His face slowly approached me. I tried to pull my head back when it got too close, but his firm grip held me tightly, and I couldn't move.
"Love me, Bjornne."
His face drew even closer. With a cool, sweet spearmint aroma, I could feel his faint breath.
The carriage doors closed, and shortly after, the carriage began to move. I slowly unclenched my fist. Red blood oozed from beneath the scratch on my palm, which looked like a nail mark.
Just before our lips met, I barely managed to avoid his kiss. He gently released my face, which he had held onto, as if he never intended to kiss me from the start.
I raised my hand to slap his cheek, but he immediately caught me. He brought the back of my hand to his lips. Even during that series of actions, he never took his golden eyes off my face.
'When the prey runs away. It is the hunter's instinct to chase after it. I'm quite a skilled hunter. So it's best not to provoke me, my wife.'
It was a clear warning.
The Crown Prince I knew was always polite and serious. There was always a gentle smile on his lips, and his tone was gentle and polite. He was never the man who exuded the dangerous atmosphere he did today. Today's man is different from the person he was back then, and the way he treated the woman he loved. He then and the person he is today are completely different people.
Before I knew it, the carriage had stopped in front of the mansion.
I didn't even think about getting off and sat there for a long time. It was confusing and bewildering. I already knew he wouldn't agree to my suggestion to break off the engagement. He hadn't met her yet, and now he needed the conditions I had.
'If you agreed obediently, that would actually be even more surprising.'
I thought he would be upset. I thought maybe he would get angry. But I had never even imagined him in such a state. Today, he looked like a beast lurking for prey.
"Prey, huh..."
I almost laughed. Today, in front of him. I have become nothing more than prey. Like a herbivore facing a natural enemy, I was suppressed and unable to move.
I was so frustrated that I couldn't give that slap to his sparklingly handsome face. If my hand was stuck, I should have kicked it with his foot. This body, lacking reflexes, had never felt so lamentable as it was today.
Until now, I have not actively moved to change my future. I was still watching it, as if watching a play. I didn't want to struggle to change the future. I hoped everything would flow naturally without major upheaval. I didn't want to get involved in troublesome matters by trying to change the future.
I thought that if he met her and fell in love, I would give up my place to her and find my own life. It was nice to meet a loved one and enjoy a hundred years of sweetness, and to spend a comfortable retirement with a companion like a friend. I thought it was entirely possible if I didn't love him.
But today, he ignited the competitive spirit that had been sleeping inside me. I no longer wanted to stay quiet like before. It's not only hunters who can hunt.
'I will make sure the hunter knows that he can also be caught by prey!'
I kicked out the carriage door. The coachman, who had been pacing at the door, was suddenly startled. I walked boldly into the mansion.
"Miss, have you been out?"
As I entered the main building, Marie quickly approached me and took my coat. I looked completely different from my previous clumsy self.
Four years ago, the Elliot family's employees underwent a major overhaul. And at the center of the replacement was the nanny who raised me.
The nanny looked displeased upon seeing Landt. She believed the Marchioness's suicide was because of Lanet. Knowing the nanny's feelings well, I never told her to treat Landt well. I was just content with ignoring Landt.
After the Marchioness passed away, the nanny was always by my side. She watched over every move I made and interfered with them. I knew her actions were born of the loneliness of losing the Marchioness, so I was bothered but endured. The nanny couldn't be called kind-hearted, but she wasn't a bad person. She raised me, who had been neglected by my parents, and was the only person who stayed by my side until I was deposed and confined as Empress.
'I wanted to go with you if possible...'
That day was truly strange. I woke up at dawn from sleep. It was very dark outside, and dawn was far off, but sleep was no longer possible. There was nothing to do, and I felt very bored. I visited the child's room to see Landt for the first time in a while.
Landt's room had already been moved from the annex to the main building under my direction. Because of the nanny's interference, my room was quite far away, but we were still in the same building anyway. Since it was late at dawn, Landt was already asleep. I would only see the child sleeping, but I didn't mind.
Worried the nanny might find out, I sneaked into Landt's room. The nanny hated me meeting Landt.
Whenever I tried to meet Landt, she would make every excuse and interfere. I hadn't seen Landt for a while on the nanny's back. I was excited at the thought of seeing my puppy for the first time in a while.
The excitement turned into shock in an instant. My gentle and lovely dog was being bullied by maids and a few servants. They constantly harassed Landt with verbal abuse and kept him awake. There was no physical violence, but it was even more psychological violence.
I threw the mansion upside down. I shouted to wake everyone. Not only the butler but even the Marquis came running to the event. The maids and servants who had been tormenting Landt knelt on the floor. They trembled and said they had only received orders. The person they pointed out was my nanny.
She was shameless. Instead, she got angry at me.
'Miss, you shouldn't do this to me.'
'Why has the lady passed away!'
She said to me. The nanny glared as if she was about to devour Landt. I held Landt's hand, which had been trembling and unable to cry out loud at her hostility.
'Why would you treat an illegitimate child who would be so unhappy even if you tear him apart!'
She looked at me with bloodshot, resentful eyes.
Even then, the nanny said to me, It was Landt who killed the Marchioness. If Landt becomes the successor, I will be like a fallen kite. A woman who gave birth to a Landt might become a second wife, and so on. The poison she poured into my ear blocked my ears and blinded me.
Back then, I didn't even know what kind of child Landt was - I hated and hated him. I had the absurd mistake that the more I bullied him, the more secure my position would be.
I hoped the nanny would be more restrained. I thought that if I didn't step forward, she wouldn't be able to lay a hand on Landt. Regardless of the mother he had, Landt was of a Marquis's bloodline and not someone employers could act with reckless abandon. I realized I had been too complacent. The nanny crossed the line.
The Marquis, who had consistently been indifferent to domestic affairs, began to get involved in the state of affairs through this incident. The abuses that had been openly committed due to the hostess's absence were gradually revealed. Secretly taking private property with public funds was considered a bit of a joke. The blade the Marquis drew from his servant was sharp and fierce. He seemed determined and showed no mercy with his hands. The majority of employees were dismissed or sent to prison.
'The day will surely come when you regret what you did today, Miss.'
These were the last words the nanny said as she left. I couldn't bring myself to put her in prison. The Marquis looked displeased but granted my request. She left the mansion like that.
"Miss?"
Marie called out to me as I stood still. That day, most of the maids were dismissed, and the butler called the few remaining servants and maids to the main hall for retraining. Marie was one of those assigned to the lady-in-waiting at that time.
"What about Landt?"
"He is at the training ground. Should I bring him here?"
"No. I'll go."
After stopping Marie, I headed to the training ground.
In the training hall, Landt was being taught swordsmanship. Landt's swordsmanship master was a knight of the Elliot family, now retired, but once ranked among the top ten experts in the empire.
When Landt turned ten, the Marquis called him back after he retired and was resting. It is unknown whether he was Landt's teacher even then. At that time, I was obsessed only with tormenting Landt and knew nothing about that child.
Landt swung his sword as his master instructed. Judging by his slightly frowning face, it seemed things weren't going as he pleased. I stood at a distance and waited without being disturbed.
Landt wielded his sword, drenched in sweat. The knight quietly observed Landt and immediately pointed out any mistakes. I didn't know much about swordmanship, but for a young age, Landt seemed to be doing quite well. I watched them with satisfaction for a long time.
Finally, as if finished, Landt put down his sword. The child bowed his head straight to his teacher. As soon as the master nodded, Landt suddenly turned his head toward me.
"Sister!"
Landt ran to me with a bright smile. It was like a puppy vigorously wagging its tail while looking at its owner. I raised one hand to block the running Landt.
Landt stopped exactly as he had been running. The child tilted his head in confusion. He seemed not to understand why I had stopped him.
"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Tilt."
"Haha, it's my job. Well then, I'll be on my way, Young Lady."
Sir Tilt stood there like a loyal dog waiting for my command, looking at his unmoved disciple, laughing in disbelief. Since I hadn't seen him once or twice, I thought I was just accepting it now. He immediately turned around and left the training ground.
I rolled my eyes and approached right in front of Landt, who was watching me nervously. Now 12 years old, Landt was much taller than his peers. To strangers, it was so bad that they could mistake him for 17 or 18 years old. Compared to me, who was shorter than my peers, Landt was about a hand's span bigger. I raised my hand at Landt.
At my gesture, Landt immediately bowed his head.
I raised both hands and stretched Landt's cheeks. Just like the day I first met Landt, his cheeks were as soft and firm as glutinous rice cakes.
"I told you not to call me 'sister', right?"
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