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Chapter 1
Unlike the past few days, when rain had fallen incessantly, the weather was beautiful that day, for the first time in a long while. The sky was clear, the clouds were lovely and fluffy, and a gentle breeze was blowing.
“Please, board the ship.”
On such a day, Nadia had to embark on a voyage that would take her away from her homeland.
She had been gazing at the last stretch of sky she would see over her country when a voice behind her urged her to hurry. She listlessly turned around and found her stern-faced governess standing there.
“Dragging this out won’t change a thing, no matter how long you take.”
Though the words were cold, her governess was right.
Nadia nodded feebly and started walking again. Each step felt heavy, as though someone were holding her ankles and refusing to let her go.
Once she sailed away and married in a place twelve hours from here by ship, returning to her homeland of Arbat would likely become an impossible dream.
Her mother, who would soon become the queen mother of the crown prince, would never summon the daughter she had borne to her first husband.
“Being a duchess in another country isn’t so bad, is it? Farewell, then.”
Her mother, who had never shown the slightest interest in her throughout her life, had offered her a remarkably brief farewell. Nadia was once again shocked by her mother’s indifference, but of course, she had no right to refuse.
It wasn’t as though she couldn’t understand her mother’s feelings.
If Agnetha became queen, it was only natural that Nadia, who was not the king’s daughter, would become an unwelcome presence. And since Nadia had come of age that year, sending her far away under the pretext of marriage was a convenient solution.
But that was only from her mother’s perspective.
Nadia had finally stepped aboard the ship, her feet reluctant to move, when the sound of several horses approaching reached her from a distance. Everyone turned to look in that direction.
“Stop!”
The man at the head of the group dismounted and addressed the bewildered governess.
“His Majesty the King has issued a solemn order for Lady Nadia Turrick to be brought to him.”
“His Majesty the King?”
Both the governess and Nadia were taken aback. King Ivan had never shown much interest in Nadia, the daughter of his mistress.
That was because Nadia’s mother, Agnetha, had kept her daughter hidden away, constantly wary that she might somehow catch the king’s eye.
Despite Nadia’s extraordinary beauty, she had never once appeared in high society. That, too, was a major reason she was being married off.
“We will take Lady Nadia to the royal palace.”
Faced with an order from the king, the governess was at a loss for what to do. Meanwhile, Nadia saw an opportunity in the unexpected turn of events.
‘Perhaps I can stay here after all.’
Maybe the king had learned of his stepdaughter’s unfortunate circumstances and decided to show her some compassion. Hope blossomed in Nadia’s heart, and she promptly followed the men who had come to escort her.
However, when she stepped out of the carriage several hours later, the situation looked nothing like what she had imagined.
The royal palace was in disarray, as though a major upheaval had just taken place. People kept their mouths shut and their heads bowed, seemingly trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible.
The strange scene made Nadia uneasy. Yet she didn’t dare ask any questions, and she remained silent.
“Please come this way. His Majesty the King is waiting.”
Still filled with questions, Nadia proceeded to the central palace.
She kept her head lowered and her eyes fixed on her feet, relying on her sense of smell to make sense of her surroundings.
Whenever she had met the king in the past, all she had noticed about him was the pungent smell of cigars, since he was a habitual smoker.
But now, even after entering the king’s chambers, she couldn’t detect the slightest trace of smoke. Instead, the air was filled with the rich scent of wood.
Could expensive cigars be infused with a scent like this?
Just as Nadia was wondering about it, a man’s voice reached her ears.
“Nadia Turrick?”
The voice was far younger, deeper, and more beautiful than the king’s voice she remembered.
Without realizing it, Nadia raised her head.
What she saw was simply unbelievable.
Beneath his slightly wavy black hair, which was neither particularly short nor long, were sharp, dark green eyes.
His nose was as keenly defined as his gaze, and his firmly closed lips conveyed a sense of strength. Together, these features gave him an overall appearance that was cold and merciless.
But was it really just a matter of appearance?
They said the eyes were the windows to the soul, and the soul Nadia glimpsed through his eyes was as cold as the snow and winds blowing down from the north.
Perhaps that was why, despite his exceptionally handsome and elegant features and the air of nobility he exuded, Nadia couldn’t help feeling a little afraid of him.
One thing was certain: this man was not the king she remembered, her mother’s lover.
As Nadia stared blankly into his eyes, someone spoke.
“Lady Turrick, pay your respects to His Majesty the King.”
At those unexpected words, Nadia’s expression grew even more bewildered.
Where was King Ivan? And how dare the man standing before her impersonate the king?
Just then, the handsome man who had been addressed as the king waved his hand, apparently telling the other person to stop.
Nadia continued staring at him in a daze.
“Do you know who I am?” the man asked.
Nadia shook her head.
She rarely attended social gatherings, and when she did, they were attended exclusively by noblewomen. As a result, she was completely unfamiliar with the male nobility…
No, there was exactly one man she knew of.
“I see.”
After hearing her answer, the man tilted his head once, his expression strangely unreadable.
“Come with me.”
That was all he said.
The man, dressed in a red-toned jacket, took the lead. Sensing the expectant gazes of those around her, Nadia found herself following him almost instinctively.
He soon climbed into a carriage, and Nadia hesitated before following him inside.
The carriage set off.
She had no idea where they were going.
However, the man said nothing after getting into the carriage and simply gazed out the window. It was difficult to bring herself to speak to him, so Nadia continued to sit in silence.
Eventually, he broke the silence.
“Do you know where we’re going?”
Nadia hurriedly met his gaze.
Looking into his utterly impassive eyes, she shook her head.
“No, I don’t.”
“To an execution.”
That was all he said.
In an instant, Nadia felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck her with the realization. Yet she could hardly believe it, and she asked in disbelief,
“…Who’s going to die?”
“The deposed king, his mistress, and the son born between them.”
The carriage stopped as soon as he answered.
Nadia stared at the man, utterly dumbfounded.
“That’s right.”
The door opened, and the man rose from his seat. Then, as though he were stating something utterly unremarkable, he said,
“You’re going to watch your mother and half-brother die.”
Nadia gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth.
There could be no doubt about the identity of the man standing before her now.
The man who had been banished to the far northern regions ten years ago for attempting to kill his own mother.
“Lev Arbat.”
King Ivan’s only legitimate son.
The noble authority carried by that name washed over Nadia like a crashing wave of fear.
At the small name she murmured through her trembling lips, a flicker of interest appeared in the man’s eyes.
“Do you remember me?”
Of course not. She had no memory of ever seeing him before. But how could she possibly not know his name?
Lev Arbat gazed steadily at Nadia, who shook her head, before opening his mouth.
“Right. It was a long time ago.”
As though it made no difference to him either way, he stepped out of the carriage and gestured for Nadia to hurry and follow.
Nadia managed to pull herself upright, but her legs were trembling from the shock. Even so, she forced herself to climb out.
“Ah…!”
She lost her footing, and for a moment, it seemed as though her body might crumple to the ground.
Lev caught her effortlessly, as though he had anticipated this would happen.
Nadia turned to look at him in a daze. His impassive eyes remained unchanged, even in this situation.
Should she thank him for catching her?
Thank the man who was about to kill her mother and half-brother?
“Put some strength into your legs, Nadia. We still have a long way to go.”
He spoke to her in a rather gentle tone, but his gaze remained icy.
Feeling a lump rise in her throat, Nadia finally managed to get out of the carriage.
Soon, they arrived at the execution grounds.
A vast crowd had gathered to witness the executions, and above them all reigned the brilliantly blazing sun.
It was an unbearably beautiful day.
The funeral of her mother and half-brother.
“Sit.”
After taking his seat upon the royal dais, Lev Arbat ordered Nadia to sit as well.
She awkwardly lowered herself into the seat beside him. She could feel the strange looks people were giving her.
Their gazes seemed to condemn her, as though they were asking why she wasn’t standing on the executioner’s platform alongside her mother and half-brother.
Nadia felt as though she couldn’t breathe.
“Begin the execution.”
The son ordered his father’s execution in a voice so devoid of emotion that it sent chills down her spine.
Nadia stared at the executioner’s platform, her face frozen in shock.
The deposed King Ivan, his eyes bloodshot; his mistress, Agnetha; and the son they had together, trembling and weeping in terror.
The three of them glared at the king seated beside Nadia. Their gazes felt as though they were her own, and she could barely breathe beneath the weight of them.
Before long, all three were laid upon the executioner’s block, one after another.
Unable to bear the thought of what would come next, Nadia squeezed her eyes shut.
Amid the commotion of the crowd, she heard the sound of the blade falling three times, followed by three successive waves of cheers.
When Nadia opened her eyes again, the three figures were gone. Only pools of blood remained on the ground.
“Long live His Majesty the King!”
“Long live His Majesty the King!”
As the people’s cheers continued, King Lev Arbat rose from his seat.
Everyone held their breath, waiting to hear what the new king would say.
“I, Lev Arbat…”
The king began speaking with a dignified and elegant bearing.
Then, quite suddenly, he turned his gaze toward Nadia.
While she was still bewildered by this unexpected eye contact, Lev uttered words no one could have anticipated.
“I shall take Nadia Turrick, daughter of Agnetha Turrick, as my queen.”
