Chapter 3
“Whaaat? Right now? You’re joking, right?”
“Please explain things to Mom and Dad for me. I’m leaving!”
“At least tell me where you’re going…!”
Pretending not to hear Hannah, I grabbed the luggage I had prepared in advance and left the mansion.
Of course, if anyone could find me, it would be the Crown Prince. That’s what power was for.
But I had a plan too.
“I’ll secretly live in one of Rion’s other houses.”
The house I had lived in wasn’t the only property Rion owned.
If someone wanted to find me, they’d have to search every single one of them, which would take quite a while.
Thanks to my wonderful older brother, I quietly moved into my new home.
At last, my peaceful life had returned.
The house was a little small, but I had built a decent little laboratory inside.
I had already stocked up on daily necessities, so living there wasn’t a problem.
There was just one issue.
“Ahem.”
Thanks to someone, my face had become famous all over the capital within just a few days.
Now, even when I went out to buy groceries, I had to pull my hat low over my face or keep my head down.
“I feel like a criminal.”
Still, official documents like marriage proposals were automatically returned if the recipient wasn’t living at home, according to Imperial law.
So hiding like this was my only option.
“He tried to kill me, and now he’s sending me marriage proposals. There’s definitely another motive.”
I had no way of knowing what the mastermind was thinking.
Whatever it was, it couldn’t possibly be good for me.
So I’d keep avoiding him.
If I stayed quiet until I finished my research…
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang while I was reading in my study.
Who could that be? Nobody should be coming.
“Oh, right. I ordered flowers for the window.”
They had said they would deliver them today.
“They’re here already.”
“Coming.”
Click.
I casually opened the door—
“…!”
Bang!
I slammed it shut.
“Was I hallucinating?”
But could a hallucination really be that beautiful?
There was no way my imagination could create a face like that.
Which meant…
“I-Is it really him…?”
Cold sweat ran down my neck.
The moment I recognized him, I had immediately closed the door.
Running away now would only admit that I’d been avoiding him all this time.
I had to fix this somehow.
“I should’ve acted innocent and said, ‘Your Highness, what brings you here?’ But I panicked…”
Did he come here on purpose, knowing I’d react like this?
For a mastermind, he certainly thought several steps ahead.
“Oh? Your stamina isn’t great, but your reflexes are impressive.”
His voice sounded unusually clear.
Looking down, I realized why.
His foot was stuck between the door and the frame.
That was why I couldn’t close it.
“Y-Your Highness! What are you doing?”
“I brought your flowers.”
“How did you even find this place? Why are you here?”
Seriously… what is wrong with this man?
Even my parents don’t know about this house.
How did you find it?
“I told you. I’m delivering flowers.”
Ivan looked unfairly accused as he lightly shook the bouquet in his hands.
“That’s impossible.”
“So… you’re not going to let me in?”
“It’s cold.”
The midday sun was blazing overhead.
He was warmly dressed from head to toe.
The excuse wasn’t convincing at all.
“People are starting to look this way.”
Since the house faced the street, making any more of a scene would only attract attention.
Left with no choice, I relaxed my grip on the door.
Ivan smiled brightly as if he’d been waiting for that.
He held out the bouquet.
“Here. It’s for you.”
“I never ordered such a huge bouquet.”
“They delivered it to the wrong house.”
What bothered me most was the marriage proposal stuck right in the middle of the flowers.
I never imagined he’d deliver it himself.
He’s really going to force it into my hands.
This is unbelievable.
“Hmm. I see.”
Whether he listened or not, Ivan handed me the bouquet anyway.
Then he calmly walked inside, sat down on the living room sofa as though it were his own house, and only afterward spoke.
“Ah. Forgive my rudeness.”
“You’re going to be even ruder?”
“We have something to discuss.”
His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched me.
His unreadable gaze followed every movement I made.
“Being alone with him is dangerous… but I don’t really have a choice.”
Thankfully, despite previously saying he’d kill me, I couldn’t feel the same murderous intent as before.
“Go ahead.”
I reluctantly sat across from him and nodded.
“You ran away without telling me your name.”
“So I wasn’t sure what to call you.”
He smiled mischievously.
“I assume your name isn’t ‘Hiccup.'”
He looked like a snake.
A polite serial killer.
“…I’m Rine Astell.”
“As you already know, I’m the second daughter of Count Astell.”
“I see.”
“Lady Astell.”
“I imagine you have many questions for me.”
Seriously?
“Should I show him what a real interrogation looks like?”
But they do say ignorance is bliss.
Better not.
When I quietly shook my head, Ivan’s expression softened even more.
He seemed pleased by my cautious attitude.
“I’d like to correct something I said before.”
“I’m not going to kill you.”
“…Why should I believe that?”
“Isn’t the fact that I came here proof enough?”
A gentle smile spread across his face.
It was the same warm smile that instantly put people at ease.
“The first time I saw that smile… I actually wondered whether I should just stay in this world instead of returning to Korea.”
Even in this terrifying situation…
My favorite character was still my favorite character.
Little by little, my scattered thoughts calmed down.
If he had truly wanted to kill me…
He would’ve done it the moment he found this house.
“If you’re not going to kill me…”
“Then why send marriage proposals?”
“That’s the reason I’m letting you live.”
“I’d rather explain the details at the Imperial Palace.”
“Why?”
“You came all the way here. Why suddenly move the conversation there?”
When I looked at him suspiciously, he gestured toward my hands.
“They’re shaking.”
“…Mine?”
I looked down.
Sure enough, I was gripping the cushion so tightly that my hands were trembling.
I hadn’t even realized it myself.
After seeing him murder someone with my own eyes…
Of course I was afraid.
“So his gentle side is actually real.”
“I thought it was just part of the fake image he created to hide being the Butcher.”
“Even so… he’s still terrifying.”
When I quietly hid my trembling hands behind the cushion, Ivan politely looked away as if pretending not to notice.
“I think you’d feel more comfortable talking at the Imperial Palace than being alone with me here.”
“It would also be easier to have everything officially witnessed.”
“Witnessed…?”
“Are you saying you want to negotiate with me?”
“Something like that.”
“It won’t be a bad offer.”
“I’ve found something I want from you.”
The Crown Prince, who possessed everything in the Empire…
Wanted something from an ordinary count’s daughter?
Whether it was true or not, Ivan looked completely serious.
“…Please give me time to think.”
“I’ll send a carriage in three days.”
After finishing his business, he stood to leave.
Then he suddenly stopped and turned back toward me.
“I’ll be waiting.”
“So be sure to come.”
“I truly need you.”
If I hadn’t known he was the mastermind…
Those words might actually have made my heart race.
After quietly watching him, I carefully asked,
“What if I run away during those three days?”
“Lady Astell.”
“Do you think I’m having you watched?”
Unable to answer, I slowly nodded.
Ivan laughed quietly.
“Of course not.”
“Keeping people under surveillance is expensive.”
…So what he really meant was…
“Finding you is so easy that I don’t even need to watch you.”
“Don’t waste your time trying to run.”
I wanted to tell him how arrogant he sounded.
Unfortunately…
He really was that capable.
Damn this class-based society.
“By the way…”
“Are you planning to keep living here?”
“It won’t be easy living alone without any servants.”
“It’s dangerous too.”
“I’m fine.”
“Right now…”
“You’re the only dangerous thing in my life, Your Highness.”
“I see.”
“Then I’ll see you again soon.”
Despite my cold reply, Ivan simply smiled and left.
The fact that he overlooked my rudeness meant he truly wanted something from me.
Thunk.
The front door closed.
Only then did the tension finally leave my body.
“For a moment, I thought about running away again…”
But after hearing everything he’d said…
There was no point.
He’d probably find me immediately.
“Maybe I should at least hear what he has to say.”
Since I had already moved out, I planned to keep living here for a while.
Reporters were constantly gathering outside my family’s estate.
On top of that, I had no desire to deal with hundreds of letters from nobles I’d never even met.
“At least nobody knows about this place except Ivan.”
Ironically…
The one person I least wanted to know where I lived was the only one who actually did.
“More importantly…”
At this point, I couldn’t deny the truth any longer.
“Ivan is a mage.”
And not just any mage.
He was stronger than I was.
Otherwise, he could never have seen through my magic.
Normally, when a mage killed people in pursuit of greater power, they inevitably became corrupted.
The mana stolen from human lives eventually turned into poison.
“That’s strange.”
“He didn’t seem corrupted at all.”
According to the original novel, he had already killed dozens of people.
Yet both his body and mind appeared perfectly normal.
There had to be a reason.
“I’ll find out when I go.”
“…Still.”
“Just in case…”
“I should bring some holy water.”
“If things go badly, I’ll splash it on him and run.”
