《M?rchen For A Villain》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 It was her wedding night. Princess Isabelle, from a weak country, married a nobleman of the empire who had wealth, appearance, and status. ¡®There is only one problem.¡¯ It was the fact that she would die tonight. She was the thirteenth bride of the cursed Grand Duke, whose brides died every wedding night. After her bath, Isabelle sat on the bed wearing a thin dress. After gulping down the wine, she placed the empty glass on the small table. The fourth glass of wine had already run out. Death was still unfamiliar to her, even after all the regressions she had been through. A mountain of horror seized her shoulders and bound her limbs. Creak- The bedroom door opened and her husband, Grand Duke Karl Bashke, entered. Unlike Isabelle, who had a bath, he was still in his stiff formal attire. Especially with his tall stature and his body trained in sword fighting, he wore his formal attire perfectly. But Isabelle, who had been looking forward to seeing him in his gown, was a little disappointed. ¡°Are you ready, Princess?¡± ¡®You mean ready to die?¡¯ Isabelle let out a sigh of relief. ¡°From the look on your face, it seems that the Grand Duke is not ready.¡± Isn¡¯t he the Navy Admiral who was solid despite the tsunami big enough to cover the sky? Now, however, he looked as anxious as a boy with a paper boat floating on a muddy river. ¡°This is your thirteenth marriage. The Grand Duke must get used to it.¡± How could he use his handsome face like that? If anyone saw him, they would think he was dying. Isabelle stood up from the bed and approached the Grand Duke. Isabelle¡¯s cheeks and lips were redder than usual. The Grand Duke immediately glanced at the wine on the side table. ¡°Where are you looking?¡± Isabelle grabbed the Grand Duke¡¯s face with both hands and smirked. The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes opened wide. He dropped his gaze, hesitating for something. ¡°Princess, you can leave now. I won¡¯t catch you,¡± the surprisingly small voice sounded like a rapid fire gun. This was the first time in the past twelve marriages that the Grand Duke had visited the bride¡¯s bedroom. He had come with difficulty to Isabelle to tell her to leave. Isabelle, who couldn¡¯t possibly know how he thought, only smiled sadly. ¡°Even if I leave, I¡¯m going to die today anyway. ¡° Isabelle hugged the Grand Duke tightly. ¡®It¡¯s warm.¡¯ This was something she would never normally do. Whether it was because of alcohol or because she was about to die, her emotions were revealed on the surface. ¡°You and I are so pitiful.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯re being treated like bad people. We¡¯re the ones who are unhappy.¡± They were incomprehensible words. Isabel looked out the window. Pitch black darkness hung like a curtain. ¡°The sun has set today and you haven¡¯t changed into a beast?¡± ¡°The first night is the only exception.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a strange curse.¡± Isabelle smiled and looked up at the Grand Duke. The moment when their gazes met in the air. The man with one head larger was as motionless as a beast caught in a trap. The Grand Duke stared at her, speechless. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Isabelle was sincere. She had lived the rest of her life without shortage because of the Grand Duke. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t have some regrets, but I don¡¯t.¡± She chose the Grand Duke. Isabelle tapped the Grand Duke on the tip of his nose. Instantly the Grand Duke¡¯s face contorted. He raised his hands and covered Isabelle¡¯s face. Isabelle could not avert her gaze. In an instant their lips overlapped. Unlike his neat attire with buttons all the way to his neck, his actions were relentless. ¡®I may have regretted my life, but I had no regrets.¡¯ So Isabelle waited for midnight in his arms. Ding- The wall clock struck twelve. ¡°D*mn it, God.¡± The Grand Duke held Isabelle tightly as if crushing her. The black curse that killed the bride rose like a mist from the Grand Duke¡¯s body. It struck Isabelle in a flash. And yet. ¡°What is this?¡± The pitch black curse that tightened around her neck began to be sucked somewhere else. Isabelle dropped her gaze. The yellow light that flowed from her heart gathered in one place and formed the shape of a clock, the hands of the clock spinning faster as it absorbed all of the curse of the Grand Duke. Psss- The clock, having exhausted its strength, turned to light dust and fell to the floor. ¡°¡­Isabelle?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s lips, which had been calling her name all night, called her name once more. He hurriedly bent over and placed his ear to her heart. He could clearly hear the sound of her heart beating. Isabelle also raised her hand and touched the Grand Duke. His warmth and touch were vividly felt. ¡®Crazy. I¡¯m not dead.¡¯ ¡®I think I survived. I¡¯m really saved.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not dead, Grand Duke!¡± Isabelle embraced the Grand Duke¡¯s neck. The Grand Duke couldn¡¯t believe it either, and hugged her compassionately. It was the first miracle that had ever overcome death. They held each other like that for a while. Then they slowly moved away from each other, awkwardly, as if they had made a pact. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive, Princess.¡± He was really happy. The Grand Duke rubbed his reddened neck and turned his gaze to somewhere in the air. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m so happy that I avoided the curse..¡­¡­¡­.¡± Isabel was also embarrassed, covering her eyes with her hands. ¡®I see. He must be surprised that the bride survived.¡¯ If she survived, wouldn¡¯t they have to write a contract to live like strangers? He couldn¡¯t possibly have any feelings for her. Isabelle rubbed her face and brushed away the buds of regrets. ¡®For that matter, yesterday¡¯s act was pretty intense¡­. ¡® That should be regarded as an adult situation where they were carried away by the atmosphere before death. ¡°What will happen to me from today?¡± Will they start living separately because he told her to live like strangers? Or divorce? Unlike Isabelle¡¯s serious question, the Grand Duke gave a plain answer. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Princess already the Grand Duchess?¡± The Grand Duke fixed the gown that had fallen under Isabelle¡¯s shoulders and jumped out of bed. Isabelle couldn¡¯t see his face because he had turned his body to rearrange his clothes. ¡®Is he embarrassed?¡¯ Isabelle looked at the tip of his ears, which was brightly reddish. ¡°I¡¯ll make room in the mansion for the Grand Duchess. If there is anything you need, you can always tell the servants. ¡° The Grand Duke quickly poured out only his words without giving Isabelle time to refute. And the steps out of the bedroom were busy. ¡°What is that reaction?¡± Isabelle muttered as she looked at the closed door. The way he was in a hurry¡­..He looked like a man who had fallen in love. (*This is the end of the prologue which will happen in the future) **** *Beginning of the story* ** Jeong Se-ha was traveling to a rural village in Europe. The Rabbit Hole River that crossed the village was a famous place for bungee jumping. Jeong Se-ha jumped powerfully toward the bright blue river. She fell straight into the river and died. It was a mistake on the part of the company that had prepared too long a line. *** She was sure she was dead. ¡°Where am I?¡± Jeong Se-ha woke up on an unfamiliar beach. She tilted her head as she looked up at the strange clock floating in the air. It was only later that she realized what it was. She possessed the fairy tale ¡®The Little Mermaid¡¯. She had become the Princess of a neighboring country who married the Prince that the Little Mermaid saved. Jeong Se-ha knew the original story. The Prince was trash, and the Princess of the neighboring country, whom she thought was just a supporting cast, was an evil woman, but she successfully married the Prince just like in the fairy tale. Of course, married life with the Prince was not easy. But there was nothing she couldn¡¯t do, so she held on firmly. But there was a twist. The Little Mermaid, who had become bubbles, awakened as the Spirit of Air. ¡®Wait a minute, isn¡¯t this the fairy tale world?¡¯ The Little Mermaid, along with her helpers, destroyed the empire, and Jeong Se-ha was killed once more. It had been exactly three months since her resurrection. *** There was a clock in the air. This time, Jeong Se-ha woke up on the beach again. ¡®It¡¯s the same as last time!¡¯ This time, she left the fallen Prince unattended and fled, and the Prince died of respiratory distress. Isabel was caught and burned at the stake for murder of the imperial family. The date was the same as the last death. **** She woke up to the sound of a clock ticking. ¡°Fxxx!¡± As soon as she saw the beach, she instinctively started swearing. This time she lived a good life and bonded with the Prince and the Little Mermaid. However, the Prince confessed to her. ¡°Isabelle, marry me.¡± ¡°You have Delphine, my Prince!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t have a half human who can¡¯t speak, as the Empress.¡± The Little Mermaid, who was secretly listening to this, stabbed Isabelle with the dagger she was holding. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill¡­¡­the Prince¡­.you should have stabbed him.¡± ¡®It¡¯s unfair. I¡¯m only guilty of what I¡¯ve been confessed to.¡¯ Isabelle¡¯s consciousness gradually faded away. As usual, the date of death was the same. **** I just want to die. Don¡¯t save me. Don¡¯t tick. Isabelle closed her eyes again, though the sound of the diminished second hand bothered her. ¡®Are you playing with people? No matter how God exists, this is not right.¡¯ In the quiet silence, the sound of waves that she didn¡¯t want to hear again fluttered in her ears. Unfortunately, time did not stop. ¡®Let¡¯s save the Prince for now to avoid the burn.¡¯ Isabelle rushed to the Prince and gave him CPR with her hands on his midsection. She pressed it only three times. ¡°Ha!¡± The Prince coughed as he woke up. How can a man who almost died and came back to life cough so gracefully? Isabelle gave him a self-interest punch on the midriff one more time, then withdrew her hand. The Prince groaned and opened his eyes wide. ¡°Did you just hit me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then you saved me¡­.¡± ¡°No.¡± After cutting off the Prince¡¯s question firmly, Isabelle pointed to the sea with a blank face. ¡°That mermaid saved you and ran away. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Then maybe your eyes are too small to see.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± the Prince countered, but Isabelle did not answer. Perhaps because she died three times because of the Prince, just looking at his face made her angry. ¡®You can¡¯t see it? Alright, let me pull her out.¡¯ Isabelle jumped into the sea and pointed at the Little Mermaid hiding under the water. ¡°Hey! Aren¡¯t you coming out? If you saved people, you should take responsibility!¡± However, as she got closer, the Little Mermaid hid even deeper. ¡®Oh, really!¡¯ ¡±Don¡¯t run away and regret it, just come out bravely. So you don¡¯t stick a knife in people¡¯s bellies later!¡± The sea water fluttered to Isabelle¡¯s neck, but she didn¡¯t stop. When a big wave came crashing in, Isabelle¡¯s body was quickly lifted up. The Prince picked Isabelle up. ¡°Are you insane! Are you trying to drown!¡± ¡°I have to catch that red-haired woman. That woman is the Prince¡¯s savior.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first and talk.¡± The Prince walked out of the sea with Isabelle in his arms. ¡®If I stay like this, I¡¯ll be riding the imperial apocalypse route.¡¯ Isabelle swept her face in despair. As soon as the Prince lowered Isabelle down onto the sand, she just sat on the ground as she was. ¡°Lady, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going crazy.¡± The Prince silently agreed with Isabelle¡¯s words. The beautiful woman who looked somewhat cold unfortunately seemed to have a unique mental problem. ¡°By the way, where are we?¡± It was a very unfamiliar place. The Prince scanned the area. ¡°I see a castle built near the seaside¡­ It looks like the Kingdom of Desar.¡± The only response to the Prince¡¯s words was silence. Slowly looking around, the Prince turned his head towards Isabelle. ¡°¡­Hello?¡± There was no one else around. Isabelle lifted up her skirt and ran away to the other side at once. She was so fast. The Prince stared at Isabelle, who was running away with a puzzled expression. Thin and slender calves were visible under her skirt. Blonde wavy hair looked like it was drenched in water. The Prince, who was staring in awe, muttered a famous line of the land. ¡°You are the first woman who has run away from me.¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The Kingdom of Desar was located on a small island. There were two reasons why this small country with little population and resources was famous. The first was that it was the location of a multinational pagoda. Since it was a land where particularly powerful magical power flowed, wizards established magical towers for research purposes. The second reason was the Desar royal bloodline. Their beautiful appearance made them good spouses. The royal family had many children over the generations, and the offerings they received for marrying them kept the royal family going. In a way, there was no other monarch who was truly lazy. After saving the Prince, Isabelle returned to the castle for the first time. She thought of the second regression that had left the Prince for dead. ¡®The seaside was certainly deserted that day.¡¯ Before arriving at the palace, she was captured by the imperial troops for the murder of the Prince and taken away to a warship. ¡°Princess, where did you go last night? I was so surprised that you suddenly disappeared.¡± She was all wet. Isabelle¡¯s nanny and maid of honor, Verdell, covered her body with a large towel. Just then the first Princess, Maria, came into the room. ¡°She¡¯s always done that. She¡¯s trying hard because my father is trying to sell her to another country.¡± ¡°Maria¡­sister?¡± Isabelle looked back at the faint memory and stared at Maria. Each time she repeated the regression, the memory of her previous life became fuzzy. It was like forgetting a dream after waking up from sleep. ¡®She was the only family member that cared for Isabelle.¡¯ ¡°Congratulations on your wedding, Isabelle.¡± ¡°No! Please, help me sister, ahhh!¡± Various sounds mixed in her head, and her ears rang. Maria snickered at the pale and tired Isabelle, ¡°She¡¯s like that again¡±. ¡°Hey, are you upset that I came to visit you after so long? My name is Maria Desar, your heavenly oldest sister.¡± ¡®Enough said, do you remember now? Stop acting and relax your expression.¡¯ Gracefully lifting the hem of her skirt in greeting, Maria tapped Isabelle on the shoulder with the fan she was holding. ¡°Maria Desar¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Maria Desar who came to take care of her step son, and went to see her ugly sister.¡± The king had married the first princess, Maria, to a rich foreign nobleman. Maria, who usually did not talk about her family, was particularly angry today. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re going to meet your potential groom today. ¡° ¡°Potential groom?¡± ¡°Father is going to sell you off to a rich man, why do you pretend you don¡¯t know, after you even wrote to him?¡± Maria snorted, saying the letter looked like a suicide note. ¡°Sister¡­.You wrote that letter. ¡° Is that why Isabelle threw herself into the sea? If that was the case, that was why she laid on the beach each time she regressed. ¡°Be prepared, Isabelle.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If a potential groom is decided today, you¡¯ll leave as soon as tomorrow. You remember I packed my bags that day, don¡¯t you? I didn¡¯t even have enough time to cry.¡± ¡°There was a potential groom¡­ Who was it?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that? The best one was Viscount Dantor, who was 41 years old, and I wanted to forget him.¡± Forty-one years old? Has the king gone mad? Isabelle was only 22 years old. ¡°The youngest man was 41 years old?¡± ¡°No, the youngest was a cursed foreign Grand Duke.¡± Grand Duke Bashke. Maria knew him well. She couldn¡¯t not know him because her step son followed her around saying the Grand Duke was his master and his notoriety was brought to the empire. On their wedding nights, all of the Grand Duke¡¯s brides were dead. There had been 12 dead brides so far. Because of this, the man with the wealth, honor, and beauty of the empire was still alone. ¡°Everyone says they¡¯re afraid of the curse, but when they saw his face, they didn¡¯t feel that way. That¡¯s why there were a dozen brides.¡± Isabelle was silent. Once she had a general grasp of the situation, there were two options. Marry the Prince and got stabbed by the Little Mermaid. Marry the Grand Duke and die under the curse on the first night. Of course, there were ¡°Marry Viscount Dantor,¡± or ¡°live my life running and hiding from the palace,¡± but in three regressions, she always died on the same day. There was no point to suffer because she had a set date to die anyway. Isabelle¡¯s choice leaned towards the Grand Duke. She wanted nothing to do with the Prince who had sent her to her death three times. ¡°Choose a young man, Isabelle. Don¡¯t stay still and be sold to a grandfather (old man) like me.¡± The age difference between Maria and her husband was over twenty years. In fact, the age difference between her and her step son was rather small. Besides, her husband was lying on his sickbed like a corpse, and Maria had to take care of him. ¡°That, too, is regrettable, but I suppose my ill-mannered step son even spread the rumor that his stepmother is trying to take the land.¡± Snow White. Maria spoke the name as if she was chewing on it. Snow White? Isabelle turned quickly to the side. Isn¡¯t this the ¡®The Little Mermaid¡¯ fairy tale? Isabelle couldn¡¯t believe that Maria¡¯s stepson was Snow White¡­no, Prince Snow White. ¡°He was jealous of my beauty, so I sent him away. He didn¡¯t come home because he was meeting his lover, and made such a rumor behind my back. How can I not be upset?¡± Maria was upset that her husband was as old as her grandfather, but even her stepson complained that he would die because he was sick. ¡®I never had this information in my past life¡­¡¯ As the situation changed, so did the information Isabelle was getting. ¡®If I change the original, I might have a way to live.¡¯ Isabelle grabbed Maria¡¯s skirt. ¡°Sister, where can I find Snow White?¡± ¡°Why? Would you like to marry him? Arthur. My proud son has a different lover for every day of the week. ¡° ¡®And the stepson is rejected.¡¯ Maria drew the line like a sword. ¡°I just want to ask him something. Where did he go? ¡° ¡°He went to the Magic Tower. But the Grand Duke¡¯s ship will be arriving soon, shouldn¡¯t you get ready before then?¡± At that moment. ¡°Isabelle!¡± The bedroom door slammed open, and an angry voice was heard. Isabelle¡¯s father, King Desar, walked in with his big strides and raised his hand. His rough hand slapped Isabelle¡¯s cheek. Slap! In her previous life, she would have endured this easily. However, Isabelle¡¯s body was weak. She held out as much as possible not to turn her head, and slowly lifted one eyebrow. ¡®If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve felt all my life¡­¡¯ ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hit my face, father.¡± Isabelle¡¯s father thought of his daughter as an obedient doll. Everyone pointed at Isabelle as an evil woman, but she had all the reasons for her warped personality. An empty laugh flowed out. ¡°Why did you leave the palace all night long? Didn¡¯t I say that a woman must be unconditionally careful?!¡± ¡°Why do you only criticize my attitude and not the debauchery of your son-in-law?¡± ¡°This girl!¡± ¡°Patience, father!¡± If he hit her harder, Isabelle¡¯s face would be really ruined. Maria hung onto the king¡¯s arm and pleaded. ¡°She has great recovery magic, so it¡¯s okay. Today I will correct the vulgarity of this awful thing.¡± ¡°Father, don¡¯t you know that Isabelle can only heal others, but not herself!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try it today and we¡¯ll see.¡± The king, stricken with madness, raised his other hand. ¡®Ha. I held the prince¡¯s hand to get out of this crazy house.¡¯ She had to make a different choice this time. The Grand Duke¡¯s ship would arrive in the kingdom today? Isabelle stared at the king with her eyes open. ¡°Soon the ships of the Neveland Empire will arrive here. Grand Duke Bashke is on board.¡± ¡°What?¡± The king looked at the chamberlain who was standing beside him. The chamberlain nodded to let him know that it was true. ¡°I intend to propose to the Grand Duke as soon as he arrives.¡± ¡°To that Grand Duke who is said to have killed all his brides on the first night?¡± The king seemed to have a different interpretation of the Grand Duke¡¯s curse. He didn¡¯t usually care for his daughter, but he was worried about her life¡­ ¡°Yes. So if you want me to marry safely, do not touch me again.¡± Lifting her chin high, Isabelle greeted him appropriately and left the room. ¡®Ah, Princess¡¯. The maid Verdell, who had been watching, followed her. The king¡¯s angry voice rang out from the room, but Isabelle walked out of the hallway with a cheerful smile. **** Snow White was in a bad mood when he left the Magic Tower. It was because the crumbling tower owner did not honor the contract by making one excuse after another. ¡±The Grand Duke will be disappointed.¡± Snow, as his name meant, swept his silver white hair. At that moment, a beautiful woman with a cold impression approached. ¡°Are you Snow White?¡± ¡±That¡¯s right.¡± ¡®She¡¯s a familiar beauty. When did I see such a beautiful woman?¡¯ Snow observed the beauty carefully. Her cat-like eyes were high and clear, and her blue-green irises were like the transparent ocean. And she has pure white skin and blonde hair. Oh, blonde hair¡­¡­¡­. ¡°I am Princess Isabelle Desar. I¡¯m your stepmother¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°I just remembered.¡± Snow stepped back with a forced smile. He hated his memory for forgetting that Princess for a while. Eight years ago, on the day his father remarried, his stepmother¡¯s sister came to the wedding hall and started a riot. The misbehavior, which lasted for three days and two nights, was said to have caused a big stir in the social circles of the Neveland Empire. ¡®If I remembered well, I would have run away as soon as I saw her.¡¯ (Snow) No one would have known that the girl who was only beautiful in appearance would grow up to be the breathtaking beauty¡­ ¡®Nothing is going well today.¡¯ He refused to tangle with a bad-tempered villainess. Snow tried to escape immediately. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you two favors.¡± Isabelle brought up her main purpose. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a bit busy, so I can¡¯t grant the Princess her request¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Prince Neveland is now in our kingdom.¡± He had probably arrived at the palace by now and was meeting the king. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I thought you were looking for the missing Prince for a long time, right?¡± ¡°And how does the Princess know that?¡± For a moment, Snow¡¯s gaze changed sharply. Isabelle met his gaze straight on and tilted her head. ¡°I somehow saved him.¡± ¡°Why did you do that¡­¡­ ?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Imperial Prince¡¯s savior.¡± Snow chuckled. The change of attitude of the man who was thinking of running away until just now was natural. ¡°So will you do me a favor or not?¡± ¡°What kind of man would turn down a request from a beautiful Princess?¡± ¡°All right, then. Bring him to the empire as soon as possible. That¡¯s my first request.¡± ¡°That punk¡­?¡± Isabelle slightly averted her gaze. Having died three times because of that Prince, words with mixed emotions came out unknowingly. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°To refer to the prince of the Neveland Empire as the punk is ¡­¡­¡­.¡± (Snow) ¡°The second request is¡­.¡± (Isabelle) Snow asked back, but Isabelle quickly cut him off. ¡°I want to meet with Grand Duke Bashke. I intend to propose to him.¡± (Isabelle) Snow¡¯s mouth dropped open as he was about to ask if Isabelle had humiliated the Prince of the empire. It was probably the stupidest expression he had made this year. ¡°Propose to my master?¡± (Snow) ¡®Why is she trying to get involved with my master of all people?¡¯ ¡®Oh, come to think of it, I once sent a portrait of master to a foreign royal family who said they were looking for a groom.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s this Princess, though.¡¯ ¡°Maybe the Princess didn¡¯t hear about our Grand Duke..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± (Snow) ¡°I am well aware of the fact that brides die on their wedding night.¡± (Isabelle) Again, Isabelle answered, cutting off Snow¡¯s words. ¡®People don¡¯t normally cut me off like this.¡¯ Snow had no reaction to the surprising, but worse request. ¡°Please help me to meet the Grand Duke as soon as he arrives.¡± ¡°All right. Shall we wait here for a moment?¡± Snow pointed to the tower near the dock. Isabelle shook her head. Strangely, when she tried to go near the tower, her body trembled and she hated it. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a walk.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°It would probably be an hour or so before the ship arrived.¡± (Snow) ¡°Can¡¯t a man walk that much?¡± (Isabelle) ¡°Huh?¡± (Snow) ¡°How can you have seven lovers if you¡¯re so weak?¡± (Isabelle) Tsk tsk, Isabelle scanned Snow¡¯s body and clicked her tongue. Puhaha, Snow blew out. She even had tears in her eyes, and she raised her glasses a little to sweep them. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have some terrible misconceptions about me, but I¡¯m stronger than I look, Princess.¡± Snow naturally advanced toward the sandy beach beyond the wall. ¡°Will the Princess be able to handle my stamina?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± No sooner had they left the walls than the crunchy sand was stepped on. With each step, Isabelle¡¯s pointy heels sank in the sand. Isabelle took off her red shoes without hesitation and laid them on the sand, revealing her slender feet in white stockings. ¡°Shall we walk then, Lord Snow?¡± Isabelle held out her hand. Was that a surprise? With his eyes opened wide, Snow looked at Isabelle¡¯s hand and feet alternately and smiled pleasantly. He took Isabel¡¯s offered hand as carefully as he could and raised it up onto his arm. ¡°If you leave it to me, I¡¯ll show you the best escort you¡¯ll ever have, Princess.¡± **** The ship of Grand Duke Bashke arrived in the Kingdom of Desar. The majesty of the ship, with its back to the slowly falling sun, was amazing. The expressionless soldiers moved in unison on the ship. There was one person who disembarked with the greatest of ease. It was Grand Duke Karl Bashke. Under his short-brimmed military cap, dark hair and cold eyes appeared. His purple eyes were slow and graceful, grasping the movements of the soldiers, and the hundreds of them became nervous at his gaze. The admiral¡¯s jacket fluttered on his shoulders as he walked slowly and modestly. Tall with a strong physique, his military uniform without a single wrinkle, even his shadow was intimidating, showing that he was the ruler of this sea. ¡°The Prince?¡± The word spat out slowly, and one of the naval officers quickly ran over and whispered. The Grand Duke¡¯s brow wrinkled slightly. ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Yes. I have received a telegram that the sixth Princess of the kingdom has requested a private meeting.¡± ¡°Tell her I refuse.¡± It was a rejection without a moment of thought. The soldier hurriedly reported the following situation. ¡°Already in the care of Aide Snow White.¡± Oh, he¡¯s just over there, isn¡¯t he? The soldier pointed to a sandy beach where he saw two rather odd-looking people. Snow was wearing a large-brimmed women¡¯s hat to block out the sun. Isabelle, on the other hand, was walking barefoot, enjoying the sunshine. In one hand, she was holding a bunch of wild flowers she had picked on the beach. ¡°Why did you pick so many?¡± (Snow) ¡°Just in case I have to use them.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°I am not a man to be fooled by a bouquet of flowers.¡± (Snow) ¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re not for you.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say this, but¡­¡­¡­. Oh, there¡¯s my master!¡± (Snow) Snow hurried his steps as soon as he saw the Grand Duke. Isabelle was being dragged by his arm as he strode. ¡®You crazy punk, you said you were going to show me the best escort.¡¯ (Isabelle) ¡°My Lord, you¡¯re here.¡± Snow bowed his head and greeted the Grand Duke politely. Isabelle¡¯s hat, which he was wearing, fluttered beautifully with his nod. ¡°¡­¡­ What¡¯s that?¡± (Grand Duke) ¡°I borrowed it because I thought my white skin would burn under the sun.¡± (Snow) ¡°From whom?¡± ¡°The Princess. Oh, I¡¯m late. This is Princess Isabelle Desar.¡± Snow introduced Isabelle, pointing to the hat he was wearing. Isabelle, who was out of breath after being dragged by him, finally greeted the Grand Duke with a pained expression. ¡°Phew, ha ha. Nice to meet you. Grand Duke.¡± The choking voice sounded like a breathless beast rather than a Princess. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s hard to even stand.¡¯ Isabelle clutched at her chest as the pain tore at her lungs. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Princess. I¡¯m Grand Duke Karl Bashke.¡± Any other man would have been puzzled by the Princess¡¯s undignified greeting, but not the Grand Duke. With an expressionless face, he glanced once at Isabelle¡¯s bare feet and then at Snow again. Snow didn¡¯t say anything, just shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I heard you requested a private meeting, Princess.¡± (Grand Duke) ¡°Hm, ha¡­ it doesn¡¯t have to be private.¡± ¡®Oh, I can¡¯t talk anymore, ha ha.¡¯ (*ha ha= heavy breathing) Isabelle¡¯s body was weak, so even if she walked a little fast, she was out of breath. And she just had almost run, following Snow. ¡°Are you okay, Princess?¡± (Grand Duke) It was a cold voice with no emotion whatsoever. Isabelle waved her hand instead of replying. Silence fell for a while. As the glowing sunset hit Isabelle¡¯s face, the Grand Duke pointed with his chin at Snow. Ah, yes. Snow took off the hat and put it back on Isabelle¡¯s head. Finally regaining stability, Isabelle straightened her body and raised her chin proudly. It was as if nothing had happened. ¡°Thank you for waiting, Grand Duke.¡± It was interesting to see she had a completely different attitude than before. Snow, who burst into laughter, quickly covered his mouth with his hands. Isabelle glared at him. ¡°Lord Snow¡¯s escort was so passionate that I was out of breath.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please be careful with him, Princess.¡± (Grand Duke) ¡°Wait a minute. Why did the arrow fly at me?¡± Snow interrupted the conversation as if it was unfair, but the Grand Duke ignored him and asked Isabelle. ¡°Why did you ask for a private meeting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re not alone. The content is short.¡± Isabelle raised her head and stared straight into the Grand Duke¡¯s face. His features were not visible from a distance because he was wearing a military hat deeply down his face. However, looking at him closely, she could see why her sister Maria had praised him. His eyes were elongated under his pitch-black hair, and the purple eyes were like rare jewels. The high, strong nose and lips that look stiff were in perfect harmony. ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Appreciating the Grand Duke¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerized. Isabelle quickly brought up the main topic. ¡°Well, the reason is simple, Grand Duke Bashke. Marry me¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you want to say here.¡± As soon as the word marriage was mentioned, the Grand Duke cut off her words at once. ¡®¡¯I will show you to the commander¡¯s office, Princess.¡± A sharp look from his eyes reached Isabelle and turned to Snow. With no way to avoid the complicated gaze, Snow shivered warily. ¡°Shoes, Snow. ¡° ¡°What?¡± The Grand Duke looked at Isabelle¡¯s feet as Snow asked back. ¡°Oh.¡± Snow took off the shoes he was wearing as he twisted his lips as if annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I feel comfortable barefoot, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess.¡± His purple eyes circled around her and he quickly made eye contact with Isabelle. ¡° As you can see, this place is full of men. Please put on your shoes.¡± It was a coercive tone that came out due to his habit. It had the power to make the listeners yield. Isabelle almost forgot her status as a Princess and obeyed the order. ¡®Wake up. I¡¯m here to make a deal.¡¯ (Isabelle) There was no need to listen to the Grand Duke¡¯s orders like a dog. She pulled up her skirt to her knees and lifted one foot. ¡®If you want me to put on my shoes, you do it.¡¯ (Isabelle) Isabelle turned away and smiled. The Grand Duke, realizing her meaning, let out a long sigh. ¡®Hmmm, annoying.¡¯ (Grand Duke) He wanted to ignore this woman. However, a princess is still a princess even in a small country. The Grand Duke slowly bent down on one knee. The sound of the soldiers who were watching the scene and swallowing their saliva could be heard all the way here. ¡®I didn¡¯t notice from a distance, but he¡¯s a bigger man than I thought.¡¯ Despite his lowered posture, the strange oppressive feeling his body gave her was still the same. The man, who had a broad back that wouldn¡¯t collapse even if he put a lump of steel on top of it, carefully helped Isabelle put on her big shoes. His hands were delicate, unlike his body, as he firmly fastened the shoelaces so that the shoes would not fall off. ¡°Thank you, Grand Duke.¡± Isabelle held out her hand with a smiling face. At the same time, she did not forget to wiggle one eyebrow. ¡®You wouldn¡¯t be as rude an escort as your aide, would you?¡¯ With that meaning, the expressionless Grand Duke took her warning lightly and clasped her hand. The Grand Duke¡¯s escort to the commander¡¯s office was impeccably perfect. **** ¡°There¡¯s no need to offer tea. My business is simple enough.¡± Isabelle opened her mouth as soon as she sat down on the couch in the commander¡¯s office. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to serve tea in the beginning.¡± (Grand Duke) The explanation continued, ¡°Tea time is not allowed on a warship because time is important.¡± He was a man who didn¡¯t even smile pretentiously the whole time he said that. ¡®Wow, how annoying.¡¯ The only interesting thing about him was his face. Isabelle clicked her tongue inwardly. What was she going to do if even his face wasn¡¯t interesting? Oh, his body looked a bit interesting too. The Grand Duke spoke first to Isabelle, who was thinking about something else. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Oh, marriage.¡± Isabelle had uttered the noun ¡°marriage¡± all too easily. ¡°¡­¡­ Marriage? With whom?¡± ¡°With you, sir.¡± Isabelle pointed right at the Grand Duke. It was really interesting to see the frown on his expressionless face. Chapter 4 *** ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors of the Grand Duke for some time. This is a proposal that I understand all too well.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°It sounds like you chose me because you wanted to die.¡± (GD) The Grand Duke slowly took off his hat, lowered it to the table, and swept his hair. As his face fully appeared, Isabelle stared at him as if possessed. This man was accustomed to the gaze of women, judging by his indifference to her reaction. Did he just drop honorifics? ¡°I asked you to marry me. I didn¡¯t say I want to die.¡± Isabelle sneered at him. Her eyes narrowed, and the Grand Duke chuckled, then went back to his blank expression. ¡°When you proposed to me, you meant to die. Please leave now, stubborn princess.¡± The response of the Grand Duke was even rougher than expected. Isabelle gritted her teeth. ¡°I met the Grand Duke for the first time today, and I¡¯m sorry that I looked stubborn.¡± ¡®Are you the only one good at making facial expressions? I¡¯m also a well-known evil woman in that field.¡¯ Isabelle also responded with a cold expression. ¡°I am destined to die in exactly three months, Grand Duke.¡± Despite the shocking statement, the Grand Duke did not even change his expression. He only stared at Isabelle¡¯s left cheek, which was swollen from the king¡¯s beating. ¡°They say the Grand Duke married twelve brides. They all died on their wedding night.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°You must be heartbroken every time a bride dies¡­¡± Isabelle looked down at the table in the commander¡¯s office, which was devoid of any decorations. ¡°And yet, you continued to hold the ceremony because you had a purpose in mind.¡± (Isabelle) The Grand Duke¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He thought she was just a woman who saw his status and face and jumped on him, whispering about her fleeting love. ¡®What are you up to?¡¯ She searched the blue-green eyes closely, but could not find an answer. It was like a deep sea hidden inside. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your purpose is. You can use me. I¡¯ll be your thirteenth bride.¡± ¡°What is it you want, princess, that makes you propose to me?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say it¡¯s to die well.¡± ¡°To die well?¡± ¡°Yes. If you are destined to die anyway, shouldn¡¯t you be a good corpse?¡± Isabelle used the word gracelessly and her thumb and forefinger making a circle. It meant that she wanted the money to be well paid. The Grand Duke, who was watching this absentmindedly, could not help laughing. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What I need now, Grand Duke, is not an understanding, but an answer. I don¡¯t know why the person who even sent me the portrait hesitated so much.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s brow wrinkled at these words. Who on earth would have sent the Princess the portrait of himself? A courtship portrait is no different from a marriage proposal, so you have to be very careful when sending it. ¡®Snow, it must be him.¡¯ The Grand Duke swept his forehead in annoyance. ¡°I need time to think, Princess.¡± ¡°The man with the big warship is more indecisive than I thought.¡± Isabelle deliberately provoked him. She must have his answer by the end of the day. If she goes back to the palace now, she will meet the Prince and her father will sell her to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that kind of provocation doesn¡¯t work, Princess.¡± But the Grand Duke was colder than she expected. Though the one with the scowl was cautious. Isabelle grasped the bunch of wild flowers she was holding tightly and stood up. Then she walked around the table to the other side of the sofa where the Grand Duke was sitting. Her big shoes rattled loudly as she walked, but she didn¡¯t care. Isabelle knelt down at the Grand Duke¡¯s feet. ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°Please marry me, Grand Duke.¡± (????) Isabelle grabbed the flowering plants she was holding with both hands and pushed them down on the Grand Duke. How can she not get a definite answer after all this? As expected, the panicked eyes of the Grand Duke shook quickly. ¡°Stop joking around and get up now, Princess.¡± ¡°Please answer me.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡®Should I say more words?¡¯ Isabelle sang the line she had been preparing for the meeting. ¡°Grand Duke Karl Bashke, I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± But there was still no answer that came back. He must have heard that word a lot. ¡°If the Grand Duke marry me, there are two things I can promise you.¡± So Isabelle spat out her pledge like a student president election. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve experienced this.¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t bother the Grand Duke until the day we get married.¡± Maria said the Grand Duke is a very wealthy man. He gave the bride a lot of money before she died. Then she can eat well and live well by herself. She didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of hanging around the Grand Duke. ¡°And on the first night, I will not resent the Grand Duke at all even if I face a foreseen death.¡± Isabelle put in his frozen hands the flowering plants she had picked on the beach. The flowers, which had been wilting for some time, drooped helplessly. It seemed to be his willingness to marry her. He looked at the lifeless flowers and sighed again. ¡°It¡¯s my side that sent the portrait, so if the Princess chose me, I have no choice but to get married anyway..¡­¡­¡± Then why did he wait for her to kneel like and say his cheesy words? It was his skepticism about marriage as well as his curiosity about her that hastened his decision. ¡°Don¡¯t resent me.¡± The Grand Duke said, staring down at the dead flowers in his hands. ¡®The proposal is accepted!¡¯ Isabelle smiled broadly at ease. His gaze, which had been on the dead flowering, turned to Isabelle¡¯s lively smile. ¡°I¡¯m rather glad. Thanks to the Grand Duke, I will be able to live my own life until the moment I die.¡± *** After Isabelle left the commander¡¯s office. Grand Duke Karl Baschke called Snow White. ¡°Is it you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, my lord?¡± ¡°The one who sent my portrait to Princess Isabelle Desar.¡± ¡°Oh, you found out.¡± Ack, Snow quickly dodged the flying shoe at his shin. ¡°I could have a broken leg if you hit me like that!¡± ¡°Why did you do such a useless thing?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not going to get married?¡± Snow¡¯s question was not immediately answered by the Grand Duke. ¡°You see, I think you are going to find someone to endure.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Rumors of my lord are bad in the empire right now. Even the foreigners know about you.¡± Lifting his glasses, Snow looked upset. The rumors can¡¯t be good. In the past five years, twelve brides had died. The finger pointing at the Grand Duke became more and more intense as they saw him married several times a year. The reason why he still went ahead with the marriages was partly because women wanted him, but also because he suffered painfully from the curse every night. ¡°There must be a bride who will lift the Grand Duke¡¯s curse.¡± Cursed and turned into a beast every night, the Grand Duke roamed the fields and mountains in his ugly form. One day the livestock in his domain died, then someday people died. At first he didn¡¯t care much, because he wanted to sweep away all the Imperials he hated. His heart froze cold when every woman who had looked at him collapsed. But the self-loathing that grew stronger as time went by broke him little by little. ¡°How many more times do I have to get married to meet that d*mn bride?¡± ¡°Wait a little longer. Even if the high priest is a fool, the oracle is brilliant. Even my father remarried.¡± He didn¡¯t think there was anyone in the Empire who thought that corpse of his father would remarry. Snow laughed it off. ¡°You¡¯re not worried about the bride-to-be, are you? They calculate everything before they take on a challenge. My lord.¡± Snow shook his head, thinking of the brides in the past. Only the arrogant women whose greed for the Grand Duke was greater than their fear of death, or who believed they were special, pounced on him like moths to a fire. The Grand Duke lavished a material price on the brides and her family, and they lived a life of luxury no less than the royal family until the wedding night came. ¡°It¡¯s a path you¡¯ve already chosen to walk. Are you going to give up?¡± Snow¡¯s words were met with a self-mockery from the Grand Duke. Why was he hesitating about when there was already a river of blood under his feet? ¡°I won¡¯t begrudge the Grand Duke one bit if I meet my foretold death on the first night.¡± A bright smile appeared on the Grand Duke¡¯s face as he thought of the stubborn Princess who had prepared to die. ¡°Get a bouquet of flowers, Snow.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Now. Not dying like this.¡± The Grand Duke tossed the weeds in his hand to Snow. ¡°Huh? This was what the Princess picked on the beach. Why does my lord have this?¡± Snow asked, but the Grand Duke didn¡¯t say anything and just left the commander¡¯s office quickly. ¡°He must have received a very romantic proposal.¡± Snow looked at the back of the Grand Duke and burst out laughing. *** At the same time, King Dejar was having tea with the Prince in the parlor. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, Prince.¡± ¡°I can only thank you for welcoming me in this way.¡± ¡°There have been many visitors to the mainland lately. I heard that the First Princess¡¯s stepson also went to the magic Tower.¡± ¡°You mean Snow White, right?¡± Why would that guy visit the magic Tower? The Prince¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I hear that Grand Duke Bashke¡¯s warship will be arriving soon. The Prince will be able to return to the Empire safely.¡± King Desar smiled haughtily as he stroked his white beard. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. But may I ask one more favor?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°I would like to find a woman.¡± ¡°A woman?¡± ¡°It was a beautiful Lady. Blonde hair and unique personality¡­.¡± Clink. The king put his teacup down loudly. ¡°Are you all right, Your Majesty?¡± Concerned for King, the Prince held out a handkerchief. ¡°It looks like the king knows the woman.¡± As expected, she was a woman of high status enough for the king to know her. It was natural that she recognized him as a Prince as soon as she saw him for the first time. Blonde hair was rare, the Prince thought. ¡°Did that woman cause trouble for the Prince?¡± ¡°No, on the contrary, she saved me.¡± At these words, the king lowered his tense shoulders in relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°She ran away quickly, but I want to return the kindness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of the Prince.¡± ¡°Please help me to formally invite the lady to the Empire. ¡° It was not common for a Prince to formally invite a woman from another country. ¡®I guess he likes Isabelle. If he¡¯s the Prince, we will receive a lot of gifts.¡¯ (King) It was finally time that useless thing (Isabelle) to do her part. King Desar¡¯s eyes lit up. Chapter 5 *** ¡°The woman the Prince saw was¡­..¡± The moment the king spoke. ¡°Your Majesty, Grand Duke Karl Bashke of the Neveland Empire is asking to see you. What should I do?¡± The chamberlain hurriedly approached the king and asked. ¡°You mean the Grand Duke has already arrived?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess Isabelle is with him.¡± ¡°Isabelle?¡± The king remembered Isabelle, who had declared to marry the Grand Duke. ¡®Maybe things could have progressed in that short time.¡¯ The king glanced at the Prince and nodded. ¡°Let him in first.¡± With the king¡¯s permission, the parlor door opened and Grand Duke Karl Bashke and Princess Isabelle entered. Snow with a large box behind them also came in. The servants guarding the surroundings swallowed their breath and bowed their heads. The Princess with a bad personality, the Grand Duke who killed 12 brides, and a lieutenant who served him with a smile. The three of them were as beautiful as the statues in front of the temple, but the atmosphere they exuded was of a demon from another world. It was cold like a legion. ¡°Is that the foreign nobleman who killed twelve brides?¡± ¡°Shh, shut your mouth. You could be decapitated right away.¡± The servants, who had been whispering with their heads bowed, shut their mouths as they passed by. Isabelle and her party sat down at the table at the invitation of the king. ¡°Oh my God, Prince! Are you okay?¡± Snow, the most sociable of the three, smiled broadly at the Prince. ¡°Haha, I see Sir Snow White is here too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡± The Grand Duke, who occupied the seat next to the prince, also offered a formal greeting. ¡°Thank you for coming all the way here for me, Grand Duke.¡± The prince tapped the Grand Duke on the shoulder. The Grand Duke looked down coldly at the Prince¡¯s hand that tapped his shoulder, and then looked back at the Prince. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But how did the Grand Duke know my heart?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The Grand Duke found the woman I asked you to find.¡± The Prince looked at Isabelle and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, the lady, who abandoned me and ran away.¡± ¡°Isabelle Desar, the sixth princess of the Desar Kingdom, greets the Prince.¡± Isabelle bowed her head from her seat. It was a hard tone that was completely different from the first time they met. The Prince opened his eyes and smiled loudly. ¡°You used to talk easily, but now you¡¯re a young lady.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t remember.¡± Isabelle answered with a cold expression and avoided her gaze. ¡°I was just about to call you, Isabelle. Did you save Prince Edwin?¡± The king, who raised the corner of his mouth, pointed out Isabelle¡¯s cheeky attitude with a sharp gaze. ¡°No, it was another woman who saved the prince. Father. The Prince keeps misunderstanding.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that again, Princess.¡± The prince shook his head and laughed embarrassedly. The Grand Duke looked at the two with interest, and raised one corner of his mouth as if he understood what was going on at that time. Isabelle took a few deep breaths and then brought up the subject to the king. ¡°Father, I am here because I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the marriage I mentioned earlier.¡± Isabelle winked at the Grand Duke, who was sitting upright. ¡®This girl!¡¯ The king looked at the prince for a moment and then whispered to Isabelle. ¡°I did not approve of your decision.¡± ¡°I chose the groom from the portrait father gave me.¡± ¡°Now things are different. The decision is postponed until later.¡± ¡°It is a tradition in the kingdom to choose a groom on the twenty-second birthday, and that is today.¡± ¡°Isabelle!¡± The impatient king grabbed Isabelle¡¯s wrist tightly. His grip strength, which once rode the sea with a gun, was amazing. Ugh, Isabelle clenched her teeth and endured the pain of breaking her wrist. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Grand Duke Karl Bashke intervened, calling the king. His rudely lively eyes touched Isabelle¡¯s wrist. ¡®The Grand Duke who doesn¡¯t even have blood on his head is cocky!¡¯ The king answered his call, withdrawing his hand. ¡°Why did you call me?¡± ¡°I just proposed to Princess Isabelle.¡± The lie of the Grand Duke was natural. Isabelle, who was hiding her swollen wrist under the table, tried to hide her surprise. The king was not alone in panic. ¡°Are you talking about this Isabelle, Grand Duke?¡± The Prince¡¯s eyes widened and looked at Isabelle and the Grand Duke alternately. ¡°Yes. And now I¡¯m going to officially confess my heart again.¡± The Grand Duke rose from his seat and strode towards Isabelle¡¯s seat. Then he glanced at Isabelle¡¯s feet. I really liked the neat shoes that fit her small feet better than Snow¡¯s big shoes. ¡°Here you go. Lord.¡± Snow, who was waiting, held out a box to the Grand Duke. He took out a bright bouquet of flowers from the box. The freshly bloomed peony and Juliet Rose spread the fresh scent of spring in the chilly interior. The appearance of the Grand Duke holding a bouquet of flowers was like a mural in a temple, and the maids who secretly glanced at him. Unknowingly, Isabelle let out an admiration. ¡®People would think that the main character in this novel is this man.¡¯ When Isabelle stopped thinking. ¡°Princess Isabelle Desar.¡± The Grand Duke bent one knee and knelt at her feet. He knelt twice in just one day. (*he knelt when he put the shoes on Isabelle in the earlier chapter, and now he knelt to propose) The Grand Duke burst out laughing at that thought. ¡°Please marry me.¡± He said and smiled broadly. Isabelle smiled like an idiot without realizing it, and quickly hardened her expression. ¡®Wow, my facial muscles just got out of will.¡¯ Fortunately, no one saw it. Everyone, regardless of age or gender, only looked at the Grand Duke. The parlor became quiet in an instant. The Prince tapped the teacup with a cold face and smirked as he watched the two of them. ¡®The feeling of being deprived of the woman I had in front of me is really pathetic.¡¯ Also to that Karl Bashke. ¡®Every time I see you, you annoy me!¡¯ ¡®How dare a cursed murderer who cannot show his face even in the social world dares to do this in front of me. That Princess would run away if she knew the truth about the Grand Duke. I will make you regret that you did not choose me first.¡¯ The Prince had dark thoughts, but he had a gentle smile on his face. Meanwhile, Isabelle was receiving the bouquet from the Grand Duke. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m happy, Grand Duke.¡± Isabelle tried to react naturally, but the corners of her lips kept trembling. This body had never had a smile in her life, so it was hard every time she put on a long smile on her face. ¡°Princess Isabelle, I fell in love at first sight the moment I saw you.¡± But as soon as the Grand Duke spoke the words, the corners of Isabelle¡¯s lips drooped quickly. ¡°Please marry me. Grand Duke Karl Bashke, I fell in love at first sight the moment I saw you.¡± (Isabelle) ¡®This man is saying the exact words I said to him!¡¯ Isabelle opened her eyes wide, barely keeping her smiling face. The Grand Duke blinked once, but there was no change in his expression. ¡°If the Princess marries me, I promise you two things.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡®Is he going to say the same thing I said to him?¡¯ Isabelle held the bouquet tightly. ¡°I will give as many gifts as the Princess wants. To the king and to the Princess.¡± It was King Desar who liked the word the most. His face is filled with smiles. But Isabelle could not be purely happy. Because the Grand Duke was sarcastic while penetrating the meaning of the conditions he had put forward. ¡°The second thing is that I will do my best until the day you run out of breath. I won¡¯t let you live with resentment.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grand Duke. They are perfect conditions.¡± Isabelle raised the Grand Duke who was kneeling. ¡®And I guess you¡¯re a knife-like person who returns what you received.¡¯ Isabelle thought sarcastically. ¡°If the person in charge of a large warship is indecisive, will he be used?¡± (GD) ¡°The man in charge of this large warship is more indecisive than I thought.¡± (Isabelle) The Grand Duke once more sarcastically smiled at Isabelle. ¡®Wow, your personality is really bad. Did I make a mistake while trying to avoid the Prince?¡¯ Isabelle glanced at the Prince. It was only for a short time, but the standard of beauty that was raised while watching the Grand Duke properly recognized the features of the Prince. She could tell the Prince was holding back his anger and smiling. ¡®Still, the Grand Duke is better than the Prince. Let¡¯s think that personality is the price of that face.¡¯ Isabelle raised her chin proudly. ¡°Please allow me to marry him, Father.¡± ¡°Oh yeah. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll give you permission.¡± The king gazed at the Grand Duke as he brushed his white beard. ¡°Grand Duke Karl Bashke, I have raised my daughter preciously. I hope you value her more than any other jewel.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will do better than Your Majesty.¡± The Grand Duke replied, staring openly at Isabelle¡¯s left cheek and wrist, which were still swollen. ¡®You¡¯re rude as the rumors say.¡¯ (King) The king swallowed the words inwardly and coughed. Although the Prince¡¯s expression did not look good, he did not obtain permission to marry. ¡®If Isabelle¡¯s temper is like that, she will not be able to withstand the Grand Duke and return to the kingdom again. The Grand Duke might get tired of her first and cancel the marriage.¡¯ (King) Since the Grand Duke has many flaws, he (the king) can somehow find fault and take the gifts he originally had to receive as consolation money. ¡®Then I can use* Isabelle again.¡¯ (*Sell her to get gifts and money) The king blessed the two lovers with a fishy smile. **** A wizard in a gray robe looked around the tower. He was the chief wizard of the Tower, who was teased for his stuttering. ¡°Where the hell did he go?¡± When he tapped the elongated magic wand, a sparkling light fluttered from there, but there was nothing caught in the tracking magic. ¡°Well, no way he would leave a trace.¡± The wizard diligently ran to the beach beyond the wall. Fortunately, the person he was looking for was standing idly on the beach. Red hair braided to one side. Is he cold? A man was wearing trousers in a long dress with side slits from the East Continent. Looking at the back, the wizard couldn¡¯t tell if it was a woman or a man. ¡°My, my, my lord! You have a meeting to attend.¡± ¡°Why am I going to a meeting where the idiots will figure it out on their own?¡± The gender was clear at least with the low voice. The man called the Lord of the tower was looking at something lying on the beach. ¡°Well, you still have to keep your seat. Lord, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I think someone committed suicide here.¡± The magic tower lord beckoned to the pair of shoes he was looking at. It was the shoes Isabelle had taken off while walking on the beach with Snow, but he had no idea. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a pair of shoes.¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s strangely familiar.¡± The tower lord picked up the shoes lying on the sandy beach. Every time he moved, dozens of bracelets on his arms made a jingling sound. ¡°I like it. Red shoes.¡± The wizard chuckled and looked at the shoes. ¡°¡­ My, my lord, isn¡¯t it too small for you to wear?¡± ¡°No, I just look at it.¡± ¡°Wh, what?¡± ¡°I just want to sit still and watch the shoes.¡± ¡°Oh, you really have a bad hobby.¡± ¡°Among my hobbies, it is the most respectful.¡± The tower lord tossed the shoes he was holding in the direction of the wizard. The shoes he threw without looking hit the wizard¡¯s face. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Keep it in my lab, Dodo. It will be used for something important.¡± The tower lord raised his red lips bewitchingly and walked slowly towards the tower. ¡°I, I really hate that nickname!¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°I, I was, wow, originally brave¡­¡­ . let¡¯s go together, Lord!¡± The wizard straightened out his robe fluttering in the sea breeze and followed the Tower Lord. *** Chapter 6 *** ¡°Princess, do you really want to marry that Grand Duke Bashke?¡± ¡®His Majesty is too much, how did he allow the Princess to marry such a person!¡¯ Madame Verdel was restless as she circled Isabelle, who was packing her bags. ¡°My decision has not changed. So can you help me pack?¡± Why a princess doesn¡¯t have money? Isabelle retraced her past memories as much as possible and took her valuables. She had only two pairs of shoes. In the meantime, she left one pair on the beach. ¡®It¡¯s really stupid.¡¯ Isabelle tapped her fists on her stuffy stomach. ¡®But anyway, what do I want to do?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know if I want to live or die.¡¯ ¡®Even if there is hope that I will be able to live since I met Snow White away from the original ¡®The Little Mermaid¡¯¡­.¡¯ When she thought of the same death that came on the same day, everything became helpless. ¡® If I die one more time, will I go back to my original world?¡¯ ¡®Oh right. I drowned in the river.¡¯ ¡®So am I going to the underworld?¡¯ Isabelle sighed and looked out her window involuntarily. The blue sea seen over the fortress wall. A big rock and behind it¡­ ¡®Wait, what is that red seaweed?¡¯ There was no way that the red thing floating on the sea was the old seaweed. When she looked closely, she saw blue eyes staring at her like a barnacle next to a large rock. ¡®Unless I¡¯m seeing things, that¡¯s definitely the Little Mermaid.¡¯ ¡°Verdel, come here for a second.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Princess?¡± ¡°Is that only visible to me?¡± Isabelle pointed to the Little Mermaid, half of her face above the surface of the water. ¡®It¡¯s scary. Is it a horror movie or what?¡¯ ¡°What is it? ¡­ I can¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°There it is, the red-haired girl.¡± At the same time Isabelle pointed clearly to the large rock, the Little Mermaid dived into the sea and hid. ¡°Princess, do you see a ghost that drowned in the sea?¡± ¡°¡­ All right, Verdel.¡± The Little Mermaid seemed to have misunderstood something, but that was up to her to figure it out. Isabelle waved her hands and finished packing her things. In the big bag, there were only a few dresses and undergarments. The king said she was precious, but she ended up with only two pairs of earrings and a few slender rings that Maria had handed down to her. ¡®For a villain with a bad personality, her life is very modest.¡¯ As soon as she regressed last time, she took the prince¡¯s hand and left the kingdom. Packing things with her own hands, she saw the original Isabelle¡¯s life again. ¡®Who are you? How did you live?¡¯ Isabelle wondered as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. The villain¡¯s eyes, which seemed to bite her if she touched it, seemed somewhat empty. *** Isabelle came to the Neveland Empire by ship. The Grand Duke¡¯s estate by the sea was as bustling and lively as the capital of the Empire. After crossing the sea and passing the port lined with foreign merchant ships and trade ships, Isabelle arrived at the mansion of the Grand Duke, her mouth widened in surprise. ¡®If the mansion was more glamorous, it would have been treason.¡¯ In her previous life she had nothing to do with Grand Duke Bashke, so she did not know. Prince Edwin hardly even mentioned the Grand Duke¡¯s name in front of Isabelle. Verdel looked at Isabelle with a sad face. She seemed to be worried by the thought that her master would die on her first night. ¡®By the way, the servants are all expressionless.¡¯ Seeing the servant whose expression was dry, like an emotionless doll, reminded her of the woman she had left behind. ¡®When I think of those ghastly things that rushed to eat me as a child, what¡¯s this¡­¡­¡¯ What memory is this? Isabelle stopped her steps and grabbed her head. With the sound of metal scraping the floor, her old memories vanished like smoke. A chill was added to the cold sweat that rose in that brief moment. ¡°Princess?¡± Verdel, who was following her, called out to Isabelle and reached for her hand. Isabelle unconsciously slapped her hand hard. For a moment, Verdel¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Verdel.¡± ¡°¡­should I call a doctor?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Isabelle smiled awkwardly and followed Snow as he led her to the parlor. *** Snow guided Isabelle to her residence. He left the grand mansion and walked to the rear garden. Verdel blocked Snow¡¯s path. ¡°Where are you taking the princess?¡± ¡°To show her where to stay in the future.¡± Snow¡¯s words, polite to Isabelle, were cold to Verdel. He pointed to a tall tower that rose like a lighthouse in the corner of the large rear garden. The shape of the tower, made of large, white bricks, harmonized well with the grand mansion. ¡°Not bad, huh?¡± He thought that this was about right. However, Verdel¡¯s reaction was unusual. ¡±You¡¯re going to show the hostess of the grand duchy such a shabby place!¡± ¡°No, Verdel. That¡¯s the tower, but it¡¯s more glamorous than the palace I used to live in.¡± Isabelle patted Verdel¡¯s shoulders, sending a signal that it was okay, but Verdel seemed to understand it in another meaning. ¡°Look at this. If my princess sees that and how surprised she is, her face will turn white and¡­!¡± ¡®Wait a minute. I¡¯m not ready to make a facial expression yet.¡¯ Isabelle tried to hide her expression of satisfaction, but Snow was quicker. ¡°Well, the Princess looks quite satisfied.¡± ¡°¡­I laughed because I was speechless, Sir Snow.¡± She roughly made up an excuse, but the witty Snow nodded his head, laughing like a snake. Isabelle quickly changed the subject. ¡°By the way, what is the reason for my residence to be in such a secluded tower?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the curse of the Grand Duke.¡± Snow explained, ¡°At night, the entire mansion is filled with the cries of the beast. They say that every night the Grand Duke, who has turned into a beast, goes to high places. So if you¡¯re in that tower, you¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°If the princess is brave enough, she can stay in the mansion¡­¡± ¡°No, I prefer the tower.¡± ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s where the Grand Duke¡¯s brides- to -be have stayed for generations, so I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be inconvenient.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me the room where twelve people died?¡± ¡®What? What if a ghost comes out?¡¯ Isabelle swallowed her worries and frowned hard. Even her haughty face was furrowed, and the atmosphere was bleak. Snow, who was relaxed, also avoided looking at her as if he was burdened. ¡°Only for a few days, but if it bothers you, I¡¯ll find you another place to live.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit perceptive, but let¡¯s spend a day or so and then we¡¯ll see.¡± Chicken Isabelle winked one eye at Verdel. ¡°What do you think, Verdel? Did I look cool?¡± ¡°Yes, you did. Fortunately, you grew up to be a full-fledged young lady. Princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Snow, you¡¯re moving fast.¡± ¡®Hurry up and hurry up, Princess.¡¯ Verdell chuckled awkwardly as she hurried forward. *** After sorting out her luggage, Isabelle stopped by the mansion where the Grand Duke was staying. The interior of the mansion was clean, but there was a small amount of strange furniture. Most of the antique furniture was new and had sharp cuts on them. Even the parlor, where they received guests, was empty. ¡®He turns into a beast every night. Did he smash it all?¡¯ Numerous claw marks visible on the floor, which could not be covered with carpets. Isabelle shrugged her shoulders and quickly changed her posture. ¡®You¡¯re doomed to die anyway, so don¡¯t be afraid.¡¯ Isabelle raised her chin proudly and sat down at the table that smelled brand new. She then began to write a marriage contract with the Grand Duke. After signing, the Grand Duke presented the contract to Isabelle. ¡°The wedding will take place on the day the Princess desires.¡± It was exactly three months later, the day Isabelle had died in the previous regression. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± ¡°I just need plenty of money to spend.¡± Isabelle proudly demanded money. The Grand Duke didn¡¯t think that a woman the size of the princess would make such a request? His purple eyes opened a little wider. ¡°I¡¯ve written down in the contract the gifts and dignity maintenance fees to be given to His Highness the King.¡± ¡°Give me more. Before I die, I¡¯ll use it as much as I can.¡± ¡°Well then¡­¡­is this enough?¡± The Grand Duke wrote down the amount of money he would pay Isabelle each additional day at the bottom of the contract. The lesser amount he wrote without hesitation was only ten thousand darien. In Korean won, it was calculated that she would receive ten million won a day. ¡°It¡¯s crazy. I heard you have a lot of money, but isn¡¯t this a bit much?¡± She wanted to react nonchalantly, but the sheer number was suffocating her. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± The Grand Duke tilted his head as he looked at Isabelle, who was gasping. ¡°Well¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Good. Do you have any other requirements?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s good enough for me. By the way, what about the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Does the Grand Duke have any requirements for me?¡± The Grand Duke paused at Isabelle¡¯s question. Because so far, the brides had only demanded what they wanted from him, and no one had ever asked him if he had any needs. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t think of anything else to say, except don¡¯t run away until the wedding.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not as greedy as I thought.¡± ¡°What could I possibly want from the Princess?¡± ¡°Something like, let¡¯s not fall in love with each other because it¡¯s too much trouble.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Love? The Grand Duke just laughed. ¡°I have no such plans, though. Do you plan to love me, Princess?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t either. I was just giving an example.¡± ¡®What is it? This guy¡¯s reaction is a bit annoying.¡¯ ¡®Did my eyes fall on the top of my head just because he¡¯s handsome?¡¯ ¡®If only my face was as good as my sister¡¯s, I¡¯d be the kind of beauty anyone would fall in love with.¡¯ Isabelle patted her cheek and stared at the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke met her steely gaze without hesitation. ¡°You can do it if you want. The Love you were talking about.¡± (GD) ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you need that, I¡¯ll play along with you even if it¡¯s fake.¡± (GD) There was not an ounce of self interest in the man¡¯s face as he said he would play along. ¡°You have great confidence, but your charm isn¡¯t that great.¡± (Isabelle) ¡®That¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t like men anymore.¡¯ Isabelle snickered and grabbed the contract. ¡°Grand Duke? What happens if I survive?¡± ¡°From then on, I will do as you wish.¡± The Grand Duke answered Isabelle¡¯s question without hesitation. It was a question he was used to hearing. Most of the women who jumped at the chance to marry him thought they were the only one special. ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°Okay. If I survive, you¡¯ll keep the conditions as they are now.¡± A life of freedom and luxury that she would enjoy with 10,000 darien every day. Isabelle was happy just thinking about it, but the chances of survival were slim. It¡¯s still good. It¡¯s the beginning of happy freedom. There was no need to struggle to survive in the Imperial Palace like the first and third lives. ¡®If I¡¯m going to live a sad life anyway, I don¡¯t want to squat and cry in a daze.¡¯ ¡®If I¡¯m sad about my limited fate, I¡¯m going to hit my head on the steering wheel of a foreign car and cry.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to sit in the VIP lounge of a department store, I will live a luxurious life and then die!¡¯ Chapter 7 *** At that time, the Prince returned to the imperial palace and was lying on his bed, contemplating. The lips, which smiled kindly to everyone, were stiff while chewing the pipe. ¡°Isabelle Desar.¡± He quietly muttered her name. ¡®How dare you refuse me and choose Karl Bashke.¡¯ The Prince hated the Grand Duke from an early age. Wasn¡¯t he always deprived of the attention that should have been focused on him? His mother, Empress Gwendoline, also looked at Karl more than she did to him. Even though the Grand Duke was cursed with a terrible curse and had to float around the sea on a ship, the Prince was annoyed at the fact that there was still a crowd following him. ¡°What are you thinking ?¡± A woman in a thin robe and sitting on the Prince¡¯s body tilted her head. Her name was Flute. The illegitimate daughter of Viscount Hamel. She had an ability to control small animals by blowing the flute, and a slender figure. This ability made her the Prince¡¯s informant and an official concubine. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anything useless, Flute.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not aroused. Because the Prince keeps thinking about something else.¡± ¡°Then get out of there.¡± Without hesitation, the Prince pushed the woman aside and waved the bell. The servant entered the room cautiously. ¡°I told you to prepare as a blonde woman today.¡± ¡°Lady Flute¡­¡­ .¡± The servant blushed and glanced at Flute. Originally, Flute¡¯s hair was light brown, but she dyed her hair blond. ¡°A woman who was born blonde, you idiot.¡± ¡®How dare you mock me with such a fake.¡¯ When the Prince was displeased as he pointed the pipe towards Flute, she bowed her head sadly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince. I just dyed my hair because the Prince wanted blonde hair.¡± ¡°You are not what I wanted.¡± He was still annoyed that the boat party went wrong. The prince shook his head. ¡°Where is my brother?¡± ¡°The Crown Prince has not yet woken up since the accident.¡± A boat party held by the Prince by inviting his brother, the Crown Prince. ¡®I handed over the Crown Prince to the pirate I hired.¡¯ It was said that the navy under Bashke rescued the Crown Prince safely. After that, the tsunami came and he almost died. But it was fortunate that the Crown Prince was in a coma thanks to the poison used at the party. ¡®D*mn it.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s clear that Bashke noticed my plan in the first place and interfered with it.¡¯ The early arrival of Karl Bashke¡¯s ship to the coast of the Kingdom of Desar, where he had disappeared, was suspicious. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on my brother¡¯s condition.¡± Then this dirty feeling will subside a bit. The brother that the d*mn Bashke b*stard skillfully saved. The Prince smiled as he dressed neatly in the new shirt handed to him by his servant. ¡°Flute.¡± ¡°Yes, Prince.¡± ¡°Investigate Princess Isabelle Desar.¡± ¡°Princess¡­..?¡± The Princess was blonde. Flute¡¯s eyes, who had been pretending to be pitiful, became sharp in an instant. Although the Prince could easily take a woman, there was no special request for information. What kind of woman did he fall for? ¡°Are you interested in her?¡± ¡°Yes. She was the woman who should have been mine.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Karl Bashke got her.¡± It¡¯s not bad. Wouldn¡¯t it be more fun to get back what he lost? *** It¡¯s been 10 days since the marriage contract was signed. Snow approached and whispered to the Grand Duke, who was training his men on the warship. ¡°Is the princess still stuck inside the tower today?¡± ¡°Yeah, they say she doesn¡¯t go out at all.¡± The Princess, who said that she would spend a lot of money, did not leave the door for some reason. Meals were also served in the room. ¡°Is she sick?¡± Then she would die before the wedding. The Grand Duke frowned. ¡°According to the servants, she ate her meals and snacks well, so she is in good health.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°They said she sees things sometimes.¡± ¡°Things?¡± ¡°They say she sees a red-haired water ghost once in a while.¡± ¡°A water ghost?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to visit the Princess once?¡± ¡°Well. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll die until the wedding.¡± The Grand Duke turned his attention to the men training on deck. ¡®The woman will die on the wedding night in three months anyway.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter to him whether the Princess saw nothing or not. If he paid any attention, he was the only one who lost. However, Grand Duke Karl Bashke later realized that it was a terrifying mistake. A future that he would come and go like a dog with a single gesture of Isabelle was waiting for him. *** ¡°Princess, aren¡¯t you going out today?¡± Verdel tidied up Isabelle¡¯s hair who was lying around on the bed. ¡°Yeah. When I got money from the Grand Duke, I was going to spend a lot, but I don¡¯t want to go out.¡± ¡°Are you uncomfortable somewhere?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so comfortable that it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± Isabelle raised her body up after saying a sweet talk. The plate she had placed on the duvet rattled, and Verdel quickly set it aside. It was a sign that meals provided like room service were resolved on the bed. ¡°Wow, the view is amazing.¡± A penthouse by the Han River wouldn¡¯t be this good. Through the large window, the backyard of the mansion and the sea could be seen. If there was one downside to that perfect view. ¡°She¡¯s looking here today.¡± The Little Mermaid looks at the Grand Duke¡¯s castle once in a while. ¡®How can you follow me here from the sea of ??the kingdom?¡¯ It seemed that the Little Mermaid thought the Prince was here. ¡®How could she follow a man without conscience so desperately like this?¡¯ The Little Mermaid¡¯s personality looked more gloomy than before. ¡°Princess, do you see that red-haired water ghost again?¡± ¡°Not a ghost, but a mermaid, Verdel.¡± ¡°Where in the world is a mermaid that only appears in fairy tales is here, Princess?¡± ¡®My princess.¡¯ Verdel mourned and combed Isabelle¡¯s hair. ¡®This is a fairy tale.¡¯ Isabelle, unable to say those words, touched her stinging scalp. ¡°Verdel, if you comb my hair like that, all my hair will fall out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess.¡± ¡°Your hands are good with other things, why is it so rough with my hair?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Verdel murmured in a hoarse voice. Isabelle smiled quickly, wondering if she was too harsh on her only maid. But Verdel only lowered her head, perhaps she was sacred. It had been fifteen days since she came to the Grand Duke¡¯s residence. ¡®I must have been more tired than I thought.¡¯ Isabelle rolled around on the bed today as well. How long has it been since she went out? She gave up counting while raising her fingers. She thought that if she accepted her death, she would enjoy life more diligently than anyone else. ¡®Who knew I would be so lazy.¡¯ Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t do anything at all. ¡°Princess, the masseuse is here.¡± ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°What do you think of the novel you are reading now?¡± ¡°This one is good, Verdel. Keep looking for the next volume.¡± Although the probability was rolled up, she really liked the sticky development. Isabelle turned over the book she was reading to Verdel and lay down. Soon, the gentle touch of the masseuse relaxed the whole body, and the scent of oil mixed with flowers lingered around her. ¡®Why do you need to work hard when you¡¯re going to die soon?¡¯ The last time she returned home, she heard the sound of the clock only once. ¡®Perhaps this is a sign that this life is the last.¡¯ ¡®Then, will I go to heaven in the end?¡¯ After several deaths, Isabelle came to believe in an afterlife. She didn¡¯t know if the place she was going to go to would be heaven or hell, but why did it matter? ¡®This is heaven.¡¯ Isabelle closed her eyes with a satisfied expression as she was touched by the masseuse. ¡°How about the intensity, Princess?¡± ¡°Just right, keep going.¡± ¡°All right, go on.¡± ¡°You were small when I first saw you, but now you have gained quite a bit of weight.¡± Actually, she gained some weight. Isabelle, who had just been eating and lying down, was stabbed in the heart and glanced at the masseuse. Is it because of her sensitive appearance? The masseuse¡¯s expression, who understood the gaze, turned white. ¡°Ah, I meant you look better, Princess!¡± The Princess had a very small waist, but was voluptuous elsewhere¡­ ¡®I was guilty of death. Whew!¡¯ The masseuse suddenly fell on the floor and started begging Isabelle for her life. ¡®Hey, you should keep doing what you¡¯re doing. Why are you touching the floor with your precious hands that should help my blood circulation?¡¯ Just as Isabelle was about to tell the masseuse to get up, ¡°Princess, the Grand Duke has arrived.¡± She heard the news. ¡®Wow, what¡¯s the timing really?¡¯ Her upper body was exposed without any threads, and she was lying on her stomach with a blanket covering her lower back. Isabelle quickly looked for the clothes, but couldn¡¯t find them. ¡°Where are my clothes?¡± Isabelle looked at the masseuse who was kneeling on the floor. ¡°Ah, I spilled the oil on it a while ago, so I took it to the laundry room¡­..¡± The masseuse, who was particularly nervous today, confessed that she had made a mistake while opening the oil cap. She put the wet clothes outside without the Princess¡¯ knowledge and waited for new ones, but this happened. ¡°Lord, please kill me, ugh!¡± The door opened as the masseuse burst into tears, terrified. The Grand Duke and his assistant Snow came in. Isabelle quickly pulled the blanket and covered her upper body. ¡°Princess, are you okay¡­¡­ !¡± ¡®You¡¯re fine.¡¯ Hmmm, Snow narrowed his eyes and looked at the situation and turned his back. Whatever he saw, the tips of his ears were dyed bright red. All the servants following him turned their backs and closed their eyes. Only Grand Duke Karl Bashke did not stop walking. ¡®What is it with that man? Even when I¡¯m naked, you approach me without hesitation!¡¯ Isabelle hugged the blanket that was covering her body tighter. ???? *** Chapter 8 *** The Grand Duke strode across the bed on which Isabelle was lying. Reminiscent of the owner, the resolute sound of footsteps occupied the quiet room. ¡°Get out.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s cold command fell over the masseuse¡¯s head. The trembling masseuse cried and crawled out of the room. walked out of the room, crawling on all fours. ¡°Why?¡± The Grand Duke stood by the bed and stared at Isabelle. Isabelle bit her lip. ¡®This is a situation where I must have done something wrong.¡¯ I felt sorry. I just looked at the masseuse. Of course, this situation was not new. Even in the past life, Isabelle has had a lot of misunderstandings like this. ¡®I was really tired of making excuses to the prince each time. But do I have to do this again?¡¯ ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, Grand Duke.¡± The Grand Duke tilted his head silently at Isabelle¡¯s words. ¡°It was just the masseuse who suddenly cried¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you come out of the tower?¡± ¡°!¡± ¡®What. You¡¯re not asking why I bully the masseuse?¡¯ Isabelle, with her eyes wide open, looked at the Grand Duke. He still held something in his hand with a blunt look on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t go out and stay inside to read novels like this.¡± The Grand Duke recalled a report he had recently heard: the librarian called Isabelle the ¡®great bookworm¡¯, who borrowed all adult romance. ¡°No, how did you ¡­ And the words are weird. Romance novels are not like this.¡± What¡¯s wrong with reading this? Isabelle gave a small growl and glanced at the Grand Duke. By the way, she wondered how the book she handed over to Verdel was in the Grand Duke¡¯s hands. ¡°You must answer the question, Princess. Why don¡¯t you go out of the tower?¡± The Grand Duke folded his arms and looked down at Isabelle. His purple eyes with a lower temperature than usual. It rested on the hem of the blanket that Isabelle was holding on to and the pale shoulder exposed above it. The oil-coated skin gleamed in the sunlight coming through the gaps in the curtains caught his gaze. ¡®That¡¯s strange.¡¯ He frowned. Anxiety of unknown cause arose. He didn¡¯t like that woman¡¯s shiny skin, and he was also angry with her red lips, which hesitated at his question. The white neckline was exposed during the massage, and the fine hair was sticky on the skin. He didn¡¯t like anything, so he wanted to get out of this room quickly. The Grand Duke touched the earring on his left ear. ¡®Maybe because of this.¡¯ The black gem earring that reached his fingertips was as cold as usual. Isabelle¡¯s gaze turned to his earring. ¡®It¡¯s the earring that was said to be the brand of the curse.¡¯ He becomes a beast every night because of that? ¡®There are rumors that the Grand Duke repeats marriage in order to break the terrible curse.¡¯ Isabelle replied belatedly, remembering what Verdel had said. ¡°I was going to go out tomorrow.¡± Yeah, she was going to go out tomorrow or so. She made up her mind like that every day and couldn¡¯t do it because she was lazy. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± The Grand Duke nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯ll assign an escort.¡± If it¡¯s Snow, no one is going to attack her recklessly. ¡°Then rest.¡± The Grand Duke turned around and left the room. And he handed the novel again to Verdel, who was waiting outside the room. Verdel politely accepted it and hurriedly hid it in her arms. ¡°If she reads this, it means that your master is very healthy.¡± ¡°That, that!¡± Verdel was startled and looked into the eyes of the Grand Duke. ¡°Take care of your master until the wedding.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t do nonsense.¡¯ The Grand Duke gently tapped Verdel¡¯s shoulder and whispered his last words. ¡°¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll keep that in mind, Grand Duke.¡± Verdel, who grew white, bowed her head and answered. The Grand Duke went straight down the tower. *** ¡®Ah, why can¡¯t I sleep today?¡¯ Was it because the Grand Duke found out about it? Isabelle tossed and turned in bed then stood up. Seeing the early morning moon that has already passed, she was going to stay up all night. Isabelle draped her robe around her shoulders and left the room. It was late at night when even the servants guarding the hallway leaned against the wall and fell asleep for a while. When she touched the elongated magic stone without going down the stairs, the portal activated and the light engulfed her body and she moved to the first floor of the tower. ¡°You go out like this.¡± Every time she lightly dragged the indoor slippers, the night dew on the short grass dripped onto the side of her feet. When she was slowly walking around inhaling the smell of the sea and soil she was used to now. Krerk- Kung! A strange sound was heard in the wind. ¡®A wolf? dog? I heard something barking.¡¯ Isabelle held her shoulders and looked around. ¡®Is that the sound of the Grand Duke turning into a beast?¡¯ Even the corner tower sounds so eerie, how big is the mansion? Isabelle quickly returned to the tower, understanding that she had given up her home here. While she tried to activate the portal again at the entrance to the tower. ¡®Verdel?¡¯ Isabelle glanced at the back of the tower. ¡®What¡¯s going on at this hour?¡¯ Isabelle trembled at the sound of the beast roaring once more, but without realizing it, she followed behind her. Passing through the small gate, a new village was visible below. Huts lined up in rows. ¡®This is a private residence for servants.¡¯ They all looked the same, so it could be confusing, but Verdel managed to find her accommodation. Isabelle leaned close to the hut and peered through the small window. ¡°Oh my God, Rondo. How can you break it even though it¡¯s tied up?¡± ¡°Boo!¡± ¡°Rondo, calm down. Mom will set you free.¡± If it wasRondo, he was Verdel¡¯s son, who would soon become an adult. ¡®I heard he had a disability.¡¯ Isabelle recalled Verdel¡¯s rare family story. ¡®I can¡¯t secretly watch this.¡¯ The moment Isabelle was about to turn back. ¡°Mom brought the magic hair, Rondo. Now, be still.¡± ¡®hair?¡¯ At that word, Isabelle looked into the small window again. Verdel put a familiar long bundle of blonde hair into her son¡¯s hands and muttered an unknown spell. Soon, a bright light appeared from there and penetrated into Rondo¡¯s body. ¡°Ha¡­!¡± Rondo, who had had a seizure while jumping in place with his hands and feet tied, found stability again. ¡®Ah, my powers of recovery.¡¯ Isabelle¡¯s body had the ability to restore something. Her body fluids were more effective than hair, followed by blood. ¡®My heart is probably the most effective.¡¯ The ability she had to hide and live desperately because it would be troublesome when it became known to those around her. According to Verdel, there were always people who tried to covet it, and each time Isabelle would curse them. ¡®I thought Verdel was the only person who stood by my side without greed.¡¯ From the edge of her heart, cold thin ice froze. Rondo smiled happily and went back to bed, while Verdel sang a lullaby and patted his chest. Isabelle, who watched up to there, turned around. It felt like a cold piece of iron had landed on the back of her head. ¡®The reason Verdel stayed by my side was because of my hair.¡¯ She believed that she cared for her as much as she did, so the feeling of betrayal came to her as a bigger wound. ¡®It¡¯s fine. What did I expect ? After all, I was alone.¡¯ Isabelle murmured a little with every step she took. ¡®After I got possessed in a novel, I never really expected anything from other people.¡¯ It¡¯s funny really. Don¡¯t be shocked. Why do I feel hurt? Who am I? ¡°I am Isabelle Desar.¡± Isabelle took a deep breath and raised her chin upright. The night wind that touched her cheek was especially cold today. **** Isabelle, who arrived near the tower, approached the Mana Stone with a cold face. Kreung! The cry of the beast was heard closer than before. Was it because she hardened her heart with Verdel¡¯s incident? Kung! The sound was getting closer and closer, but Isabelle didn¡¯t care much and headed towards her destination blankly. ¡®I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯ She tried to go downtown when she woke up today, but it seemed impossible. The moment Isabelle was about to activate the portal. A dark shadow fell over her head, ¡°Mom!¡± Isabelle called for her mother, whom she did not know, and fell back. In front of her stood a large four-legged beast. Its black fur-covered appearance resembled a wolf, but the pair of towering horns were not those of a wolf. ¡®Is this the Grand Duke who said he would turn into a beast?¡¯ Amethyst-like eyes twinkling in the moonlight, and black gem earrings with pointed ears. ¡°Grand Duke.¡± Isabelle was not too surprised and just smiled in despair. It was a world with mermaids and magic, so what was surprising about this creature? ¡®Maybe this is the original version of Beauty and the Beast.¡¯ Little Mermaid, Snow White, Beast. Really, there was no other messed up fairy tales like this. ¡®He turns into a beast every night, but he looks better than I thought.¡¯ Isabelle, imagining something more disgusting, got up from her seat, dusted her clothes. ¡°Are you crazy right now?¡± ¡°Grrrrrr!¡± ¡°Haha, no matter how crazy you are, how can you not recognize your bride-to-be?¡± Isabelle stepped back and glanced at the Grand Duke. Torn clothes and blood could be seen through his sharp teeth. ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat me, are you?¡± He didn¡¯t have human¡¯s eyes. Instead of answering Isabelle¡¯s question, the Grand Duke growled more fiercely. ¡®I have a bad feeling. I don¡¯t think he understands.¡¯ Carefully stepping backwards, the mana stone portal touched her back. It took a little bit of time for it to work. ¡®Oh, maybe!¡¯ Isabelle remembered something, took off her slippers and held it in her hand. ¡°Oh¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Kong Kong. Are you a good boy?¡± His hair was black, so she called him ¡®Kongkong¡¯. She thought it would be less intimidating if she called him by a cute name. Isabelle gently shook her slippers. Contrary to its vicious teeth, the purple eyes followed it slowly. ¡°Come on, catch it!¡± Isabelle tossed the slippers away. It spun and flew through the air and the beast made a big jump in the direction it was flying. Meanwhile, Isabelle quickly placed her hand on the Manastone and activated the portal. Shh- White light enveloped Isabelle, and at the same time she entered her room in an instant. The room was quiet. Isabelle sighed in relief and looked down the tower. It was said that animals hate high places. The black beast was frantically biting the slippers he snatched up without even paying attention to the tower. If she hadn¡¯t escaped, she¡¯d be like that herself. ¡®Okay. Let¡¯s sleep first.¡¯ She had many thoughts, but what¡¯s the point? Everything will be organized when she wakes up. Isabelle lay on the bed and closed her eyes. *** Chapter 9 *** Grand Duke Karl Bashke slowly raised his eyelids. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I opened my eyes in the garden.¡¯ His strong muscles were exposed between his shirt and pants torn like a rag. A servant who had been looking for him all morning found him and ran to him. The servant put the cloak he was holding on the Grand Duke¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Snow?¡± ¡°He¡¯s overseeing the morning training of the soldiers.¡± ¡°I¡¯m later than usual.¡± Even in the form of a beast, he returned to his room when the time came for the curse to be lifted. Today, strangely, he woke up outside. ¡®My body seems to be less painful.¡¯ When he turned into an animal, he suffered from burning pain all over his body, like pouring boiling oil. However, the pain was less severe today. Furthermore¡­. ¡°What are these slippers?¡± The Grand Duke looked down at the tattered slippers he was clutching at. In an instant, a fragmentary memory of last night came to his mind. ¡®Did I meet the Princess?¡¯ She threw these slippers and shouted something out loud. As he struggled to recall those words, the servant hurried his steps. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat. This morning I prepared a fresh mashed bean soup, Master.¡± ¡°Bean?¡± The Grand Duke, who was in a bad mood for no reason, wrinkled his brow severely. ¡°No, if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll change it to something else.¡± ¡°Tell them to change it now.¡± The Grand Duke got up from his seat and headed for the mansion. *** Isabelle only woke up after lunchtime. As she got up from bed and sat down on the dressing table, Verdel ran to her and combed her hair. ¡°Are you awake, Princess? You must have been very tired.¡± ¡°Yes, Verdel.¡± ¡°Did you have a difficult massage yesterday? Let¡¯s change another masseuse¡­¡­¡± ¡°Verdel I have a headache right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess. As I get older, I make more mistakes. At this rate, I¡¯m going to pluck out all of the Princess¡¯s hair.¡± Verdel smiled awkwardly and continued combing Isabelle¡¯s hair. ¡°I know. Didn¡¯t you mean to pick them all up and give them to your son?¡± Isabelle stared at Verdel in the mirror. ¡°Oh, Princess?¡± The comb that Verdel was holding fell to the floor. She did not dare to face Isabelle¡¯s angry face and shook her head. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say it, Verdel. You desperately need my hair.¡± How hard it must have been to stand by the Princess¡¯s side trying to get some of her hair. Poor Verdel. Isabelle spoke calmly with an expressionless face. Verdel, who was afraid, knelt on the floor. ¡°Princess, I¡¯m wrong. Spare me!¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯ve been vicious, I¡¯ve never killed anyone. It¡¯s strange to hear that.¡± ¡°My son is sick, so I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Then you should have said it, Verdel.¡± Isabelle looked down at her well-manicured nails and listened to the excuses sullenly. ¡°What country¡¯s etiquette is it to pull out someone¡¯s hair carelessly?¡± She raised her eyes fiercely towards Verdel reflected in the mirror. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, Princess.¡± Verdel sobbed as she put her forehead on the floor. ¡°¡­ But, Princess. I didn¡¯t stay with the Princess just because of your hair.¡± Isabelle started laughing at that. She was speechless. ¡°If you were me, would you believe that?¡± ¡°I am serious, Princess. It¡¯s true that I took your hair because of my sick son, but I thought of the Princess¡­ !¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Isabelle interrupted Verdel¡¯s words and picked up the scissors on the dressing table. And she cut off her luscious hair that fell down to her waist down to her shoulders. It wasn¡¯t a difficult decision. The judgment was swift, thanks to the quiet, seething anger. ¡°Ha, Princess!¡± ¡°Here.¡± Isabelle held out her cut hair to Verdel. ¡®This should be enough, so she won¡¯t pull my hair out until I die.¡¯ ¡®I have about 80 days to live.¡¯ Those who knew her secrets could not be expelled prematurely at this time. It would be all over if Verdel exposed the secret to someone. ¡®I can¡¯t live the rest of my life trembling with anxiety.¡¯ In the past three regressions, Verdel had never harmed her. Rather, whenever someone coveting her blood appeared, she was terrified and chased them away. ¡®It must have been to get hair consistently.¡¯ Whatever the reason, it didn¡¯t matter. Giving away the hair and beware of the bigger foes was the wisest thing to do now. Isabelle waved her hand holding the cut hair one more time. ¡°Is this not enough?¡± ¡°Ah, uh, what should I do? Princess¡¯s hair!¡± ¡°You will get it or you won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Princess, I didn¡¯t mean to do this¡­ I never meant to do this!¡± Isabelle hated that word. An excuse to cover up the bad intentions. ¡°You deceived me and kept pulling my hair out. What are you talking about?¡± Isabelle threw her cut hair in front of Verdel¡¯s hands, which were on the floor. ¡°I think that would be enough.¡± ¡°Ugh, Princess!¡± ¡°So until I¡¯m alive, my hair. Don¡¯t take a single string.¡± ¡°Hic hic.¡± ¡°If you understand, get up and comb my hair again.¡± ¡°Trust me, I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt the Princess¡­ !¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you try to pull out my hair without our permission?¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°Why? Until I die, you will draw my blood with a knife.¡± ¡°Princess, never, never do that!¡± ¡°Otherwise. Isn¡¯t it the same as touching my body without permission?¡± Isabelle looked into the mirror again with an expressionless face. ¡°Get up. Don¡¯t make me say it twice. Verdel.¡± Wiping the tears with her sleeve, Verdel cautiously began to braid Isabelle¡¯s hair. Since that day, Isabelle never had a stinging scalp again. *** Another full month has passed. After that, Isabelle changed her life day and night, and went out for a walk every morning. The reason was¡­.. ¡°Kong Kong!¡± ¡°Wooooo!¡± ¡°You hate that name so much? I¡¯ll just call you Grand Duke.¡± It was because the Grand Duke, who had turned into a beast at two of o¡¯clock in the morning, always wandered around the tower. ¡°Duke, do you come here every night to see me?¡± ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Is your health okay?¡± During the day, like a doctor doing a health check, he came to ask if she was doing okay and left the room. ¡®Does your personality change when you turn into a beast?¡¯ ¡®Why are you so friendly at night?¡¯ Isabelle was puzzled as she saw the large tail waving violently. ¡°Grrrrrrrr!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Isabelle sat down on the grass. Then the large beast lay face down with Isabelle¡¯s legs as a pillow. It¡¯s been a full month since she met the Grand Duke this early in the morning. He was completely tamed by Isabelle¡¯s skills. ¡°I don¡¯t know why other people are afraid of the Grand Duke. To me, you¡¯re just a big dog.¡± If she throws something, it will bite it, and if she strokes his chest or chin, he closes his eyes in a pleasant way. Isabelle gently brushed his black fur. ¡°Sir Snow said that turning into a beast hurts your body?¡± ¡°Grrrr.¡± The Grand Duke tapped Isabelle¡¯s hand with his nose. ¡°It looks like you want me to brush your hair this time.¡± Isabelle¡¯s slender fingers swept down the thick fur. The pointed ears that were raised go down gently. She got used to seeing a pair of huge horns rising above it. The feel of soft fur brushing through her fingers. ¡®Is this what it feels like to actually stroke the head of the Grand Duke?¡¯ She wouldn¡¯t be stroking that cold man¡¯s hair, though. ¡°I went downtown today and spent a lot of money. I bought everything I wanted to buy. My closet is full.¡± So Isabel laughed softly as she said that she even bought the wardrobe. ¡°The villagers say that because of me, the pillars of Grand Duke Bashke will be uprooted.¡± ¡°Grrrrrr!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll understand what you just said means don¡¯t worry.¡± Isabelle opened the Grand Duke¡¯s elongated snout slightly. Fangs as long and pointed as her fingers glisten fiercely. It was scary at first, but now she was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t hurt her, so it was okay. Isabelle slightly poke her finger at the sharp end of his fang. ¡°I have a small but special ability, Grand Duke.¡± A drop of blood gushed out of her finger. Isabelle dropped it on the beast¡¯s tongue. The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes widened as if bewildered by the taste of blood. ¡°It¡¯s a special reward because I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m only wasting your money. Actually, I have the power to heal people.¡± It was pitiful to see him, a beast, grunting in pain. This will probably make it less painful. After all, he hardly remembers anything when he was a beast. Isabelle comfortably shared her secret. ¡°That¡¯s why I have been more harsh with people. To protect myself.¡± Even before she possessed it, Isabelle must have been like that. Otherwise, everyone will try to eat her. ¡°Well, even now, my facial expressions and actions are tough at times, so I live by hearing the curses of the people. This is why habits are so important.¡± ¡°Grrrrrrr-¡° ¡°The Grand Duke is also waiting for the bride to break the curse, right? With that hope alone, you witnessed the death of many brides. Why do we have to live so hard?¡± Isabelle smiled bitterly and leaned her upper body against his body. The beast¡¯s body was so large that it felt like she was cuddling a large teddy bear. ¡®It¡¯s warm.¡¯ The cool breeze of the dawn and the smell of grass blowing on her cheeks. With the scenery of the Milky Way scattered like jewels over the ultramarine sky. The pounding sound of the Grand Duke¡¯s heart. Everything was so cozy that Isabelle closed her eyes. It was the tranquility that she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. *** The Grand Duke sat up. Early morning when the sun hasn¡¯t risen yet. ¡®How the hell did this happen?¡¯ The Grand Duke had returned to being a human again. Furthermore¡­ ¡®Why is the Princess here?¡¯ He saw Isabelle sleeping in his arms. The Grand Duke, who was about to get up quickly, lay down again, hoping not to wake Isabelle from her sleep. ¡®Recently, a lot of strange things are happening.¡¯ Not only did the pain of turning into a beast lessen, he kept waking up near the tower. Besides, the sun hasn¡¯t risen today, but the curse was lifted. ¡®One day a bride will come to break the Grand Duke¡¯s curse.¡¯ The high priest¡¯s prophecy, which he thought was nonsense, flashed through his mind. ¡®After this Princess came, it started to get weird.¡¯ She was a woman whom he felt bothered by. The Grand Duke moved his hand to tidy up the blonde hair that had been scattered across Isabelle¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t touch the sleeping woman. Instead, his eyes scanned Isabelle¡¯s face. She has neat eyebrows, closed eyes that seem to conform to everything, a straight nose, and red lips filled with flower water. ¡®You look like an angel when you sleep after setting up a day like that.¡¯ The Grand Duke clenched and extended his fists, relaxing his tense body. ¡®I should put you on the bed first. I¡¯ll have to ask the next time why you slept here.¡¯ The Grand Duke carefully hugged Isabelle and frowned. ¡®I heard you eat well, so why are you so light?¡¯ Maybe it was because of her presence, but from a distance, she looked pretty big, but when he hugged her, she was so small and fragile. He stared still at the tower, then turned and headed for the mansion. The reason was simple. A slender and soft woman who was ridiculed for being a vicious evil woman. It was a choice he made with the urge to protect this woman. That was how he ended up with her in his own bedroom. The Grand Duke looked down at Isabelle in his arms. Chapter 10 *** ¡®Oh my God. Where am I?¡¯ Isabelle blinked as she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. A room in which the heavy musk scent subtly lingered. Despite the spaciousness of the room, the interior was so simple that not a single decoration was visible. Furniture and carpets smelled like new. The marble floor exposed between the carpets was full of animal scratches. ¡®Oh, no way. This place¡­¡­ !¡¯ ¡°Are you awake?¡± The Grand Duke, who had just finished bathing, entered the room. A solid chest was seen through the roughly worn gown. Wet hair was neatly raised above his forehead, and his handsome features were drenched in moisture and gleamed in a peculiar way. ¡°Oh no, why did you wash up all of a sudden¡­?¡± Confused, Isabelle grabbed the blanket tightly. ¡°I had to, so I did.¡± ¡°What do you mean you had to wash up?¡± Did they ¡®do¡¯ it? Isabelle glanced down at her own body. Fortunately, she was wearing the same nightgown she had worn last night. Isabelle closed her eyes tightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t we promise to ¡®do¡¯ it after the wedding?¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Unlike Isabelle, who was very nervous, the Grand Duke omitted many words and let out an emotionless exclamation. He frowned and then moved to the back of the dressing screen. In the first place, his destination was not a bed, but that place. Servants with a military uniform and shoes entered the door that was soon open and helped him get dressed from behind the screen. ¡®What. Now I look like his woman.¡¯ Isabelle, who realized the situation belatedly, slipped into the covers. After a while, the Grand Duke in military uniform came out of the screen. The man who looked so good in a uniform that seemed to tailor to fit his broad shoulders perfectly. The moisture in his hair had not gone away yet, but the majesty he exuded was great. He approached Isabelle, who was only sticking her eyes out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t live up to the Princess¡¯s expectations.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. No expectations.¡± ¡°Is that so? I misunderstood since you read such racy novels.¡± ¡°Wow, really!¡± Isabelle was not able to refute the fact that she read those novels consistently, but she felt resentful. And she realized it later. ¡®Wait, is he making fun of me?¡¯ This blunt man? Isabelle looked at the Grand Duke carefully, but his handsome face was serious without any playfulness. ¡®What a joke.¡¯ Rather, his gaze was stinging, so Isabelle secretly turned her gaze away. ¡°I have a question for you, Princess.¡± (GD) ¡°What¡­.What?¡± (Isabelle) ¡®Oh, why is my voice so loud?¡¯ Isabelle cleared her throat and hid back under the blanket like a hermit crab. ¡°Why were you sleeping next to me?¡± (GD) ¡°Ah¡­¡± Isabelle was speechless. ¡®What do I say? Should I say I make him fetch the branches every morning?¡¯ It was embarrassing to even think about this. He was the one who approached him with his tail first, so why should she panic? If she didn¡¯t play with him, she felt bad that he would go around the tower like an abandoned dog, so she went out to see him every day. But what came out of the Grand Duke¡¯s mouth was an absurd guess. ¡°Maybe when I turned into a beast¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Did I scare the Princess out of the tower?¡± (GD) He was traumatized by heights. So even when he turned into a beast, he had never climbed a high place. The Grand Duke pressed his temple firmly and made an impression. Even his voice was gloomy as if he imagined something terrible. Isabelle quietly removed the blanket and sat her upper body straight. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not like that.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°Then, did I knock you out when you did your morning walk?¡± (GD) ¡°We just played together.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°Play¡­.?¡± (GD) He made an impression like a person who had heard something ridiculous. It didn¡¯t make sense. With his roar, everyone would be terrified and run away¡­ But they played together? This Princess must have lied about it. ¡°How did you play with a beast?¡± (GD) ¡°We played well.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°Ha. You mean that the Princess saw me and didn¡¯t run away?¡± (GD) ¡°Why did I have to run away?¡± (Isabelle) Isabelle shrugged her shoulders with her characteristic arrogant expression. ¡°I was a monster¡­¡± (GD) ¡°What monster? You were just an angry puppy.¡± (Isabelle) ¡®He must have thought he was scary. It¡¯s funny.¡¯ Isabelle mumbled those words a little and snorted. The Grand Duke, who seemed to not budge even if a large cannon was pushed behind his back, flinched. He looked confused without answering back. ¡°I heard you suffer because of the curse too.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have a similar situation. What¡¯s the point of being afraid when I already accept death?¡± (Isabelle) ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, people may misunderstand. Because I spent the night in the Grand Duke¡¯s bed.¡± (Isabelle) Ah. There were rumors that were truly unbearable. It didn¡¯t matter even if they were going to get married anyway. This world was strict about that. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Isabelle lay flat on the Grand Duke¡¯s bed again and covered herself with a blanket. She was tired because she stayed up all night. The servants took turns looking at Isabelle once and then at the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Princess?¡± A call to urge her to get up. But Isabelle was troubled by everything. ¡°Close the curtains over there. I can¡¯t sleep because it¡¯s too bright.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°What?¡± The Grand Duke looked at Isabelle and the curtain alternately and asked. It was so absurd that he forgot about honorifics. ¡°Stop talking. I¡¯m tired from playing with you, so I need to sleep more.¡± (Isabelle) Isabelle closed her eyes. The Grand Duke, who looked at Isabelle with a puzzled expression, gestured at the servants. The servants quickly pulled the curtains to darken the room, but were bewildered. It was the first time in broad daylight that a living woman had taken over their master¡¯s bedroom. **** ¡®The servants gossip, I wonder.¡¯ As rumored, Snow rubbed his eyes once more as he saw Isabelle Desar, sleeping in his master¡¯s bedroom. Seeing her clearly again, it seemed that she was not an illusion. ¡°Wake up, Princess with strong courage.¡± Snow lifted his glasses and woke Isabelle from the bed. Twelve people died in this bed, but she seemed to be having a good sleep. Did this evil woman with a dirty temperament see through the ghost and they ran away? ¡°Princess, shouldn¡¯t you have dinner?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom was not accessible to the maids, so Snow came to wake up the Princess. This little princess, who fell asleep when the sun was up, didn¡¯t even think about waking up in the evening. ¡®Is she dead?¡¯ Snow gently placed a finger under Isabelle¡¯s nose. ¡°What are you doing, Sir Snow?¡± Flashed. Like a scene in a horror play, Isabelle opened her eyes wide. ¡°Oh my god, I was surprised!¡± Why did her eyes turn so big? Surprised, Snow stepped back and almost fell on his bottom. ¡°I¡¯m the one who was surprised, Snow.¡± ¡°I was checking whether the Princess was dead or alive. What country¡¯s royal family sleeps until this hour?¡± Snow nagged and reached out his hand to Isabelle rudely. ¡°If you¡¯re going to escort me like that, don¡¯t do it.¡± Isabelle slapped Snow¡¯s hand and got out of bed on her own. ¡°The bed was comfortable.¡± ¡°You must be comfortable with my Master¡¯s beautiful face.¡± ¡°Sir Snow, I will be happy to live a positive life.¡± Isabelle, who was accustomed to the Grand Duke¡¯s face, glanced at Snow¡¯s appearance, and started to stretch. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s refreshing.¡¯ Every time she stretched, the soft pajamas revealed Isabelle¡¯s body curvy lines. Snow quickly wrapped the robe he had on her shoulders. When did the Princess who was skinny at first exude such a mature feeling? ¡°Are you tempting me with that outfit, Princess?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Who woke up the sleeping person?¡± ¡°If you are bored, please tell me. You can meet me every Tuesday.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be good to you.¡± Snowed explained that one seat was vacant on Tuesday because he was dumped, and a compliment was added that he liked the short women and that the Princess was cute. ¡°Why Tuesday?¡± ¡°Oh, I was dating a woman on Tuesday, but I couldn¡¯t remember her name, so I called her that.¡± ¡°But why do women like you?¡± ¡°Of course. The women are always enchanted by me.¡± Snow tapped his face. ¡®This crazy punk.¡¯ Isabelle, who swallowed the curse, smiled crookedly and twisted her hair. ¡°Nephew Snow.¡± (Isabelle) ¡°What is that? It sounds like an insult.¡± (Snow) ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I am your aunt.¡± (Isabelle) (Isabelle¡¯s sister is Snow¡¯s stepmother) ¡°!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask the Grand Duke. Does he know about the proposal you made?¡± (*Isabelle meant the proposal Snow made that she can meet him every Tuesday????) ¡°Huh, princess?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, nephew Snow?¡± Isabelle stared at Snow with a natural expression. ¡°¡­¡­ I misspoke. Forget it.¡± (Snow) ¡°Okay then, what¡¯s on the menu for dinner tonight?¡± (Isabelle) Was his proposal less interesting than the dinner menu? Seeing the Princess with her eyes twinkling in anticipation of the meal, the answer came out a beat behind. ¡°We prepared top-quality meat by type.¡± ¡°By type?¡± ¡°Yes, the master said he was concerned about the Princess¡¯s health¡­¡± Even Snow was puzzled. The Princess had a thin waist, but she didn¡¯t look particularly skinny enough to worry about. However, the Grand Duke asked the chef for a special meal as if he was worried about the Princess dying of starvation. ¡°Yeah, people need to eat to live. Grand Duke knows something.¡± ¡°Huh¡­.?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s something like that. Let¡¯s go, Sir Snow.¡± Isabelle reached out to Snow as if it were natural. ¡°You just kicked off my escort earlier.¡± Snow grumbled and held out his arm. ¡°It¡¯s because you were not sincere. This time, do it with all your heart.¡± Isabelle slowly glanced at him like a cat and headed to the dining room. heh heh heh. Snow smiled in embarrassment and politely escorted her as Isabelle ordered. It had been a long time since he had listened to orders from anyone other than his master. It wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought. Chapter 11 *** Rondor, the capital of the Neveland Empire. There was a tea house for noble women. Unlike the interior with dozens of tables, there was only one table in the gorgeous garden. It was also known as the Golden Table. It could only be used by the group recognized as the best in the social world. Now at the golden table, Flute and famous noble girls were sitting and enjoying tea. Just then, a small sparrow flew in and sat on Flute¡¯s shoulder. Flute smiled broadly in a lovely dress. From that figure, the figure of the young lady who was staying at the Prince¡¯s residence last night was nowhere to be found. ¡°Oh my God, Lady Flute is very popular with the little animals. It¡¯s like a painting.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a fairy, Lady Flute Hamel?¡± Other young ladies sitting around praised Flute. Currently, the emperor whose memory has deteriorated due to illness and the Crown Prince in critical condition. So people talked about Prince Edwin who would be the next emperor, and his closest aide, Flute, emerged as a rising star in society. ¡°Haha, what are you talking about? This little bird just happened to sit on my shoulder.¡± Flute smiled lightly and gently pulled the small note from the sparrow¡¯s leg. ¡®It seems that the news about Princess Isabelle has arrived.¡¯ Prince Edwin had ordered Flute to find out about Princess Isabelle. ¡®What kind of woman is it that the Prince is interested in?¡¯ Flute was unhappy, but she could not disobey his orders. Flute swallowed the unpleasant feeling down her throat and then maintained a delicate smile. ¡®Yes, I am the most likely candidate for the Crown Princess.¡¯ Although she was the illegitimate child of Viscount Hamel, she was a pure and beautiful woman. Flute played the role perfectly, so no one could have predicted that she was a back alley informant. *** In a dirty and dark alley. Long-tailed mice were circling around a bum. Ugh. The drunken bum, unable to control himself, was driven into a corner and was terrified. The eyes of the mice were all red as if they had been stained with blood. ¡°Are you the one who said you knew Princess Isabelle?¡± Flute draped in a large hood suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡°I am, please save me.¡± ¡°If you answer correctly, I will save you.¡± Flute took a gold coin from her pocket and threw it in front of the drunken man. The man who picked it up grinned and spilled what he knew. There were rumors that Isabelle committed evil, that she kept people away, that the king hated her, and that she was born of the queen¡¯s infidelity. Those were the facts that Flute already knew. Annoyed, Flute repeatedly threw the flute in her hand into the air and caught it. The blue flashing was closer to a blunt tool than a musical instrument. The frightened man spilled the hidden information. ¡°The youngest princess of the Kingdom of Desar can do strange healing magic.¡± ¡°Recovery magic?¡± ¡°Yes. But that¡¯s close to a curse. Those who tried to covet it all died in the end.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± A recovery magic that was once said to be performed by high-ranking priests. It was a precious magic that no one could use now that the Neveland Empire was established. Whether it was a curse or a talent, the Prince would be more interested if he found out. ¡°Is there anyone other than you who knows this?¡± Flute asked, taking a gold coin from her pocket and throwing it. ¡°No. I¡¯m probably the last one to survive.¡± The man picked it up haphazardly and laughed uncomfortably. ¡°Then you are lucky.¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how he knew that I knew that, but the wizard, he came after me in a flash¡­.¡± Flute gripped her flute tightly and struck the man¡¯s neck. With a terrifying sound, the man fell to the floor, and a swarm of black mice covered him. Death, which came silently, stayed in the alley and disappeared. *** ¡°Just this information?¡± When the Prince saw the report submitted by Flute, he was frowned. ¡°It was famous for doing bad things, but it didn¡¯t have any major features that stood out.¡± Flute, draped in a thin robe, sat on top of the Prince and whispered in a charming voice. ¡°It¡¯s not like you. There are many holes in the information.¡±(Prince) The Prince stared at her as if telling her to reveal anything she was hiding. Flute stared straight into his eyes and smiled. ¡°There was only so much I could write down, Prince.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°If I was a young girl from the Empire, I could have written a few more lines.¡± Actually, there was one more. The testimony of a vulture who had fled from the kingdom of Desar. However, Flute had no intention of offering any information that would attract the Prince¡¯s attention. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to take a break and go on a trip. On the way, we¡¯ll have a banquet.¡± ¡°Where are you going, Prince?¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning to Grand Duke Bashke for a while.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Are you going to see the Princess?¡± ¡°As a Prince, let¡¯s call it an inspection.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave such an inspection to a subordinate and take a look at the coal mine I found this time?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line, sweet Flute.¡± The Prince pushed Flute away with a firm hand while smiling sweetly. The Prince wearing a robe hummed and left the room. ¡®You¡¯ll soon realize that I¡¯m the only one with you, Edwin.¡¯ Flute gritted her teeth as the Prince turned around without hesitation. ¡®Yes, I will be the only woman who will be the Crown Princess.¡¯ Because if any b*tches want to covet the Prince, she will kill them all. *** The next morning. Isabelle played with the beast happily today. He snatched the brim hat that Isabelle threw like a boomerang and brought it back to her. ¡°Good job.¡± Isabelle lifted her toes and patted the beast¡¯s head. The beast opened its wide mouth and gently bit Isabelle¡¯s forearm. If he put a little pressure on his teeth, Isabelle¡¯s arm would be cut off at any moment, but she wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°Sit down, Grand Duke.¡± At Isabelle¡¯s words, the beast sat up close. ¡°Good boy.¡± His eyes gleamed like amethysts as soon as the praise fell. ¡°Come on, Grand Duke. I¡¯ll give you just one drop, so wait.¡± ¡°Grrrr!¡± The beast bowed its head and licked Isabelle¡¯s ankle. yep! Isabelle, startled by the damp sensation, quickly retreated her feet. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stay still and don¡¯t lick it.¡± ¡°Grrrr.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re quite obedient. Can you be like that during the day?¡± ¡°Grrrrr!¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± Isabelle pricked her finger with the beast¡¯s sharp fang and bled. The beast, who had licked the blood gently at first, did not let Isabelle¡¯s finger go. Today, the beast swallowed a lot of blood. It wasn¡¯t painful, but the tickling sensation was annoying. ¡°Grand Duke, are you going to devour all my fingers?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Grand Duke? Ahhhh!¡± As the beast placed its feet on Isabelle¡¯s shoulders, her body tumbled backwards. For a moment, she was shocked by the appearance of being crushed by him, but Isabelle calmly tickled his chin. ¡°It¡¯s heavy, get out of the way.¡± Even at her request, the beast licked Isabelle¡¯s cheek for a long time. ¡°Kyahaha, it tickles, Grand Duke!¡± At that time. Black smoke rose from his body. ¡®What¡¯s happening!¡¯ Isabelle, startled, tried to disperse the smoke quickly with her hands, but to no avail. Smoke emanated from the beast¡¯s whole body, hovering around him and sucked into his obsidian earrings. The black smoke cleared and the Grand Duke was visible. The Grand Duke, who was a beast, had turned into a human. ¡°Gr, Grand Duke?¡± His purplish eyes, who lost focus, stared blankly at Isabelle. He was lying on top of Isabelle, who was lying on her back, holding her with his limbs. His languid and decadent face was different from the ascetic image of him with his uniform button fastened up to his neck. ¡®Wow, this is crazy.¡¯ Isabelle¡¯s gaze descended from the Grand Duke¡¯s face to his neck, chest, and down there. Maybe it was because he was a man who trained on a ship every day. A body woven of muscles was more perfect than a statue. All that was covering his strong body were ripped pants. ¡®I, what is that!¡¯ ???? Indeed, he was a beast. Isabelle covered her blushing face with her hands. ¡°Get away, Grand Duke!¡± Isabelle tried to think as sane as possible while repeating the chanting of the Buddha Amitabha. ¡®That¡¯s why people look at the beautiful things of the world.¡¯ She used to wonder what kind of a ruse beauty was, but now she realized that it was a probability, an absolute rule of nature! ¡°Grand Duke, we, we are not yet..¡­ .¡± The effect of the scripture did not last long. Isabelle closed her eyes tightly after leaving a strange remark. She hadn¡¯t made up her mind yet, but they were both adults. She liked it. It was a little rushed, but it was good if they had this level of physicality. Isabelle closed her eyes while alone anticipating the will of the Grand Duke who attacked her like that. Grrrr. The sound growling like a beast came from between his lips. Isabelle opened her eyes and stared at him. ¡°Are you still out of your mind, Grand Duke?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®Oh man, what was I thinking doing with the man who was still not in his right mind!¡¯ ¡®I almost felt incredibly ashamed.¡¯ Isabelle thought she had to get out of his arms first, so she threw a branch that had just fallen right next to her into the air. If the Grand Duke runs to pick it up, she¡¯ll just run away. As expected, his head turned quickly along the branch. However, he maintained his posture and reached out with only one arm and grabbed the branch at once. ¡®Wow, I think your reflexes are better when you¡¯re human.¡¯ Isabelle, who was admiring the figure, quickly stared at the Grand Duke. ¡®Fxxx.¡¯ She almost swore without realizing it. The Grand Duke¡¯s purplish eyes were back as clearly as usual. ¡°Princess.¡± A low voice rang out. ¡°You said we played well. Is this how the Princess usually plays with me?¡± The Grand Duke gave strength to the hand holding the branch. Crack! The branch broke into pieces and fell to the floor. Chapter 12 *** Isabelle smiled awkwardly when the Grand Duke asked if they had usually played like this. ¡°What¡­¡­ Thanks to you, my stamina has improved, haha.¡± ¡°You mean like animals?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡®What are you talking about? If you¡¯re sane, if I throw a branch, will you pick it up?¡¯ Isabelle opened her eyes wide and nodded roughly. Then the Grand Duke¡¯s face turned pale in an instant, and he slowly got up, putting his hand on his forehead. Was it because she was too nervous? Her legs staggered for a moment, but the Grand Duke naturally reached out and supported Isabelle. ¡°Did you stay still even with a body like this, Princess?¡± The Grand Duke glanced at Isabelle¡¯s forearm and calf once. Red tooth marks from the playful biting of the Grand Duke, who was a beast. Even though the surroundings were dark, the Grand Duke recognized the marks like ghosts. ¡°It¡¯s not that painful, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°How can it not hurt!¡± the Grand Duke exclaimed in rare anger. ¡®What is wrong with this man?¡¯ Isabelle, startled, flinched her shoulders. ¡®It¡¯s understandable that he suddenly became a person and is embarrassed, but it¡¯s not right to act like this to someone who played with him.¡¯ ¡®Thanks to someone my day and night have changed.¡¯ Isabelle put her hands on her waist and straightened her back again. ¡°Why do you scream when you should say thank you?!¡± Isabelle also tightened her stomach and shouted out loudly. The Grand Duke shut his mouth for a moment and lowered his voice again, apparently in shock. ¡°Did you risk your life to hear thank you? Are you sane?!¡± ¡°You must have misunderstood something, but do I look like a woman who risked her life to listen to it?¡± ¡°If this isn¡¯t risking your life, what is it?¡± ¡°Are there people who risk their lives while playing?¡± The Grand Duke snorted as if he was astonished. What. How would you describe picking up a few branches if it wasn¡¯t a game? ¡®Okay, I shouldn¡¯t talk. I guess we¡¯ll see if I will play with you tomorrow.¡¯ Isabelle quickly turned and walked towards the tower. ¡°Princess!¡± The Grand Duke called her from behind and followed her. Isabelle turned her head and pointed to the hat in the distance. ¡°Never mind, pick up the hat.¡± Then she went into the tower. The moment he thought the Princess¡¯s tone of voice like talking to a dog was unfamiliar, the Grand Duke was startled. ¡®What the hell, why am I running?¡¯ When he came to his senses, he was already running towards the fallen hat. **** ¡°Princess, did you go for a walk this morning?¡± Asked the maid who was wiping Isabelle¡¯s limbs in the hot bath. ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Isabelle answered without opening her eyes. Even taking a bath in broad daylight she was dazed. Thanks to running around with the Grand Duke every night, her weak stamina improved a lot, but her day and night changed. ¡®At this rate, I¡¯ll get attached to the beast, not the Grand Duke.¡¯ It felt like raising a pet. ¡®But when he turns back to human, why is his personality like that?¡¯ ¡®He only has his face.¡¯ Isabelle sighed as she recalled what had happened this morning. ¡°What about the hat hanging on the door today?¡± ¡°A hat?¡± ¡°Yes. In the morning, I saw that it was placed in front of the princess¡¯s door. Did you drop it in the morning when you went out?¡± ¡®Oh, it looks like the Grand Duke really picked up the hat.¡¯ He followed orders well. Who says he¡¯s not a dog? Isabelle snorted and waved her hand. ¡°Throw it away. I¡¯ll go shopping today and buy a new one.¡± She didn¡¯t intend to use the hat that rolled on the dirt twice. ¡°Are you going out today?¡± ¡°Yes. To relieve stress.¡± She was planning to use the Grand Duke¡¯s money to relieve the stress she had accumulated from arguing with him. Isabelle put her head in the bathtub and closed her eyes. As she fell asleep, she didn¡¯t hear the gossip of the maids, which would lead to a great misunderstanding. ¡°The princess is always sleeping when the sun is up.¡± ¡°Is it possible that she¡¯s pregnant?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth, Laura! She hasn¡¯t even had her first night yet.¡± ¡°But Daisy said she had spent the night in the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom last time.¡± ¡°Well, then maybe¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡± ¡°I was told to report her every move, so let¡¯s report this as well.¡± The two maids looked at each other meaningfully and then nodded. *** ¡°Lord?¡± Snow called the Grand Duke who was training on the deck. It was rare for him to train the soldiers himself. He was sweating profusely, wielding a sword the size of a woman. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Whoosh, the tip of the sword he was wielding pointed towards the sea. The sharp wind split the waves. ¡°What happened? You seem to keep thinking differently.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Snow.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Clank. The Grand Duke put his sword on the deck and stopped talking. Although he swung that large sword for nearly an hour, there was no sign of difficulty. Sweat-soaked shirt stuck to his body and showed the perfect upper body tightly woven with muscles. It was uncomfortable, but he never took his clothes off. He would just roll up his sleeves to just below his elbows. He didn¡¯t mess around with his clothes under any circumstances. ¡°If you have any concerns, please tell me. If there¡¯s anything I can do, I¡¯ll try to figure it out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something you can¡¯t solve.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate my abilities.¡± ¡°Pregnancy.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡®Oh, that¡¯s something I really can¡¯t do.¡¯ Snow jumped from his seat and looked around quickly. Fortunately, the soldiers shouted loudly and were busy training. The Grand Duke gestured with his chin at some of the disorganized soldiers and then headed back to the commander¡¯s office. ¡°At the same time, you have good eyesight.¡± Snow swung the magic staff in his pocket in the air. After confirming that sandbags had formed on the ankles of the soldiers pointed to by the Grand Duke, he diligently followed him. ¡°What kind of woman is she? The woman who dared to rush to the daytime Grand Duke.¡± ¡°It¡¯s night.¡± ¡°When did the Grand Duke change?¡± Crazy. Snow shook his hand and fiddled with the frame of his glasses. ¡°When did you have an accident? There were no broken magic circles around the Grand Duke¡¯s residence.¡± Snow, at the request of the Archduke, commissioned the magic tower to design a magical defense wall that starts up every night. To prevent the Grand Duke who has turned into a beast from going outside. Of course, there were days when accidents occurred because he broke it, but these days were rare. But he (Snow) didn¡¯t know such a major accident would happen. ¡°Is it a woman in the castle? Is the woman alive?¡± (Snow) Although he bit people, the beast Grand Duke didn¡¯t show any special interest in women. What kind of change was there? ¡°She¡¯s alive and well. According to the woman, I think we met every night.¡± (GD) ¡°You two met regularly?¡± (Snow) Did such an unusual woman exist? (*Snow doesn¡¯t know the rumored pregnant woman was Isabelle ????) ¡°Hmmmm, you must have been bored all night, my lord.¡± (Snow) ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense and send a doctor right away.¡± (GD) The Grand Duke clicked his tongue and waved his hand. The maid¡¯s report that the Princess was suspected of being pregnant because she was taking more naps still lingered in his mind. ¡°Where should I send the doctor?¡± (Snow) ¡°To the tower.¡± (GD) ¡°Okay. To the tower right now¡­ Wait, the tower? The woman is Princess Isabelle?¡± Snow¡¯s eyes widened. The Grand Duke only nodded his head without answering and then gently rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. ¡°Oh my God.¡± Snow, who was full of imagination, trembled his eyes, and immediately sent the doctor to the tower. But less than 30 minutes later, even more surprising news came. ¡°Your Highness, something has happened!¡± Grand Duke Bashke, who was sitting sadly in the commander¡¯s office, jumped up from his seat. ¡°Is she pregnant!?¡± ¡°No, the doctor couldn¡¯t see her because she was away.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°The Princess went out shopping without problems!¡± A woman who seemed to collapse when touched, stays up all night and goes shopping? ¡°She¡¯s in good shape.¡± The Grand Duke smirked in exasperation. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°What? Are you going to see her?¡± ¡°I want to see that face myself.¡± **** Grand Duke Karl Bashke was absent for a while. Snow White sat at the desk in the corner of the commander¡¯s office with his arms crossed. On the monotonous desk, a gorgeous tabletop mirror occupied by noble wives was placed. Snow took his wand and tapped the mirror. A small light from the tip of the wand permeated the silversmith mirror. ¡°Mirror, mirror.¡± Snow, who started talking to himself looking at the mirror that could not answer, stared at his reflection in the mirror. ¡°Who is the most perfect man in the world?¡± ???? The hard mirror surface fluctuated like water, and a man¡¯s voice came out. ¡°After all, I am the most perfect.¡± Snow smirked as he simply dismissed the call of his name as an answer. ???? The mirror was Snow¡¯s secret means of communication with Chaiman, the master of the magic tower as well as Snow¡¯s teacher. Chaiman spoke ill of many countries by type. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the main point, Master.¡± Snow cut his master¡¯s words familiarly. ¡°My lord is strange these days, Master. Ever since he met Princess Isabelle Desar.¡± ¡°He seems to have met the Princess every night.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Through the mirror, Snow could hear the swear words of his Master and the sound of the thin bracelets rattling. Chaiman seemed to be flapping his arms in panic. Chapter 13 *** ¡°I don¡¯t know the circumstances, but after meeting the Princess, the power of the curse began to weaken.¡± Snow narrowed his eyes as he told his master that the curse had been lifted before sunrise. The tower lord, Chaiman was even arrogant to the king of a country, but he was respectful towards the Grand Duke. ¡°He looks the same on the outside, but I don¡¯t know on the inside. He went to see the Princess now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Will it be different this time?¡± Among the women who rushed to get engaged, there were not only women who wanted to win the Grand Duke¡¯s love. From a spy trying to steal the secrets of the empire to a con artist, their purpose varied, and the Grand Duke¡¯s sword, which cut the pirates¡¯ necks, fell equally on the women. The heart of the man who dominated the warm southern coast was as cold as the northern iceberg. Yes, he was that kind of guy. But now, there was something strange with his lord. ¡°I would be happy if there was a priest who could lift the Grand Duke¡¯s curse as the high priest prophesied, but¡­.¡± ¡°Because he is quite clever. In any case, I am afraid that the cause will be disturbed by Princess Isabelle.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the clock requested by the Grand Duke last time, is it?¡± Snow remembered the day he first met Princess Isabelle. He took a boat to the kingdom of Desar to get the ¡®clock¡¯, but it was fake and he disappointed the Grand Duke. ¡°It was you, master, who said it would be real at that time.¡± ¡°Why is the master coming here!¡± The tower lord had a bad relationship with Empress Gwendoline. The Empress prohibited entry into the Empire of the tower lord, but only Grand Duke Bashke could sneak in and out. bubbly~ The mirror glass fluttered like a wave and soon returned to a normal mirror. ¡°Heh, the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t like it, would he?¡± Snow looked at the mirror in vain and murmured. **** At the same time. Grand Duke Karl Bashke, who visited the downtown area, stood crookedly in a narrow alley. It was only five or six steps away from the main road, but the alley was as dark as a different world, and the cold eyes of the Grand Duke matched the darkness very well. ¡°Is it there?¡± Madame Fairy¡¯s boutique where Princess Isabelle visited. Through the large show window there, the coy figure of the Princess could be seen. The posture with her back straight and the tip of her chin raised was elegant enough to be considered an imperial member, not a princess of a small country. ¡®What the hell is it?¡¯ A woman who played with a hideous beast every night. It was clear that she was not a normal person, so it was his turn to find out the true purpose of her approach. ¡°My lord.¡± A man in a black mask appeared behind him. It was the shadow knight of Grand Duke Bashke, Shadow. ¡°Say.¡± ¡°Certainly, the princess wasn¡¯t on the Empress¡¯s side. But I¡¯ve noticed something absurd.¡± Shadow continued the report, glancing through the window that the Grand Duke was watching. ¡°The Princess seemed to have a special secret, but no one knew it.¡± ¡°A secret?¡± ¡°There was only one person who survived knowing the secret, but someone recently killed him.¡± (*Flute killed a man last time who knew Isabelle¡¯s secret) ¡°You mean, you¡¯re one step late.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Shadow shook his head. And asked one more question. ¡°Should I kill the Princess tonight?¡± To use his hands quickly so that there was no generosity. That was the way his lord liked to use it. Shadow glanced up at the Grand Duke. Still no reply came back. After standing for a while, the Grand Duke silently waved his hand. It meant to watch the Princess for now. After bowing to the Grand Duke, Shadow disappeared into the darkness of the back alley. Alone again, the Grand Duke was still observing Isabelle. At that time, an aristocratic wife inside the store held out a gossip paper bearing the princess¡¯s infamy, and an argument broke out. Isabelle took it and read it with an insignificant expression, and tore it to shreds. ¡®She¡¯s definitely not a nice woman. ¡® Still, seeing the Princess smiling crookedly made him laugh helplessly. **** ¡°Tell me again.¡± Isabelle smiled as she threw the torn pieces of the gossip paper in the air. Countess Stinger, who had been arguing with her, was stunned to see the pieces of paper fluttering. ¡°The reason why there are so many fires of unknown cause right now is because of the poor conduct of the Grand Duchess!¡± ¡°Is it logical that if I do something wrong, another house will be set on fire, Countess Stinger?¡± It was such a funny idea, Isabelle burst out laughing. Isabelle¡¯s sharply raised eyebrows drew a pretty arc. Countess Stinger, unable to speak for a moment, touched the tip of the fan she was holding. ¡°God knows everything.¡± ¡°Well, thanks to the Countess spreading false rumors here and there, a god far away must have heard it.¡± ¡°But, it is not just a rumor that the illegitimate child of Queen Desar¡¯s affair is Princess Isabelle. Is it!¡± ¡®Did she spread rumors I didn¡¯t even know existed?¡¯ Isabelle opened her eyes wide. ¡®Besides, this is information that I did not know in my previous life.¡¯ Isabelle blinked slowly and tilted her head. ¡°So what do you want, Countess?¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°Do I have to bring in a blood test to prove that I¡¯m an illegitimate child or an orthodox bloodline?¡± ¡°How vicious!¡± Countess Stinger, her face flushed red, widened her eyes and glared at Isabelle. ¡®What is she saying now? I can¡¯t attack her back?¡¯ (Isabelle) At this moment, the person who fit the name ¡®villain¡¯ would be Countess Stinger. Isabelle smiled and nodded her head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a bit savage. Madame Fairy, come here.¡± Isabelle called the owner of the boutique who was watching the scene nearby. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Princess Isabelle?¡± She approached with an awkward gait and looked at Isabelle and the Countess¡¯s complexion. ¡°Madame, send all of the new products here to the Grand Duke¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Everything¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m trying to make some outrageous consumption.¡± Also, at times like this, money was the best. With her eyebrows lowered, Isabelle gracefully covered her mouth and looked at Countess Stinger. ¡°What do you do, Countess Stinger? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything for you to shop in this boutique today.¡± ¡°¡­ Princess Isabelle!¡± Countess Stinger shrieked as she gritted her teeth. Isabelle was high in the title, but since the kingdom of Desar was a small country, the nobles from the empire tended to see her below them. In addition, there was even a group of women following Countess Stinger. ¡°You want to see the young Princess look desperate, right?¡¯ But the luck of the group was bad. ¡°Why!¡± (Isabelle) The small respectful words were buried in the loud ¡®why¡¯ and could not be heard. The group of noble ladies quietly shut their mouths at that time at the behavior of the Princess from the small country. ¡®Pick a fight over nothing.¡¯ They couldn¡¯t see anything in front of them because they were so desperate. ¡°If you¡¯re done talking, I¡¯ll go first.¡± Isabelle patted the ladies who tried to insult her ??and left the boutique. Verdel, who was guarding Isabelle¡¯s back, also enjoyed the victory of her master and kept her head high. ¡°You are terrific, Princess.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡®Hm. I spent a lot of money today, but I¡¯ll be able to solve it with the pocket money I¡¯ve saved so far.¡¯ Isabelle, who left the store with a light heart, unfolded the lace parasol that Verdel gave her. The warm afternoon sun shone brightly on the lively street. And on the other side of the alley where the light did not reach, there was an unwelcome human. ¡®Grand Duke Bashke?¡¯ The corners of Isabelle¡¯s lips, which had been lifted happily, drooped downward. ¡®What is that man doing here at this time?¡¯ It must be a coincidence. Isabelle turned and walked quickly in the other direction, pretending not to see him. Thump thump. The sound of large, steady military boots could be heard behind her back. It was an instant, the Grand Duke caught up with Isabelle. ¡°Aren¡¯t you done shopping?¡± The Grand Duke, who had already taken the position next to Isabelle, was walking with her at the same speed. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about nagging me. The money I spent today is enough to be covered with the pocket money I have saved up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to do that.¡± ¡°Are you going to ask why I fought with the ladies?¡± Isabelle stopped walking and looked up at him. She was trying to talk back at him horribly. Eyes that have been tightened with strength slowly released. Suddenly, she felt as if the surrounding scenery had come to a standstill. ¡®What, why does he look better outside?¡¯ Among the passers-by, the Grand Duke was one head taller. A navy uniform with a large, solid body tightened like a sword. Eyes sparkling as cold as amethyst and lips closed tight. The gentle southern wind ran down Isabelle¡¯s cheek and tapped her heart. This man was as cool as the north wind in winter. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re done shopping.¡± ¡°Oh. Yes, Yes. I¡¯m on my way back to the mansion.¡± Isabelle took her eyes off the Grand Duke and looked around. Passers-by stopped walking and everyone was busy glancing at the Grand Duke. Despite the rumors that he was cursed, his beautiful appearance caught the eyes of men and women of all ages. ¡°Are you okay to walk that long?¡± ¡°You seem to underestimate me because I have been lazy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ I will guide you to the carriage.¡± The Grand Duke perfectly escorted Isabelle while she brushed her hair with a confused expression. ¡®This man is more caring than usual.¡¯ It was a little awkward, but it was good. Isabelle was puzzled by his excessive kindness, but accepted it comfortably for now. Chapter 14 *** It was not the tower, but the bedroom of the mansion that Isabelle arrived along with the Grand Duke. ¡°Suddenly a medical examination?¡± Isabelle looked at the waiting doctor and the Grand Duke alternately. ¡°Let¡¯s lie down, Princess.¡± ¡°I have to tell you from the beginning¡­ keek!¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± The Grand Duke lifted Isabelle up. Perhaps it was because he had already done it before. The movement of putting her down on the bed was calm and familiar. Isabelle crouched slightly as her body floated, looking up at the sculptural face of the Grand Duke for a moment before clasping her hands tightly. ¡°He¡¯s going to check your health, Princess.¡± A pleasant bass sound fell to the top of her head, but no explanation was heard. Her calm heart suddenly pounded in Isabelle¡¯s ears. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯ Isabelle blinked her eyes in bewilderment. The image of the Grand Duke standing in the downtown area with his back against the dazzling sunlight kept coming back to her mind, and it was absurd. ¡®What is new about the face I see every day?¡¯ Isabelle tried to calm her pounding heart, and she couldn¡¯t face the Grand Duke until the moment when the soft bedding wrapped around her. ¡°Then I will start the check up. Princess.¡± The doctor put on a stethoscope and checked Isabelle¡¯s pulse first. Embarrassed that her heartbeat would be detected, Isabelle turned her head to the other side. The Grand Duke, on the other hand, watched the examination process seriously and was immersed in thought. ¡®If you¡¯re really pregnant¡­Should I kill you right now?¡¯ He decided to devote his life to revenge. Therefore, we could not tolerate the variable that would become a weakness. The Grand Duke looked at Isabelle¡¯s white neck, fiddling with the handle of the dagger on his waist. A thin neck that would break if he held it in one hand and twisted it. It stimulated a violent feeling in the viewer. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter because you¡¯re destined to die on the first night anyway¡­.¡¯ Strangely, he kept making assumptions that she would survive. ¡®Don¡¯t be stupid.¡¯ The Grand Duke rebuked himself and clenched his fists. All uncertainty was just an obstacle until he destroyed this damned empire. ¡°Hmm.¡± The doctor who examined Isabelle put down the stethoscope, glanced at the Grand Duke with troubled eyes. ¡°She¡¯s not pregnant.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± The Grand Duke nodded his head stiffly. Yes, he was really glad to hear the negative news. He didn¡¯t have to think about whether he should kill her or not. Because there were no annoying variables. ¡®But this feeling is¡­¡¯ Between the strong sense of relief, sadness for no reason rushed in. While he was thinking of himself as crazy as he tapped his chin. ¡°What ¡®pregnancy¡¯? Are you crazy, Grand Duke?¡± Princess Isabelle seemed to have thought the same. ¡°Is the child just created? Did I just conceive by the Holy Spirit? What, what!¡± ¡°Ha, calm down, Princess!¡± The doctor, embarrassed by Isabelle¡¯s anger, stopped her. ¡°I¡¯m amazed at what you normally think about making an innocent virgin pregnant!¡± ¡°I apologize, Princess.¡± Instead of making an excuse, the Grand Duke gave a hard apology and then stared at the doctor. As soon as that cold gaze touched the doctor, he shook his head. ¡°How is the Princess¡¯s health? I heard she saw some strange things sometimes.¡± ¡°She is very healthy with a fast beating heart. She¡¯s not weak enough to see strange things.¡± After completing the check up, the doctor quickly left the room with his bag. Now it was just the two of them in the room. Isabelle jumped out of bed as soon as the door closed. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°Because you meet me every night.¡± ¡°Why does that make me pregnant¡­ no way!¡± Wow, what¡¯s so imaginative about this cool-headed guy who doesn¡¯t even dream when he sleeps? ¡°Wow, what were you thinking! We were really just playing!¡± Isabelle exclaimed, saying that it was all about throwing branches, sleepers, or hats, or brushing his hair. ¡°Anyway, it was the Grand Duke who came to the tower every morning. You wouldn¡¯t leave and walk around the tower until I came out.¡± The Grand Duke froze in his standing position. It was a rare sight to see his face, which was white, dyed bright red again. ¡®What. You weren¡¯t too embarrassed when you thought I was pregnant, but do you think this is shameful? What¡¯s wrong with his mental state?¡¯ His purple eyes, which were shaking like convulsions, hid behind his gloomy, sunken eyelids. ¡°Ha. I made a big mistake. I can¡¯t even say anything if I had ten mouths.¡± Of course, he was sorry that he misunderstood the innocent Princess. It was even more shameful that he had been catching branches and slippers thrown by others like a dog. ¡®And then I had no choice but to misunderstand.¡¯ It was the first time he had ever wanted someone so badly. Not only her mind, but also her body. Perfectly. There was only one thing that came to his mind as he looked at the Princess lying helplessly beneath him. However, since it was impossible to give such an excuse to the Princess, the Grand Duke remained silent. His attitude only seemed blunt to Isabelle. ¡°All right, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Instead, I don¡¯t want to have that misunderstanding twice. So please don¡¯t come near the tower.¡± Isabelle looked straight at the Grand Duke and left the room. Strangely, his heart sank when he saw her resolute face. He felt glad to be human. If he was a beast, he would have drooped his ears and tail. ¡­It¡¯s crazy. I¡¯m out of my mind. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to go there twice.¡± He mumbled a late reply to the door closing with a bang. **** What is a family? It was the first question that came to his mind when the maids said that the Princess might be pregnant. ¡®I dreamed that big golden eggs were falling from the tall beanstalk. So I looked at the sky and waited for you.¡¯ His old mother¡¯s voice echoes in his ears. The Grand Duke opened the desk drawer in his office and took out a small picture frame. It was a portrait of the former Grand Duke Bashke and his wife (his parents). Dried bloodstains could be seen over the painted portrait. His young self was smiling happily with them. With a face that didn¡¯t resemble his parents at all. ¡®It¡¯s been almost 20 years already.¡¯ The Grand Duke touched his obsidian earrings. With this curse, his family was shattered and he was left alone. ¡®I won¡¯t take anything until I destroy this empire and the imperial family.¡¯ Even the Crown Prince, who was the only one who defended himself in the imperial family, was unconscious. Now there was no need to hesitate with the sword aimed at the imperial palace. ¡®D*mn it.¡¯ The Grand Duke nervously put the family portrait he was holding into the drawer. The glossy ebony wooden chest of the drawer slammed shut with a shattering sound. ¡®I can¡¯t have a family.¡¯ Taking a bride was only to solve this d*mn curse. It was nothing more and nothing less. The Grand Duke began to immerse himself in his work. The piles of papers that had been piled up quickly shrunk. Snow glanced at the Grand Duke signing the papers under low pressure. Snow, who had been fiddling with the letter he was holding, carefully called his lord, ¡°Why does Prince Edwin¡¯s letter arrive now?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Grand Duke?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry while you¡¯re busy, but Prince Edwin¡¯s letter has arrived.¡± ¡°The contents.¡± Hearing his lord¡¯s hard voice, Snow quickly ripped off the imperial seal and read the contents. ¡°He¡­ he said he would visit the estate.¡± ¡°Send him a reply.¡± ¡°But he has a special request. He¡¯s asking for a welcome banquet.¡± ¡°A banquet?¡± A banquet while the Crown Prince was in a critical condition. The Grand Duke then took his eyes off the document and read the letter handed by Snow. ¡°Prince Edwin wants to congratulate me on my wedding in advance¡­.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really suspicious.¡± ¡°Look what he¡¯s up to, Snow.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Snow left the office with a stiff face. The Grand Duke, who was left alone, got up from his seat and walked to the window. The blue sea, the wall surrounding the castle, and a secluded tower in the corner caught his eyes. ¡®Princess Isabelle Desar.¡¯ Her expression, which was strangely wary of the Prince in the kingdom, and the circumstances in which she hastily demanded a contract marriage with him came to his mind. ¡®Probably because of her.¡¯ Haa. A heavy sigh clouded the glass window. *** Kung! Grrrrr! Isabelle, who had been asleep for a long time, woke up to the familiar sound of a beast. After rubbing her eyes, she glanced out the window and saw a large black beast circling around the tower. ¡®It will dawn soon. Has he been like that all night?¡¯ The gesture of howling into the air and complaining of pain once in a while stimulated her sense of guilt without reason. ¡®I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know if people were bad and the dog was bad, but she didn¡¯t know if she could get into another misunderstanding. ¡®Can I still tell him to go back?¡¯ Isabelle stood up, opened the large window and pushed her half upper body out. Sniff, the beast smelled Isabelle and raised its head. The ferocious purple eyes gleamed even more in the fading moonlight. ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t going to play with you anymore.¡± The voice muttering from the tall tower must have been small. The beast wagged its tail as if it understood the word. It warmed her heart to see such a welcoming beast. ¡°I¡¯m really not going to play, so please stop. What are you going to do with a bride who is about to die?¡± As soon as she said she was going to die with her mouth, She felt strangely choked and couldn¡¯t get the next word out. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me all of a sudden?¡¯ She smirked, trying to offset her serious feelings, but Isabelle¡¯s face quickly hardened. ¡®I thought that repeated life and death was boring. I was tired of living and wanted to rest.¡¯ The salty, cold dawn air lingered in Isabelle¡¯s empty mouth, and her heart swelled. A cold sadness spread through her body as if she was rolling in the snow naked. Her eyes stayed in the still air, and dewy tears fell down. ¡°Kong!¡± The beast wandered around the tower, not knowing what to do. And as if he had made up his mind to do something, he climbed up the tower while shaking his limbs. After the beast had come up near the window howled and roared, Isabelle, who was thought in thoughts, suddenly came to her senses. ¡°Did you come all the way here? I heard that you don¡¯t go up because you¡¯re afraid of heights.¡± ¡°Kunnnnn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I said I wouldn¡¯t play and you came up shaking like that.¡± At that moment, Isabelle regained her smile, wiped away her tears and reached for the beast. Every time she touched the black fur, her blond hair fluttered down. It swayed gently in the wind. ¡®I want to sweep more, but I can¡¯t reach it.¡¯ Isabelle pulled her upper body outward a little more and reached out to the beast. ¡°There. I can reach it now.¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± As she forced herself out, she lost her balance. Isabelle fell straight out of the window. Chapter 15 *** The moment Isabelle fell. ¡°Kong!¡± The beast, whose eyes lit up, quickly raised its front paws and lifted Isabelle¡¯s body as it fell. The recoil caused Isabelle¡¯s body to float in the air, and she entered the window safely. Ouch! Isabelle, who barely managed to save her life, rolled on the floor and grabbed her shoulder. ¡®I¡¯ve been scratched by the Grand Duke¡¯s claws.¡¯ Her blood-stained pajamas were seen along with the pain of torn flesh. ¡°Grrrr!¡± The beast roared and tried to jump into the window, but a jelly-like barrier appeared and blocked his entry. It was a magic barrier that Isabelle had never felt before. The beast hanging from the high tower trembled and swung its front paws strongly, but the barrier didn¡¯t break. Just then, the light of the rising sun glimmered behind him. It was morning. With the sunrise, black smoke rose from his body, and he returned to human form. The barrier that blocked the beast disappeared, and the Grand Duke, who became a human, hurriedly entered the room through the window. ¡°What the hell am I doing here? Darn it!¡± He moved away from the window with a white face. He seemed afraid of heights despite his large size. ¡®No wonder he didn¡¯t come near the window when he visited the tower. I guess he¡¯s really scared of heights.¡¯ It didn¡¯t really suit him, so Isabelle smiled brightly even in the midst of her pain. ¡°¡­?¡± The Grand Duke, who noticed Isabelle¡¯s presence belatedly, stiffened as he looked at her on the floor. His pupils tremble like candles hit by the sea breeze. ¡°What the hell did I do¡­¡­ !¡± He wiped Isabelle¡¯s wounds with the handkerchief lying on the side table. ¡®He¡¯s a soldier, so he¡¯s good at handling wounds.¡¯ Isabelle reached out to the Grand Duke with the hand that covered the wound. Her white hand was stained with blood. ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± ¡®It¡¯s really good for the body¡¯, but Isabelle couldn¡¯t explain it. Seeing Isabelle speaking strange words, the Grand Duke wrinkled his face. ¡°Just take one bite.¡± Isabelle placed her finger on his tightly closed lips. Red blood dripped from his thick lips. The Grand Duke quickly turned his head with a ferocious gaze. Seeing the expression on his face as if he wondered if Isabelle was joking even in this situation, Isabelle burst into laughter. ¡®You were trying to save me. It¡¯s not your fault.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t seriously injured, but strangely, her mind wandered. Isabelle closed her eyes, unable to say anything she wanted to say. Even though he saw blood, he didn¡¯t lust after the blood, and his eyes were worried about her wounds¡­ It¡¯s been a long time indeed. *** It was a quiet morning. Snow was out on the shore, carrying a bag full of dried dates. ¡®The coordinates that Master sent were around here.¡¯ Snow took the watch out of his pocket and wandered along the shore, counting the current time and the angle at which the sun rose. He wore a wide-brimmed hat to block the morning sun. If he¡¯s careless, his skin will get freckles. At that moment, a blue light circled in the air and a portal appeared. An exotic man in a changpao walked out slowly from a large mass of light. A person with reddish hair hanging over one shoulder. It was Chaiman. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Who is Master? I¡¯ve never had a stupid disciple, so call me the tower lord.¡± Chaiman turned as if he was in a bad mood. ¡°Haha, you came very timely.¡± Snow took a date palm out of his pocket and put it in Chaman¡¯s mouth and paced with him. It was Snow¡¯s warm hospitality. ¡°It makes me nervous to see you behave like this.¡± ¡°Princess Isabelle is in critical condition, Master.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°She was injured by the claws of the Grand Duke who turned into a beast¡­She has been unconscious for several days.¡± ¡°I am not a doctor, Snow.¡± ¡°The wounds healed quickly, but the doctor couldn¡¯t find a reason why the Princess didn¡¯t wake up.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ the curse has flowed in.¡± Chaiman muttered softly. In order for the Grand Duke to cast his curse on his opponent, he had to have a sincere heart. However, with reason crumbling and only violent instincts remaining, such a thing was impossible. ¡®If possible, the curse would have been resolved earlier.¡¯ He was just going to ignore it as nonsense. But the eyes of his foolish disciple explaining the situation were quite serious. ¡°The curse seems to have been intertwined as the Master said.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Master.¡± ¡°Please help me just once, Master.¡± Snow did the best he could. The Master¡¯s power would be able to help Princess Isabelle¡¯s recovery. Even the anxious Grand Duke had been informed of the visit of the tower lord, and the Grand Duke rarely welcomed him. Now, as long as Snow took that picky Master to the Grand Duke¡¯s residence, he would be successful. ¡°Ha. I didn¡¯t come here to work.¡± Chaiman rubbed his dark eyes and checked his pockets. Two of the finest manastones were caught. It looked like jewels, but the price was too high to compare with jewelry. ¡®Such a waste. I don¡¯t want to use it.¡¯ He wanted to pretend he didn¡¯t know, but he had to keep Isabelle alive as safely as possible. ¡®Last Chance of Heaven.¡¯ The prophecy he had heard from the high priest a month ago crossed his mind. ¡°The Grand Duke will take care of you so you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any money, so ask for some blood.¡± Like a wizard who was fascinated by experiments, Chaiman demanded something unique. ¡®Crazy guy.¡¯ Recalling the days when he had to write a thesis at the tower, Snow swallowed a curse inside, but on the outside put on an infinitely kind smile. ¡°Anything you want. Come this way, Master.¡± *** Isabelle lifted her eyelids with difficulty. With a narrow, open field of vision, a large back was visible. The Grand Duke, dressed in a white shirt, had his hand on his waist and was scolding someone. ¡°You¡¯re not good at it, Chaiman.¡± ¡°You welcomed me. When it¡¯s over, is it a treat?¡± Chaiman roughly threw the mana stones on the side table. The dazzling mana stones turned into ordinary stones. ¡°It¡¯s dubious that you came on time.¡± The Grand Duke pulled out a slender sword from his waist and aimed it at Chaiman¡¯s neck. ¡°You still can¡¯t even joke. Yes, poke it now.¡± Chaiman thrust his neck into the tip of the sword. The tip of the sword pierced his flesh, and blood dripped down, and the collar of his shirt, which half-covered his neck, was stained red. He didn¡¯t moan a single groan like a person who didn¡¯t know pain in the first place. ¡°Ah, I see blood, and I¡¯m craving sweets.¡± With his throat stabbed, Chaiman calmly picked up a date palm on the side table and chewed it softly. The Grand Duke, who was staring at him, took his sword and wiped the blood off the tip of the sword. ¡°Why is the Princess still unconscious?¡± Even the tone of concern was like a cold command. Contrary to the calm words, the wheezing shoulders and back muscles are strong behind the shirt. ¡°She¡¯ll wake up soon, so wait.¡± Chaiman, lying on the sofa, wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve been working hard for two days and nights, and it won¡¯t be a surprise if I pass out right away, but do you even stab my neck?¡± He waved his hands roughly, feeling disappointed, and the thin bracelets on his arms made a rattling sound. It didn¡¯t sound so scary, though. Isabelle, lying on the bed, instinctively tensed up. This wasn¡¯t the reaction to the wound, but Isabelle¡¯s own reaction. ¡®I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know him, but I¡¯m strangely nervous.¡¯ Isabelle¡¯s gaze, which had reached far away, turned to the Grand Duke again. Her heart, which had been dyed blue with fear, calmed down again as she looked at his wide back. ¡®If that man protects me.¡¯ She felt relieved that no one would be able to steal her blood or hair. Isabelle stretched out her hand with difficulty. It was hard. Her eyelids kept coming down. Her hand, which was as heavy as iron, could not reach the Grand Duke and fell. The Grand Duke noticed the small gesture like a ghost and turned his head. ¡°Princess?¡± The Grand Duke reached out to Isabelle¡¯s hand that came out of the blanket. She thought he would hold her hand, but he just put her hand back into the blanket. ¡®A very strange man.¡¯ From the outside, he exuded cold air, but when he touched it, it was warm. It was as cozy as a piece of yarn. Her tense body relaxed. Isabelle fell asleep again. *** Isabelle, no, Jeong Se-ha, who possessed Isabelle¡¯s body, was standing alone in a black space. On the other side, the owner of the body, Isabelle Desar, was facing her with a cold expression. ¡°Isabelle¡­.?¡± ¡°What do you think? Are you living a new life?¡± The original Isabelle waited for an answer with a blank expression on her face. How can you be so shameless? Jeong Se-ha clenched her teeth. ¡°You, what are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny. Why are you asking something obvious? I¡¯m Isabelle.¡± She lifted her skirt and bent her knees gracefully. ¡°Don¡¯t play with me. Why did I come into your body? Where the hell am I!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. You¡¯re back in your place.¡± ¡°This is a book!¡± ¡°A book?¡± ¡°Yes, you were a supporting actor in The Little Mermaid.¡± A wicked one. ¡°A supporting actor.¡± The original Isabelle smiled haughtily and rolled her eyes. Jeong Se-ha strode towards her. ¡°Thanks to possessing your body, I died painfully over and over again. Bring me back!¡± ¡°Bring you back? Where?¡± ¡°I was originally¡­ !¡± Jeong Se-ha couldn¡¯t finish her words and shut her mouth. Yes, she died while bungee jumping. It was a rural village in the remote mountains, and did the rescue team find her body? It was probably still stuck in the riverbed. Come to think of it, she had nowhere else to go. ¡°I¡¯m very pitiful.¡± Jeong Se-ha rubbed her forehead and smiled bitterly. ¡°Do you still do that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you still feeling sorry for yourself?¡± ¡°Well. Now I have a good husband and I eat well and live well.¡± ¡®I¡¯m going to die soon, though¡¯, but Jeong Se-ha smiled weakly, blurring the latter part. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡± The original Isabelle nodded her head slightly and turned around. As she listened to the sound of the pocket watch wrapped around her wrist, she tried to disappear into the pitch black space. ¡°Isabelle!¡± Jeong Se-ha ran quickly and grabbed her wrist. ¡°Tell me where this novel, no, this world is.¡± From The Little Mermaid to Snow White to the Beast. She wanted to know the identity of the miscellaneous fairy tale. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Tell me the identity of this world now. That way, I can act according to my role or struggle to survive.¡± Jeong Se-ha was desperate. Even though she was ready to die, she wanted to hold on to the rope. ¡°Role? If it¡¯s a role, then it¡¯s Isabelle.¡± The original Isabelle pointed to herself and raised one corner of her lips. ¡°You?¡± When Jeong Se-ha pointed at Isabelle, Isabelle nodded her head. ¡°People die, you idiot.¡± Don¡¯t play with words. Isabelle struck Jeong Se-ha¡¯s hand. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Jeong Se-ha hurriedly grabbed Isabelle again. ¡°I¡¯m not joking, I¡¯m serious. Are you going to die because you¡¯re a supporting actor in this story?¡± ¡°Why do you keep calling me a supporting actor?¡± ¡°Then are you the main character?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re talking about. What about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± As Jeong Se-ha pointed at herself, Isabelle nodded. ¡°Were you the main character or the supporting actor in the previous life you remember?¡± What were you confident in yourself and did? No, could you be sure until you died? The original Isabelle asked calmly in an emotionless voice. Chapter 16 *** ¡°Were you the main character or the supporting actor in the past life you remember?¡± Jeong Se-ha couldn¡¯t properly answer Isabelle¡¯s question. ¡°Ah.¡± The only thing that came out of Jeong Se-ha¡¯s mouth was a stupid exclamation. The back of her head stood up as if she had been hit hard in the head. It was then that she realized how foolish her question was. ¡°My question is¡­ I was rude. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to know.¡± Isabelle let out a crooked laugh and walked towards the darkness with her back to Jeong Se-ha. Splash. The sound of waves breaking through the pitch black was heard. It was then that she saw the sea at the end of that darkness. ¡°Wait, Isabelle, where are you going?¡± Jeong Se-ha tried to catch Isabelle, but her feet were stuck to the ground and did not fall. ¡°I am going where I have decided. You too, go to the place you decided.¡± The way she walked gracefully was as determined as the voice she left behind. She did not stop walking until her body was immersed in the sea. That was the end of the dream. **** When she opened her eyes again, Jeong Se-ha had become Isabelle. A red sunset could be seen through the window. Above it, for a moment, the figure of the Grand Duke¡¯s back rose and then sank. Had she been asleep for a long time? ¡°Were you the main character or the supporting actor in your previous life?¡± The question the original Isabelle had asked in the dream flashed through her mind once more. ¡®My previous life.¡¯ There was no mother, and the busy father was always cold. So she went out and looked for love. Jeong Se-ha filled her open heart through other people. When they said they loved her, she became the main character, and when they said they were bored, she became a desperate supporting character. What was the center of the story in her life? She realized now that she was always someone else. ¡®Annoying.¡¯ Sad tears flowed down the corners of her eyes, and what was hot turned into cold sadness and wet her pillow. Isabelle raised her hand to wipe the tears away. Ouch! Her shoulder was throbbing like it had been cut with a knife. ¡®That¡¯s right, I was hurt.¡¯ The moment she saw the blood, she felt dizzy. She couldn¡¯t breathe and fainted as the fear of being eaten, that the beast would chew up her blood and flesh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± A low voice filled with guilt was heard from a distance. Isabelle later realized that the Grand Duke was there. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to be caught crying.¡¯ Isabelle frowned again at the pain that rushed in while trying to wipe her tears with her injured arm. ¡°I was trying not to visit the Princess¡­.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s big hand touched Isabelle¡¯s cheek. His hand wiped away the tears instead of Isabelle. ¡°When I was an animal, it was difficult to act rationally.¡± A cold hand moved slowly along the trail of tears. The smell of leather wafted from his hand, as if he had just been wearing gloves. ¡°I will make sure that I¡¯ll never come near the Princess again.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to hurt me. Rather, you saved my life..¡­ ¡± ¡°Princess.¡± The Grand Duke, who had wiped Isabelle¡¯s tears clean, took a step back and cut off her words. ¡°Soon Prince Edwin will visit the estate.¡± ¡°The Prince¡­.?l¡± ¡°Yes. So it is not too late now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to break the marriage contract.¡± The Grand Duke looked at Isabelle lying there with an emotionless face. Isabelle, startled by the word ¡®break up the marriage¡¯, opened her eyes wide to face the Grand Duke, but he naturally averted his gaze. ¡°There is no need to worry, as I have no intention of taking back the gifts or other expenses.¡± The Grand Duke paused for a moment, then resumed speaking. ¡°Prince Edwin is interested in you.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°If the marriage is broken due to my negligence, it will not hurt the Princess too much.¡± Nobles valued honor. In a way, it was natural that the position of the Grand Duke, who had status, wealth, and military power, fell to the ground with a single curse. There was no harm to him if he drew another red line over the honor that was thrown into the trash can. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad choice to start over.¡± He said that he would actively support her even if she met a man other than the Prince, followed by his d*mn kind words. ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding something, but it¡¯s not that¡­¡± ¡°You introduced yourself to me as a time limit.¡± The Grand Duke cut Isabelle¡¯s words coldly. ¡°If you have a set day to live, use your time wisely.¡± Shouldn¡¯t you avoid dying earlier than the day you die? He put on the gloves he had in his pocket again and left the room with a soldier-like pace. ¡®What did that man just say?¡¯ All the words he spit now were foggy like smoke and hard like a piece of wood. Isabelle cleared her complicated head as she looked away from the Grand Duke¡¯s distant back. ¡°Are you okay, Princess?¡± Verdel, who was waiting outside the room, came to Isabelle as soon as the Grand Duke left. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I was worried about you being seriously injured, huh.¡± Verdel explained the situation to Isabelle. Thanks to the Grand Duke¡¯s first aid, the bleeding stopped quickly, but consciousness did not return. It had been ten days. The tower lord, Chaiman, diagnosed Isabelle¡¯s consciousness as broken. It was an accident that occurred because part of the power of the curse the Grand Duke had transferred to Isabelle. Chaiman spent two days and two nights to bring Isabelle¡¯s consciousness back, which allowed Isabelle to wake up safely. Verdel glanced at Isabelle¡¯s wounds. ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t bleed a lot.¡± ¡°You must be worried about the blood I shed, Verdel.¡± Isabelle said sternly. She deliberately acted like a wounded child. Verdel¡¯s betrayal was still a pus-filled wound, and Isabelle wanted her to be as uncomfortable as half of herself. Verdel shook her head as she took Isabelle¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°No. It¡¯s not like that¡­¡­ .¡± Because she had committed a crime, she couldn¡¯t make a big excuse. Versel wrapped the robe around Isabelle¡¯s shoulders and helped her get out of bed. Seeing Verdel with her mouth shut without any excuses, Isabelle¡¯s distorted anger turned into a form of sympathy. ¡®No. If you are easily swayed by your emotions. You know how easily people change in the face of great gains. If I want to protect myself, I have to judge rationally.¡¯ Isabelle imagined her heart as cold ice, keeping her emotional equilibrium. At that moment, what was the reason that the Grand Duke, who was blunt in everything, came to her mind? ¡®After all, I must do what I say properly.¡¯ As soon as Isabelle stood up, she hurriedly walked down the tower. *** Isabelle came out of the tower and quickly followed the Grand Duke. ¡®He has long legs, so he¡¯s very fast.¡¯ Isabelle also walked as fast as possible, but the Grand Duke was already moving too far away. ¡°Hey, Grand Duke Karl Bashke!¡± Isabelle cried out his name in disrespect. At the same time, a strong sea breeze blew, and the robe that was hung over her shoulders fluttered in the opposite direction. Verdel, who was struggling to follow Isabelle, stretched out her arms toward the robe, but it was not enough. It crossed the support fence and was tucked away in a corner. The Grand Duke, who was looking back at Isabelle at the sound of calling him, looked alternately at Isabelle and the robe with a displeased expression. Then, while undoing the gold buttons of the jacket he was wearing, he strode closer to Isabelle. ¡°Are you crazy, Princess?¡± The large stride quickly reached Isabelle. ¡°If you have just come to your senses, shouldn¡¯t you be resting inside?¡± He continued nagging. ¡°In the future, if you want to say something, you should not come in person and send a servant instead.¡± He took off his epaulette jacket and draped it over Isabelle¡¯s shoulders. Her slender body disappeared into the jacket. The jacket blocked the cool sea breeze and conveyed his warmth. ¡®It¡¯s as warm as being hugged by this man.¡¯ The heavy weight of the uniform jacket felt over her shoulders was not bad either. ¡®What. Why am I being shameless!¡¯ Isabelle tilted her head slightly to hide her expression. The Grand Duke¡¯s body scent wafted through her nose, which was closer to the jacket lapels. The smell of the cold night sea and the heavy scent of cedar. She liked it so much that she sniffed it a few more times. It was an action she was not aware of. Belatedly, she noticed the stinging gaze that reached her. Looking straight ahead, she met his bewildered eyes. ¡°Ah, this¡­..¡± When she tried to make a rough excuse, the Grand Duke lowered his head slightly again and avoided his gaze. And he buttoned up the jacket one by one to cover Isabelle¡¯s thighs. As he bent down, he was at eye level with Isabelle. Every time the wind blew, his neatly arranged black hair flowed down on his forehead. ¡®It¡¯s much better with a disheveled look.¡¯ Isabelle looked at his face and explained why she had followed him. ¡°I came out because you were not polite and just said what you wanted to say. I also have something to say.¡± ¡°There is no need for hasty consolation.¡± ¡°Even if I die, I will die in this mansion, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°!¡± The Grand Duke, who had just finished all the buttons, straightened his upper body again and looked down at Isabelle. He was surprised because Isabelle pressed her finger to his heart. The thick chest felt at the fingertip was hard enough that even a bullet could not penetrate, and Isabelle knew his body under his shirt. ¡®Crazy. Why did this suddenly come to mind!¡¯ The afterimage climbed up the hand that had touched him and she shook her head. Isabelle pulled her hand away awkwardly. ¡°Hey, anyway, I¡¯m going to spend a lot of money here and live a very comfortable life and then I¡¯m going to die here.¡± What was so confusing? The Grand Duke, who licked his lips, did not respond. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re breaking up with me because you don¡¯t like me, do whatever you want.¡± If he didn¡¯t like her, what could she do? Instead, she¡¯ll take the settlement money. With that money, she can spend the rest of her time comfortably. Isabelle raised the hem of her pajamas, greeted elegantly like a Princess, and returned to the tower. Verdel, who looked at her and the Grand Duke alternately, followed her master. Until Isabelle went into the tower and disappeared. Grand Duke Karl Bashke stood stunned and looked at Isabelle¡¯s back. Chapter 17 Watching the Grand Duke wielding a sword on the deck, the soldiers murmured. The modest movements were like a swordsmanship textbook, but its power was enormous and incomparable to those written in the manual. ¡°They say that pirates who use various magic can¡¯t move in front of him.¡± ¡°It makes me happy to see him like this. That¡¯s why I joined the Navy.¡± There were many martial artists who respected his sword, so there was no need to worry about his troops. To them, the Grand Duke¡¯s curse was like a kind of war scar. A master of martial arts with fatal wounds. There were many people who joined the navy out of curiosity and then ran away, but the many remained respected the status of the Grand Duke. ¡°But how many hours has it been? If I were you, I¡¯d be exhausted.¡± ¡°Only the fishermen will be excited. They can just grab it and sell it.¡± Every time the Grand Duke swung his sword, stunned fish floated to the surface. The fishing boats already waiting behind the ship were busy clearing their nets. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk and train properly!¡± Snow, who had become thin after several days to please his master, shouted at the soldiers. The soldiers dispersed quickly in line. ¡°Lord.¡± Snow walked up to the Grand Duke and held out the new clothes he had brought. ¡°I think you should change your clothes.¡± ¡°No need.¡± The Grand Duke continued to wield his sword in his sweaty clothes. ¡°You will need it. Tower Lord Chaiman wants to check the Princess¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The Princess is refusing.¡± The eyes of the Grand Duke who was wielding the sword trembled for a moment. ¡°Even if I die, I will die in this mansion, Grand Duke.¡± The sound of Isabelle¡¯s voice ringing in his ears again disturbed his mind. ¡®She¡¯s a foolish Princess.¡¯ His annoyance arose, and he vomited his emotions with the tip of his sword. As he swung his sword, he felt at ease for a moment when he saw the sea with waves. Snow asked again to the unanswered Grand Duke. ¡°My Lord, the princess is refusing to receive treatment from the tower lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it must be done, the Princess said she would receive treatment with your presence.¡± Stop. The tip of the Grand Duke¡¯s sword, which had stretched out toward the sea, stopped in mid-air. ¡°The reason is.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that either.¡± Snow shook his head and held out the clothes again to the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke slowly lowered his sword, and a soldier ran towards him. He was a soldier in charge of the sword. The Grand Duke threw his sword at him. Ah, the arms of the soldier who received it drooped down. A normal person would have slumped to the floor without being able to hold it with both hands. ¡°Shall we call the Princess to the ship?¡± Snow smirked and his eyes lit up. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to the mansion.¡± The Grand Duke went straight into the commander¡¯s room after Snow grabbed his robe. Snow shouted at his men to prepare a bath right away. *** Isabelle¡¯s recovery was quick. The reason she lay ill in the first place wasn¡¯t her shoulder injury, it was a psychological problem, so of course she was. ¡®But I have to see the tower lord.¡¯ Isabelle, who had a strangely bad feeling about him, asked the Grand Duke for help. The only person she could trust now was the Grand Duke. It was a bit funny that she trusted him without even believing in Verdel, her closest confidant, but that was how she felt now. ¡®Will he come?¡¯ Isabelle, who was sitting on the sofa in her parlor, nervously bit her nails. Unlike her four long nails, her thumb nails were as short as if a mouse had gnawed at them. Click. Isabelle shuddered at the sound of her parlor door opening. ¡°Princess.¡± The voice she had been waiting for. Fortunately, the person who came in now was the owner of this place, not the tower lord¡¯s. ¡®I thought he wouldn¡¯t come, but he did.¡¯ The Grand Duke came in neatly dressed in new clothes. He talked about breaking up the marriage yesterday and asked her to marry another man, so she didn¡¯t expect much. Isabelle hid her biting fingers and stared at the Grand Duke. ¡®Did he wash up?¡¯ His slightly wet black hair shimmered in the light of the room. ¡®He would always be busy with training at this time.¡¯ Seeing that he¡¯s dressed up in a neat new suit, not a navy uniform, it seemed like he had an appointment today. The closer he was, the more she smelled of clean perfume instead of the smell of the sea. ¡°Thank you for coming, Grand Duke.¡± Isabelle, who was sitting on the long sofa, awkwardly said thank you. But the Grand Duke, whom she thought would be sitting on the sofa opposite her, walked up to her. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Isabelle opened her eyes and looked up at the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke furrowed his eyebrows and licked his lips, contemplating something. Then without a word he removed Isabelle¡¯s big skirt aside, and sat down in the seat next to Isabelle. Maybe it¡¯s because her body is big. Isabelle¡¯s body, sitting in the middle of the sofa, and the Grand Duke¡¯s body came close together. His body temperature, which was higher than her own, was transmitted to her shoulder, the back of her arm, and the side of her leg as she faced him. ¡®Why is this man like this? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s only one sofa.¡¯ There were two more sofas around the table. Could it be that this is his sofa? ¡°This seat was reserved for the Grand Duke. I didn¡¯t know.¡± Isabelle slowly got up and tried to move to the other sofa. Clap. The Grand Duke quickly grabbed Isabelle¡¯s wrist. ¡°Sit down, please.¡± A tone closer to a command rather than respect. Isabelle unwittingly sat back down a little away from him. ¡®It¡¯s a little burdensome, though.¡¯ But it was true that it was reassuring to be right next to him. Soon after, the tower lord Chaiman entered the parlor with a weak gait. ¡°Oh, you came first.¡± Thin bracelets rang as he moved his arm. At that sound, Isabelle¡¯s body stiffened again. The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes lingered on Isabelle¡¯s clenched fist, then moved to Chaiman. ¡°Are you trying to check the Princess¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Grand Duke. But why does the princess look like that?¡± ¡®Did I steal your money?¡¯ Chaiman tilted his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Isabelle responded calmly, but it was difficult to hide her nervousness. ¡®Why? What kind of relationship do I have with that man?¡¯ ¡°Oh, the way you talk to me has changed, Princess.¡± Chaiman looked at Isabelle seriously. ¡°You don¡¯t remember me, Princess?¡± Chaiman opened his eyes wide. ¡°Is there something wrong with the Princess¡¯s memory, Chaiman?¡± The Grand Duke sat with his legs slightly apart. When his leg touched Isabelle¡¯s, the fear that came without a reason diminished a little. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have sat far away from him. I should stick as close to him as possible.¡¯ Isabelle wanted to hang on to the Grand Duke¡¯s leg. ¡°It can¡¯t be, Grand Duke. My treatment was perfect.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± The Grand Duke turned his head to check Isabelle¡¯s expression. Isabelle also nodded her head to admit the truth. She didn¡¯t have any aftereffects and her memory was good. ¡®If it¡¯s a problem, it¡¯s my possession.¡¯ There was no memory of encountering the tower lord in her past life. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t remember me because of other factors.¡± At that moment, Chaiman replied as if he had read Isabelle¡¯s thoughts. Isabelle, with her eyes wide open, stared at Chaiman, who raised the corners of his lips playfully. ¡°We will find out about that later. Let¡¯s start with the treatment first.¡± Chaiman took out his magic stone, leaving a meaningful word. As he cast the spell, a blue light rose like a haze from the manastone resembling sapphire. It flew like a firefly and hovered around Isabelle. Isabelle stared curiously at the radiant dance. The light that was playing like a dancing fairy was scattered in the air. ¡°Fortunately, there are no curses left. You are clean.¡± Chaiman roughly threw the manastone, which had lost its light and turned into an ordinary stone, on the table. It crumbled and soiled the table. ¡°But I can definitely feel two powers from the Princess.¡± Chaiman raised up his two fingers. ¡®What do you mean power?¡¯ Isabelle unknowingly grabbed her skirt. ¡®Is it so easy to find out?¡¯ What if her ability is discovered and it becomes a test material for a slightly flavored tower lord? Fortunately, the names were not Hansel or Gretel. Avoid dead flags that will be eaten by that witch-like b*stard. ¡°Well, from here on out, I want the Grand Duke to step aside. It¡¯s a secret between me and the Princess.¡± Chaiman looked at the Grand Duke with a grin. The Grand Duke looked at Isabelle silently. Sitting with her chin down, she was different from usual. What makes a woman who brazenly fought against the feisty women in the shop so nervous in front of the tower lord? ¡°Princess.¡± The Grand Duke called her softly. It meant he would be next to her if she asked. But her answer was unexpected. ¡°For a little while¡­ I¡¯ll be with the tower lord, Grand Duke.¡± Contrary to her sharp voice, Isabelle¡¯s eyes fluttered nervously. ¡®If you¡¯re so anxious, ask for help.¡¯ The Grand Duke, who wrinkled his brow, did not rise from his seat. ¡°Please leave your seat.¡± Isabelle, who gazed at the tower lord, asked one more time. ¡®What is it about him that makes you so afraid and yet wants to be alone?¡¯ The Grand Duke had no intention of getting up. But his body strangely woke up according to the Princess¡¯s command. The Grand Duke stared fiercely at Chaiman, who rubbed his forehead with a tired look. ¡°Unless my beauty has captured the Grand Duke¡¯s heart, stop looking at me.¡± ¡°Keep it short.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± The Grand Duke strode out of the drawing room. The entrance door slammed shut with a loud noise. *** The time alone with the tower lord was hard work. ¡®Did I get hit by this guy before I possessed Isabelle?¡¯ It was not easy to hold onto the trembling body and give it strength. ¡°Seeing that you are uncomfortable with me, it seems like you don¡¯t have any memories at all.¡± The gentle tone of speaking returned awkwardly. ¡°Please keep your manners, Tower Lord.¡± Judging from his appearance, he looked similar to her in age, but he was as arrogant as her grandfather, who was hundreds of years old. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but even if the emperor of the empire comes, my tone will not change, so don¡¯t complain.¡± This was the best, Chaiman said, half lying on the sofa. He patted his back with his dry arm. ¡°I don¡¯t usually move my body, so you¡¯re really lucky, the youngest Princess of Desar.¡± ¡°I am not that lucky.¡± ¡°Then you must have been lucky all your life. Without me, the curse would have eaten you and you would have died already.¡± ¡®Even if you went to the pseudo-priest, he died.¡¯ Chaiman giggled as he scratched his chin. ¡°Tell me the main point, tower lord.¡± ¡°It looks like you didn¡¯t tell the Grand Duke, but I already know, Princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Know what?¡± ¡°The Princess¡¯ ability to recover.¡± Chaiman took out the dried date that Snow had given him and bit it slowly. ¡°How do you¡­ ¡­ !¡± ¡°Believe it or not, the Princess and I had a kind of partnership.¡± ¡°No way. Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. The Princess gave me your blood, and I killed anyone who knew the Princess¡¯s secret.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡®Did he use my blood for his experiments? Is that why my body is scared?¡¯ Isabelle looked down at her wet palms in a cold sweat and traced her memories, but she couldn¡¯t remember anything. Meanwhile, Chaiman threw a date palm into the air and tried to catch it with his mouth open. However, because of the half-beat slow motor nerves, he did not succeed and the dates fell down the floor. ¡°I came here to catch a thief, and this doesn¡¯t work either.¡± After failing three or four times, he was annoyed and sat up straight on the sofa. The date palms he dropped on the floor with the loud sound of his bracelets. ¡°Thief¡­?¡± ¡°The Princess stole it. Hook¡¯s watch.¡± Chaiman erased his playful expression and stared at Isabelle seriously. Chapter 18 *** ¡°Hook¡¯s watch.¡± As soon as she heard those words, Isabelle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Was that the strange watch I saw every time I returned?¡¯ Her hands, which were neatly gathered on her lap, trembled finely. ¡®Is the reason why I keep shaking because of theft?¡¯ What body is so honest? And if it¡¯s Hook¡¯s watch¡­Is he talking about Captain Hook? ¡®There are so many characters in the fairy tale!¡¯ Her mind was confused. ¡°Even if you have no memory, your body is honest, Princess Thief.¡± Chaiman held out his hand, as if asking for the watch back. ¡°I don¡¯t have a watch in my hand.¡± There really wasn¡¯t. The watch was only visible for a brief moment when she was revived, but it was scattered like a mist. ¡°No way. There was definitely a unique wavelength of the watch earlier.¡± Chaiman stared at Isabelle and tilted his upper body towards her. ¡®Was this man that big?¡¯ He didn¡¯t look that big when he was with the Grand Duke. The closer he got, the more Isabelle realized that he was also a man. His face came close. It had a natural sweet scent, not perfume, and it had the strange power to break down the boundaries of others. At the time his long eyelashes, which fluttered like butterfly wings, caught Isabelle¡¯s attention. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s true. You don¡¯t have a watch.¡± He looked straight at Isabelle and smiled. ¡°By the way, Princess.¡± Chaiman¡¯s gaze descended over Isabelle¡¯s red lips and delicate neckline and stayed near her heart. He sprinkled crushed manastone powder near her. As fine gray powder scattered in the air, the golden light emanating from Isabelle¡¯s heart appeared briefly and then disappeared. ¡°Look at this. Why does the watch¡¯s aura flow from the Princess¡¯s heart?¡± Chaiman smiled, licking his lower lip slowly. His red eyes flashed and she demanded her truth from Isabelle. ¡°As I said before, I don¡¯t know.¡± Isabelle crossed her arms and covered her chest where his gaze stared at. It was unpleasant for a man¡¯s gaze to reach here. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chaiman offered a dry apology as if he had no interest in female bodies in the first place. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the only evidence that the Princess stole it.¡± Chaiman unbuttoned his dress¡¯s button and pulled out a flat pocket from inside. The long clavicle bones and skinny muscles were exposed through the open dress, but he didn¡¯t seem to care about his exposed body. He opened his pocket and put his hands in, a pair of red shoes that couldn¡¯t fit in a flat pocket came out like magic. ¡°That¡­¡­!¡± The red shoes Isabelle left on the beach when she first met Snow in the Kingdom of Desar. ¡°It¡¯s true that this belongs to the Princess.¡± ¡°How does the tower lord have it?¡± ¡°I picked up the shoes because they looked a little familiar.¡± Chaiman explained that he had placed a thief-fighting tracking enchantment near the lab where the watch was located. ¡°But I feel it here.¡± Chaiman smirked and waved the red shoes. ¡®Ah, now I can¡¯t even walk away.¡¯ Isabelle admitted to the robbery she couldn¡¯t even remember. Then, miraculously, her body stopped shaking. She was dumbfounded. ¡®What did this body do before possession?¡¯ ¡°Why does the Princess of a country even steal?¡± She secretly avoided Chaiman¡¯s gaze. She couldn¡¯t make any excuses. She wasn¡¯t even the one who did it. ¡°It was kind of you to admit your sin. I¡¯ll return this to the thief princess as a reward.¡± Chaiman stood up from his seat and put the shoes in front of Isabelle. Then, using the low tea table as a chair, he sat on it and bent down. He stared at the light green shoes that stick out under the hem of Isabelle¡¯s skirt, and put the red shoes next to it. ¡°Would you like to try it on?¡± ¡°No.¡± The red shoes were ominous. Red shoes in a messy fairy tale world. The first thing that came to her mind first was the most unfortunate fairy tale in which the girl in the red shoes couldn¡¯t stop dancing and had to cut her ankles off. ¡°Why don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°If I wear magic shoes, I think I¡¯ll dance nonstop.¡± Isabelle looked straight at Chaiman and shook her head. He was more surprised than offended by Isabelle¡¯s reaction. ¡°¡­ Do you see magic with your eyes?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just a feeling.¡± ¡°Oh, like a beast.¡± It was not an insult. It was a compliment that felt good. Chaiman scratched his chin and grinned. ¡°Unfortunately, there is no magic to dance well. I just cast a movement magic on it.¡± If I tap the heel three times, I can move to the tower. ¡®Wizard of Oz or what?¡¯ Isabelle looked at the red shoes. ¡°You can have it.¡± ¡°Do you want me to wear them? I wonder if it¡¯s the right size.¡± Chaiman¡¯s fingers touched Isabelle¡¯s ankle. ¡°I say no!¡± Isabelle raised her voice and refused. At the same time, suddenly, the parlor door opened. The Grand Duke glared at Chaiman and held the doorknob with a crushing grip. ¡°What are you doing, Chaiman?¡± ¡°I¡¯m presenting the shoes to the Princess, but¡­.¡± Chaiman bowed his head, following where the Grand Duke was staring. Chaiman¡¯s skin that could be seen through the loose dress. The distance to the Princess that was close enough to touch. In addition, the Princess¡¯s ankle was exposed¡­ ¡®Hmm, it¡¯s a perfect condition to misunderstand.¡¯ Chaiman gently released Isabelle¡¯s ankle and fixed his outfit. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Grand Duke is thinking, but I¡¯ll say no.¡± ¡°Get away from the Princess right now.¡± The Grand Duke gave a sharp warning and approached behind Isabelle¡¯s sofa. The way he put his hands on the back of the sofa and stared at Chaiman was like a beast marking his territory. Isabelle tilted her upright torso toward the Grand Duke. Her body, which had been so tense, relaxed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve seen everything, so I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡®Oh, my knees.¡¯ Chaiman struggled to get up. ¡°Ah yes! By the way, Grand Duke.¡± Chaiman whispered softly to the Grand Duke as he left the parlor. ¡°The ¡®watch¡¯ you were looking for seems to have been delivered properly.¡± *** The Neveland Empire in the Southern Continent. The current emperor, Peter van Jehik, ousted his cousin, Munchkin White, and took the throne. In order to usurp the throne, he secretly brought some items of noble power from the Sky. In the process, he killed the Sky Clan and was put under a terrible curse. After becoming emperor, Peter robbed Hook¡¯s watch to break the curse. A legendary pocket watch that was said to turn back time. However, the emperor, who misused the watch, returned to his mind as a child. The royal family called it a cursed watch, and after breaking it, they threw it into the sea. It was the Grand Duke who brought the broken watch to the magic tower. ¡°I think it will help break my curse.¡± At the request of the Grand Duke, Chaiman repaired it and began research. But by the time the repairs were finished, Princess Isabelle skillfully stole the watch. ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡± Chaiman muttered as he walked down the hallway. The servants passing by looked at him strangely, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°I wonder. Why did she forget me?¡± He smiled as he remembered Isabelle¡¯s face. Whenever he was curious, the goosebumps that ran through his body were thrilling. He wondered how the power of the watch penetrated the Princess. How did she purify the Grand Duke¡¯s curse little by little? How did she discover the magic of the shoes? He was curious. He wanted to know. Chaiman hummed as he passed by, and the disloyal disciple blocked his way. ¡°What are you so curious about, Master?¡± ¡°I am curious why your magic skills are a mess.¡± Chaiman replied with a displeased expression. ¡°It must be because of Master.¡± ¡°Why did you appear?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also because of Master.¡± Snow handed the letter rolled up from his pocket. ¡°The Prince will arrive at the estate tomorrow, so you have to leave.¡± ¡°Why is that greedy b*stard coming here? Is he trying to vent his anger because the assassination of the Crown Prince didn¡¯t go the way he thought it would?¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go. I¡¯m not done yet.¡± Chaiman shook his head like a child, saying he hadn¡¯t got the Grand Duke¡¯s blood for the experiment. ¡°If you don¡¯t go, the news of Master¡¯s arrival to the Empire will reach the Empress¡¯s ears.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.I¡¯m craving something sweet.¡± As Chaiman sighed, putting his hand on his forehead, Snow habitually shoved a date palm into his mouth. Chaiman chewed it up and got on Snow¡¯s back. ¡°What is this now, Master?¡± ¡°Carry me, my disciple. I¡¯m exhausted just hearing the name of the Empress.¡± ¡°Are you admitting I¡¯m your disciple only in this case?¡± ¡°Everything has a reason.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room.¡± So Chaiman went back to the room on Snow¡¯s back. *** A Count¡¯s garden, which was dense with trees. Prince Edwin fastened his belt and hummed, and smirked at the white stain on the tip of his black shoes. ¡°What are you so happy about?¡± The Countess asked, arranging her skirt. ¡°We¡¯ll be at the Grand Duke Bashke¡¯s estate by tomorrow.¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Karl would hold a banquet for me.¡± The Prince raised one corner of his mouth while calling the Grand Duke¡¯s name in a friendly way. ¡°Did he accept the proposal even though the Crown Prince is in critical condition? I am sure the Empress would be furious.¡± Rumors that the emperor was mentally ill had long since spread among the nobles. The current imperial power was Empress Gwendolyn. The Countess hugged the Prince¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°How can an emotionless Empress be angry? If the Grand Duke has a behavior that doesn¡¯t fit the principle, then the punishment should be given.¡± ¡°Would the Grand Duke blink an eye if he¡¯s punished?¡± ¡°If his bride was taken away as punishment, I think he would show a nice expression.¡± Prince Edwin smiled broadly, showing his white teeth. With slightly drooping blue eyes, flawless smooth skin and elegant attitude. Aside from his messy private life, he was the very picture of the prince in the storybooks. Chapter 19 ***** ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Empress appoint the Prince as Crown Prince?¡± The Countess looked at the Prince¡¯s face as if possessed, and muttered, ¡°Probably because of the High Priest¡¯s prophecy.¡± Some junkie cursed that if the Prince succeeded to the throne, the empire would be destroyed. So, his only brother was appointed Crown Prince, and the Prince was pushed to the background. ¡°It¡¯s not bad to be able to meet the Countess here thanks to that.¡± Prince Edwin smiled as he kissed the back of the Countess¡¯s hand. ¡°How¡¯s the Count¡¯s business going?¡± ¡°Ah, supply lighters? Now everyone is using them instead of matches.¡± Instead of expensive oil, the Count invented something to make a flame with cheap gas, and with the breakthrough invention, the Count entered a period of revival. ¡°Count Geppetto is truly a talented person.¡± (*Geppetto in Pinocchio) ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a really useful talent. A clever man who doesn¡¯t know that his wife is dating a stranger and focuses only on business.¡± ¡°So, did you spread the rumors as I said?¡± ¡±Yes, Prince. I spilled it on the match sellers.¡± Rumor has it that a bad Princess from a foreign country gets married to the Empire and her luck is lost. Poor match sellers will be very angry if business is not good, and it will flow directly to the Grand Duke and the Princess. ¡°Rumors have already spread in this empire¡­.Ah!¡± The Countess touched her hair and screamed. A cute little bird had dropped an earthworm on the Countess¡¯s head. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s going to be difficult.¡± The Prince removed the earthworm from the Countess, who was making a lot of noise. ¡°Thank you, Prince.¡± ¡°This is nothing. Then I look forward to the next meeting.¡± The Prince smiled sweetly and said goodbye to the Countess. And he walked lightly to the carriage parked outside the forest. Inside the carriage was a lovingly adorned Flute. ¡°Did you see the work, Prince?¡± She had a bright smile that knew nothing, but it was difficult for her to deceive the Prince. The Prince took off his glove that had touched the earthworm and threw it out of the carriage. ¡°Flute, take it easy.¡± His tone, which had been polite to the Countess, became lighter again. Flute liked this. She felt like she was his only refuge. ¡°But it was something I could do too, Prince.¡± ¡°I know that, my Flute.¡± The Prince spread his arms out. Flute lowered her head shyly and hugged him softly. If anyone who didn¡¯t know her identity saw her now, it was so lovely that it could be deceiving. ¡°But it is a man¡¯s nature to want to conquer what he can¡¯t get, Flute.¡± The Prince patted Flute on the back. Flute nodded cautiously, careful not to let the heavy makeup get on the Prince¡¯s clothes. ¡°When you arrive at Grand Duke Bashke¡¯s estate, I will give you a separate lodging.¡± ¡°A separate lodging?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s collect all the rumors floating around in the Grand Duchy.¡± In fact, he didn¡¯t need it. It was just an excuse to keep Flute away. ¡®If you meet Princess Isabelle, you¡¯ll do something annoying.¡¯ Even with such thoughts, the Prince did not lose his dazzling smile. Flute closed her eyes in his arms like a little rabbit. *** After completing the treatment, Chaiman left the parlor, where the Grand Duke and Isabelle remained. The two sat facing each other at the table. ¡°Did you have Hook¡¯s watch, Princess?¡± The Grand Duke confirmed the truth in an emotionless tone. ¡°I have no memory of that.¡± Isabelle had to repeat what she told Chaiman. How would she know what the original Isabelle had done before she possessed her? ¡°But the tower lord says that the energy of the clock is in my heart.¡± Isabelle tapped her forehead. ¡°Did you use it?¡± Isabelle could not immediately say no to the Grand Duke¡¯s question. She remembered the sound of the clock that she heard every time she regressed. If she possessed this body because of the ¡°Hook¡¯s watch¡± and repeated four regressions¡­¡­ ¡®I used up all the items. What should I do?¡¯ The sound of the second hand diminished like a countdown with each regression. And the last time she heard the second hand sounded only once. Isabelle pretended to turn her head and glanced sideways at the Grand Duke. ¡®No, don¡¯t be scared. Did I do it? The original Isabelle did it.¡¯ ¡°Princess, I asked if you¡¯ve ever used it.¡± The Grand Duke asked the same question and grabbed Isabelle¡¯s wrist. It must have been that I bit her thumb badly without realizing it. A lump of blood was visible on the tip of her fingernail. Isabelle hid her hand behind her back and answered calmly. ¡°I can guess, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± He wouldn¡¯t believe it even if she said something like, ¡°I possessed Isabelle, this is my fourth return.¡± Isabelle was as quiet as she could be. ¡°Can I check it, Princess?¡± ¡°How¡­.what?¡± ¡°It will be helpful. If it were real, it would respond to my energy.¡± The Grand Duke got up from his seat and sat close to Isabelle. Isabelle, bewildered by the action, couldn¡¯t ask why it would respond to his energy, or if he was Hook. Without hesitation, he reached out near her heart. Instinctively startled, Isabelle pushed her upper body back, but the Archduke¡¯s hand was faster. ¡®Too close.¡¯ Isabelle shook her shoulder and turned her head. White neck exposed through sunny blonde hair. Blue-green eyes that look dangerous. The Grand Duke was instantly captivated by the sight of the close-up Princess. ¡°Grand Duke?¡± When Isabelle called the Grand Duke, who was in a daze, he spoke belatedly. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± The low-pitched voice trembled slightly. Isabelle meekly closed her eyes. Was it surprising that the woman who had set her thorns like a cat would follow his instructions obediently? The Grand Duke, with a frown, said that she might feel sick, and poured out his strength mercilessly. Ah! Isabelle¡¯s lips parted. It felt like her heart heated up, and lava was rushing through her veins all over her body. At that time, A familiar sound was heard in her ears. No way! Isabelle, holding back her moan, opened her eyes. Every time she died, the gold watch she had seen floated in the air. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Isabelle reached out her hand in the air. The watch, which floated in the air like a hologram, did not touch her hand and did not disappear. ¡°Now, the watch¡­ .¡± ¡°The watch?¡± The Grand Duke tilted his head and gave more strength. ¡°Oh, stop it. It hurts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only good power.¡± The energy that flowed through his hand ignited Isabelle¡¯s heart, and hot blood spurted through her body. Sweat was forming on Isabelle¡¯s forehead and the bridge of her nose. ¡°I hear the watch says, ¡®Do you want to cancel the contract?¡¯ Here.¡± Isabelle pointed to the gold watch in the air, but it seemed invisible to the Grand Duke¡¯s eyes. ¡®What will happen if I cancel it?¡¯ An uncertain hope sprouted. Thump. Thump. It felt like little light bulbs were lit in her head every time her heart beat. ¡®Isn¡¯t it possible to get out of the setting where I have to die?¡¯ It was very contradictory. She thought she had accepted death calmly. When a rope comes down from the sky, her hand rushes to grab it every time. Isabelle grabbed the rope and the wrist of the man in front of her. She wanted to do anything. ¡°Are you okay, Princess?¡± The Grand Duke frowned as he felt a peculiar beating under his palm. All of a sudden, his face was too close to Isabelle, and one of his arms supported Isabelle¡¯s back who was half lying. ¡°I want to cancel the contract.¡± Was it only the Grand Duke who was conscious of the distance from her? Isabelle¡¯s attention was focused on the watch. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, so I¡¯ll have to try it.¡± No, but why is there no select button? If it was asked if you want to cancel the contract, shouldn¡¯t there be a ¡®yes or no¡¯ button? Maybe voice recognition? ¡°I want to cancel the contract.¡± Isabelle shouted at the watch, but nothing happened. Is it a touch activation? Isabelle, who had lived a smart past life, turned the watch sideways and clicked it, but it still did not respond. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. Put in more strength.¡± Another command may be heard, Isabelle urged the Grand Duke. Isabelle¡¯s body is drenched in sweat. ¡°I think the Princess is going to be sick.¡± ¡°Try it one more time!¡± Was it because she was concentrating on the action? They didn¡¯t even hear someone knocking on the door. **** Snow took his master to his room and left him there. Chaiman lay flat on the sofa instead of the bed. And he spoke as Snow left. ¡°Hey, you ungrateful b*stard. You don¡¯t even treat your heavenly master well.¡± ¡°I was raised to be respectable, so I can only receive hospitality; I don¡¯t know how to be hospitable, Master.¡± Then feel free to take a good rest. Snow grinned and quickly ran out into the hallway. And he headed to the parlor where the Grand Duke would be. ¡®Hmm? Somehow, the parlor is so quiet.¡¯ Snow looked around and knocked on the door. No answer came back. Instead, a groan escaped through the crack in the door. ¡®No way?!¡¯ Sensing a suspicious atmosphere, Snow quietly put his ear to the door. He could hear the voice of the Princess telling him to keep doing something and the voice of the Grand Duke worried about the Princess¡¯s well-being. ¡®The Grand Duke would know right away that someone is standing outside the door normally.¡¯ However, he didn¡¯t seem to care at all, perhaps he was too focused. ¡®Our lord has also become a real man!¡¯ Snow swept under his nose, moving away from the door. (*He is crying happy tears because he thought his boss is having s*x with the Princess ????) And he wiped his eyes with a sense of baseless pride. ¡°You, there.¡± Snow called a servant passing by. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Sir White?¡± ¡°Go to the chef and tell him to grill eel for dinner.¡± Eel is the best way to recharge energy. ¡°Eel¡­? The Grand Duke doesn¡¯t like fish dishes.¡± The Grand Duke enjoyed eating meat. Eel for those who always bring meat even on long voyages. The servant shook his head saying the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t eat it. ¡°He will eat today. So, prepare something for the Princess, too.¡± ¡°Meal for the Princess?¡± ¡°Hmm, give more to the Princess.¡± Based on the noise the two made in the parlor, the Princess should eat more food to recharge. Snow White shook his head and went back to his room. Chapter 20 *** Unfortunately, Hook¡¯s watch, which had permeated the Princess, could not be restored. The princess, who was strong until the very end, could not bear the power and fainted. ¡®I should take a bath.¡¯ The Grand Duke looked down at Isabelle in his arms. What a strong woman. Her white skin was glistened with cold sweat. Looking at her appearance, the Hook¡¯s watch, which had been stolen from him, was not worth it. ¡°My lord doesn¡¯t know because he doesn¡¯t have any sickness, but weak people get coughs when cold sweat cools down in the cold wind.¡± The Grand Duke remembered Snow¡¯s grumbling words during cruise training. ¡°Get the coat ready.¡± He ordered dry, still staring at Isabelle. The servant who was next to him quickly brought his large overcoat. The Grand Duke wrapped Isabelle in it and left his mansion. Following the garden where wisteria flowers were in full bloom, he headed to the tower where the Princess was staying. The scent grew stronger and stronger, and he could feel the mellow scent enveloped them. ¡®That¡¯s strange.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know that the smell of flowers which he didn¡¯t usually care for was this sweet. Hundreds of tiny purple flowers need to be gathered to create this scent¡­ ¡®This little Princess blooms this scent alone.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t small compared to ordinary women, but she was infinitely short and slender to the Grand Duke. ¡®Was it this close?¡¯ He looked up at the tower, which had arrived earlier than expected, and tilted his head slightly. And he walked up one step at a time to Isabelle¡¯s room without taking the portal. Isabelle¡¯s room was cluttered. Verdel, who was preparing the dinner table, was surprised to see Isabelle. ¡°Ah, Princess!¡± ¡°She was exhausted and fainted. She¡¯ll wake up soon.¡± The Grand Duke beckoned to the princess¡¯ bed. The bed lined with wrinkled blankets and novel books was messy. ¡°The Princess doesn¡¯t like me touching the bed, so¡­ ¡± While Verdel was making excuses, the maids quickly made the bed. The Grand Duke laid Isabelle on a neat bed and covered her with a blanket. Her sleeping appearance looked more like a brooding angel than a rumored villain. It was then that he smelled something savory. The Princess¡¯ bedroom was filled with the smell of eels. ¡°Why are you preparing food in the bedroom?¡± The Grand Duke looked at the prepared grilled eel and folded his arms. ¡°Usually, she eats in the bedroom while reading¡­..¡± Verdel muttered a few words behind his back. The smart maid, Laura, tossed her body and covered the adult romance novels piled on the floor with her skirt. ¡®Will she be able to eat while reading that?¡¯ Glancing at the pile of books, the Grand Duke slowly nodded his head. And as he left the room, he turned around as if he remembered something. Verdel hurriedly bowed her head. The Grand Duke¡¯s fine black shoes came into her sight. ¡°Take care of your master, Verdel.¡± Each letter he uttered became a heavy stone and fell to the top of Verdel¡¯s head. ¡®Is this the way to live?¡¯ An eerie feeling of choking. Verdel, turned white, did not answer. ¡®How did the princess hold her head up against a man like this?¡¯ Verdel¡¯s head bowed lower, and she closed her eyes tightly. ¡°Answer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°I asked for the same thing last time. Do you remember?¡± The Grand Duke looked down at Verdel¡¯s gray-haired head, and put his hand in his pocket. ¡°You gave the same answer back then. But this time the behavior will be different. If you want to protect your son.¡± ¡°!¡± Surprised, Verdel lifted her head. She couldn¡¯t breathe at the fierce gaze. ¡®The Grand Duke knew. That I took the Princess¡¯s hair.¡¯ How¡­. Did the princess tell him? No, it can¡¯t be. As the Princess¡¯s nanny, she knew the Princess better than anyone. ¡®Even if she got sick and rotted, she wouldn¡¯t tell.¡¯ Perhaps the Grand Duke¡¯s eyes were everywhere. ¡°I ¡­mistake¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ . never again¡­ ¡± Verdel was afraid. She couldn¡¯t speak properly because she thought her throat would be cut off at any moment. The Grand Duke looked at the trembling Verdel and shifted his gaze to Isabelle. ¡°Careful. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to get past the bullsh*t anymore.¡± He glared at Verdel again with his sharp eyes, and then left the room. Verdel plopped down on the floor. *** ¡°What kind of grilled eel is this?¡± She had never thought she¡¯d eat it in a novel. Isabelle, waking up from her sleep, raised her fork with a happy face. ¡°It is a special meal. It¡¯s good to restore energy.¡± Now, instead of Verdel, the maid by her side was Laura. The maid who threw herself to cover Isabelle¡¯s novels. When Isabelle finds useless trinkets, she gives them to the most serious of her poor maids. It was Laura, and Laura, the head of her family, didn¡¯t have to worry about her sisters¡¯ meals. To her, the Princess was a very generous owner. ¡°What about Verdel?¡± ¡°That¡­ ¡­ She took a break for a while because she felt ill.¡± Isabelle¡¯s fork, which had been moving diligently, stopped. Vacation? As far as she knew, Verdel was a woman who never took a break from work. ¡°Does she hurt a lot?¡± She didn¡¯t really want to worry, but she couldn¡¯t stop her heart from sinking coldly. ¡®Why affection? I¡¯m a pushover.¡¯ Isabelle scolded herself. ¡°No. After seeing the Grand Duke, her face turned pale, and she said she was going to take a break for a while.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Did she do something that could be caught? Why happened to the careful talent that stole her hair over the years? Isabelle took her ring from her finger and handed it to Laura. ¡°Verdel has no one to look after her when she gets sick. Go and take care of her. Don¡¯t tell her I ordered it.¡± Isabelle gave her last words as she stared out of the window in the distance. ¡°Okay, Princess. I¡¯ll take care of it !¡± Laura smiled and tucked the ring into her apron. ¡°Oh, and Princess! You should check the outfit you will be wearing at the banquet. Madame Fairy¡¯s dress has arrived.¡± Isabelle shouldn¡¯t have let her go. She should have asked what banquet it was and who was coming. Isabelle, who had been through a lot of today, sent Laura back after trying on her dress appropriately. *** The next morning. ¡°Princess, wake up. You have to dress up early today.¡± Verdel¡¯s expression was stiff when she returned, but she didn¡¯t show much. She woke Isabelle by opening the curtains wide. Isabelle mumbled under her blanket as she slowly got up. ¡°The red novel I read last night fell under the blanket while I was sleeping.¡± ¡®How far did I read this? I¡¯ll mark it.¡¯ Isabel took a silver bookmark from the bedside table that did not match the novel. ¡°I heard the Prince will be arriving at the estate today.¡± ¡°What? That damn b*stard is coming today?¡± Isabelle jumped out of her bed. Prince Edwin. Just thinking about him made her angry. ¡°Ah, Princess.¡± Verdel followed after Isabelle, who was running wild, and advised the Princess not to curse. In the meantime, the stiff tension disappeared, and Verdel returned to her original self. Isabelle grinned and traced her memory. ¡°Soon Prince Edwin will visit the estate.¡± Was it the day the Grand Duke proposed to break up the marriage? He obviously said that. ¡°That b*stard is really coming.¡± Isabelle ignored Verdel¡¯s advice and spoke harshly. She then found her clothes after tossing the book in her hand¡­ However, there was no sound of the book falling on the floor. ¡®Do ghosts appear even in the morning?¡¯ Isabelle, feeling terrified, slowly turned behind her. The Grand Duke and Snow could be seen towards the wide open door. Snow stood outside the door, but the Grand Duke was inside the room. He bent on one knee and managed to pick up the book Isabelle had thrown. It seemed that he ran into the room to catch the book. ¡°Oh My God.¡± It was Snow who broke the silence. With a sombre expression, he raised his hand and covered his eyes. It was terrible. His Lord, whom he treated with respect, caught things thrown by a woman like a dog¡­ And the item he caught was an adult novel. ¡®Why did I pick up what the princess threw?¡¯ The Grand Duke also managed to hide his embarrassment, then slowly straightened his knees and stood up. ¡°The Cursed Beast and the Wet Night.¡± A low-pitched voice recited the promiscuous title. The Grand Duke frowned and threw the book he was holding on the floor. ¡°You must have been disappointed, Princess.¡± Isabelle couldn¡¯t tell he was joking or serious when the Grand Duke spoke with a stern face. Isabelle hurriedly made an excuse. ¡°Well, I read it in case it would be of any help.¡± Yes. She was wondering if the Grand Duke was the beast from ¡®Beauty and the Beast¡¯, so she just borrowed it because there was a similar material. ¡°Help?¡± The Grand Duke tilted his head slightly. ¡°It may sound a bit strange, but sometimes certain stories fit like prophecies.¡± Snow White eats apples every day for beauty, or the Grand Duke is cursed and turned into a beast. ¡®I am the self-proclaimed beauty who lives at the top of this tower.¡¯ But do these people know about fairy tales? There was no way to explain this feeling. But what did she just say? ¡°Prophecy.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s gaze turned again to ¡®The Cursed Beast and the Wet Night¡¯. ¡°So what prophecy was there in that book?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s purple eyes stared straight at Isabelle. His eyes were full of playfulness. Snow poked the Grand Duke in the side. ¡°Lord, just keep your mouth shut.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The Princess doesn¡¯t wear makeup but her face is already turned red over there.¡± After Snow advised the Grand Duke in a whisper, he winked (Snow) at Isabelle. ¡®I heard everything, child.¡¯ Isabelle closed her eyes gloomily. Chapter 21 **** The Grand Duke, having achieved the prank, briefly asked Isabelle¡¯s well-being, and immediately brought up the subject. ¡°The banquet requested by Prince Edwin will be held on the ship.¡± The banquet will be held in the afternoon, so she was told to be on time, followed by a brief explanation of the banquet. In summary, Isabelle did not play a particular role at the banquet, and if she was tired, she could rest in the lounge on the ship. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Do you need an escort?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Normally Isabelle wouldn¡¯t ask. It was the same when Isabelle first went downtown in a carriage or to the pier where his ship located. Every time he would send Snow. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this man?¡¯ Isabelle blinked her big eyes. ¡°Can you escort me yourself?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll send Snow.¡± ¡®I knew it.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± Isabelle waved her hand. Snow said, ¡±What¡¯s wrong with my escort? Do you know how many women are waiting for me?¡± ¡°Then I will wait for you on the ship.¡± The Grand Duke said and left the room with Snow. *** Isabelle was all dolled up. Her reflection in the mirror was just as beautiful and elegant as before her return, when she became a princess. ¡®The maids in this house are pretty good. But the reaction is¡­¡­ ¡¯ The maids admired the adult novel, but the maids of the Grand Duke were really blunt. After they finished dressing up Isabelle, they put their hands together and blinked their eyes. ¡°You are beautiful today.¡± It was Laura, the maid who gave the compliment. The word ¡®today¡¯ bothered Isabelle a bit. ¡°Our Princess is be the most beautiful princess in the kingdom of Desar!¡± Verdel rasied her shoulders proudly. The kingdom of Desar¡¯s royal family was famous for their beauty. ¡°Even in our empire, it is said that when drawing princess illustrations in books, we refer to the portraits of Desar¡¯s royal family.¡± ¡°Our princess is well known among the royal family¡­¡­ ¡± ¡°Verdel, can you get me my shoes?¡± Isabelle gave the signal to shut up. Yes, rumors spread. Princess Isabelle was a bad-tempered villain. She¡¯s been doing her best in the Empire, so she didn¡¯t want to hear it again. Isabelle got up from the vanity and looked at the yellow shoes Verdel had brought her. After thinking for a while, Isabelle shook her head. ¡°I should wear something else.¡± ¡°This is what Madame Fairy matched with her dress.¡± Had Madame Fairy been hoping Isabelle would get rid of her villainous label? The lemon-colored dress was so refreshing and lovely. The same went for the cute yellow shoes with corsages. ¡®I have to wear combat gear today.¡¯ Isabelle pulled out her red shoes from under her bed. The magic shoes given to you by the tower lord, Chaiman. The magic shoes with pointed tips did not match the dress she was wearing. ¡®Whatever. If there is a situation to avoid the Prince, I must use magic.¡¯ Isabelle proudly put her shoes on and stepped out of the tower. ¡°Oh, beautiful princess.¡± Snow, dressed in a neat uniform, politely bowed like a gentleman. ¡®I thought I was going alone.¡¯ He must have been sent by the Grand Duke. ¡°Snow looks wonderful, too.¡± ¡°I was cool from the start.¡± Snow raised his glasses and grinned. A thin gold string hung from the temples of the spectacles, glistening in the afternoon sun. ¡°Has the Prince arrived?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯d be aboard a ship by now. The Grand Duke is serving him.¡± Snow stretched out his arm and smiled prettily. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. If it was a ball, I would ask the Princess for a dance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a banquet, but no dance?¡± Isabelle placed her hand on Snow¡¯s forearm. The fine muscles that felt hard under the cloth were quite like a soldier. ¡°It¡¯s a different kind of party. You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡± Snow guided Isabelle to the carriage. He waited for her to get in, but Isabelle didn¡¯t move. ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°Sir Snow, what time is the banquet today?¡± ¡°There is no set time. Why?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to go home by twelve o¡¯clock tonight.¡± Isabelle looked at the carriage in front of her with a puzzled expression. The orange carriage with its elegant curves resembled a pumpkin. *** ¡°Did you prepare this for a banquet, Grand Duke?¡± The Prince, who was sitting on the sofa, smiled absurdly and shook his head. Contrary to his sweet smile, his blue eyes were sharp. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡± ¡°I should have known from the moment I was told to come to the ship.¡± Maybe it¡¯s a cruise training called a banquet? In the middle of a large hall, the soldiers performed their moves with guns or something, and it was all men who served. Looking around, the woman¡¯s skirt was nowhere to be seen. ¡®You¡¯ve used your head quite a bit.¡¯ A banquet held in the sea, not on the imperial land. There was even a performance that could be dismissed as military training. ¡®You thought of avoiding the imperial glare properly.¡¯ The Prince put down his champagne glass while watching the sweaty performances of the soldiers. It tasted bitter. ¡°By the way, Grand Duke, where your the bride-to-be?¡± The Prince inquired about Isabelle¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°She will come soon. Did the Prince leave your lover Flute behind?¡± The Grand Duke had received information that the Prince was accompanied by a young lady, Flute Hamel. But he left Flute Hamel behind and went to the ship alone. ¡°Why? Are you interested in Flute, Karl? Shall I introduce her as the 14th bride?¡± The Prince skillfully changed the topic and smiled. Then he got up from the sofa, covering his nose with his hand. ¡°I think it would be better to watch the sea from the deck.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it here?¡± ¡°The smell of men¡­¡± The Prince suddenly stopped his speech and wrinkled his expression. It was because one of the muscular soldiers during the performance winked at the Prince and gave him an air kiss. ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s awfully disgusting.¡± The Prince went out to the deck. The Grand Duke watched his back with an expressionless face. Then a certain soldier approached the Grand Duke. ¡°My lord, the trace of Lady Flute has been lost.¡± It was Shadow disguised as a soldier. ¡°Does it make sense that you lost the traces of a noble woman?¡± ¡°I will definitely investigate it.¡± After completing the report, Shadow naturally disappeared into the crowd. *** Isabelle got off her pumpkin carriage and boarded the ship. The bridge connecting the dock and the ship had dozens of stairs. She was escorted by Snow, but to no avail as his arms had no strength. ¡°Ha, your escort is always so bad, Sir Snow.¡± ¡°Awhile ago, the wheel of the carriage suddenly broke, so I had to use all my strength to fix it by myself.¡± Snow answered while breathing heavily just like Isabelle was. While riding in the carriage, a swarm of mice appeared out of nowhere and ate the wheel of the carriage. The carriage staggered and the horses ran wild, but thanks to Snow¡¯s response, they were able to survive. ¡°But how does a man get tired already? How the hell did you train your arm muscles?¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± Snow laughed slyly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not curious.¡± Isabelle shook her head and stepped on the steps. ¡®Oh, I think my toes are going to burst because of the shoes.¡¯ ¡°By the way, is the banquet will go on even after the sunset?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°Then what about the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°Oh, if you care about his curse, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Snow explained. ¡°The Grand Duke¡¯s curse is only strong when on land.¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t it okay to live on a ship without a curse?¡± ¡°After a few days, he turns into a beast on the sea. It is as if the curse came directly from the land to the Grand Duke.¡± Snow shook his head, remembering one day when there was a chaos on the ship. Finally, the two of them climbed the last stairs and caught their breaths on the ship¡¯s railing. The moment Isabelle thought that she should take off her shoes and rest in the lounge. ¡°Princess Isabelle Desar.¡± Prince Edwin appeared like goddamn fate. The Prince, who was looking at the sea from the deck, strode towards Isabelle. ¡°Ha.¡± A sigh preceded a greeting. The Prince¡¯s face, who had been smiling like a picture, was momentarily distorted and then put on a fake smile again. ¡°Long time no see, Prince.¡± Isabelle glanced around after roughly bending her knees to greet him. The Grand Duke was nowhere to be seen. ¡°You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve waited to meet you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± This time Isabelle looked at the sea. She felt like the little mermaid will be watching this scene for some reason. The Prince frowned as he looked at Isabelle, who was not facing him properly. ¡°Who are you looking for, Princess?¡± Then Isabelle, who was busily looking around her, looked at the Prince. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my first time on a ship. How amazing. Haha.¡± ¡®Yep, it was f*cking amazing.¡¯ When she first opened her eyes to this world, she was on this ship. ¡®It¡¯s the ship I was stabbed by the Little Mermaid!¡¯ In her first regression, she married on this ship, and in her third regression, she died on this ship. She had never seen the Grand Duke on both occasions¡­Was this ship the Grand Duke¡¯s ship? ¡®Will the little mermaid suddenly appear today on the ship?¡¯ Just imagining it gave her goosebumps. ¡°I am also new to this ship, but I came first and learned the structure. I will guide you.¡± The Prince reached out to Isabelle. ¡®Pretending to be polite.¡¯ However, she could not refuse the Prince¡¯s escort as she was a reserve Grand Duchess. ¡°Then please.¡± ¡°Thank you, beautiful Lady Desar.¡± It was obvious why he called her Lady openly even though he knew she was going to have a ceremony with the Grand Duke. ¡®Dirty b*stard.¡¯ Isabelle was forced to put her hand on his arm and walking along. But something strange happened. A flock of pigeons that were not seagulls flew from the land, and rushed to Isabelle. ¡°Cawrrrrr!¡± ¡°Princess Isabelle!¡± Isabelle covered her head and bent her body, and while the Prince fled and called her name. Then, a strong wind blew over her head. With the wind, the pigeons were mercilessly thrown onto the deck. ¡°Grand Duke?¡± Isabelle stared straight ahead, convinced that she was right. As expected, it was the Grand Duke. He walked towards Isabelle with a sword the size of her body. There were no common questions such as are you okay or surprised? He looked down at Isabelle, who was sitting there, and grabbed her with one arm. ¡®Is this comfort without shaking?¡¯ Isabelle glanced at him, feeling like a light cotton doll. Was he angry? His eyes staring at the Prince were particularly harsh. ¡°The introduction is late. This is Grand Duchess Isabelle Bashke, Prince Edwin.¡± ¡°!¡± As if to introduce his wife, who had already married, the Grand Duke drew a line with the Prince as Isabelle was his. ¡°Didn¡¯t he want to break up with a few days ago?¡¯ Surprised, Isabelle held on tight, but there was no reason to fall. The Grand Duke¡¯s arms gave her a pleasurable pressure and held her tighter.