8.
Since he had never brought guests before, the man named Cliden quickly turned his gaze to the carriage.
“Come out.”
Turning again toward the carriage, Argent extended his hand. Only then did Free regain her senses, stand up, and slowly step down from the carriage.
“Ah! So it was you.”
But the atmosphere felt odd.
The man, who moments ago had looked confused, was now warmly welcoming her as if he had known a guest was coming.
Standing behind Argent, Free naturally showed signs of bewilderment.
‘Why is he so happy to see me?’
Just then—
“Is everything prepared?”
“Yes.”
“This is Free Ezan. She’ll be staying here for as long as she wants, so make sure she is not inconvenienced.”
“Yes. We’ve also selected a chief lady-in-waiting to attend to Her Grace. Your Majesty.”
“Well done. Princess, this is Cliden. He’s the steward of this castle.”
Cliden, smiling kindly, gave a respectful bow the moment he introduced himself.
Only then did Free return the bow and greet him.
“I’m Free Ezan.”
“From now on, you don’t need to observe formalities with the people here. Though I introduced you as a guest, you’ve entered the imperial castle as someone equal to me. I don’t use formal speech with them, so you should adjust as well.”
Despite the forceful tone, Free remained composed.
“I’ll be in your care.”
She wasn’t unaware of her own position.
If he had just called her his wife, all this uneasiness would’ve disappeared. But since he hadn’t, she chose to act with the appropriate courtesy of a guest.
“If it makes you more comfortable, would you please speak informally with me then?”
Only then did she smile brightly and nod.
“Yes.”
Will that day really come? She was someone who could be cast aside at any moment.
She didn’t even understand why she had been brought here.
‘Maybe he really does just see me as a toy.’
Thinking that way felt easier on her heart. So, Free pushed down her swirling thoughts and followed him.
She had promised herself she wouldn’t be surprised—but stepping into the Empire of Intellia for the first time, she couldn’t help but be astonished in many ways.
Even the atmosphere of the land and the outer appearance of the castle were surprising, but the interior was even more magnificent.
She questioned whether humans could have truly built something like this with just human hands. The ceilings soared high into the sky.
The walls were painted with a rich, matte gold, and the stained glass embedded in the ceiling elevated the elegance and beauty to an even higher level.
It felt like a divine sanctuary. Just by entering, she felt like her heart had been purified.
And that wasn’t all.
The red carpet beneath her feet and the ornate decorations lining the halls were filled with the kind of luxuries that even a princess of Ezan had rarely seen.
She didn’t dare openly gawk, but it was impossible not to notice, and her lips slowly parted in awe.
A barbarian nation.
A poor, ragged, and savage land.
That was the prejudice she had held toward this country. But now she realized—it was exactly that: a prejudice.
In fact, she began to feel like her own golden kingdom was inferior, and she bit her lip in frustration.
How much time passed?
Eventually, a passage connecting one castle to another appeared before them. Three doors stood before them. There, Argent came to a halt and turned to face her.
“The path to your residence is that way—”
It was then.
“Al!”
A woman came rushing in with a speed and intensity more like a beast than a person and clung to Argent’s side.
As Free watched the woman approach him so familiarly, her expression stiffened.
The woman was stunning. Her blonde hair resembled Free’s, yet the feeling was completely different. Unlike her own weak platinum locks, this woman’s golden hair gleamed like honey. She looked strong, healthy, and intelligent—as though from a different race entirely.
Without hesitation, the woman looped her arm through Argent’s.
“Irina. That’s enough.”
“What do you mean, enough? Do you know how long it’s been? This time you were gone far too long. I was so worried something had happened to you.”
They spoke like people lost in their own world, engrossed in conversation.
Free watched them blankly, then lowered her head, realizing how out of place she was.
‘This isn’t something I should be part of.’
A weight settled in her chest.
“Then I’ll go ahead with the steward from here.”
Only at the sound of Free’s slightly subdued voice did Argent turn around. Even then, he was still struggling to pry Irina off him.
“No. I’ll go with you. Irina, you should return to your room.”
“Who is she? This is the first time you’ve brought another woman with you.”
At Irina’s question, everyone around them paused. Free didn’t know how to introduce herself and opened her mouth only to close it again. Argent, too, was at a loss—he couldn’t call her his wife, so what could he say?
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
“She’s a guest.”
“A guest?”
Irina stepped forward and studied Free closely, as if she were a rare specimen.
“What a cute young lady.”
“…It’s nice to meet you. I’m Free Ezan.”
“So, what’s the reason Al brought you here?”
That… I’d like to know myself.
Irina’s expression was unreadable. Whether it was curiosity or wariness, Free couldn’t tell. Her gaze was like that of a child seeing a new toy.
“Irina.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll go. See you again, cute lady.”
Irina turned with a swirl after flashing a sweet smile—only when Argent’s cold tone hit the air.
“I’m sorry. That must have been uncomfortable.”
“…Not at all.”
He had said he had no wife.
But he hadn’t said he didn’t have a fiancée or a lover. So Free assumed Irina was his lover.
‘It’s not like it has anything to do with me anyway.’
“Let’s go.”
Seeing Free’s gaze linger on the direction Irina had gone, Argent began walking again.
“…Yes.”
From then on, he said nothing.
As if drawing a clear line, Argent moved forward, the only sound being the echo of his footsteps. And Free, strangely at peace in this detached silence, followed suit.
After some time had passed—
They left the main castle, passed through lush green paths, and arrived at another castle with an entirely different atmosphere.
It wasn’t luxurious, but it was elegant. The halls were decorated with clean white wallpaper, and the floors were made of cool marble.
Even as she walked, the coolness from the floor seemed to rise up through her shoes, and a small smile appeared on Free’s lips.
‘So refreshing.’
Her feet had been burning in her shoes for a while, but now they felt cool. The heaviness and warmth she had felt earlier began to fade with that cooling sensation.
How long had they walked?
After traversing the long corridor and climbing to the second floor, Argent finally stopped.
“This will be your bedroom.”
“Thank you.”
“This entire castle is yours, so if you don’t like this room, you’re free to use any other one.”
Her eyes naturally turned to him.
“…What?”
“It’s not like anyone else uses this castle anyway. And this place is on the opposite side of where I stay, so you don’t need to feel burdened.”
No, she definitely felt burdened.
How was this any different from being given an entire castle?
Free opened her mouth to object, but only air came out. Then, Argent reached out and gently placed his hand on the door.
“Get some rest today.”
“…Wait. Why are you being so kind to me?”
“Hm?”
“…Aren’t I basically a hostage from the Ezan Kingdom? Then why are you treating me so kindly?”
“I’m not being kind.”
He looked like he wanted to say more, but he bit his lip and turned away.
“Please go inside.”
Free stared after him for a long moment as he walked away. Cliden, who had quietly watched, stepped forward and opened the door Argent had reached for earlier.
“You must be tired from the journey. It’s best to rest for now.”
“…Yes.”
Her gaze shifted slowly.
Though Cliden’s face held a faint sense of satisfaction as he looked at her, Free didn’t notice.
The door opened softly, and a warm breeze and golden sunlight streamed in through the windows, reaching all the way to where Free stood.
“Ah…”
Entering the room, Free couldn’t help but be stunned.
It was exactly like her bedroom back in the Ezan Kingdom.
So identical it made her doubt her own eyes.
Was she back in Ezan? It felt like, at any moment, Zel would come running in and say, “Princess! What were you doing? You went outside the palace again, didn’t you?!”
Her eyes welled up with tears.
Of all the things she had left behind, the one she missed most was probably Zel—her maid, her friend, someone like a younger sister.
Thinking of Zel, who had cried for her until the very end, brought tears spilling from Free’s eyes.
“Are you alright?”
A gentle voice spoke, and a neatly folded white handkerchief was suddenly offered in front of her.
Free took it and wiped her tears.
“Thank you.”
“There was an order to make this place resemble your original room as closely as possible.”
“…From him?”
“Yes. But it seems it may have had the opposite effect.”
Cliden looked around the room with an apologetic smile.
“No, it’s nice.”
If only Zel were here—she’d love it.
Lost in thoughts of her, Free slowly walked to the window, conscious of Cliden at her side.
“The sea…!”
