Chapter 2

Asterope spoke boldly. At her words, Kallieon’s expression hardened instantly. To call herself an accomplice to rebellion meant that Asterope had been colluding with the Crown Prince. It meant that, as Chester had warned, she had been deceiving him all along and had always been a pawn of the Crown Prince.  

But Kallieon didn’t care. Even if that were true, he was confident he wouldn’t lose to Crown Prince Villish.  

However, there was a problem with her revealing this to him. He couldn’t tell if she was seeking punishment or asking to be sent back to Villish.  

With a face full of anger, Kallieon continued.  

“Asterope.”  

“You can hate me. I am a liar, after all.”  

Asterope spoke with confidence, as if the past year had been nothing but a lie. Kallieon let out a deep sigh and responded.  

“Why are you telling me this? What do you want me to do?”  

“Stop Crown Prince Villish.”  

“……”  

“No.”  

Asterope looked at him directly and spoke clearly.  

“Kill him.”  

Her words made Kallieon furrow his brow. But Asterope did not avert her gaze.  

“Rope, I cannot betray my lord.”  

Asterope had heard those words in her previous life as well—dozens of times, in fact. Persuading the loyal and steadfast Kallieon was an extremely difficult task.    

But when faced with the threat of losing her, Kallieon had drawn his sword. For her and her alone.  

Asterope thought she should have realized it then—his heart, which moved not for the throne but for her alone.  

Crown Prince Villish was different. He didn’t want her; he wanted the throne. The one who truly loved her was none other than the Grand Duke before her, but she had been too blinded to see it at the time.  

Asterope decided to speak boldly from the very beginning. It was because her thirst for revenge was blazing like an active volcano.

“What if Crown Prince Villish says he wants to take me with him?”

At those words, Kallieon’s expression hardened instantly. It was incomparable to the slight frown or mild discomfort he had shown before—it was a face filled with anger.

“You are my wife and the Grand Duchess. No matter how important he might be as the heir to this empire, he cannot take you away.”

He spoke firmly, as if he had no intention of backing down.

“Then promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“If Crown Prince Villish tries to take me away from you, promise me that you won’t hesitate to cut him down.”

“……”

“Why? Can’t you promise me that?” 

Asterope pressed him, almost accusingly. Kallieon found her demeanor strange, but more than that, he struggled to respond to her demand.

“Does that mean you don’t love me enough?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then why can’t you say it?”

“Rope.”

“Promise me. My life depends on your promise.”

It was true. Without Kallieon, Asterope’s life was as good as over. However, as long as Kallieon was alive, Villish wouldn’t dare to act recklessly toward her. After all, Villish, with his weak limbs, would always flee the battlefield in cowardice.

Why had I ever liked someone like that? 

When Asterope thought about it, she couldn’t understand herself, yet her heart still ached. That was because, back then, her entire world had revolved around Villish to the point that even his flaws were invisible to her.

Kallieon, thinking that Asterope was angry, hesitated, his lips twitching as if he didn’t know what to say. Finally, he managed to speak.

“I can’t make that kind of promise. If… if you were to say that you wanted to go to Crown Prince Villish, it’s not something I should stop.”

“Why not?”

“Rope…?”

“You’re my husband. You have that right. And I have no intention of going to Crown Prince Villish on my own. I don’t want to die again.”

“Die again? What do you mean by that?”

“That… that was a slip of the tongue.”

Realizing what she had just said, Asterope’s throat felt dry. She grabbed the glass Kallieon was holding and quickly drank from it.

“Cough, cough.”

“Rope, that’s a strong drink.”

“It’s fine. It doesn’t taste bad.”

“What on earth happened to you? You seem like a completely different person.”

Kallieon looked at Asterope with genuine concern. And it was no wonder—over the past year, his wife, who had acted like a delicate fairy surviving on dew, was now eating like a street beggar, asking him to kill the Crown Prince, and downing Ouzo in one gulp. Everything about her was strange.

Asterope had to admit that she had rushed into everything too quickly. But from now on, she would live without pretense. The most regretful thing about her death was all the time she had spent living as someone she wasn’t.

“Do you dislike this version of me?”

“……”

“Do you hate the me who speaks her mind, eats greedily, and asks you to kill someone?”

“I could never hate you.”

Kallieon’s voice was firm, as unwavering as when he wielded his sword.

“Rope, you are my wife. No matter who you are, I have no choice but to love you. That’s how it’s meant to be.”

Kallieon didn’t want to lose the only family he had. He wanted to protect her, love her, and hold her close. That was all there was to it. His love had started from that sense of duty. And as he spent more time with Asterope, it had gradually transformed into genuine emotions. She was the only woman with whom Kallieon, who had only ever existed on the battlefield, could lay down his weapons and converse comfortably.

Asterope looked into the eyes of the resolute man. There didn’t seem to be a single lie in his words. He loved her simply because she was his wife. The same was true in her previous life. He had given up everything and claimed the throne solely for her. In doing so, he had lost precious knights and suffered greatly, but he had never regretted it.

“Regret? How could I? I am your husband, who must do whatever it takes to protect you. So don’t think about such things, Rope, my Empress.”

He had said that before drinking the poisoned liquor. His eyes had seemed a little sorrowful then—was it her misunderstanding? It was as if he had known the drink was poisoned.

Asterope wanted to believe it was just her imagination, but the image of him holding the cup and staring at it for a long time remained vivid in her mind.

He must have known. Even so, he had drunk it. Because he loved her.

That was the kind of man Kallieon Onyx was. Overwhelmed by her memories, Asterope felt tears welling up and stood from her seat.

“All right, Kallieon.”

“……”

“I will now do my best as your true wife. And I will show you everything about me without any pretense. Even if you dislike this version of me, you’ve already made a vow, so you cannot annul our marriage.”

At Asterope’s words about how their marriage could not be annulled, Kallieon slightly lifted the corners of his lips.

“Of course.”

Asterope swayed slightly. The alcohol content of the Ouzo was simply too strong. Kallieon caught her, steadying her. Feeling the firm embrace of his arms around her slender waist, Asterope once again felt tears welling up.

It was because she remembered his body, which had grown cold. Asterope had whispered to herself while watching Kallieon die. As she touched his icy face, tears had streamed down her cheeks. It was only then that Asterope realized she had never received such devotion or love from Villish Numa.

“Perhaps… perhaps I might have liked you. I’m sorry. Goodbye.”

After saying those words, events quickly spiraled out of control. Upon learning of the Grand Duke’s death, Chester had turned his sword on her, but he was soon killed by Villish’s forces, who had stormed in. And not long after, she herself had been captured.

Asterope finally shed tears as the horrific memories came flooding back.

“Rope, why are you crying?”

Kallieon, unaware of anything, was flustered and tried to comfort her. When his large, rough hand wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, Asterope simply leaned into his embrace.

Though they had been married for a year, the two had only shared ceremonial nights and had never exchanged comfortable physical affection. Asterope had always avoided it out of embarrassment.

Even hugs like this had been rare, so it was understandable that Kallieon was taken aback. However, Asterope remembered his solid body and gentle hands. She remembered everything, even his always warm and careful kisses. 

She hugged him tightly. At that, Kallieon’s slightly stiff body clumsily returned her embrace.

“Rope… What on earth happened to you? Tell me anything. Whoever it is, I won’t let them go. All right?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say that. It’s okay if you don’t tell me right now.”

“No. I’m really sorry, Kallieon.”

“Rope.”

“I will never betray you again.”

Asterope spoke as if making a vow to herself and hugged Kallieon tightly. The fiery turmoil that had been swirling inside her seemed to finally settle. Kallieon gently stroked her hair and placed a brief kiss on the top of her head.

“Don’t worry about anything, Rope.”

“……”

“Even if you betray me, I will still protect you.”

Asterope felt tears welling up even more. That’s right. He was the man who had chosen death for her sake, even if she betrayed him or poisoned his drink.

‘Ah, why didn’t I love you? Why did I kill you?’

Asterope shed tears of regret. In this life, she would never let that happen. And she would ensure that she personally took the life of Crown Prince Villish. Hugging Kallieon’s solid body, Asterope made her resolve. The embrace lasted for a long time.