🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 5
“No way.”
Bella took a deep breath and swallowed the scream that was about to escape her lips.
It’s him!
It was him.
The man destined for me.
The man who had taken her life in her dream. The gift sent by God. And the only savior who could rescue her from this terrible reality.
I can’t believe I’m meeting him this soon.
Unable to take her eyes off the man’s retreating figure, Bella slowly smiled.
Why is everything going so well?
It was almost frightening.
Had the god of fate, who had always treated her so cruelly, suddenly changed his mind? Was this his own way of apologizing?
No… it didn’t matter.
I wonder what kind of person he is.
Her gaze settled on him once more.
Black hair. Black clothes.
Anyone could tell at a glance that he preferred dark colors. Even his gloves were completely black.
Huh? Gloves? It’s this time of year, so why is he bundled up like that?
Bella tilted her head.
“Does he get cold easily?”
That was unexpected.
He looked like the kind of man who wouldn’t let a single needle through his defenses, yet he was weak against the cold?
It was early autumn, but the days were still warm. Wearing gloves already seemed a little excessive.
“Avalan has unusually long winters.”
Evan, standing beside her, answered instead.
“But some people say it isn’t because of the weather. They say the duke is a germaphobe.”
“…I see. He’s quite a handsome man.”
Watching him take a seat at one of the tables, Bella nodded. Of course, being handsome had nothing to do with being a germaphobe.
This is the first time I’ve really seen his face.
In her dream, she had been too busy looking at her own dead body to pay attention to his appearance. She had known he possessed an extraordinary presence, but she hadn’t expected him to be this impressive.
It was so overwhelming that even the noble ladies who had eagerly followed him around, hoping to catch his attention, couldn’t bring themselves to approach him.
The same was true for the other nobles.
“Is he really that amazing?”
“He absolutely is.”
Evan nodded.
“Who exactly is that man?”
There was an invisible wall between the capital and the provinces.
Only nobles from the capital could attend the Imperial Council, so provincial nobles desperately tried to make their way into the center of power.
Yet here were the capital nobles practically bowing before him.
“How old is he?”
“I think he turned twenty-four this year.”
Bella’s eyes widened in surprise.
“He’s younger than I expected.”
Twenty-four.
“I thought he’d be older.”
It wasn’t that he looked old.
Rather, everything about him was so dark and subdued that, combined with his heavy, mature aura, he seemed far older than his actual age.
His expression adds to it, too.
Most men his age would be thrilled by all the ladies staring at them.
He, however, seemed completely uninterested.
It was as if time stood still around him.
Maybe it’s because he became a duke at such a young age.
Perhaps he had simply been forced to grow up early.
That was the conclusion Bella reached.
“How old was he when he inherited his title?”
“Twelve.”
“That young? Then the previous duke…”
“He passed away early.”
So he carried such a tragic past.
Bella finally understood the melancholy atmosphere surrounding the duke.
“What happened?”
“He took his own life.”
“…”
“And not just him. The duke before him, and the one before that, all ended their own lives.”
“What do you mean?”
The story was much darker than Bella had expected.
She instinctively held her breath.
No… she couldn’t breathe.
As she turned her head, she met Evan’s slightly lowered blue eyes.
“For some unknown reason, every heir of House Avalan ends their life by their own hand.”
“What?”
“That’s why people call them a cursed bloodline. Of course, that’s just a rumor people whisper behind their backs. There’s no proof.”
A cursed family.
Feeling that there had to be an even deeper secret hidden beneath the rumors, Bella looked at the duke again.
His expression remained completely unchanged.
The noble ladies around him were growing more and more anxious, stomping their feet in frustration.
And strangely…
Bella felt the same way.
She had never felt like this before.
Just looking at him made her restless. Her chest felt tight, and her heart pounded wildly.
“It’s too creepy to dismiss as coincidence,” Evan continued. “It wasn’t just one or two people. Every duke before him met the same end.”
But Bella didn’t agree.
Perhaps everyone else would think it was merely coincidence.
She wouldn’t.
She no longer believed in coincidence.
To her, a curse wasn’t something frightening.
It was fascinating.
So he carries such an incredible secret.
The corners of her lips slowly lifted.
Well, if he’s the messenger of death who came to kill me, then he should have a story worthy of it.
Her eyes sparkled even brighter.
“By the way, if he has such terrible rumors surrounding him, why is he still so popular?”
She pointed toward the noble ladies squealing in the distance.
Their cheeks were flushed as they desperately tried to catch the duke’s attention.
She could understand her own interest.
But why were they all so obsessed with a supposedly cursed duke?
Surely there had to be some special reason.
“Because he’s rich.”
“…”
“If you marry the Duke of Avalan, you’ll become the lady of the North.”
“That’s a much less interesting reason than I expected.”
Bella sighed in disappointment, though she understood Evan’s answer.
So all of this…
It was simply a competition for wealth and the prestigious position of duchess.
Watching the young ladies silently compete with one another, Bella frowned.
I can’t let one of them take him.
Anyone else, maybe.
But not women like them.
If it came down to reasons alone…
She was probably the woman in this room who suited him best.
Bella was certain of it.
She remained quietly hidden in the corner, observing the silent battle from afar.
Then—
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
At the attendant’s shout, the bustling hall instantly fell silent.
The gathered nobles split neatly into two lines, creating a magnificent path down the center.
The emperor strode in wearing a crimson robe, took his seat upon a golden throne, stroked his long beard, and surveyed the crowd.
Bella discreetly looked at him.
He’s aged a lot.
Time truly spared no one.
The deep wrinkles around his eyes made his already sharp features seem even harsher.
The gentle and benevolent emperor she remembered had disappeared beneath the burdens etched across his face.
The relaxed dignity of his younger days was gone as well.
Now he looked pale, like a man constantly being chased by something unseen.
Compared to thirteen years ago…
He was practically a different person.
“You may all rise.”
At the emperor’s command, the nobles who had been bowing deeply straightened one after another.
Although hundreds of people filled the hall, only the faint rustling of clothing could be heard.
Everyone waited for the emperor’s Founding Day address.
“Ahem.”
The emperor cleared his throat loudly and spread his arms.
“Proud citizens of the Arhen Empire, listen well! You have all heard that the neighboring nations have been making troubling moves recently. Indeed! Jealous of our prosperous empire, they seek to steal our lands!”
The nobles immediately began whispering among themselves.
Everyone had heard rumors that the neighboring countries were growing restless.
While other nations suffered from shortages of resources, Arhen had always enjoyed abundance.
It was only natural that others coveted it.
“But there is nothing to fear! For we have those whom God Himself has sent to us!”
As the emperor finished speaking, a door to the left opened.
People dressed in white robes entered alongside imperial soldiers.
Their sudden appearance stirred the crowd.
Bella was no exception.
It had been a very long time since she had seen them.
“My goodness… aren’t those the Morpheus?”
“His Majesty is presenting the Morpheus in public? That’s surprising. We’ve begged to see them for years, yet he always kept them hidden.”
“It only means the situation is desperate. I heard even the temple has turned its back on the imperial family.”
“That’s hardly surprising. The priests worship the Morpheus, while the emperor treats them like tools. Of course they wouldn’t like it.”
Whispers criticizing the imperial family spread throughout the hall.
Even so, the Morpheus made a tremendous impression.
Children seeing them for the first time…
Veteran nobles who had already met them…
Hope shone in all of their eyes.
They truly were Arhen’s greatest hope.
And the tool that maintains the emperor’s authority.
Bella smiled bitterly.
The Morpheus were the very symbol of Arhen.
As long as they existed, neighboring nations dared not invade recklessly.
If they attacked and suffered the power of the Morpheus, an entire kingdom could fall.
“So there is no need to fear! We are the people chosen by God! As long as the Morpheus stand with us, Arhen shall remain the master of this continent! A glorious future awaits our empire!”
The emperor’s passionate speech drew thunderous applause throughout the hall.
Most people cheered enthusiastically.
Others looked worried.
“The Fourth Seat is still vacant.”
“And not only that. I hear the First Morpheus is barely clinging to life.”
“Wait… does that mean there will be two empty seats?”
“The Fourth has already been missing for so long. The neighboring countries could attack at any moment…”
“This is serious.”
Young nobles sighed heavily, their faces full of concern.
So public confidence has fallen this much…
Bella now understood why the emperor had finally displayed the Morpheus to the public like treasured jewels.
Finding all seven Morpheus was the emperor’s duty.
Yet Emperor Arhen VIII had failed to find the Fourth Morpheus for thirteen years.
Among the priests, many had already begun calling him incompetent because of it.
I’m sorry, Uncle… Evan…
Bella smiled inwardly.
She was absolutely confident that no one would ever discover that she herself was the missing Fourth Morpheus the empire had searched for so desperately.
And she no longer had much time left anyway.
What happened after that no longer mattered.
The emperor returned to his seat and let out a weary sigh.
An attendant quickly approached and whispered something into his ear.
The emperor suddenly looked up in surprise.
“Well, look who it is.”
He smiled warmly as he spotted someone.
“It’s been a long time, Duke. I heard rumors that you’d come to the capital, but I wasn’t sure they were true.”
“It has indeed been a long time, Your Majesty. I trust you have been well.”
It was the first time the duke had spoken since his arrival.
His low voice immediately sent the young ladies nearby into another frenzy.
The emperor frowned slightly before clearing his throat to silence them.
“I’ve heard your achievements in the recent border war were truly remarkable. I was planning to summon you because of it, so your timing is perfect. How long do you intend to remain in the capital?”
“I plan to return as soon as the Founding Festival ends. I can’t leave the border unguarded for long.”
The moment he said he would leave soon, disappointed sighs echoed throughout the hall.
The emperor glanced at the ladies who kept interrupting the conversation.
Then he smiled as though an idea had just occurred to him.
“Come to think of it… how old are you this year?”
“Twenty-four.”
“Then it’s about time you got married.”
“…Pardon?”
The unexpected turn of the conversation cracked the duke’s calm expression for the first time.
Meanwhile, the eyes of the young ladies burst into flames—
Like hunters who had just spotted the greatest prey of their lives.
