IDGM 13

Chapter 13

Unlike me, who froze stiff with the heavy atmosphere, Callias remained completely relaxed, as if he were in a different world altogether.

It was as if he couldn’t see or hear what was going on around him.

Is he trying to provoke Father?

If so, it was a success.

My father’s previously indifferent expression was now flushed with anger.

And judging from the expressions of his subordinates, it’s hard to take his words at face value…

Even accounting for cultural or temperamental differences between the North and the South, those expressions clearly did not belong to people welcoming a guest.

They look like they could burn a hole through his back.

Did Callias really not know what kind of faces his men were making behind him?

The Arental nobles furrowed their brows at Callias’s demeanor and whispered among themselves.

“Such arrogance.”

“Don’t you think his men are glaring at someone?”

“In a situation this lopsided, he should be bowing in gratitude for this marriage!”

Unbelievable.

Even if they think I’m just a clown of a princess, it seems they still consider me too good to be handed over to a Ronhaimer.

Just before Father could voice his displeasure, Caballa quickly stepped in to shift the mood.

“Marquis Rodrian, it pleases me that your men are showing such warmth toward our beloved Princess Chloe.”

Her shamelessness matched Callias’s.

Knowing that she was pushing for this marriage to get rid of Callias, her fake smile looked more like the smile of a serpent preparing to devour its prey.

“Now that everyone is here, shall we get to the main point?” she declared loudly to the gathered nobles, as if she wanted to get it over with quickly.

“I ask all of you gathered here to witness the engagement between Princess Chloe and Marquis Rodrian.”

She then looked at me.

“Chloe, declare before the witnesses: Do you agree to this engagement with Marquis Rodrian of your own free will?”

I glanced at Callias and then nodded.

“Yes, I do.”

I meant to speak confidently, but my voice came out timid, almost mumbling.

The room was too big and too crowded—I had misjudged my volume.

Callias’s subordinates stirred subtly at my reply.

What was that?

Before I could think further, Caballa turned to Callias and asked the same question.

“Marquis Rodrian, if you agree to this engagement without any hesitation, of your own free will, please declare so before the witnesses.”

Just one word of agreement would suffice.

Finally.

I gave him a subtle signal with my eyes to hurry up.

But Callias moved at his own slow pace.

He turned toward me.

Then, he knelt down on one knee in front of me.

“…?”

He gently took my hand with a respectful grace.

His enchanting golden eyes seemed to pierce every cell of my body.

Keeping his gaze fixed on me, he slowly raised the back of my hand to his lips.

Smooch.

The soft touch of his lips against my skin made a faint sound that tickled my ears and sent chills down my spine.

It was just a light brush, yet my hand felt as if it had been branded with hot iron.

Surprised by the unfamiliar sensation, I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again.

Then, he spoke clearly and with weight.

“Chloe Idelian, I offer you my final breath.”

His golden eyes, framed by long lashes and a delicate gaze, stared straight into mine.

I felt breathless.

I couldn’t meet his eyes.

A contract marriage, and he says something that dramatic?

Just a simple “I agree” would’ve done.

Even if it was just for show, that kind of declaration was too much to accept lightly.

But since I couldn’t reject it, I turned my gaze away, pretending not to acknowledge his words.

Is this just how he talks?

I recalled the letter he sent before.

It had been so exaggerated and frivolous that it had felt comical.

But now, paired with his firm gaze, his warmth, and that heavy voice, those once-ridiculous phrases began to feel like heartfelt confessions.

Thump.

My chest tightened in a way I had never felt before.

Startled, I pulled my hand from his and pressed it to my chest.

I need to… I need to go back and rest soon.

Maybe it was nerves, but my breathing was shallow, and my face was burning. I felt like I might be sick.

As I withdrew my hand, he stood up—his tall frame casting a shadow over me.

I thought he’d leave immediately.

But instead, he didn’t move. He reached out and gently touched my cheek.

Wh-what is he doing…?

Startled by the incomprehensible action, I felt his hand graze over a scab hidden beneath layers of makeup.

It was from a few days ago, when I had broken a flower vase. The wound hadn’t fully healed.

How had he noticed?

He gently brushed that faint injury.

Then, in a voice only I could hear, he whispered—

“No matter how fierce the snowstorm, it will always pass.”

“…!”

My eyes widened as I looked at him.

“The snowstorm always passes.”

It was the same phrase Cal used to say whenever he tried to comfort or encourage me.

Callias overlapped with Cal.

As if they were the same person.

This is… this is strange.

Is “strange” even the right word?

I thought they only looked alike, but even the way he spoke was the same.

Callias was beginning to feel too familiar.

I shook my head, trying to guard myself against that feeling.

It must be a coincidence. Just a strange one. He’s not Cal. Focus, Chloe.

I looked at Caballa, hoping she’d finish the engagement ceremony already.

But oddly, she was just staring at us in silence.

In fact, almost everyone in the hall was frozen, just like her.

What’s going on…?

Noticing my gaze, Caballa finally recovered and smoothly resumed the ceremony.

“His Majesty the Emperor and I joyfully approve the engagement of Princess Chloe and Marquis Rodrian before all gathered witnesses.”

Polite applause broke out across the room.

At the same time, in one corner of the audience chamber, a group of young noble girls, clustered together, chewed on their lips in silence.

These were the same girls who had been squealing nonstop over every little movement Chloe and Callias made.

They had picked apart Chloe’s dress, gossiped about her hair, and mocked Callias’s shabby appearance.

But suddenly, all of them fell silent.

It started the moment Callias knelt before Chloe.

In truth, it wasn’t just them. Even Caballa and the other nobles had momentarily been stunned by Callias’s gesture.

The difference was, the girls’ emotional response was quicker and clearer.

What was that…?

Though they didn’t say it aloud, they were all thinking the same thing.

Did I… just fall for that savage?

When Callias kissed the back of Chloe’s hand, they had all unknowingly gasped in awe.

From that moment on, Callias no longer looked like some beast in shabby clothes—he looked like a man.

And once they saw him that way, the mist lifted.

His handsome face, well-built body, refined and respectful actions—all became crystal clear.

His background no longer mattered.

The girls, watching his hand kiss, swallowed hard without even realizing it.

It was just a hand kiss—but something about the way he did it stirred something overwhelming inside them.

Just moments ago, they had been giggling about whether Chloe would faint from fear of Callias.

Now, they’d completely forgotten those bets.

Why… why does he look so cool?

Their hearts swayed like reeds in the wind.

In that moment, a new idol they could never admit aloud was born in their hearts.

Unaware that he had just ignited the hearts of many young girls, Callias soon left the audience chamber and mounted his horse.

From the moment he left Chloe’s side, his expression hardened.

“……”

He looked down at the fingertips that had touched her cheek.

His eyes turned sharp and cold.

What was that?

At first, he had touched the wound on her cheek without thinking.

How could such a fragile body bear blood?

Who… why… how did this happen?

Callias had heard that Chloe had broken a flower vase he sent.

But he hadn’t connected that to her injury.

Instead, he suspected she had suffered some unspeakable hardship in the imperial palace.

There must have been a reason behind the broken vase too.

I have to get her out of that cursed place as soon as possible.

He grew restless.

When he touched her wound, he had felt a chilling sensation he couldn’t explain.

It wasn’t Chloe’s own energy.

Something else, something sinister, was leeching away at her life.

There is much information encoded in the blood of a living being.

Even if it had dried into a scab, Callias could still read something.

It was a gift inherited from his mother—an ability to sense the essence within blood.

Whatever it is… it’s ominous.

Could it be a curse?

Did someone curse her?

He had to take her to Ronhaim immediately and have a skilled sorcerer examine her.

At first, he had feared the harsh Ronhaim winter would harm Chloe.

But now, he thought differently.

Compared to the damp poison of the South, the cold of the North was the lesser evil.