Episode 5
The cloth slipped off and fell to the ground.
Chester’s eyes stopped on the letter inside the basket.
“What is that, Your Grace?”
There was no trace of teasing left in Chester’s voice.
“Damn it…”
Asterophe clenched her teeth.
Of all times, the wind had to blow now.
When she couldn’t answer right away, Chester stepped forward and picked up the cloth.
As he handed it back to her, he spoke calmly.
“It looks like an important letter, judging by how carefully you were hiding it.”
He lifted only one corner of his mouth.
It was a clear sneer.
Distrust filled his eyes.
Chester was one of the people Asterophe needed to win over the most.
She cleared her throat, then lifted the letter and handed it to him.
She didn’t know what was written inside.
But whatever it was, it would prove one thing.
That she had been in contact with Crown Prince Billish.
It could be an order to steal training schedules.
Or to copy Kallian’s financial records.
Or to smuggle out meeting notes.
But it didn’t matter.
To Chester, who trusted her almost not at all, this was a meaningful provocation.
And more importantly, Kallian Onyx would not cast her aside even after seeing this letter.
He couldn’t.
Because he loved her.
Asterophe had once succeeded in rebellion through that very arrogance.
Though ironically, Billish used her the same way and then killed her.
Still, she knew this much from loving someone to death.
Kallian would not abandon her easily.
With a relaxed smile, Asterophe held out the letter.
Chester didn’t take it.
His face hardened, as if he couldn’t understand her at all.
“Take it to Kallian and give it to him. I was going to show him anyway. Since you’re here, it’s more convenient if you do it.”
“Your Grace…”
“You knights don’t like me. You don’t trust me either. I’ve already told Kallian that I’m going to change from now on.
This letter is proof of that declaration. Kallian will understand. He’ll understand my sincerity.”
She said it earnestly.
It was true that they disliked her.
Even if they had never shown it openly.
Chester looked stunned, as if he hadn’t expected her to say it so directly.
“This isn’t a joke, and I’m not testing you. I’m giving it to you sincerely, so take it. And give it to Kallian when he returns from subjugation. Before that, I hope you won’t do something irreverent like opening it.”
“What on earth…”
Chester rubbed his face roughly and continued, clearly confused.
“Did you take some strange medicine? These words don’t suit you at all. Honestly, it’d be more believable if you pretended to trip in front of the Grand Duke.”
“That hurts. I’m bad at acting.”
“It’s strange that you’re only realizing that now!”
“Pfft. So you did notice my acting all along.”
“Who wouldn’t notice? His Grace might pretend not to see because he’s blinded by love, but we—!”
Chester stopped himself mid-sentence, his lips parting slightly.
Asterophe knew his weakness.
He was too honest.
So honest that he let slip what he had been holding inside for a long time.
“From now on, things will be different. I’ll survive for a long time as the Grand Duchess of Serpwood. And not just Serpwood. I’ll place the entire Renirun Empire beneath Kallian Onyx’s feet.”
“What are you saying? Are you trying to make His Grace a traitor?”
“Do you know who sent that letter?”
“I don’t.”
“It’s from Crown Prince Billish Numa.”
“I think I’ve said everything I need to. Make sure it reaches Kallian today. If he doesn’t call for me, I’ll assume you intercepted the letter.”
Asterophe took the cloth, pressed the letter into Chester’s hand, and turned away.
Lightly.
As if she had no regrets at all.
“…Hah.”
After she disappeared, Chester let out a long sigh, the letter still in his hand.
He couldn’t understand any of it.
There was no seal on the letter.
Was it really from Crown Prince Billish?
Why had the Grand Duchess been exchanging letters with the Crown Prince?
And more importantly…
Why was she trying to show it to Kallian?
“Ah, hell with it.”
Chester slipped the letter into his clothes.
Complicated thinking didn’t suit him.
He trusted his lord, Kallian Onyx.
His judgment.
His wisdom.
Kallian would handle it far better than someone simple like himself.
And keeping secrets was Somer’s job, not his.
He hated hiding, pretending, and acting.
Maybe that was why the Grand Duchess had handed this to him.
One thing was clear.
Asterophe had changed.
She was like a completely different person.
The way she spoke felt years older, as if she had aged several years during the week she stayed locked in her room.
Her actions were bold and fearless.
The fragile, pretty Asterophe who only wanted to be adored was gone.
Chester sniffed once and slowly followed after her.
To obey Kallian’s order to protect her.
Today’s patrol was anything but smooth.
Perhaps a group of mages had appeared somewhere, because there were far too many random monsters.
Kallian cut them down without changing his expression.
Each swing of his sword sent ten goblins crashing to the ground.
Green blood sprayed everywhere, and a disgusting stench filled the air.
But Kallian’s face remained calm.
His mind was filled only with Asterophe.
He needed to return quickly and stay by her side.
She was unstable.
He didn’t know what she might do next.
Just as the goblin group was dealt with, a scout came running.
“Your Grace! Golems! Not one, but two of them!”
Kallian turned sharply, eyes cold.
He gave his soldiers an order.
“Everyone, fall back.”
“Grand Duke! I’ll go with you!”
“Don’t make a fuss over two golems. Somer, burn the goblin corpses.”
“But, Your Grace—!”
Somer tried again, but Kallian waved his sword, signaling there was no need for words.
“If they’re not burned by the time I return, you’ll burn with the goblins.”
At his growling threat, Somer stepped back obediently.
On the battlefield, Kallian was nothing like his usual self.
He wasn’t called the God of War for nothing.
Recently, with heretics running wild, golems had been appearing everywhere.
But had Kallian ever been injured fighting them?
Never.
He always smashed those creatures of stone and earth to pieces.
Today would be no different.
As soon as the soldiers finished piling the goblins and set them on fire, a massive roar echoed in the distance.
“Looks like he crushed them in one go again.”
Somer shook his head in admiration at Kallian’s monstrous strength and speed.
Soon after, Kallian returned, dust-covered, holding a platinum core taken from the golem’s head.
He tossed it casually to Somer and turned toward the village.
“Make a ring for Lope.”
Somer stared at the platinum core.
It was still warm, sticky with residue.
Even to someone used to battlefields, it was nauseating.
Thinking that the noble Grand Duchess would faint if she knew where it came from, Somer stuffed it into a leather pouch.
Not long after returning from patrol, Kallian summoned Asterophe.
He had washed, read the letter, and called for her immediately.
Asterophe dressed simply and stood before his door.
It was a place she had rarely entered during their four years of marriage.
Did he resent her for that?
She almost laughed at herself.
What right did she have to wonder that?
She composed herself and stepped inside.
Kallian sat on the sofa, the letter spread open in his hands.
He looked at her with a hardened expression.
“Lope. Why did you show me this?”
“I was planning to read it first, then show you. But Sir Chester caught me. He suspected me. I didn’t want to buy more suspicion, so I asked him to deliver it to you.”
“This is…”
“Yes?”
“It’s a love letter.”
Kallian forced the words out.
The end of the letter was badly crumpled, as if reading it had been painful.
“What?”
Startled, Asterophe rushed forward and grabbed the letter.
Inside were Billish’s desperate expressions of love, words meant to please her.
[ …How wonderful it would be to give you a beautiful dress that shows off your white neck, and spend a warm afternoon together listening to birds sing among fields full of blooming violets. Sending you to Serpwood, a land without even a handful of sunlight, tears my heart apart. Asterophe, you have no idea how much it hurts… ]
Asterophe ground her teeth at his disgusting handwriting.
By this time, he had already been spending sweet days with his lover.
Hayes and Billish became lovers shortly after Asterophe left for Serpwood.
Now, more than a year later, they were probably laughing together among violets, mocking her.
Asterophe couldn’t hold back anymore.
She tore the letter to shreds.
“Disgusting Billish Numa! You filthy worm!”
The rage boiling deep inside her exploded.
She wasn’t satisfied with tearing the letter.
She stomped on the pieces scattered across the floor.
“Die! Die! Just die!”
“Lo—Lope! Lope!”
“Bastard! Die! You hypocrite!”
Kallian lifted her up.
She kicked helplessly in the air, tears streaming down.
Kallian knew it then.
The fury she poured onto that letter was more genuine than anything he had ever seen from her.
After she calmed down slightly, he seated her on the sofa, held her hands, and kissed them.
“Lope. Please calm down.”
Only then did Asterophe tear her gaze away from the letter and look at Kallian.
His blue-gray eyes were cold, but they were focused only on her.
As if entranced, she spoke.
“Billish Numa will kill me.”
Kallian’s brow furrowed deeply in an instant.
