Chapter 05
“I believe that you are the head of Temno. But how can I be sure you won’t try to kill me?”
The Grand Duke finally spoke, apparently satisfied with his verification—but the sword remained pointed at Melina.
Has he faced many assassination attempts? Otherwise, he wouldn’t be this guarded.
“If I intended to kill you, I could have done so three days ago.”
“At that time, weren’t there too many witnesses?”
“They were my subordinates anyway. Besides, taking care of the knights hiding around the auction site was easy for me.”
Mentioning the hidden knights made the Grand Duke flinch slightly.
“Then why did you sneak in here in the dead of night?”
“Because Your Highness kept refusing my requests to visit, I had no other choice.”
“When did you make such a request? Did you think such a lie would work?”
“How could I request it under my own name? You know the consequences if it were publicly known that I visited Your Highness officially.”
“Then, under what name did you make the request?”
“I submitted it in the name of our merchant guild, of course.”
“Hah… and how would I connect that to you?”
The Grand Duke let out a long sigh, ruffling his hair.
“You met me three days ago, and you know I am here. I suppose you could have deduced as much.”
It was a bit of a stretch, but it was the best explanation she had. After all, a Temno-affiliated guild rarely visited, and if the guild’s head was in the Grand Duchy at that time, suspicion would be natural.
“I neither wished to be close to Temno nor had any intent, so I did not suspect anything.”
Apparently, his dislike of Temno was stronger than expected, which complicated things. From here on, she needed to make him an ally—but it seemed the beginning would be difficult.
“From now on, you’ll want to get closer.”
“That’s unlikely.”
Melina was about to argue with the incredulous Grand Duke, but a strange presence made her stop speaking.
“Your Highness, let’s discuss the details later.”
“What…!?”
The Grand Duke, about to demand an explanation, paused. He had sensed it too.
“Since I committed the discourtesy of visiting so late at night, I’ll handle this for you.”
“How do you know whether you are on their side or not?”
Seeing the Grand Duke continue to doubt her, Melina clicked her tongue.
“Then try both. Handle them and watch over me. One piece of advice: focusing solely on me will be far easier.”
Frustrated and annoyed, she provoked him, forgetting she needed to appear impressive. Immediately, she moved.
Before the Grand Duke could even lower his sword, she felt a sharp sting at her nape. The throwing knives on her fingers flew with precision, hitting the assassins in the neck.
“Ugh!”
As they fell, another knife struck the leg of a remaining assassin.
Thud!
The sound of him collapsing echoed through the room. Melina lit a candle, illuminating the chamber.
“I am Melina Montmus, head of Temno. I formally greet you.”
Her fiery red hair blazed like the candlelight itself as she bowed.
At the slave auction, she had shown deference because the Grand Duke had been disguised as a knight, but now the situation was different. He was royalty. There was no need to provoke him, especially when she had come to negotiate.
The Grand Duke, observing the fallen assassins, slowly shifted his gaze to Melina. His eyes lingered on her red hair, then slid down to the bloodied wound at her nape.
As he said nothing, Melina straightened and met his gaze. Wearing only a silk gown over comfortable trousers, her strong form was visible.
Yet, it was not her chest that caught his attention—it was the injuries upon it.
“I left one alive for you to interrogate, since you doubted me.”
She dragged an assassin forward and kneeled him before the Grand Duke.
“Enough. I already know who’s behind this.”
The Grand Duke strode forward and cut the assassin down with his sword. Hearing that he knew the mastermind, Melina’s eyes darkened. A favorable advantage seemed to have arisen.
“Have you cleared your misunderstanding of me now?”
The Grand Duke’s silver-gray eyes were filled with complicated emotions. He reached out, gently touching her nape. His touch was careful, but the sting of her wounds caused her to frown slightly, which darkened his gaze.
“Let’s treat this first.”
“It’s fine. It’s only a minor wound.”
As Melina gently removed his hand, he frowned slightly, displeased.
“You’ll tend to the wound. Otherwise, you’ll leave this place immediately.”
This man’s true intentions were difficult to read. She had no choice but to comply for now. Sighing, she sat while he cautiously applied ointment to the wound.
The closeness was overwhelming, and in the stillness of the room, his breath and hands at her nape felt painfully acute. Her face grew warm, and she subtly turned her head.
Only when he had bandaged it thoroughly and stepped back could she breathe normally.
“Thank you for treating the wound.”
“Apologies. I didn’t expect you to move so quickly.”
She widened her eyes slightly, surprised by his apology. His attitude was much calmer than when she had first entered, giving her some reassurance.
“Do you trust me now?”
“It’s not so much trust… as a postponement of judgment. I still don’t know you well.”
She already knew he was a difficult opponent, so this was a small but meaningful progress.
“The disrespect of visiting in such a manner can be overlooked since I just handled those assassins for you.”
“Not an entirely welcome visit, but having heard the circumstances, I’ll let it slide.”
“Besides Temno members, you are the only person who knows my face. Even within Temno, only my closest associates have seen it.”
By revealing such a crucial secret, she implied he should be trusted. The Grand Duke widened his eyes, apparently taken aback. But he quickly recognized her meaning and nodded seriously.
“I will keep your secret.”
“Thank you.”
It wasn’t only her unique claim to the throne that made her choose him. He was someone who valued loyalty, unlike an emperor who smiled while stabbing you in the back.
“Does this happen often?”
Seeing how he instinctively treated her as an assassin and remained suspicious even after she revealed her status, she could guess the answer.
“Almost every day.”
He answered calmly, but his eyes were weary. Seeing his expression, she felt sympathy.
“What is your purpose in seeking me out?”
The Grand Duke changed the subject, perhaps unwilling to answer further.
“I came to propose a deal.”
“A deal? To me? The great head of Temno, making a proposal?”
He raised one corner of his mouth crookedly.
“To be precise, I came to propose marriage.”
“What?”
His cold, sharp face instantly turned to surprise.
“Marriage. You are still unmarried, are you not?”
“Are you joking?”
“Not at all. I am serious. If I offer the throne in exchange for marriage, would that interest you?”
The Grand Duke blinked dumbfounded, then glared at her fiercely.
“Have you come under the emperor’s orders to incite me into rebellion?”
“Of course not. I simply have a debt to repay to the emperor, and I seek your assistance.”
Melina’s eyes flashed fiercely as she mentioned the emperor. The Grand Duke did not miss it.
“My goal is to depose the current emperor. When that happens, someone must take the throne. That is why I am asking for your help.”
She exuded the arrogance and composure befitting the head of an underworld organization.
“I believe no one is better suited to the throne than Your Highness.”
“Hah… as if you could just replace the emperor if you wished.”
“Do you think I cannot? You have yet to see the full power of Temno.”
Melina shrugged and smiled, making the Grand Duke scowl.
“No matter that you are Temno’s head, if you intend to play games with me, I will not tolerate it.”
“Yes, I am the head of Temno. You know the weight my words carry, do you not?”
Melina removed her smile and stared directly at him. The depth in her emerald eyes seemed to calm the violent energy in his demeanor.
“As the head of Temno, I revealed my identity and showed my face to you. Do I seem like I’m joking?”
The Grand Duke regarded her seriously, gauging whether she spoke the truth. After a moment, he spoke:
“Very well. I will assume your proposal is sincere.”
Melina exhaled, thinking the conversation might finally progress—but the next words made her click her tongue.
“But did you think I would accept this proposal? I have no intention of marrying—neither you nor anyone else.”
“Do you have someone in mind?”
Royalty typically marries young. His younger brother, the emperor, married at 17. That the 26-year-old Grand Duke remained unmarried was highly unusual.
“So, is there someone you’ve reserved your heart for?”
Preliminary investigations showed he was not seeing anyone, but perhaps someone remained in his heart.
“That is a luxury I do not indulge in. Can’t you see?”
The Grand Duke smiled wryly, and Melina felt relief. She had worried whether he might have a love interest, given her past brush with the emperor’s treachery. Now, there was no obstacle.
She just had to push forward and secure this deal.
“You cannot postpone marriage forever. You do not think the emperor will leave you be, do you?”
The Grand Duke remained silent, unable to argue.
“He will be uneasy whether you marry or not. Only a marriage chosen by him will satisfy him.”
The emperor feared that if the Grand Duke married a powerful noble, he might challenge the throne. While pretending generosity, he privately plotted to eliminate the Grand Duke.
“Understood.”
The Grand Duke sighed.
“The emperor will urge you to marry before welcoming a new empress. He wants to stabilize the throne—and so will the ministers.”
“That’s right. But I don’t want to bring an innocent into such a life. Didn’t you see it?”
Despite the emperor’s pressure, he prioritized the safety of a spouse—she admired him anew.
“Therefore, I am the suitable choice.”
The Grand Duke furrowed his brow, not understanding.
“Being a commoner, I can avoid the emperor’s suspicion, and assassins pose no threat. Isn’t that perfect?”
“Hah, a commoner? Are you like an ordinary commoner? And no matter how suitable, I will never marry the head of Temno.”
So the problem is Temno itself. If that’s the case, there must be another card to play.
