Ines’s frozen body began to tremble. Fear and terror overwhelmed her all at once.

Her face turned not just pale but blue as she unconsciously stepped backward. Llewellyn, who was watching Ines with confusion, called her name, but no voice reached her ears.

‘They knew all along.’

They had anticipated that she would eventually come looking for Llewellyn and had sent that man here long ago.

Though she had struggled to survive, in the end, she had been dancing in the Marquis’s palm all along.

Ines’s legs gave way from despair and futility. The man quickly moved to support her.

“Wh-what’s wrong? What h-happened?”

Llewellyn examined Ines with a worried face. Ines stared at Llewellyn with blank eyes.

“Well…”

Just as Ines began to speak, the man tightened his grip on her arm that was supporting her. He must have realized that she had recognized him from her reaction.

The force strongly pressing against her arm felt like a threat telling her not to say anything.

A sense of helplessness that she could do nothing more sealed Ines’s lips.

Though he hadn’t held a knife to her throat, she felt that if she said the wrong thing here, Llewellyn would end up killed by this man’s blade just like the gardener that day.

“L-Lis?”

Llewellyn called her name again. Ines’s quivering lips finally formed words.

“I just… wanted to get some fresh air.”

Her forcefully upturned lips trembled. In the end, Ines couldn’t say anything.

Llewellyn tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand Ines’s answer.

“You c-came all the way here for s-some fresh air?”

It was a place that took hours by carriage from the palace. Shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe that Ines had come to this distant place so early, without any attendants, Llewellyn spoke.

“M-Mr. Hans. Could we t-talk alone for a m-moment?”

Hans nodded at Llewellyn’s question as if it were natural.

“Of course.”

He then removed his hand from Ines’s body. Though hidden by clothes, there would surely be clear marks on the arm where he had gripped. Just as Ines barely managed to compose her trembling body, Llewellyn took Hans’s place and supported her.

“Th-this way, Lis.”

As she walked with Llewellyn, Ines turned her head to look at Hans. Hans, who had been watching her with an indifferent expression, pulled up the corner of his mouth. And then.

Shh.

He pressed his index finger to his lips. A silent threat not to say anything.

Watching this, Ines clutched her skirt. Her body, which had just calmed down, began to tremble finely again.

“You’re st-still trembling. Are you v-very cold?”

Llewellyn asked, thinking her daughter was just shivering from the dawn breeze.

Ines swallowed and barely opened her dry mouth.

“…A l-little. It really must be winter. It’s quite cold.”

She feared her trembling voice would reveal her lie.

But fortunately, Llewellyn didn’t seem to notice and carefully asked.

“What’s the r-real reason you came here? You w-wouldn’t have come all this w-way just for fresh air.”

“…”

“Did s-something happen? We’re a-alone now, so you can t-tell me honestly.”

At Llewellyn’s persuasion, Ines bit her lip.

‘Even if I’m honest here, that man won’t hear it. But…’

Ines carefully glanced at Hans. Though he maintained a proper distance, he was a man who handled swords.

Even if they tried to escape from this place now, it was inevitable that they would be caught by that man.

‘Or should I tell the truth now and make plans to escape later?’

But she soon shook her head as if that too was impossible.

They had already discovered that she had secretly come here. Given that, surveillance of both Llewellyn and herself would only intensify from now on.

With no way to contact Llewellyn separately now, making future escape plans was nearly impossible. So she couldn’t needlessly make Llewellyn anxious by bringing up impossible things.

Having made up her mind, Ines took Llewellyn’s hands.

“I just… missed you so much, mother. Maybe it’s because I’m pregnant. My emotions are a bit unpredictable.”

“Is that r-really all?”

“Yes. But…”

Ines carefully watched Hans as she asked.

“How long has that Hans person been working at the farm?”

“H-Hans? He’s been here about t-two weeks? Unlike the o-others, he’s very k-kind.”

“I see…”

Llewellyn’s assessment of Hans was favorable. He had probably gained her favor to monitor her every move.

Ines’s hands tightened at their meticulous planning.

“Don’t trust anyone, mother. There’s no such thing as kindness without a price in this world.”

Hadn’t she herself painfully learned that fact just recently? All Ines could say to Llewellyn now was to be wary of Hans.

Looking at her daughter with somehow sad eyes, Llewellyn called her name.

“I-Ines…?”

Ines deliberately composed her expression and let go of her hands.

“I should go now. I need to rest when I get back to the palace. I’m so tired from leaving early…”

“H-how are you getting b-back to the palace? Did you c-come with guards?”

Ines gave a faint smile to her mother who was worried about her return journey.

“Don’t worry. There’s a hired carriage waiting at the entrance…”

“Your Majesty.”

However, a familiar voice from behind made Ines’s body freeze.

She stiffly turned her body around. What met her eyes was…

“…Margaret.”

It was Margaret, who had said she would be away from the palace today. Margaret extended her hand to Ines, who was too shocked to react.

“I’ve come to escort you.”

With the brightest smile she had ever shown.

No matter what choice she made, Ines could never escape from their grasp anyway.

* * *

Alfarano, a border region of Brillant.

On a night when even the sharp wind seemed particularly hushed. There was a single brightly lit room amidst the darkness outside.

“How much longer do I have to be stuck in this countryside!”

It was Joseph’s bedroom.

Empty bottles of alcohol were scattered around him as he sat on the sofa. This had become part of his daily routine since coming to Alfarano.

“Here I am, stuck living like this in the countryside, while that bastard…!”

From what he had gathered, contrary to his expectations, Tezever was peaceful.

He had thought there would surely be chaos after they received the anonymous letter he sent.

“He’s leisurely going around inspecting his territory?”

Even Carlos, whom he thought would be having headaches, was apparently just going around inspecting his territory.

‘There’s no way that letter I sent to the temple didn’t reach his ears.’

He had assumed that the temple people, being money-hungry, would surely have gone to Carlos to blackmail him using the information.

“Damn it!”

Unable to contain his sudden emotion, Joseph threw the wine glass he was holding.

The glass shattered as it hit the floor, sending fragments flying.

His anger rose again thinking about those two bastards living well.

“If that’s how it is, I have no choice but to try something else.”

Given how quiet things had been, the letter probably wouldn’t be made public. He would have to find another way to watch those two bastards fall into ruin.

As he was taking rough breaths for a while, the door flew open with a bang.

“What!”

“Y-Your Majesty! We have an emergency!”

Joseph, drunk on alcohol, yelled at the knight without properly grasping the situation.

“How dare you barge in here! Are you disrespecting me too because I’m no longer king? Do you want to die?”

“This is no time for this, Your Highness. We’re under attack!”

“What?”

“You must escape quickly!”

Joseph tilted his head at the word ‘attack.’

“Who would attack this countryside? You’re talking nonsense.”

Joseph staggered to the window, sneering at the knight’s words.

Then he saw knights fiercely fighting, tangled together outside the window.

Joseph blinked as he stared at the scene. His mind began to clear as if cold water had been thrown on him.

“What is this…”

As he stood frozen in shock, his eyes met those of a man looking up at him from below.

It was Carlos, his half-brother.