Chapter 23
A strange rumor had been going around for days.
That Alperen had clashed with the Emperor.
After that, he disappeared without a trace, which only made the whispers louder.
Did this happen because I pushed him to hurry with the annulment?
Worried, I tried contacting the Ainrook estate, but the only answer I got was that the Duke was “unavailable.”
Where on earth did he go?
Normally, he always said where he was headed. His sudden disappearance gnawed at me.
I was stewing over it in the drawing room with Adrian when I decided to probe.
“Any word from Ren oppa?”
At the mention of Alperen, Adrian just gave a bored shrug.
“He’s a grown man. Maybe he went traveling. Deli, you’ve asked me that three times today. You’d think you were in love with him.”
He leaned in close, grinning like an idiot. I resisted the urge to smack his face and shoved him away instead.
“Unlike you, Ren oppa wouldn’t die even if he fell into an ice cave.”
“Pretty sure the same goes for him.”
“Seriously, you really don’t know where he is? You’re not just pretending?”
I pressed, but Adrian only lifted his shoulders again.
“He’s not my subordinate. Why would he report his movements to me? Half the time, I don’t even know what’s going on in that head of his.”
Liar. You totally know.
No matter how much I tried, Adrian wouldn’t budge. For once, his normally loose tongue was sealed tight.
He must’ve gone off to do something dangerous.
“You’re not even worried about your friend?”
“Worried? Please. Deli, listen carefully. The most pointless thing you can do in this world is worry about Alperen Ainrook.”
“Even if he’s strong, that doesn’t mean he can’t be hurt. Or killed.”
My mind flashed to the original story, where he’d been taken out in the most absurd way—poison. My chest tightened.
Seeing my persistence, Adrian finally sighed deeply and planted both hands on his hips.
“Deli. Do you even know what they used to call him at the Academy?”
“…What?”
“He had a lot of nicknames, but the one that stood out the most was—”
“Enough.”
A familiar voice cut him off.
Alperen walked calmly into the drawing room.
Perfectly put-together, dressed as if he’d just come from a banquet, not a hair out of place.
My eyes widened.
“Ren oppa?”
“Hello, Deli. Have you been well?”
He smiled warmly and patted my head.
Relief washed over me—until his hand withdrew.
That faint metallic tang in the air—blood.
And with it, a sudden chill that prickled my skin.
Instinctively, I grabbed his hand.
“Deli?”
For the briefest second, surprise flickered in his eyes.
I lifted his hand to my nose, sniffing.
But the blood scent was gone, the coldness vanished.
Weird. I could’ve sworn… was it just my imagination?
I pressed his palm to my face again, sniffing like a hound—
“Deli, stop. You’re making him uncomfortable.”
Adrian’s voice came lazily from the sofa.
“Ah!”
Only then did I realize what I was doing—grabbing and pawing at Alperen’s hand like that.
I dropped it immediately.
“S-sorry, oppa!”
“….”
He flexed his fingers once, then closed them into a fist.
His silver lashes lowered, shadows darkening his eyes. He seemed… thoughtful.
I quickly changed the subject.
“So, where have you been all this time?”
“Just… needed some fresh air.”
“Funny. Rumor has it you angered His Majesty.”
“…It was only a little disagreement.”
He bit down on his lower lip, gaze sliding away. I thought I saw the tips of his ears turning red.
He’s not going to tell me anything, huh.
Fair enough. I was only his friend’s younger sister. He didn’t owe me that.
Still, after all my worrying, I felt a little deflated.
“…Then why are you here?”
My voice came out sharper than I intended.
Alperen studied me quietly.
“There’s something I wanted to tell you.”
His eyes met mine, and I felt like he saw straight through me. Embarrassed, I lowered my gaze.
“…What is it?”
“It’s probably the thing you’ve been wishing for most.”
“The thing I’ve wanted most?”
“Your debutante gift.”
My breath caught.
He smiled, radiant.
And then, his voice was calm but sure.
“Tomorrow, they’ll announce it. The annulment with Nanael Barnard has been approved.”
For a moment, I couldn’t move. Then a shiver of overwhelming relief ran through me.
Adrian muttered, “Anyone watching would think you’re Alperen’s sister, not mine.”
But I didn’t care.
“Really? Truly?”
“Yes.”
“Wow…”
I pinched my own cheeks hard.
Ouch. It hurt.
Which meant this wasn’t a dream.
No prison. No execution. No tragic ending.
The weight I’d been carrying finally lifted.
Then Alperen reached out and cupped my cheek.
“That must hurt.”
“…Huh?”
“Are you still mad at me, Deli?”
His gentle tone made my heart skip.
Right… I had been sulking at him, hadn’t I?
Flustered, I looked away.
“I-I was never mad.”
“Good. Then I’m glad.”
His soft gaze warmed me to my core.
“Tch.”
I puffed my lips out, pretending it was nothing.
Adrian butted in, grinning.
“Alright, since Alperen finally came to his senses, let’s have a drink to celebrate.”
He wrapped his arms around both of us and steered us to the sofa.
Well… a toast on a day like this wasn’t a bad idea.
As Adrian went to fetch wine, I called after him brightly:
“I know where Father’s been hiding the 107-year-old Gavisán vintage!”
The next day—
News of the annulment drove Nanael straight into the Emperor’s office.
“Y-you can’t, Your Highness!”
The chamberlain tried to stop her, but she shoved past.
The Emperor was already looking up, calm as ever.
“You’re here.”
As if he had expected her tantrum all along.
That blank, indifferent face of his infuriated her more than anything.
The current Emperor was a politician to his bones, always weighing gains and losses.
If he had approved the annulment, it meant Alperen Ainrook had offered him something very compelling.
Nanael smoothed her dress and dropped a curtsy.
“Your Majesty, forgive my sudden intrusion.”
“I was going to call for you anyway.”
He stood and moved to the sofa. When she sat beside him, the chamberlain brought tea.
The Emperor sipped calmly before speaking.
“I know this matter has upset you. But there are plenty of other good matches besides Duke Ainrook.”
He handed her a list of candidates. Clear as day: don’t bother protesting further.
Not even bothering to explain what had been traded away. He didn’t expect anything of her at all.
Nanael’s fingers clenched tight around her skirt.
“He humiliated me. Pretended to be my devoted fiancé, yet all along he was meeting with Lady Ferris! The only reason he kept the engagement was to use me as a shield until his household stabilized!”
“So?”
“…What?”
“What does that matter?”
Her voice caught mid-rant.
The Emperor glanced at her, tone sharp as a blade.
“Keeping a fiancée while seeing someone else—is that unique to Duke Ainrook?”
