Chapter 67
‘Your Excellency?’
Ephion frowned, yanking open the curtains with a sharp motion.
Thud!
A heavy sound echoed as a large knight was thrown to the ground at the entrance, like a sack tossed aside.
The man standing behind him was none other than Heinrich.
Heinrich didn’t spare even a glance at the knight crumpled at his feet. He simply strode forward, his boots hitting the floor with steady, deliberate steps.
Just before his boot came down on the knight’s chest, Nadia couldn’t hold back her voice.
“Your Excellency! There’s someone under your feet!”
He could have fought with the knights—after all, they weren’t weaklings but proud warriors. He had no obligation to show mercy.
But stepping on a fallen opponent was beneath Heinrich’s dignity.
That would tarnish his honor—and that was something Nadia could never bear to see.
Ephion snorted at Nadia’s outburst.
“Why would the Duke of Baldwin listen to the likes of you…?”
While Ephion mocked her, Heinrich calmly drew back his foot, stepping lightly over the knight’s body to approach them both.
Ephion looked almost dazed, while Heinrich’s expression was cold—frost-bitten.
“Your Highness,” Heinrich greeted curtly.
He nodded slightly toward Ephion, then reached out and gently took hold of Nadia’s arm.
There was no force in the gesture—not even the faintest touch directed at Ephion—yet Ephion recoiled as though scalded.
Nadia’s arm, which had been gripped roughly for so long, turned white, then blotched red as blood began to flow again. Heinrich’s icy gaze lingered on the faint red marks marring her pale skin, a cold flame flickering in his eyes.
Ephion felt a tremor of fear, but pride forced him to stand his ground, back straight and chin high.
“Duke Baldwin, as I recall, my escort knight was standing outside this shop.”
“Yes. I saw him as well.”
“What?”
Heinrich tilted his head slowly, as if genuinely puzzled.
“You’ll need a new one. He’s far too weak to protect a royal. You saw it yourself, didn’t you?”
Heinrich gestured toward the knight still sprawled on the floor.
Ephion’s neck flushed scarlet; he clenched his jaw until his teeth ground audibly.
“So the great Duke of the North thinks little of the royal family? Do you imagine His Majesty the Emperor will overlook this insult?”
It was meant as a threat, but Heinrich didn’t hesitate in the slightest.
“Yes,” he replied evenly. “He will.”
“His Majesty values the honor of the royal family above all else!”
“Precisely,” Heinrich said, his tone calm and sharp as a blade. “That’s why he’ll overlook it. He wouldn’t want rumors spreading that a prince of the Empire threatened the Duke Baldwin’s lover.”
Heinrich didn’t wait for Ephion to leave first.
Placing a steady hand at the small of Nadia’s back, he guided her gently out of the shop.
Just as he hadn’t needed permission to enter, he showed he needed none to leave.
At the front of the café, Heinrich withdrew his hand and took a step back.
Nadia wanted to walk away as cleanly as he did, without hesitation—but she couldn’t help calling out to him.
“Your Excellency, I…”
There were so many things she wanted to say, so many questions to ask.
But none of them would leave her lips.
She wanted to ask why he had ended things so abruptly, so unilaterally—but she also knew she had no right to.
Their relationship had never been something that could truly “end.”
“Are you… all right now, Your Excellency?”
That was all she could manage—her voice small, uncertain.
As always, and for as long as she could remember, she found herself worrying about Heinrich’s well-being.
No matter what she thought or felt, it was the one thing that flowed from her as naturally as breathing.
Only after saying it did Nadia dare lift her gaze.
Heinrich’s brow was furrowed, as if the entire situation exasperated him. He brushed a hand through his hair and let out a long sigh.
“Why can’t you simply live peacefully?”
“…What? I have been living peacefully. The estate is doing well, I haven’t overused magic…”
Nadia hastily defended herself, but Heinrich didn’t look convinced. He waited for her to finish before replying, his tone almost reproachful.
“I thought this was the outcome you wanted.”
His words dropped heavy and cold, making Nadia’s heart sink.
She had seen Heinrich’s harsh and cold sides before—but resentment from him was something she couldn’t bear.
“What do you mean, the outcome I wanted?”
“Don’t pretend not to know. I mean leaving me.”
At his words, Nadia truly couldn’t speak.
Heinrich’s expression twisted into something she couldn’t read—half a grimace, half a bitter smile.
“Every moment you were beside me… wasn’t that what you wanted most? To leave?”
Nadia thought, That’s both true—and not true at all.
Such contradictions only wounded them both.
As her gaze fell, Heinrich’s voice scattered above her like dust in the wind.
“…You should get that arm treated when you return. I don’t know what you were discussing with Prince Ephion, but he’s not someone you should be involved with. Remember that.”
He lingered for a moment before her—but only a moment. Perhaps it only felt brief to Nadia.
Either way, Heinrich was gone.
Nadia closed her eyes and let the cool autumn wind wash over her.
To Heinrich, I will always be someone who leaves. Whether as Livenia, or as Nadia.
All she had ever wanted was a life she could control herself.
But maybe… not anymore.
Nadia forced herself to erase the thought—one that had come far too late.
* * *
The royal hunting festival ended successfully—but to Nadia, it meant nothing.
If anything, she thought it was convenient. The Emperor would be in good spirits, which meant she could afford to make a mess of the upcoming Harvest Festival without consequence.
“You should have attended the hunt, my lady,” Vivian said regretfully. “It was such a great opportunity!”
But Nadia felt no regret at all. She had seen more than enough of those hunts during her days as Livenia.
Besides, the Emperor loved entertainment; he always looked forward to the hunting festival. If Nadia had drawn attention by mentioning diamonds, or the Marquis of Desmond, or anything else, she would only have irritated him.
“Next time, you really should attend! I want to prepare an outdoor gown for you,” Vivian said eagerly.
“An outdoor gown? Don’t I already go out often enough?”
“Oh, not like that!”
Vivian huffed, flustered, and Nadia couldn’t help laughing softly from a distance.
“You must’ve been dying to pick out clothes for me again the whole time you were mad at me.”
“Don’t even mention it! When you brought out that navy dress, I was so shocked I forgot I was supposed to be sulking!”
Funny—she hadn’t looked upset at all back then.
Nadia narrowed her eyes playfully, wondering if assassins were trained to hide their expressions so well.
“All right, all done. You look stunning, my lady.”
Vivian gasped in admiration, and Nadia turned toward the mirror.
“My lady’s always beautiful, but when you look like this—men all over the world would line up just to kiss your feet!”
Vivian was especially dramatic today.
Ever since that encounter with Heinrich at the café, Vivian had been trying everything to lift Nadia’s spirits—playful jokes, endless praise, even bringing her favorite books.
Thanks to her, Nadia found herself smiling a little more each day.
And today, even she had to admit—Vivian’s work was lovely.
The pale pink gown had worried her at first—it seemed too girlish—but the short brown shawl draped from her shoulders to elbows added warmth and elegance.
She had wondered why Vivian chose pink, until the maid pinned a large pink diamond brooch over her heart.
Her hair was half-tied with a brown ribbon, adorned with small jewels that caught the light.
Seeing Nadia pleased, Vivian grew even more excited as she picked the accessories.
“My lady always suits pearls best, but…”
Vivian reached for the pearl earrings Nadia favored—then paused, switching to silver flower-shaped ones instead.
“Ah, no—these are perfect. Because my lady is as beautiful as a flower. Don’t you agree?”
She must have remembered that Heinrich had once chosen the pearls.
Nadia smiled faintly, touched by Vivian’s quiet thoughtfulness, and nodded.
