Chapter 04
Retiana—Tia was wearing a splendid dress where white and yellow blended harmoniously.
Her appearance was, quite frankly, excessive.
Her silver hair, lifted once by the spring breeze before gently settling, and her blue gemstone-like eyes revealed beneath long, long eyelashes.
Her translucent skin was so delicate it would be a shame for it to tan under sunlight.
However, Ahak hadn’t stopped Tia because of that beauty.
“…The smell of blood.”
Ahak’s voice rang low, almost like a murmur to himself.
I was startled for a brief moment, but I suppressed my expression.
‘I didn’t kill anyone—so how did he know?’
I hadn’t been able to completely wipe away the Pope’s blood, so the scent must have lingered faintly.
Then again, considering Ahak was of the <Blood Osbldarun>, it wouldn’t be strange if he had an unusually heightened sensitivity to blood.
Still, this made no sense.
What was he, some kind of drug-sniffing dog?
‘It’ll be troublesome if it’s revealed that I’m the one who killed the Pope.’
Ahak was acting like a detective who had caught the culprit through sheer instinct.
It was only suspicion for now, so how I responded mattered more.
I could feel the gazes of the Holy Knights starting to gather.
‘Getting out of this is simple.’
I deliberately put on an offended expression and spoke firmly.
“That’s quite rude.”
I was seventeen, already past the onset of my second growth phase.
For a man to suddenly say a woman like me smelled of blood?
After a brief silence, Ahak seemed to grasp the nuance and quickly let go of my wrist, apologizing.
“I’m sorry.”
“Be more careful next time. I’ll let this slide just once.”
‘I know that wasn’t your intention.’
But for me, the priority was leaving the Papal State without raising suspicion.
The bathwater, filled with floating rose petals, was warm and fragrant.
‘This used to be a dream back when I was dirt poor.’
I lifted a petal with my left hand as I thought.
“How can your skin be so beautiful, my lady?”
“It must be something you’re born with.”
“It’s so pale and soft—you’re like a goddess.”
The maids applying scented oil to my right arm spoke dreamily, their voices filled with admiration.
Servants were generally kind to me (since unlike the others, I treated those weaker than me well), but this time their praise carried genuine sincerity.
Though this was my fourth life, even I had to admit—my appearance was absurdly beautiful.
Even when I missed smartphones from Earth, I never felt like going back.
‘Living with this face is pretty fun.’
If only there weren’t so many insane villains, it would’ve been perfect.
In truth, I kept thinking about the man I had encountered earlier at the Papal State.
‘He saw through my essence.’
We had only brushed past each other, but instinctively, I knew—he was dangerous to me.
“Do any of you know about Ahak of the <Blood Osbldarun>?”
“You mean Lord Ahak?”
“I think he’s the same age as you, my lady. Probably your peer.”
He was the eldest child of that house—and the same age as me?
‘So the head of <Blood Osbldarun> must be quite young.’
“I heard he follows a principle of not killing.”
“They say he’s the most moral among the nobles.”
The four maids answered one after another.
‘The most moral among nobles.’
I vaguely remembered hearing that even before my regression.
Before my third life, I’d never had any connection with him, so I hadn’t cared.
‘If I hadn’t gone to the Papal State this time, we’d never have met.’
“This is the first time you’ve shown interest in a high-ranking noble… could it be—?”
“Oh, it’s not like that.”
One of the maids looked visibly disappointed, while the other three still sparkled with curiosity.
“They say Lord Ahak is so moral that not only is his conduct and character flawless, but he’s even taken a vow of chastity before marriage.”
“He doesn’t even have a fiancée yet, and he’s extremely strict when it comes to the opposite sex.”
‘Hmm… chastity before marriage.’
As hands massaged the back of my neck, I closed my eyes and leaned back.
The bathtub was hard, but a soft pillow supported my neck comfortably.
It was certainly unusual for a high-ranking noble—who wasn’t even a Holy Knight—to take such a vow.
Most nobles were notoriously promiscuous.
‘Yet he grabbed my wrist without hesitation.’
For a moment, my right wrist—the one Ahak had held—felt strangely hot.
Perhaps it was the steam rising from the bathwater, but that spot felt especially sensitive.
Unlike <Sun Stelsherin>, <Blood Osbldarun> passed down leadership directly to the eldest son without a succession battle.
That meant Ahak was the definite heir.
‘In fact… he could even become Emperor.’
The Hawikendora Empire had a rather unusual method of imperial succession.
Among twenty great houses, twelve—including <Blood Osbldarun>—held the right to the throne.
Those who proved their qualifications could participate in the ‘Imperial Succession War.’
And the one who won that contest fairly would be appointed Crown Prince, undergo a brief regency, and then ascend the throne as Emperor.
‘That’s only a possibility, though.’
…Since he’d eventually be wiped out by <Mist Katobletta> anyway.
“My lady, Young Master Talein is waiting in the reception room.”
“Is that so? Tell him to wait—I’m bathing.”
Talein was a powerful contender ranked third in the succession battle.
‘He must’ve come because Father ordered him to deliver the Rose Sword.’
I leisurely enjoyed my bath, saying something I never could have in my first life.
Even knowing Talein’s temper—that he couldn’t tolerate even the slightest delay—I felt no fear.
After finishing my bath and even enjoying a short dessert break, I leisurely changed into a new dress in my room.
“Tell Talein to come to my room.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Going all the way to the reception room was too bothersome.
Back in my first life, when <Mist Katobletta> sold me off as the fourth wife of a noble, it was Talein who had actively recommended me.
While I calmly trimmed my nails, the door burst open—just like Talechet used to do.
Bang!
“You crazy bitch—if you’re going insane, at least do it properly! Who do you think you are, ordering me around?!”
See? Aside from switching to a male tone, he was exactly the same.
I glanced at Talein.
Perhaps after waiting longer than he ever had in his life—and with Talechet’s death added on top—he looked ready to tear me apart.
Talein was infamous in high society for challenging people to duels over even a one-second delay.
‘Did he bring the Rose Sword properly?’
The Rose Sword I had been most eager to see was in his hand, sheathed.
In his other hand, he held a sword breaker—likely intending to kill me.
“Put it down and leave, Talein. I’m not really in the mood to kill someone.”
“…What?”
I already knew words alone wouldn’t work.
I stood up and said:
“Our father may forgive many things—but not infidelity, right?”
Though I didn’t even know how many wives the head had, he never tolerated their affairs.
If discovered, he would brutally kill not only the wife or mistress but also dispose of her children, suspecting their legitimacy.
That was the terminology used in <Sun Stelsherin>.
Talein glared at me, confused by the sudden shift.
I briefly glanced at the servant tied up and gagged nearby.
“Take him and ask.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Even if you kill this servant, there are over a hundred witnesses. Stop the pointless tricks.”
“…!”
Only then did Talein understand, his face turning pale.
Father probably wanted us to clash in a life-or-death battle, but I had no intention of playing along.
So I prepared everything in advance to end this with just a few words.
“Everyone, leave.”
Sensing the tension, the maids bowed and exited.
I looked at Talein and said:
“I heard Lady Teharan is still enjoying passionate moments with her newly hired gardener.”
“!”
Teharan was the seventh wife—the mother of Talein and Talechet.
“Before that, dozens of gardeners died in ‘accidents.’ They were all her lovers, weren’t they?”
Talein’s handsome face twisted and froze.
‘That look—you’re wondering how I know.’
I had found out by chance in my third life.
Judging by his reaction, the secret had been perfectly hidden before.
‘There are over a hundred witnesses’—that part was a bluff.
But threats like this were all about psychological warfare.
I stepped closer to him.
“Now that you understand who’s in charge, stop barking and act like a proper dog.”
“You…!”
“Don’t say ‘you.’ Speak respectfully. And kneel to apologize for daring to insult me.”
Talein stared at me in shock.
He had always known me as someone who endured and obeyed—so this must have been bewildering.
“I’m older than you—and ranked higher—”
“What are you, a dog? Talking about hierarchy?” I scoffed.
“You don’t seem to understand the situation. Rank means nothing to me. I have no intention of becoming head. And age?”
I let out a derisive laugh.
“What does age matter? The stronger one is the older sister.”
And in <Sun Stelsherin>, the strongest person wasn’t the head—
—it was me.
