* * *
I had sent letters in advance to acquaintances attending the event, notifying them I would be accompanying Hernan.
The entire capital was abuzz, eager to see for themselves the rumoredly stunning Grand Duke.
“What am I supposed to do if someone speaks to me while you’re not around?”
I instructed him thoroughly, like teaching a five-year-old on their first errand, just in case I had to leave his side.
“You advised me to first identify their status and gender and respond based on their apparent intentions.”
Most married individuals would likely approach out of curiosity, wanting to brag later about having spoken with him.
Nobles from regions renowned for trade might propose securing direct import routes from Velon for cheap resources.
As for unmarried individuals, the men would hope to build connections with Hernan to elevate their standing in the marriage market, while the women might aspire to become the lady of Velon.
In any case, the banquet hall was bound to be filled with people intent on dissecting Hernan and devouring him whole.
“What will you do if you encounter someone you can’t communicate with?”
When I asked this as a final check, Hernan answered with a weary expression.
“I’ll avoid giving any definitive answers and act as though I don’t understand until you return.”
Correct. Even if he appeared a bit daft, Hernan’s natural cool and unapproachable beauty would still render his thoughts impenetrable.
Whatever expression he wore, people would remain baffled about his intentions.
Finally, the night before the event arrived. All preparations were complete.
My heart raced with a mix of anticipation and anxiety as I cradled Pori, who burrowed into my arms.
“Squeak.”
Pori yawned, his soft tail brushing against me as if seeking comfort.
Perhaps because I had gone to bed earlier than usual, Pori refused to fall asleep right away, squirming restlessly in a rare display of fussiness.
“Stop fussing and go to sleep.”
I gently scratched his forehead with my fingertip.
Satisfied, Pori soon settled down, his movements quieting.
Shortly after, as I hovered on the edge of sleep, I sensed a faint presence in the room.
‘Didn’t hear the door open…’
Still, surely they had come in through the door.
No one would climb in through the window.
Convinced it must be Anton or Hernan checking on me, I kept my eyes closed, pretending to sleep.
But the presence lingered, motionless, for an unnervingly long time.
‘…?’
What are they doing, standing there so silently?
Just as I began to grow suspicious, Pori suddenly bolted out of my arms in fright.
‘…!’
Pori had already met Anton numerous times.
Although initially wary and hissing, he’d warmed up after being bribed with snacks.
Now, he didn’t flee when Anton approached.
With Hernan, the bond was even deeper—they had been together for over a decade.
Pori reacting this way could only mean the presence belonged to a third party.
‘Even the servants in the castle wouldn’t provoke this reaction.’
Keeping my eyes shut to avoid betraying I was awake, I considered the possibilities.
Could it be someone Hernan sent to investigate me?
No, he would have informed me in advance.
I mentally noted the locations of the lamp on my bedside table and the dagger hidden beneath my pillow.
Then, feigning a sleepy turn, I slid my hand under the pillow and grasped the dagger.
At that moment, a blade plunged into the spot where my head had been just a second earlier.
If I hadn’t moved, it would have pierced my skull instead of the pillow.
“Who’s there?!”
I leapt toward the door, dagger in hand, slashing as I went.
The intruder lunged after me, and I grabbed the lamp I had memorized the position of, hurling it at them.
“Ugh…!”
The oil-filled lamp shattered with a loud crash.
Flames spread rapidly, clinging to the intruder’s body as the spilled oil ignited.
The room filled with smoke and the acrid smell of burning.
“Arghhh! Aaaaaahhh—!”
I froze in place, unable to move at the horrifying sight.
I needed to scream.
Call for a servant… or notify Hernan… Or were other key figures in the castle already under attack?
My mind screamed at me to act, but my body refused to obey.
Just then, the agonized screams of the intruder writhing in pain drew the attention of passing servants, who came rushing in.
“What’s going on here?”
Among the hurried group were soldiers, likely on patrol.
“Check their mouth quickly!”
“Put out the fire first!”
The soldiers surged forward, covering the intruder with a tablecloth they grabbed from outside.
The room quickly filled with thick black smoke, and only after the fire was extinguished did the intruder’s thrashing cease.
When they forced open the mouth, the body slumped motionless, devoid of any further life.
Irina, who had rushed in behind me, bowed lightly before turning to the soldiers.
“I apologize for the delay. What’s the status?”
One of the soldiers near the intruder responded solemnly.
“It seems they took their own life in the same manner as before.”
When the soldiers removed the intruder’s hood, a grotesquely disfigured face emerged—scarred beyond recognition, as though it had been deliberately burned to obscure any identifying features before the fire.
No one could possibly guess what their original face looked like.
The horrifying scene made me gag involuntarily, and I covered my mouth with the back of my hand.
Who would do this? Why me?
Never in my life as Jurgen had I faced a threat to my life.
I’d never made enemies either.
While I was still reeling, I noticed something strange—the soldiers and servants handling the intruder’s body seemed eerily accustomed to the process.
Turning to Irina, I spoke directly.
“This isn’t the first time, is it?”
Irina hesitated, as if deliberating, instead of answering immediately.
Her reaction confirmed my suspicion.
After a brief pause, Hernan arrived, perfectly timed.
“Are you alright?!”
His face had gone ashen as he rushed toward me.
Before I could ask what was going on or demand an explanation for the events unfolding in the castle, Hernan pulled me into a tight embrace.
His heart was pounding so fiercely that the sound thundered in my ears, far louder than my own fear-driven heartbeat.
“I was so afraid something might have happened to you…!”
Hernan looked as though he’d seen a ghost.
His fear felt so visceral that it snapped me out of my daze.
Gripping his shoulders firmly, I shook him and shouted.
“I’m fine! Get a hold of yourself!”
Thankfully, I had been trained in self-defense from a young age, being the child of a noble house.
Of course, Nirvan was far too peaceful to ever be swept up in the storms of political strife.
With nothing but idyllic nature and climate, there was little to tempt invaders.
Even the idea of raiding hotels here would yield no lasting benefit.
The nearest foreign country accessible by sea was more than two months away by ship.
The trade ports in the south—Branz, far to the west of Nirvan, and Nyfs, far to the north—were bustling cities with multiple rivers and a history of active commerce.
Nirvan, by contrast, was utterly insignificant—a place good for nothing but vacations.
Because of this, I’d never imagined I’d ever need to use the self-defense skills I’d learned in theory.
Outside of swimming and light exercise, my daily activities mostly involved indoor work.
Pitting myself against professionally trained individuals was a battle I’d surely lose.
Thus, my only real strategy was to use the terrain and moments of surprise to buy time until reinforcements arrived.
‘I never thought I’d actually need to use this….’
Still, I wasn’t hurt, so there was no need for Hernan to be making such a fuss.
“How can I calm down? Who could have anticipated someone would break in like this, in broad daylight….”
His words jolted me awake once more. Studying his still-pale face, I abruptly cut him off.
“This isn’t the first time, is it?”
The process—removing the hood, inspecting the face, and checking the mouth—felt far too routine.
Though I already suspected the truth, I wanted to hear it from him directly.
Hernan avoided my gaze, confirming my fears.
* * *
Thanks
Hernan gotta tell his boy what’s happening
Thanks