* * *

I stared at Kerelona as she greeted me.

Though I had seen her from afar at a banquet in the capital, this was the first time we had come face to face.

Her sudden approach left me unable to discern her intentions, especially in front of such a crowd.

Feeling unsettled, I lowered my head slightly.

“…Hello.”

“Your name?”

Kerelona wasted no time with formalities and asked immediately.

Her long, fluttering lashes barely veiled her translucent eyes, which shone with a clarity that felt almost burdensome.

Her expression was devoid of malice, leaving me momentarily speechless.

Does she not even know my name?

Then why approach me?

It made her actions even more baffling.

Feeling the roughness of my dyed hair and the mask brushing against my fingers as I touched my face, I failed to guess why Kerelona was singling me out.

When I remained silent, someone nearby whispered urgently, “Isaac.” It was a nudge to answer quickly before Kerelona lost interest. Isaac, Isaac Winter.

People who knew me began murmuring my name, and the quiet entrance turned noisy with growing interest in this peculiar encounter.

All eyes, including some filled with curiosity and others with hostility, shifted toward me as Kerelona’s unexpected actions brought attention to where I stood in the corner.

I calmly rolled up my sleeves, letting my hand drop to my side.

This kind of attention was nothing new. I had grown used to it at banquets in the capital.

The prying eyes—both vulgar and innocent—were familiar enough that feigning indifference came naturally.

Quietly observing my surroundings, I bit the inside of my cheek, the metallic taste of blood spreading in my mouth.

I must have bitten too hard. With furrowed brows, I smoothed my disheveled hair.

There was no point in giving a fake name.

Too many people here already knew who I was.

Not revealing my real name would only seem strange.

“…Isaac. Isaac Winter.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I finally spoke.

Upon hearing my name, Kerelona chuckled softly before breaking into laughter.

Her clear laughter filled the entrance, silencing the growing murmur.

As the room fell into an uneasy stillness, Kerelona wiped a tear from her eye, her lingering amusement still visible on her face.

“How interesting. Hiding in a place like this.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind.”

With that cryptic remark, Kerelona withdrew her interest.

She straightened her faintly tilted lips, as if sealing away her amusement.

Before departing, she lightly tapped my shoulder as if to promise another meeting and gestured toward Heron, who was waiting nearby.

“Let’s go.”

Despite the stirred curiosity, Kerelona ended the interaction with an unexpectedly simple farewell and ascended the stairs with the Pope.

Heron followed closely behind.

It was only after she disappeared to the upper floors that the frozen atmosphere began to thaw.

The clergyman who had brought me to the entrance tiptoed to meet my eye level and asked cautiously, his curiosity barely restrained.

“Do you know the princess?”

“No. We’re not acquaintances.”

“Then why did she act that way toward you?”

“That… I don’t know either.”

I slowly shook my head in response to his question.

Even I, the person involved, couldn’t understand why Kerelona was acting this way.

It was overwhelming, to say the least, when someone I’d never even exchanged words with back in the capital suddenly acted so familiar.

The priest, failing to satisfy his curiosity, pouted slightly, clearly disappointed.

Yet, he let slip a hint of his true thoughts, saying, “Well, at least it must’ve been nice to greet the princess.”

I was listening to his clumsy muttering when, all of a sudden, I instinctively raised my head.

“….”

Through the crowd, my eyes met those of Duke Bussemug near the entrance.

When had he arrived?

I stared at the Duke, who had a smile I couldn’t quite decipher, only to turn my head away.

I was the one who broke eye contact first.

---

In the days that followed, I didn’t get a chance to speak with Owen.

Whenever I sought him out, his door was either locked, or his room was filled with guests.

It seemed he was either too busy with work to sleep properly, or his quarters were always empty.

Eventually, I grew tired of this endless chase.

This morning, I resolved to simply wait in front of his door.

Surely, if I stayed here long enough, I’d catch sight of him eventually.

With less than two weeks until Kaindel’s wedding, I didn’t have much time left to tell Owen about the informant and leave for Gazette.

Still in a meeting?

By noon, Owen’s door remained firmly shut.

My initial determination to wait it out began to wane as the hours dragged on.

The curious looks from passersby didn’t help either.

No other choice.

I decided to return in the evening.

Just as I stood to leave, the sound of high heels clicking against the hallway floor reached my ears.

“Hello. We meet again.”

“Ah.”

I turned toward the voice and saw Kerelona.

She glanced at Owen’s door before blinking at me.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was waiting for the High Priest.”

“He’s not in?”

“No, he isn’t.”

Why is she talking to me all of a sudden?

I masked my discomfort as best I could and answered evenly.

Kerelona scanned me up and down, then stepped closer.

“In that case, can you spare a few minutes for me?”

“Pardon?”

“I’d like to have a quick chat.”

She added with a smirk, “Just the two of us, quietly,” while pointing toward an empty room near Owen’s quarters.

It was a private meeting room.

Hesitant, I followed her in.

Kerelona shut the door behind us with a resounding click.

The sound of the lock sent a chill down my spine.

“You don’t need me to introduce myself, do you?”

“You’re the princess, aren’t you?”

“Exactly.”

Kerelona ran her hand through her hair, clearly satisfied with my response, then perched on a chair, leaning toward me.

“Then why haven’t you asked me anything?”

“What should I ask?”

“There’s plenty you could.”

“Like what…”

“For example, why your lover agreed to marry me.”

“….”

Her pointed comment struck me like a bolt.

My expression froze, her words reverberating in my head. ‘

Your lover.’

She didn’t mention a name, but it was painfully clear who she meant.

Ignoring my reaction, Kerelona continued.

“To be honest, I thought you’d come find me back then—when the rumors about me and the Hero getting married first started spreading. I didn’t expect you to slink away like a mouse without a word.”

“So, you’re saying…”

Was I supposed to come see you back then?

Her words stirred a bitter anger in me.

Memories from two years ago, still vivid, churned uncomfortably in my chest.

My head throbbed as I shot to my feet without realizing it.

I shouldn’t have come.

Even if she was a princess, had I known I’d have to listen to this, I wouldn’t have followed her here.

Now, her warm greeting when she first saw me at the temple made sense.

She’d been waiting for this moment.

Suppressing my anger, I watched as Kerelona tucked her hair behind her left ear.

“Are you too kind, or just plain foolish?”

“…..”

“Is that why you wasted time playing romance with someone like him?”

“…..”

“Sit down. I’m only just beginning.”

She tapped rhythmically on the table, creating a suffocating tension that made my shoulders feel heavy.

Reluctantly, I sat back down. I lacked the courage to leave her alone in the room just yet.

Once I was seated, she resumed speaking.

“We struck a deal. You know who I mean.”

“In the capital, is marriage also considered a deal?”

“Not quite. It’s more like a deal disguised as marriage.”

“Kaindel said something similar. He said he needed power, and you…”

“Needed an excuse.”

“… I don’t understand. Marriage is different—it’s marriage. How can you enter into it without love?”

“In the world of nobility, arranged marriages are common.”

“Still…”

“But I agree. Marrying someone you don’t love—it must be miserable.”

Kerelona’s fingers flicked away imaginary dirt from the table, as if the topic itself was filthy.

“But that’s only relevant if the marriage actually takes place.”

“What?”

“Oh, the Hero and I? Our deal only goes as far as walking down the aisle. The marriage won’t happen.”

“… What does that mean?”

Her words clung to my tongue, too heavy to articulate.

A cold sweat crept down my spine as a chill settled at the nape of my neck.

My heartbeat quickened.

“Right before the vows, we’ll break off the engagement. That’s the plan.”

Kerelona spoke matter-of-factly, her tone unwavering.

Then, she paused, scrutinizing my face as if something didn’t add up.

She raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting to one of amused disbelief.

“Don’t tell me…”

Her voice stretched into a drawl, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.

“That idiot didn’t tell you?”

* * *