Chapter 004
‘Honestly, I thought it was ridiculous, but I guess it is a novel world.’
The setting where the ‘sickly’ Second Prince was making a name for himself in the underworld was indeed fitting for a RoFan world.
She didn’t know how he hid the silver hair passed down through the Imperial Family, but there was no law saying there wouldn’t be an Imperial Family treasure with such an ability.
However, given the Empire’s belief that the eyes are the windows to the soul and reveal one’s inner self, there was likely no method to conceal the eyes.
‘Well, if there was such a method, I would have known about it long ago. Raimund hated the color of my eyes…’
Her pupils were bright yellow, like the heart of a blazing fire.
Separately, her eyes were beautiful, but combined with her equally blinding red hair, the combination was simply too much.
…That was Raimund’s description—or rather, his criticism.
It was a bitter memory.
Her past self, who put the Empire’s customs and social views aside for Raimund, now seemed pathetic.
To prevent her future self from becoming pathetic too, she had to successfully conclude this deal with His Highness, the deranged Second Prince, now.
Evgenia completely calmed her trembling breath and held her head high.
Knox, who had been studying her with narrowed eyes, asked in a lowered voice.
“Where did a noble Duchess-to-be hear talk about the abilities of a humble man like me?”
“…Is there anyone foolish enough to reveal their source of information in a place like this? I cannot tell you.”
“Right, right… ‘A place like this’ is exactly where things work that way. Agreed.”
Nodding exaggeratedly and muttering, he stretched his lips into a smile.
It was a smile that looked deeply ominous.
“What are you considering as compensation for erasing the Name?”
“…If possible, even my life, whatever it takes.”
“Ah, your life.”
His voice, mixed with faint laughter, sounded as if he was mocking her.
‘It makes sense. A sheltered Duchess-to-be is throwing around talks of staking her life.’
But Evgenia was more serious than ever, and she wanted Knox to clearly understand this fact.
Her eyes quickly scanned the table, and suddenly, a luxurious quill pen caught her attention.
Quickly snatching the quill, she raised the pen high and immediately brought the nib down onto her Name.
“Ugh!”
“Ha…!”
Knox, who had been watching, assuming she would perform an exaggerated, showy act, had a look of shock settle on his face for the first time.
Knox, pressing his forehead as if he had a headache, clicked his tongue in displeasure.
“…Utterly insane.”
A small smile surfaced on Evgenia’s lips at the softly whispered remark.
‘It’s not like a small scar on a place already hidden by the Name will change anything. If I can gain Knox’s trust with this, it’s a gain.’
Clutching her collarbone, which was throbbing with pain and burning heat, she asked.
“Does this show you, at least, the extent of my resolve?”
“…You certainly look very different from ‘Duchess Martyre’.”
“Good, that’s enough. …Handkerchief?”
Knox looked bewildered at the question, which was asked as if it were the most natural thing.
But Evgenia was not one to be deterred by such a look.
“Ha, shouldn’t a gentleman always carry a handkerchief for a lady? Your manners are quite lacking.”
“…My apologies. I haven’t had a lady who needed a handkerchief in my office before.”
“Knowing is enough. Just hand over whatever you have, then.”
Knox, as if enchanted by her supremely confident attitude, found and handed her a napkin.
Evgenia calmly wiped the skin stained with ink and a little blood, then tilted her head slightly.
“Alright, so. How do you erase the Name? If possible, I’d like to do it today.”
“…Ah.”
“I can wait a day or two, I suppose… But I’d like it done as soon as possible.”
At that moment, Knox, who had been listening quietly, fixed his gaze upon her.
Her hand, which had momentarily stiffened, was gently taken by Knox.
“What is it? Why, why are you doing that?”
She stammered momentarily, but fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind.
Knox, who was staring into her eyes, began to speak.
“Duchess, tell me honestly. Why do you want to erase the Name?”
Shallow goosebumps rose every time his thick, cold fingers rubbed the soft back of her hand.
Her fingertips tingled as the stinging heat flared up from the back of her hand.
Evgenia chewed on the inside of her cheek and slowly pulled her hand away, saying.
“Do, do you need that kind of information to proceed with the request?”
“Depends on the situation. I want to avoid getting entangled in pointless affairs and landing on the bad side of higher-ups.”
“…Ah, you think I might use this matter to blackmail someone?”
If she erased only a single character, and then claimed that the reason the sacred ‘Name’ disappeared was because of Raimund’s infidelity—which, though ridiculous, was nonetheless true—?
Most people, or rather, everyone except Raimund and Stella, would undoubtedly condemn them.
Since Raimund was factually the one who acted inappropriately, public opinion would inevitably flare up even more.
The problem was that if such a thing happened, the Duke’s prestige, which had already plummeted due to Evgenia’s various antics, would fall even further.
His argument was that he wanted to avoid any unwanted backlash resulting from this outcome.
‘…This really must be the Second Prince, then?’
A commoner who took over the underworld in seven years wouldn’t let go of such a huge opportunity just because it might cause some inconvenience, would he?
Tsk, she clicked her tongue inwardly and spoke sarcastically to provoke him.
“Knox, you seem to have a lot of affection for the Empire. Throwing away a chance to gain immense wealth or become a noble just for the sake of ‘a noble family’s prestige.’ Perhaps, the reason you created this organization was to excise the rotten parts of your beloved Empire, or something similar?”
Please, be provoked, please be provoked!
“Well, maybe yes, maybe no. I think I’m quite ordinary. If things get noisy up top, the bottom usually gets noisy too, doesn’t it?”
‘Ha… Right, that’s probably ordinary for a member of the Imperial Family…’
Seeing that he was imagining things so far-fetched just from her desire to erase the Name, it seemed useless to simply say that she had fallen out of love with Raimund and wanted to break off the engagement.
Furthermore, if her father, her maid, and even the nanny who raised her didn’t believe her, why would Knox, whom she was meeting for the first time, believe her?
‘This is karma, this is karma.’
Evgenia touched her throbbing forehead and waved her hand.
“There won’t be any commotion. I can’t tell you the details, but I can assure you that I am the one who wants this matter to pass quietly the most.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“In exchange, I’ll add one more thing to the deal. A mine and a title? Land and a mansion? Just name it.”
Evgenia’s imposing attitude made Knox’s smile deepen further.
He rose from his seat, took one step, then two, and grasped her shoulder.
Instantly, she recalled the fact that his hand had been stained with blood when he first entered the room.
Small shivers ran down her arm beneath the robe.
Not wanting him to know she was afraid, she glared back into his eyes.
A cold, ice-like green light sparkled between his finely curved eyes.
“Duchess, is that truly all?”
“…”
“If that’s all the great Duchess Martyre can offer, I don’t want to waste any more time either.”
His low voice was utterly uncompromising.
She felt certain that if she didn’t present a condition matching his criteria immediately, she would be thrown out the next moment.
Evgenia forced herself to swallow and took a long breath.
“What if… I know your true identity?”
A flash of light crossed Knox’s green eyes.
His slightly upturned lips formed a deep cave, revealing straight teeth.
“Aha, now we might be able to talk.”
The hand gripping her shoulder seemed to tighten, then immediately released her cleanly.
Knox returned to his seat, looking somehow much more relaxed.
It was as if a superior was receiving an audience from a subordinate.
Evgenia moistened her parched lips with her tongue and spoke.
“I find this kind of thing amusing, apparently, Your Highness Yulan Atrox, the Second Prince.”
“…Hmm. ‘Your Highness’.”
His tone suggested he was listening to an interesting delusion, but Evgenia was certain of her hypothesis.
The chill emanating from beyond his seemingly unaffected expression convinced her.
She felt his dry gaze slowly trace her neck.
It was a look that seemed to be calculating how to dispose of her quietly.
Before he could make a rash decision, Evgenia blurted out.
“For your information, if you kill me here, tomorrow’s front-page news will be quite a sight.”
“…Aha?”
“I’ve commanded my staff to send a letter containing the secret to every newspaper agency, those that exist and those that don’t, if I don’t return by dawn.”
Evgenia, continuing with a brazen face, crossed her legs demonstrably.
“Don’t worry. My subordinates are very loyal; they absolutely won’t read what they’re told not to read. Only I know your secret.”
“…”
“For now.”
Evgenia’s golden eyes, facing Knox—no, Yulan—shone, reflecting the candlelight.
Seated with her head straight and her back stiff, she exuded the unassailable authority of a noble.
Bravely displaying the small scab over her Name, she lightly looked down at the slightly leaning Knox, opening the negotiation floor once more.
“Now that we’ve laid all our cards out, how about you tell me the method to erase the ‘Name’?”
Her tone sounded both respectful and disrespectful.
But one thing was certain: Evgenia was staking everything on this moment.
Knox, who observed Evgenia with narrowed eyes, finally nodded slightly.
“Fine. If you must erase it that badly, there’s nothing I can’t do.”
“…!”
Finally.
Her spirits soared at the realization that the goal was within reach.
He got up from his seat, lightly ran his hand through his disheveled hair, and asked.
“I’ll ask one last time. Are you truly sure you won’t regret this, Duchess?”
Evgenia bit her lip and nodded firmly.
It was a declaration of intent to accept any pain that came her way.
Knox stared intently into Evgenia’s bright yellow eyes, then rose from his seat.
Fearing he might use force to intimidate her, her body immediately tensed up.
But Knox grabbed her chin, not her shoulder.
‘Isn’t this position a little… inappropriate?’
With her chin lightly held, she looked at Knox with uneasy eyes.
As he moved closer, their noses gently touched.
“What are you… doing?”
In the close proximity where their breaths mingled, Knox hesitated for a moment, then slightly tilted his head.
His hot breath brushed against her lips, covered in sticky lipstick.
