Chapter 3
I instinctively held my breath.
Grand Duke Carter?
The first thing I saw was hair as black as pitch. Beneath it was skin so pale the veins nearly showed through—shadowed heavily, as if marked by countless sleepless nights.
And then—
Ha.
Through the disheveled strands, I caught sight of crimson eyes.
Eyes that looked unbearably like mine.
So similar it was absurd I had never realized it before.
How had I failed to see it, when he had been this close all along?
Deceived by the Emperor, ignorant of the truth, I had driven my own father—and his house—to ruin with my own hands.
And yet… it seemed he didn’t recognize me, either.
I swallowed hard.
Now was not the time for sentiment.
The blade under my chin was far too real.
“…That’s quite a harsh welcome.”
“It suits an uninvited guest.”
He didn’t hesitate for even a moment to put a sword to the throat of a thirteen-year-old girl.
Yes. This was the relationship between the imperial family and the ducal house.
The imperial family crushed Grand Duke Carter to restrain his overwhelming mana.
And the Grand Duke loathed them for it.
If I blurted out that I’m his daughter, my head would roll.
What a joke it would be—the princess who ruined him claiming to be his long-dead child.
“If you can’t give a clear reason for trespassing on my estate, even a princess won’t leave here alive.”
“…”
“Answer me. What is your purpose?”
The blade pressed closer. A thin line of pain flared, and blood began to bead at my throat.
If I stall or make excuses, I’ll die.
Without hesitation, I reached up and lowered my hood.
“…I came to make a deal.”
“A deal?”
Carlos’s sharp eyes narrowed.
“How amusing. What method are you using this time to crawl at my feet?”
His voice dropped into a low growl.
“Speak properly.”
Meanwhile, I fought not to stagger.
Dizziness had been creeping in for a while. I’d changed carriages several times, then walked four hours through pounding rain. Cold and exhaustion had drained my strength—and now, under his suffocating killing intent, it felt like my knees might give out.
At twenty, perhaps I could have endured it.
But at thirteen—raised under the Emperor’s sheltering hand—it was brutal.
Still, I had to endure.
I had come prepared for this.
To escape the Emperor’s grasp.
To survive.
Steadying my trembling hand, I pulled something from inside my cloak and held it up.
“It’s a more tempting proposal than that.”
His gaze sharpened.
“…A purification stone?”
“It’s not like the ones you’re used to.”
What I held wasn’t the bright red jewel commonly seen.
It was darker—deeper—an ominous shade of blood-red.
A faint crack finally appeared in his composure.
“Well? Are you interested in talking now?”
I watched him carefully. His presence was still oppressive, but the killing intent weighing on me seemed to recede—just slightly.
“Explain.”
“…Would you mind removing the sword first? It hurts.”
I let out a weak sigh.
Only then did Carlos’s gaze drop to the blood at my neck.
“…”
After a long moment, he slowly withdrew the blade.
Air finally filled my lungs.
That hurdle’s cleared… but—
The tension snapped all at once.
Dizziness surged violently.
“So, this is—”
My body swayed mid-sentence.
No. I can’t pass out here.
I clenched my teeth and fought to stay conscious. If I collapsed now, everything could fall apart.
But relief betrayed me. Instead of sharpening my mind, it drained what little strength I had left.
“What are you doing? If this is some trick—”
His voice, which should have been close, sounded distant.
“Ah…”
No.
Not like this.
My body refused to obey.
“…Princess?”
Carlos’s startled voice was the last thing I heard.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
My body felt heavy.
I blinked sluggishly.
What happened?
I’d returned to the past. I’d come to find Grand Duke Carter—
“……!”
I jolted upright.
An unfamiliar bedroom greeted me. Sunlight poured through the window—it was midday.
“Oh my, you’re awake.”
I flinched and turned sharply.
A neatly dressed, middle-aged woman stood a short distance from the bed.
“You were sleeping so peacefully I thought you might not wake today. Are you feeling better?”
She approached with a silver tray, studying my complexion.
“Oh dear, where are my manners? I’m Mia Edenberg. Calling me the head maid sounds grand, but I simply manage the household here. Please, call me Mia.”
“…Did I collapse?”
“You were drenched in the rain. Your fever was terribly high. We gave you emergency treatment, but you still need more rest.”
Relief washed over me.
I’m alive.
Instead of slitting my throat or throwing me out, the Duke had given me a room.
But wait.
If she said “today,” then—
“How long was I unconscious?”
“Two full days. You were soaked that night. It’s a blessing you woke at all.”
Two days.
I lifted my head sharply.
This is a disaster.
I need to see him immediately.
If that much time had passed, I couldn’t lie here leisurely.
“The Duke—where is—ugh.”
The moment I tried to throw off the covers, dizziness struck again. Every muscle ached as if it had been hammered.
As if she’d expected it, Mia sighed and gently pushed me back down.
“No, no. Lie still. Your fever hasn’t fully broken. You need to eat and take medicine soon.”
“I don’t need it. I must see the Duke—”
“Tsk. Listen to me.”
I froze.
“…What did you just say?”
Tsk?
Did this mere head maid just scold a princess?
Even palace maids—let alone my childhood nurse—had never dared contradict me. Did she have any idea how many heads had rolled at my command?
Unfazed by my stunned expression, Mia tugged the blanket up beneath my chin and patted my shoulder.
“Don’t think about anything right now. Just rest, Your Highness.”
“No, I have to meet the Duke—”
“It’s alright. If you sleep well, you’ll see him soon.”
Her voice, gentle like a lullaby, settled over me.
Strange.
Maybe I was simply too exhausted—but instead of anger, her touch loosened something tight inside my chest.
Wrapped in unfamiliar warmth, I drifted back into sleep.
Just before consciousness faded, I thought I heard voices—familiar ones.
“Mas… why here….”
“The Princess… awake….”
Darkness claimed me again.
