m going to the country. I’ll start all over again.’

All the way to the courthouse, Valetta tried to calm her nerves and collect her thoughts. Perhaps to reassure her, the carriage moved quickly and before she knew it they were outside the courthouse.

Valetta handed over all the money she had for the fare, then hurried into the courthouse. The doors had just opened and there was a slight chill in the air, but she didn’t care. She quickly made her way to the right section.

“What brings you here?”

The court clerk, in the middle of a yawn, blinked in surprise at the sight of Valetta in a wrinkled wedding dress and looked her up and down. Valetta found her words quickly.

“I am Valetta Irpman, sister of the late imperial hero, Friedrich Irpman. My uncle, Count Dampierre, stole the condolence money granted by the Imperial Court. Then he forced me to marry Grand Duke Carnies. I want to ask for an annulment. I only discovered that my bridegroom had been exchanged after I had already gone to the altar.

“Her words came out in a panic, messy and emotional. But her tearful, desperate plea was so urgent that the clerk handed her a handkerchief.

“Take a breath and explain everything clearly. You say you were tricked into a fraudulent marriage?”

“I never wanted to marry Grand Duke Carnies. My intended was Eric Rigius, but… he married my cousin on the same day. And then – mmph!”

Suddenly, from behind, someone clamped a hand over Valetta’s mouth. She struggled to free herself, but the force holding her was overwhelming.

“She always wanted what wasn’t hers. We married her to the Grand Duke Carnies and now she dares to pine for her cousin’s husband… Greedy as ever. Some things never change.”

It was her uncle, Count Dampierre, who had appeared at her side. He pulled a few gold coins from his coat and placed them on the scribe’s desk.

“It would be unfortunate if our family name were dragged through the mud.”

The clerk quickly pocketed the coins. Valetta’s eyes welled with tears at the sight. Her tears fell on the rough hand that still covered her mouth. The count gave his order coldly.

“Let’s go. Move her. Now.”

“Mmm! Mmm!”

‘Help me! Please, listen to me!’

Valetta sobbed as she was dragged away and thrown into a carriage. As soon as she was inside, the Count struck her with his cane.

“Ah!”

“You ungrateful wretch! You’re trying to break up the family! Do you realise what you have tried to do?”

“I know what has been done to me! How could I not! Is Irmina’s life the only one that matters?! Eric Rigius was my fiancé!”