ITPMHFN 77

Chapter 77

The door closed, and the carriage wheels began to clatter forward.

The Duke of Sertia gazed out the window at the banquet hall.

Under the brilliant lights, the two stood side by side.

Everything about the scene was flawless—without a single blemish.

‘Rachel said that the Grand Duke truly loves her.’

At first, he had dismissed it as nonsense.

A beast of a man, harboring feelings? Impossible.

But just moments ago, Denok’s eyes had told a different story.

The way he looked at Edith—there was unmistakable affection in his gaze.

And the pressure that once made one’s skin prickle whenever he stood near—seemed to soften in her presence.

It was, in truth, a good thing.

If he had come to love the girl, there would be no hindrance in producing an heir.

He should have been pleased about that.

Yet—

The Duke’s brows furrowed suddenly.

‘…Irritating.’

A faint, inexplicable discomfort prickled at him, like a splinter beneath a fingernail.

In his mind, the face of Edith as he had last seen her surfaced.

Her expression certainly resembled the child he remembered.

But what had caught his eye—what had made it impossible to look away—

Were her eyes, now far more vividly resembling her mother’s.

‘Ah… I see.’

The Duke exhaled briefly, the corner of his lips twisting into a smirk.

That faint sense of inferiority, of helpless resentment and hate—

It was gone.

Edith’s eyes were clear and bright now.

They were the eyes of someone who dreamed.

“Hah, haha!”

The Duke laughed aloud.

So, she truly bears Sertia’s blood after all.

She’s learned well how to hide her expression.

Whatever dream she’s chasing, it didn’t matter.

‘Everything will go as I will it, in the end.’

Still—

“Perhaps… a safeguard or two might be necessary.”

He might have to act sooner than expected.

As he leaned back, the air in the carriage seemed to grow heavy.

Under the moonlight brushing past the window, the Duke slowly closed his eyes.

As the crowd began to leave the banquet hall one by one, I found myself staring unconsciously at the carriage rolling away.

The Duke’s last words lingered stubbornly in my ears.

“Do not love him.”

What a ridiculous thing to say.

If I still had any sense of shame, any reason at all—

Why would I choose a path that led to mutual misery?

And yet, even as I thought that, an uncomfortable bitterness rose in my mouth.

That was when I felt someone approaching from behind.

I turned my head quickly—and there stood Princess Annabel and Prince Siren.

I hastily lowered my body and bent my knees.

“It was an honor to have you here, Your Highness.”

“It was a delightful evening. His Majesty the Emperor would have been pleased, had he been here as well.”

I barely managed not to frown.

If the Emperor had attended, he most likely would’ve sided with Duke Sertia that night.

Meanwhile, Princess Annabel responded to me kindly—but to Denok, she merely gave a curt nod.

Was it my imagination, or was her gaze unusually sharp?

Denok bowed his head slightly without a word.

The Princess gave a faint, mocking laugh before turning away.

‘What was that…?’

My confusion lasted only a moment.

The one who remained stepped forward—toward me.

I bowed again before Prince Siren.

But without warning, he reached out—and embraced me.

“…!”

“Wha—!”

Then, in a low, emotionless voice, he murmured at my ear,

“You smell of the sea.”

I froze.

My breath caught in my throat.

Those words—what they implied—

And before I could even push him away, he stepped back lightly.

Siren glanced between my wide eyes and Denok, whose expression turned sharp enough to kill.

The prince’s face stiffened with an awkward realization.

“Ah, forgive me. That isn’t how farewells are done in the Empire, is it? Old Elkan habits die hard…”

“Ah…”

“In Elka, it’s customary to give warm farewells to those with whom you share a good bond.”

I was still frozen in place.

The onlookers, confused at first, soon nodded as if it made sense.

But Denok stepped between us, shielding me from view.

“We’ve received a fine welcome tonight. I’d like to invite you both to my villa someday.”

“Oh, there’s no need to trouble yourself—”

“I insist. I’d like to deepen our friendship, personally. You wouldn’t mind, would you, Duchess?”

I finally managed to nod faintly.

Whatever his true intent, Siren had clearly realized my secret—that I was a descendant of merfolk.

And by inviting both of us, he was telling me not to worry.

‘So he did have a reason to approach me.’

I met his curious smile in silence.

Then, with a serene motion, Siren bent his knees and gave a perfect imperial bow—

Exactly as I had done before.

Denok glared daggers at his retreating figure long after he was gone.

Once the banquet ended safely, peace finally returned to the Grand Duke’s mansion.

In the steam-filled bath, I sank my weary body deep into the hot water.

The warmth enveloped my skin, but it wasn’t enough to wash away my fatigue.

My brows remained tightly knit.

I hugged my knees beneath the water.

“You smell of the sea.”

That single phrase kept echoing in my mind, clouding my thoughts.

The way he had approached me again and again—it couldn’t have been mere coincidence.

He must have known.

‘But how?’

The truth about my mother had been kept strictly confidential.

Even the household servants had never seen her face. To the outside world, she was simply a foreign noblewoman in poor health, resting in seclusion.

Until the day she died.

I clenched my arms tighter around my legs.

A small suspicion began to sprout.

‘Could it be…’

The only explanation that made sense—

Was that he, too, might be a descendant of merfolk.

“Elka is a land that lives in harmony with nature.
To cross the blue sea safely, to enrich the forests we depend on—
Elkan magic is used to coexist with nature.”

“Someday, Duchess, I hope you can visit Elka yourself.”

Scattered pieces of thought seemed to converge into a single line.

Elka, a place famed for its bond with nature—and his repeated invitation.

If he truly were kin, his strange familiarity would make sense.

‘But it wasn’t just familiarity. It was too much.’

And while I couldn’t recognize him, he had recognized me.

That, too, was strange.

I tilted my head back slowly.

Through the rising steam, the ceiling blurred above me.

There was only one way to confirm Siren’s intentions—

To wait for his invitation to arrive.

“Haa…”

A long breath escaped me, dissolving into the mist.

Maybe a bath hadn’t been the best idea.

With my thoughts tangled and the hot water lulling me, the world began to spin faintly.

I rinsed off quickly and stepped into my room—

Only to find someone waiting for me.

“…Your Grace.”

The lights were off.

Denok sat silently on the darkened bed.

When his unlit eyes lifted toward me, a sudden realization struck—

The invitation hadn’t been meant for me alone.

“I’m sorry. I took too long, didn’t I?”

I closed the door hastily behind me. The air inside felt unnervingly cool.

When I turned, I saw the window open wide. He must have been waiting like that for quite a while.

Guilt pricked at me.

I’d lost track of time, caught up in thought.

I set my towel down and moved toward him—

And just as a chill breeze brushed across my feet, his voice cut through the air.

“That man—what did he say to you in the garden?”

His tone was as cold as the room itself.