CH 7

Hopefully, at Your Mercy – Chapter 7

“Delinda? What’s wrong? Are you still hurt from yesterday’s incident?”

The duke rushed to Delinda in a hurry and examined her hand. Even though she was rude to Iskan—the prince and grand duke—he expressed his concern first rather than admonishing her.

Delinda finally came to her senses.

She alternated between looking at the duke, who was staring at her hand with a worried expression, and Iskan, who focused on her with zero emotion.

Then, she bowed her head and apologized, though belatedly.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I recently touched the flame of a spirit stone with my bare hands, and when I reached for Your Highness, it suddenly hurt. That was rude of me. Please forgive me.”

Will the excuse work?

What if he hurts my father?

No matter how nice of a smile he flashed, this man was one of those who reigned from one of the highest positions.

The imperial family wields omnipotent power. A person should never slap away a family member’s hand or commit disrespect.

At the same time, he was also a scary man who killed people yesterday.

The brutal killer even had power. What could be scarier than this?

Iskan only smiled softly.

“That’s all right, Princess. How’s your hand?”

Even after that, he showed concern for Delinda.

Delinda nodded, saying she was fine. When he tried to take a step closer, as if he were going to inspect her hand, she unconsciously shifted her foot back.

It was her instinct to avoid him based on the brutal memories of that night.

Iskan also overlooked her reaction, as if he’d experienced enough instances of people being afraid of him to make him sick of it.

“Now, let’s hear what the duke has to say. Why are you mortgaging this beautiful home, exactly?”

Turning the topic to the duke, Iskan nonchalantly sat down on the sofa. Like overpowering someone else was an attitude ingrained in him.

“As a matter of fact, I was just offered a great investment opportunity. From what I heard… I judged that there would be no risk in the contract… Thus, with the help of Your Highness…”

As their discussion carried on, the duke began to speak cautiously. Delinda was also on the sofa. She sat there with her mouth shut and watched Iskan’s conversation with her father.

Iskan was listening to the duke with his chin resting on his fist, leaning against the armrest of the sofa and looking arrogant.

Delinda tried to grasp Iskan’s intentions, but no matter how hard she looked, all she could see was a gentle smile.

‘Delinda, the owner of this body, is rumored to be an idiot… I guess he let me off because I told him I touched the flame of a spirit stone with my bare hands yesterday?’

A man who kills but is tolerant of rudeness?

…There’s just no way.

And besides, to willingly loan money in a situation that seems so obviously fraudulent?

This guy is suspicious, too.

‘Has he been coveting this mansion? Or is this a trick with that swindler? But what does the prince lack that he would resort to being a con man?’

Delinda rolled her eyes, adding suspicion to her doubts.

Meanwhile, the conversation between the duke and Iskan was nearing its end, and the duke finished it off by offering a tour of the estate.

After sending off the knights and servants, the duke introduced him to the mansion.

They moved past a large drawing room, a hallway full of paintings and sculptures, and a corridor leading to a small indoor fountain and dining room.

“Magnificent.”

Iskan uttered a small note of appreciation as he entered the huge banquet hall.

Delinda’s eyes thought the place was amazing, too.

If you looked closely, the elegant patterns on the walls were all delicate mosaics. It was a luxury that you couldn’t have without much effort and money.

From floor to ceiling, the windows were tinted with color. Each time a branch shook outside the window, the shadows gleamed colorfully.

‘Wow. This is the best!’

Even if my father, the duke, was swindled and his family was destroyed, there was always a reason to be proud. Owning a place like this is always going to be reassuring. Because we have our own home.

I slowly entered the hall, caressing the wall. I swear I could hear a graceful melody playing somewhere. It was a beautiful place full of past glory.

Forgetting the duke and Iskan were present, I appreciated the room as if observing a beautiful artifact.

How long has it been? As I looked up at an enormous portrait of a beautiful woman, I felt a presence behind me.

“It’s your late mother. I met you as a child.”

Delinda’s shoulders tensed in surprise.

As she tried to look back, Iskan’s hands forced her shoulders forward. With a firm grip so she couldn’t turn back.

Delinda stiffened with tension as her shoulders were held prisoner. She felt warmth slowly approaching her ear. Standing behind her, his face was pressed up close.

A distance where they could feel each other’s breath.

A low-baritone whisper followed.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Del.”

“…”

I got goosebumps in my ears.

Delinda swallowed a terrified breath.

What do you mean… Del?

Wasn’t that the alias I threw at this guy that night?

It was only natural he’d find out. Yesterday, he saw my face clear as day.

Of course, I never thought I’d run into him again like this.

‘Father, where did you go? Please save me…’

Delinda worried, still looking up at the painting.

I didn’t know how to react. The force of his fingers digging into my shoulders hurt.

“I haven’t heard any rumors that ‘the’ Schultz Princess is a wizard…”

He spoke in a grinning voice.

Delinda seemed to know what he was talking about from the indirect reference.

He means the real owner of this body, Delinda Schultz. The rumored idiot. Delinda wondered if she appeared smarter than the rumors suggested.

Delinda turned rather anxious. It wasn’t going to happen, but it felt like he’d soon find out that she was possessing this body.

Besides…

‘You haven’t heard rumors that she’s a wizard? Are you saying I’m a wizard? What did you see?’

Soon, his hands released her shoulders. His close warmth also faded.

Delinda still took a breath, pretending to look at the painting.

“Your status has substantially risen from being a maid overnight.”

From farther away, he spoke with a smirk in his voice. Only then did Delinda turn back. She’d made up her mind in that short moment.

Whatever the excuse, this guy’s going to dig his heels in. I had a hunch. Now that this is happening, a direct breakthrough would be the answer.

“Are you going to kill me now?”

“Do I have any reason to?”

“I witnessed yesterday’s murders.”

To that, Iskan just chuckled quietly as if he genuinely found this amusing.

“Murders… I never killed anyone.”

Liar. I literally saw you.

Slowly lowering his upper body, he peered into Delinda’s eyes. With a faint smile, Iskan replied.

“I was merely disposing of the garbage.”

As Delinda’s face noticeably paled, he added generously.

“It is treason to seek out the lives of the imperial family. You’d have an immediate trial.”

“…”

“So no, I won’t kill you, Princess. Because you are not a rat seeking to invade my life but the precious daughter of Duke Schultz.”

His smile instantly grew cold.

Erasing his smile, his face appeared as cold as the sharp blade of a sword. From the look in his eyes, it was clear that he would have cut her off right then if she weren’t the “daughter of Duke Schultz.”

Delinda realized.

‘This man… I think he’s a bit unhinged?’

First of all, his eyes were crazed.

But clear, almost as if they held a deep well. On the surface, he was level-headed, but the madness hidden beneath stirred.

It was even scarier to see a handsome man with those eyes.

Plus, this unsettling guy has been speaking of killing people as if they were bugs he was used to squishing.

Only then did Delinda grasp the reality.

This is a world of strict status. A world where killing others means nothing.

Therefore, it wouldn’t be strange if a prince with that power and authority secretly kills himself.

Moreover, he seems to suspect me of being some kind of spy or something…

Suddenly, the back of my neck was itchy. It was the same feeling I had earlier when I looked down at him from my room.

It was like he was physically tightening my chest.

Delinda inched back, fiddling with the nape of her neck. The bottom of the hard frame touched her back.

He didn’t come any closer. Just watched her move away.

His gaze slowly slid from Delinda’s eyes to her cheeks and from her cheeks to her neck.

Feeling his persistent gaze, Delinda removed her hand from her neck. At last, he finally spoke with some emotion.

“When our eyes meet… you have the habit of slowly blinking once.”