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Chapter 4
Aira could not hide her surprised expression as she looked at Walter.
She had never expected to meet him again today.
In her previous life, the man who had held her hand and helped her out of the carriage at this exact moment had definitely not been the Crown Prince.
The first time Aira had met Walter von Amilleus had been on the day she married Xavier.
That was supposed to happen three months from now.
“So, in the end, is this the choice you made?”
Walter was the rightful heir to the throne. On the day of her wedding, he had said those strange words to Aira, who had been extremely nervous before the ceremony.
Normally, Walter should have been in the north right now, fighting against the barbarians.
Walter’s mother, Empress Marlen, was the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke of Casimir, a powerful northern family.
As the Crown Prince of Kalanta and a direct descendant of the Grand Duke’s family, Walter had often gone to war against the barbarians since he was young.
Then why is he here…?
“C-Crown Prince!”
Luna had finally gotten out of the carriage and asked one of the nearby knights who he was.
After learning his identity, she quickly stood beside Aira.
Although Luna’s face was still pale from motion sickness, she put on her prettiest smile and greeted Walter.
“It is an honor to meet the great Crown Prince. My name is Luna, Aira’s half-sister. I came here with Aira today to—”
“I never gave you permission to speak.”
Walter’s cold voice immediately cut her off.
The atmosphere became freezing.
Luna’s eyes shook with embarrassment.
“And saying that you will become the Second Prince’s wife… How rude.”
Luna had always received kindness and attention from men.
She had never experienced such a direct rejection.
Especially not a look like Walter’s, as if he were looking at something completely worthless despite her beautiful smile.
You were too eager, Luna.
Aira clicked her tongue silently.
The rules of the imperial palace were strict.
It was against proper etiquette to introduce yourself and start talking when a member of the imperial family had not spoken to you first.
It was even more disrespectful to talk about a marriage to a member of the imperial family before the marriage had actually been arranged.
Aira knew these rules very well because she had spent seven years as a princess in her previous life.
But Luna, who had only entered the Count’s household as an illegitimate daughter at the age of ten and had never attended imperial events, could not possibly know them.
“I-I apologize… I…”
Luna suddenly covered her mouth.
“Ugh!”
She quickly turned around and ran away.
Then she bent over and vomited onto the ground.
Splash—
Everyone frowned.
Even Walter’s eyes filled with disgust.
The maids quickly took Luna by the arms and helped her move as far away from the Crown Prince as possible.
“I apologize on behalf of my half-sister for her rudeness.”
Aira lowered her eyes calmly.
“She seems confused because of her severe motion sickness.”
Walter’s eyebrows became tense at her words.
But Aira was not looking at him, so she did not notice.
For a long moment, there was silence between them.
Then Walter spoke.
“Last night…”
He took one step closer to Aira.
His strong body was now very close to her, but Aira could not simply step backward.
Her heart was beating hard.
“I had a very strange dream.”
His voice was low and rough, quiet enough that only Aira could hear him.
Aira flinched and looked up at him.
Their eyes met.
Her reflection could be seen in his gray eyes.
Aira vaguely remembered hearing something about Walter’s special ability from his mother’s side of the family.
He sometimes had dreams that allowed him to see events from a short period of the future.
No… That can’t be.
Aira desperately hoped that his dream had nothing to do with her.
But she could feel the strange power of the holy artifact flowing through her body.
It was not as violent as the power that had melted her bones and flesh before her death.
Still, this unfamiliar energy had clearly come from the events of her previous life.
She did not know how to use this power yet.
But perhaps someone like Walter, who possessed a special ability and enormous strength, could sense it.
Aira’s heart was pounding as if she had committed a crime.
“The you standing before me now…”
Walter began to say something.
But he stopped, as if he was unsure whether he should continue.
His forehead was slightly wrinkled.
He continued looking at Aira for a very long time.
The silence lasted until Luna finally stopped vomiting and looked back at them with an exhausted face.
Aira stubbornly remained silent.
Walter continued studying her expression.
The corner of his mouth moved slightly.
“Lady Marcelline, the Imperial Consort is waiting for you.”
At that moment, a senior maid appeared with several other maids.
She stopped some distance away from Walter and Aira and slightly bowed.
Walter turned toward them with a cold expression.
Normally, it was rude for a mere maid to interrupt a conversation between the Crown Prince and his guest.
But this was Julius’s palace, where Julius and Marlen were political rivals.
Aira and Luna were guests of Julius, not guests of the Crown Prince.
The maid felt a chill run down her back under Walter’s intimidating gaze.
Even Aira felt a shiver from the cold killing intent surrounding him.
Are the rumors true? Is he really such a ruthless man?
During Aira’s seven years as Xavier’s wife, she had rarely met her brother-in-law, the Crown Prince.
Walter was almost always on the battlefield.
He enjoyed fighting enemies at the northern border and expanding the empire’s territory.
He had earned the terrifying nickname “Blood Demon in White” because of the way he would spill his enemies’ blood across the snowy northern battlefields while wearing his white uniform.
Now that I think about it, I barely spoke to him in my previous life.
Aira knew that Walter’s existence would be important if she wanted to take revenge on Xavier, Luna, and Julius.
She simply had never expected to meet him this early, or under these circumstances.
“Visit the Crown Prince’s Palace sometime soon.”
Walter looked at her.
“Since we will become family, I would like to have a conversation with you.”
The maids exchanged surprised looks.
They could not believe that the Crown Prince had invited a guest of Julius, especially Lady Marcelline, the future wife of the Second Prince, to his palace.
Aira’s heart was also beating so hard that it felt as if it might burst from her chest.
She could not understand Walter’s intentions.
Was he simply curious?
Or did he have some kind of hostility toward her?
She could not tell.
“Then, let’s go.”
Walter’s low voice sounded.
The knights following him straightened their shoulders.
Walter looked at Aira one more time with his deep gray eyes before walking away.
Only after Walter and his knights had disappeared did Aira let out a small breath.
“…Hoo.”
She could also hear Luna breathing nervously.
Luna looked terrible.
Her face had become pale and bluish.
An elderly maid glanced at Walter’s disappearing back and then looked sternly at Aira.
“Please follow me.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Marcelline…
Julius, the Imperial Consort, had bright sky-blue hair and turquoise eyes.
Although she was in her early forties, she was so beautiful that she looked like a woman in her late twenties.
That morning, she had spent time with her adoptive father and mother, who had come from her family home, the Eimrich Ducal Family.
She had listened to their concerns and conversations.
In the early afternoon, she had tea with noblewomen who supported the Eimrich family.
She was a little tired.
But now it was time to meet the girl from the Marcelline family.
Julius remembered what her adoptive father had told her.
“Marcelline will be useful for Xavier’s future. And this is also for the sake of our Eimrich family.”
“But Father, it’s only a legend. Even if there really is some special power in Marcelline’s blood, we don’t know whether she can actually absorb the holy artifact.”
“If that Crown Prince, who is obsessed with the northern wars, becomes Emperor, do you think he will leave Xavier or our Eimrich family alone?”
“Julius, we have to think about the future.”
“Ah… My head hurts.”
Julius sighed and touched her forehead.
Her son was handsome and talented enough to make any family proud.
He deserved a woman from a much more powerful family.
And yet they had to deal with the Marcellines, a family from the empire’s distant border.
“Lady Marcelline has arrived.”
A maid’s voice came from outside the door.
Julius quickly straightened her expression and shook her head.
Yes. Just as Father said, if we want to achieve our great goal, we have to accept some sacrifices.
And nothing is more useful than making an inexperienced young woman believe that she is truly loved before sacrificing her life.
“Let her come in.”
The door opened.
Two young women wearing dresses entered.
The woman in front walked with perfect manners and dignity.
Her beautiful appearance immediately caught the eye.
The woman behind her had short brown hair.
Although she looked slightly pale, she was also very beautiful.
They looked somewhat alike, as if they were sisters.
However, the blonde girl in front had much brighter red eyes.
So that is the symbol of the Marcelline family.
A human body capable of absorbing the holy artifact.
Just as her parents had said, without the holy artifact’s power, it would be almost impossible for her son Xavier to take the throne.
The Crown Prince’s position and influence were simply too powerful.
“Welcome.”
Julius looked at Aira’s bright, jewel-like eyes.
She had already made her decision.
With a warm smile, Julius welcomed her future daughter-in-law.
