MLDG 4

Chapter: 4

“The problem is that I can’t tell what she’s really after.”

Even if she was someone who would leave someday anyway, the feeling sat uneasily with him.

A princess from the Holy Kingdom, devoting herself like this—not for her own country, but for another nation.

“Could it be that Her Highness simply wanted to help out of pure goodwill?” Evan suggested.

“After seeing all the ugly sides of things, you still spout nonsense like that? There’s no such thing as a pure motive. She’s acting like this because she wants something.”

Derbel let out a cold scoff. His words were steeped in deep distrust toward the Holy Kingdom.

Thanks to the progenitor who had sealed the demons away, the Holy Kingdom was a land where demonic beasts did not appear. Because of that, they had always guaranteed their absolute safety and looked down on other nations.

But that was an old story now.

At some point, demonic beasts began appearing along their borders, and their attitude changed. They reached out to the very Krishian Ducal House they had once scorned.

When beasts appeared, they trembled and begged for help, yet behind their backs they mocked them for living as mercenaries.

That was why Derbel had no trust in them at all.

“When did you become so naïve, Evan? She’s still from the Holy Kingdom.”

“But…”

“She was the one who proposed the contract marriage in the first place.”

“That’s what’s strange. She really doesn’t seem like the type who would do something like that.”

Evan wasn’t wrong.

With her vividly colored appearance and the way she bustled around the estate, she looked like someone who had lived freely in the Holy Kingdom.

As the First Princess of the Holy Kingdom, she must have grown up wanting for nothing.

And yet, she treated even those of low status with warmth—it was surprising.

The engagement proposal was the same.

‘How about becoming engaged to me, Duke?’

It had been an utterly unexpected suggestion.

“Are you certain Her Highness proposed a contract marriage to you? You didn’t threaten her, did you?”

“Have you lived your whole life being fooled? And why would I threaten her?”

“Well, escaping the pressure of marriage proposals to the ducal house, and the status benefits you’d gain by marrying Her Highness—”

“The Krishian Ducal House is a founding contributor to Dioren.”

Derbel’s voice dropped.

Even as the duke’s displeasure surfaced, Evan didn’t stop.

He pretended not to know in front of Lynette, but Evan was well aware that the two were bound by a contract.

To an outsider, it honestly seemed more plausible that the duke had coerced her rather than the princess having proposed it herself—which was why Evan still found it hard to believe.

“But it’s true that the house has been criticized for its mercenary work. Thanks to Her Highness, those voices have completely died down.”

“Seems like your body got comfortable and your brain got dull, Evan Barentze. You haven’t been worked hard lately, have you?”

“I’m busy! Comfortable? That’s impossible!”

As Derbel rose slowly after calling him by his full name, Evan hastily continued while backing away.

“When do you plan to reveal that I know about the contract engagement?”

Derbel, who had been about to stand, leaned back into his chair.

“…After observing a little longer.”

After a brief pause, he answered indifferently.

He couldn’t trust Lynette Igrein yet, so he had no intention of revealing everything to her.

It was better to keep at least one hidden card to himself.

Even if that card wasn’t particularly reliable.

Derbel clicked his tongue inwardly as he glanced at his aide.

“Evan.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“I remember giving her a communication stone, but she claims she never received it. What happened?”

“Well… Her Highness wouldn’t lie, so… Shall I look into it?”

“Call Jasper. We’ll know once we hear what’s been going on. And…”

Derbel paused in thought, then curled his lips into a sharp grin.

“It’s been about a month. Time to clean house. There won’t be any beast subjugations to distract us now.”

“A thorough cleaning, then.”

“Shake out every speck of dust. Let’s see who crawls out.”

“Of course. How could I possibly neglect something done for your beloved fiancée? I’ll make sure to shake things out thoroughly—”

A vein twitched on Derbel’s forehead. With a low sigh, his hand settled on his sword hilt as he slowly stood.

Evan immediately changed his tune.

“I mean—I’ll thoroughly investigate who dared lay a hand on Her Highness. Not a single speck of dust will remain.”

Since he’d only changed his wording and not the meaning, it didn’t help much.

Seeing Derbel’s hand move again toward his sword, Evan fled at once. Last time the blade had stopped just short of his neck—there was no guarantee it would again.

“Please don’t worry! Just trust me, Your Grace!”

And with that, he hurried out before Derbel could call him back.

Once the aide was gone, silence fell.

As the surroundings grew quiet, Evan’s earlier words resurfaced.

Contract engagement.

‘Let’s make a deal, Duke. I’ll silence those pushing marriage proposals onto you, so take me to your territory. And…’

She had boldly proposed a contract despite having nothing to her name.

‘It won’t be a losing deal for you.’

It was then that he noticed her hand, hidden behind her back, trembling continuously.

Was it because of that hand?

By the time he realized it, the words of acceptance were already leaving his mouth.

‘Very well. Let’s try this contract engagement.’

Only then did color return to her face, revealing how tense she had been all along.

‘You won’t regret it, Duke Krishian.’

Lynette Igrein smiled as though it were nothing.

That was when the idea that a contract engagement might not be so bad first took hold—and when he began to want to know what lay beneath her surface.

If only it had ended there.

As always, the memory flowed into beast subjugations.

Lynette Igrein was inseparable from the Holy Kingdom, and the Holy Kingdom stirred Derbel’s nightmare-like memories.

He began to sink into the memories he wanted to forget.

Jet-black hair melted into the deepening darkness around him.

As if standing on a battlefield, he suppressed his presence. No one would notice him like this.

Eyes once like a clear sky deepened in color. An inhuman gleam ignited within them, blue flames flickering like those of a demonic beast.

‘Your Grace! Demonic beasts! High-ranking ones—agh!’

‘Get back! Get back!’

‘It’s emitting demonic energy! If you’re exposed, you’ll turn undead—!’

Beasts charging without pause. Knights screaming as they cut them down.

The stench of blood that never left his nose.

Lives extinguished. Lives corrupted by demonic energy, turned undead—unable even to be given proper funerals…

After countless trials and errors, they had forged the strongest knight order capable of slaying any beast. Yet remembering all that had been lost left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The deeper the memories sank, the brighter Derbel’s eyes glowed blue.

As if to hide it, he closed his eyes.

Moments later, when he opened them again, the blue glow was gone, replaced by the clear sky–colored eyes he always had.

Tap. Tap.

As his fingers drummed against the armrest, the darkness receded and outside air rushed back in.

“Lynette… Igrein.”

At last, he murmured her name.

A princess with brilliantly colored light.

So—

What are you planning to do within my domain?

Perhaps he could indulge her a little.

Play the role of a jealous fiancé displeased that his lovely betrothed was too focused on work.