Chapter 4
Raylie entered her room and locked the door.
“—Madam! Please, let’s open the door first and talk.”
Leaning against the door, she squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to see him. At this point, nothing he said could be trusted anymore.
“I want to be alone, so please leave.”
“—Do you really think locking the door will stop me from coming in?”
At Theo’s low voice, Raylie bit down on her lip.
If he forced the door open, she wouldn’t be able to stop him. But at least here, she didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone.
Raylie’s room was the last space that belonged solely to her.
“Do you need both of us stripped bare to the very bottom before you’re satisfied?”
“—…Raylie, this really is a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding? You’re calling it a misunderstanding? Then bring me an answer I can believe.”
Whether he received a reply from Leta or brought her to the ducal estate himself, the answer was already decided.
Turning her head, Raylie pictured Theo standing a few steps away from the door.
How had things ended up like this?
Had he known from the beginning that it would come to this? And if he had known, would anything have been different?
No. Even then, she would have gone to his side, blind in both eyes.
After pacing around for quite some time, Theo seemed to finally give up and leave; she could faintly hear the sound of his footsteps fading away.
Only then did Raylie drag her exhausted body to the table, sit down, and lower her head.
“I told you we should make a deal.”
“…I don’t even have the strength to argue, so could you please stay quiet?”
Beside the slumped Raylie, a man appeared. At the same time, a pattern emerged on her neck and began to glow.
Long black hair fell down his back, and red eyes settled on Raylie. He was Ren—the sword passed down through her family, and the contractor bound to the crest.
“Once the crest has appeared, it won’t take long for him to notice anyway.”
“You don’t have to tell me. I know.”
Seeing Raylie answer in a weary voice without lifting her head, Ren dropped into a chair with a thud. He tapped the table lightly with his fingers and stared at her for a long while.
That Veriter Duke and this bastard are the same… No, this one’s even worse. I can’t just kill him outright either.
Watching Raylie neither form a contract nor leave, Ren felt like he was going to lose his mind. She refused power even when it was offered, and on top of that, she was trying to live while hiding it.
But since his master refused, he couldn’t use his power either—there was nothing he could do about that.
For now, he had to be satisfied with briefly manifesting to check on her condition. That was the only option available.
Ren, who usually stayed within the ducal estate, moved in secret. It was because of a guest who had snuck in late at night.
“…A rat’s snuck in.”
“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“Then were you expecting to be treated politely, looking like that?”
Ren whispered as he pressed the gleaming blade against the man’s neck. The man pushed the sword aside lightly with his finger and frowned.
“How is Raylie’s body? Is she all right?”
There was a reason he had to come to the ducal estate in hiding.
He was Caber Veritas, the Crown Prince of the Empire.
Because Raylie despised the imperial family, he had no choice but to call himself a rat. Caber had been Raylie’s friend long ago—and he was still in love with her.
“Well, for now she’s okay. Something troublesome came up, though.”
At Ren’s words, Caber let out a sigh. He already knew what Ren was referring to. How much had he cursed himself for trusting the duke?
“I told you to keep a close eye on her.”
Caber scrunched up his face and looked Ren up and down.
“That’s not something you should say, when all you’ve done is watch.”
“You know I can’t help it if Raylie doesn’t want my help.”
The masked man clicked his tongue at Ren’s reply.
From the beginning, Caber hadn’t liked Ren. But because he couldn’t stay by Raylie’s side himself, he’d kept quiet.
Ren was supposed to be bound to the imperial family, but since Raylie hadn’t formed a contract, Caber had no authority to command him.
Ren knew that well, which was why he could act so arrogantly.
“So what conclusion did you come to after sending people all this time? What about the bill?”
Ren smirked and provoked Caber.
“I’ve arranged it so the imperial family can process the lawsuit immediately, but the fastest way would still be for me to step in personally.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have no choice but to do it yourself.”
In preparation for any unforeseen situation, Caber had passed legislation regarding divorce. Of course, since Raylie didn’t want it yet, it was nothing more than a contingency plan.
“I’ll say it again—I’ll move only when Raylie reaches out.”
“You seem to have forgotten…”
Ren looked at him with scorn.
“She will never ask you for help.”
Caber frowned as he looked at Ren’s resolute expression. It was frustrating, but he knew Ren wasn’t wrong.
He’d thought the same himself.
“…I know.”
“Good. At least you know.”
Caber gave a bitter smile and shrugged his shoulders. He had watched her since childhood. If he hadn’t been part of the imperial family, perhaps Raylie might have spent her entire life with him.
But that was all.
The Raylie who had grown up alongside him had ultimately left him behind. Having come to hate the imperial family and everything surrounding it, she couldn’t help but feel similar emotions even toward Caber.
Memories of the past rose up, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Even if I try to see her separately, she won’t agree to meet me. All I can do is help from the shadows.”
Ren silently watched Caber, then glanced at the heavy boxes piled on the floor.
“Who are you feeding with all this?”
“Make sure she eats properly. She’s going through a very difficult time right now.”
Knowing Raylie’s situation well, Caber couldn’t help worrying about her. Her health was already poor, and without forming a contract with the sword, her mana would inevitably be unstable.
“How does Raylie’s body seem to you? And the child?”
“She’s holding up better than expected. I don’t know how long she can last, but honestly, the fact that a child is growing in a body like that is impressive in itself.”
Fortunately, the child in her womb was also growing safely.
“The baby’s doing well.”
Caber fell silent. Hearing Ren’s words, he could feel Raylie’s pain as if it were his own.
“Frankly, it wouldn’t be strange if she miscarried at any moment.”
In the end, Ren spoke honestly to Caber about Raylie’s condition. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Raylie, but inside, her body was already in ruins.
“For now, just do what Raylie wants.”
“…All right. Ah, and stop bringing things like this.”
“Is it not to her taste?”
Ren shook his head as he looked at Caber. Because the food and rare medicinal items Caber regularly sent never ceased
