I followed the knights of the Holy Empire alone, heading toward the holy palace where Josephina and Leticia were waiting.
Contrary to Yulken’s concerns, I was feeling relatively fine.
Because, even if briefly, I had a chance to find her.
Every time a priest or a maid passed by, I checked their hair color.
Unfortunately, until I arrived at the sacred palace, I did not encounter a single blonde woman.
I felt momentarily disheartened, but I decided to think positively.
The fact that blonde hair is rare means there’s a low chance of confusing her with another blonde woman.
“Lady Josephina has already arrived. Please, go in.”
“Understood.”
Standing before the grand door, I adjusted my attire and took a deep breath.
The thoughts about “her,” which had been filling my mind all the way here, I pushed aside for now.
Leticia, the daughter of the saint.
From now on, I had to focus on the woman who would become my wife.
A cruel murderer, an evil woman that even the saint couldn’t handle, a cruel nature that kills people just for fun…
As I reviewed what I knew about Leticia, I entered the audience chamber and stopped abruptly in my tracks.
Someone was beside Josephina.
“Your Majesty, the Prince, please come in.”
I finally regained my senses at the annoyed voice of the priest behind me.
‘What is this?’
I stared in confusion at the woman’s neatly tied blonde hair.
‘Who is that?’
She seemed so terrified, her shoulders hunched, that I couldn’t even imagine she was Josephina’s daughter.
Leticia, after all, was a tyrant that even Josephina couldn’t control. There was no way she would look so intimidated.
‘Could she be… the maid I’ve been searching for?’
Having desperately sought a blonde woman, I couldn’t help but think that.
I looked at Josephina and the woman beside her with a mix of confusion.
‘Why is she here… Could Josephina have heard that I was looking for a blonde maid? Did she bring her here for that reason?’
I was on high alert for a completely different reason than before.
My heart was filled with conflicting emotions, wishing that the unfamiliar woman was “her” yet also hoping she wasn’t.
“Welcome, Prince.”
Josephina rose from her seat and pulled up the woman beside her as well. The woman wobbled, unable to stand properly.
I couldn’t tell if she was the maid I had been searching for, but it was clear she had been forced up.
I stared intently at the translucent veil draped over the woman’s shoulders and arms.
Though faint, I could clearly see Josephina’s nails digging into the woman’s slender arm.
“Finally, the two of you have met.”
Josephina yanked the woman roughly toward her again. I instinctively reached out to steady her but barely managed to stop myself.
The woman, trembling, slowly lifted her head.
The moment I met her tear-filled green eyes.
It felt as though time had momentarily stopped.
My heart ached as if it were being torn apart.
And then.
…She was beautiful.
So beautiful it was beyond words.
An eternity passed in that fleeting moment.
“Prince?”
As I stared blankly at her, Josephina’s sharp voice brought me back to my senses. I bowed politely with a mechanical smile.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dietrian.”
Grasping her trembling hand, I bit down hard on the inside of my lip.
If I could, I would have slapped myself.
Falling for a frightened woman.
I must be insane. How could I do such a thing…?
And then, right at that moment.
“Don’t touch me!”
*Slash!*
A sharp pain struck the back of my hand, followed by a cold splash of water.
I slowly raised my head. The water droplets clinging to my lashes blurred my vision. As a drop fell, her image became clear.
‘Why?’
She was pale as she stared at me. I couldn’t understand the fear in her trembling green eyes.
Although deeply confused, I forced a gentle smile and spoke softly.
“It seems I’ve upset you, my lady. I apologize.”
“Stay away from me!”
Before my apology could land, she took two steps back the moment I moved forward. I froze in place.
“Oh dear, you”re scaring His Majesty. Even if you dislike him, you shouldn’t make it so obvious.”
Josephina laughed lightly as she wrapped her arm around the woman’s shoulders.
Outwardly, it seemed affectionate, but I immediately knew otherwise.
Her face had gone deathly pale, as if Josephina’s arm around her might suffocate her.
“I’m sorry, but we’ll be leaving now, Prince. It seems Leticia feels more uncomfortable than I expected. It’s all my fault. I thought she had opened up a bit… I’ll talk to her.”
Josephina pulled her close, pressing her face into her shoulder. With her other hand, she covered the woman’s pale face.
Because of the rings covering Josephina’s hand, I could no longer see her expression.
But beneath it all, I could clearly see her white neck trembling with every rapid breath.
Josephina took her away.
I wiped the tea water running down my chin with the back of my hand.
The scene I had just witnessed replayed endlessly in my mind.
‘Is that woman really the saint’s daughter Leticia? Is she trembling in disgust because of me?’
No, that’s not it. I was sure of it.
It wasn’t contempt.
She was terrified of something.
* * *
As soon as I returned to the separate palace, I shook off my attendants and entered my room.
After changing out of the tea-stained ceremonial robe, I tossed aside the white shirt that still bore the marks.
“Your Majesty, it’s Yulken. I’m coming in… Gasp! What is that stain? Is that tea? Who on earth did such a thing…?!”
Yulken was horrified when he saw the crumpled shirt. I ignored him, pacing anxiously around the room.
Who was that woman?
Could she really be the one I’ve been searching for?
If so, what is she so afraid of?
Could it be… Josephina?
Is it possible Josephina is still mistreating her?
“Your Majesty!”
The sharp sensation in my hand snapped me out of my thoughts. The pen I had unknowingly gripped was now broken in my hand.
I stared at the blood seeping from the wound and took a deep breath.
‘Calm down.’
Getting worked up won’t help. In situations like this, I need to remain level-headed.
I tossed the broken pen onto the desk and pressed a handkerchief against the wound.
The cut was deeper than I thought, and the blood kept flowing, though I barely felt the pain.
‘If she truly is the one… what should I do?’
Fear clawed at me, breaking through my control.
I couldn’t remember the last time my emotions had been this unsteady.
The image of her pale neck, trembling beneath Josephina’s hand adorned with those jewel-covered rings, replayed in my mind.
When I imagined Josephina’s hand sliding down to wrap around her neck…
‘No!’
I clenched my fist around the handkerchief. The wound reopened, and blood quickly soaked through the white cloth.
Yulken, alarmed, pried my hand open.
“Your Majesty, what are you doing?”
He held my hand firmly, preventing me from clenching it again, and shouted urgently.
“Get some medicine! Quickly!”
“Your Majesty is injured?”
“What happened, Your Majesty?”
“Who could have done such a thing…?!”
I pulled my hand free from Yulken’s grasp and said firmly.
“Leave. No one comes in until I call for you.”
“But, Your Majesty!”
I snapped at them fiercely.
“Do I look like a seven-year-old child who scraped a knee after falling? I can handle this minor injury myself, so everyone leave!”
With that, I slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
I knew they were all concerned for me. But right now, I didn’t have the luxury to care about their feelings.
The image of the girl from my dream kept overlapping with the woman I had just seen.
The tangled blonde hair, the small, bruised feet, and the hunched shoulders.
Anger welled up inside me. I ground my teeth in frustration at my own helplessness.
I didn’t even know why I was so agitated.
But, but…
I nervously tugged at the bandage. It wasn’t easy to tear it with just one hand. Yulken, who had been watching me warily, cautiously approached and took the bandage from me.
“Your Majesty, allow me.”
I instinctively started to brush off Yulken’s hand, but I hesitated. After a deep breath, I averted my eyes from the wound. I needed to calm myself.
“Are you angry because of the saint’s daughter?”
I glanced at Yulken as he wrapped the bandage around my hand. Having this brief moment to clear my head helped me feel a little better than before. When he finished the treatment, Yulken cautiously observed my expression.
“That tea water… As ruthless as Josephina is, I don’t think she’s the type to do something like that openly. For the Holy Empire’s saint to pour tea on the king of another nation would be a disgrace. Even someone as petty as Josephina clings to appearances, so I didn’t think she would act like that.”
I remained silent.
“It must’ve been the saint’s daughter, Leticia, right? You”re upset because of her, aren’t you?”
Yulken’s expression was even more somber than before we had left for the temple.
“It was somewhat expected, but… it’s worse than I thought.”
I shook my head.
“That’s not it. It wasn’t because of her.”
“Then? Are you saying Josephina was the one responsible?”
“That’s…”
I found it hard to continue. After all, it was true that she had thrown tea at me. I couldn’t lie, but I also couldn’t explain fully, so I dodged the question.
“It’s not something we can easily conclude. She must have had her reasons.”
“So it *was* the saint’s daughter who did it.”
“She must have had a reason.”
“Ha! Why must Your Majesty even consider the reasons of that demon?”
“Yulken.”
“Your Majesty is human, too. You have emotions, and you can be hurt. You have every right to be angry about something this absurd. What exactly are you holding back for?”
Yulken looked like he was about to explode, as if all the restraint he had shown was finally breaking down.
I figured there was no point in trying to stop him, so I kept silent.
“Even if you defend her, does it change the fact that she’s a demon? Does it cancel the royal marriage? That woman will go to us and Genos regardless. It’s obvious she’ll cause all sorts of chaos on the way. She’ll spend her life as the queen of Genos, committing more cruel acts. If the future is already set, it’s better to prepare yourself mentally now. Rather than forcing yourself to respect and accept her as your queen, it’s better to know her true nature!”
Yulken had been by my side since before I became king. He cared deeply about my happiness, perhaps more than anyone else. Seeing me like this must have been painful for him.
“It’s too early to judge. There’s a chance she wasn’t even the saint’s daughter, Leticia.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I mean…”
I opened my mouth to speak, but in the end, I swallowed my words.
I couldn’t explain what I had seen or experienced, not even to myself.
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