Chapter 8

Kallieon walked toward the conference hall with longer strides than usual. His expression was deeply conflicted. He found himself being swayed by every single change in Asterope. At first, he thought she was simply struggling or unwell.  

But when he saw her face as she expressed curiosity about Serpiewood, a strange emotion surged within him. It was a kind of warning signal. The kind of feeling one might experience on a battlefield resonated within him.  

‘She must not find out about it. It’s dangerous. She will be in danger.’  

It didn’t matter if he was at risk. But he couldn’t bear the thought of her being endangered. Over the past year, he had created an environment where she didn’t have to do anything as the Grand Duchess. He ensured that she could live comfortably without effort or struggle.  

Who could have incited her? What could have caused her to change? What if this change put her in harm’s way? 

Kallieon felt uneasy.  

Her flowing hair, scattered by the wind as she gazed at the falling snow. Her delicate frame seemed as though it could disappear with the breeze.  

“Villish Numa will kill me!”  

Asterope had cried out, tears streaming down her face. She had said this after staying in cold water for an extended period. Kallieon let out a sigh. Even her previous actions had been nothing but alarming. She wouldn’t allow the lights to be turned on, suddenly showed him Villish Numa’s love letter, and even kissed him first.  

What was making her so anxious? What would I do if her anxiety caused her to disappear? 

Kallieon’s expression hardened further as he moved forward.  

In front of the conference hall, his attendant, Hwiaro, bowed deeply. Kallieon spoke with a stern expression.  

“Why is there only one maid by the Grand Duchess’s side?”  

“That is… because the Grand Duchess ordered everyone to leave…”  

Hwiaro blinked nervously, fumbling over his words.  

“Fool. Even if the Grand Duchess said so, you should have stayed close by at all times. Do you all think you have two necks to spare?”  

As Kallieon acted as if he might draw his sword at any moment, Hwiaro prostrated himself low on the ground.  

“M-my deepest apologies! I will immediately summon the maids and rectify this!”  

“Replace the head maid first. Whoever inconvenienced the Grand Duchess has no right to hold that position.”  

“Yes, Your Grace!”  

The door to the conference room slammed shut with a loud bang. Only then did Hwiaro lift his forehead from the floor.  

Far down the hallway, Chester, who was walking toward him, placed a hand on Sommer’s shoulder. Clicking his tongue, he began to speak.  

“It would’ve been better if she’d just thrown a tantrum over wanting a new dress. What kind of commotion is this?”  

“Stop speaking ill of the Grand Duchess. Even you could lose your head for that.”  

“Don’t twist my words. When did I ever insult her?”  

“Either way, it seems your suggestion to keep a close watch on the Grand Duchess was correct.”  

“There’s something going on. Especially since it seems to be connected to Crown Prince Villish Numa.”  

Everyone in the Serpiewood Knight Order knew about Crown Prince Villish Numa’s inferiority complex toward the Grand Duke of the North. His trembling legs whenever he went to war were a source of ridicule among all the knights.  

Kallieon had protected such a prince, placing him in the safest location. Meanwhile, he himself had plunged into the enemy’s headquarters. He was a warrior who fought boldly in the most dangerous places and a symbol of victory.  

Each time Kallieon achieved greater feats and earned more glory, the Crown Prince seethed with anger. It seemed as though he couldn’t bear his own weakness. Yet no matter how much the Crown Prince trained, he could not surpass Kallieon, who was blessed with overwhelming natural talent.  

“I didn’t think he’d act so soon, even if he wanted to eliminate the Grand Duke. And to do it through the Grand Duchess, no less.”  

“I think it was a clever plan.”  

“……”  

“After all, there’s nothing else that could serve as the Grand Duke’s weakness.”  

Sommer took a step toward the conference room as he spoke. Supporting the staggering Hwiaro, he entered the room first. Chester let out a sigh.  

He couldn’t help but sigh. Sommer and Chester had always been the ones to eliminate anything that could become a weakness for the Grand Duke.  

* * *

Villish extended his hand naturally as the butler entered his room. The butler glanced at Villish’s pale hand before bowing his head.

“…There has been no reply from her.”

“What?”

Villish raised his head as if he had misheard. 

No reply from Asterope? 

Such a thing had not happened even once in the past year. With a bright smile, Villish spoke again.

“Which little rat intercepted it?”

“…”

“I want to kill them.”

The butler swallowed nervously. No, no one had intercepted the letter. Asterope simply hadn’t sent it. There were even rumors that she had reported the letter to the Grand Duke of the North. The butler looked at Villish with anxious eyes.

“It might be best to refrain from contacting her for the time being…”

Thud. Crown Prince Villish slammed his desk and stood up. His expression had turned cold and rigid.

“Bring me her reply.”

“…”

“By any means necessary. Unless you want to see me head to Serpiewood myself.”

“Your Highness!”

“Bring me her reply!”

Crown Prince Villish spoke hysterically, throwing the items on his desk. The butler watched as the scattered objects fell haphazardly to the floor around his feet.

“Yes, yes! I will ensure I get it. Your Highness, please calm yourself!”

“If you fail to bring me her letter, don’t show your face to me!”

Crown Prince Villish exhaled heavily, his golden eyes glinting with fury. His gaze burned with rage. The butler left the office, worried that Villish might harm himself.

To Crown Prince Villish, Asterope Lunette was someone who had to belong to him. She was his marionette, someone who should move according to his will. His doll. His sunflower. He imagined her smiling brightly as she looked only at him.

‘Asterope loves me. She loves only me.’

Villish did not want to doubt this belief. She was his chess piece. The piece he had planted in the heart of enemy territory. She was no different from his ultimate weapon, one that must not break yet.

* * *

Asterope closed her eyes, breathing in the gentle scent of flowers. The bathtub was filled with red rose petals, a rarity in Serpiewood. Added to this were herbs to relieve fatigue and small wildflowers that enhanced the fragrance, densely packed without leaving any gaps.

Although the items were different from those she used at her family’s home, they were not inferior. In fact, they even included rare flowers and oils that had been impossible to obtain back then. After all, Kallieon would acquire anything for Asterope.

‘He can provide me with as many luxuries as I want and give me love, but I’m not allowed to fulfill certain duties as the Grand Duchess?’

Asterope recalled the way Kallieon’s expression would suddenly turn cold. He acted as if those matters were things she neither needed to know about nor get involved in, even though they weren’t military issues. Until now, Asterope had found those restrictions comfortable, but not anymore. She wanted to fully establish herself as the Grand Duchess.

One day, if Villish and Kallieon ever clashed, she didn’t want to be a helpless figure caught in the middle. She wanted to defend this castle as the Grand Duchess of Serpiewood and stand against him. And she wanted to make Villish bow down to her.

Revenge. That was the clear emotion driving her.

But beyond that, there were other feelings that left Asterope in turmoil. 

She leaned her head against the smooth, curved decorations of the stone bathtub and closed her eyes. While her body relaxed, her mind and heart remained in chaos.

“I thought he’d be pleased…”

Asterope hadn’t expected Kallieon to be flustered or to reject her. She had thought he would be happy and would even go out of his way to teach her more. She had worried that he might annoy her by insisting on patrolling the territory together to show her every corner of Serpiewood. But such thoughts had quickly proven laughable. 

Asterope gazed at her slender, unblemished arm. The skin that had once been torn apart by torture was no longer there. There were no dirty flea bites either. Only pale, flawless, and beautiful skin remained. Asterope still felt unfamiliar with her body, which no longer itched. Perhaps it was because of those vivid memories that she couldn’t stop feeling anxious.

“It was too hasty.”

Kallieon seemed different from yesterday and today. The confusion emanating from him was so palpable that even Asterope could sense it. It was understandable. She remembered everything, even the terrible ending, but for him, it was still an unapproached future.