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Chapter – 07
The night of the wedding day. Even though it was already past 11 PM, Lankea was still sitting quietly in his office inside the imperial palace.
“Your Grace.”
Miller, who of course knew this, had already guided Eos to the shared bedroom and then immediately came to find him.
“It’s 11 o’clock. No, it’s already past it.”
“……”
Lankea had already changed into his sleeping clothes, so he could go at any time.
But instead of moving as Miller suggested, he slowly turned his black eyes away from the window and looked at his aide.
“I’ll go later.”
“Pardon?”
“If His Majesty the Emperor went as far as preparing an unexpected room and ordered us to share it, his intentions are obvious.”
It was a silent but clear and forceful order: complete the marriage properly within his domain.
“Are you going to disobey it?”
Miller carefully observed Lankea’s expression.
“I can’t do that. Do you really think I would dare disobey an order from the Emperor himself?”
“Then…”
“From the beginning, I never intended to lay a finger on her. I told you already. This is a marriage without love.”
“……”
His calm, unwavering voice echoed in the quiet room, and Miller could no longer argue.
“You may leave now. I’ll go to the room myself.”
Finally, Lankea dismissed him with a small nod after staring silently at Miller, who had nothing more to say.
Once the room became quiet again, Lankea looked at the empty space where Miller had stood and took a sip of whiskey with ice from his desk.
He had woken up at dawn, spent the whole day in heavy ceremonial clothes filled with ornaments, and now felt more exhausted than after hunting monsters.
‘A marriage like this… I can’t do it twice.’
Princess Eos was, as rumors said, a beautiful woman with soft and elegant features that anyone would admire.
Her flowing blue hair matched her yellow eyes beautifully, and the sparkling white dress reflected light and immediately drew attention.
But that was not why Lankea cared about her.
“Sending her away safely, yet she says ‘please take care of me’ at a moment like that… what is she thinking?”
Lankea let out a faint laugh, recalling the memory.
The women he knew were usually elegant ladies who wore dresses and jewelry and spent their time peacefully drinking tea in calm places.
But Eos was not like that. She was someone who seemed ready to throw herself into danger without hesitation.
And after meeting her in person, she felt slightly different from the personality written in the documents.
“She’s unusual.”
He gave her a simple evaluation.
Then he remembered her bowing late and greeting the crown prince and let out a small chuckle before standing up.
Now, he felt like going to the room where Princess Eos was waiting.
The Next Morning
“Ugh.”
Only when the morning sunlight hit my eyes did I finally wake up, holding my pounding head.
The bed was so soft it felt like a cloud.
‘So beds really are science…’
I slowly remembered last night.
It seemed Lankea had come and left at some point, since I was alone in the bed.
‘I feel like I said something really… really strange.’
I couldn’t remember the conversation after he entered, like it was covered in fog.
But I pushed the thought away and sat up because my throat was dry.
Then—
“Eh?”
A familiar back view appeared in front of the bed.
Broad shoulders, neat black hair.
‘No matter how I look at it, that’s Lankea.’
He was sitting on a chair near the bed, leaning his head on the bedpost.
“Ha…”
The first thing I did was sigh.
Because my dark future suddenly felt very real in front of me.
I never thought I would meet him again after reading his profile.
“No, what kind of situation is this?”
Even if I had possessed the main character from the beginning, I could have accepted it.
But I was originally a beggar, and now I was sharing a room with a man who might be the male lead of this novel.
I slowly stood up, holding my breath so I wouldn’t wake him.
I needed to leave before Ribed, who was surely waiting outside.
“Ugh…”
Just as I reached the door—
A sound came from behind me.
Was he waking up? Or talking in his sleep?
Either way, I just needed to leave. One step more!
But then, something deep inside me—something I usually ignored—started to move.
Lankea was still asleep, but he looked cold, hugging himself while trembling slightly.
It didn’t match his tall, strong body or cold expression from yesterday.
Yet strangely, it made me laugh a little.
“I can’t exactly be arrested for murder of an archduke…”
I turned back toward him and quietly grabbed a blanket.
After taking a deep breath, I carefully stood in front of him.
‘They say people are most defenseless when they sleep… not wrong.’
Even asleep, his long lashes and slightly red lips looked too perfect.
I carefully covered him with the blanket.
But—
His eyes suddenly opened.
He grabbed my wrist with fast reflexes.
“Ah!”
“P-Princess?!”
I dropped the blanket in surprise, and he looked shocked too.
Our faces were extremely close.
“Wh-what are you doing!”
“I-it’s the blanket! You looked cold, so I was covering you!”
“…Ah.”
He finally noticed and released my wrist.
“Seriously… that hurts.”
My wrist was already red from how tightly he grabbed it.
“……”
Fine. My conscience. You see this? This is what happens. Go back inside.
“Then I’ll be going.”
I turned away quickly, left the room, and went straight to Ribed waiting outside.
“Take me to my room. Now.”
Later That Morning
After getting ready in my room, I went to the palace entrance at the agreed time.
Today was the day we would leave for Lankea’s territory.
Lankea was already there with Miller, checking luggage.
“You’re here.”
Miller greeted me first.
I nodded slightly.
Lankea also nodded briefly.
After a brief awkward silence—
“We’ll depart now.”
Everyone nodded and moved.
Lankea finished his paperwork and handed it to Miller.
Then he walked toward me.
“Hold my hand and get in the carriage. It will be a long journey.”
His hand was large.
I swallowed and placed my hand in his.
“Yes.”
Now it was truly the first step toward becoming “Eos” completely.
Like stepping toward a cliff with no way back.
I steadied my shaking heart with a breath and stepped into the carriage.
