Then Selina, worried for Will, stepped forward.
“It’s all right. I was worried about how things were at home anyway, so I’ll go with them.”
“Your Grace.”
“It would be best not to say things that might cause dangerous misunderstandings if overheard, Sir Chase.”
Saying so, Rose moved to seat Selina onto the horse prepared for her.
“Before I go, just a moment….”
Selina approached Xenos. The two gazed at each other in silence before falling into an embrace.
It was as if the escort guards, the imperial knights, and Rose… none of them existed to the two.
From within his arms, Selina spoke quietly.
“Your Grace, don’t forget what we talked about. From now on, we proceed as planned. And I’m taking the Marriage Proof with me.”
Her voice was so low that no one but Xenos could hear it.
“Still… I should be the one to keep it….”
“No. Even in the forest, the proof ended up in my hands, so there must be a reason for it. I’ll keep it on me at all times. Besides, no one would ever suspect this is the proof in the first place.”
She showed him the small pouch hanging around her neck, crafted specifically to hold the proof.
“If that sets your mind at ease… then so be it.”
“No matter what happens from now on… I want only one promise.”
“I’ll promise you anything for your sake.”
“Never die. You know that an heir… can die too. Just that one promise.”
Xenos looked at her with trembling eyes, then spoke reassuringly.
“I promise. Whatever happens, I will stay alive and come back to take you with me. I will proudly declare before the people of the empire that you are my wife, and that we are truly married.”
“All right, I’ll wait… and trust that promise.”
“My lady, there is no use wasting time. Let us go.”
At Rose’s urging, Selina looked at her, then turned back to Xenos.
“Lower your head a little.”
“Pardon?”
Selina’s voice had been so low that he hadn’t heard properly, so he leaned in closer. At that moment, she caught his lips in a kiss.
“Back then… you kissed me harder than this.”
Everyone froze at the boldness of the pair’s kiss, but Selina calmly stepped forward toward Rose.
“Shall we go?”
Recovering her composure, Rose ordered the imperial knights to take Selina’s luggage and transport it to the Arsene estate.
“Are you really going to let her leave like this? We have two hundred men in the guard. We could easily take control of the situation. If you were to bring her into the ducal residence and protect her, my lord….”
“And if we do that and are branded with treason? Selina would be put in danger as well. Now is not the time. If civil strife breaks out, Autum will seize the chance to strike. Letting her go now is the best choice.”
Xenos watched from afar as Selina grew distant, only realizing belatedly that his hand had unconsciously touched his lips.
‘Hold on… just a little longer.’
He stared after her until she vanished from sight, then turned to ask Hans,
“Where is my father?”
“He is receiving treatment in his quarters now. My lord, you made the right decision. You can return to receive Her Grace, my lady, when the time comes.”
“Yes… that’s what I’ll do. Come, let’s go see my father.”
“I’ll join you once I’ve dismissed the guard unit.”
When Will said that, Xenos nodded and entered the ducal residence.
For some reason, the imperial knights did not place Selina in a carriage while escorting her to the Arsene estate.
Instead, they set her atop a splendidly adorned horse, as though eager for the entire city to see her, parading her from the ducal residence all the way to the Arsene estate.
The commoners wondered whose procession this was and were on the verge of pelting her with rotten food, but drew back in fear when they saw the knights’ armor emblazoned with the imperial crest.
‘It seems they’re doing this on purpose. What is their aim?’
After that blatant spectacle, Rose spoke to Selina the moment she dismounted before entering the estate.
“You would do well to make haste tomorrow in seeking His Majesty’s forgiveness and begging for his aid. A harsh ordeal may begin as soon as tomorrow.”
“…”
“Sometimes… clinging to those in power is the only way out. I say this for your father’s sake, and for my own, so listen carefully.”
Despite Rose’s words, Selina stood firmly before the estate gates.
“I thank His Majesty for his grace. I have arrived home safely, so you may take your leave now.”
Once the imperial knights departed, no one came out to receive her at the gates of the Arsene estate.
‘Is this also by the Emperor’s order?’
Thinking this, Selina had no choice but to carry her own luggage and head toward the East Wing.
‘Ben, Cassi, and Nora were supposed to be waiting in front of the East Wing, so why isn’t anyone here?’
Though sensing something amiss, Selina stepped inside the East Wing. But no sooner had she entered than she heard the sudden clatter of a lock turning from the outside.
“What is this! Who’s out there!”
Just as she suspected, Brandon’s voice came from the other side.
“Stop bringing shame upon the family and live quietly under house arrest. Once the rumors settle, we’ll banish you to the Arsene lands. Whatever blood runs in your veins… since Father refuses to abandon you even if it kills him, I have no choice but to do this. By the authority of the acting head of the family.”
It was the exact moment the worst future Selina had feared became reality.
‘I struggled so hard every single day just to prevent this day from coming.’
In the blink of an eye, the most hideous picture of a future she couldn't bear to imagine flashed before her.
An image of Flora and Brandon taking full control of the trading business, taking advantage of the absence of her father, Count Arsene, who was traveling abroad.
And then herself, utterly helpless, aware of everything yet unable to do a thing, trapped by their schemes. Cast out to a distant land, sold off to live with a man she never wanted.
“I will never let that happen.”
Selina muttered, rubbing the wedding ring on her finger.
“I’ve already taken the first step to break free from that future. And I won’t regret this choice.”
Then she slipped off her ring, placed it into the pouch where she kept the Marriage Proof, and fastened it tight.
“Hiding this is only temporary. I will make His Majesty acknowledge me as the Grand Duchess. We proceed according to plan.”
Count Arsene naturally did not consent to locking Selina away in the East Wing.
What had transpired was a plot hatched by Brandon, who had assumed the position of acting head while the Count was held at the imperial palace, after inciting the servants.
“Whether Selina is truly like that or not, terrible rumors have spread, and as a family we must take a stance to protect our reputation! We must show the public that this issue belongs to her alone and that the family stands separate from it!”
Swayed by Brandon’s words, more than half the servants agreed to lock Selina away, and thus the decision was made to place her under house arrest.
Count Arsene knew that his wife and Brandon were responsible for those rumors, yet he could not expose them. They, too, were members of the Count’s household, and denouncing them would only bring disgrace upon the family itself.
Even so, he could not simply stand by and watch Selina remain imprisoned.
“I am immediately stripping Brandon of his proxy authority! Open the doors to the East Wing at once!”
“Count! This is not a matter to handle with sentiment. You must think as the head of the family and make the proper decision!”
“If we take no action against the young lady, someone will come to curse her or seek vengeance. We must at least maintain the appearance of handling the matter internally.”
“There is no one else to take up the proxy duties right now, so please reconsider revoking Lord Brandon’s authority.”
Given this situation, Brandon and Flora were firmly convinced that this was their golden opportunity.
“We must make good use of this chance to become the true power in this family. And we must get rid of Selina quickly.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what we must do. The Count will soon depart on a trade expedition, so let’s send her far away while he’s gone.”
“I’d rather kill her right now….”
“No, it would be found out immediately and we wouldn’t survive the fallout. It’s far better to sell her off to wealthy nobles in the provinces. She’s relatively pretty, so someone will take her.”
“I hear the rumor of ‘Evil Selina’ has reached all the way to the villages. It won’t be easy. I should have spread the rumors in moderation… neither too much nor too little.”
Brandon sighed as he spoke, but Flora wasn’t truly listening; she was glaring venomously toward the East Wing where Selina was confined.
‘Yes, we are the ones who will survive. This family belongs to us. To my son, Sebastian.’
That ambition Flora had harbored ever since giving birth to Sebastian finally blazed into an uncontrollable fire.
