CH 2

I was just trying to stop the main characters from breaking up.

Episode 2

I have been going back and forth from the Duke of Raphael’s house and have seen countless portraits of siblings.

If Serene was like the endless glitter of a blue lake, Eiberg was like a fog.

Even considering that the portrait was painted at the age of nineteen, the silvery hair that seemed to have faded and the white skin that seemed to have never seen sunlight made him look precarious and not strange if he disappeared at any time.

Above all, there was a unique atmosphere that seemed to be cold and not interested in anything.

But the nineteen-year-old would have turned twenty-three, had a long battle with northern monsters, and had a more stocky physique.

Just like the knight in front of my eyes.

‘If only that knight had silver hair.’

For a moment, it reminded me of a pure white jaguar. To put it more precisely, it seems like a carnivore that enjoys boredom after returning from hunting.

But no matter how similar their eyes were, it couldn’t have been the Duke. There was a high possibility that it might be the same person.

‘But two look too close.’

The biggest reason why I couldn’t erase this doubt was because of the eyes and attitude towards each other.

Serene was crying so hard that she didn’t even know I had come in. Even the knight in front of me swept her cheek and hugged her repeatedly as if he were an older brother, again and again in this short time.

The more I thought about it, the stranger this distance has fallen.

“As expected…”

I almost shouted at the Duke of Eiberg without realizing it.

But perhaps he heard the two small words I spat out, and the man’s gaze turned to me more deeply. It looked insensitive, but it was so cold as if it would pierce my lungs.

Like a herbivore’s instinct, I took a step back with my mouth shut.

“Princess.”

When I first came in, I’m sure he called her Serene.

However, the man changed the name before she knew it. And even put the helmet on the bedside table right away.

In an instant, the gray eyes that had caught my attention disappeared.

“Huh, no way, no way are you going to leave now?”

“Didn’t I show you the letter? Please sit here for a while and wipe your tears.”

It was evident that he was conscious of me.

Up until now, she seemed to have calmed down. He comforted Seren, but now he kept his distance. It was a sudden change, but Serene didn’t seem to notice at all because she was crying.

Still, with her back to me, she couldn’t even notice me.

“Looks like you didn’t close the door properly when you came in. I’ll be right back.”

Eiberg strode towards me as I was holding the doorknob tightly.

’D, Dianta?”

“As you can see, the princess is crying. If you want to come in, please come in, and if you want to leave, please leave.”

It was a soft yet firm tone.

It was a distinctly different color from when he was looking at Serene. Gray eyes scanned me incessantly, as if trying to pierce my insides. Suddenly, a nickname that people call him came to mind.

‘The Monster Duke.’

It felt like intangible energy was pressing me.

I was so startled that I forgot the doorknob, I was holding. At the same time, the door, which had lost its holding power, slammed shut with a roar.

Bang!

“… I feel like I’ve been kicked out.”

Even so, I did not go back into the waiting room. Didn’t even leave the area.

At first, I was so confused that I couldn’t think of anything. However, after coming out like this, my head became clearer and more complicated with many thoughts.

Are you thinking about leaving the North?’

The reason Eiberg left for the North was the situation that was tantamount to exile.

The imperial family was always looking out for Eiberg and would try to grab everything that could be a weakness by his side.

It was Eiberg who knew that best.

Fifteen, he lost his parents at a young age and rose to the throne. Eiberg has seen and experienced first hand the dark side of aristocratic society from an early age. That’s why he wanted to protect Serene as much as he could.

The center of all the choices had been always Serene, and he did not once protest against the Emperor’s orders, which were tantamount to pushing himself to death for Serene’s safety. For that reason, Eiberg in the original book had never left the North.

‘Should I go back in?’

Knowing all these circumstances made me more curious about the situation inside.

Eiberg and I had never seen each other before, anyway. Maybe he’s not expecting me to know his true identity.

Would it be possible for me to re-enter?

“It was good.”

I put my hand on the doorknob vigorously.

However, before I could even open the door, it opened wide with faster timing inside the waiting room. As a result, my body was pulled as it was and my upper body fell forward.

I closed my eyes tightly and stretched out my hands for the fall.

But instead of the marble floor, I put my hands on the chest of the black armor.

“… Ugh.”

“Uh, that…!”

A strangely cold sensation ran through my hands.

My instinctive defense mechanism kicked in, and I pushed the man in front of me away.

Embarrassingly, I was the only one who hit my butt due to the recoil.

“… Ugh, my butt!”

“Dianta? How long have you been here? No, are you hurt?”

“Oh! No, it hurts more.”

I can’t tell you how much my tailbone hurts.

I was just lying on the floor, forgetting to even moan. I just wanted the pain to go away.

“I’ll just go. The two of you, feel free to talk.”

In fact, Eiberg only sent a silent bow with a nonchalant tone.

Then, after putting on a black robe gracefully, it leisurely passed us by.

How fast he walks By the time I brushed off my butt and stood up, his figure had already disappeared. All that was left in front of me was Serene, whose mascara was smeared like a panda.

“Second to the swollen eyes, the makeup is all smudged. If the face of the prospective fiancé at the engagement ceremony looks like this, everyone will misunderstand it as an arranged marriage.”

“Is it very serious?”

“I think we can fix it lightly and cover it with a veil. Let’s go inside after taking a break.”

I hurried into the waiting room with Serene in case anyone saw me.

And then I carefully asked the question.

“Who is this? Did you cry because of that person?”

“Uh? Oh, that’s…”

“Looking at it earlier, the Duke’s family pattern was drawn on the armor. Was he the knight sent by Duke Raphael by any chance?”

“Uh, uh yeah.”

Serene’s focus continued to waver anxiously.

She couldn’t keep her head up properly, and his lips twitched several times. It was as if he was frustrated because of an unspeakable secret.

Then, as if she had made up her mind on something, she handed over a piece of crumpled parchment.

“He brought my brother’s letter from the North.”

“The letter? Can I see it?”

“Yes. I couldn’t even talk to the knight properly because I kept crying. I think he’ll be staying for about a month… In that way, Dianta will find out by itself.”

Stay for a month?

Perhaps the answer to that question must have been contained in this letter.

So this time, instead of asking questions, she quietly opened the parchment.

Along with the seal of Duke Raphael, it was filled with sharp handwriting.

<Serene.

After leaving, you’re alone in the capital, there was no day when I felt comfortable. I want to protect you by my side even now. Unlike the outside, the castle in the north is warm, and there are knights to give it to you. Come here without any worries. As soon as you are ready to leave, come to the North with the knight I sent.>

It was neat, content with only words, but the ripple effect was very great.

In the original story, there was no such thing as an episode where the Duke called Serene to the north. It must have happened because I was twisting the plot.

“Crazy!”

I hurriedly grabbed Serene’s shoulder with my pale hand.

“Wait, I’ll be out for a second.”

“Dianta?”

“Don’t tell Heint. I’m so shocked right now… I can’t believe he’s taking you north. I’ll go get some fresh air for a minute.”

I ran out of the waiting room.

After that, I quickly exited the main building where the dining room was located. He must have come on the horse, so he must have stopped by the stables before leaving.

In fact, until now, in my heart, I was in denial little by little.

But Serene’s slip of the tongue, the expressions I saw. All this was telling me. The ‘knight I sent’ in the letter eventually meant Eiberg himself.

I had to meet Eiberg.

‘I can never send Serene to the North.’

This was for Serene.

***

I asked the staff for directions and headed to the stable.

It was located in a secluded place in the backyard, and the ceremony was not over, so it was quite secluded. Maybe that’s why I could hear the rustling of the bushes in the wind or the subtle noises.

Even the dull sound of someone collapsing.

Puck!

Feeling that it was not unusual, I ran quickly to the stable. There was dirt on the hem of her dress, but she didn’t have time to care.

My heart was beating wildly.

“…”

By the time I reached the stable, my heart was about to jump out of my mouth.

Still, I couldn’t get a word out. It was because the scene in front of my eyes was so terrible that I could barely hold back even the sound of my breathing rushing out.

“Huh! What the hell is this?”

I took a deep breath and pressed my forehead hard.

I saw a man in a black robe lying down, covered in dust. Familiar patterns and black armor visible between the robes revealed the identity of the fallen.

I couldn’t believe this situation.

Didn’t he walk out of the ceremony just a few minutes ago? I wouldn’t have been so surprised if I had seen a sign at that time, but there was no sign of it at all.

‘Can I check it for a moment?’

I don’t know when someone will come, but I couldn’t leave him like this.

To be honest, there was one thing I guessed, but before that, I had to figure out exactly what was going on. Firstly, I’ll have to take off that cramped helmet.

“Calm down, first of all, calm down.”

I kept muttering as if brainwashed.

Then, summoning up the courage to do so, she gently put her hand on Eiberg’s helmet. The coldness was palpable, but there was no great difficulty in peeling it off.

“Ugh!”

However, in the process, my finger slightly touched his white cheek.

A different dimension from when I bumped into the armor came up on my fingertips. Not only that, but it was supportive like a spark, and yellow flames even popped up from the parts where they touched each other.

Surprised, I hurriedly pulled out the helmet.

“What’s this?”

I quickly turned my hand upside down and looked, but it was fine.

“There’s a mess over there in a different sense.”

Eiberg’s cheeks were also clean.

Instead, it was a mess on the other side. There was one thing I had been predicting since I saw him collapse, but if someone who knew nothing had found him, they would have screamed.

His face, which he revealed, was covered with thin ice.

Not to mention the black wig, the eyebrows were almost white. In addition, every time he exhaled in succession as if in pain, pure white breath came out of his mouth.

Fortunately, he seemed to be holding his breath, though this was the biggest problem.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a magi poisoning…”