<Chapter 10>
“I have publicly stated that I admired the Empire and studied it extensively for a long time… but you already know, Duchess.”
His upright upper body leaned slightly toward me, as if sharing a secret.
“As a returnee, I have lived by rewinding time countless times…”
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“…so naturally, my common sense and knowledge are far more extensive than those of most imperial citizens.”
Ah.
A sudden wave of heat rushed over me, and I instinctively leaned back in surprise.
Did our breaths touch? It wasn’t even that close.
“Duchess?”
“…It’s nothing.”
I fanned myself for no reason, trying to cool my heated breath, and continued,
“Anyway, I understand that part. With a recommendation letter like this, the other nobles will have no choice but to acknowledge Sir Yusef.”
“Especially Baron Baden.”
That’s right. That was the important part.
As relief settled over me, Sir Yusef’s smile deepened.
For the first time in a while, even the aroma of tea felt pleasant.
It was almost unreal how a problem I had been worrying about for an entire month had been resolved so easily.
“By the way, you haven’t forgotten our promise, have you, Sir Yusef?”
After finishing the tea, we planned to draft a contract.
Not an employment contract. That would be written under the same terms in the presence of the tutor sent by Baron Baden.
The document I was about to draft with Sir Yusef now was closer to a pledge than a contract.
A vow that, while serving as the tutor of the Daiern household, he would maintain a strict alliance with me and, above all, prioritize the safety of the children.
And if he failed to uphold it…
“What seems to trouble you now?”
I must have frowned slightly, because Sir Yusef immediately noticed and asked.
“You once referred to me as an ‘investment,’ didn’t you?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I think I need to understand exactly what you meant by that.”
Only the final clause of the pledge remained unwritten.
But something about this arrangement made no sense. It was far too advantageous for me.
There is no such deal in this world.
A transaction that satisfies both parties is the only kind that can be maintained through trust over time.
Why?
Because there’s no reason for one side to continue maintaining a deal that only benefits the other.
A contract, after all, is nothing more than binding each other with chains called clauses.
“That way, I can confirm what you intend to gain from this troublesome agreement—and whether it’s something I can actually pay.”
“Ah, wait a moment…”
“…Sir Yusef?”
For the first time, his previously composed expression crumpled.
Startled by the sudden change, I stood up and approached him.
“Are you alright?”
Up close, I could see that he was breaking into a cold sweat.
As I handed him a handkerchief while he pressed his temple, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
“How unsightly of me. My apologies. I occasionally suffer from headaches—perhaps due to acclimating to a new environment.”
“That must be difficult.”
It was common for people from distant regions.
I was about to call for a physician, but he straightened up as if nothing had happened.
He looked perfectly fine—so much so that my concern felt almost embarrassing.
Come to think of it, he had also mentioned resting due to a headache when we first met at the banquet.
Well, it wasn’t really my concern.
“The handkerchief has been stained with my sweat, so I’ll return it to you next time.”
“There’s no need to return it.”
I had deliberately given him one without my initials or the Daiern crest.
Better to lose a single handkerchief than risk being seen exchanging one with a man.
“Then, back to the main topic… You were curious about what I intend to gain from you, Duchess?”
“That’s right.”
“I suppose I’ve been too preoccupied to mention it until now.”
Sir Yusef adjusted his posture. I met his gaze and listened carefully.
“Your concern is entirely reasonable. However, you need not worry. After all, what I want is something only one person in this world can give.”
His gentle voice flowed like a melody.
“Duchess, do you happen to know where the territory called ‘Alperon’ is located?”
“I don’t. I’ve actually been curious about that.”
I didn’t think it was the right time to ask before—but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious.
During that one month of isolation,
I tried not to waste my time.
I had many things to protect—and just as many exposed weaknesses.
And in the midst of that, the only person who declared he would stand on my side was Sir Yusef.
‘But do I truly trust him? Well…’
At best, he had only shown me a few acts of kindness and help. Anyone could do that.
Building familiarity was also an effective method of persuasion.
So I tried to assess him objectively.
Whether he was trustworthy—and what I could offer him in return.
But there was something strange.
‘No matter how much I searched the maps, I couldn’t find the County of Alperon.’
The continent was vast. The Empire was unique, but there were many vassal states and independent kingdoms.
So I had simply assumed that Alperon was some obscure land in an unfamiliar kingdom.
But it wasn’t.
That name did not exist anywhere.
That didn’t mean Sir Yusef was a fraud.
Without noble status recognized by the Emperor, one could not attend imperial banquets.
“That’s only natural. My land isn’t on the map.”
He said it so casually that I almost accepted it without question.
“It’s not on the map? Does that mean it’s an undiscovered land?”
“Exactly. A land not marked on any public map—an unexplored territory. That is where my land lies.”
“…?”
Wait a second.
Every time I talked to this man, I felt like I was becoming a fool. Nothing about him was predictable.
I asked, dumbfounded,
“Then where exactly is Alperon? Does His Majesty the Emperor know about this?”
“I have reported it. However, His Majesty seemed more interested in the goods I presented. As a result, he granted me the title of count within the Empire and recognized me as a noble.”
“….”
I couldn’t close my mouth.
This was an astonishing statement.
It meant Sir Yusef wasn’t just an ordinary count.
A new land not on the map. Its ruler. A man who obtained an imperial title solely through the goods he presented to the Emperor…
“…Then it seems you should not be called Count Alperon, but rather ‘His Majesty, King of Alperon.’”
“I would be embarrassed by such a title. I would prefer that you simply call me ‘Sir Yusef,’ Duchess.”
He spoke with a light laugh.
A king, not a count.
It was shocking, but strangely, my impression of him didn’t change much.
Perhaps because he didn’t carry the same authoritative air as the Emperor.
“In any case, Duchess. The reason I must form an alliance with you—and no one else—lies in the land of Alperon.”
His long, gloved fingers intertwined gracefully atop his knee.
“I intend to establish a trade route connecting Alperon and the Empire. And I know that you are the only person suited to take charge of it.”
It was a lie.
In truth, Yusef had no real interest in trade routes.
Of course, it would be nice to have one. But that alone was not why he needed the Duchess of Daiern.
There was a far more fundamental problem he needed to solve.
For example…
Survival.
Liselotte Karin Daiern was beautiful.
The first time Yusef truly noticed her was in one of his countless past regressions.
It was a ball he could no longer even remember. She wore a pitch-black mourning dress, her face veiled in black—a lonely widow by all appearances.
And yet, she was breathtaking.
Especially the pale, slender nape of her neck revealed beneath her neatly pinned hair—the symbol of a married woman.
It wasn’t something childish like love at first sight.
It was more like admiration for a masterpiece—like being unable to look away from a goddess of the night.
He had never stared at someone so absentmindedly before.
‘Ah—how rude of me…!’
Lost in a daze like a fool, he ended up bumping into her.
And in that very moment—
The monster that had long raged in his mind, threatening to consume it, suddenly fell silent.
At the time, Yusef had no chance to question why.
He was too busy being astonished by the sudden clarity of his body.
And exactly one day later—
…the cursed pain returned and devoured him once more like a beast.
Yes. A monster.
There was a monster living inside Yusef’s mind.
A creature that slowly devoured a person’s brain—
until it eventually drove them mad and to their death.
