Chapter 5

Grand Duke of the North

Varas thought long and hard.

About why, despite having paid a fair price to purchase a woman and bring her here, he could do nothing more than swallow hard and stare at her instead of reaching out.

He had never hesitated to trample on another person’s body or heart.

Using people solely for his own purposes without the slightest emotion?

That was routine. Nothing unusual. It happened all the time.

It had been the same with her.

Hadn’t he brought her here for one reason only—to bear a child?

Even before the wedding, whenever he watched her, his thoughts had concerned only how she should be treated.

If he loosened the restrictions a little, how much freedom could he allow before she became troublesome?

Would it be simpler to lock her away entirely since seeing her around irritated him?

How long should he wait before expecting her to conceive?

Even while considering countless practical matters, he had never viewed her as a human being.

In truth, he had nearly decided to keep her confined from the start.

Setting aside the fact that she stirred absolutely no interest in him, there were times when simply seeing her annoyed him.

The period when he immediately looked away whenever his gaze landed on her lasted until the wedding.

No.

Had his thoughts truly changed?

Whatever the case, before the wedding he had been the only one watching her.

Everything changed on their wedding night when Selen finally began looking back at him.

Now, once his eyes found her, he couldn’t look away.

Why?

What exactly had she done to him that night?

Or had something changed within himself?

A soft, sleepy sound came from Selen’s nose.

Varas felt strangely unsettled.

Yesterday was one thing.

But today?

How could she fall asleep when he was sitting right beside her?

And this close, no less?

He stared at her sleeping face.

At this point, it seemed she truly wasn’t afraid of him.

She didn’t appear to hate him either.

Perhaps…

Perhaps this woman actually saw him as a person.

Could she even think of him as her husband—

Impossible.

If she did, she wouldn’t have rejected his first escort so decisively.

In reality, Selen hadn’t rejected him quite that dramatically.

But that was how Varas chose to remember it.

Several strands of hair had fallen across her face.

Varas lifted his left hand, intending to brush them away.

Then he clenched his fist tightly instead.

She was beautiful.

His hands were monstrous.

Ah.

Was that it?

Was this the reason he couldn’t hold her?

Varas thought quietly.

So I think she’s beautiful.

Was that why he couldn’t bring himself to touch her with hands stained and made grotesque by blood?

There had never been anything he considered beautiful.

If that “anything” was a woman, then especially not.

Now he had found one.

So what should he do?

He should possess it.

Even if he had to break the flower from its stem and claim it as his own.

And afterward…

He would probably have to lock it away.

Would something beautiful to his eyes not also be beautiful to everyone else’s?

***

Selen suddenly woke herself with her own soft snoring.

Varas was still sitting beside her, quietly watching the fireplace.

She wasn’t sure how long she had slept, but warmth had finally returned to her body.

She removed her coat and spread it across the floor.

Then she slowly shuffled onto it and curled herself into a small ball.

Sleep began pulling at her again.

Outside was cold.

Inside was warm.

The crackling sound of burning firewood was pleasant.

The coat beneath her was soft.

And beside her sat a silent man, keeping watch while she drifted toward sleep.

Was this a dream?

A gentle smile curved Selen’s lips.

Without realizing it, she spoke in a drowsy voice.

“It’s peaceful.”

Drawn by her sleepy tone, Varas looked at her.

Inside, he almost laughed.

Peaceful?

Without knowing what the man beside you is thinking?

Without realizing what could happen to you at any moment?

Peace?

Peace belongs only to those who possess power, you foolish little sugar rabbit.

Another soft snore escaped Selen.

When Varas had announced his intention to buy a Grand Duchess, Zart had nearly fainted.

“What does the Duchy of Bellias lack that you need to buy a woman and seat her beside you as Duchess?”

He had urged Varas to choose from among the princesses available.

After all, Varas Bellias was:

the greatest knight on the continent,

a brilliant commander,

and Grand Duke of Bellias,

backed by none other than the Emperor himself.

According to Zart, countless nations wished to marry their daughters to him.

The only reason they hadn’t approached him first was pride.

All Varas had to do was send a proposal.

Yet Varas dismissed the suggestion immediately.

No matter how noble the woman, he had no confidence in treating her as she deserved.

The process of learning about someone,

understanding them,

showing consideration,

offering respect—

all of it sounded unbearably tedious.

That was why he had brought Selen.

A woman whom he could treat however he wished without fear of causing international conflict.

After all, whatever happened within Bellias Castle would remain hidden from the outside world.

If she were a foreign princess—

or even the daughter of some minor noble family—

her relatives would not stay silent if letters suddenly stopped arriving.

That would create complications.

And complications were troublesome.

The list of troublesome possibilities was long enough to require both hands to count.

But Selen had none of those problems.

No family.

No nanny.

No personal maid.

No one.

Entirely alone.

For a brief moment, Varas hesitated as he looked at the foolish woman sleeping peacefully before him.

He remembered how she had trembled from exhaustion after spending time in the cold.

At the time, she had looked pitiful.

I’ll overlook it today since you’ve already fallen asleep.

But starting tomorrow, don’t expect such leniency.

Staring at her delicately curved eyelashes, Varas delivered the warning silently inside his head.

Day 3

A blast of cold air brushed Selen’s cheek.

Someone had opened the door.

She opened her eyes.

The figure entering the room placed a breakfast tray on the table near the window and added several logs to the fireplace.

Anna watched the new fire catch before standing and offering a respectful bow.

Seeing a woman old enough to be her mother bow so deeply made Selen uncomfortable.

Flustered, she waved her hands.

“You don’t need to greet me like that.”

Anna carefully chose her words as she looked at the Grand Duchess her lord had purchased.

“Will you respond that way to everyone who greets you?”

As she spoke, she observed Selen’s reaction.

The Grand Duchess initially looked startled.

Then her face turned red and she lowered her head.

Anna had heard she was a commoner.

Some difficulties were inevitable.

A moment later, Selen cautiously lifted her head.

Though her face remained slightly flushed, her expression had changed.

“I don’t know whether you’re aware of this, but I was raised as a commoner. I’m unfamiliar with noble etiquette, and I still don’t know how I’m supposed to react in situations like this.”

The sincerity in her voice made it obvious she truly didn’t know.

Still, Anna found it surprisingly acceptable.

At the very least, her speech was clear and polite.

She spoke with a natural tone that conveyed respect without sounding forced.

Anna bowed deeply once more before leaving the room.

Alone again, Selen sat by the window and enjoyed her breakfast.

Yesterday she had barely been able to eat.

Today, perhaps because she was hungry, everything tasted delicious.

The meal ended quickly.

As she sat staring out the window, a familiar sense of depression began creeping back in.

Then she paused.

Thinking carefully, she realized something.

No one had actually forbidden her from leaving her room.

She had only assumed she would be confined because that was what happened in the original story.

Selen decided she needed fresh air and sunlight.

When Anna brought lunch, she would take it outside.

***

At lunchtime, Selen put on her coat and placed her cloak beside the door.

Just then, Anna knocked.

“It’s Anna.”

Selen picked up the cloak she had just set down.

“Come in.”

Anna entered carrying a tray.

The moment she saw Selen apparently preparing to leave, her eyes widened.

“Where are you going?”

Fastening the buttons on her cloak and tying the ribbons, Selen answered casually.

“I thought I’d go outside. Staying indoors all the time makes me feel trapped and depressed.”

Anna considered what she should do.

Unfortunately, Selen dressed much faster than expected.

Luckily, she found a convenient excuse to buy time.

“What about your meal?”

“Oh.”

Only then did Selen remember the tray.

Looking disappointed, she glanced at it.

“I guess it would be difficult to carry this outside.”

Anna assumed the Grand Duchess had been imagining a picnic.

Of course, if she requested finger foods instead, Anna would gladly arrange it.

But there was no need to mention that.

Instead, she offered another suggestion.

“There is a table near the gallery. If you dine there, it might feel somewhat like a picnic.”

Selen nodded.

That sounded perfect.

It was outdoors and overlooked the courtyard.

Once Selen agreed, Anna excused herself and hurried downstairs first to prepare everything.

The table stood on a terrace between the gallery and the courtyard.

Anna had already spread a cloth over it and placed a small glass bottle filled with decorative stones at the center.

Flowers were rare in the North.

Perhaps that was why they used beautiful stones instead.

When Selen approached, Anna pulled out a chair for her.

After ensuring she was seated comfortably, she served the meal once more.

***

Standing beside the table, Anna watched the Grand Duchess’s awkward table manners.

She still hadn’t decided how much she ought to teach her.

If Selen truly existed only to provide an heir and spend the rest of her life hidden within these walls, then there would be no reason to teach her anything.

But after observing her over the past two days, Anna wasn’t so certain anymore.

Anna could distinguish human blood from animal blood.

Her lord knew that.

And yet he had spilled animal blood onto the bedsheets.

The display had been intended for the servants in the outer castle.

It was meant to prevent rumors despite the fact that the marriage had not actually been consummated.

Her lord would never do something so careful and considerate without reason.

The fact that the wedding night had passed untouched gave Anna much to think about.

More than anything else, she focused on one fact:

The Grand Duchess had influenced her lord’s behavior.

Even if only slightly.

It felt as though a tiny seed of hope had drifted into Anna’s heart.

Could that seed grow?

Could the Grand Duchess stop her lord’s reckless descent?

A subtle wind of change had begun stirring within Varas’s heart.

And at the center of that change…

was Selen.