Julian, standing in front of me, narrowed his eyes and spoke to the maid.
“Bring me more blankets.”
“It’s not cold.”
“Still, it doesn’t make sense to just spread out a thin mat like this.”
“Stop nagging and come here quickly and sit down.”
I tugged at the hem of Julian's trousers, but Julian stood firm and then spread the blanket the maid had brought out on the mat.
I had no choice but to sit down on the blanket, and he took a seat next to me. The sight of the man in his suit sitting on the mat was both slightly comical and very cute.
I quickly sat down next to Julian. The hem of my pink dress tickled my ankles, and Julian carefully held my bare feet. He seemed concerned that they might be cold. I chattered to Julian about it.
"My mother went to see Tien again today. She was curious whether he was a boy or a girl."
“My mother-in-law must have had a hard time.”
At some point, Julian began calling my parents "father-in-law" and "mother-in-law." Hearing this for the first time, my parents were overwhelmed with joy.
From then on, Mother was busy saying things like, "My son-in-law was this way, my son-in-law was that way." Father, to save face, called Julian "Your Highness" in front of him, but behind his back, he secretly called him "son-in-law," expressing his delight. I was proud and grateful that Julian seemed to have become much closer to our family.
“Where have you been? You haven’t even spoken to me.”
When I asked, resting my arms on my knees, Julian gently touched my earlobe and said,
“I met the Crown Prince.”
“What did he say?”
"It seems unlikely that we can conduct an investigation into the Princess's magical powers right away. The Emperor is said to be protecting her by locking her in the palace and forbidding anyone from seeing her."
I thought the Emperor was truly foolish. He loved Princess Abigail more than anyone else, even more than the Empress or the Empress Dowager, yet he never once allowed her to become Crown Princess.
And this time, she tried to protect her in the same way, by confining her in a cage. Princess Abigail wasn't one to be content with such a doll-like position. I knew that better than anyone, having felt the full weight of her hatred.
"But it's only a matter of time. You, who currently command the most popular support in the empire, have sided with the Crown Prince. The Emperor no longer has the power to protect his own daughter."
Julian was right. But I couldn't wait any longer. My curse was eating away at me more and more.
Sylvia said she'd searched every wizard in the world, but hadn't found anyone whose magic and curses matched my wavelength. Hearing that, I had a hunch.
'Perhaps the owner of that magical power is Princess Abigail.'
Princess Abigail has been wary of the Count of Winsley since she was a very young age, almost too young to understand.
She also always hated me, and at the same time, she was a wizard who hadn't been tested for magical powers. These few clues led me to that conclusion.
"I wish there were a way to subdue the Emperor once and for all. Before it's too late."
At least I wanted to break the curse before the baby was born. Julian couldn't have been unaware of my earnest desire. Yet, he didn't respond, simply staring into my eyes. Now, I could roughly guess what he was thinking without him having to say a word.
“You have something to tell me.”
"...Yes."
“Let’s think about it together. I don’t want you to suffer alone.”
“If my wife is worried, the baby will be busy thinking even in the womb.”
I furrowed my eyebrows and smiled as if I couldn't stand it anymore.
“Then it’s good to be smart, right?”
“Our child doesn’t need to be that smart.”
“Will your thoughts change once I actually give birth?”
Instead of accepting my witty remark, Julian pulled me closer. I leaned back against his chest, his head buried in my neck. I could feel his heavy breath and the feel of his hair, from the nape of my neck to my back. Even without seeing his face, I could sense his distress.
“Count Sasha wants to see you.”
“...Why?”
“He said he wanted to send Young Lady Sasha to Count Winsley’s residence.”
I didn't even need to ask why. I once felt similarly to Count Sasha. When my plan failed and I failed to emerge victorious, I seriously considered marrying Nife to save at least one Ruin.
And now, Count Sasha has made a decision. Since he wasn't the ultimate victor, he'll at least save Nife.
“I want my wife to meet Count Sasha.”
It was incredibly rare for Julian to speak before I could even raise an objection. It also meant he wanted it that way.
"Count Sasha must possess Princess Abigail's weakness. Perhaps we can extract her from the palace. Then we can conduct a magical induction study and compare it to your curse."
“In return, I must give her the position of Ruin’s companion.”
“I dare say, Young Master Winsley would do it for you.”
“Yes, that will be the case.”
I quickly turned my head toward the sound. There stood Ruin, neatly dressed. The wind blew, swaying his neatly tied blond hair.
That was all, but it occurred to me that Ruin had grown so much. My once boyish brother had grown not only in stature, but also in heart, determination, and responsibility.
"I severed ties with Lady Sasha solely for the sake of my family and my sister's safety. So, there's no reason I can't marry her for the same reason."
I escaped Julian's embrace and headed towards Ruin. As my bare feet touched the grass, I could sense that not only Julian but Ruin was fidgeting. But before the two men could stop me, I grabbed Ruin's hand.
"You might regret it! You're destined to become the Margrave of Winsley. Your companion will be more than just family to you."
"That's right. But this incident will completely destroy Nife's support base. It might not be of much help to the future Margrave of Winsley."
“But why are you so hasty...”
“It helps me now.”
Ruin's face was aching. It was as if he felt utterly guilty saying such things to Nife, yet he felt compelled to do so.
"If I lose you like this, there's no greater regret. In a way, I need Nife's help more than ever. So, meet Count Sasha. Tell him to give you whatever you want. I'm ready."
I couldn't answer easily. My time was running out, and Ruin's future wasn't something I could weigh. Perhaps it seemed pointless to talk to me, but Ruin looked at Julian and spoke.
“Your Highness, please. Please summon Count Sasha.”
“Don’t do that.”
Unlike me, Julian didn't hesitate. Ruin pulled his hand away from mine and patted the back of my hand.
"My mother is worried you'll catch a cold if you stay out any longer. That's what I came to tell you. So let's go now."
I nodded slowly.
"Don't make that face. Nife's a good kid. I'll love her when we become a family."
He said he didn't love her yet. Ruin left first, and I stood there, crying a little. What allowed me to quickly pull myself together was the presence of Julian, no one else.
When was the last time I saw Count Sasha? I think it was before I met Nife, at a charity party. I remember kicking him out for being rude to me.
The first time I saw his face since then, it was quite gaunt. I could tell he had been going through a lot of mental anguish.
Count Sasha came out of the drawing room and fell flat on the floor as soon as he saw Julian.
"Your Highness, Your Royal Highness. It is an honor to meet you."
It was a stark contrast to before. I sat down, guided by Julian, and looked down at him.
I didn't have the mercy to raise Count Sasha. Even though his daughter was a girl I cherished, he himself was the one who had been in charge of the Second Prince's affairs. He was not without responsibility for the destruction of Count Winsley.
“This will be the last time I listen to the Count.”
"What more could I ask for? Just meeting you today is enough."
“...Tell me. What can you give me?”
Count Sasha spoke, still lying face down.
"I have evidence that Princess Abigail was using Prince Cain as a front for the throne. His Majesty the Emperor is a man of strong guard. He kept the Princess close because he believed she had no interest in the throne. If this is proven false, he will undoubtedly feel betrayed and will no longer favor her as he once did."
"What is the evidence? If you're going to mention Ari Eriant's name, then stop."
I'd already heard that Viscount Lesa had once attempted to negotiate a deal using that name. Count Sasha's face was both dismal and resigned.
“...You already knew that. But unlike me, that woman would never open her mouth. You won’t get anything out of her.”
“Then what are you trying to say?”
“Your Highness, it is I myself.”
“Bring me more blankets.”
“It’s not cold.”
“Still, it doesn’t make sense to just spread out a thin mat like this.”
“Stop nagging and come here quickly and sit down.”
I tugged at the hem of Julian's trousers, but Julian stood firm and then spread the blanket the maid had brought out on the mat.
I had no choice but to sit down on the blanket, and he took a seat next to me. The sight of the man in his suit sitting on the mat was both slightly comical and very cute.
I quickly sat down next to Julian. The hem of my pink dress tickled my ankles, and Julian carefully held my bare feet. He seemed concerned that they might be cold. I chattered to Julian about it.
"My mother went to see Tien again today. She was curious whether he was a boy or a girl."
“My mother-in-law must have had a hard time.”
At some point, Julian began calling my parents "father-in-law" and "mother-in-law." Hearing this for the first time, my parents were overwhelmed with joy.
From then on, Mother was busy saying things like, "My son-in-law was this way, my son-in-law was that way." Father, to save face, called Julian "Your Highness" in front of him, but behind his back, he secretly called him "son-in-law," expressing his delight. I was proud and grateful that Julian seemed to have become much closer to our family.
“Where have you been? You haven’t even spoken to me.”
When I asked, resting my arms on my knees, Julian gently touched my earlobe and said,
“I met the Crown Prince.”
“What did he say?”
"It seems unlikely that we can conduct an investigation into the Princess's magical powers right away. The Emperor is said to be protecting her by locking her in the palace and forbidding anyone from seeing her."
I thought the Emperor was truly foolish. He loved Princess Abigail more than anyone else, even more than the Empress or the Empress Dowager, yet he never once allowed her to become Crown Princess.
And this time, she tried to protect her in the same way, by confining her in a cage. Princess Abigail wasn't one to be content with such a doll-like position. I knew that better than anyone, having felt the full weight of her hatred.
"But it's only a matter of time. You, who currently command the most popular support in the empire, have sided with the Crown Prince. The Emperor no longer has the power to protect his own daughter."
Julian was right. But I couldn't wait any longer. My curse was eating away at me more and more.
Sylvia said she'd searched every wizard in the world, but hadn't found anyone whose magic and curses matched my wavelength. Hearing that, I had a hunch.
'Perhaps the owner of that magical power is Princess Abigail.'
Princess Abigail has been wary of the Count of Winsley since she was a very young age, almost too young to understand.
She also always hated me, and at the same time, she was a wizard who hadn't been tested for magical powers. These few clues led me to that conclusion.
"I wish there were a way to subdue the Emperor once and for all. Before it's too late."
At least I wanted to break the curse before the baby was born. Julian couldn't have been unaware of my earnest desire. Yet, he didn't respond, simply staring into my eyes. Now, I could roughly guess what he was thinking without him having to say a word.
“You have something to tell me.”
"...Yes."
“Let’s think about it together. I don’t want you to suffer alone.”
“If my wife is worried, the baby will be busy thinking even in the womb.”
I furrowed my eyebrows and smiled as if I couldn't stand it anymore.
“Then it’s good to be smart, right?”
“Our child doesn’t need to be that smart.”
“Will your thoughts change once I actually give birth?”
Instead of accepting my witty remark, Julian pulled me closer. I leaned back against his chest, his head buried in my neck. I could feel his heavy breath and the feel of his hair, from the nape of my neck to my back. Even without seeing his face, I could sense his distress.
“Count Sasha wants to see you.”
“...Why?”
“He said he wanted to send Young Lady Sasha to Count Winsley’s residence.”
I didn't even need to ask why. I once felt similarly to Count Sasha. When my plan failed and I failed to emerge victorious, I seriously considered marrying Nife to save at least one Ruin.
And now, Count Sasha has made a decision. Since he wasn't the ultimate victor, he'll at least save Nife.
“I want my wife to meet Count Sasha.”
It was incredibly rare for Julian to speak before I could even raise an objection. It also meant he wanted it that way.
"Count Sasha must possess Princess Abigail's weakness. Perhaps we can extract her from the palace. Then we can conduct a magical induction study and compare it to your curse."
“In return, I must give her the position of Ruin’s companion.”
“I dare say, Young Master Winsley would do it for you.”
“Yes, that will be the case.”
I quickly turned my head toward the sound. There stood Ruin, neatly dressed. The wind blew, swaying his neatly tied blond hair.
That was all, but it occurred to me that Ruin had grown so much. My once boyish brother had grown not only in stature, but also in heart, determination, and responsibility.
"I severed ties with Lady Sasha solely for the sake of my family and my sister's safety. So, there's no reason I can't marry her for the same reason."
I escaped Julian's embrace and headed towards Ruin. As my bare feet touched the grass, I could sense that not only Julian but Ruin was fidgeting. But before the two men could stop me, I grabbed Ruin's hand.
"You might regret it! You're destined to become the Margrave of Winsley. Your companion will be more than just family to you."
"That's right. But this incident will completely destroy Nife's support base. It might not be of much help to the future Margrave of Winsley."
“But why are you so hasty...”
“It helps me now.”
Ruin's face was aching. It was as if he felt utterly guilty saying such things to Nife, yet he felt compelled to do so.
"If I lose you like this, there's no greater regret. In a way, I need Nife's help more than ever. So, meet Count Sasha. Tell him to give you whatever you want. I'm ready."
I couldn't answer easily. My time was running out, and Ruin's future wasn't something I could weigh. Perhaps it seemed pointless to talk to me, but Ruin looked at Julian and spoke.
“Your Highness, please. Please summon Count Sasha.”
“Don’t do that.”
Unlike me, Julian didn't hesitate. Ruin pulled his hand away from mine and patted the back of my hand.
"My mother is worried you'll catch a cold if you stay out any longer. That's what I came to tell you. So let's go now."
I nodded slowly.
"Don't make that face. Nife's a good kid. I'll love her when we become a family."
He said he didn't love her yet. Ruin left first, and I stood there, crying a little. What allowed me to quickly pull myself together was the presence of Julian, no one else.
***
When was the last time I saw Count Sasha? I think it was before I met Nife, at a charity party. I remember kicking him out for being rude to me.
The first time I saw his face since then, it was quite gaunt. I could tell he had been going through a lot of mental anguish.
Count Sasha came out of the drawing room and fell flat on the floor as soon as he saw Julian.
"Your Highness, Your Royal Highness. It is an honor to meet you."
It was a stark contrast to before. I sat down, guided by Julian, and looked down at him.
I didn't have the mercy to raise Count Sasha. Even though his daughter was a girl I cherished, he himself was the one who had been in charge of the Second Prince's affairs. He was not without responsibility for the destruction of Count Winsley.
“This will be the last time I listen to the Count.”
"What more could I ask for? Just meeting you today is enough."
“...Tell me. What can you give me?”
Count Sasha spoke, still lying face down.
"I have evidence that Princess Abigail was using Prince Cain as a front for the throne. His Majesty the Emperor is a man of strong guard. He kept the Princess close because he believed she had no interest in the throne. If this is proven false, he will undoubtedly feel betrayed and will no longer favor her as he once did."
"What is the evidence? If you're going to mention Ari Eriant's name, then stop."
I'd already heard that Viscount Lesa had once attempted to negotiate a deal using that name. Count Sasha's face was both dismal and resigned.
“...You already knew that. But unlike me, that woman would never open her mouth. You won’t get anything out of her.”
“Then what are you trying to say?”
“Your Highness, it is I myself.”
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