Chapter 2
Diarin Conclister.
After walking into a quiet and secluded place, she shrugged her shoulders.
Life was truly unpredictable.
Who could have imagined that Ezet, once treated so lowly, would return as such a great hero?
Not the emperor, not Diarin herself, and not even her adoptive father, Duke Concl.
Because of that, she had to come here today covered in jewels, trying to win Ezet’s favor.
Still, Diarin did not think the process was entirely bad.
At least she was able to see with her own eyes that Ezet was alive and safe.
Yes, at least she had managed that much…
The thoughts lingering in Diarin’s mind did not last long.
The reason was simple.
“You really look no different from a prostitute, Lady Diarin Conclister.”
Even at the openly insulting voice, Diarin smiled out of habit.
At the same time, she became curious.
If she was being called a prostitute even while dressed so modestly, what kind of insults would they throw at her if she wore a dress that showed even a little skin like a ballroom gown?
Anyway.
Just by looking at the man blocking her path and glaring at her fiercely, Diarin could tell how much Ezet’s status had changed.
“Marquis Angelo.”
“I clearly told you to give my daughter the position of the Eighth Prince’s fiancée. Did you not hear me?”
The older Marquis Angelo’s face was filled with greed and anger.
He looked like a filthy parasite drooling in front of prey.
The fact that he had waited in the imperial palace carriage station and dragged Diarin into his carriage just to threaten her already said enough.
‘The fact that he personally came here means…’
It seemed he was truly desperate.
The marquis’s large hand gripped Diarin’s wrist roughly.
“My daughter is a refined lady loved by Her Majesty the Empress. She cannot even be compared to a fallen branch-family orphan like you. If you don’t back away while I’m speaking nicely…”
“Yes.”
“…What?”
“Yes. You heard correctly. I’ll step aside.”
Diarin answered obediently.
For a moment, Marquis Angelo looked confused, as if he thought he had misheard her.
Without losing her smile, Diarin continued,
“I’ll return to the Concl territory as soon as I leave the palace today. Honestly, I also dislike having a fiancé whose face I can’t even see. As you know, I was born with Equal Blood.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course, Marquis Angelo.”
Of course.
Of course it was a lie.
But if necessary, Diarin could tell this kind of lie a hundred times without even blinking.
There was no reason to risk making him angrier while trapped alone together.
Escaping this carriage safely came first.
It seemed Marquis Angelo only regained his senses after a long pause.
“…For an orphan, you understand quickly. At least you know your place.”
“Thank you.”
Satisfied with her obedient answer, Marquis Angelo released her wrist.
But Diarin did not expect him to grab her again when she tried to leave the carriage.
For a brief moment, disgust rose inside her, but she skillfully hid it and asked gently,
“Do you still have something more to say, Marquis Angelo?”
“Even if I trust you, I can’t trust Duke Concl.”
‘And what exactly am I supposed to do about that?’
Even Diarin herself found Duke Concl difficult to handle. He was a dark and twisted man.
Even Marquis Angelo could not act carelessly in front of the duke.
“Duke Concl is a filthy villain. I think I should ruin that pretty face of yours a little. Then Duke Concl won’t be able to use you as a political marriage tool anymore.”
Marquis Angelo pulled out a sharp jeweled nail he always carried with him and tried to slash Diarin’s face.
But suddenly—
“AAAGH!”
He screamed.
His groin had been kicked directly.
If the angle had been even slightly different, Marquis Angelo might never have been able to enjoy women again.
At that moment, he was strangely relieved Diarin was wearing a long skirt.
Otherwise, his manhood might truly have been destroyed.
But after the relief came overwhelming rage.
“You filthy bitch!”
The moment Marquis Angelo grabbed Diarin by the collar—
Bang!
The carriage door swung open.
As if frozen, Marquis Angelo stopped moving.
Creak.
There, colder than ice, were golden eyes.
Ezet Asperk Kirchen.
The very prince Marquis Angelo had wanted as his daughter’s fiancé.
After seeing the situation inside the carriage, Ezet frowned.
“What exactly are you doing?”
“Y-Your Highness, the Eighth Prince…”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Even though Ezet was young enough to be his son, Marquis Angelo could not stay calm under the freezing pressure coming from him.
“T-That is…”
He could not even finish speaking.
Someone grabbed the back of his neck and dragged him straight out of the carriage.
Even though the marquis had a heavy body, Ezet pulled him out as easily as if he were a paper doll.
“Aagh! Aaaagh!”
Outside the carriage, Marquis Angelo’s screams rang continuously.
Soon his ugly sobbing could also be heard, followed by the sound of the imperial guards rushing over.
A little later—
“Lady Diarin.”
Ezet returned to the carriage and held out his hand to her.
Honestly, Diarin was surprised.
She had not expected him to come back.
Still, she took Ezet’s hand.
Perhaps because her own hands were so cold, Ezet’s warmth felt especially noticeable.
Then another question arose in her mind.
‘How did he even come here? And why did he save me?’
But unlike her thoughts, the proper words left her mouth smoothly.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Ezet glanced at Diarin.
To Diarin, Ezet’s face was still impossible to see clearly.
It was blurry, like hidden behind fog.
Only his eyes floated faintly within that haze.
A brief silence passed.
Then—
“You always…”
‘Always?’
But Ezet did not finish the sentence.
He only stared deeply into Diarin’s eyes.
Those unique pale purple eyes looked as if precious jewels had been placed inside them.
Even the people who hated Diarin for being Duke Concl’s puppet could not deny her extraordinary beauty.
That was probably why Duke Concl had specifically chosen her among so many branch-family girls to adopt.
But none of that mattered to Ezet.
Her appearance had never mattered to him.
The only things important to him were those dawn-colored eyes, the careful distance she always kept from him—
And that gaze that clearly knew nothing.
Ezet finally spoke.
“You are staring at my face quite intensely.”
“Ah… I apologize, Your Highness.”
Diarin quickly looked away.
It was a common mistake among those born with Equal Blood.
Because they could not properly see the faces of royalty, they sometimes ended up staring blankly as though trying to look through thick fog.
After quietly watching her, Ezet finally looked forward again.
Then he spoke.
“I heard you suddenly left the territory.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Did you really need to leave that suddenly?”
“Well… my health suddenly became very poor.”
Honestly, it was an unbelievable excuse.
The Northern Gate Stone territory protected by Ezet was one of the largest territories in the empire.
Although it was located in the far north where terrible snowstorms came every winter, it was far from being a poor or undeveloped land. Countless noble families wished to live there.
“Did you dislike Northern Gate Stone, or did you dislike the political marriage?”
“…What?”
“Was it both?”
Diarin was caught off guard by the unexpected question.
At this gloomy ceremony, where everyone wore masks and hid their true feelings, Diarin spoke honestly for once.
“Neither.”
Ezet quietly looked at her.
She could feel his gaze, but she could not tell what kind of expression he was making.
But whether he believed her or not—
It was the truth.
Diarin had nothing more she could say.
Then Ezet suddenly looked away and muttered,
“You must have had your reasons.”
“….”
Diarin’s heart stirred softly like bubbles rising in water.
She parted her lips slightly, then closed them again.
She knew about the hostility shown toward her by Ramd, the red-haired knight constantly guarding Ezet’s side.
Probably everyone in Northern Gate Stone hated her just as much.
So she had prepared herself, believing Ezet would hate her too.
Then why…
“Lady Diarin.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“Not one week later. I’ll send a carriage in three days.”
“…What?”
“So let’s move up our appointment.”
After escorting Diarin back to a crowded area, Ezet released her hand.
Duke Concl looked very satisfied.
“So Marquis Angelo, that dog who doesn’t know his place, dared to try damaging your face? I already handed him over to the imperial guards.”
There was not even the slightest concern in Duke Concl’s voice about the fact that Diarin had almost been hurt.
Instead, he looked her over with satisfaction.
“And the one who saved you just happened to be the Eighth Prince. Dressing you up beautifully was worth it after all. Things seem to be going well.”
Just as Ezet’s knight had guessed, Duke Concl had deliberately brought Diarin here.
The black velvet dress suited for the gloomy deposition ceremony was the highest-quality dress Diarin had worn in a long time.
Today, she looked beautiful.
Beautiful, yet pale like a ghost.
The faint black lace veil attached to her hat sharply contrasted with her pale face.
Duke Concl asked,
“So what did you talk about with the Eighth Prince during the ceremony?”
The duke was naturally suspicious.
He had probably planted spies around Diarin and already heard most of the conversation.
Even so, he asked anyway.
It was a test.
Even knowing that, Diarin answered obediently.
“I apologized to His Highness for my foolishness in the past. And I reminded him of a memory from two years ago.”
“A memory?”
“Yes. Two years ago, the day before the Eighth Prince disappeared was actually his birthday. I had promised him back then that I would prepare a gift for him. Thankfully, he still remembered.”
“Was that so?”
Interest appeared in Duke Concl’s eyes.
