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Chapter 10

They say even if you enter a tiger’s den, you’ll survive if you keep your wits about you.

On a bed draped with a red canopy, a woman lay curled up tightly, trembling.

Schwen tried to calm her anxious heart by recalling a proverb she had heard in her past life.

Don’t shake. Don’t shake…

When she clenched her hands resting on her legs, soft fabric wrapped around her fingers.

Schwen stared down at the unfamiliar pink slip clinging to her body.

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, she quickly turned her head away.

But something even worse awaited her.

In the mirror that covered an entire wall, her tense reflection stared back at her.

From head to toe.

Aside from her physical body, there wasn’t a single thing that belonged to Schwen.

The moment she arrived at the grand duke’s residence in Lucenia, she had been bathed—by his maids.

“You will be staying here tonight, so please understand.”

After handing Schwen over to unfamiliar maids, Shion had said only that before disappearing.

Because of that, Schwen hadn’t been able to say she wanted to see her parents, or ask if she could, or say she wanted to take Sophie with her.

“If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve demanded more money…!”

It was during the bath that Schwen realized why they had washed her so thoroughly.

The first night.
A duty a newlywed couple was expected to fulfill.

Schwen had been convinced her plan would never fail.

So she hadn’t considered the first night at all.

The territory and title the emperor proposed, plus enough money to repay all debts—

For someone who was merely a maid, it was more than generous.

Still, she thought it was only fair. If anything, wasn’t it insufficient compensation for risking her life?

The only person I can trust in this world is myself.

While mentally beating up the thuggish emperor, Schwen mulled that over.

Her beloved parents had no power to save her from the Grand Duke Lanied.

So the only person she could rely on right now was herself.

What do I do about the first night?

Schwen wrapped the blanket tightly around her bare body and thought about what lay ahead.

Something was bound to happen tonight.

If the story followed the original plot…

“No!”

They would spend the first night together.

As was typical of an R-rated dark romance novel, the cure for madness involved physical contact with the antidote.

Even holding hands counted as contact and had a purifying effect. However, the more intimate the contact, the stronger the effect became.

Esselian, who suffered from madness, and Titiana, the cure.

Schwen knew exactly what those two did on their first night, like a pair bound by fate.

Fear seized her.

But before Schwen could come up with a solution—

Knock, knock.

A knocking sound echoed.

So it’s finally come…

“…C-come in.”

At this late hour, there was only one person who could possibly be visiting the bridal chamber.

Like a criminal awaiting sentencing, Schwen squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. She couldn’t avoid it now.

Now Esselian will—

“Princess.”

…No, that wasn’t it.

A thin voice spoke. Unexpectedly, it was a maid from the residence.

“This is a drink to warm your body. May I leave it here for a moment?”

Feeling awkward for no reason, Schwen nodded.

The maid, who avoided looking in her direction except when asking permission, hurried to the central table.

Watching the refreshments placed on it, Schwen realized something.

She waited until the maid left, then immediately opened the bedside drawer.

Despite the maids searching her as if no outside items were allowed, she had managed to hold onto what was inside.

“I forgot about my shield.”

Schwen picked up the glass vial from the drawer.

The only regret was that she hadn’t been able to bring the custom-made necklace she’d ordered, having rushed to follow the imperial knights at dawn.

If she had that necklace, dealing with Esselian would have been a bit easier.

She glanced sideways at the Sherlua sitting neatly on the table.

Sherlua.

A famous imperial drink, traditionally shared by bride and groom before their first night.

It symbolized the bond of marriage, though now its meaning had faded, and it was said to help one forget the pain of the first night.

Sherlua was strong enough to dull pain and had a mild aphrodisiac effect.

Standing before the table, Schwen didn’t hesitate. Hesitation was a luxury reserved for non-emergencies.

Please let this work…

It was medicine made by the Imperial Research Institute. And it had been given by the emperor himself—surely it would be effective.

Schwen removed the stopper, held the wine bottle, and took a deep breath.

Then she tilted the vial, pouring the medicine into the bottle.

The colorless liquid dripped into the red Sherlua and vanished without a trace.

Once finished, Schwen returned both the medicine and the wine to their places.

Just as she turned around, satisfied with her perfect crime—

“Gasp…!”

Esselian was standing by the door.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Esselian gazed impassively at Schwen, whose eyes and mouth were wide open.

His gaze swept from her head to her toes, pausing briefly on her body.

Only then did Schwen realize she was wearing a slip so thin it left nothing to the imagination.

Before she could cover herself, Esselian’s gaze shifted to the central table.

Seeing a man who offered no appraisal of her body, no lascivious look, Schwen felt genuine relief.

I never thought that indifferent gaze would feel so comforting…!

Secretly wishing he might leave her untouched and abandon the first night altogether, Schwen briefly looked him over.

Now that she was seeing him properly, Esselian didn’t seem rigid so much as slightly relaxed.

His silver hair, still damp as if he had just bathed, looked smooth even from afar. His partially visible face carried a hint of weariness.

Looks pass.

Those blood-red eyes fixed on her. His lips, pressed into a straight line, parted, and a voice that seized her ears flowed out.

“Please, sit.”

Startled out of her internal evaluation, Schwen quickly sat down.

He looks completely different from how he did at the victory ceremony… What was he like at the wedding?

At the wedding, the veil had blocked her view, so she hadn’t seen his face clearly.

She felt a little regret. He must have looked different then as well.

Schwen had high aesthetic standards, and Esselian exceeded them perfectly. That was all—it was simple curiosity.

They say beauty is innocent… but not in Esselian’s case. No. Definitely not.

Though, strictly speaking, he was more handsome than pretty.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

“Huh?”

“You’re looking at me as if you’re going to devour me.”

Esselian glanced once at Schwen, seated properly, and picked up the wine bottle. Even as he poured Sherlua into her glass, Schwen’s thoughts were elsewhere.

Only when he placed the bottle back on the table did she hastily banish her improper thoughts.

Now is not the time for this.

A marital bond wasn’t formed alone. If the groom filled the bride’s glass, it was only proper for the bride to fill the groom’s.

Schwen carefully picked up the bottle and filled his glass. Glug, glug—the Sherlua filled it to the brim.

“…You’re trying to get me drunk quickly.”

Esselian looked back and forth between his glass and Schwen’s. His tone was emotionless.

At his dry statement of fact, Schwen made a flustered face. Unlike her barely filled glass, his was overflowing.

“Ah, I was distracted by something else… I’m sorry.”

“By what?”

As she poured the wine, Schwen had been thinking about only one thing.

When and how she would make contact with Esselian.

It had to be natural. And what if the medicine didn’t work?

Her worries.

Esselian lifted his glass, watching her with curious eyes.

Schwen shook her head, but Esselian continued to stare at her—unblinkingly, intently.

Reluctantly, Schwen opened her mouth.

“When… will we be leaving for Lanied?”

She’d been curious ever since she heard they would stay at the capital residence tonight. Internally, she congratulated herself on her quick thinking.

“We’ll depart tomorrow.”

Tomorrow? Isn’t that too fast?

Surprised, Schwen nodded anyway. There was no reason to delay the journey.

“…I’d like to take my family’s maid with me. The one who took care of me at the imperial palace.”

She watched Esselian carefully, worried he might refuse. He nodded, signaling her to continue.

“So, before we leave, may I visit my family briefly? I need to bring the maid, and I’d like to say goodbye to my parents.”

“You don’t need my permission.”

“Ah…”

“Didn’t the person attending you tell you?”

“No. They only said we’d be staying here tonight.”

Esselian raised an eyebrow. After a moment of thought, he unexpectedly apologized.

“It seems my subordinate behaved rudely toward you. I apologize for that.”

She had found Shion quite infuriating for leaving after saying only what he wanted, but she hadn’t expected Esselian to apologize.

“I’ll have him ask for your forgiveness tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

At his stiff tone, Schwen tensed up. He was frightening even at rest, and coldness dripped from his words.

“Of course, if you wish to receive the apology immediately, I can arrange that…”

His gaze flicked down to her thin slip and away. Understanding his meaning, Schwen’s face flushed slightly. She shook her head vigorously.

“N-no, tomorrow is fine.”

“Before departure, I’ll assign knights to escort you. Go with them. It would be dangerous to go alone.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“If they don’t suit you, shall you go with me instead?”

“No!”

Schwen rejected the idea as if she were about to jump to her feet.

Esselian, however, didn’t seem to care.

“I’ll go with the escorts! Please, Your Highness, stay right here!”

“As you command.”

Esselian found the conversation tedious. Lifting the veil had been half a whim, half for the emperor’s sake. He’d been surprised to see the princess’s face, but that was all.

The princess was neither more nor less than a cure.

“T-toast!”

Watching Esselian carefully, Schwen tilted her head uncertainly.

He seems like he’s in a good mood… or maybe a bad one.

Schwen was, by nature, bad at reading the room. Even this much observation took great effort.

I don’t know. Let’s just make him drink this.

So she cheerfully called for a toast—but Esselian looked at her as if he were seeing something strange.

Schwen smiled widely. A survival smile.

“I look forward to working with you, Grand Duke.”

Esselian rested his chin on the back of his hand. Lost in thought, he said nothing.

Feeling awkward, Schwen lightly tapped her glass against his. Clink—a timid sound rang out.

“…Ugh.”

She gulped down the Sherlua in one go.

A deep crease formed between her brows, her tightly shut eyes scrunched up, and her slightly parted lips were stained red with wine.

Esselian watched her suffer through the strong liquor with indifference, then finally responded.

“I look forward to it as well, Princess.”

With that, Esselian drank his Sherlua.

Schwen’s lips twitched, then curved smoothly upward.

Yes…!

Schwen thought of her next task.

Now, there was only one thing she had left to do.