Chapter 28
“…Didier?”
I scanned the room again, but there was no trace of him. I couldn’t even sense the slightest presence.
‘…He hides this well?’
I hadn’t expected that.
I thought there would at least be a faint trace, but he had vanished completely.
With this, even if Kendrick barged in uninvited at night like he did before, Didier would never be discovered. Even if someone else sensitive to presence came while I was away.
This eased my worry about leaving Didier alone in the room.
‘Now then…’
It was time to face the mysterious visitor.
I quickly confirmed there was no sign of Didier, steadied my voice, and spoke.
“Who is it?”
“…It seems the people of this palace enjoy leaving guests standing at the door.”
“…!”
“It’s me, dear bride.”
Beyran…!
The voice belonged to Beyran, head of House Regulus. His slippery way of speaking sent chills down my spine; I clenched my teeth hard.
‘…Why did he come?’
There was no reason for Beyran to visit my room in person. He knew the palace was busy with preparations for the regular meeting.
And he knew I was at the center of those preparations.
Since he was only treating me as a bride out of courtesy, there had to be a reason for this visit.
‘The problem is I can’t guess what it is.’
But I couldn’t leave the head of House Regulus standing at the door like a servant. No matter the reason, I had no choice but to speak with him.
‘I’ll try to figure out his intentions while we talk.’
Without showing any panic.
I rubbed my eyes, sighed, and walked toward the door. My steps felt as heavy as if they weighed tons, yet I reached it quickly.
“Phew…”
I placed my hand on the knob and cast a glance under the bed where Didier was hiding. No matter how perfectly he concealed his presence, his existence hadn’t disappeared.
And Didier was the one I was going to marry. Even if it was a deal, presenting my future fiancé to the man who claimed to be my father-in-law was hardly fair.
‘…I’ll have to explain to Didier later.’
My headache worsened. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, took a deep breath, and slowly opened the door.
A familiar face appeared. Black hair streaked with white strands, deep blue eyes. Beyran wore a friendly smile.
“…To what do I owe the pleasure, Lord Beyran?”
“Do I need a reason to visit my son’s bride?”
“It’s not necessary… but the timing is delicate.”
“I know you’re busy, but I came from far away and wanted to see your face and talk with you. I’d also like to have tea with you…”
Beyran scanned my room, covering his mouth with his hand. His gaze was that of someone searching for something—or rather, watching.
I feared he had already discovered Didier and clenched my teeth harder. Fortunately, he turned his eyes back to me without suspicion.
“Is that difficult, dear bride?”
“It’s not difficult. Rather, I’m the one who should apologize for not visiting you first.”
“Hehe, I’m just concerned about my son’s bride.”
“…Please come in, Lord Beyran.”
I stepped aside to let him pass. Beyran entered smoothly and headed straight for the table by the window. After he sat, I ordered the maid who had accompanied him to bring tea, then followed.
“…The tea will arrive shortly.”
“I hope it’s delayed. That way I get more time with my son’s bride.”
“…Hehe.”
Beyran looked around the room again, then fixed his eyes on me. His smile vanished.
That ever-annoying smile.
He kept staring at me, then turned his gaze toward the window.
“Before the tea arrives, I’ll tell you why I came. I know you’re busy, and I don’t want to steal your precious time—you might end up hating me.”
“…I wouldn’t.”
“Hehe, I want you to live happily with my son.”
“…We’ll be on good terms.”
“More than that. Much more.”
“…”
“I hate to say this, but my son is like a beast. I don’t understand how he turned out that way despite his intelligence. Tsk!”
Beyran frowned in displeasure, then shifted his gaze from the window back to me.
“So I have a proposal for you.”
“…What is it?”
What could Beyran possibly propose?
I couldn’t guess. I tapped my fingers on my thigh, wishing he would speak quickly.
“What I want from you is an heir to replace Kendrick.”
“…An heir?”
“Yes, an heir. Kendrick may be a beast, but his abilities are unmatched in House Regulus. There’s no doubt his children would inherit that.”
“…”
“Just think about the heir, and as quickly as possible. If you do, I’ll give you everything House Regulus can offer. That’s a promise.”
Ah.
Beyran was definitely insane. How else could he dare say this? Even though the family heads had agreed, the marriage hadn’t been officially announced yet.
And still…
‘An heir…’
He was talking about an heir now? There are things you say and things you don’t!
That’s why he had been looking at me with those suspicious eyes.
He had chosen me to be the tool that would give Regulus an heir to replace Kendrick. Chills and rage coursed through me.
I had never felt an insult like this before. I struggled to keep my expression neutral.
The veins in my neck bulged, but I clenched my teeth to endure. I wanted to punch him, but not now.
‘Because I’m… just a daughter stripped of inheritance and sold to another family.’
No matter how insulting, I had to swallow it for now.
Because of Didier, I had momentarily forgotten my position in the family, but Beyran’s words reminded me cruelly.
Anger rose to my throat, and tears threatened to fall. Yet my eyes remained dry, as if I had forgotten how to cry.
I steadied my breathing, suppressed the tremor in my voice, and spoke.
“…Isn’t this proposal a little premature?”
“Premature? Hehe. True, there are procedures, but the head of House Ginever is determined. He intends to ignore those procedures…”
“…Father?”
“Yes, the head of House Ginever. That’s why I’m speaking to you now, before my son ruins everything.”
“…”
“I know my son’s bride is very clever. You won’t be fooled by my son’s foolish words.”
Now I understood.
That’s why Beyran came to my room and spouted this nonsense. He knew his words would provoke me, yet he had no choice but to say them.
‘He found out Kendrick visited my room last night.’
That’s why he mentioned Father and made this proposal.
If Didier weren’t here, and if I didn’t already have a way to break this political marriage, I might have accepted his offer—just to carry out Father’s plan and swallow Regulus whole.
Is this Father’s scheme?
My anger faded like ash. I was tired of being angry.
I no longer had the desire to rage or confront Father. He saw me as a tool for his power, not as a daughter.
‘…How pitiful.’
I felt crushed and miserable. It was as if a needle pierced my heart. My breath caught deep inside.
I said nothing, so Beyran stood and approached me. He patted my shoulder.
“My son’s bride is different from my son, so I’ll await your wise decision. I’ll leave now. Let’s have tea later—along with your answer. You need time to think.”
He patted my shoulder twice in a friendly tone, then left. The maid entered carrying the tea, looking confused, placed it in front of me, and silently departed.
Silence filled the room.
I closed my eyes and stood there for a while. I had to think seriously about the situation and my future plans. Otherwise, I felt I would lose myself.
I remained like that for some time.
I had forgotten Didier was hiding in my room.
And I had completely forgotten that he had heard every word of the conversation.
