《I Grant You Revenge》 Chapter 1 The empire was paralyzed by heavy snow that had fallen for over a week. Fortunately, the snow stopped and the sun came up, melting the snow. Clive was late for his appointment, but he didn¡¯t rush, thinking that the Phineos would understand because of the snow. He had no intention of keeping his promise. The road to Phineos¡¯ mansion can be reached in one day by carriage. The Phineos family has long had immeasurable assets. They had no source of income, but strangely, their wealth was accumulating day by day. The estates near the capital were narrow, and the land was not fertile. They also didn¡¯t do business. Maybe they looted people, but that wasn¡¯t the case either. Clive couldn¡¯t figure out what they were doing. The Phineos family gifted expensive items to the Imperial Family. However, they never looked into it because they thought it was a friendly family. Their unsociable personality also played a part. The mansion has never been opened to the public. The Phineos held many balls at a villa or the second mansion. It was forbidden to go into the main residence. Whenever the nobles asked for a visit, they said it was only space for family, but most people were puzzled. Presuming that there are enormous valuables that are only overgrown with rumors. Clive was invited by the Phineos family. In hindsight, it was as if they had been forced to invite him. He used the engagement as an excuse. ¡°I would like to be invited to your hometown to commemorate our engagement. Most of all, I want to see where Aishe grew up.¡± Even if he was blatant, they wouldn¡¯t dare to refuse. Those who accompanied Clive were excited at the thought of going to Phineos for the first time, but he was only a little curious. They entered the Phineos estate leisurely. Clive, who was looking out the window, stopped the carriage, and the following group also stopped as well. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± He got out of the carriage and put a cigar in his mouth, then pulled it out and looked at the distant sky. His chapped lips looked like something he didn¡¯t like. Yulik, an aide who quickly grasped his master¡¯s condition, approached and asked. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± ¡°That.¡± Clive pointed to the sky with the hand holding the cigar. There were dark clouds in the distance. And a flock of crows hovered under the clouds. ¡°Where do you think it is?¡± ¡°It looks like Phineos Mansion.¡± ¡°Dark clouds and crows.¡± It wasn¡¯t a very pleasant phenomenon. It was a bad sign. ¡°Why are the crows there?¡± ¡°Well. How can I know the mind of a crow?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I guess so. Hahaha.¡± Yulik smiled softly but Clive¡¯s face hardened. * * * * * * * * * * When Yulik opened the iron door to Phineos¡¯ mansion, there was a squeaky sound. There were no soldiers or gatekeepers. The snow piled up. And darkness prevailed throughout the entire mansion. Even if they lived alone, they wouldn¡¯t manage it this way. Moreover, if they invited the Grand Duke. Something must have happened. ¡°Everyone, relax.¡± Clive pulled out his sword. It was too quiet and too bleak. Only the loud crows can be heard. He looked everywhere and arrived at the mansion¡¯s front door. Nothing happened. Clive opened the front door of the mansion himself. And he let out a little scream when he saw the scene unfold before his eyes. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Huh! Your Highness! What is this¡­ ¡­ !¡± Yulik was speechless, his eyes and mouth widened. In front of doors, on stairs, under windows, etc. Bodies were scattered here and there with blood dripping from their mouth. Clive saw it all on the battlefield, but this situation was a bit embarrassing. As he stood there and scanned the inside, he heard a hum from somewhere. A woman was sitting with her head on the railing in the middle of the stairs. She looked like a ghost with messy hair and clothes. * * * * * * * * * * Eirene woke up to the noise of the door opening. She sighed when a group of people appeared so suddenly. She wanted to die quietly but thought it would be difficult. A light flashed on the guest¡¯s surprised face. She didn¡¯t know who they were or why they were here, but Eirene didn¡¯t care. Maybe that¡¯s a good thing. She realized it was kind of sad that all her life she felt lonely even in death. It was okay not to be alone in the end. Eirene forced her voice to come out and sang to welcome them and to apologize for having to see such an awful scene. Just then, a man walked over and looked down. The man with white hair had a dead gray color in his eyes. His eyes were cold enough to mistake that the god of death had come to pick her up. A person who fits this time and place well. The only men she¡¯d ever seen in her life were her younger brother, her father, and the wizard she had seen regularly. The man in front of her was very handsome. However, it wasn¡¯t a good impression. A man large enough to overwhelm his opponents resembled a snake. Long slanted eyes. Coldness flowed from the gray eyes. If he opens his mouth, will I see a two-pronged tongue? The arrogant gaze in his eyes was most likely a person of high rank. ¡°Are you the culprit of this mess?¡± It was nice to hear the man¡¯s voice. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have done it alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I did it alone.¡± ¡°Why?¡± A man who asks ¡®why¡¯ rather than ¡®how¡¯. As it was the last time, I wanted to explain, but suddenly someone called him. ¡°Grand Duke. I will look around.¡± Eirene was disappointed to find out who he was. ¡°Stupid Clive.¡± ¡°Stupid? Are you referring to me?¡± ¡°There is no one else besides you.¡± ¡°Why am I stupid? ¡­ Hang on, are you Aishe?¡± Eirene¡¯s eyes, which had lost their vitality, gleamed. No one had seen her confined to the basement other than the servants and her family. Today is the first day I got out of there, so how do I know? Rather, why did he call me, Aishe? I look different from her. ¡°You know me?¡± ¡°You look so much worse than a portrait, but there¡¯s no way I can¡¯t recognize my fiancee¡¯s face.¡± Portrait. Several years ago, Eirene¡¯s mother periodically sent a painter to paint her portraits. She said it wasn¡¯t just her but the whole family, so Eirene only thought it was just like that, but it seems that she sent it to Clive. But why? Why am I Aishe? Why did mother send Clive a portrait of me? No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t tell what happened. ¡°I never imagined that my shy fiancee, who wears a veil every time we met, could be so cruel. Who would believe that you can¡¯t properly say a word?¡± ¡®She¡¯s too gloomy,¡¯ Clive muttered softly. It means he¡¯s never seen Aishe¡¯s face. It was incomprehensible why Aishe had her face covered and met him. Why didn¡¯t she show her face? Aishe wasn¡¯t a shy person. Clive¡¯s gaze shifted to a corpse as he wondered about what had happened. After looking around, one of his eyebrows rose. ¡°Since you confessed. Okay. Let¡¯s hear the reason.¡± Ah, the reason I killed those people. Eirene smiled faintly. At the moment of her death, it¡¯s no use knowing who Clive is. ¡°If you consider my circumstances, I¡¯ll tell you the reason.¡± ¡°Consideration? No matter how unavoidable the circumstances, you have no conscience, you killed so many people and hope for consideration.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to have a conscience.¡± A while ago, Eirene¡¯s sparkling eyes lost their strength and shifted her gaze to an unknown place. There were many things, but not simple things. She was a simple thing that was deceived and taken advantage of. Her first childhood memory was the white ceiling of the basement. The ceiling, not her mother¡¯s face. The basement is¡­ ¡­ it was good. She was so bright and warm that she didn¡¯t even know she was imprisoned. The basement was clean and good quality meals were provided. The servants came in and took care of her every day. When she was young, she had many toys and dolls. Her parents and siblings often came to play so she wouldn¡¯t feel lonely. However, her longing for the outside world grew little by little through books. It was Eirene¡¯s seventh birthday. The sky, the sun, the moon, all kinds of flowers, birds, and wind that you see in books. She wondered why she couldn¡¯t see it herself and asked her mother. ¡°Eirene. You¡¯re weak and if you leave here you will die. Everything out there is dangerous for you. Mother will be very sad if you, whom I love, die because you are sick.¡± She believed that and she only knew that. She endured it for the sake of her beloved mother. On the other hand, her younger sister, Aishe, was very sick. Eirene was terrified to see her motionless little sister when her father came into the basement with Aishe in his arms. She cried and prayed to God to save her. Did the prayers of a seven-year-old child work? Aishe soon became healthy¡­. through Eirene. Her divine powers, which Eirene didn¡¯t even know she had, healed her. Aishe was fine, but Eirene was in pain. She was still her beloved sister, so it was only natural for her sister to do it once a month. As the years passed, her pain multiplied. Sometimes she felt so much pain that she would rather die. She was slapped when she told her mother if she could skip it once. Since then, the number of servants had decreased, and the condition of the comfortable basement room was getting worse and worse. And Aishe has been annoyed because it smells. Aishe¡¯s treatment was over, but Eirene¡¯s divine power weakened. Everyone¡¯s visit became less frequent. The light that lit the basement disappeared. They gave her enough food to survive. She didn¡¯t have enough water to wash, let alone water to drink. Her maids only fed her meals, and she did the cleaning herself. There was not much that could be done in such a limited space. It¡¯s been years since I was left alone in the darkness. A few days ago, her parents and a wizard visited Eirene after a long absence. I heard what they said, ¡®something happened. No, let¡¯s get rid of her.¡¯ * * * * * * * * * * Clive waited for a long time. Eirene stared at the ceiling silently. Her eyes are not like a murderer. She was simply gloomy like dark clouds. She was also miserable. Yes, even if she is a criminal. The number of dead was estimated at twenty. They all bled from their noses and mouths, so they thought it was poison, but it was just a guess. How could a woman who looked so weak kill so many people? Will she confide in what happened? Is her family among the dead? Is she the fiancee he even knew? Clive pulled out a cigar, sorting out the questions that came to mind. There will be a riot in the Imperial Palace. ¡®The Grand Duke¡¯s fiancee commits a massacre.¡¯ It¡¯s a good headline for an article. Some will be angry and sad about this terrible crime, but others will surely enjoy it. After confirming the death toll, Yulik approached the Grand Duke, and glanced at Eirene, with a face full of hatred. ¡°The Countess also died.¡± ¡°What the heck.¡± She was a fiancee who always spoke in a voice full of love for her parents whenever they met and went on a date. He had no idea she was so talented at acting. Eirene looked terrible, but Clive wanted to know why she killed many people. Clive crouched down at Eirene¡¯s eye level. ¡°Aishe Phineos, can we talk to you now?¡± Eirene smiled and rolled her eyes. ¡°¡­ ¡­ You¡¯re annoying.¡± He sighed and closed his eyes. Eirene gathered the remaining divine power to kill the people in the mansion. Her family, who deceived her and gnawed at her life, and the servants who were silent in return for a lot of money. She was neglected and abused. She did not pity her miserable life. At first, it was difficult to kill, but it only became more brutal as the number of dead increased two or three times. She punished everyone. They got what they deserved. Then why me? What did I do wrong? Did I do anything wrong? I loved them and believed in them, but why did they do something like that to me? I cried with regret, but it was over. The sins that have harmed many lives are replaced by my death. Tears flowed from her eyes, which she did not even know the meaning of. It was then. ¡°This devil! Die! Kill her!¡± It was Aishe. Aishe ran screaming, she raised a dagger with both hands, stabbed into Eirene¡¯s heart, and then pulled it out. Why are you alive? Eirene couldn¡¯t speak. Aishe must not be alive. If she¡¯s alive, Eirene should live too. No, we have to die together. Eirene tried to gather her remaining divine power, but she had already run out. No. I can¡¯t die like this. I can¡¯t die like this! Blood spilled from Eirene¡¯s mouth. Blood from her chest stained her pajamas red. It was Eirene who was injured, but Aishe was crying and trembling with her white-washed face. ¡°No, what have I done!¡± Aishe was startled and dropped the bloody knife she was holding. ¡°But you, you killed father, mother, and Kylo. You tried to kill me too. I loved sister so much¡­ ¡­ .¡± Eirene was freaking out when she saw Aishe crying with blood-soaked hands. She was upset. But there was nothing she could do because the shadow of death was approaching. Aishe, who was well aware of Eirene¡¯s situation, still cried and hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister. I couldn¡¯t help it either.¡± ¡°Why..why are you¡­ ¡­ alive¡­ ¡­ .¡± You should have died. Eirene couldn¡¯t say anything. Do I have to die leaving you like this? Aishe, who was holding Eirene, whispered in her ear very softly. ¡°For four years, I¡¯ve been eating your power little by little, I have no choice but to live.¡± I heard quiet laughter from Aishe. Eirene grabbed her shoulder very hard, but that was the end. Eirene stopped breathing. Chapter 2 ¡°Eirene. You have killed an innocent person in this life, so no more revenge. If the same thing happens again, there will be a punishment much more severe than the life you have lived.¡± God said he would give Eirene a chance. Considering that she had lived an unhappy life, God gave her a chance to live again. ¡°I can¡¯t just look.¡± She couldn¡¯t take revenge. They were not innocent. ¡°I wish could kill them again. Look at me this time, my path, and my happiness.¡± Eirene remained silent for a while. ¡°If I do that, will I be able to live again?¡± ¡°I promise. Instead, I will take your divine power that harmed many lives.¡± Eirene accepted God¡¯s opportunity, thinking of the unharmed Aishe. But she only pretended to accept it. Considering what they had done to her, killing them two or three times was not enough. She wanted to rip them apart into pieces and chew them, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Eirene regretted killing them in an instant without pain. Besides, Aishe wasn¡¯t even injured in the slightest. This time, I wanted to let them all live and die in excruciating pain for a long time. Eirene deceived God. * * * * * * * * * * The first meeting with God ended. Eirene was trapped in the darkness where depths could not be measured. After a while, she heard someone whisper in her ear. ¡°Back then, you said that we should kill all blood relatives related to Eirene!¡± It was the voice of Countess Phineos. The sound was dull as if something was blocking her mouth and nose. ¡°Why are you keeping that cousin alive? What does that bug want?¡± ¡°Money.¡± It was Count Phineos, Eirene¡¯s father. Eirene managed to hold back her breath. So this was the time when God gave her a second chance. The day she learned how she came to this mansion and how she found out, she became the eldest daughter of the Phineos family. It was also the day I decided to kill everyone. A curse came out of God. ¡°How much does he want?¡± Countess Phineos¡¯ voice became sharp. ¡°I said I¡¯ll tell you later. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s trying to increase the amount.¡± ¡°I thought he was naive because he came from a poor family of carpenters. Even the kids in that house teach themselves to do bad things. This is why pedigree is so important. Fortunately, that thing hasn¡¯t shown her vulgar temperament.¡± That thing. He meant Eirene. They spoke with confidence thinking she was in deep sleep. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case. Eirene was half asleep and half awake. She heard footsteps approaching. Count Phineos tapped the bed with his foot and asked the man next to me. ¡°If you keep acting so vulgarly, you have to pay a price. After all, this girl¡¯s vulgar temperament will never be seen again in the future. Don¡¯t worry. Isn¡¯t it, Siaran?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. Please be patient. It will disappear cleanly.¡± Siaran was a wizard. Once a month, he helps Eirene treat Aishe. He was close to her because he had a kind appearance and a caring personality. She often consulted him about her concerns. She trusted him, but he was on their side. Eirene remembered that she couldn¡¯t kill him in the past because he wasn¡¯t in the mansion at the time. I will include Siaran in my revenge plan. In the past, it was difficult for her to understand what they were talking about. She wouldn¡¯t be able to believe it. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t dare to ask them. She thought about it for a moment. She got the answers to the questions she had for a while. The puzzle pieces were put together. Count Phineos brought Eirene to rescue her sick daughter Aishe and killed her real family in the process. As they knew, Eirene¡¯s current divine power was low and Aishe¡¯s treatment had ended. She wondered why they left her in this state without killing her right away since she was worthless. Still, Count Phineas¡¯ words, ¡®We¡¯ll never see her again,¡¯ meant that she was going to die soon. As they continued their conversation, Eirene already knew what would happen. She was worried about what to do next. She wanted to kill them right away, but there was nothing she could do. I must plan carefully and wait patiently. Eirene remembered Aishe¡¯s last word before dying. She has been taking my divine power little by little, she has no choice but to live. It was Aishe who took her divine power, not just healing. She doesn¡¯t know if God also took the divine power from Aishe. Otherwise, I had to be careful. Aishe was much stronger than me. The first thing to do is inform outsiders that a person is imprisoned here. What should I do? There was no way to go outside without going through the countess and the servants. ¡°That cousin. What if we pretend to give him money and get rid of him?¡± Countess Phineos wanted the rest of Eirene¡¯s lineage to disappear as soon as possible. No one would have expected her to say such a thing with her graceful face. Eirene decided to seek help from her cousin. According to their conversation, her cousin is aware of her existence. He knew Eirene¡¯s circumstances and asked for money. She meant nothing to him. So they left. Eirene got out of bed as soon as the door was locked. She slowly lifted her heavy body. She sat down for a while because she had no strength. Deep in her thoughts, she remembered Clive. He will come in four days. She decided to take advantage of that day. * * * * * * * * * * The world Eirene had experienced was all through books. All she could do in the basement was read books. There was a library full of books behind the basement. Through books, she attended balls and dated young noblemen. Eirene used to imagine the air and the sky. The day she went out to kill everyone, she was filled with rage. But the air she smelled was so clean. She will leave here to breathe that air again. When Clive comes, she will at least cause a stir just by showing up in front of him. She called him stupid Clive, but she didn¡¯t mean it. She knew Aishe had a crush on him for a long time. Eirene had been writing letters on her behalf and had to adapt to the vocabulary that Aishe usually uses. He wasn¡¯t a quick-witted person since he had not seen his fianc¨¦e¡¯s face. The most important key is how to get out. And if Clive turns away from Aishe, something interesting will happen. Just like they did to her, Eirene plans to chew them up little by little. She heard God saying that revenge was not allowed, but she ignored it. She planned to get revenge, and Clive was a good tool. Wouldn¡¯t it be more thrilling to watch Aishe crumble than her death? However, Eirene wouldn¡¯t be able to impress Clive with her current appearance. She sighed, seeing herself in the cracked mirror. Aishe was pretty. Fluffy blonde hair and blue eyes. She made a name for herself in social circles because she has fair skin that makes them embarrassed to even touch her. On the other hand, Eirene¡¯s hair was stiff and tangled. She was so pale that she gave the illusion of being dead because the sunlight had never touched her. Relying on a candle, I looked like the ghost I saw in a book. Wouldn¡¯t it be great if I had the ability to change my appearance? No, I just wanted to look presentable. And I wish the basement door was unlocked. How did I open it in the past? I couldn¡¯t remember the answer to the question that suddenly came to mind. Did I use divine power? I went to the door to try again and concentrated. I hope that God has forgotten to take away my divine power. But nothing happened. * * * * * * * * * * Betty folded two handkerchiefs diagonally and tied them tightly behind her head, covering her nose and mouth. It¡¯s been 10 days since she last went down to the basement, and even if she used some handkerchiefs to cover her nose, the smell was very strong. And it got worse day by day. Especially in the past year. She didn¡¯t want to go in. The hidden daughter of the Phineos family. Her salary was tripled on the condition that she wouldn¡¯t disclose it to the outside world, and a confidentiality agreement was written along with the contract. At first, it was easy work. She was Eirene¡¯s full-time maid, and all she had to do was clean and bring her meals. But now she does chores around the mansion and is in charge of Eirene at the same time. Betty hardly ever cleans, and only brings her food every few days. It was getting stressful for her. Before opening the door and going inside, Betty took a deep breath and held it. The smell of vomiting almost reached her nose. As usual, she held her breath for as long as she could, but Betty tilted her head. It didn¡¯t smell bad. She sniffed. It was the same. There¡¯s no smell. Still, she didn¡¯t dare to untie the handkerchief. She thought it was strange, so she approached Eirene¡¯s bed. THUD Betty carelessly placed a bowl of food on the table next to her bed and called her. ¡°Lady, your meal.¡± She was always lying in bed and answered in a weak tone with a thank you. However, she remained silent. A girl who no one cares about. She was abandoned. The cold-heartedness and disregard of the bosses were passed on to the servants, and they did not care what they did to Eirene. The servants took their anger out on her, because they believed she was a weak target. They felt a strange sense of happiness when a lady from a noble family was treated less than them. Sometimes, Betty came down with food that was too good to throw away, and other times, gave her spoiled food. Although Betty didn¡¯t pick it, it was prepared in the kitchen. Eirene was always grateful, even though she had doubts about the food. She¡¯s not a fool. ¡°Lady! I¡¯m busy! You have to eat quickly so I can take back the plates!¡± Betty said nervously, holding up a candle to the bed. It was normal for Eirene to always be in bed because she was so skinny. ¡°A piece of toasted bread and cold soup. Isn¡¯t it a relief that there is no moldy bread today?¡± Betty, startled by a sudden voice from behind, almost dropped the candlestick she was holding. It was the first time she had seen Eirene out of bed in months. ¡°Ahh. You scared me! Why..why are you appearing from behind? It almost caught fire!¡± Betty stepped forward and looked curiously at Eirene, who was sitting on the bed. ¡°You seem to have a lot of energy today.¡± Betty picked up the bowl of soup and held it to Eirene. The soup overflowed from her rough movements and splashed into Eirene¡¯s pajamas. Betty didn¡¯t apologize. In an instant, Eirene¡¯s eyes lit up in the darkness. ¡°How is this possible? Thanks. You are a lot of trouble.¡± Eirene said weakly. The maid didn¡¯t answer. It was something she had always heard. Betty, annoyingly, looked down on her. Eirene was eating slowly, moving gracefully like a noble lady. How good it is to drink it that way. ¡°Betty! Betty! Where are you fooling around?¡± Another maid was looking for Betty. Betty couldn¡¯t stand it and stopped cleaning the floor. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die of work because of you!¡± She took away the bowl of soup Eirene was eating and threw it away. It was common. Eirene laughed. The present hasn¡¯t changed in the slightest from the past. It was bittersweet. But Betty was rather nice. * * * * * * * * * * Four days later. Clive, who entered the Phineos state, stopped the carriage. Before leaving his mansion, he smoke a cigar, and again he took one out. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± Yulik approached and asked. ¡°Have I ever been here?¡± ¡°As far as I know, no. Unless Your Highness had come separately.¡± ¡°I have no reason to come without you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I need to be there to clean up what the Grand Duke has done¡­ ¡­ .¡± At Clive¡¯s gaze, Yulik quickly shut his mouth. ¡°Stop joking around.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± The imperial maniac. It was another name for Clive. He suffered a serious accident during his time as Crown Prince and eventually stepped down. He was famous for being rude and ruthless. Clive still had accidents after all these years, and it was always Yulik¡¯s responsibility to fix them. Just a few days ago, Clive wiped out all the money from the gambling board. Yulik barely stopped some of his friends from suing them for fraud. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a scam, but the lawsuit rumor was a huge blow. The emperor only scolded him. However, Clive had his circumstances. How could they send him to prison for coming out victorious in a big war? If another war broke out, Clive was necessary. Born as the first prince, Clive was smart from an early age. He received emperor classes and read essential books in a short period. Even Yulik, who grew up with him since he was a toddler, doesn¡¯t know what changed Clive. If he had come to his senses, he would still be living as a prince. Because it was a meaningless thought, Yulik shook his head. After lighting the cigar in Clive¡¯s mouth, Yulik took a step back. ¡°I feel strangely bad.¡± It¡¯s weird. Clive tried to figure out what was causing the unknown mood, tapping with his heel the well-maintained road. Is it because he came to Phineos¡¯ home where there are many secrets? He finished smoking his cigar with an uneasy feeling he couldn¡¯t shake. * * * * * * * * * * Clive¡¯s party passed through the main gate. As they crossed the vast garden, servants came out to greet them. Count Phineos and his wife smiled awkwardly with nervous faces. Aishe wasn¡¯t there. She was shy. It¡¯s been a long time since she last saw him. She didn¡¯t want to show her face without a veil. It was natural that she, who always spoke in an incomprehensible voice, wasn¡¯t present at that moment. Just as Clive was about to get off his horse and shake hands with Count Phineos, the door opened and someone came out. Clive¡¯s head tilted. She took the veil off. Clive saw Aishe¡¯s face for the first time. Chapter 3 It wasn¡¯t difficult to estimate Clive¡¯s arrival. The bustling sound of footsteps suddenly became quiet. Eirene took all the water she was provided for four days to the washbasin twice, so she used it sparingly, but she ran out of water quickly. Having confirmed the existence of God, she prayed earnestly. Please open the door to the basement room. Or maybe move Betty¡¯s heart so she doesn¡¯t accidentally lock her out. Eirene, who was waiting at the door, heard footsteps rushing outside. Clive has arrived. Did God hear my prayers? She tried not to have unreasonable expectations. She carefully pushed the door open. ¡°Uh?¡± It opened. The door was unlocked, and she fell to the ground. Anxiety and nervousness, excitement and joy. Eirene¡¯s heart raced with many emotions. She wasn¡¯t afraid to get caught. Not even when she was full of emotion. She had to appear in front of Clive at the most important moment. There was no one in the hall when she opened the door. She could see all the servants lining up from a large window. Clive¡¯s head was also visible. Eirene hurriedly approached the front door and opened the door quietly but confidently. Their eyes met. His handsome face still emanated coldness. It would be difficult to give an unlikable impression with such a good face. Surprisingly, for a moment, he greeted her with his eyes full of wonder. Clive¡¯s lip lifted slowly. He gave a brief greeting to the Count and his wife and went straight to Eirene. ¡°I can finally see my fianc¨¦e¡¯s face properly.¡± My fianc¨¦e. The faces of the count and his wife turned to contemplation. Eirene barely held back the excitement from laughing. She certainly liked this more than when she was killed. As she looked at Clive standing in front of her, Eirene confirmed that her plan had worked out correctly. In the past, when she killed everyone, and only she was left alive, Clive saw her and called her Aishe. She doesn¡¯t know what happened, but it was obvious that he thought Eirene was Aishe. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry to find out why. It was more important that he thought she was Aishe. The married couple, even the servants, let out a small cry of surprise at the unexpected appearance. One of the servants pointed to Eirene and almost called her name. But at the piercing gaze of the Count, she covered her mouth. They were frozen like statues, unable to move from their places. ¡°Are you still unwell? You have a bad complexion.¡± Countess Phineos quickly climbed the stairs and pushed Eirene inside. ¡°She had a little fever in the morning, so I told her to prepare slowly¡­ ¡­ Time¡­ I didn¡¯t know that so much time had passed. It seems that Aishe was happy to hear the news of your arrival and just came down. She¡¯s also.. No matter how happy she is.¡± Ho-ho-ho, the Countess approached Eirene with a forced smile. She grabbed her arm and took her to the nearest tea room. ¡°How did you get out of the basement? Why are you so clean?¡± The countess looked at her over and over again from head to toe in disbelief. She realized she wasn¡¯t in a dirty state. What happened? She couldn¡¯t bathe. Eirene is also confused, knowing that it was all fake. ¡°Ah, cleanliness is not a problem.¡± The countess shook her head, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes tightly. She seemed to be contemplating how to deal with what had just happened. And it didn¡¯t take her long to think about what to do. She grabbed Eirene¡¯s arms, stared at her with her eyes wide open. ¡°You are Aishe from now on. You had a cold for two months and your recovery was slow. I will tell the Grand Duke you¡¯re resting, so only attend the dinner. You shouldn¡¯t talk to your Highness. Okay?¡± ¡°Why am I Aishe?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that. Did you understand me?¡± The Countess shook Eirene¡¯s arm. She immediately broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± Eirene nodded. She decided to act obediently. It¡¯s quite interesting to watch them panic in unexpected situations. The Countess called Betty in and quietly whispered an order. Betty quickly stood in front of Eirene. ¡°Lady. You have to go up.¡± The words go up were unfamiliar to her, yet she followed quietly. On the other hand, Clive and Count Phineos were talking in the hall. It seemed that he was explaining the situation, and Eirene, who was passing by, stood between the two of them. She turned her back to the Countess and looked at Clive. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault for taking care of my health despite knowing that Your Highness was coming today. Please don¡¯t blame my parents. I will see you in the evening after resting.¡± Everyone who was there was shocked. Was it too much? Opps, I wanted to do it. But it was too late. So, she pretended to be the heroine in a novel. She said goodbye to Clive with the most delicate look and gestures, and she turned around. * * * * * * * * * Betty guided Eirene to the guest room. As soon as she entered the room, she opened the window, while Betty lit the fireplace. ¡°Lady! What are you doing! I¡¯m trying to warm up the room, why did you open the window?¡± Betty was more irritated than usual. ¡°How did you get out? I put the padlock on it, I even checked it! When the Grand Duke leaves, the Countess is going to kill me!¡± She stamped her feet on the ground and started crying. As expected, Betty is too nice. If it was another maid, they would have plucked her hair out, and scratched her neck or arm. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I came out on my own.¡± ¡°The Countess will trust you.¡± Betty snorted and sat down in front of the fireplace again. Eirene sat on the window seat and sniffed the air. The wind was cold, but it didn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s different from the humid air in the basement room. She felt the clean air pass through her brain, heart, lungs, and blood vessels. The first sunlight she saw was so dazzling that she couldn¡¯t open her eyes properly. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the sun shining down on her. If it weren¡¯t for the books and her imagination, the world outside might have been terrifying. She always pictured it in her head and tried to figure out what it felt like. And it was much better in reality. Suddenly, she got angry. They did the impossible for her not to enjoy what she truly deserved. She suppressed her boiling rage. Eirene couldn¡¯t do what she wanted to do right now. She told Betty while sitting down in the window seat. ¡°Bring me some food.¡± Betty¡¯s eyes widened and distorted as she lit and cleaned the fireplace. She had the look of a crazy person. However, it was understandable. The first daughter of the Phineos never asked for anything. She was simply satisfied with what she was given and adapted to the given situation. I was pathetic. Eirene rebuked herself for acting like an idiot in the past and continued to say. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the situation is, but the Grand Duke thinks I am Aishe. There¡¯s a dinner party tonight, so cheer up by then, shall we? Even if I say no to my Mother, I have no choice but to go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask them.¡± ¡°And prepare a dress. I won¡¯t be the only one to be insulted if I go out in this outfit in front of the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Let me ask that too. But, lady, when did you wash?¡± Eirene didn¡¯t answer. She didn¡¯t know what was going on, so she had nothing to say. Like the basement door that had been left unlocked or her clean appearance. She believed it was God who had heard her prayers. * * * * * * * * * Betty got frustrated because Eirene didn¡¯t answer. She left the room, and Eirene looked around the moment she was left alone. She thought that if she had lived and died in this room, she wouldn¡¯t have killed everyone. The guest room was incomparable to the basement. Eirene approached the fireplace and felt warmer energy than the sun. The softness of the bed was also different. If I slept in this bed, I would have a good dream. Eirene stood in front of the window to breathe fresh air again. How long has it been since I closed my eyes and enjoyed the air? BANG! The door was opened violently, and Aishe stormed in. It was the first time Eirene had seen her like that. However, she knew what Aishe was going to do. She was familiar with it. SLAP! She slapped Eirene on the cheek without mercy. Fortunately, her entire palm couldn¡¯t reach her face because Aishe was smaller than her. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Aishe grabbed her by the neck. Eirene¡¯s body trembled with how strong she was. ¡°Why did you show up? The Grand Duke is mistaking you for me!¡± So this is Aishe¡¯s true form. Her kind little sister changed as she got older. Although her annoyance and irritation grew worse, she didn¡¯t forget to treat Eirene as her older sister all the time. ¡°You!¡± It was the first time Aishe had spoken to her like that. She would have been hurt in the past, but she already knew everything, so she didn¡¯t care anymore. Aishe must have pretended to treat her like an older sister because she needed something from her. Eirene remembered the words Aishe whispered to her in the past. Like a kind older sister, she calmly replied with an apologetic expression. ¡°I¡¯m curious too. Why did he mistake me for you? He has never seen me.¡± Aishe¡¯s eyes twitched and her lips closed. She was just staring at her. Clearly, she knew why. I already knew it had something to do with the portraits, but what the heck? Aishe had been staring at her for a long time. Her trembling fists stopped, and she took a short breath and lifted her chin. ¡°Sorry, sister. I must have lost my mind because I was so surprised.¡± Aishe regained her composure, smiled softly, and turned around. As she was about to leave the room, the Countess came in. ¡°Eirene, I will explain to you after the grand duke is gone. As I said before, you¡­ ¡­ .¡± Countess Phineos¡¯s face, who was suppressing her anger, turned red. ¡°You have to act like Aishe. You have to do it well.¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Aishe furiously called out to her mother. ¡°My sister is replacing me?¡± ¡°Ah, Aishe. My dear daughter, you should understand. You know very well that¡¯s the way things are and there is nothing we can do about it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it! Did Mother go crazy too? How could you say that?¡± Listening to their conversation, Eirene felt confused. Aishe, who grew up lovingly, could say such a thing to the Countess. She was very different from herself. She was always happy with even the smallest attention. The Countess¡¯ face hardened. Still, her eyes were full of love. ¡°Calm down, Aishe. It depends on the life and death of our family. You¡¯re old enough to figure out what¡¯s going on, right? How long are you going to act like a child?¡± ¡°Mother¡­ ¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°Go out and go to your bedroom. You must not go out until the Grand Duke has gone.¡± ¡°Mother¡­ ¡­ .¡± Tears flowed over Aishe¡¯s pretty face, but the Countess didn¡¯t back down. Aishe realized that her tricks could no longer work. She left the room stamping her feet. Countess Phineos looked painfully at the door. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s the person Eirene once called mother. She felt betrayed and hated her to the point of killing her. It wasn¡¯t just anger. She knew what she was hiding. Eirene thought of her birth mother, whom she had never seen before. Thinking of her family, who died unfairly because of them, she put aside the strange feelings. ¡°Eirene, can you do it?¡± It was a soft tone in contrast to her bloody eyes. ¡°Can I do it?¡± ¡°Every time Aishe meets the Grand Duke, she doesn¡¯t talk much. It will be hard to notice. So, don¡¯t even talk to him.¡± ¡°But¡­ ¡­ How can I be an Aishe? I can¡¯t.¡± Eirene shook her head. The Countess Phineos, who didn¡¯t know that she was doing it on purpose, held Eirene¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Did you hear what I said to Aishe? It depends on the life or death of the family. Our lives depend on you.¡± The Countess spoke to her in a very warm tone that she had not heard for years. Eirene pretended to ponder once more, then nodded. * * * * * * * * * Betty scratched the back of her head as she watched Eirene eat until the last bite. She helped Eirene bathe a while ago. She was so clean. The maid had the absurd idea that she had been turned into someone else. But the skinny body proved it was her. Her face is clearly Eirene¡¯s. Today has happened a series of surprises. The Countess gathered all the servants, ordering from this time onward to call Eirene ¡®Aishe¡¯. The real Aishe was considered a non-existent person and guards were also placed in her bedroom to prevent her from coming out. Three people, including the butler and Betty, decided to serve dinner tonight, probably because a mistake could be made with a large number of people. Eirene had been eating and sleeping better than usual. Betty woke her up. And started to dress her up. Betty admired Eirene¡¯s hair as she brushed it. She remembered her black hair wasn¡¯t like this before. It was soft as it was made of velvet. Betty thought something was wrong with her head, so she tried to concentrate on her job from all the questions. She didn¡¯t have a dress for Eirene. She was going to choose one of Aishe¡¯s dresses but chose the more youthful dress from Countess Phineos¡¯ wardrobe due to the height difference. After finishing Eirene¡¯s makeup, Betty didn¡¯t know if she had good skills or if Eirene was initially beautiful. She looked mysterious, her pale skin contrasted with her black hair. Was her original eye color like that? Her deep purple eyes were as clear as a child¡¯s. Eirene was skinny, but if she gained weight, she would be as beautiful as Aishe. Suddenly, Betty got confused. Although she didn¡¯t know anything, she had a feeling. There¡¯s going to be a cataclysmic event, so she has to pick a side. It wasn¡¯t easy to make a decision, but she decided to look at both sides for the time being. ¡°Lady, it¡¯s all done. You can go out now.¡± Betty bent down until her head touched the floor. Chapter 4 Ever since Eirene showed up, Clive¡¯s attention, the countess, and the servants have been focused on her. There was tension in their eyes, except for Clive¡¯s. It was the same with Eirene. She thought that there would be nothing scary in the world because she had died once. She wasn¡¯t used to the situation. It wasn¡¯t natural. Eirene wishes God had given her the second chance when she was younger. She couldn¡¯t help but resent God for bringing her back to the darkest time. To Eirene, Clive¡¯s gaze was the most burdensome. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off her and he kept smiling. Well, he originally liked Aishe. He had repeatedly confessed in letters. Aishe told her that it was difficult for her to reply, and asked Eirene to write on her behalf. She wrote a few, but most of them belonged to Eirene. Writing letters was one of Eirene¡¯s few pleasures. However, she hasn¡¯t written a letter for almost a year. They have been exchanging letters for almost three years. She felt like she was dating him every time she read and responded to his letters. At that time, she felt very sorry for Aishe for having such feelings for him, but her feelings disappeared once when she tried not to feel that way about him again. When she was on good terms with Aishe, she would lay on Eirene¡¯s bed and read Clive¡¯s letters, calling him ¡®Stupid Clive¡¯. I don¡¯t know what was the reason, but I was sure Aishe liked him very much. When Eirene asked why she called him stupid, she wouldn¡¯t tell her. Anyway, that stupid Clive¡¯s blatant gaze caressed Eirene¡¯s face. She felt suffocated as if every strand of her hair was being stroked. Eirene was uncomfortable sitting right next to him. ¡°You¡¯ve suffered from a cold for two months, you seem to have gotten worse. You lost a lot of weight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m better now.¡± Eirene turned her head to Clive, smiled at him, and gave him an okay look. ¡°It¡¯s very nice to see my fiancee face to face like this though.¡± ¡°Yes. Me too.¡± Now, Eirene could feel the countess¡¯ gaze. She was told not to talk to him, but as soon as she entered, it annoyed her. ¡°Fred, come and serve the food.¡± The Countess urged the butler to serve, and then she spoke to Clive. ¡°I prepared an elegant dinner with all my heart, but I don¡¯t know if you will like it. It must be different from the Imperial Palace¡¯s cuisine or the Grand Duke¡¯s residence, so please understand it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it too elegant, even the food. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She¡¯s trying not to burden him, but Clive¡¯s expression was strange. A face that she doesn¡¯t know if it means good or bad. The tone and expression were different just like Clive¡¯s. * * * * * * * * * * The food was amazing. Eirene felt better as soon as she took the last bite of dessert. She had long forgotten the joy of sweetness. She often ate good quality food when she was younger. At the end of every meal, they gave desserts that always cheered her up. Although it has changed over time, she once had the affectionate care she received from Aishe. Eirene needs to be healthy in order to live with Aishe. She still couldn¡¯t figure out why they kept her alive. She simply thought that they had completely erased her existence, but looking at the current situation, it seemed that wasn¡¯t the only thing. Whether big or small, it has something to do with it. KNOCK KNOCK Clive knocked on the table and called for his fiancee, who was in deep thought. Astonished Eirene dropped her fork. Betty came over and quickly set up a new fork. ¡°How about a walk together after dinner? I want to be alone with you after a long time.¡± Eirene, who could not answer immediately, looked at the Countess. When she saw her shake her head slightly, she answered Clive with an embarrassed tone. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do it.¡± It was quite enjoyable to see the Countess¡¯s expression. She was staring at her as if she wanted to kill her. * * * * * * * * * * The walk was canceled. The Countess said that Eirene¡¯s cold had not yet completely subsided, and she had to be careful with the night air. Clive apologized for not thinking much of her and then asked if the room would be good. The Countess couldn¡¯t refuse anymore and eventually permitted him. Instead, she called Eirene separately and urged her to be careful. Honestly, Eirene didn¡¯t want to be alone with Clive. She knows very little information about the relationship between Aishe and Clive. It would have been better if they were in the middle of exchanging letters, but she hasn¡¯t had any interaction with him for a year. It was uncomfortable to be with him. He makes people nervous. Eirene tried to avoid him using other excuses, but it was already too late. She was curious about Aishe¡¯s reaction, so she carefully went into the tea room, where Clive was waiting and sat down on the opposite chair. ¡°Didn¡¯t you miss me these two months?¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± Eirene was surprised by the friendly tone. ¡°We don¡¯t exchange letters just to check how is the other is doing. I haven¡¯t seen you in two months, so I missed you a lot.¡± She forgot that these two were lovers. Eirene could have done what an ordinary lover would have done, but she didn¡¯t know how close they were. However, if Clive didn¡¯t recognize his lover, she thought it was more likely that he kept his distance. Also, isn¡¯t he a member of the Imperial Family? A man, who was raised as a member of the Imperial Family would protect even if a lovely woman was by his side. Eirene smiled and nodded slightly, wanting to play along. ¡°I wanted to see you too.¡± Clive smiled too. The way he looked at her was burdensome. He took a sip of his tea, but he still didn¡¯t take his eyes off Eirene. They rolled their eyes at each other¡¯s gaze, and when their eyes met, they smiled at each other. Clive put down the cup of tea. He got up and sat down next to her. He smiled again naturally at Eirene, who had a bewildered expression on her face. ¡°I want to see you up close.¡± His hand reached out and touched Eirene¡¯s wrist. She was surprised. But she didn¡¯t know how to get his hand off naturally. His hand slowly climbed up Eirene¡¯s arm. She stopped breathing when she felt goosebumps. Eirene hopes he didn¡¯t touch her neck. Clive¡¯s hand, which had missed her neck as she wished, landed on the back of the sofa. Clive¡¯s eyes widened when Eirene turned her body toward him. Does he know something or behave like this? Or is he good at dealing with women? She couldn¡¯t figure out which one it was. Eirene decided to lure him, but on the contrary, she was being seduced. Of course, she wasn¡¯t shaken. Looking at her opponent¡¯s overwhelming physique and dangerous eyes, it seemed that she would fall first without even trying. However, since she couldn¡¯t waste time trying to figure it out in a state where she was neither one nor the other, Eirene decided to go for it once and for all. After all, Clive doesn¡¯t recognize his fianc¨¦e. She put her teacup down and turned towards Clive. She made up her mind, but she was nervous. It¡¯s ok. I learned all kinds of love tricks from books, so I¡¯m putting it to good use. Eirene leaned against the back of the sofa, raised her hand, touched the back of Clive¡¯s hand, and then immediately move it away. It was a light touch. Watching the fine wrinkles between his brows fade and then straighten out, he turned to sit back. I can¡¯t possibly do more than this. There was a big difference between the book and doing it in real life. Eirene thought her heart was going to explode. She could feel her cheeks trembling as she forced a smile, so she quickly drank tea. ¡°Do you really have a cold for two months?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no way you could have lied to me.¡± Eirene nodded as a sign of agreement, and Clive nodded once. ¡°But where¡¯s your engagement ring?¡± ¡°I took it off while taking a bath and forgot about it.¡± She had heard about Aishe¡¯s ring, so she didn¡¯t get nervous. She must wear it from tomorrow to avoid suspicion. Eirene decided to get the engagement ring before going to bed. Clive¡¯s gaze remained. What is it? She felt like an apple that had been thinly peeled with a sharp knife. He has a tender face with evil eyes. Clive seemed to know something, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s nice to be able to see your eyes.¡± ¡°I like it too.¡± ¡°Your eyes are so clear.¡± A large hand came up and touched Eirene¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not going to keep up you late, you haven¡¯t fully recovered. Let¡¯s rest early.¡± Clive got up first and went outside. However, the Countess was standing outside. She acted as if she was giving instructions to the servants. But it was clear to Clive, she was listening to what was going on in the tea room. It was obvious surveillance. Clive had expected this when he accepted the Phineos¡¯ invitation, but he had no idea the Countess would do it so openly. He should have been prepared for it. It hasn¡¯t been like this since he arrived. At some point, the flow of air changed and the vigilance grew stronger. From the moment his fiancee appeared, everything was unnatural. The countess, the servants, and even the fiancee. It wasn¡¯t natural for her to cover her face every time they went on a date under the excuse of being shy. He was just waiting to see if she would show her face, but that must have been today. That was the unexpected part. It seemed that it would take more time than expected to uncover this family¡¯s secret. Clive left the Countess standing awkwardly and went up the stairs to the room where he was staying. Meanwhile, Eirene was able to breathe properly after Clive left. She heard that he was leaving the next morning for the Imperial Palace. It would be easy to get caught if I continued to act stupid. I¡¯d rather tell Clive that I was Eirene instead of Aishe. She thought about how to do it. But it was risky. To outsiders, Eirene was a member of the Phineos family, and she wondered if Clive would listen to her, that she was a victim of exploitation. In the past, Clive didn¡¯t trust her. It was hard to believe him. He seemed to have hidden poison in his friendly tone. The Countess said the life and death of the family were at stake, but who knows. No matter how much she thought about it, she wasn¡¯t going to reveal her identity yet. Eirene left the tea room and went to the guest room on the second floor. Countess Phineos and Aishe jumped up and approached her. ¡°What did you talk about?¡± Aishe¡¯s face was tense. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. Did the Grand Duke feel comfortable talking to you when he was with you?¡± ¡°Sometimes he was and sometimes he wasn¡¯t. He¡¯s unpredictable¡­ ¡­ . Also? Even if you don¡¯t say anything, do something.¡± ¡°He just wanted to see you, because you were suffering a lot from a cold for two months. Oh, he also asked why I wasn¡¯t wearing the engagement ring. I told him I took it off while I was taking a bath and forgot about it.¡± Aishe turned to her mother. ¡°Should I even give her my engagement ring?¡± The Countess closed and opened her eyes, taking it for granted, Aishe looked at her ring with tears in her eyes. She took it off and handed it to Eirene. Her ring was a little loose, but not enough to fall off. Eirene asked Aishe as she looked at the ring. ¡°Why does Grand Duke Clive mistake me for you? He has met you in person many times.¡± ¡°That, that¡­ ¡­ .¡± Suddenly, the Countess said, instead of the muttering Aishe. ¡°Aishe is shy, so whenever she met the Grand Duke, she covered her face with a veil. But when I sent the portrait, I have made the mistake of sending your portrait and not Aishe¡¯s.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if mother sent the wrong portrait.¡± It was an incomprehensible story. Mistakes had to be corrected. ¡°I was trying to do that. But the Grand Duke¡­ ¡­ He liked you very much. It got to this point because I kept putting off telling the truth.¡± It was a scam. They deceived the Royal Family. There was no way the Countess, who knew what would happen if things went wrong, would make such a mistake. There was something else these two of them didn¡¯t say. ¡°It is only a matter of time that Your Highness notices, I am on the way to discuss measures with your father. I have to admit my mistake.¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Aishe jumped up from her chair. ¡°What are you going to do? If His Majesty the Emperor finds out about this ¡­¡­ Then we¡­ ¡­ We are done!¡± ¡°Baby. If punishment is given, what should I do? So far, our family has contributed to the Imperial Family, so you will not be punished harshly.¡± The Countess covered Ayshe¡¯s face with her hands. Like the word ¡®baby¡¯, she really treated her like a little baby. ¡°Not that! What if my engagement is canceled!¡± The Countess gently stroked Aishe¡¯s head. Clear tears flowed from Aishe¡¯s eyes, like the blue sky I saw today. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The Grand Duke will not abandon you.¡± Eirene liked the expression ¡®throw away.¡¯ I wondered how Aishe would accept the despair of being abandoned by the person she considered her entire world. When the Countess went out with Aishe, she returned and informed Eirene that she had to deceive Clive for the time being. * * * * * * * * * * The morning of Clive¡¯s departure. The past two days have been a series of tensions for Eirene. She didn¡¯t have much to talk to Clive about, but she had a hard time with the eyes that followed her. He got into the carriage, saying that he would get back in touch soon. Eirene, who had seen him off until the carriage disappeared, had to return to the basement again. She was going to be there for a while, so she followed them quietly. * * * * * * * * * * The carriage returning to the Imperial Palace stopped on its way. Not long after his departure, Clive was still on the Phineos estate. He got out of the carriage and took out a cigar while looking at the Phineos Mansion¡¯s roof in the distance. ¡°They think I¡¯m a fool.¡± ¡°What? A fool?¡± After hearing Clive¡¯s sudden remark, Yulik immediately spoke to himself. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely wrong to say that your Highness is a fool, but¡­ ¡­ .¡± Without realizing it, he quickly shut his mouth. ¡°It looks like your mouth will be sewn up sooner or later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be careful. Are you talking about the Phineos family? Why?¡± Yulik lightly smacked his mouth with his hand. He looked at where Clive was looking. ¡°Aishe is weird. Could it be that she was confined in the mansion for two months with a cold?¡± ¡°The Lady¡¯s face looked sick. She was also very thin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Clive shook his head and let out a long smoke. ¡°If not¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Yulik kept asking what it was, but Clive was staring at one place without saying a word. Having burned out his cigar, Clive said before getting into the carriage. ¡°She, the Count, and his wife are lying to me.¡± ¡°Are they lying?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t sick for two months¡­ ¡­ She was another person¡­ ¡­ I think she met a man.¡± ¡°What! Nonsense. A lady doing that¡­ ¡­ Maybe not. How can a gentle and shy girl¡­ ¡­ .¡± As Yulik mumbled and remained dazed, Clive closed the carriage door and gave the order to the coachman to depart. He looked at Phineos¡¯ mansion as he moved away and clenched his chin. The Phineos family swore allegiance to the Imperial Family. It was an engagement to find out how the Phineos amassed and managed their enormous wealth. The unfathomable fortune of a family was a threat to the Imperial Family, so Clive went out on his own. Even so, the Phineos family¡¯s oath and continuous dedication had kept them ignorant until now, but from what they knew so far, it seemed that they weren¡¯t the only ones they swore allegiance to. Clive hid his purpose and acted kind towards Aishe. And after a heartless confession, the result was an engagement. He still had a long way to go, and he wondered how to deal with the boring girl. But while he was staying at the mansion, he learned something interesting. It looked like it was going to be a lot of fun in the future. Chapter 5 The conditions of the basement have improved a lot. Although it wasn¡¯t as good as the guest room or when she was young, it was much better than before. They provided her with water to wash and gave her enough food to satisfy her hunger. After Clive left, she spent several days in the basement, trying to figure out why she became Aishe. Eirene thought the Countess¡¯s explanation was only a temporary justification. Aishe is shy? She burst out laughing. Let¡¯s just say she¡¯s very shy. Does that mean she wore a veil every time she met Clive and did the same at their engagement ceremony? It could be possible if her engagement dress also had a veil. The voice may be difficult to distinguish because it¡¯s similar to Aishe¡¯s, but the difference is in the height. Aishe must have been involved in social activities. Obviously, the Count, the Countess, and Aishe were hiding something. I couldn¡¯t guess what it was, but I¡¯ll have to find out as soon as possible. Suddenly the lock opened and Betty came in with food. Even if it was still not enough, it got a lot better. There was a lot of bread. Did the Countess tell her to do it? Why? Everything was suspicious. Anyway, the more food, the better. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of bread today.¡± ¡°It was just one, but I secretly brought more.¡± Betty smiled from ear to ear. She has changed. She put the tray down carefully. Betty became more friendly, and she brought more food today. So Eirene had a satisfying meal but also wondered if Betty wanted something. ¡°Thanks. I will never forget the bread you gave me.¡± She meant it. Food was important to Eirene. For now, physical recovery was her top priority. As Eirene started eating, Betty cut the bread and spread it with butter and raspberry jam so that she could eat it comfortably. Very politely too. She wanted to ask what her intentions were, but she preferred to receive this kind of treatment that she had never received before. ¡°Lady, I think you will be moving to another room.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. To the guest room used by the Grand Duke.¡± Eirene knew why Betty was doing this. Instead of a girl hidden in a basement, they¡¯re going to expose it to the world, which is why she is taking care of her. Count Phineos and his wife no longer have a choice. In any case, they need to inform that Aishe and Eirene have changed positions. It would be troublesome to fix if the existence of another daughter who had been hidden is revealed. ¡°I¡¯m also going to get you a dress too. Maybe we can go out tomorrow.¡± Eirene was excited to hear that she was going out. * * * * * * * * * * Next day. The first time Eirene stepped on the ground felt strange. It was similar to the floorboards in the basement. It was soft. The soil that was stuck to the soles of her shoes seemed to be speaking to Eirene. The unmelted snow on the trees fell and fluttered in the wind. It¡¯s cold. It¡¯s different from the coldness she had known. It was a clean and pleasant cold. ¡°What are you doing? Get in.¡± The Countess called Eirene from the carriage. Aishe was sitting net to the Countess. Eirene was uncomfortable with the veil that she had to wear to protect her weak eyes from the sun. Aishe glanced at her and didn¡¯t hide her contempt. She looked like she had a lot to say, but she bit her lip and looked away. I should be the one despising you, not you. Eirene swallowed what she couldn¡¯t say out loud, and looked out the window. The carriage departed. The rattling sound was too loud. Eirene quickly grabbed the window frame with one hand, fearing that the carriage would fall over, but as the speed increased, she became more frightened. Without realizing it, she grabbed the frame with both hands. ¡°How unsophisticated.¡± A smirk mixed with Aishe¡¯s words. But Eirene didn¡¯t care about it. Soon after, she began to feel nauseous. * * * * * * * * * * The first time Eirene rode in a carriage, she experienced severe motion sickness. ¡®I wish I could vomit, but my insides were all messed up.¡¯ As soon as they reached their destination, the first to get off was the countess and Aishe, saying they felt sick because of her. It was Betty who helped Eirene, who didn¡¯t have the strength to even lift a finger. ¡°You said you were sick, your complexion is pale.¡± She didn¡¯t have the energy to answer. Eirene leaned on Betty and went into the store. Then, the Countess and Aishe, who entered first, pushed Betty away and helped Eirene. It was because the store staff was watching. As soon as she sat down on the sofa, an employee placed a cup of tea. ¡°Lady, this is ginger tea. It will help calm your stomach.¡± Hoping that it would work as the staff said, the moment Eirene was about to grab the teacup, the Countess first grabbed the cup and helped her drink. It was almost like feeding her. Eirene was offended. The Countess mentioned that she used to feed her this way when Eirene lost all of her strength after healing her child Aishe. At that time, Eirene thought it was because she loved her, but it was all because of Aishe. If Eirene doesn¡¯t recover quickly, she won¡¯t be able to treat Aishe next month. If the countess is acting this way, it means that she wants something. ¡°Hello, Lady Eirene. My name is Scarlett, I will be the designer responsible for the lady¡¯s dresses. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± Scarlett greeted her politely. She looked very elegant, unlike other designers. She wore a dark blue dress adorned with some pearls and no jewelry like earrings or necklaces. And her neatness gave a rough guess of her personality. Wait. Eirene doubted her own ears. Scarlet called her Eirene, not Aishe. She glanced at the Countess, and she beckoned her to stay still. She was worried about what she was up to. As soon as her nausea went away, Scarlett herself took Eirene¡¯s measurements. ¡°Scarlett. My daughter lost a lot of weight because she was sick. Don¡¯t misunderstand, please take good care of her.¡± ¡°Yes. We will do our best. Don¡¯t worry. Such a skinny body makes any outfit look pretty. You will look good with anything if you choose a color that suits you.¡± After Scarlett was done talking, there was silence. Eirene saw the Countess and Aishe talking through the reflection of the mirror. Aishe¡¯s expression changed every moment. Eirene raised and lowered her arms like a doll, pondering. If Scarlett knows Eirene¡¯s real name, then do the others know it too? The Countess couldn¡¯t have spoken only to Scarlett. There were other employees here beside her. It would have spread in an instant if it was a job that dealt with many nobles. Eirene doesn¡¯t know what the Countess was thinking. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and stumbled. The aftermath of her first motion sickness was huge. ¡°Are you alright?¡± With a slight nod, Scarlett took Eirene to the fitting room and helped her choose from a selection of ready-to-wear dresses. She put on a new dress. Eirene wanted to look in the mirror but was bothered by everything. ¡°Can I have some cold water?¡± She asked if it could calm the lingering palpitations. As soon as she took a sip of the water brought by the staff, she felt like she was going to live. Eirene desperately wanted to go back to bed. But the mere thought of returning by carriage made it more difficult. Having a headache, Eirene sat for a while, and as soon as she came out of the fitting room, she saw a person and her head hurt even more. Why is Clive here? ¡°Nice to see you, Grand Duke.¡± Eirene quickly bowed. Clive got up and walked over to her. ¡°I wanted to see you so I was about to contact you, but I heard that you were coming here today. Is this a new dress? It looks good on you. To be honest, the dress you wore before didn¡¯t match your beauty. It didn¡¯t suit you.¡± Clive¡¯s eyesight was good. It was the Countess¡¯s dress. ¡°You don¡¯t look well.¡± ¡°I got motion sickness after riding the carriage for the first time in two months. I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Come on, come here.¡± Clive stretched his hand to Eirene. She hesitated whether to grab it or not. Eirene took his hand. Clive led her to a sofa, and they sat down. But even after he sat down, he didn¡¯t let go of her hand. She couldn¡¯t forcefully pull it out or hold it for a long time. ¡°You don¡¯t have it?¡± ¡°What¡­ ¡­ ?¡± ¡°Our ring.¡± He was checking to see if she was wearing her ring. Eirene, the Countess, and Aishe¡¯s eyes moved quickly. They exchanged signals with each other, but no one came forward to speak. Eirene couldn¡¯t use the same excuse. The three of them hesitated. Clive tilted his head and frowned. ¡°Why is Miss Vikes wearing your engagement ring?¡± Clive called Miss Vikes pointing at Aishe. Not Phineos, but Vikes? Clive thought that something wasn¡¯t right when she covered her face. Aishe and Clive are socialites. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know Aishe from the House of Phineos. Eirene wondered why Aishe was the young lady from the Vikes family and not Phineos. She has no idea why they¡¯re doing this. Aishe who was called by another name, stood up as if it was natural. ¡°Ah! Ah! Oh! Why am I still wearing this? I¡¯m sorry, Grand Duke. I¡¯m so sorry. The ring was so pretty that I begged Lady Phineos if I could try it on. I was going to give it back to her as soon she came out of the changing room, but I forgot. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Aishe removed the ring from her finger, placed it on both hands, and held it up to Clive. ¡°You insist on wanting to wear someone else¡¯s engagement ring. You¡¯re so thoughtless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry!¡± But Clive, who didn¡¯t even pay attention to Aishe¡¯s repeated apologies, put the ring directly on Eirene¡¯s finger. It was slow. He put the ring on her slowly, like he was scanning her fingers, and settled in the innermost part. ¡°I want my engagement ring to always be where it should be. By the way, if you¡¯re done with your business, you¡¯d better get going.¡± There was nothing to say when he looked at the Countess. It was a warning no one could refuse. Eirene couldn¡¯t afford to ask how Scarlett knew her real name before Clive arrived. She had no choice but to cross her arms around Clive¡¯s outstretched arm. * * * * * * * * * * ¡°You must be very sick. You should be resting, but do I think too much of myself?¡± Clive asked kindly when they were outside alone. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Actually, she wasn¡¯t feeling good. The sunken stomach turned over due to the sudden appearance of Clive. ¡°I think it would be nice to walk a little.¡± For Eirene¡¯s motion sickness, fresh air was better than tea or water. Clive made her nervous, but the freedom she gained was like a cure. Being her first time in the city, she was amazed by the shops and the many people passing by on the street. She thought it was a dream. Eirene was distracted by the sights, and her motion sickness disappeared completely. ¡°You seem very happy to be out after two months. You didn¡¯t like places with so many people.¡± ¡°Tastes always change.¡± ¡°That sounds like you might hate me at any moment.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± As they walked down the streets, people bowed their heads towards Clive. And a lot of curious eyes looked at them. People wondered who she was. ¡°Is that her? The Grand Duke¡¯s fiancee?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s not, she wouldn¡¯t be able to walk arm in arm with him. She has been hiding her face all this time. What¡¯s going on? Is she going to get married soon?¡± Eirene listened to the people. All the questions were the same. Aishe, who lived as a daughter of the Vikes family, was Clive¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and she couldn¡¯t show her face in public. Eirene came to one conclusion even though the reason was unknown. Her plans might end more easily than she thought, so her heart felt a little lighter. As she walked with Clive, her tension slowly eased. He no longer looked at her with intensity like last time. Clive spoke considerately and modestly. That¡¯s why she wasn¡¯t having a bad time. Eirene liked it better than she was with Countess Phineos or Aishe. I wonder how far did we walk. ¡°Are your legs uncomfortable?¡± Eirene shook her head when he stopped walking. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You are limping.¡± Me? Eirene moved her legs. ¡°Ouch!¡± Then she felt a pain in her heel. She was fascinated looking at the scenery and couldn¡¯t feel the pain. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look.¡± Clive knelt. ¡°Your Highness!¡± They were in the middle of the street. A member of the Imperial Family shouldn¡¯t kneel easily. Did he love Aishe this much? ¡°People are looking.¡± ¡°Then let them watch. My fianc¨¦e is hurt, what does it have to do with people looking at us?¡± The pain got worse when Clive took off her shoes. Eirene was so embarrassed, Clive grabbed her feet she kept pulling back. The heel was all scratched and covered with blood. ¡°I can¡¯t. Get on my back.¡± Without saying anything, Eirene climbed onto Clive¡¯s back. * * * * * * * * * * Clive took Eirene to a nearby cafe. As soon as the owner saw Clive, he escorted him to a private room, and, after a while, brought the first-aid box. ¡°Be patient even if it stings.¡± He treated her with great care. After placing Eirene on a chair, he took off her shoes. Clive frowned at the wounds. He wiped the blood with clean water and carefully applied the disinfectant. His hands seemed very skillful when he bandaged it. ¡°You must have done it often. Aren¡¯t doctors in the Imperial Palace or your Highness¡¯s manor?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done it a lot on the battlefield. There are not enough doctors on the battlefield, so it¡¯s good if one person knows basic medicine. It¡¯s better if you know how to heal yourself. Although this level cannot be called medicine.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± ¡°By the way.¡± He looked up at Eirene after finishing the bandaging. The friendly look disappeared. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you about this before?¡± Eirene swallowed dry saliva at the slowly rising shadow of a giant beast. ¡°You¡­ ¡­ ¡­ did. I didn¡¯t remember it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t remember, it¡¯s that you haven¡¯t heard of it. Now tell me who you are.¡± Clive was suspicious of Eirene on the first day of his stay at the Phineos mansion and was convinced after that. He left the very slight possibility that it might have been his own misunderstanding, but today that possibility is completely gone. The woman in front of him wasn¡¯t the Aishe Clive had met before. ¡®That¡¯s weird.¡¯ Clive wasn¡¯t angry. He was more curious about her than what Count Phineos was up to. Chapter 6 When Clive and Aishe went on dates, she wouldn¡¯t let him hold her hand let alone a kiss. Even at the engagement ceremony, she postponed the kiss until the wedding. But the woman in front of him suddenly showed her face and allowed him to touch her. It was a sudden change. Although Clive stopped touching her, Aishe also tried to touch him. Even if she had changed, the change was a lot. Clive was suspicious, but he couldn¡¯t imagine it was someone else. Who would dare to deceive the Grand Duke? He heard a subtly different voice. The real Aishe¡¯s voice was higher, and the Aishe from the Phineos¡¯ mansion was lower. If he hadn¡¯t listened carefully, it would have been difficult for him to tell the difference. Clive noticed something else. Fragrance. This woman didn¡¯t smell like the usual sweet candy scent. She had a subtle scent, but Clive didn¡¯t know what it was. Clive thought it was someone else, but he wasn¡¯t sure. He found out her schedule and went to the dressing store. He noticed the engagement ring wasn¡¯t on her finger and the thickness of her finger didn¡¯t match the Aishe from the engagement ceremony. He was 99% sure that the real Aishe was from the Vikes family who was wearing the ring, and the last 1% is the talk of what he experienced on the battlefield. Eirene got caught. Her dark purple eyes trembled slightly, but she quickly regained stability. Her confused expression also calmed down. The woman, who had been contemplating for a moment, got up from her seat and greeted him politely. ¡°My regards, Grand Duke. I¡¯m Eirene Phineos.¡± ¡°I have never heard of Count Phineos having a daughter by that name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You couldn¡¯t have heard of me. I am the hidden daughter.¡± Hidden daughter. The unexpected answer piqued Clive¡¯s interest. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to start.¡± ¡°No matter what you say, I will understand you, so you can speak freely.¡± ¡°Honestly, you may not believe me.¡± ¡°I will be the judge after hearing it .¡± Before she confessed, she looked directly into Clive¡¯s eyes. * * * * * * * * * * Eirene began to speak slowly, contemplating how much she should say. He already knew who she was, so it was impossible to lie to him. There was also a slight expectation that he might be able to help her. Eirene said she was raised for the real Aishe¡¯s sake. Due to her divine powers, she had been imprisoned in the basement all her life and was left to die when she became useless. She came out of there because she wanted to live. That was the reason why she decided to replace Aishe for some time that day. Eirene also said that Miss Vikes was the real Aishe. That¡¯s all for now. She didn¡¯t say that she had killed everyone in Phineos¡¯ manor, or that she came back to life. Clive wouldn¡¯t believe it anyway. He was sitting next to her with his hand on his chin. As soon as she finished talking, he asked. ¡°Why did they send me your portrait?¡± ¡°They said they made a mistake sending it.¡± ¡°No. They would never make that mistake.¡± Eirene agreed to that. ¡°The Countess said you liked my portrait so much, she couldn¡¯t bear, to tell the truth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I liked the portrait.¡± Clive looked straight ahead and muttered. ¡°So every time Aishe meets me, she hides her face so that she won¡¯t be found out that it¡¯s not you. What the hell are they thinking?¡± Eirene had no idea of the Count¡¯s intentions either. What will Clive do in the end, after finding out everything? ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out later.¡± Clive turned his head towards her and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why are you telling me everything?¡± ¡°You knew everything, so how can I lie?¡± ¡°Are you asking me for help?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Hmm. I am not a very reliable person.¡± ¡°It looks like it.¡± The answer came out of nowhere, but it was too late to take it back. ¡°Is there anyone else who isn¡¯t afraid to say that out loud?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What are you even sorry about? Alright. How can I help?¡± Eirene was surprised. How can you help me so easily? Without even checking? ¡°Do you believe me?¡± ¡°No. The days we spent together are too few to believe you.¡± ¡°Then why are you going to help me?¡± ¡°I will help you, and you can help me. You and Aishe have indeed changed, so there is a certain level of trust.¡± She never thought of helping Clive. It¡¯s embarrassing that he found out her identity, but hearing about helping each other gave her a headache. ¡°I want to know more about Count Phineos, more precisely about the Phineos family. For the time being, you must not let others discover that you¡¯re the fake Aishe, and I¡¯ll just pretend that you¡¯re Aishe.¡± Eirene realized that the only reason Clive got engaged to Aishe was that he wanted to find out about the Phineos Family. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest. If you succeed with your objective, I will give you what you want.¡± ¡°How can I trust your promise after your purpose has been accomplished?¡± ¡°Oh, this. I didn¡¯t think of that. It must be hard for you to believe me.¡± ¡°If you help me, I will do it too. It may be difficult, but please love me. Whether as Aishe or Eirene.¡± Clive turned around and leaned back. He touched his temple with his index finger, and his lip moved up slowly. He looked just like that time. The same look when he found her on that fateful day. The god of death is in the form of a snake. Eirene smiled sadly, she had forgotten about it. She recalled the past. The ambiance became cold and heavy. But soon the mood changed again, Clive said curiously. ¡°Do you want me to love you?¡± ¡°Just pretend you love me. Maybe your Highness loves Aishe.¡± Eirene asked for confirmation. ¡°You know I don¡¯t but you still asked.¡± He was already looking through Eirene¡¯s mind. ¡°If I pretend to love you, is it revenge for Aishe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a joke.¡± ¡°I guess Aishe likes me a lot.¡± ¡°You know it and you still keep asking.¡± Clive got up and held out his hand to Eirene. ¡°I¡¯m glad my partner isn¡¯t boring.¡± She hesitated whether to hold his hand or not and finally took it. It¡¯s the hand Eirene has to hold now. ¡°Then, when I cross the door, I will become your lover.¡± Eirene¡¯s hand became invisible by the large hand. She could fully feel his fleshy palms. * * * * * * * * * Clive preferred Eirene¡¯s hand. He doesn¡¯t have a good memory of the few times he held Aishe¡¯s clingy hand. What Eirene said didn¡¯t make sense, and at the same time, it did. He was well aware that humans are beings that turn into monsters out of their own greed. Sacrificing someone else¡¯s daughter for their own daughter shouldn¡¯t have happened. Above all, Eirene¡¯s portrait was indeed sent from the beginning and both of them had changed. She didn¡¯t explain it in detail, but he could tell by looking at her hands, the humiliation and pain she was going through. Her pale, expressionless face and her low, calm voice made her look tired. Fortunately, her vivid eyes showed her will to come to life. He would support her if the revenge was against Count Phineos and his wife, and not Aishe. Eirene squeezed his hand and stood up. She put on her shoes and smiled for him to see. Her smile soon disappeared. Why did she stop smiling? Is it because she is going through a hard time? He wanted to grab her cheeks and pull them. ¡°Thank you for your care.¡± A calm voice lingered in his ears. It¡¯s not a particularly good voice, but it sounded like a very small echo and then it faded away. He felt strange, his heart was filled with indescribable feelings. Is it because she is different from other women? Women showed two different looks in front of Clive. Either they try to look good to catch his eyes, or they run away because they¡¯re afraid. Eirene was neither. She looked indifferently at him. ¡°Now let¡¯s go out.¡± Clive followed Eirene while holding her hand. In that brief moment, Clive felt something possess him. * * * * * * * * * * When Clive opened the door, he ran into Yulik. As Yulik held a box, he smiled at a startled Eirene. ¡°I am Yulik, the Grand Duke¡¯s assistant.¡± Eirene had seen Yulik wearing glasses before she died. He must be Clive¡¯s aide. Yulik¡¯s eyes were markedly different from the past. He seemed gentle enough unlike that time in the past when he looked at her with coldness and disgust. Although he was curious, he knew how far he could go as his aide, so he disappeared after greeting. ¡°I got it in a hurry, so I¡¯ll understand if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Clive put the box down. He opened the lid, and a pair of shoes were inside. ¡°It¡¯s made of soft sheepskin, so it¡¯s less irritating.¡± She had no idea that it was a very thoughtful gift. Eirene was grateful, but she felt even more burdened. Even though Clive knew about her identity, she didn¡¯t know why he prepared in advance. What a kind person! Clive looked at her and saw that she couldn¡¯t take her shoes off. He took Eirene¡¯s shoes off himself. ¡°Uh? uh. I¡¯m alright.¡± Eirene struggled to keep her foot in the shoe, but his strength was stronger. ¡°You asked me to pretend to love you. Is it that kind of concept where I have to pretend to hang myself because I love you? ¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but I was hoping that others would see us as lovers who love each other.¡± ¡°Then it seems right to kiss my cheek because you¡¯re happy to receive the shoes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­ ¡­ .¡± It was true, so she couldn¡¯t refute it. Eirene did as Clive told her. With new shoes on both of her feet, Clive stood up and said. ¡°Move them around.¡± It¡¯s less painful. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± If I¡¯m embarrassed and hesitant about this kind of thing, I will not be able to get revenge in the future. Eirene, feeling the need to think and act boldly, gently grabbed Clive¡¯s arm. She raised her heels and her head, but she couldn¡¯t reach his cheeks. She whined she couldn¡¯t do it again. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Clive frowned. ¡°You told me to kiss you on your cheek.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­ That.¡± He leaned towards Eirene and adjusted the height. She intended to kiss his cheek just for a moment. When she tried to put her lips together and kiss him, suddenly Clive turned his face, and it was his lips that she kissed and not his cheek. Eirene stepped back as soon as she touched his lips. Her face seemed to be burning with fever. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°A kiss on the cheek is so childish. You¡¯re going to kiss me anyway, but we have to practice beforehand, right?¡± He cracked a smile. Clive laughed and held out his arm towards Eirene, who was looking at him in a daze. ¡°Now let¡¯s go.¡± * * * * * * * * * * Clive told the coachman to go slowly as he was taking Eirene home by carriage. He suggested riding a horse, but Eirene refused, arguing that it was more frightening. Clive knocked on the carriage¡¯s window. The window opened, and Eirene¡¯s face was barely visible. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°This is it, you don¡¯t know anything about dating, so I have to teach you from the beginning. You can¡¯t dryly say goodbye to your lover.¡± ¡°Are you asking me for a farewell kiss?¡± Eirene pulled her head back. ¡°No, kiss me next time. I just want you to get home safely today.¡± ¡°Yes. Your Highness, please return home safely too.¡± The window was closed before he could answer. She¡¯s so cold-hearted. After telling the coach that it was okay to go, Yulik turned around and stood next to Clive. Clive watched until the carriage disappeared. He took out a cigar, put it in his mouth, and then took it out. ¡°Why did I do that?¡± Chapter 7 ¡°I know, right? Why did you do that?¡± Yulik asked. ¡°Are you asking me if I know what I¡¯m talking about?¡± Clive shook his head and told him that he should have seen it by now. Yulik was Clive¡¯s shadow. He is always by his side but hides according to the situation. Clive had already told Yulik of the fake Aishe, so he knew without explaining it. If his kiss with Eirene had taken place in the cafe¡¯s private room, Yulik wouldn¡¯t have known about it. However, Clive had no intention of kissing Eirene. He was not a pervert who would kiss just any woman he was interested in. Clive didn¡¯t even know why he turned his head at that moment. Eirene had pretty lips. Her exceptionally pale skin and lips, dyed red like a rose piqued his attention. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to make him lose his rationality. ¡°You fell in love with her, right?¡± Yulik said it nonchalantly. ¡°In love? Who? Me?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Then why did you turn your head to kiss her?¡± ¡°It was just a joke. She¡¯s not even beautiful.¡± ¡°Oh come on. She¡¯s almost pretty, you could fall in love with her. In fact, Lady Vikes is more ravishing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like little girls like Lady Vikes.¡± As soon as Clive was done talking, he informed Yulik that Lady Vikes was the real Aishe. ¡°The more I know about Count Phineos, the more surprising it is.¡± Count Phineos knew that deceiving the Imperial Family was the same as treason. It¡¯s surprising that Aishe was hidden and has been changed to Eirene, and what¡¯s even more surprising is that Aishe is socially active under the same name as a lady from another family. ¡°I wonder if Count Phineos is bold or fearless. Either way, the price to pay will be high, and it¡¯s clear that there is something I believe in.¡± ¡°I hope your prediction is wrong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°But are you admitting that you fell in love?¡± ¡°I already said no.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Yulik answered with little enthusiasm. Clive, who was staring at Yulik, turned around abruptly. ¡°We¡¯ll see, Your Highness.¡± Yulik laughed, lowering his voice so Clive couldn¡¯t hear it. * * * * * * * * * * Eirene got out of the carriage once she arrived at Phineos Mansion. She tapped her chest, and Betty quickly ran towards her. ¡°Sigh. Did you get dizzy again?¡± ¡°Yes, a little.¡± However, this time it was tolerable. Eirene exhaled a little, and Betty whispered as she helped her. ¡°Lord Siaran is waiting for you.¡± ¡°Is he waiting for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s important.¡± Siaran rarely visited Eirene since she stopped giving Aishe divine power. He always smiled at her whenever he visited, but they never had a long conversation. Eirene looked forward to what he had to say. The moment Eirene entered, the servants pretended to be absorbed in their work. She saw that they too were trying to find out what was going on. Betty quickly figured out the situation and stayed right next to her. ¡°Let¡¯s go straight to Siaran.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you take a break?¡± ¡°it¡¯s all right.¡± With Betty¡¯s guidance, Eirene went to the tea room where Siaran was waiting. Siaran might be surprised by Eirene¡¯s changed appearance, but he had the same expression as usual. ¡°Welcome my Lady.¡± Eirene didn¡¯t answer. She walked over and sat down. ¡°Betty, I¡¯d like a glass of cold water, please.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡± After Betty left, Eirene pointed with her chin at the opposite chair. ¡°Sit there.¡± She looked at Siaran¡¯s complexion. As expected, he hasn¡¯t changed. He politely placed his hands side by side in his lap and remained silent. ¡°I heard you were waiting for me.¡± ¡°I have a few things to check with you.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°How did you get out of the basement that day?¡± ¡°I already told mother about that.¡± ¡°I investigated, but none of the servants went down to the basement at that time. As you know, there were no outsiders either.¡± Eirene looked into Siaran¡¯s eyes in silence. How could I not know before? Now she realized what he was thinking. They all deceived Eirene for Aishe¡¯s sake. ¡°I¡¯m not lying, Siaran. Instead of sitting down and asking me, you should investigate the servants.¡± ¡°I heard you got out pretty clean.¡± On that day, Countess Phineos let her go without a hitch, so Eirene thought she didn¡¯t care. Eirene, too, could not afford to think deeply because she had to adapt to the changing environment. But if I think about it, would there be an answer? How the basement door was opened or how her body was clean. ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°My Lady.¡± Siaran¡¯s face, which had been smiling the whole time, crumpled. Then Betty came in with a glass of cold water and left. Eirene wanted to pour cold water on Siaran but couldn¡¯t do it considering she was in a dire situation. ¡°Siaran, let me tell you clearly. I came out because the door was open, and I knew that my body was clean because the person next to me told me. I really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you use divine power by any chance?¡± ¡°What do you mean divine power. Didn¡¯t I stop treating Aishe because I lost my divine power?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I¡¯m asking because maybe your divine power is back, or maybe you still have some.¡± Pffff. Eirene couldn¡¯t stop laughing. ¡°Does opening the door and my body being cleaned have anything to do with divine power? Did I have that ability?¡± Eirene¡¯s divine power was powerful to heal and kill. She thought it was funny just thinking that she could have opened the basement door with her divine power. Even if it was related to my divine power, didn¡¯t God take all of it? ¡°The basis of healing is purification. It¡¯s a very basic step.¡± Eirene, who was drinking water, stopped moving. ¡°Purification also has many stages and meanings. Purifying one¡¯s own body is the first step, and later it becomes the ability to purify objects, animals, other people¡¯s bodies and souls, and finally, even evil spirits. You didn¡¯t know it because you haven¡¯t used it, but it had all the abilities I just mentioned.¡± Siaran explained it simply. He always explained things to Eirene that she didn¡¯t know. Siaran was a person she relied on quite a bit, but even that wasn¡¯t for her sake. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it. It wasn¡¯t my intention.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a try? Anyway, Lady Aishe¡¯s treatment is over.¡± Eirene, who swallowed the water and quickly put down the cup, shook her head lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. What¡¯s the use of giving it a try? For the time being, I want to enjoy what has been given to me.¡± What Eirene said and thought was the opposite. If her divine power is back, even if it means practicing as Siaran said, then she had to do the same as before. * * * * * * * * * * ¡°My sister is wearing my engagement ring. Wait a minute.¡± These were the first words Aishe spoke when she came into Eirene¡¯s room. Looking at her older sister sitting in the window seat, she walked around her room and stood in front of Eirene. Aishe put her hands behind her waist and looked at the ceiling. She looked nervous. ¡°What did you do with the Grand Duke?¡± Aishe asked while touching the edge of the table with her index finger. ¡°Walk and drink tea. That¡¯s all we did.¡± ¡°Then at least you have talked. What did you say?¡± ¡°How have you been, did you recover from your cold. Well, something like that.¡± ¡°Your Highness is a bit unusual and difficult, but he is very kind.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of me. Don¡¯t misunderstand him just because he¡¯s nice to you.¡± Aishe¡¯s eyes were poisonous. Do people know that there¡¯s such a side to Aishe¡¯s lovely appearance? ¡°I haven¡¯t misunderstood. I¡¯m just your replacement.¡± ¡°You must always remember.¡± ¡°By the way, how are you going to reveal your identity later?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Father will take care of it, so just stick to your role.¡± ¡°Yes. I will.¡± BANG! After Aishe slammed the door shut and left, Eirene burst out laughing. She hasn¡¯t done anything that can be called revenge. This is just the beginning. The fact that Clive knew everything was exhilarating. Where are we now? It was a situation where Eirene was sharing secrets with him. Eirene wasn¡¯t sure what to do to help, but for now, it seemed that Clive could do anything she wanted. Her head felt refreshed. * * * * * * * * * * Early in the morning, Eirene hurried Betty out after she brought the washbasin, telling her to take her time doing her chores. Eirene, who was alone, opened the ink cover on her desk and dipped her index finger. She rubbed the black ink on her hands until her palms got dirty. Eirene took a long breath to concentrate and then closed her eyes. How long has it been since I put my hands together? She opened her eyes and saw her clean hands. She muttered to herself with satisfaction ¡°It worked.¡± God said he would take her divine power. She didn¡¯t know what was going on. Didn¡¯t God take it back? It doesn¡¯t matter. Even a small divine power was precious to Eirene. This time, she dissolved soap in the water. When the water was completely foggy, she tried again, but nothing changed. That¡¯s right. It didn¡¯t work. She was fortunate to have the ability to purify her own body. Her hands looked so clean that she didn¡¯t know if they had ink on them. Eirene wondered if she wouldn¡¯t have to wash them in the future. No one, including Siaran, should know about this. It would be better to hide it until her ability became much stronger. Then, suddenly, the door swung open. Only the servants, including Betty, knocked on the door, but the Countess and Aishe opened the door at any time. Aishe came in with red eyes from crying and the Countess with a troubled expression. ¡°What did you do to His Highness?¡± Aishe shouted and threw something at Eirene. A letter fell on the floor. A familiar seal with a snake was engraved in the center of the envelope, which had been ripped. When Eirene looked at Clive, she thought of a snake, but she realized it was because of the seal. Eirene picked up the letter. ¡°Am I supposed to read it?¡± The Countess nodded. Eirene took out the paper and unfolded it. The letter started with ¡®My dear Aishe¡® and it continued ¡®since we met yesterday, my longing for you has deepened and I want to meet you again as soon as possible¡¯. Eirene already knew that Clive was good at writing, but it was the first time he was so affectionate. Understandably, Aishe was angry. If anyone reads it, they¡¯ll think that it is about a couple who haven¡¯t seen each other in years. At the end of the letter, it was written that she was invited to Derevell, Clive¡¯s estate. And only she was allowed to come. ¡°Sometimes he would ask me out, but he never invited me directly to Derevell Palace!¡± Aishe cried. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what happened.¡± Eirene was honest. She doesn¡¯t know how to interpret Clive¡¯s request to stay for a week, no matter how much he pretends to love her. Spending a week with Clive is exhausting enough. Fortunately, on the last two days, the Phineos were invited to a ball. ¡°The Grand Duke will provide you with the items you will need, so you can pack some of your things.¡± The Countess spoke bluntly. That was also written in the letter. Dresses, shoes, hats, accessories, etc. Clive will take care of everything, so she just has to come. She asked Clive to pretend to be in love, but he was overdoing it. Chapter 8 ¡°Don¡¯t forget your duty.¡± Aishe said it full of tears and anger. Aishe looked at Eirene as if she were wielding a sword. ¡°Yes. I will remember.¡± It¡¯s your fault, everything you put me through. What happened to my family because of you. Eirene did not avoid her gaze. But they didn¡¯t even look at each other. Eirene caught her gaze with a gentle smile. ¡°When are you going to tell the truth?¡± Eirene, who was staring at Aishe, turned to the Countess. ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable dealing with the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Just hang in there. And I told people that the name ¡®Eirene¡® was Aishe¡¯s nickname. Even to His Highness the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°By any chance, our servants or we may call you by your name. I will introduce you as Aishe at official events, don¡¯t be surprised if I call you Eirene in private.¡± That¡¯s why Scarlett called Eirene by her name. Eirene understood why the Countess did it, but she felt very terrible. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that somehow her name had been taken away. Her name seemed to have become a subordinate to Aishe. Aishe must have known, seeing her standing still. She seemed fine with Eirene being called by her name instead of her name. Even if she didn¡¯t like it, she would have to stay quiet for a while. Eirene quickly put her feelings aside. She looked at the Countess and Aishe¡¯s expressions to see if she was missing out on the emotion of the moment. Was that really all the Countess said? Does she have any other plans? But there was no response from either of them. ¡°Take care of my ring.¡± Aishe glanced at the ring on Eirene¡¯s hand. ¡°Yes. I will cherish it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to cherish it. All you have to do is take good care of it.¡± Eirene smiled softly and nodded. * * * * * * * * * * Eirene makes her way to Derevell Palace. According to Clive¡¯s letter, the luggage for the week was easily packed. Two maids were going to accompany her, but Eirene was the only one going. The Countess insisted, saying ¡°on days when she makes a mistake, a difficult situation arises.¡± Eirene then bid the Countess farewell. However, the Countess warned her to be careful. Betty, who had expected to go with her, bowed with a face full of regret. And Eirene could not see the figure of Aishe. Strangers were standing in front of the carriage that Clive had sent. A woman and three men. They were Eirene¡¯s new maid and three knights. The maid opened the carriage door. Eirene got into the carriage first, and the maid followed her. ¡°My lady, my name is Matilda. It¡¯s my honor to serve you.¡± ¡°Please, take care of me.¡± ¡°From now until you leave the Grand Duke¡¯s residence, please let me know if you need anything or have any inconvenience.¡± Matilda, who seems to be of the same age as Betty, was cheerful and active. Eirene was in the carriage with a stranger. But she was not at home with the Phineos people, which put her at ease. Perhaps contrary to what she thought, life in the Grand Duke¡¯s Palace would be much better than in the Phineos¡¯ mansion. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Matilda knocked on the ceiling when she heard the coachman call out. * * * * * * * * * * The carriage has been running for a long time. Eirene had the impression that motion sickness would soon set in, so she fell asleep and kept waking up from a certain time. When Eirene woke up, Matilda offered her water, but she refused because it was a nightmare, so she fell asleep. Eirene had trouble falling asleep the night before, and her tension eased after a long time. ¡°My lady!¡± Matilda called her. Eirene had just woken up and straightened her posture. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and have a quick lunch!¡± ¡°Lunch?¡± ¡°We still have a long way to go. I¡¯ll tell you when lunch is ready, my lady can get some rest.¡± Matilda opened the carriage door and jumped out. She spread a mat to sit on in the grass and then took food out of a large basket that one of the knights had brought. Eirene, who had been watching, put on a hat and got out of the carriage before Matilda could call her. ¡°What? My Lady! Are you out already?¡± ¡°Looks like lunch is ready.¡± ¡°You can take your time. Just a moment, please.¡± There¡¯s a lot of food on the mat, but is there more? The maid said it was a simple lunch, but it was not that simple. The food kept coming out. Eirene thought it was a magic basket. The food took up the entire mat, leaving only a place for one person to sit. Eirene wondered who would eat it all, but there were four men there, the knights and a coachman, except Eirene and Matilda. The last thing to do was for Eirene to eat first, and the others would eat after her. Eirene, sitting on the mat, took the food Matilda gave her and said before taking a bite. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t eat with my Lady.¡± ¡°No one is watching, so what? I don¡¯t want to eat alone.¡± I was tired of eating alone. Even after coming out of the basement, Eirene was locked up in a room and ate alone. Although she had a better meal than the one in the basement. Eirene thought the meals were delicious, but that was only the first few meals. Then she gradually lost her appetite. She wished she could eat with everyone. Eirene pushed the food next to her to one side. She put the hesitant Matilda in her place and called the awkwardly standing coachman and the knights over. ¡°Come, you too. The food is delicious when you eat it together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We cannot eat together with my Lady¡­ .. .¡± Eirene interrupted the knight, who refused. ¡°The Grand Duke must have sent you and ordered to bring me back without any inconvenience. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Then I hope you don¡¯t make me uncomfortable.¡± The knights looked at each other, hesitated, and sat down on the grass. At first, they seemed reluctant to eat or drink, but then they ate a lot of food in no time. Eirene felt much better. She ate more than before. Next, she got up and looked around. It was still winter. Although the temperature was low, there was no wind. The mountains in the distance were covered with white snow, but here less melted snow accumulated only in the shade. Winter was slowly passing. * * * * * * * * * * The carriage reached Derevell Palace only when it was already dark outside. Perhaps because Eirene was relaxed or because she had slept all the time, she did not suffer from motion sickness as the last time. She got out of the carriage and looked around. The palace was even more magnificent in the dark than Phineos¡¯ Mansion. Wasn¡¯t Clive, the Emperor¡¯s son, the master of the empire? It was no surprise that Clive would live in a place like this. When Eirene turned around, an old woman came toward her from the line of people. ¡°Lady Eirene Phineos, welcome to Derevell Palace. My name is Margaret Hanon. Was the journey difficult?¡± She called her Eirene, not Aishe. The Countess informed Clive that Eirene was her nickname, and apparently, he informed his servants as well. ¡°Thanks to you, I got here comfortably. Thank you.¡± ¡°His Highness the Grand Duke will be arriving soon. Why don¡¯t you get some rest and then have dinner with His Highness?¡± ¡°Yes, I had a good lunch, so I will rest a little.¡± ¡°I am relieved that you enjoyed your lunch. Then I will show you to the room where you will be staying. The Grand Duke will give you a tour of the main palace later.¡± Under the guidance of Mrs. Hanon, she walked among the servants. Eirene was not used to walking between long lines of bowing servants on either side. Although this has changed in recent years, it was an attitude not seen in the servants of Phineos¡¯ household. Aishe must have led a normal life. Eirene enjoyed it very much at the expense of her family¡¯s life. It reminded her of the revenge against the Phineos, who knew neither guilt nor gratitude. Little by little, I will devour them all in the end. I will tell you all about what it is like to be locked in the basement and not see any light, not be able to breathe fresh air, and suffer from hunger and cold. You will live like this until the day you die. Eirene grabbed her dress and climbed the last steps. She turned and looked at the servants who were still bowing. She must change her plans. How about becoming the mistress of this palace? At first, Eirene had no intention of using Clive. She wanted to turn Aishe¡¯s world upside down. But that was just a joke for Clive. I changed my mind. Isn¡¯t too shallow to take revenge on Aishe by simply working with Clive? It was foolish to call revenge just breaking Aishe¡¯s engagement, and breaking her heart. Eirene did not yet know what to do or how to take revenge. Clive was one of the five most powerful people in the Weinfeld Empire. Under the current circumstances, it was impossible to find such a suitable man. Eirene decided to have him. * * * * * * * * * * The size of the main palace can be roughly estimated from the outside, but the inside is much larger than that. To see the ceiling which had a skylight in the middle, Eirene had to tilt her head all the way back to see it. Eirene seemed to have seen the painting on the ceiling somewhere. She tried to remember, but could not recall, so she followed Mrs. Hanon, assuming that she had seen it in a book. The narrow road that lead outside was covered with a roof so that one could walk through it comfortably even in bad weather, and there was also a painting on the ceiling. The annex palace was smaller than the main palace. And it was decorated in such a way that everyone could guess who would live there. The color reminded her of Aishe just by looking at it. A color too bright and unpleasant. ¡°Let¡¯s see the bedroom first.¡± Eirene was pleased with the bedroom, except for the color. The room was sufficient for one person. The annex palace was furnished with furniture that looked better than those in Phineos¡¯ mansion. After she received Clive¡¯s letter, the burdening feeling suddenly disappeared. After passing through the bathroom and parlor, Eirene looked a little surprised at the dressing room. Long hangers full of dresses. No way! ¡°Are these all my dresses?¡± ¡°Yes. All the dresses belong to you. His Highness the Grand Duke has prepared it.¡± ¡°How did you know my size?¡± ¡°From the dress store you went to.¡± Ah, Scarlett¡¯s Store. Eirene wondered why Clive was so considerate. Boxes of various accessories were piled up next to rows of dresses. Eirene saw that one of the hats had a veil. She does not know if Clive knew the meaning of the veil, but he seemed very attentive to details. Perhaps it was because Aishe always wore a veil when they met. It was right to look closely. What is Clive trying to do? Eirene had only expected that he would be quite risky. If he had not been the one, who knew Eirene¡¯s true identity, he had no reason to do this. Eirene, looking around the dressing room, was the first to come out. She decided to wait in her bedroom until Clive arrived. When she returned to her bedroom she found the back of a familiar man standing in front of the window. Clive is really big now that she looks at him. How wide are his shoulders? Even though he¡¯s not wearing a uniform, the feeling of intimidation that comes from his physique would be enormous if he were wearing armor. Clive turned his head back slightly, looked at Eirene, and then turned around completely. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. I didn¡¯t know you had arrived, I was looking at the place you had prepared. I am truly sorry.¡± ¡°Why do you have that look on your face when someone is looking for you?¡± Clive took a step forward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my facial expression?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, Isn¡¯t it better when I have so much prepared? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°Your answer is too simple.¡± Eirene, who was worried because she didn¡¯t know what to do, stretched her lips and smiled. ¡°The place is great. I like it very much.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡± Clive brushed past Eirene with a displeased face and opened the door. ¡°You must be tired, get some rest and I¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for your concern.¡± Clive clicked his tongue before closing the door. I have no idea what the problem is. Chapter 9 Mrs. Hanon went along with Clive leaving the annex palace behind. They walked in silence, and just as Clive reached the entrance to the main palace, he stopped and turned to look at the annex palace. ¡°I have done what she asked me to do, but there is no response.¡± ¡°That kind of response is enough. Didn¡¯t she at least say thank you?¡± ¡°She did.¡± ¡°Well then. Did you think she would jump happily?¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± Clive answered as if it didn¡¯t matter. Eirene is a strange woman. He knew at least, that women liked to dress up. However, Mrs. Hanon advised him not to be careless with jewelry. Clive ordered many dresses and accessories for Eirene, and even changed the interior design of the place where she was going to stay. He said that even if he spent a large sum of money, he would do it sincerely. With Mrs. Hanon¡¯s help, Clive was looking forward to it. He thought she would thank him with a broad smile, but her reaction was cold. It was better not to see her force smile which seemed reluctant at his words. Mrs. Hanon sighed behind Clive¡¯s back, who was on his way to his office. ¡°I think you made a mistake. I think you misunderstood her taste.¡± ¡°Her taste?¡± ¡°I just listened to what Your Highness said about her, and I prepared everything according to her preferences, but when I met her, it didn¡¯t suit her at all. Still, I¡¯m glad I prepared a variety of dresses.¡± Clive understood what Mrs. Hanon was talking about. ¡°I imagined a cute flower that bloomed in spring, but the girl I saw grew up with winter snow.¡± Clive and Aishe did not see each other often. However, when they met, they didn¡¯t talk much either, but her tone and way of speaking seemed as if she had grown up with a lot of love. Although she acted younger than her age, she was bright and cheerful. Perhaps, he could have conveyed this feeling to Mrs. Hanon without any doubt, so it wasn¡¯t Mrs. Hanon¡¯s mistake. If Clive had to find fault, it was because of Clive, who say nothing more about it after meeting Eirene. He had nothing else to say. Suddenly Clive smirked. Eirene was not happy, and it was pointless trying to figure out whose fault it was. It was neither Mrs. Hanon¡¯s nor Clive¡¯s problem that she did not react as he thought she should. However, it was not a problem that she did not respond. Why do I keep focusing on such useless things? ¡°Alright.¡± Clive went into his office, not wanting to think about it again. He closed the door carefully, but a loud slamming was heard at the end. A smile spread across the face of Mrs. Hanon, who stood in front of him looking intently at the doorknob. Mrs. Hanon often felt that Clive when speaking of his fianc¨¦e, was very dry. They had known each other for some time, and Mrs. Hanon thought he was engaged out of affection. But when she heard how coldly he spoke of her, it was because of her family. She was so surprised when Clive invited his fianc¨¦e to his palace. And that wasn¡¯t all. She was surprised again when he wanted his fianc¨¦e to be comfortable and content while she was here. Finally, he said that women love jewelry, that he would give her some, and he thought she would like it. Although it was a good response, Mrs. Hanon was also suspicious of the sudden change. Mrs. Hanon, who had raised Clive since he was a baby, was confused. She had been waiting for this a long time. ¡°Are you here to see His Highness?¡± Yulik held a bunch of papers on his chest with one hand. He lowered his posture slightly and looked at Mrs. Hanon. ¡°I was just about to go back.¡± ¡°Anything good? You look happy.¡± ¡°Can you tell?¡± Yulik nodded. ¡°You guessed it. I¡¯m in a good mood.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯d like to know. We can be happy together.¡± ¡°I will tell you later. Just come in.¡± After a few steps, Mrs. Hanon called out to Yulik. ¡°Yulik! Unlike me, His Highness is not feeling well. Be careful.¡± Yulik tried to ask why. But he didn¡¯t have the ability to make Clive feel better. * * * * * * * * * * Dinner was mainly prepared with soft foods that are easy to swallow. Especially, the dessert made Eirene¡¯s eyes shine. The dessert was even more delicious than when Clive visited the Phineos¡¯ estate. Eirene, who had not spoken much during the meal, took a bite and suddenly asked as if she was possessed. ¡°What is this made of? It¡¯s so delicious.¡± ¡°Just a second.¡± Clive, who did not know the ingredients for the dessert, beckoned Mrs. Hanon. Then the chef came out and began to explain, and Eirene put her hands on her lap and didn¡¯t take her eyes off him. Occasionally, Eirene would respond by saying, ¡®Oh, I see¡¯ or moving her head up and down. Clive looked at Eirene. At least her reactions had improved. Damn it. He was treated worse than the dessert. But when he saw Eirene¡¯s subtly attractive face, his feelings quickly vanished. What do I like about her anyway? She is a really difficult woman. * * * * * * * * * * After dinner, Clive, who accompanied Eirene to the annex palace, dismissed all the servants. The space left only for the two of them was filled with the scent of jasmine. ¡°Aren¡¯t you wondering why I invited you?¡± ¡°I was curious, but I thought you invited me because you needed my help.¡± ¡°Not right now, but that might be true. I called you to tell you what you needed to do. I also have paperwork to fill out.¡± ¡°Your Highness. I am sorry I talked.¡± Clive, who was taking out a cigar, stopped moving and focused on Eirene. ¡°I want you to feel comfortable talking to me. I want outsiders and my family to see that you and I are very close. When I found out you weren¡¯t Aishe, you spoke comfortably.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll do as you wish.¡± Clive immediately lowered his tone. It wasn¡¯t a difficult request, so she had nothing to refuse. He cut off the cigar cap and put it in his mouth. Then he pulled out a document from an envelope. It was a pledge to keep each other¡¯s secrets. He did not trust Eirene completely. Clive still had doubts, and even if what Eirene said was true, people¡¯s minds were bound to change at any time. He slips the papers in front of Eirene. Clive tried to light the cigar, but he put it back in the case. A strong smoke could not be good for a person who had been in the basement for a long time. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A pledge. Oral promises are dangerous.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it more dangerous to write it on paper?¡± ¡°You choose the least risky. You are more dangerous than those papers.¡± Eirene did not react much to his bold statement. He was suspicious because he could not trust her completely. Then she began to read the content. The contents seemed to surprise her, such as getting information about the Phineos, but her face didn¡¯t change. ¡°There are three things I want to know. How much is the Phineos¡¯ fortune, what did they do to earn so much, and where it is used for. I want you to get me this information. Is it possible?¡± It¡¯s easy to say, but it¡¯s not easy. Property information was the most important thing in any family, especially the mysterious Phineos family. ¡°It will take some time, but I will try.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Even if I don¡¯t want to, I have to do it.¡± ¡°You can write whatever you want in the empty space there.¡± ¡°Then I will ask for three things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Ah, me pretending to love you is already one thing, so you just need to write two more things.¡± Eirene stared at the pledge. Then she picked up the pen. She tried to organize her thoughts and write them down, but she put the pen down again. The blank space has not been filled in yet. ¡°Can I write it later? I need to think more.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After she put the papers in the envelope, there was silence. Although it was awkward, Eirene was quite tolerant of the time spent with him. Clive¡¯s gaze still bothered her, but not to the point of taking her breath away. It will be because they know each other¡¯s identity and purpose. She didn¡¯t feel quite at ease and hoped he would leave soon. Eirene had already drunk a cup of tea while eating the dessert, but it seemed that he would be there if the cup in front of her was not emptied, so she decided to drink it quickly. Her cup was empty, but Clive didn¡¯t seem willing to leave. He smiled softly aside from his increasingly uncomfortable gaze. She couldn¡¯t help but ask him to leave. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°I would like you to stop calling me that way.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not Your Highness, what should I call you?¡± ¡°My name. Isn¡¯t that too cold between lovers?¡± ¡°Yes. I will do that Your Highness.¡± ¡°Call me by my name from this moment on.¡± ¡°Yes, Clive.¡± Clive nodded with satisfaction, and then Eirene rose from her seat as well. ¡°You must be tired, get some rest.¡± ¡°So are you.¡± Eirene, who was following him to see him off, spotted a cigar case on the table. She quickly picked it up and handed it to him. ¡°This! Take it with you.¡± Oh, I forgot. Eirene said to him carefully, holding the end of the case. ¡°I have a favor to ask you.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°This.¡± Eirene winked at the case. ¡°I hate that smell.¡± She was telling him not to smoke in front of her. ¡°Have I ever smoked in front of you?¡± ¡°No, you never have. I can smell it just when Your Highness is next to me.¡± ¡°Are you telling me not to smoke at all?¡± ¡°Oh no. How dare I ask such favor at Your Highness¡¯ favorite food. I¡¯m just telling you not to do it in the future. Can¡¯t you wait until I¡¯m gone?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Snap Clive¡¯s face hardened as he took the case from Eirene¡¯s hand. She had asked him politely, but he felt bad. ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°For asking you not to smoke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to be sorry.¡± Then Clive left. The maid, who had been waiting at the door went inside. Yulik followed Clive to the main palace. He had not even gone a few steps when he heard the door close, and Clive turned around. Clive remembered that he had never smoked in the presence of Eirene. He knew that cigar smoke was very poisonous. And asking him not to smoke in her presence was not an unreasonable request. What does she mean by smelling? But the smell of burning cigars was natural for him. He never thought the smell could be unpleasant. Most women said that they liked the smell of cigars, that they found the smell wild. Had not Aishe said the same thing? ¡°Yulik. Do I smell?¡± ¡°Smell?¡± ¡°Whether I smell bad or not. Just say it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t smell that bad.¡± Clive calmed down, but then he got angry. Then he got a little excited. Then he felt embarrassed. Yulik¡¯s eyes darted from side to side. He tried to figure out why Clive was asking about the smell, but nothing came to mind. ¡°Who said Your Highness smells bad?¡± ¡°Nobody. Who would dare?¡± Clive walked faster than usual. He returned to the main palace at lightning speed and hurriedly looked for Mrs. Hanon. ¡°Was Your Highness looking for me? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Prepare a perfume for me tomorrow.¡± It was a request that Mrs. Hanon had heard for the first time in her life. ¡°Perfume?¡± ¡°The highest quality, the best fragrance.¡± ¡°Your Majesty will use it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Clive, who was on his way to his office, paused because something had occurred to him, then went back upstairs. Mrs. Hanon watched him go disappeared at the end of the stairs, and then she looked at Yulik about what had happened, but he just shrugged. Chapter 10 The next morning. Before leaving his palace early, Clive asked Mrs. Hanon for a favor. ¡°I know she will be fine, but please take care of her.¡± Even if he didn¡¯t say who he was, it was obvious. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I will keep that in mind, you don¡¯t have to worry. What you told me to prepare yesterday, hasn¡¯t it changed?¡± It was about perfume. Clive, who frowned slightly, opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it and nodded. Mrs. Hanon went to the annex palace where Eirene was staying after seeing his carriage depart. Not long ago, Clive wrote an invitation to Eirene and called Mrs. Hanon. ¡°My fianc¨¦e doesn¡¯t know much about the world. No, she just doesn¡¯t know anything. Even if she makes a mistake, I hope for your understanding.¡± ¡°Of course, I will. But aren¡¯t the Phineos rumored to be strict about their children¡¯s education?¡± ¡°That¡¯s in the past.¡± ¡°But they should have at least taught her the basics.¡± Mrs. Hanon Mrs. Hanon was also the first to know that Eirene didn¡¯t know many things because she thought she had been raised preciously. ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. If Lady Phineos doesn¡¯t know anything, teach her, and tell the maids in advance so that she doesn¡¯t feel embarrassed after making a mistake. Watch your mouth.¡± The conversation ended like that, and there was no other talk, so she was a little nervous when she met Eirene. But the lady of the House of Phineos was the Grand Duke¡¯s fianc¨¦e. She did not lack appearance, aura, or demeanor. Mrs. Hanon could not make a hasty judgment because she had only seen her for a short time. What if she took classes again? I can teach her. The lady that Mrs. Hanon saw yesterday was bothering her somewhere in her heart. * * * * * * * * * * Matilda knocked on Eirene¡¯s bedroom door, and an answer came from inside. When she walked into the room to greet her, Eirene was already awake, standing in front of the window. ¡°Did you sleep well, my Lady?¡± ¡°Yes, I slept well thanks to you.¡± Matilda wondered why the bedroom was so bright, it was because all the curtains were drawn to the sides and the window where Eirene was standing was open. She was worried about the cold winter morning air, but the lady with only a shawl over her pajama didn¡¯t seem to be cold. ¡°My Lady, did you open all the curtains?¡± ¡°I felt stuffy. Oh, did I do your job? I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± ¡°Oh no! No!¡± Matilda shook her hand and head vigorously at the same time. It didn¡¯t matter if Matilda didn¡¯t open the curtains this morning. But it will be a problem if this continues, but it only happened once. Matilda was surprised that this happened even though she had served other ladies from various noble families before coming here. It was rare if a lady was awake before she was awakened by a maid. And even if the curtain was left open, it was only a window. ¡°The curtains are heavy because it¡¯s winter. I hoped my lady hadn¡¯t had a hard time.¡± ¡°The curtains were heavier than they looked. Still, it was nice to be able to move, it distracted me. It feels so good to see the sun.¡± Eirene was happy to see the ordinary sun that rises every morning and stays in the sky until evening. Matilda could hardly understand her. Eirene stopped her when Matilda tried to close the window. ¡°Leave it that way. The fresh air clears my head.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± It seemed like it was getting colder, perhaps because of the steam coming out of her mouth, but Matilda couldn¡¯t close the window because she wasn¡¯t a lady. ¡°Then I will prepare the washbasin.¡± Matilda closed the door and ran into Mrs. Hanon. ¡°The lady got up early and left all the curtains open. Now I¡¯m going to prepare the water.¡± ¡°Did she open the curtains herself?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mrs. Hanon asked to confirm the unexpected situation. It¡¯s something a noble lady shouldn¡¯t do. No wonder Clive asked her to take of Eirene. ¡°Did she sleep comfortably last night?¡± ¡°Yes, when I greeted her in the morning, she said that she slept well.¡± ¡°Did she say anything else?¡± ¡°Yes. But do you feel good when you see the sun?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never thought about it. Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the lady said. It seems that she likes the sun.¡± Matilda went to do her job after saying that Eirene was unusual. Mrs. Hanon stopped her raised hand when she was about to knock on Eirene¡¯s bedroom door. She pondered whether to talk to Eirene or not. She¡¯s not yet married, but she was worried about scolding her over little things. Clive asked her to teach her anything she didn¡¯t know, and Mrs. Hanon thought so too, but when she was in front of her room she hesitated. She concluded that it would be better to do it herself and not someone else. When Mrs. Hanon knocked, a clear voice answered. Eirene was sitting in a chair in front of the window. She turned her head and smiled slightly. ¡°Was your first night at Derevell Palace comfortable?¡± ¡°Yes, I slept very comfortably. It was my first time feeling¡­.¡± Eirene stopped talking, turned her head to the window, and tried to talk about something else. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your hard work.¡± ¡°I am glad that you are comfortable. My Lady, I gonna have to close the window. The morning air is cold.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking like Matilda. I¡¯m fine, but I shouldn¡¯t cause you to worry.¡± Mrs. Hanon approached and closed the window before Eirene, who got up to close the window. Slowly closing the window as if it were nothing special, she brought up the curtain situation to Eileen. ¡°My Lady, you can ask Matilda to open and close the curtains.¡± ¡°As expected, I made a mistake.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a mistake. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s something you shouldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Eirene took it well. Mrs. Hanon, who had been smiling out of unnecessary worry, looked carefully at the young lady¡¯s face as she looked out the window again. She¡¯s quiet. Quiet was the most appropriate expression to describe her. Mrs. Hanon was drawn to her, but it could have been her own illusion. The more she looked at her, the more different she was from the girl she heard from Clive. Eirene, sensing Madame Hanon¡¯s gaze, turned her face. ¡°Is there anything else you want to say?¡± ¡°No. The way my lady is sitting is so beautiful, I was staring at you without realizing it.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. Eirene is a beauty that cannot be expressed in words. She looked like an ice princess trapped in a tower from a fairy tale. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it to please you.¡± ¡°All right, thank you.¡± If anyone heard it, they would see Eirene as an arrogant person who took her beauty for granted, but the lady seemed to think that Mrs. Hanon¡¯s compliment was not sincere. Mrs. Hanon changed the subject because more explanations would be more excuses. ¡°My Lady, please warm yourself near the fireplace. Your nose is red.¡± Since her skin was pale, redness was quite visible. Eirene¡¯s hand was numb from the cold when she lightly touched the tip of her nose. ¡°Hurry up.¡± Mrs. Hanon grabbed Eirene¡¯s arms and lifted her. How long have you been in the cold wind? Eirene¡¯s skin felt like ice. ¡°You have to stay healthy so you can go back home. If you get sick, Your Highness will be blamed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± Eirene pulled a chair near the fireplace and sat down while Mrs. Hanon tossed in more firewood. The red nose quickly returned to its original color, but the skin was whiter than her eyes. Mrs. Hanon stayed with Eileen for a long time because she somehow liked her. * * * * * * * * * * ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re coming home faster because of a certain guest.¡± Mrs. Hanon said as she brought the perfume that Clive had ordered. ¡°There were many times that I came back early even when we had no guests.¡± He opened the lip of the perfume and gently shook the bottle from side to side. He sprayed the perfume on one wrist and rubbed it on the other wrist to see if he liked the scent. Clive sniffed his wrist and asked Mrs. Hanon. ¡°How is it? Do you smell the perfume?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a subtle smell.¡± ¡°What about the cigar smell?¡± Mrs. Hanon, who had wondered why he asked about the cigar smell, soon realized the reason. ¡°The smell is a bit mixed, but it¡¯s fine because of the perfume.¡± ¡°You mean you can smell it, right?¡± Mrs. Hanon guessed that the reason he was sensitive to smells since yesterday was because of Eirene. ¡°Does the lady hate the smell of cigars?¡± Clive stopped sniffing his wrist, paused, and nodded his chin lightly. ¡°That¡¯s great. You should quit smoking right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± For Clive, Eirene¡¯s existence didn¡¯t seem to have reached that level yet. However, Mrs. Hanon could see that the situation would turn around one day as time went on. ¡°What was Eirene doing today?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been looking outside all day.¡± ¡°All day?¡± ¡°Sometimes the windows were opened and closed. She wanted to go outside, but the weather was very cold, so I stopped her.¡± There was nothing to see in the annex palace. In spring, there would have been neatly organized lawns and colorful flowers, but winter was dreary. There were only green trees in the forest, but it wasn¡¯t a spectacle either. Eirene looked at the dull landscape with curious eyes, as if it was the first time she had seen something like this. Every time she opened the window, she closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. ¡°By the way, Your Highness. Does the lady has bad eyesight?¡± Eirene placed her hands on her forehead to block out the sunlight. Although the sun was not very strong at that time. Mrs. Hanon thought it was strange, and as she thought about it, she remembered that Eirene¡¯s hats had veils. Eirene was wearing a veil when she arrived. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you about that in advance. She¡¯s sensitive to sunlight, so please be careful. Did she make any mistakes?¡± ¡°She made a few mistakes, but she was quiet most of the time. Nothing happened. You don¡¯t have to worry. She¡¯s a wonderful lady.¡± In fact, there was no problem in the morning. Eirene wanted to open the curtains because she felt suffocated, and was sorry to call the maid at an early hour. She made a mistake out of consideration. When you look at the way you treat the people below you, you can see the character of that person. Eirene was not fussy with the servants, including Mrs. Hanon or Matilda. She wasn¡¯t friendly, but she wasn¡¯t rude either. She was kind enough to say thank you and sorry. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d say she¡¯s wonderful. I think so too. Then let¡¯s go see my fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°She¡¯s waiting for you in the drawing-room. When I informed her of your return, she came to the main palace.¡± ¡°Eirene came to see me?¡± Clive asked surprised. The slightly enlarged eyes soon returned to their original size, but his mouth revealed that he was in a good mood. Mrs. Hanon hoped that Lady Eirene would open his heart soon. She wants to show the image of a man from a family whose symbol is a snake transforms into a well-spoken wolf. No, not a wolf, but a person. No matter what it is. Either one will be possible. * * * * * * * * * * Eirene, seeing Clive, got up from the sofa and greeted him. ¡°Welcome back, Your Highness.¡± Clive shook his head slowly from side to side. Oops. She was supposed to call his name, but she forgot. Clive sat down on the sofa without answering Eirene¡¯s greetings, probably because ¡®Your Highness¡¯ was bothering him. ¡°I¡¯m still not used to calling you by your name.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not used to it, you should keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Alright, Clive. I will never forget it.¡± As Clive leaned slowly against the backrest, his long legs stretched out, making them appear longer. He had a superior body. She had known his handsome face for a long time, but his body was new depending on the situation. He looked like a bear because he was big, but he also looked like a slender lion. And if he squinted his eyes, he would look like a snake. ¡°Eirene. There¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Please, speak.¡± ¡°You only lived in the basement, right?¡± Chapter 11 Clive¡¯s suspicions were neither unreasonable nor surprising. Rather, he believed in her so easily that Eirene doubted what he was up to. ¡°Is there any reason you think that way?¡± ¡°If you have lived your whole life underground, you will lack social skills and common sense, but you are not at all. You are good at adapting to difficult situations or new environments.¡± Eirene understood what Clive meant. Thanks to the books, it was not difficult for her to adapt to the outside world. Except that she wasn¡¯t used to the sunlight yet. Although it was imaginary, she had various experiences. And dying once helped. The experience of death made the fear and the fear of the unknown disappear little by little. ¡°It¡¯s because I read a lot of books.¡± Clive found it hard to believe. ¡°I know reading is good, but that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true even if you think it¡¯s not. In my entire life, I¡¯ve only seen my family and a few maids, and everything else is in the book.¡± Clive, leaning to the side, rested his elbows on the armrest as he touched his chin. At the same time, he crossed his long legs. He looked at her with a look he still couldn¡¯t understand and let out a small breath. ¡°You are very determined. How can that be?¡± Clive¡¯s fingers touched his chin, moving in succession like waves. ¡°You sound like someone who¡¯s been through everything. You have a great ability to control and hide your emotions.¡± Clive has met a lot of people, so it wasn¡¯t hard to get to know her. Eirene was also able to guess to a certain extent from the first meeting. The more time passed, the less he could tell what she was thinking. Clive thought it was because Eirene didn¡¯t show her feelings well. She is unpredictable like a haze. ¡°I¡¯ll take it as a compliment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a compliment. Did that sound like criticism?¡± ¡°It sounded like a suspicion.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t suspicious, I was just curious. Why did you wait for me?¡± ¡°I want a tour of the main palace.¡± Clive did not expect that. He felt steam leaking. He felt ashamed. Not because of Eirene, but because of himself. Did I really fall in love at first sight, as Yulik said? If he fell in love at first sight, maybe it was because of her portrait. He fell in love again when he was able to see Eirene¡¯s face for the first time. Be that as it may, Eirene is the woman who tormented him. * * * * * * * * * * The first floor of Derevell Palace was mainly for guests, and the second floor was used only by Clive. However, in Eirene¡¯s eyes, the numerous rooms with different uses looked like a maze. If someone decides to play hide and seek here, it will take a long time to find them. On the third floor, there was a large library, about half the area of the first and second floors. It¡¯s mainly a place where Clive reads and rests. And there are many more books than Eirene had ever seen. That was the only reason why she asked Clive to give her a tour. After lunch, Eirene found out about the existence of the library when she asked if Mrs. Hanon could bring her a book as soon as she was free. She just waited for Clive to come. While she was admiring the library, she asked Clive. ¡°Can I use the library?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve been reading books all my life, so even after coming here, I don¡¯t have that habit.¡± The smell of paper from books and the smell of dust from old books calmed her down. She had bad memories of living in the basement. Eirene knew she could not erase them. Eirene walked between the bookshelves. She walked slowly and quickly read the titles of the books to see if there was a book that interested her. Clive follows her quietly from behind. Little steps were heard. The attention that was totally focused on the books turned to Clive. She was amazed by how a big person could walk like that. The sound of two people¡¯s footsteps in the quiet library. In the silence that followed, Clive was the first to speak. ¡°Is there a book you want to read?¡± Eirene nodded. ¡°All of them.¡± ¡°Read as much as you like while you¡¯re here.¡± Eirene stopped walking and turned around, and Clive was leaning against the bookshelf with his arms crossed. He looked very elegant under the moonlight coming through the window, but his gaze was fierce. He is a man whose moods are always changing. Will I ever be able to have this man? ¡°Why did you invite me to Derevell?¡± ¡°Because there is no other place like this to be able to talk secretly.¡± ¡°One day was enough.¡± ¡°You asked me to pretend to love you. You can¡¯t invite someone you love and let them stay for just one day. Was it too much?¡± ¡°A little. It¡¯s comfortable, but at the same time it doesn¡¯t feel comfortable.¡± Clive, who had been watching her silently from a distance, walked over to her. As he drew closer, Eirene stepped back, but she hit the bookshelf, making her unable to move any further. He slowly lowered himself, then smiled. ¡°Is it at least more comfortable than Phineos¡¯ mansion?¡± ¡°Yes. I feel more comfortable here.¡± Clive was right. There was less tension than when she was at Phineos¡¯ mansion. ¡°Exactly. I knew it.¡± Mumbling in a slightly hoarse voice, Clive¡¯s arm reached out and placed it next to Eirene¡¯s head. He tilted his head diagonally, then he grabbed a strand of her hair and released it. Why did you grab my hair? What was he trying to do? He let out a sigh of relief and stood up. ¡°You can do whatever you want here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°If you do your job well, you can have more. This is nothing.¡± ¡°Is there really something more?¡± ¡°Just say it.¡± ¡°Yes. I will let you know when I think about it.¡± Clive put his hands in his pockets and tried to move. Why is that? Eirene, who seemed to have something to tell him, called out to him. ¡°Clive.¡± He turned and looked at her with only one step in between. She called out to him, but couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. Eirene was embarrassed. ¡°You smell good.¡± She noticed it earlier. A different smell than the smell of cigars. ¡°Nothing has changed since yesterday.¡± It¡¯s obviously different. Did I get it wrong? ¡°I smoke a lot of cigars before I came here, and I still smell good. Yesterday and today cannot be different. Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t feeling good yesterday?¡± Clive once again confirmed that Eirene was mistaken. Eirene thought it was impossible, but when he said no, she thought it might be. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°We should go down. If we¡¯re late for dinner, Mrs. Hanon¡¯s nagging gets worse.¡± Clive turned quickly and left first. * * * * * * * * * * ¡°Your Highness? You feel good?¡± Mrs. Hanon¡¯s eyes widened. Clive¡¯s face was red as he sat down to start his dinner. When he got home, he was fine, but suddenly both of his cheeks were red. Clive had never been sick since puberty, which made it even more surprising. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I have to check if you have a fever.¡± When Mrs. Hanon tried to touch Clive¡¯s forehead, he threw his head back and pushed her hands away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Your face is red.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s hot. Just give me a glass of cold water.¡± Clive did not suffer from heat or cold. His face hardly changes, even when he is angry. Mrs. Hanon thought that he must have been in pain somewhere. But she couldn¡¯t check him because he wouldn¡¯t let her touch him. She was relieved when she heard the power in his voice. After drinking the cold water, Clive¡¯s face returned to normal. Dinner was suffocatingly quiet. He would always talk to Eirene over dinner, but tonight he kept his mouth shut. Mrs. Hanon could tell that he felt uncomfortable. Did these two have a fight? Eirene¡¯s face was as calm as ever, but it only brightened up after she had eaten a bite of dessert prepared by the chef. Clive told the chef to go all out on the desserts. Eirene, who did not react much and was mostly expressionless, showed a change as much as she ate her dessert. It was surprising that Clive paid close attention to even that part. But only Mrs. Hanon and Yulik could see his interest in her. She thought that he had no feelings for his fianc¨¦e, but it was quite the opposite. Mrs. Hanon prayed in her heart for two things. For Clive to marry the person he loves and live happily for the rest of his life, and to live as a respected Grand Duke without being called an imperial scoundrel anymore. Clive was always Mrs. Hanon¡¯s first priority. * * * * * * * * * * Eirene went up to the library as soon as dinner was over. There were many books to read compared to the set time. The room was much darker, so she stood close to the bookshelf, and began to read the titles of the books. After going through some bookshelves, she found two books related to divine power on the innermost bookshelf and took them out. She sat down at a desk to one side of the study and read quickly. Eirene thought that Aishe had taken her divine power, but maybe it wasn¡¯t, but it was only healing. She hoped that what she had said in the past was wrong. However, she was disappointed that the book only covered general topics and did not have the content she expected. She closed the book and looked up to grab the next book. ¡°Clive.¡± Clive was sitting at a desk, looking at her. ¡°You can see me now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here. You should tell me.¡± ¡°I was looking how long you wouldn¡¯t notice I was here. But you were so focused I didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡± ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°Am I someone who comes only when I have to say something?¡± ¡°If you have nothing to say, there¡¯s no reason to see each other..¡± One of Clive¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s only pretending to love me.¡± It must have been because he couldn¡¯t leave his fianc¨¦e alone in the study. ¡°You don¡¯t have to try too hard. Even if Aishe Phineos does it in front of people¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°Then we will get caught. There are always people wherever we are, pretending not to be and watching every little thing. We try to silence the servants, but there is no way to stop them from secretly leaking it.¡± Eirene understood and nodded. Clive was the Grand Duke of the Empire. It wasn¡¯t strange at all, even though he was getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Then I will take the book to my room.¡± She didn¡¯t want to read it while Clive watched her. He treated her kindly, but she wasn¡¯t comfortable being with him. It must be because of her habit of reading alone. ¡°Read it here. I also have books to read.¡± Clive pulled out a chair and placed a book in front of it. ¡°I want to read alone.¡± Clive¡¯s eyebrow rose again. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the backrest. ¡°Will it be a problem if we read it together?¡± ¡°I have a habit of reading alone.¡± ¡°So, do you want to go to the annex palace?¡± She doesn¡¯t say anything. And after a while, he let out a long sigh. ¡°Alright. You can go. Go and read comfortably.¡± Eirene, who received permission, quickly grabbed the book and left the library before Clive changed his mind. She hurried down the stairs and did not hear his lamentation shouts. Chapter 12 The Emperor has been looking more and more for his eldest son these days. Last night, he called Clive to come into the palace early in the morning. Clive was in no hurry to go there because the emperor would only talk about trivial things, but his father said he wanted to have breakfast together, so Clive had to leave early. Yulik asked Clive as he looked out the window of the carriage heading towards the Imperial Palace. ¡°Why did you do that last night?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°After the lady left the library, you screamed argh! Wait no, was it ahh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°What happened with the lady?¡± ¡°I said you don¡¯t need to know.¡± Yulik had a lot of fun with Clive¡¯s new look over the past few days. The prince doesn¡¯t know how happy it is to have someone to play with after a long time. Clive can only be satisfied when people or things are under his control, but it didn¡¯t seem to work for Eirene. Clive¡¯s screams were something that would go down in history. Mrs. Hanon couldn¡¯t believe it and asked several times if Clive was really yelling. He wanted to know what happened between the two of them last night, but he managed to hold it in because he was afraid of being scolded if he asked more. Even if he were to ask Eirene, she wouldn¡¯t know or tell him, and as time goes on, he can only hope that Clive will tell him. * * * * * * * * * * The Emperor, who invited Clive to breakfast, did not attend. Only Clive sat down at the large table, but he ate a delicious breakfast alone. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Clive asked the servant who brought fruit after the meal, and the servant answered politely. ¡°The Pope has come.¡± ¡°He comes here often.¡± He didn¡¯t ask because he didn¡¯t know. Clive knew that the Pope had come to the Imperial Palace yesterday, the day before yesterday, and even before. It is not unusual for these two to meet frequently. It was for the sake of the safety and development of the Empire, but the Pope gradually went further. It wasn¡¯t just yesterday or today. A long time ago, the incident started when Clive had to give up the crown prince¡¯s seat. The Pope is implementing his plan over time. ¡°Liquor is perfect with fruits. I¡¯d like a drink, please.¡± ¡°Yes. I will prepare it.¡± The only royal family member that drank in the morning was Clive. The servant brought a bottle of liquor without saying anything because it was a frequent request from him. A drink for Clive was a bottle. The amount of alcohol in the bottle rapidly decreased. The servant watched silently, but every one of Clive¡¯s actions will spread within the palace in less than half a day and will cross the high wall of the Palace tomorrow. Clive moved his chair back and forth. Despite the squeaking sound, the servant just looked at him. Yulik, who was standing some distance away, motioned for him to stop, but he ignored it. Unlike the servant, Yulik couldn¡¯t give up. He frowned and shook his head, and this time, Clive pretended not to know. The alcohol was gone in the blink of an eye. ¡°I have to go. Please tell His Majesty that I have eaten well.¡± The servant, who was looking at the empty bottle and the untouched fruits, clicked his tongue behind Clive¡¯s back as he left. Clive pretended not to hear. Because he can¡¯t put a lock on his mouth even if he punishes him. He left, hoping that the servant would spread the word about everything that happened today. Clive walked slowly down the hall, looking left and right. There was nothing to see since he was born and raised in the Imperial Palace, but every time he came, he looked at it as if it were a spectacle. He stopped at the noise of construction. The fountain that was installed last year seemed to be replaced. Destroy it, dig up the ground, and reinstall it. In recent years, they have continued to change the structure of the Imperial Palace. He doesn¡¯t know what his father, the Emperor, is thinking. He didn¡¯t want to see him no matter how much he asked, so in the end, he agreed. He hoped his father could use a plausible excuse, but the emperor kept his mouth shut. His father¡¯s indecisiveness is his flaw, but the current emperor of Weinfeld was merciful to the people of the Empire. People wondered how a son like Clive came from such an emperor. The former empress, who passed away after giving birth to Clive, was even more suspicious because Clive¡¯s biological mother was gentle. Genetic mutations are everywhere. Clive saw himself as such a case. Everyone says that he changed after he came down from the crown prince position, but his personality was the same from the beginning. He just worked hard when he was Crown Prince. ¡°Big brother!¡± Clive heard someone call him. He knew who he was without seeing it because he was the only one who could call him a big brother. It was Florian, his younger brother by another woman and the current Crown Prince. Florian, who struggled to walk with the support of his servants, struggled to speed up. Clive walked quickly towards him. ¡°I came out after hearing the news that my brother had come.¡± A bright smile spread across Florian¡¯s face. ¡°Again, again with the big brother. I have told you not to do it in public.¡± As much as he told him to call him ¡®Grand Duke¡®, he always called him ¡®Big brother¡®. ¡°This is a private place.¡± ¡°We are inside the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just us, big brother.¡± Clive couldn¡¯t say more to his smiling brother. ¡°You seem to be in good condition today.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s cloudy.¡± Strangely, Florian often gets sick on a sunny day and spends most of his time in a chair or bed. He became much more sensitive on sunny days, saying his skin and eyes were burning, but on cloudy days like today, he could come out of the bedroom himself. Of course, he needed someone¡¯s help. Those who were unaware of their relationship did not see them as half-brothers. They were very similar, but only their eye color was different because they inherited from their mothers. ¡°Yes, you have to be healthy.¡± When Clive reached down trying to stroke his little brother¡¯s hair, Florian wrinkled his nose and covered it with his finger. ¡°Brother. Have you been drinking?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Drink in moderation. You will get sick.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like water to me, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°You punk.¡± Clive messed up Florian¡¯s hair. The little boy became a boy and grew up to be a man, worrying about his older brother. Although he was still hysterical at times, he was a kind-hearted little brother. So Clive was worried. ¡°I won¡¯t drink any more today.¡± ¡°Drink with me later.¡± ¡°The Empress will scold me.¡± ¡°We can drink secretly.¡± At a time like this, he was still a little boy. ¡°Let¡¯s drink when you are healthy.¡± ¡°Yes. You promised. Now let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± Florian, who hates stepping on the ground or grass, went out with him today. His chirping voice revealed that he felt good. * * * * * * * * * * The sky grew darker and darker as he waited for the carriage after parting with Florian. The temperature did not drop much today, so it was probably raining instead of snowing. The carriage arrived and Yulik opened the door. Just as he was about to get in, Clive spotted an approaching carriage and waited to see who it was. The carriage stopped and the door opened. The person who appeared was Aishe. ¡°Yulik, is there a banquet at the Imperial Palace today?¡± ¡°No. I did not hear anything about it.¡± There is no banquet, so why did Aishe come? He had a bad feeling. As she stepped out of the carriage, Aishe met Clive¡¯s eyes and she turned like a startled rabbit and managed to control her expression. After taking a deep breath, she gently walked toward him with a shy face and stood in front of him. This was the Aishe that Clive had known during that time. Though he had not seen her face under the veil, she acted the same way. ¡°Greetings, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Miss Vikes, what brings you here to the Imperial Palace?¡± ¡°I¡¯m meeting the Duchess of Dyke.¡± My older sister? Since when did those two become friends? If he didn¡¯t know that Aishe Vikes was the real Aishe Phineos, he would not have cared about it. His older sister was originally a person who liked to hang out with people. But it¡¯s different when it comes to the Phineos. What is she up to? He was moving carefully so as not to make a mistake, but he had to speed up. ¡°Have a good time. See you later.¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Aishe with an innocent smile grabbed Clive¡¯s sleeve as he was about to get into the carriage. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Her smile disappeared. With his cold gaze, Aishe let go of his sleeve. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°I hate getting grabbed, Miss Vikes. I¡¯m sorry if I scared you. Do you have anything to say?¡± Aishe¡¯s eyes widened as if she was about to cry, she tried to laugh. ¡°How is my cousin doing?¡± ¡°Cousin? Oh, my fiancee? I didn¡¯t know you two were cousins.¡± ¡°We are distant cousins, so no one knows. I heard the news that she was invited to Derevell Palace.¡± ¡°She is very comfortable and we are having a good time. With me.¡± Aishe¡¯s moist eyes quickly dried. Clasping her hands together, she took a step toward Clive. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re having a ball soon. Could you please invite me too?¡± Her bright voice is full of coquettishness. ¡°I¡¯ll send you an invitation.¡± Clive, who answered roughly, shook his head and got into the carriage. He closed the curtain of the open window without even looking at Aishe, who was still standing. He was offended just by looking at Aishe¡¯s face, who told lies without remorse. * * * * * * * * * * ¡°Just by the appearance of Miss Vikes, the surroundings brighten up. She was like a big twinkling star.¡± Yulik spoke with admiration, but Clive just looked out the window with his chin in his hand. Clive smirked. ¡°Nonsense, what a star.¡± ¡°Excluding personal feelings and honestly speaking up, she shines.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Seeing Clive, who refused to the end, Yulik shook his head and became quiet. He remained silent, then suddenly leaned forward and put his face under Clive¡¯s chin. ¡°But since when did you start hating when someone grabs your sleeve?¡± ¡°Since a long time.¡± ¡°So when? I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± ¡°You have been neglecting me for so long. You!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t talk about it that way. Oh, gosh.¡± Yulik, who sat upright, pushed up his glasses. It was his habit before they could start talking seriously. ¡°Miss Vikes birth documents were intact. I also investigated the servants, relatives, and the people from their estate, she has been there since she was born. She was often away from her home for medical treatment due to her frail condition. It¡¯s a good excuse to go back and forth between the two families without a doubt.¡± They even made up birth documents when Aishe was born, but maybe even before she was born. He wondered why she is pretending to be the daughter of the Vikes family. ¡°I even approached the servants who work for Phineos, but they didn¡¯t even budge.¡± ¡°We have been preparing for so long, you have to thoroughly handle the servants. Still, keep approaching and find out. Maybe someone can tell you.¡± ¡°Yes. What about Kylo Phineos?¡± He was the twin brother of Aishe Phineos. Kylo, who rarely goes outside, only occasionally showed his face at important banquets in the Imperial Palace. He had even seen Clive. Most recently, it was the engagement ceremony. He looks just like Aishe. Clive never thought of matching the two because they were from different families. The more he knows, the more interesting it is. ¡°Kylo Phineos makes weird noises when he drinks.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he doesn¡¯t drink?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. He is quiet and doesn¡¯t talk much. He always said that he had a beautiful sister in hiding whenever he¡¯d been drinking.¡± Clive, who had been looking out the window the whole time, turned to look at Yulik. An ally was in that house. Of course not, but if Kylo had bad feelings for Eirene, he wouldn¡¯t have called her a beautiful sister. ¡°Did you meet him?¡± ¡°He rarely goes out these days. I can¡¯t meet him, so I¡¯m waiting. It was difficult to find out about his drinking rumors.¡± ¡°I heard that he has a cautious personality. Keep your distance.¡± Clive¡¯s gaze turned to look out the window again. He is glad he met Eirene. If he hadn¡¯t met her, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed this was happening at the Phineos. It¡¯ll take him a long time to figure it out. He was grateful to Eirene. If they follow the secretive Phineos family, they will know the exact relationship with the temple. Chapter 13 Clive arrived at Derevell Palace in the afternoon and went straight to the library where Eirene was. He opened the door and saw Eirene¡¯s head through the books stacked on the desk. Even with the sound of the door and footsteps, she was unaware of Clive¡¯s presence. He heard that she had been sitting and reading since morning. If it wasn¡¯t for Mrs. Hanon¡¯s pestering, she would skip meals. It seems that people who have only read books in the basement all their lives don¡¯t get bored. He walked to the other side of the desk. A shadow fell over the book she was reading, but she did not notice it at all. When he read the titles of the stacked books, he found that most of them were old books. The fast-moving eyes, the tilted head, the occasional rolled and bitten lower lip, and a little sigh. It contains a sense of desperation to find something that is not read for fun. Clive wondered what she was looking for, but he didn¡¯t want to know. She has lived a rough life, hasn¡¯t she? He thought there was something else she needed to find in the hard life she was living. As he was about to walk away, quietly, not wanting to disturb her, when suddenly Eirene called out to him. ¡°Clive.¡± The soft voice sounded good. ¡°I was going out. I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± It was because she said she felt comfortable reading alone. ¡°Then I think it would have been better if you hadn¡¯t come in the first place.¡± He thought she would reply ¡®It¡¯s okay¡® or ¡®I didn¡¯t know you came¡®, but she completely sidetracked. It was better not to go in in the first place. His good mood was shattered because it sounded like he wouldn¡¯t be allowed in next time. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Just like I said. You were going to leave because you thought you would be a hindrance to me, but you got in the way. So if you hadn¡¯t come from the beginning, there would have been nothing in¡­¡­.¡± Eirene mistook her own words. It¡¯s not that she felt sorry for Clive or that she thinks he made a mistake. It looked like she had to explain it all. Clive was kind and polite in his own way, but to Eirene, that wasn¡¯t all. Her dark purple eyes wondered why he hadn¡¯t rushed out, and what he was doing. She wasn¡¯t wrong. She was upset, then angry. Eirene couldn¡¯t understand herself or what she was saying. Clive, who was confused by the rush of emotions, made a promise. No matter what happens in the future, he won¡¯t go into the library when Eirene is there. ¡°I understand. In the future, I will make sure not to interfere¡± He knew it was a childish comment, but he couldn¡¯t help it, even if it was childish. He thought he would die of frustration if he didn¡¯t say what was on his mind right away. * * * * * * * * * * Despite reading a considerable amount of books, the results were insignificant. Divine power is something that only those chosen by God can have, and there was no way to obtain it. It has not yet been discovered that divine power can be transferred from person to person. Eirene wanted to meet God in person again and ask him why he didn¡¯t take it all. How can I get my abilities back to what they were before? However, she was afraid to meet God again because she deceived God by saying that she would not take revenge. Eirene needed the ability to purify things to get to the next level, but she had become nothing more than herself. She wondered if she expected too much. She was having trouble controlling her impatience. It was said that a long fight required a much longer preparation time. I should stop here for today. As she got up and closed the book, Matilda walked over to Eirene. ¡°My lady, dinner is ready.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡± As Eirene was about to go into the dining room to eat with Clive, Matilda informed her that the dinner was in the annex palace. That¡¯s great. Although eating with Clive wasn¡¯t bad, she still felt more comfortable eating alone. She decided to have dinner and then go for a light walk to cool her head. * * * * * * * * * * All the food at Derevell Palace was delicious, especially the desserts. Desserts are the best for making complicated thoughts go away. Sometimes, she wished she lived here so she could still eat dessert. After a satisfying dinner, she went outside. Matilda was worried about the cold night air, but Eirene didn¡¯t mind at all. She likes the cold. Her desire for fresh air easily defeated the cold. Eirene just walked through the small garden of the annex palace and headed to the main garden. She hadn¡¯t been outside for a long time and she was already cold. ¡°The garden looks like an empty field because it¡¯s winter, but in spring all kinds of flowers bloom and it¡¯s very beautiful.¡± Matilda pointed with her finger to the places where the flowers would bloom. ¡°It would be so beautiful if the spacious garden was filled with flowers.¡± ¡°Yes. That is why the Grand Duke holds a ball every spring.¡± Matilda lowered her voice and whispered. ¡°When spring comes, he likes to show it off.¡± Eirene thought, ¡®Clive bragging?¡¯, then shook her head. It¡¯s not because he wants to brag about it, but there are people he needs to observe closely. And one of them must be Count Phineos. ¡°By the time the garden is full of flowers, my lady will be the Grand Duchess, right?¡± Grand Duchess. Eirene felt weird, she looked around the dark and invisible garden. Is it possible to be the Lady of Derebell Palace? She decided to have Clive but was relieved when they didn¡¯t eat together tonight. She avoided him when he offered to read a book together in the library. How can I win Clive¡¯s heart this way? I have become pathetic. Eirene was straightening her shawl when she suddenly saw Clive approaching her. ¡°I came out to digest.¡± Without asking, Clive told her why he had gone for a walk. Eirene did not avoid him. It seemed like it would be good to be together as often as possible. ¡°Were you busy?¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°We ate separately.¡± ¡°Because you look busy. I ate first because I was hungry.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Eirene shook her head up and down. ¡°I guess you were curious about me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Of course?¡± ¡°We always ate together, but that¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°Of course. of course.¡± Clive was muttering under his breath, repeating the same word over and over again. He seemed happy when he finished talking to himself. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°It¡¯s bearable. It¡¯s colder in the basement.¡± Did I say something wrong? Clive¡¯s happy face hardened. Suddenly he took Eirene¡¯s hand. She was surprised and inadvertently tried to pull her hand away, but his grip tightened. ¡°Your hands are cold.¡± Eirene looked at the big hand that held her own. ¡°Your hands aren¡¯t warm either.¡± His hands were cold. It looked like he was trying to warm her hand up, but it didn¡¯t help much. Clive¡¯s face went blank for a moment and he began to laugh. ¡°You really are¡­.¡± He laughed while holding Eirene¡¯s hand with one hand and covering his eyes with the other. ¡°You never say nice things.¡± I made a mistake again. It¡¯s not that Eirene can¡¯t say nice things. It¡¯s just that the words came out of his mouth without thinking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you the truth about how I feel.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s good. It¡¯s good to tell the truth.¡± Clive raised her hand and showed it to Eirene. ¡°Our hands are cold, but holding them together warms them. Do you feel your hand getting warm?¡± It was really getting warm. Eirene¡¯s hand, trapped in Clive¡¯s, was no longer cold. She looked at Clive, who was still looking at her hand, still smiling. Am I wrong about him? In her eyes, he no longer resembled a snake or a death god. Clive now seemed like a good person. * * * * * * * * * * Everyone was busy the day before the ball at Derevell Palace. Fortunately, it was a winter ball. He was busy preparing the outdoor garden for the spring and fall ball. The last thing to do was put the flowers in place once they arrived. Mrs. Hanon who was sitting there sighing, finally heard that the flowers had already arrived and went out. Eirene also came out and looked at the piled flowers. Her dull face lit up with vitality. Like when she ate dessert for the first time. Her gloomy face lit up as she smelled the most amazing scent when Matilda offered her a flower. It¡¯s the first time that she shows such an expressive expression. After seeing Eirene for a few days, there were times when she was flawless, but she could not understand her. Although she was a polite lady from a noble family, she sometimes seemed like a child who had just come out into the world and had her first experience. Eirene didn¡¯t express it outwardly, because it was something Clive would take care of, but she was worried. The Grand Duke must have an idea. Mrs. Hanon who told herself not to think deeply approached Eirene with a yellow rose. ¡°Roses are very pretty, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes, the color is so beautiful.¡± Eirene looked at the rose with curious eyes. ¡°Shall we bring some to the annex palace?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s for the ball anyway.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t tell if a few are missing.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Hanon.¡± The Phineos¡¯ lady touched the petals carefully, smelled the rose, then admired all the flowers that bloomed during the winter. Her finger was pricked by a thorn. Eirene quickly put her finger to her mouth. She was about to scream for a moment, but her mouth was slightly open. Matilda made a fuss when she saw a round drop of blood on Eirene¡¯s finger. ¡°Oh! My Lady! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± ¡°I was just pricked by a thorn.¡± Eirene said it casually, took out a handkerchief, and wrapped it around her finger. Watching her act that way, she seemed to have more experience than any other lady. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we sanitize it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it.¡± ¡°What if it leaves a scar?¡± ¡°Just for this? I¡¯m sure you know it well. Have you ever had a scar from a rose thorn?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t, but my lady and I are not the same.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the same.¡± When Eirene removed the handkerchief, a small red stain of blood was clearly visible and the bleeding stopped. As if to be confirmed by Mrs. Hanon, she showed her finger that had stopped bleeding and returned to the annex palace. * * * * * * * * * * On the day of the ball, Eirene was the busiest person. She felt her soul going dry as the maids dragged her away to bathe her, massage her, comb her hair, and do her nails. Eirene had never expressed her like or dislike when she saw all the dresses that Clive had prepared for her. But she was amazed when she saw her ball gown. The jewels embedded in the pure white dress shone brilliantly from any direction. Clive wanted the Phineos to know that she was important enough to him to spend his money on the dress. Although the dress was heavy, the light reflected from the jewels also shone on Eirene¡¯s white skin. When she was ready, she left the dressing room and Clive was sitting on the sofa, concentrating on the papers. Even though he was sitting down, his long legs got caught on the table, causing him to lean to the side. Clive who had his index finger on his chin, turned the page. He raised his head when he felt a gaze settle on him. A gentle smile spread across his face. ¡°Beautiful. Do you like it?¡± Eirene also agreed with Clive¡¯s confident question. Clive got up, handed Yulik the papers, and walked over to his fiancee, praising the designer, Scarlett. Having said that, she made it very perfectly as he requested. Clive walked around Eirene and stood behind her. Yulik walked over to Clive¡¯s gesture and opened the box he was holding. He brought out a necklace with a dark purple amethyst that resembles the color of Eirene¡¯s eyes. He put the necklace on her. His hands gently grasped Eirene¡¯s shoulders and spun her around. ¡°I knew it would suit you very well.¡± Satisfied, Clive let go of Eirene¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I invited the Phineos. Aishe will come too.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You are the main character today.¡± The words ¡®the main character¡¯ were etched in Eirene¡¯s heart. She was always locked up because of Aishe. I only existed for Aishe¡¯s sake. I used to live in a dark basement. I thought this life was just a life given to me to take revenge, but I suddenly felt like it was a new life. A life where I am the protagonist. That¡¯s why God said that. Just look at yourself this time. Saying that I must follow my own path in search of happiness. Chapter 14 The ballroom was much brighter and more dazzling than she had imagined. Clive took notice of Eirene¡¯s condition. He stopped and waited for her. The murmur grew louder and louder. It was impossible to guess how many people had come. Eirene thought that this situation would not be difficult, but suddenly her heart was beating rapidly and breathing became difficult. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Clive asked worriedly. ¡°I must be nervous.¡± ¡°Hold my arm tight. Nothing will happen.¡± When Eirene grabbed his arm, Clive tapped her hand. She thought it was funny that he¡¯s the only one she can rely on, but it¡¯s reassuring to have him. Eirene who died once had nothing to fear, but the world she first encountered was far from easy. Eirene took a light, deep breath, signaling that she was ready. The eyes of the guests who had been anxiously awaiting the appearance of the two were focused. The guests craned their necks to see the Grand Duke¡¯s fianc¨¦e, forgetting their manners and gossiping. Each person who had imagined the face of the person who would become the Grand Duchess began to gossip with each other. ¡°Apparently the rumor that she was ugly was not true.¡± ¡°Who do you think the Grand Duke is? I didn¡¯t believe that at all.¡± ¡°There were rumors that she was sick, but is that true? Look at her face, she¡¯s so pale as if she has never seen the sun.¡± ¡°She is not pale, she is white. Even from a distance, anyone can see that her skin is flawless and beautiful. I am so envious.¡± ¡°It must be true that Count Phineos or the Grand Duke deliberately did not allow her to appear in society.¡± There was a story that the two had been dating for a long time before getting engaged. Those who observed Eirene¡¯s appearance and questioned the truth of the rumor soon turned their attention to the dress and necklace she was wearing. Did you see that? How much does it cost? Only the Royal Family could get those gems, etc. Eirene didn¡¯t know if her heartbeat would slow, but she was sweating and having trouble breathing. ¡°Would you like to go out if you¡¯re having a hard time?¡± She shook her head at Clive¡¯s question, who was still worried. What are you going to do if I can¡¯t overcome this? It¡¯s something I have to deal with in the future. ¡°I will get better.¡± Wherever Clive and Eirene went, they attracted attention, and the guests gathered one by one waiting to greet them. Due to the people waiting in line, it ended with a normal greeting, but as more people came to greet them, the less nervous Eirene became. Time flew by just giving formal greetings and smiling. As the greetings ended, it was finally time to enjoy, and at the same time, their interest in Eirene faded. Eirene, who can¡¯t dance, sneaked out of the noisy ballroom. She wanted to escape to the terrace, but it was to avoid the tiring situation caused by everyone approaching and talking to her. The cold night wind scratched the exposed skin. But it was better being outside than inside. Eirene blew hot breath on her hands, but it didn¡¯t do much good, so she gave up and found a bench and sat down. She saw the Countess and Aishe in the distance. They looked at Eirene and Clive but didn¡¯t come closer. She was going to go say greet first, but she was trying to figure out how to do it. Aishe looked at Eirene with blood in her eyes, but when someone came over to speak, she quickly smiled brightly. You¡¯re amazing, Aishe. To defeat her clever little sister, Eirene had no choice but to become the same. I guess it¡¯s the same for Clive. She didn¡¯t like it, but she wasn¡¯t in a position to question it. ¡°Will you go inside now?¡± Someone approached Eirene. Step step It was Kylo, Aishe¡¯s twin brother. * * * * * * * * * * ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Kylo, who was some distance away, greeted her first. Eirene couldn¡¯t even remember how long it had been since she last saw him. After frequenting the basement, he stopped visiting long before Aishe. At the time, she asked the Countess and the maids why her younger brother was not coming, but they did not answer. Aishe once told her, ¡®He just doesn¡¯t want to come.¡¯ Eirene struggled and pondered for a long time if she had done something wrong to Kylo. He was a friend and family to her. Unlike Aishe¡¯s cheerful and lively personality, Kylo was a quiet person. He didn¡¯t laugh or speak out loud. He was like a calm lake. Kylo had the opposite personality of Aishe, but their appearances were very similar. At that time, she was the only one who didn¡¯t know anything else. The only result of trusting too much to the point of not having any doubt was death. It was a very stupid result. If Eirene had confronted Kylo in the past when she killed everyone in the Phineos mansion, she might not have been able to carry out the task. Because she didn¡¯t have any bad feelings toward him. Of course, the fact that they were in cahoots remains unchanged. ¡°You¡¯re alive, Kylo. I thought you were dead.¡± Kylo hasn¡¯t changed. The gentle look in his eyes showed that his personality was still the same. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m alive and healthy.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t show up like you were never going to see me, so you had to come here?¡± ¡°Yes. How can I decline the Grand Duke¡¯s invitation?¡± ¡°Then you know why I¡¯m here.¡± A brief smile appeared on Kylo¡¯s lips and then it disappeared. ¡°I think it¡¯s good. Eirene.¡± At Kylo¡¯s voice, who always called her name in a friendly way, Eirene felt like she had stepped back in time. A time when she knew nothing. In those silly times, her memory of Kylo wasn¡¯t too bad. However, when she found out that he was in cahoots with the Phineos family, a sense of evil began to take over her. ¡°Good? Is this all right?¡± ¡°I want you to marry the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°What about Aishe?¡± ¡°Aishe will be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She wasn¡¯t worried, but she didn¡¯t know why Kylo had said that. Kylo was not related by blood to Eirene. And he was Aishe¡¯s real brother. ¡°How can I take Aishe¡¯s place?¡± ¡°You deserve it. Because Aishe has stolen something from you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you care about me, and not Aishe.¡± ¡°I¡­..¡± Kylo tried to say something, but he ended up saying something else. He scratched his forehead with a troubled expression, but a familiar smile appeared. ¡°I want you to be happy.¡± He wished me happiness. Eirene burst out laughing. ¡°Kylo, you were such a good kid. You look good when you wish for the happiness of others. But Aishe was nice too. Your parents were nice too. You know what these nice people have done to me, right? I was abandoned after being used by your family for a long time. That¡¯s why I¡¯m afraid of what you think on the inside, wishing for my happiness.¡± ¡°I mean it.¡± ¡°Do you have remorse on your conscience now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tell Aishe and your parents that I will stick to my role. Also, tell them not to worry, I¡¯ll give her this seat back.¡± Eirene was about to turn around, trying to suppress her rising anger when suddenly Kylo grabbed her wrist. ¡°Eirene. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°I will let you go. So don¡¯t go and listen to me.¡± ¡°She told you to let go.¡± Suddenly, another voice intervened. A voice that lets you know who that person is without checking. A large shadow stepped out of the darkness. As soon as Kylo saw Clive, he let go of Eirene¡¯s wrist. Not knowing if Clive had heard their conversation, Kylo¡¯s complexion suddenly turned pale. His sharp gray eyes were about to blow out Kylo¡¯s neck at any moment. He looked like a huge, elegant white snake. Many people called Clive the Imperial maniac. But those were the words of those who had never been struck with the sword wielded by a bastard before knowing him properly. The moonlight shining on his gray hair made him even more radiant, making Kylo cringe. When Kylo heard that Eirene was replacing Aishe, he thought it was really good. He wished Eirene to become the Grand Duchess. Even if the Grand Duke was full of bad rumors, he is better than Count Phineos. She would at least be better off living in the basement without a single ray of sunshine. However, he doesn¡¯t want his family to get into trouble because of Eirene. He didn¡¯t want to believe that Clive could have overheard the conversation. He couldn¡¯t even imagine. Clive asked Eirene. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± He spoke softly to her compared to when he spoke to Kylo. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Clive. It¡¯s just a little fight between siblings.¡± Eirene stepped up. ¡°Go ahead, Kylo. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± She pushed Kylo in the back. Reluctantly pushed by her weak hand, Kylo managed to say goodbye to Clive and left. His quick pace slowed down, then he stopped, and stood there with a puzzled look on his face. Once again, knowing the sins of his parents and sister, he condoned them. He wanted to ask Eirene for forgiveness and help on behalf of her family, but he didn¡¯t have the courage. If what Eirene went through leaked out, he feared criticism and punishment for the House of Phineos. Therefore, he stopped visiting the basement where Eirene lived. He was ashamed of not being different from his family. Now that he¡¯s an adult, he couldn¡¯t shake the guilt he felt toward Eirene. He thought he dared to live a life full of regrets, but it was not different from back then. The moment he saw Clive, he was ashamed of himself to the point of getting scared. So he ran away. He was relieved that Clive couldn¡¯t hear his conversation with Eirene. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to avoid the crime either. I will take the punishment, Eirene.¡± Kylo sobbed in agony as he wrapped his arms around his head. For a long time, he couldn¡¯t leave the place. * * * * * * * * * * Clive took off the fur cloak he was wearing and put it on Eirene¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I think you are crazy.¡± At the unexpected words, Eirene looked at him. Even though there were no people around, she had a conversation with Kylo in a public place. Although they spoke quietly, there were plenty of places to hide. Because she was embarrassed and angry at Kylo¡¯s sudden appearance, she was not wary of her surroundings. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± ¡°I know I have to be vigilant, but when I saw Kylo, I got angry and couldn¡¯t control it.¡± ¡°I am not talking about him. It¡¯s warm now, but if you come out dressed like this, you will freeze to death.¡± Eirene then realized that her body was frozen. She didn¡¯t know it, but she was shivering. She closed the cloak around her shoulders, blocking out the cold wind as much as possible. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have stayed here until I froze to death. I was so focused on the conversation that I just couldn¡¯t feel the cold.¡± ¡°Are you sick? Does it make sense to not feel the cold?¡± ¡°I feel the cold now.¡± Clive, giving her a disapproving look, urged her to go inside. The warmth melted her as soon as she followed him inside. ¡°It¡¯s cold, so why did you go out? Did you promise to meet Kylo Phineos?¡± ¡°I met Kylo by chance. It¡¯s my first time at a ball, I felt awkward and I can¡¯t even dance. That¡¯s why I went out.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t dance at all?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± ¡°What should I do? There¡¯s a lot of people waiting for the Grand Duke to dance with his fianc¨¦e.¡± The guests who were enjoying the ball stopped dancing at the appearance of Clive and Eirene. She thought they had lost interest, but they were really looking forward to it. Clive took Eirene¡¯s hand and led her to the center of the ballroom. In this situation, he seems to have had no choice. Strangely, Eirene was not worried at all when he asked her to trust him.