Translator: Nox

Chapter 8

Episode 8

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The evening of the day the commotion broke out.

Dana went to visit Viego Winzer’s office.

‘Is he still not back?’

The Duke’s office was empty. There wasn’t even anyone who knew his whereabouts.

‘Where on earth did he go?’

It had been hours since he left after she suggested he read the letter reporting Laios’s infidelity.

Viego had not been seen since.

Where could he have disappeared to?

‘I need to propose the dissolution of the engagement.’

Dana leaned back against the sofa. The image of Laios’s face flickered in her mind.

“This isn’t an affair. This is love.”

‘Even after saying that, he still insisted on marrying me.’

There was only one reason Laios wouldn’t break off the engagement.

‘He’s after my fortune.’

The massive inheritance left to Danae by her late father, Damian Winzer.

He likely found it too precious to let go.

‘I have to break the engagement no matter what.’

It wasn’t just for the emotional reason that she couldn’t stand the sight of that bastard.

‘I can only get my hands on the Sacred Artifact if the engagement is broken.’

It was all to claim the Sacred Artifact.

‘To be precise, I have to take it away from Uncle Karl.’

That object that always glittered on the finger of Karl, the Vice Family Head.

That ring was no ordinary ring.

Because an ancient spell was cast upon it, it could not be easily removed or put on like a common ring.

‘It can only be removed by performing the ceremony to step down from the position of Vice Family Head.’

Or by cutting off the finger.

Those were the only ways to claim the ring.

‘So, to have that ring, I must push my uncle out of the Vice Family Head position and take it for myself.’

However, simply removing the current Vice Family Head, Karl, wouldn’t be enough.

She also had to complete the dissolution of the engagement with Laios.

There was no way they would hand over the Vice Family Head’s ring to a woman who was leaving the family to be married.

Therefore…

‘I will declare my celibacy.’

Breaking the engagement, and then a declaration of non-marriage.

Once she reached that point, she would be able to smoothly ascend to the position of Vice Family Head.

‘I just need to be that helpful to the family.’

Dana knew exactly which business ventures Viego was struggling with.

She knew the solutions to those problems, and…

‘I also have plenty of information that will be beneficial to the family.’

If she offered them one by one like bait, Viego would eventually acknowledge her.

Viego Winzer was a thorough meritocrat.

‘Why else would he have met with me, whom he hates the sight of, once a week to give me work?’

A bitter smile escaped her lips.

Viego truly, utterly loathed her…

“My Lady.”

Just then, a secretary approached cautiously.

“You haven’t forgotten that there is a banquet tomorrow, have you?”

“No. Of course not.”

“That is a relief. You seemed so busy I thought you might have forgotten.”

Dana smiled without a word.

How could she forget?

Tomorrow, her medal conferment ceremony would be held at the Imperial Palace. It was in recognition of her contribution to purifying the Rotten Land.

And she was the first woman in the Empire to receive such a medal.

‘Yes, the timing is perfect.’

Since she intended to become the first female Vice Family Head, the medal would add credibility to that process.

It was just as she was thinking that.

Knock, knock. Along with the sound of knocking, a servant’s voice was heard.

“My Lady, His Highness the Crown Prince has sent a messenger.”

For a moment, her heart sank.

Laios? At this hour of the night?

“I apologize for the late hour.”

A moment later, an attendant entered the room, bowing his head deeply in apology.

“His Highness the Crown Prince said he has something urgent to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince…”

Could it be that he was trying to apologize now, however belatedly?

“Has requested that you refrain from attending tomorrow’s banquet.”

What?

For a second, she was stunned as if she had been slapped across the cheek.

“He said he plans to hold a betrothal ceremony with Lady Alice Winzer at tomorrow’s banquet.”

“…”

“He asks that you please refrain from attending, as it would be uncomfortable for the Duke’s Lady…”

As he spoke, he held out a purple box, clicked it open, and showed it to her.

Inside the box, a golden medal was shining.

“I shall deliver the medal here and now.”

“…”

“Therefore, please do not attend tomorrow’s banquet. This is an order from His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“…I refuse.”

After a brief silence, Dana spoke.

“I refuse, so take it back.”

“If the Lady refuses, His Highness the Crown Prince ordered me to relay these words.”

“What words?”

“‘If you’re going to refuse, come and do it to my face.’”

“…”

“That is… what he commanded me to relay.”

The attendant looked as though he was barely enduring the embarrassment.

“He said he would not accept any other refusal. He mentioned it was, well, an Imperial command.”

He’s crazy.

You’ve truly gone completely mad, Laios Grants.

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Fuming with rage, Dana headed to Laios’s palace.

“Eek!”

She entered Laios’s bedroom, guided by an attendant.

“Da—Dana, sister? Why are you here…?”

Alice was startled, pulling the covers up to hide her body.

‘What is this?’

Dana stood frozen like a stone statue.

Why was Alice in the bed?

And Laios was…

“…”

Laios was leaning back leisurely on the sofa, shirtless, smoking a cigar.

He watched Dana’s face with an utterly indifferent gaze.

“S—Sister, why, why did you come here?”

Dana didn’t answer. She simply scanned the room calmly and…

‘He’s insane.’

Reached the conclusion once again.

Mad.

Laios Grants was completely out of his mind.

To purposely call me here just to show me this mess?

“S—Sister?”

From the look of it, Alice hadn’t known she was coming.

‘But Laios knew.’

There were four cigars in the crystal ashtray, looking as though they had just been smoked. Which meant…

‘He was waiting for me.’

Fury simmered within her. Heat rushed to the top of her head in an instant. And—

‘This is what Laios wants.’

She judged the situation coldly.

This was a scene staged by Laios.

He clearly had an intention. He likely wanted her to be angry—

‘There’s no need to get caught up in it.’

She had no intention of dancing in the palm of Laios’s hand.

“Your Highness.”

So, she gave him a reaction completely different from what he desired.

Her lips wore their usual smile. But her voice was laced with boredom. Her eyes were indifferent, tinged with a hint of disgust.

“You sent a messenger.”

She spoke only of business.

Sure enough, Laios’s brow furrowed. He had indeed expected her to be angry.

“You’ve come, Danae Winzer.”

Danae Winzer.

He had always called her Dana, but now he used Danae.

The intention was clear. Accept the changed relationship. That was his meaning.

“It seems you didn’t understand what I said the other day.”

He gestured with his chin toward the flustered Alice.

“I believe I told you that Alice is my love.”

He took a drag of his cigar and exhaled the smoke.

“Where did you get the arrogance to believe you’d be safe after bullying my love?”

At that moment, Dana was certain.

This was a show intended to wound her.

‘You wicked bastard.’

Dana tightened the muscles around her mouth to keep it from twisting.

Having heard of the humiliation Alice suffered today, Laios seemed to be enraged beyond measure.

So now, he was punishing her.

‘He’s planning to completely break my spirit so I’ll never bully Alice again.’

His ruthlessness was appalling.

This was the man who had loved her madly for the past few years.

That love had been so intense it was sometimes suffocating. It had been that way until just a few days ago…

“The three of us are going to be a married couple in the future. Shouldn’t we try to get along?”

How could a man change so drastically?