Chapter 82
To be more precise, it was only pretending to die.
In truth, I had been thinking about it for a long time.
How could I escape my father and still live?
There was no way.
For the Grand Duchess to suddenly go missing? That would look suspicious.
People might start suspecting Denok.
So, I had only one choice left.
“I’ll fake my death and run away.”
I knew it was a cowardly and selfish choice.
But it felt like the greatest revenge I could take on my father.
The bloodline of Luciano that he had been so obsessed with—would be gone.
Even if he were to have another child later, that child would be cursed with the same short life.
He would end up with nothing.
But there was one thing in this plan that weighed on my mind.
As I felt the brief warmth of the wind brush past me, I closed my eyes.
Denok.
I was worried about the man who would be left behind.
This gentle person would surely be shocked.
“When time passes… should I send him a letter? Tell him that I’m actually alive?”
But as soon as the thought came, I shook my head.
By then, there would be a saint by his side.
Even if our relationship was over, no man would welcome a letter from another woman.
Before I left, I had planned to make sure that the heroine of the original story would end up with Denok.
She would surely fall in love with him.
“Because he’s such a kind person.”
Even to me, who was nothing more than a contractual wife, he gave such tender care and warmth.
It made me wonder if this was what it felt like to be truly loved.
Suddenly, the dampness of my wet clothes felt even heavier, sinking deeper.
I hugged my knees tighter and avoided Denok’s gaze.
Even with the warm wind brushing over me, my body felt cold somehow.
Meanwhile, Denok was desperately holding back the words that pressed against his lips, ready to burst out at any moment.
No matter how hard he tried to swallow them, they wouldn’t go down—like a thorn caught in his throat.
“Can’t you… stay by my side?”
But he couldn’t say it aloud.
Because he knew how long she had steeled her heart, just to escape her father.
Yet at that moment, that dark, lingering voice whispered to him again.
“Do you think she’ll stay just because you beg her to?”
“The Duke only wants her for the child.”
“As long as she gives you a child, you can keep her by your side.”
“For life. Until death.”
“…Shut up.”
He bit his lips and muttered lowly, but the voice only laughed louder.
Then, as if drawn by some unseen force, Denok’s gaze slowly turned toward Edis.
Through the soaked fabric of her dress, her skin was faintly visible.
If he were to reach out and push her down now, she would surely look up at him with startled eyes.
The parts she was trying so hard to cover would all be exposed.
The surge of desire made his fists clench tightly—his fingertips trembled.
He never once thought of forcing himself upon her.
Just moments ago, she had smiled so brightly, without a trace of shadow.
The moment he took her by force, that smile would melt away like snow under sunlight.
And melted snow could never be frozen again—just like her warmth could never return.
“But… what if she leaves like this?”
If she left him, what would become of his world?
Desire and fear stacked atop each other like a fragile tower, swaying dangerously. It looked ready to collapse at any second.
And in the end, Denok couldn’t say anything at all.
Not “stay by my side.”
Not “don’t go.”
Nothing.
That was when—
Rustle.
From beyond the forest came the sound of hurried footsteps. Melissa and Gerald arrived, panting heavily.
Their expressions weren’t good.
“What’s wrong?” Edis asked carefully.
Melissa pressed her lips together for a moment before speaking with a troubled face.
“When we went back to the mansion, an invitation had arrived.”
She held it out.
The sender: Prince Siren Elka.
Edis sat before a mirror.
Reflected within was a woman with neatly braided red hair, coiled elegantly atop her head.
There were no lavish decorations today, yet that made her beauty seem even more refined.
“I tried to make it as plain as possible…”
Melissa sighed, her eyes drooping.
“Why did you still end up looking so beautiful?”
Edis chuckled softly.
“I’m going to meet the heir of a kingdom. It’s only proper to show some decorum.”
“Even so…”
Melissa’s expression was anxious, as though she couldn’t help but worry.
At that moment—
“Are you ready?”
A pleasant voice came from beyond the door.
It was Denok.
Edis smiled faintly and stood up.
Her pale pink dress shimmered like flowing milk as she moved.
When the door opened, she naturally placed her hand on Denok’s offered arm and stepped out.
A short while later, inside the carriage—
Denok, his face tense, spoke quietly.
“Are you prepared? You haven’t forgotten anything, have you?”
Edis steadied her breath and nodded.
“Yes. Everything is ready.”
She could still feel the shape of the dagger hidden beneath her dress.
And the cold touch of the electric orb she had Arvel specially craft for her.
Everything was in place.
“Don’t forget.”
She whispered inwardly.
She couldn’t allow herself to be swayed by him.
She was going there as the Grand Duchess of Luciano.
Her actions could influence the entire Luciano family.
Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the invitation in her hand.
Written in elegant script was an invitation for the two of them.
At the bottom, in shimmering silver ink, was Prince Siren’s signature.
Edis closed her eyes heavily.
By the time half a day had passed—
The rattling carriage finally came to a stop.
The weary horses snorted and pawed at the ground as Edis and Denok slowly stepped out.
Denok alighted first, extending his hand, and Edis took it carefully, setting her foot on the ground.
When she lifted her gaze, she was met with a breathtakingly foreign sight.
The architecture seemed to be straight out of Elka itself.
Beneath a roof the color of the deep sea, white stone walls gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.
Pale silken drapes adorned the mansion, fluttering gracefully in the wind.
On the walls were mosaics made of seashells, capturing the essence of the ocean itself.
A rush of unease washed over her—it truly felt like she had stepped into another world.
Then, from the arched entrance of the mansion, a man emerged.
His appearance immediately marked him as a foreigner.
Perhaps all citizens of Elka looked this way—his features were pale, almost ethereal.
Like Prince Siren, whom they had met before, his hair was a silvery ash-gray, and his skin gleamed like marble.
His attire was so foreign that he seemed almost like an elf from legend.
“Welcome, Grand Duke and Duchess of Luciano.”
His voice was calm and clear.
Though his Imperial tongue carried an unfamiliar accent, each word was pronounced with perfect precision.
“His Highness the Prince is expecting you. Please, come this way.”
