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chapter 03
Count Hetus.
A capable man who had appeared out of nowhere one day without warning.
Moving through the shadows and willing to use any means necessary, he eventually rose to become the ruler of the underworld that dominated the back alleys.
He was a mysterious figure shrouded in secrecy, but more importantly, he repeatedly interfered with imperial affairs, making him the Empire’s number one target for surveillance.
That was why Cassian had to capture Count Hetus somehow.
“What kind of man would sit still while his bride was in someone else’s hands? Especially a woman he loved that much.”
Though he said that on the surface, Cassian still wasn’t convinced that Count Hetus had truly loved Eveline.
At the time, the two had merely appeared to be engaged in a love story for the ages.
Cassian believed it was far more likely that some sort of deal had been made between them.
“If I can’t marry this man, I’ll spend the rest of my life alone!”
Back when marriage talks with the Emperor were underway, Eveline suddenly appeared one day with a man wearing a robe and abruptly announced her marriage.
The bombshell declaration threw the entire Empire into an uproar.
“Even if the young lady doesn’t hold a title herself, how can a count’s daughter marry a mere viscount?!”
“And while marriage negotiations with His Majesty are still ongoing, she dares choose a viscount as her husband?”
Eveline wasn’t some neglected or abandoned daughter.
She was a noble lady cherished like a precious jewel in a ducal family.
And yet she intended to reject the position of future Empress and become a viscount’s wife?
The officials of the Imperial Palace practically foamed at the mouth in protest.
Many questioned such a mismatched marriage, but Eveline stubbornly pushed ahead with her plans.
In the end, the dispute was settled when the Duke of Selredian appeared at a banquet shortly before passing his title to his son.
“It seems no parent can truly defeat their child.”
Appearing publicly for the first time in a long while, the Duke of Selredian raised both hands in surrender and announced that he approved of his daughter’s marriage.
It was practically an act of deceiving the Emperor himself, yet the Imperial Family could not bring themselves to retaliate.
“A Love Story That Transcends Class! Finally Accepted by Everyone!”
“The Selredian Lady Chooses True Love Over Power! The Heartwarming Romance Revealed!”
“Who Is Count Hetus, the Man Who Captured the Lady’s Heart Over the Perfect Emperor?”
The entire Empire buzzed with stories about the couple.
Since many people viewed Eveline and Count Hetus favorably, there was little room for opposition.
Some conspiracy theorists insisted there had to be something suspicious behind the marriage, but the couple paid them no mind and set a wedding date.
Then, on the way to the wedding ceremony, Eveline suffered an accident.
And thanks to that accident, Cassian gained an opportunity.
“I don’t know when it will come, but the right time always arrives eventually.”
All he had to do was deceive Eveline until that moment came.
He only needed to keep this farce going until then.
After all, there was no way he would ever fall in love with her.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
Putting on his mask of kindness, Cassian grasped the doorknob and ordered over his shoulder,
“Make sure the servants keep their mouths shut. Don’t let her find out.”
* * *
Three days had passed since I woke up after the accident.
My body hadn’t fully recovered yet, so moving around was difficult, but that was fine.
After all, Cassian was always by my side, taking such good care of me!
“My lady, it’s time for lunch.”
As mealtime arrived, Cassian personally pushed in a trolley.
“Soup again today?”
“You still need soft food for now.”
Scooping up the steaming soup with a spoon, Cassian blew on it gently before feeding it to me.
Fortunately, today’s soup was better than yesterday’s.
The watery broth had been replaced by a smooth cream soup.
Tender chicken blended perfectly with finely diced potatoes and onions.
There was a faint bitter taste for a moment, but otherwise it went down easily.
“I think that’s enough.”
“You’ve still got half the bowl left.”
“This much is plenty.”
Even this was starting to get repetitive.
I want kimchi.
Or maybe a spicy fish stew loaded with red pepper flakes.
No, actually, I want spicy rice porridge with kimchi and seafood.
I’m getting sick of eating chicken soup all the time.
Of course, Cassian couldn’t possibly know that.
Looking troubled, he spoke in a sorrowful voice.
“…Even if it’s difficult, could you finish what’s in the bowl?”
“But…”
“I want you to recover quickly. For my sake… could you have just one more spoonful?”
The sight of him lowering his lashes and pleading so earnestly made my heart pound.
I almost wanted to grab him by the collar and—
What am I even thinking?!
Covering my burning cheeks, I immediately replied,
“Then hurry and give it to me!”
“Yes, my lady.”
As soon as I opened my mouth, Cassian smiled brightly and lifted the spoon.
As if determined not to spill even a single drop, he carefully fed me the soup and didn’t forget to give me my medicine afterward.
“Do you remember anything?”
“No. Other than the fact that you’re my destiny.”
I winked as I handed him the empty medicine bottle.
Cassian’s reaction was unusual.
“…I see.”
He covered part of his face with his hand and avoided my gaze.
Apparently he was very embarrassed.
“Is there anything you’d like to say to me?”
“Something I’d like to say?”
Come to think of it…
“What happened to our wedding? Do we have to schedule it again?”
I’d been in a carriage accident on the way to the temple, after all.
“We only need to submit the paperwork. We’re already legally married.”
“But…”
“My lady, please stop worrying and focus on recovering. Your health comes first.”
As though telling me there was nothing left to worry about, Cassian gently stroked my hand.
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
“How did we meet?”
“We met at a banquet. The moment we saw each other… we knew.”
“Oh my! Then it was love at first sight?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what it was.”
I thought ours might have been a political marriage, but was it actually a love match?
If only I still had my memories.
How far did our relationship go?
Judging from his answer, we’d known each other for quite a long time.
I casually intertwined my fingers with his.
Cassian flinched.
“It’s already been two hours. I should get going.”
He hurriedly stood and pointed to the clock.
Sure enough, the hands were already approaching four o’clock.
“You’ll come again tomorrow, right? Dear?”
“Of course. Please get plenty of rest.”
Smiling, Cassian called for a maid and quietly closed the door behind him.
Mary, the maid, approached after the meal and bowed respectfully.
“Du— no, Duchess, what kind of tea would you—”
“Mary, I think my husband is actually very shy.”
“Pardon?”
Mary blinked at me in confusion, causing me to chuckle.
“His ears turn bright red, don’t they?”
“Ah… um… I suppose so.”
Mary’s response seemed oddly stiff, but just imagining Cassian acting shy like a little kitten made my heart race again.
“I wish tomorrow would come sooner.”
* * *
“I wish this would end already.”
Leaving Eveline’s room, Cassian loosened his cravat roughly as he strode down the corridor.
He’d thought she would be easy to deal with since she seemed so defenseless.
Instead, she kept trying to initiate physical contact, casually threading her fingers through his.
No matter how much they were supposedly husband and wife, there should still be boundaries between a man and a woman.
The way she instantly exploited every opening made her seem dangerously skilled.
After his brief review of the situation, Cassian reached his destination and pushed open the door.
“I need a new truth serum.”
Matthew, the Hetis Ducal Family’s physician, who had been writing up Eveline’s medical records in the infirmary, jumped in surprise.
“Again? How many times are you going to try? There aren’t any new truth serums left.”
Under Cassian’s orders, Matthew had repeatedly created new truth serums.
Now he firmly declared that he couldn’t keep up with such unreasonable demands.
Seeing his friend’s reaction, Cassian sat down with a troubled expression.
Why doesn’t it work on that woman?
Was Matthew’s skill lacking?
“I’ll confess everything! Baron Ego was the one embezzling funds!”
“Please spare me, Your Grace! I only followed Baron Willock’s orders!”
That seemed unlikely.
Everyone who took Matthew’s truth serum had confessed their crimes in detail while begging for mercy.
Thinking perhaps another formula might work, Cassian had even purchased additional truth serums through guilds.
“This one contains a hypnotic agent. Even the most stubborn criminal won’t be able to keep silent.”
“This serum compels even those protected by evil curses to reveal the truth. It costs 1,500 crozi, but it has never failed.”
Even after buying every variety available from merchants, the results remained the same.
Thinking perhaps the dosage was insufficient, he even mixed it into her soup and personally fed it to her.
“Do you remember anything?”
“No. Other than the fact that you’re my destiny.”
Every time he questioned her, Eveline simply blinked and winked.
Or she would twirl her green hair around her finger and act bashful.
Come to think of it, her slender fingers looked strangely bare…
I’ve lost my mind. Thinking about giving jewelry to nothing more than bait.
To dispel the thought, Cassian shook his head.
Fortunately, Matthew failed to notice his state and instead asked an important question.
“How are things on Count Hetus’s side?”
