Chapter 03
I instinctively held my breath.
Grand Duke Carter?
The first thing that entered my sight was hair as black as pitch.
The skin revealed beneath it was so pale that his veins were almost visible, and dark shadows lay under his eyes as if proving years of sleeplessness.
And then—
Ha.
Beneath the disheveled hair, I caught a glimpse of crimson eyes.
They looked exactly like mine.
It was strange that I had never noticed before.
How had I failed to recognize someone so close?
The thought that, deceived by the emperor, I had driven my own father and his house to ruin with my own hands felt unbearably bitter.
Though it seems he doesn’t recognize me either.
I swallowed dryly.
This was not the time for sentiment.
The sword pressed beneath my chin was far too threatening to waste time.
“…That’s quite a rough welcome.”
“It suits an uninvited guest.”
Even though he was holding a blade to the neck of a mere thirteen-year-old princess, there was no hesitation in him.
Yes. This was the relationship between the imperial family and the ducal house.
The imperial family trampled the Grand Duke of Carter to keep his immense magic in check, and the Grand Duke hated the imperial family in return.
If I say something insane like I’m his real daughter, I’ll lose my head.
The princess who had thoroughly isolated him turning out to be the daughter he believed dead—what could be more absurd?
“If you cannot give me a clear reason for trespassing on my estate, even a princess will not leave alive.”
“……”
“So answer me. What is your purpose?”
The blade drew closer.
A thin line of pain spread, and blood slowly seeped from my pale neck.
If I stall or make excuses, I’ll die.
Without further delay, I removed my hood.
“…I came to make a deal.”
“A deal?”
Carlos’s sharp eyes twisted.
“How amusing. What method are you planning to use this time to torment me?”
He growled low.
“Speak properly.”
Meanwhile, I struggled not to sway.
In truth, I had been dizzy for a while and could barely remain standing.
I had changed carriages several times and walked four hours through pouring rain.
My strength had already been drained by the cold and the storm, and the overwhelming killing intent pressing down on me made it even worse.
I felt like I might faint at any moment.
Perhaps a twenty-year-old could endure it. But for a thirteen-year-old who had been overprotected in the emperor’s arms, it was brutal.
Still, I had to endure.
I had prepared myself for this.
To escape the emperor’s grasp and survive.
With trembling, pale hands, I pulled something from inside my cloak.
“It’s a proposal you’ll find more appealing than that.”
The Grand Duke’s eyes narrowed.
“…A purified stone?”
“It’s different from ordinary purified stones.”
What I revealed was not a bright red gem.
It was darker—deep crimson, almost like coagulated blood.
A faint crack appeared in the Grand Duke’s expression.
“Well? Do you feel like talking now?”
I watched his face carefully.
His presence was still threatening, but the suffocating killing intent that had weighed on my shoulders seemed slightly withdrawn.
“Explain.”
“…Could you remove the sword first? It hurts.”
I sighed weakly.
Only then did Carlos’s gaze shift to the blood flowing from my neck.
“……”
After staring at me, he slowly withdrew the blade.
Only then did I breathe again.
I’ve passed the first hurdle….
As the tension that had been stretched tight snapped loose, dizziness rushed over me.
“So, this is—”
Just as I tried to force the words out, my body swayed.
No. I can’t faint here.
I gritted my teeth and clung to consciousness. If I collapsed now, everything might fall apart.
But even attempting to endure was impressive enough.
Once I relaxed, instead of my mind clearing, all strength drained from my body.
“What are you doing? No tricks—”
His voice, which should have been close, sounded distant.
“Ah….”
No.
Not like this.
My body refused to obey.
“…Princess?”
At Carlos’s startled call, my vision went dark.
My body felt heavy.
I slowly opened my eyes.
What happened?
I had returned to the past. I came to find the Grand Duke…
“……!”
I suddenly came to my senses and hurriedly sat up.
An unfamiliar bedroom came into view. Sunlight poured in through the window.
“Oh my, you’re awake.”
I flinched.
Turning my head quickly, I saw a neatly dressed middle-aged woman standing a short distance from the bed.
“You were sleeping so peacefully—I thought you might not wake up today either. Are you feeling better now?”
Carrying a silver tray, the woman approached and examined my complexion.
“Oh dear, where are my manners? I’m Mia Edenberg. It sounds grand to call me head maid, but I manage the household here at the ducal estate. Please, just call me Mia.”
“…Did I faint?”
“You were soaked in the rain. Your fever was very high. We gave you first aid, but you need more rest.”
I felt all the tension leave my body.
I’m not dead.
Instead of cutting my throat or throwing me out, the Grand Duke had given me a room.
Wait.
If she said “today again”…
“How long have I been unconscious?”
“You slept for two full days. You were drenched that dawn—how fortunate that you finally woke up.”
I lifted my head sharply.
A sense of alarm washed over me.
Not only had I fainted—I had been bedridden for two entire days.
I need to see him immediately.
If that much time had passed, this was no time to lie comfortably in bed.
“Where is the Grand Du—ugh.”
As soon as I tried to throw off the blanket, dizziness struck. Every muscle in my body throbbed as if struck by a hammer.
As if expecting it, Mia sighed and gently pushed me back down.
“No, no. Lie still. Your fever hasn’t fully gone down, and you need to eat and take your medicine soon.”
“I don’t need that. The Grand Duke—”
“Now, now! Listen to me!”
Her sharp response stunned me for a moment.
“What did you just—?”
“Now, now”?
Did a mere head maid just scold the imperial princess?
Even the palace maids—no, not even the nurse who raised me as a child—had ever dared talk back to me.
Did this woman know how many heads had rolled at a single command of mine?
Despite my disbelief, Mia paid it no mind and pulled the blanket up under my chin.
Her hand patting my shoulder was careful.
“Don’t think about anything right now. Just rest comfortably, Princess.”
“No, I have to meet the Grand Duke—”
“It’s all right. If you sleep well and wake up, you’ll be able to see him.”
Her gentle voice, as if soothing a child, settled over me like a lullaby.
Strangely, it was odd.
Perhaps I was too exhausted.
I should have been angry, but under her touch, my tension eased instead.
Wrapped in unfamiliar warmth, I once again drifted into deep sleep.
Just before losing consciousness, I thought I heard a familiar voice.
“Mas… ter… why is she….”
“The princess… awake….”
My vision turned black once more.
