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Chapter 03
The information Anna brought back, unfortunately, only went as far as what a mercenary could find out.
Still, that alone was helpful enough, so it wasn’t exactly a bad result.
“The man named Nox appeared about seven years ago. He rose to power by destroying slave traders and illegal auction houses one by one, swallowing up large organizations as he went… That’s what it says. Don’t you think that’s a bit too virtuous for someone ruling the Empire’s underworld?”
It was hard to believe he did all that simply to weaken rival powers.
After Nox took control of the back alleys, at least within the capital, all the slave traders and illegal auctions had completely disappeared.
Even with this much, Nox’s true identity remained just out of reach.
Luckily, Anna’s father had apparently met Nox in person once, so Evgenia had begged him to recall whatever details he could.
“His hands were too clean for a commoner…”
Evgenia muttered quietly, rubbing the back of her own hand.
In this world, the easiest way to guess someone’s social standing was by looking at their hands.
Even if he had roamed the underworld for seven years, he couldn’t have erased the marks of the life he’d lived before that.
“I already thought he wasn’t an ordinary human when he got involved with Stella—but a noble, really?”
In the original story, Nox’s true identity had never been revealed, but typically, the ruler of an underworld in a romance fantasy wasn’t a commoner.
‘Well, sometimes it turns out to be a crown prince or an imperial family member… but there are only three imperial men in the Empire. Besides the Emperor and the Crown Prince, there’s only that sickly Second Prince. So that would make no sense.’
…Then again, wasn’t there usually some twist where that supposedly sickly Second Prince turned out to be flying around in secret?
Coincidentally, it had been about seven years since the Second Prince of the Artrux Empire stopped attending social gatherings, citing poor health.
‘No way… it can’t be, right?’
A creeping sense of dread began to crawl up her spine.
Was she about to throw herself into an even bigger fire just to take down that bastard Raymond?
Evgenia hesitated for a moment before shaking her head hard.
“No. Marrying that bastard would be the real act of diving naked into hellfire.”
Honestly, if Nox were the Second Prince, it might even make negotiations easier.
She touched her chin thoughtfully and forced a small smile.
“Let’s meet him first and see. Whether the sub–male lead of the original was a commoner or a prince.”
A faint, pleasant scent filled the air—just enough to lift one’s mood.
The room was furnished only with suspiciously high-end pieces, marking it as Nox’s reception room, located in the deepest heart of the underworld.
Evgenia had never been anywhere like this, not in her past life nor this one, so even breathing felt awkward.
‘What’s taking so long? In the original, Nox appeared immediately once the heroine gave the password…!’
Was this the difference between the heroine and the villainess?
Just as she was about to despair, the door to the reception room finally opened, and a man with black hair appeared.
“Ah, look at that. We really do have a guest.”
…Dragging something behind him—something that might have been a lump of flesh, or a person.
“……!”
“Excuse me. I had to finish something first.”
Even in the dim lighting, his face shone almost unnaturally pale, splattered here and there with red stains that clearly didn’t belong to him.
“Better wrap this up before our esteemed guest runs away.”
That soft, honeyed voice had never sounded so utterly wrong.
‘This… this is the right person, right?’
“Now, just stamp your seal here, and sign over there. Good.”
Evgenia’s trembling hand pressed against the paper that Nox shoved forward.
The person—apparently still alive, though drenched in blood—moved weakly under his command, signing and stamping each page.
Only after a dozen or so sheets were marked with bloody fingerprints did Nox finally release the person’s hair, letting them drop to the floor.
The careless, almost bored motion sent chills down her spine.
As the wounded person crawled weakly toward the door, an attendant swiftly came to drag them out—clearly, this wasn’t an unusual occurrence here.
Thud.
The door closed, and at last, only the two of them remained.
The sound of running water echoed softly as Nox washed his hands.
“So… what brings our guest here today?”
His voice, calm and velvety as he spoke with his back turned to her, felt impossibly gentle for someone who had just coerced a half-dead man into signing documents.
When Evgenia finally raised her head, Nox was already right in front of her.
“…Ah.”
Jet-black hair like a slice of a moonless night sky.
A sharp jawline, smooth lips tinged with a seductive rose hue.
Eyes of deep green that betrayed no hint of emotion between long, curved lashes.
For a moment, the dangerously beautiful sight threw her off balance—but the faint bloodstains still lingering on his cheek helped her snap back to reality.
“I—I came to make a request.”
“A request? You know, I’m quite expensive.”
‘G-good, at least he’s willing to talk like a normal person.’
Maybe it was because his first impression had been so overwhelming, but she half-expected him to ask for her life as payment—and she’d probably have thought, “Well, fair enough.”
Regaining her composure, Evgenia nodded firmly.
“I can pay whatever price you ask. As long as you really have the ability I need.”
“Hmm. I am a capable man, sure—but I’m not sure I can satisfy such a noble lady.”
“Well, that’s not an easy task indeed. But I—wait, what did you just say?”
“Hm? That I’m quite capable.”
“No, before that…”
Startled, Evgenia touched her face, feeling the veil still wrapped carefully around it.
‘He can’t even see my face. I borrowed Anna’s clothes. How did he—?’
Nox shrugged lightly, answering her unspoken question.
“Surely you didn’t come all the way here thinking that flimsy scrap of cloth could hide who you are?”
“…”
“Oh, was that really your plan? Should I have pretended not to notice, then?”
“…Forget it. This is easier anyway.”
She shook her head at his teasing tone, ripping off the stifling veil and meeting his gaze head-on.
Though his lips were curved in a faint smile, his eyes remained cold as ice.
‘Just because he was portrayed as a good guy in the original doesn’t mean I should let my guard down. This man is dangerous.’
But his danger didn’t matter to her.
What she needed from him wasn’t friendship—it was his ability.
Once their transaction was done, they could go their separate ways forever.
Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward and locked eyes with him.
“Nox. I heard you can erase ‘Names.’”
“…”
“Erase the Name engraved on my body. That’s my request.”
Nox, who had been speaking so freely a moment ago, suddenly fell silent—as if his lips had been sealed shut.
Even the faint smile that had been fixed on his mouth turned rigid.
Fear pricked at her heart, but she couldn’t back down now.
‘No—better to act crazy. If I flinch, I’m dead meat. Play the part of a spoiled noblewoman to the end!’
The fresh stains on his face still flickered in her mind, but she forced herself to raise her chin.
She slammed the table with a sharp bang!
“If it’s money you want, I’ll give you money. Land? I’ll give you land. Ten billion gold? A hundred billion? How about a village in my duchy? I even own a mine.”
“…”
“Whatever it is you want, name it. There’s nothing in this Empire that I can’t give you.”
It was an arrogant claim—but not an untrue one.
As the heir to House Martyr, Evgenia had the power to grant almost anything.
‘If he still refuses, I’ll have to use his identity as leverage.’
Before meeting him—no, even when he’d walked in dragging that nearly-dead man—she hadn’t been completely sure.
But the moment she saw his eyes, that distinct shade of green—she knew.
‘Green like new leaves. Just like the late Empress’s eyes were said to be.’
And that color…
It was said only the Second Prince had inherited it.
