Chapter 58
“Just like you said you trust me, I’m thinking of trusting you too. Would that be all right?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
Caught off guard by the sudden bluntness, William asked back with a puzzled look.
“I’m asking whether you can bear the weight of that trust.”
Before William could reply, Raphaella continued.
“It means that the duke will end up sharing my secret with me. I’ll say this in advance—it won’t be easy at all.”
“I’ve already prepared myself.”
“And… just because I say I trust you doesn’t mean I’ll tell you everything. I’ll only reveal as much as you need to know—only the parts I must make you understand. That’s something I can’t help. Even if you say you’re disappointed and want to stop here, I’d understand completely. Objectively speaking, it’s an unreasonable and selfish condition.”
“……”
“The questions you asked earlier—well, you know they don’t have easy answers. Of course, knowing your personality, you didn’t ask them lightly. But what’s behind them might be far heavier than you expect. I’m warning you in advance.”
Raphaella took a sip of tea, let the pause linger, then spoke her final words.
“It’s one-sided and a complete mess. Still, if you insist on knowing, I’ll tell you. The choice is yours, Duke.”
William rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.
In an empire without a crown prince, there were seven princesses. Among them, Setrin—the eldest and the most supported—had risen to the position of Crown Princess last year. Since none of the other princesses had been killed or exiled, people trusted Setrin all the more. It looked like a peaceful, bloodless victory, which only amplified the halo effect. Everyone praised her endlessly, saying she possessed the virtues of a true ruler.
William, as the head of a ducal house, also remembered feeling satisfied with how smoothly the imperial court was running without political turmoil.
Never imagining what would unfold afterward.
Right after becoming Crown Princess, Setrin had subtly floated the idea of a marriage alliance with the Klimt ducal house. At the time, her position seemed secure enough, so William believed she wouldn’t need his power and declined. Even after several more hints, his decision remained firm.
A vassal should remain a vassal—that was his belief.
Yet the princess before his eyes was now shaking William’s values to their very core.
“Then… depending on my answer, will the answers to the questions I asked earlier change as well?”
“Yes. They will.”
William had never questioned the basic hierarchy where the lord commands and the vassal obeys. But Princess Raphaella was now asking her vassal to choose, not to obey.
To think for himself. To decide for himself.
“Haha.”
For some reason, William found himself laughing.
He had felt it from their very first meeting—by any normal standard, she was incomprehensible.
She asked him to use flexibility, then immediately threw him out as bait. And after that, she herself rushed to the front lines and nearly died fighting first.
She could be lost in bizarre thoughts, then suddenly strike the core with astonishing sharpness. An utterly unpredictable personality.
She was always straightforward, bold, and clear about her intentions. She was far removed from dark schemes or petty plots. She could be quick-witted and crafty, yet at times seemed oddly clueless.
She acted as if she were the coldest person in the world, yet had subtle weaknesses too—ones she would never admit herself.
In a noble society where everyone lived behind layers of hypocritical masks, Raphaella’s clean, honest nature was something William had never seen before—and he found it deeply fascinating and attractive.
That was why he was drawn to her.
Setting aside all social roles and obligations, William was drawn to Raphaella purely as one human being to another.
The corners of his lips, usually stiff and expressionless, curved gently upward. Smiling slowly and with ease, he spoke.
“You are the only person in my entire life who has shaken me this much, Your Highness.”
His voice was so soft it almost sounded sweet—calm, yet carrying a subtle warmth that made one’s heart flutter.
“You didn’t know, did you? I made my choice long ago.”
“Hmm?”
Still smiling faintly, William tapped his neck lightly with his long fingers as he continued.
“From the moment I gave you that necklace, I was already your man, Your Highness.”
His expression was deep, yet relaxed.
It wasn’t excessive curiosity about Raphaella’s answer, nor was it obsession with power.
Even if Raphaella suddenly changed her mind and gave him no answers at all, William would not overturn his decision.
That was how sincere he was. In fact, he looked relieved to finally speak his resolve aloud.
“Ha… I expected it, but Duke, you really do have a strange habit of choosing the hardest road.”
Now, the weight of deliberation shifted to Raphaella.
“There’s something you should know first. I have absolutely no interest in the throne. So even if you follow me, there’s nothing in it for you.”
“If I were someone who calculated profit and loss, I wouldn’t have come to a remote relief unit like this in the first place.”
“You saw it during the Black Lion Corps incident. If you stay by my side, you’ll be in serious danger too.”
“Then I’ll have more chances to protect you. I’m looking forward to it.”
“And I might look like I have some incredible power just because I travel with a spirit, but Perry is still a young, powerless spirit. What she can do is exactly what you saw when we went to save Rosalie—nothing more. She’s not something you can rely on.”
“That’s fine. I’m not following you because you’re a spirit contractor, Your Highness.”
“No, Duke. Do you really understand what I’ve been saying? There’s no benefit for you, only danger, more burden, and more responsibility. It’s a total mess, I’m telling you.”
“Yes. I understand everything.”
“Are you out of your mind? Is sacrifice your hobby or something?”
“My mind is perfectly sound. And I don’t consider this a sacrifice. For the record, I have other hobbies.”
“That’s not what I’m asking, you big bear.”
“Hm. Then let me ask just one thing. Does the man named Leo, whom you brought with you a few days ago, also know your secret?”
“Huh? Why him all of a sudden?”
William answered awkwardly.
“…You seemed close…”
“He doesn’t know anything. We just exchange what we need from each other—friends, in a broad sense, I guess.”
“…Friends. I see.”
“What do you mean, ‘I see’? Do you actually understand what I said earlier?”
“Yes. I understand it precisely, and my choice hasn’t changed.”
Raphaella pressed her fingers to her forehead and let out a sigh.
“Ha… you really…”
Bringing up the weight of trust and making the mood heavy had been half a test—but the other half was meant to scare him off.
If she was lucky, she’d be able to cut him loose like she had with Rosalie. That way, he’d be safe, and she wouldn’t have to feel unnecessary guilt.
But as expected, he was a stubborn man immune to tricks. Even now, William was looking straight at Raphaella with unwavering eyes.
“This is driving me crazy. How did things end up like this?”
“If you allow it, we can discuss it together. I’ll do my utmost to make sure Your Highness doesn’t go mad.”
At this point, it was practically a blind vow.
“Ha. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you regret it later.”
“I doubt that will happen, but if I do regret it, I’ll consider it a valuable lesson in life.”
“…Wow. Mark suddenly feels amazing.”
She felt it would be easier to talk to a wall—or to persuade a beast that couldn’t understand human speech.
Beating her chest in frustration, Raphaella decided to play her final card.
She pulled out a map hidden inside a pillow, spread it across the table, and opened the door to a long story.
“First of all, my position in the imperial palace is rock bottom. You probably noticed already, but it’s pretty miserable.”
Raphaella began telling him everything she had experienced—everything except the fact that she had possessed this body.
She spoke of waking up after being poisoned, the stable-like room she had been given, what happened at the family dinner, the knights’ abuse, the servants’ contempt within the palace, and finally how she had gone to the Empress for money and ended up joining the relief unit.
As Raphaella continued, William’s expression gradually hardened. It softened briefly when she spoke of meeting Rosalie, but when she described fighting assassins and battling in the temple, his face turned fierce—as if he were a god of death himself.
“…That’s why I’m leaving Rosalie behind. I can’t take a child down a path that’s obviously so dangerous.”
“I see.”
William’s Adam’s apple bobbed as if he were swallowing a sigh.
The princess’s situation was far more unjust than he had expected, and the fact that he—despite being a duke—had known nothing about it shocked him deeply.
“And… this is another matter now. Personally, I’m searching for something.”
Raphaella said, pointing to the map.
“To be precise, I’m gathering the broken fragments of that item. I can’t tell you what it is. But I swear that my goal doesn’t fall under ‘evil,’ even by the strict standards of a meticulous duke like you.”
As he listened, William asked an unexpected question.
“Then… if you gather all of it, will Your Highness be safer than you are now? Will you be able to live more comfortably?”
“Huh?”
