Chapter 02
I thrashed my arms desperately, trying to escape.
But the more I struggled, the stronger the crushing pressure became.
Am I… going to die like this? Misunderstood as the Demon King, in such a ridiculous way?
With that thought, my body kept sinking—down, and down.
No. I can’t die like this!
I’m only in my twenties, with a long future ahead.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of life; how could I die so meaninglessly?
I will survive. I will survive—and the very first thing I’ll do is…
Make you pay, Pamel Ashinov! I’ll make you cry your eyes out!
Grinding my teeth, I fought harder, flailing my arms with every ounce of strength—
“Miss!”
A sudden, urgent grip seized my arm.
“Cough!”
I sputtered and coughed, spitting out mouthfuls of water.
Where on earth did all this water even come from?
But my head was spinning too badly to ponder it.
“Are you all right, miss?”
A young man—apparently the one who had hauled me up—shook me in alarm.
My stomach, already queasy, turned inside out. I was about to vomit not just water but stomach acid.
Uh, thank you for saving me, but could you… stop shaking me…
I was too exhausted to protest.
Meanwhile, the young man only shook me harder.
“Miss! Please stay with us!”
I said stop shaking meee…!
I screamed inwardly in frustration, then blacked out.
“…wake… up…”
“…kill…”
“…assess the situation…”
Through the haze, unfamiliar voices floated in.
Three distinct ones.
I wanted to open my eyes and see what was happening, but my body felt like waterlogged cotton—too heavy to move.
Gradually the voices sharpened.
“That quack must’ve been wrong. How is she still unconscious if she’s fine?”
“Shh. Lower your voice. There’s a patient here. Have some manners.”
“…And you’re not worried? They say she’s fine but she won’t wake up! If the old man finds out, there’ll be hell to pay…”
The loud, irritated man’s voice finally dropped—though it still rang in my ears.
“Theon. Sisé.”
A calmer man broke the silence, mediating.
“Finding out who ambushed the carriage comes first.”
“Probably one of the Ashinov branch families.”
The calmer of the first two tossed out his conclusion.
“Wouldn’t you be desperate? They probably thought they’d inherit once the Grand Duke died. And now, out of nowhere, the Grand Duke’s granddaughter shows up as heir.”
“We’ll know once we interrogate the one we captured. We only managed to bring back a single prisoner.”
Ashinov? Grand Duke’s granddaughter? Heir?
What on earth are these men talking about?
They seemed to be talking about me being unconscious, but I’m no Grand Duke’s granddaughter.
Besides, Ashinov—that was the name of the mage who mistook me for the Demon King.
Bits of information spun in circles, refusing to fit together.
Frustrated, I struggled to open my eyes.
Yes… got it!
With a shiver, I forced my heavy eyelids up and saw a high, ornate ceiling.
I rolled my eyes—my only movable part—to survey the room.
It was a spacious chamber, lavishly decorated with elegance that drew involuntary admiration.
Just one of those ornaments could probably feed me for life.
But more striking than the expensive décor were the three men standing stiffly with grave expressions.
Blond-haired, blue-eyed twins—and a black-haired man with golden eyes.
Wow…
For a moment I forgot reality. They were so handsome I couldn’t help but stare, even in my dazed state.
Noticing my gaze, one of them turned toward me.
“Huh…? She’s awake.”
The instant our eyes met—
Ugh!
A splitting headache crashed in, and a flood of familiar memories surged into my mind.
Thirteen-year-old Danae worked at a small country inn.
Her tasks were hauling water, scrubbing floors, and washing laundry.
The innkeeper couple had taken her in as a “daughter” after her parents died when she was young.
But “daughter” was in name only—they treated her little better than a servant.
They gave her stale bread or leftovers from the guests.
Her “room” was a tiny shed beside the stable.
The stench of horse manure clung to her clothes and hair.
Each night she slept on a straw-stuffed pallet and dreamed.
Her late parents would appear and say, “Danae, we’ve come for you. From today, you’ll be with family!”
But when she awoke, they were never there.
One day, a well-dressed group of men came to the inn.
They were said to be knights of some great house.
Knights?
Until now, she’d only read about such men in a tattered storybook discarded by the innkeepers’ daughter.
Among the countless travelers passing through, she had never seen a knight.
Pretending to fetch water from the spring, she secretly watched them.
Dressed in crisp white uniforms, the knights gleamed more brightly than any storybook description.
Even the overbearing innkeepers were cowed, bowing repeatedly as they welcomed the men.
“Such distinguished guests in our humble village! How long will you be staying?”
“We’re not here to stay. We’re looking for someone.”
“Someone?”
“Yes. A girl named Danae. She should be thirteen this year.”
“What? Why would knights be looking for Danae…?”
The girl they sought was Danae herself.
Startled, she dropped the heavy water jug she was carrying.
The knights speaking with the innkeepers turned toward her.
“That’s the girl…”
“Yes, that’s Danae. Is there some problem?”
With confirmation from the innkeeper, a red-haired knight strode toward her.
The young girl could only lower her head, unable to meet his gaze.
She quickly regretted that, noticing the worn, grimy shoes in her view.
So filthy…
She had never felt ashamed of her tattered shoes before—every child in the alley wore the same.
But standing before this gleaming man, she suddenly found them disgraceful.
Surely a man like him wore only the finest footwear.
Rolling her eyes to glimpse his feet, she saw spotless, polished boots befitting his fine clothes and striking face.
Comparing them to her own shoes, hers looked like rags.
She tugged futilely at the hem of her short skirt to hide them.
It was a hand-me-down from Josephine, the innkeepers’ ten-year-old daughter.
Danae was thirteen.
Despite her small frame, the younger girl’s clothes barely fit.
No matter how she pulled, the hem refused to lengthen like magic.
Of course something good like that would never happen to me, she sighed inwardly, releasing the fabric.
Besides, the dress is just as filthy as the shoes.
Dirty clothes could never hide dirty shoes.
And it wasn’t only her clothes and shoes—she hadn’t bathed in days. Her hair and body were a mess.
Realizing that, she felt there was no need to be embarrassed about just her shoes.
“Are you Danae?”
The red-haired knight, who had watched her fidget for a while, finally spoke.
Danae began to lift her head to answer, but her foster father, Robin, replied first.
“Yes, sir. This girl is Danae. Did you hear something about her?”
Robin grinned slyly as he spoke.
