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Chapter 4
The god’s impatient urging still echoed in my mind.
I had received the solution I sought through two questions, but that was all. If I wanted to truly protect Leandros, I needed something more—something only I could use.
If the key is simply to keep him alive… what if I locked him away somewhere safe?
The thought flickered briefly before I dismissed it.
Leandros had once been kidnapped by barbarians, only to return alive and unbroken. Even if I imprisoned him for his own protection, he would find a way to escape.
Besides… soon the divine mission will descend upon him. He’ll have to roam the empire, no matter what. If I can’t prevent that, then perhaps the safest path is to stay at his side—to support him directly.
The idea felt reckless. Impossible. Yet, if this was to be my last chance, wasn’t a gamble worth the risk?
The divine voice stirred again.
[Nothing more?]
I straightened my shoulders.
“Yes. I’ve thought of something.”
I let every trace of levity fall away from my expression.
“Until Leandros dies… could you grant me a power that ensures I do not die first?”
A pause. And then, a ripple of laughter—light, amused, faint as if carried on the air.
[How amusing.]
It might have been only my imagination, but my heart clenched in anticipation. My instincts screamed at me what the answer would be.
And then, at last:
[Very well.]
A reckless gamble—won.
There was no longer any reason to linger at the temple.
Before I could even leave on my own, Wendy came running, breathless, urging me to hurry home. “We must prepare your attire at once, my lady!”
The moment our carriage returned to the estate, a flock of maids rushed forward to claim me.
“You’re here, my lady!”
“Quickly, this way—the bath is ready.”
Their hands tugged and pulled as they guided me through the motions: a brisk bath, powdered cheeks, the familiar scent of perfume. One maid wheeled in a rack overflowing with gowns.
“These are from Madame Charlotte herself,” she announced proudly.
I arched a brow. “So many?”
Normally, I chose my gown days in advance. But today—today was my birthday. I had demanded variety, wanting the freedom to choose on a whim.
Wendy pointed eagerly at a gown of vivid crimson, trimmed in gold.
“My lady, this red one suits you perfectly! You’ll shine so brightly no one will forget whose day it truly is.”
Indeed, the dress was exquisite: crimson silk layered with regal gold, a gown that would complement my dark hair and demand attention.
Any other day, I would have chosen it without hesitation.
Instead, my hand hovered over something else.
“This one will do.”
The maids blinked. “The… sky-blue gown, my lady?”
“Yes.”
A gown of pale blue chiffon and lace, soft and subdued—utterly unlike my usual taste. Their confusion was almost comical.
“Well?” I asked, impatience threading my tone.
They scrambled to work, fussing with jewelry and cosmetics to match.
“The gown calls for pearls—here, in the hair.”
“Make the rouge lighter, just so…”
Piece by piece, their efforts transformed me. When at last I faced the mirror, I scarcely recognized myself.
The airy gown rippled like water with each breath. My dark hair, half-pinned, fell in loose waves adorned with strands of pearl. My makeup, delicate and pale, softened my usual sharp impression.
It was not my style. Not comfortable. Yet…
“Whoever sees me now,” I murmured, “will think I look fragile.”
“My lady?”
“I said—I like it.”
They exhaled in relief, mistaking my words for praise.
“Wendy,” I asked idly, “did you deliver my letter to Father?”
“Yes, my lady. The duke and young master will attend the banquet as soon as they leave the palace.”
Satisfied, I rose. Wendy trailed nervously after me.
“My lady… with the duchess absent for her health, you’ll be entering alone tonight. Will you be all right?”
Her worried tone almost made me laugh.
How ridiculous… the assassin planted to watch me pretends to fret over my well-being.
“It isn’t a partner’s banquet. I’ll be fine.”
With that, I left the estate.
Through the carriage window, the sun dipped low, painting the sky in crimson. I hid my smile behind a folding fan, my heart quickening—not with fear, but with the thrill of a child about to commit her first mischief.
By the time we reached the imperial palace, the streets teemed with coaches.
Despite being hastily arranged, the banquet brimmed with guests. Glittering gowns and jewels flooded the halls; nobles strutted like peacocks in full display.
Once, I would have fumed at the thought—they should have been at my party. But now?
I feel nothing. Power is power. Nothing more.
The carriage stopped. With a knight’s hand at my elbow, I stepped into the glowing hall.
Laughter and music drifted from within. A practiced smile spread across my face, bright and flawless.
“The Lady of House Aphrodita enters!”
The great doors swung wide. Light spilled across marble floors, and every head turned toward me.
I walked forward, unhurried, claiming the center of the hall with a smile that dared anyone to look away.
“My lady, it’s been too long!”
“We were desperate to see you again!”
“How radiant you are tonight.”
The young noblewomen flocked like doves, their empty compliments fluttering about me. I answered each with effortless poise.
And then came the suitors, one after another.
“Lady, might I claim the first dance?”
“No, allow me—”
“My name is—”
I readied my polite refusals when a disturbance rippled from the far end of the hall.
“W-wait, sir, you cannot enter this way—!”
The doorman’s protests were drowned by the heavy thud of doors thrown open.
A figure strode inside, tall and unbending, silver hair scattering the light. Not dressed in silks or finery, but in the immaculate white of a holy knight.
Leandros.
His pale blue eyes burned with contained fury as he strode past the stunned crowd, ignoring every custom and every law of decorum. He climbed the dais, turned to face us, and spoke.
“Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday. Your congratulations are received.
Now—enjoy yourselves, and then leave.”
He pivoted without hesitation, departing as swiftly as he had come.
The hall buzzed with awkward silence, nobles trapped between duty and discomfort. I, too, watched his retreating back—though unlike the others, I hid my smile behind my fan.
Just as the rumors said.
