Chapter 30
It happened so suddenly that she couldn’t even avoid his touch.
“Mmm…”
“What kind of rudeness is this?”
“So the rumors weren’t false.”
“Step back immediately.”
He released Psyche with a suddenly polite gesture.
Psyche’s expression slowly twisted.
This man had acted rudely without hesitation, then said things she couldn’t understand at all.
“We haven’t met before, but I know your face.”
“I really made a mistake. You are not a gentleman. And you don’t even resemble the person I know.”
She felt foolish for mistaking this rude man for Aster.
He was different from Aster. Even his way of speaking felt cheap and unserious.
“Too bad. I really like you, though.”
But the man’s complexion was bright, and in his deep blue eyes was a strange intensity.
There was arrogance in him—like someone who had never bowed to anyone.
Looking closely, his features were somewhat similar to Aster’s, yet quite different. Unlike the strong, defined lines of Aster’s face, this man still had a youthful, boyish look.
“But… does the lady have some reason she can’t show her face?”
His facial lines were thin, as if drawn with a fine tool. His aura was also the complete opposite. He smiled often, and his expressions changed quickly.
Joy, confusion, irritation—he hid none of it. Psyche could almost guess what he was thinking.
“Let me guess. You don’t want anyone to recognize the face called the Swan of the Sigar Empire?”
“You must not be from the Grand Duchy.”
It wasn’t surprising. Her face had secretly spread around the Sigar Empire.
People called her more beautiful than the Empress, who had been known as the Rose of the Empire, and even though Psyche disliked it, they called her the Swan of their era.
The man in front of her knew who she was.
When Psyche spoke calmly, the man’s gaze changed. It was pure curiosity.
“That’s right, I’m not from here. I came to the Grand Duchy to see someone I wanted to meet, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“I see.”
Psyche answered without emotion.
Suddenly, the man bent down so their eyes were level. Psyche wasn’t particularly short, but compared to him, she looked tiny. He had to bend quite a lot.
“Miss.”
Their eyes met.
“It’s dangerous to walk around alone. Especially for someone as beautiful as you. Look around—everyone is staring at you. Right?”
Psyche took a step back. It was an instinctive rejection. A feeling she naturally learned without ever being taught.
“That’s because you behaved rudely, sir.”
She pulled her hood back over her head and lowered it deeply.
Just as he said, people around them were staring.
Her shoulders shrank naturally, so she forced herself to straighten her back and lift her head.
A soft scoff brushed past her ear.
“Is that really why?”
When Psyche lifted her head, the man raised his index finger and pointed behind her.
He wore a harmless, delighted smile—like a child seeing a new toy. A chill ran down her spine, and she hesitated to turn around.
“That woman doesn’t seem to agree.”
“Lady Psyche! Ah! Oh my goodness, it really is you!”
Psyche turned her head toward the shouting voice. The man beside her clicked his tongue.
At the end of his gaze, a woman with messy hair was screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Wh-who is that?”
The woman staggered toward her with weak, wobbling steps, but with a strange determination to reach Psyche.
“Let’s meet again next time, miss!”
Psyche didn’t answer.
She had no desire to see this man ever again.
He still had that faint mischievous smile. No matter Psyche’s reaction, he seemed to enjoy everything.
“Oh, right. Miss!”
He had turned to leave, but suddenly stopped as if something occurred to him. He came back toward her.
Still smiling like a troublemaker.
“Don’t just eat anything someone gives you. In times like these, that’s really dangerous.”
He shook the drink in his hand.
The sound of the ice rattling made Psyche look around quickly, realizing the danger of the situation.
“Bye!”
He waved his big hand widely through the air.
“Grab her! Drag her here!”
As soon as he left, the people who had been watching rushed in and held Psyche by both arms.
Then a man wearing a black mask appeared and began dragging her away.
* * *
Psyche struggled desperately as her arms and legs were tied so tightly she couldn’t move.
But the rope restraining her showed no sign of loosening.
Who was that man? He knew everything.
When she realized the people on the street were all part of the same group, a cold fear filled her. Maybe the man’s appearance had been bait from the beginning.
“She was pretty cute when she was younger… tsk tsk.”
The woman who had dragged Psyche here seemed amused by Psyche’s desperate resistance.
“Your life is over now, miss.”
Every time Psyche tried to pull her arms free, the rope tightened painfully.
She eventually half-gave up and waited silently for the woman to speak.
At some point, the bottom of her dress became dirty with muddy water.
“Slay, don’t touch anything else. Just ruin her face.”
“That’s a waste… such a pretty one.”
A man entered, chuckling with a cigar in his teeth.
His hair was ashy gray, and she couldn’t see his face clearly. Psyche guessed he was one of the men hired to kidnap her for money.
The rough-looking man stepped closer.
Only then did Psyche realize why his face wasn’t visible. He wore a plain mask molded tightly to his face.
Because the mask was the same peach color as skin, it could easily confuse someone from a distance.
“Should I just kill her now? If we sell her to a slave dealer, she’ll fetch a good price.”
His pitch-black eyes locked onto Psyche.
When their eyes met, he pulled his lips into a wide, twisted smile.
