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Chapter 21
Shuwen prepared to receive guests, completely drained of energy. Thanks to yesterday’s brawl, there wasn’t a single place on her body that didn’t hurt.
“Ugh…”
A groan slipped from Shuwen’s lips as a hand pressed firmly into her knotted muscles.
“Does it hurt, my lady?”
“A little.”
“What on earth did you do with His Highness yesterday…?”
Sophie, who had been clicking her tongue, suddenly froze. As if realizing something, her face flushed red.
“Sophie, it’s not what you’re thinking.”
“B-But between husband and wife, that’s only natural!”
“It really isn’t.”
Sophie assumed Shuwen was denying it out of embarrassment.
If she pressed the matter further, she’d only end up embarrassed herself, so Sophie decided to pretend she’d been fooled.
“I see. I’ll believe you!”
“It’s not about believing me—it really didn’t happen.”
Last night.
Nothing that Sophie imagined as something that should naturally happen between husband and wife had occurred.
That much was certain.
Esselian had come as if he intended for it to happen, but in the end, they did not share a bed.
‘Instead, we fought. That was the fiercest fight I’ve had since my wedding night.’
Esselian had misunderstood what Shuwen meant by “I’ll hold you.”
She had only meant that today she’d upgrade from holding hands to giving him a hug.
If she’d known he’d show up stark naked, she never would’ve said that!
‘It’s a misunderstanding!’
‘Didn’t you say you’d hold me yourself, my lady?’
From Shuwen’s point of view, he was naked—but technically, he was wearing a robe.
‘That’s not what I meant! I just meant a hug…!’
‘Lies.’
Esselian didn’t back down even after her explanation.
At a distance close enough for their breaths to touch, Shuwen sharply turned her head away.
She never imagined he’d press his lips to her pronounced collarbone.
‘I have no intention of breaking the contract. None at all.’
As Shuwen firmly stated her position, he gently brushed her hair aside.
‘Then let’s make today an exception.’
‘There are no exceptions—’
‘Think of it as a preview. Like last time.’
‘Ah!’
My dark past!
Shuwen covered both ears with the hand that had been pushing against Esselian’s shoulder.
They had been sitting face-to-face, but before she knew it, they were lying on the bed.
For a brief moment, Shuwen considered taking the easy path.
The easiest way to grow close to Esselian, and the surest way to secure time to give him the medicine without raising suspicion.
Sleeping with him.
‘No. If I end up falling for him, that would be disastrous.’
Shuwen had never shared intimacy with anyone before.
She had received education, though—and according to what she’d heard from the maids, when bodies connect, hearts tend to follow.
That was one of the reasons she’d refused to sleep with him until now.
What if—just what if—she really did come to like Esselian?
‘That would be the worst.’
Shuwen had no confidence in controlling her own feelings.
For now, she could steady herself by thinking of Bedin—but the future was the problem.
Though things were completely over with Bedin, emotions didn’t disappear cleanly, like slicing a radish.
One thing she knew for certain was that although she’d liked Bedin, she couldn’t imagine kissing him.
On the other hand, she had already kissed Esselian.
The pounding of her heart when he smiled at her after that kiss was still vividly etched in her memory.
If it was already dangerous just standing still, mixing bodies would be catastrophic…!
‘…You know it’s useless unless I chant the activation phrase.’
And so, Shuwen refused until the very end.
To be honest, that threat could hardly even be called a threat to Esselian.
He had already purchased a collar capable of controlling her, just in case she didn’t obey.
Still, seeing the archduchess struggling, pushing him away and rolling off the bed, Esselian decided to step back.
‘Then let’s do this. Today, I’ll follow your wishes. But next time, you must keep your promise.’
‘…’
‘Is that acceptable?’
Looking back, she might’ve noticed something strange about his wording—but Shuwen didn’t.
Relieved at the thought of ending this standoff immediately, she nodded without a second thought.
After that, she gave Esselian the medicine and hugged him.
She’d only meant to hold him for a moment—but she fell asleep.
Before drifting off, Shuwen heard Esselian mention that a guest would be visiting today.
She hadn’t managed to ask who it was.
“Just make me look neat.”
Esselian’s parents had both passed away when he was young.
Relatives, perhaps?
The visit was so sudden that she tried to recall the novel’s plot—but nothing came to mind.
So Shuwen didn’t know who the man standing before her was until he introduced himself.
“Pleased to meet you. My name is Naiven Ranied. My father is His Highness Esselian’s uncle.”
Naiven Ranied. The moment she heard the name, she knew who he was.
Esselian’s cousin—and if it was Naiven…
“And this is my younger brother, Mercheli Ranied.”
‘The one who orchestrated Titiana’s kidnapping.’
On the surface, the mastermind behind Titiana’s kidnapping was Naiven’s younger brother, Mercheli.
But the one truly pulling the strings was his older brother—Naiven.
‘They should be rotting in the laboratory for days.’
These villains were a bit stupid. No—very stupid.
Seeing them in person gave Shuwen a strange sense of novelty.
Naiven, wearing glasses, gave off a strongly intellectual impression, but the dark circles under his eyes made him look as though he hadn’t slept in days.
His hollow cheeks made him look even more gaunt.
But contrary to appearances, it wasn’t sleepless nights at the laboratory that caused his state.
‘It’s probably the madness.’
“Nice to meet you, Lord Naiven, Lord Mercheli.”
Shuwen greeted them with a smile.
Though unexpected, their appearance didn’t really change anything.
‘The original story is none of my concern.’
The situation had already changed.
The moment Shuwen married while pretending to be Titiana, everything was different.
No amount of agonizing over why the plot had changed would alter reality.
For now, getting closer to Esselian was the priority.
“What? She’s tiny.”
From the moment he stepped into the entryway, the man hadn’t bothered with greetings or manners, scanning the surroundings until his eyes lit up as if he’d found a new toy.
Shuwen looked up at the man standing before her.
Curly ash-brown hair. Crimson eyes—the symbol of the Ranied family.
“You’re different from what I imagined.”
“Mercheli, mind your words.”
The rudeness struck Shuwen like a physical blow.
She’d never been treated this way—not even when she was Shuwen Berg, before becoming Titiana.
Naiven grabbed Mercheli by the nape of his neck and yanked him back. Mercheli, who’d been leaning close to Shuwen, was dragged away.
“Please forgive my brother’s rudeness, Your Grace.”
Naiven apologized in place of his brother, who made no move to do so himself.
Mercheli shrugged off Naiven’s hand and clicked his tongue.
“Isn’t this just a greeting?”
As if drawn by a magnet, Mercheli stepped closer to Shuwen.
“Right, princess?”
Shuwen avoided his outstretched hand and pressed herself tightly against Esselian’s side.
‘Dangerous.’
Esselian was dangerous—but these men were even more so.
Naiven and Mercheli. They, too, suffered from the madness and desperately needed the medicine.
And Shuwen was an openly known cure.
“Still as insolent as ever.”
Until then, Esselian had merely been observing. Now he grabbed Mercheli’s reaching hand.
Mercheli’s hand twitched beneath Esselian’s large grip.
He tried to apply force, but couldn’t overcome Esselian’s strength.
“Agh, that hurts! Fine, fine! I get it—should I apologize?”
Mercheli jumped back and sharply turned his head.
“Princess—no, no, Archduchess! Your Highness! Forgive my rudeness.”
That was when Mercheli pulled out a dagger and drove it into Esselian’s arm.
The movement was so fast that Shuwen realized what had happened a beat too late.
“Gasp—Your Highness!”
Shuwen, who had been quiet all along, screamed, and an abrupt silence fell.
Everyone stared at her strangely.
Unaware of their gazes, Shuwen grabbed Esselian’s arm.
“Are you all right? There’s a knife in your arm—!”
Shuwen was the only one who looked shocked.
Mercheli let out a hollow laugh as he watched her panic, shouting and stamping her feet.
Naiven narrowed his eyes, and Esselian tilted his head slightly.
“This barely even hurts—”
“Oh—cloth and bandages! Just a moment!”
Ignoring Mercheli, Shuwen didn’t even think to call a servant.
She dashed up the stairs in a flurry.
Just as Mercheli had said, this hardly even counted as an injury to them.
The Ranied family was peculiar.
Though its members themselves were completely unaware of it.
That was why her reaction felt so strange to them.
Esselian suddenly let out a dry laugh.
“Just how did she live her life…?”
If Shuwen had heard that, she would’ve said that was exactly what she wanted to ask—but unfortunately, she wasn’t there.
A sudden sense of unease seeped into the air.
Mercheli hastily stepped back. Naiven had already retreated some distance away.
Always strong. Always unyielding—the Ranied family.
And among them, no one in the world would ever worry about Esselian, the strongest of all.
“Mercheli. I tolerate you only so long as you keep within bounds. Show proper respect to the Archduchess.”
As Esselian flicked his hand upward, Mercheli’s feet lifted into the air. His face was icy as he used magic to suspend Mercheli.
Another flick—and Mercheli’s throat tightened.
His face drained white in an instant as he nodded frantically.
Having brushed against death, he gasped for breath, shuddering.
“To think I worried about someone like that…”
Mercheli muttered in shock as he stared at the staircase Shuwen had disappeared up.
Using magic wasn’t difficult—but casually playing with someone’s life through dark magic wasn’t something just anyone could do.
Soon after, Shuwen returned, carrying cloth and bandages herself.
The three men silently watched her.
“My lady—”
Just as Mercheli tried to speak, Esselian stepped toward Shuwen first.
Her concern didn’t displease him.
It just felt… a bit troublesome.
“You don’t need to do this.”
“What? But you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.”
Esselian refused her treatment.
But neither did he intend to foolishly offer the Archduchess up as prey in front of his relatives.
He whispered something only Shuwen could hear, then took her hand and led her up the stairs.
To an outsider, it would have looked as though he was simply going to receive treatment.
