Chapter 54
Derek Grenville returned to the capital, Valuche, two days after meeting Elisa in Kando.
“Master, Countess Leslie has sent a letter.”
The first thing that greeted him upon returning home was an unwelcome name on an envelope.
Without even removing his coat, Derek sat on the edge of his desk and stared down at the letter the butler handed him.
He didn’t need to open it to know what it said.
It would be full of worry for Elisa, asking if he had found her or discovered any clues—pleading that if he knew anything, he must tell them.
He brushed his thumb over the Leslie family crest stamped on the envelope.
Once, he had been certain that crest would soon be in his possession.
Now, he knew it wouldn’t.
A terrible thought crossed his mind—that the tower he had so carefully built could crumble in an instant. Deep lines furrowed his brow. With a short sigh, Derek ripped open the envelope without a paper knife.
The paper tore slightly, but that didn’t stop him from reading.
The contents were exactly as he had expected, and a hollow laugh escaped him.
“The Countess asked that you send a reply, sir,” the butler said softly, having waited in silence until Derek finished.
Instead of replying, Derek tossed the letter onto the desk and pulled out a cigar from the drawer.
He hadn’t smoked in a long time—Elisa had always hated the smell—but now, there was no reason to refrain.
He lit the end, inhaling deeply. His throat burned, but his mood lifted just slightly.
Sensing his master wanted to be alone, the butler quietly withdrew, leaving the study in utter stillness.
As smoke curled into the air, Derek’s mind drifted back to the moment he met Elisa in Kando.
He remembered how Ethan, thought to be missing, had appeared perfectly fine—and had punched him squarely in the face.
Even two days later, the spot still throbbed.
He had suspected something was amiss the moment he heard that Prince Howard had arrived alone in Sailport—but he had never imagined Elisa and Ethan would be together.
And Ethan Estevan didn’t look like a man who had fallen off a cliff.
The bandages around his leg seemed more like a show, given how easily and swiftly he moved.
It wasn’t just the beating that enraged Derek—it was Elisa’s behavior.
How she had turned her back on him without hesitation, fleeing with Ethan and Noah.
After everything I’ve done for her. After all the favors, all the patience, all the effort… and she dares betray me?
His teeth ground together until the cigar between them snapped. Ash fell and scorched the desk, but he didn’t care.
“Should I tell them… or not?” he muttered.
If he wanted revenge on Elisa and Ethan, he should report what he knew.
But something about them running straight to Prince Howard in Sailport made him hesitate.
More than that, from the moment he’d arrived at Kando station, he’d felt eyes watching him.
It wasn’t Elisa’s doing—she wasn’t the type.
And Ethan wasn’t, either.
That left only one person.
“Prince Howard… it must be him.”
Prince Howard hadn’t won the war against the Empire through loyal subordinates like Ethan Estevan alone.
He had also triumphed through ruthless cunning—using whatever means necessary to achieve his goals.
Dealing with Ethan Esteban was already troublesome enough.
Having to face Prince Howard as well?
Derek sighed heavily.
It was precisely why he couldn’t publicly reveal that Ethan was still alive.
To face one of them, he needed a piece on the board—a pawn worth moving.
His gaze drifted to the half-burned cigar on the desk.
Despite the time that had passed, the ember still glowed bright red.
As he stared at it, the face of a woman surfaced in his mind.
Camilla von Martinez.
The foolish princess who loved Ethan Esteban blindly.
“…A fine chess piece indeed,” Derek murmured.
For the first time since entering the study, a smile curved his lips.
***
After arriving in Belhaven, Ethan hadn’t taken a single step outside the village chief’s house.
That part, he could tolerate.
What truly bothered him were the bandages wrapped around his entire body.
He had to look like a man barely clinging to life—someone who had been unconscious for days.
So Ethan wrapped himself in layers of bandages, looking eerily similar to a corpse prepared for burial in some distant eastern land.
Unable to move freely or go outside, he spent his idle hours reading newspapers and books.
First, I’ll settle things with Count Leslie.
All his past efforts to protect Elisa’s world had gone to waste—but it didn’t matter.
The moment he discovered Noah’s existence, he no longer needed Count Leslie’s approval.
“Noah Leslie,” he whispered softly, the name of his son lingering on his tongue.
There was no affection for the surname Leslie, but the thought of his son being registered under the Count’s name left a bitter taste.
Worse still, the boy was branded a bastard.
It infuriated him.
I’ll restore his birthright. But first… I have to marry Elisa.
Just as he was collecting his thoughts, noise erupted outside.
Footsteps approached quickly. Ethan lay back down and slipped a sprig of Lifref herb under his tongue, chewing it.
Bandages alone wouldn’t be convincing enough. The herb’s effects took hold instantly.
“Ethan!”
The door burst open. A tearful voice echoed through the room.
“Please, wake up! Ethan!”
Princess Camilla rushed to his bedside, hands trembling as she reached for him—but she couldn’t bring herself to touch him.
“Open your eyes!”
So noisy, he sighed inwardly.
He opened his eyes slowly, as if awakening from a long sleep.
The moment their gazes met, Camilla’s tears fell like a broken faucet.
“Thank goodness you’re alive. Thank goodness…”
Ordinarily, crying would make someone look pitiful—but not her.
Even in tears, she was a picture of grace.
Ethan, however, looked at her with cool detachment.
His indifference only made her sob harder.
The maid beside her tried to comfort her, but Camilla wouldn’t stop.
Her visit wasn’t by chance.
It was all part of Prince Howard’s plan—and Ethan had agreed to play along.
But now, faced with her tears, he could only sigh.
Her sobs were nothing but noise to him.
“I’ll take responsibility,” she said through her tears, voice clear despite her crying.
“This is all my fault—you were injured because of me, and I’ll take responsibility.”
“…And how exactly do you intend to do that, Your Highness?”
“I’ll grant you royal status.”
The only way Ethan could become royalty was by marrying into it.
“Your Highness!” the maid gasped, horrified. The guard behind her widened his eyes in disbelief.
Ethan’s brows furrowed slightly at the unexpected declaration.
“I finally understand why you never accepted my feelings,” Camilla said, tears glistening in her lashes. “It’s because of the royal marriage, isn’t it? Because of your principles. You couldn’t allow yourself to be with another man’s wife.”
Everyone around her was stunned—but Camilla spoke with utter seriousness.
“So, I won’t go through with the arranged marriage. I’ll marry you instead. I know it won’t be easy—the people, my father, and the queen will all oppose it. But eventually, they’ll have to accept it. You’re not only the hero who led us to victory, but also the man who saved my life. Repaying that debt is only natural…”
“Forgive me for interrupting, Your Highness,” Ethan said, cutting her off.
He pulled his hand free from hers.
She tried to take it again, but he brushed her off a second time.
“I refused your feelings not because of the royal marriage,” he said quietly, “but because I do not love you.”
Camilla’s eyes widened, tears spilling freely once more.
“So I have no intention of marrying you, either.”
Ethan’s gaze held hers firmly—each word deliberate, unyielding.
