At the mention of ‘Mine’, Leon’s face, which had been calm until now, twitched.

The cold anger that rose in his eyes slowly swelled his body.

‘Nigel. How dare you. You dare to mention Anthony with your own mouth in this place.’

That long time, the terrible curse of lust that he had to endure without knowing the reason. After learning that the caster of that curse was the Crown Prince, he often found himself retching.

Because the ugly true face of the person to whom he had once pledged his loyalty was so disgusting.

If Nigel had only done those deeds to Leon himself and Grand Duke Osilote, the beginning of all this ill fate, he might have tried to understand it as his father’s karma.

But Nigel didn’t stop there.

He even tried to kidnap and harm Eve, an innocent young child.

Moreover, that wasn’t the end. Next, he even dragged Anthony into evil acts using mana stones. When Leon thought of Anthony, who had cruelly tried to harm him and Kasha, he was often engulfed in such deep remorse that he wanted to bite his tongue.

Can a single human really have the right to so ruthlessly destroy a family?

‘There were moments when I tried to understand you, Nigel.’

When Queen Anne collapsed and Nigel was exiled to the Kingdom of Kazim, Leon was truly worried about him. He resented and was ashamed of his own greedy father.

That’s why, even when Nigel returned and gradually pressured the Grand Duchy of Osilote, Leon did not blame him.

Even when Nigel abruptly requested Leon to be his groomsman, Leon silently accepted. Even though he fully knew that Nigel just wanted to set Leon up as a screen to make himself shine.

‘But, nevertheless, there is a line that must be kept as a human being. You have crossed that line by far.’

So I will now stop trying to understand or forgive you.

That is now in the realm of God.

‘I’m a holy knight, not a god.’

Leon’s lips slowly parted.

“Did you say we need to capture Mine?”

Are you saying that this time, you will surely eliminate that Mine, who has the face of my younger brother, that you created with the help of a demon?

“Of course we should. We can’t let such a dangerous person roam free in the empire. In fact, the reason I want to employ Lady Kasha in the Magic Tower is because of that.”

Nigel smiled brightly at Kasha.

“Wouldn’t it be great if Lady Kasha could create even more powerful magic tools, so that evil forces like Mine can’t even set foot in the empire?”

Hahaha.

As if he had said something very amusing, Nigel let out a hearty laugh. Some nobles awkwardly laughed along with him, but the laughter quickly died down.

Leon stared at Nigel without any response. The lump of anger towards Nigel swelled up, stabbing at his throat.

It looked so easy to just go up to that high podium right now and wring Nigel’s neck that it was even harder to bear. Veins bulged on Leon’s clenched fists.

As if noticing his agitation, the Crown Prince narrowed his eyes with an amused expression.

At that moment, someone’s hand touched Leon’s back muscles, which were tense and angry.

‘Kasha.’

She, who had noticed his conflict, was stroking his back. It was a gentle and cautious motion, as if calming a roaring angry beast.

“What are you doing… His Highness the Crown Prince is speaking.”

The nobles standing next to them pursed their lips, but there was no hesitation in her touch.

Leon felt himself slowly calming down.

‘…Yes, Kasha. I can’t ruin the opportunity you have created with so much effort and patience.’

It was when Leon, thinking that way, had barely loosened the strength in his hands. Nigel opened his mouth again.

“So, Lord Leon, if you are so opposed to Lady Kasha entering the Magic Tower, how about you personally bring me Mine’s head?”

At that moment, even Kasha’s hand, which had been stroking Leon’s back, flinched and stopped.

“……”

“I’ll give you ten days. If you behead Mine and present his head to me within that time, I won’t make any more unreasonable proposals to Lady Kasha.”

With reddened eyes, Nigel grinned exaggeratedly. For someone ordering his brother to bring back his other brother’s head, the smile was too bright and grotesque.

It contained the satisfaction of someone who realized they had perfectly trapped their opponent.

“How about it? Isn’t this quite a generous offer?”

One week after the victory celebration banquet, at the Tyrot duchy.

The servants of the duchy shook their heads at the noisy commotion coming from Odette’s newlywed room.

“It’s starting again.”

“What kind of newlyweds fight like this every day?”

“The room is going to be a mess again. Let’s go get the brooms and cleaning tools ready in advance.”

“Sigh, let’s do that.”

Even after the servants scattered from the door, the agitated voices coming from inside showed no signs of calming down.

“Stop it, Odette! Goodness, this isn’t something to get so worked up about, is it?”

“Not something to get worked up about? You were caught red-handed by the secretary trying to steal documents from Father’s office like a thieving cat! What kind of humiliation is that? Who were you trying to steal those documents for and give them to?”

It was difficult to find any trace of Odette’s former lovely appearance as she raised her voice as much as possible and screamed.

Her face, with a hugely bulging belly, was a mess without even washing, and her hair was no different from a bird’s nest.

‘Go out? Where can I go looking like this! Who would I show this appearance to!’

Whenever Simon suggested attending social events, Odette would throw a fit.

She intended to seclude herself at home until she gave birth. After giving birth and regaining her figure and skin, she planned to return to high society with a perfect appearance.

‘I absolutely can’t show this appearance. Especially not to Leon and that Kasha girl.’

These days, just thinking about Kasha Lyuschino made Odette bolt up from her sleep.

Upon hearing the news that Kasha had successfully helped Leon exterminate magical beasts and even had a victory celebration held for her at the Imperial Palace, Odette felt a sense of depression for the first time in her life.

Compared to the increasingly radiant Kasha Lyuschino, she felt utterly miserable.

She had been the object of envy all her life. She had never imagined that she would feel such intense inferiority towards someone else.

However, after continued seclusion, looking at herself in the mirror, she grew more and more anxious. As if the substance of herself underneath the glamorous shell was far more insignificant than she thought.

Her once slender body rapidly deteriorated after pregnancy, new pimples appeared on her skin every day, and her mood hit rock bottom dozens of times a day.

That wasn’t all. Her followers, friends, and even her parents turned their backs on her. Everyone suddenly criticized and distanced themselves from her.

But what angered her the most was her husband Simon, whom she had hastily married as a last resort.

There was only one reason she agreed to marry him. That he listens well to her words. That he knows how to prostrate himself and obey without any pride.

Odette had seen noble ladies lose their freedom as soon as they married, and she had no intention of living like them. She chose Simon solely because he seemed easy to control and wield.

However, she had been feeling uneasy lately. As if that choice was also wrong.

Odette messed up her hair in frustration.

“Why, why do you keep doing absurd things! Those documents are top secret of the company. Who were you trying to steal those documents and give them to! Tell me!”

Even as Odette screamed and pressed like a madwoman, Simon kept his mouth firmly shut.

His stubbornness felt as unfamiliar as it made her nervous.

‘Simon, do you really have something? Are you plotting to stab me in the back!’

The Simon she had known was thoroughly weak to the strong and strong to the weak, a cowardly and shallow person.

But now, he doesn’t even flinch at Odette’s pressing.

‘That means there’s someone stronger behind you, doesn’t it?’

Suddenly having that thought, an unprecedented sense of unease stiffened her neck.

‘It can’t be Kasha Lyuschino, can it.’

It was clear that Simon and Kasha had an unusual relationship.

‘But that can’t be.’

No matter how great Kasha has become, she’s not enough to turn the Tyrot duchy into an enemy.

‘Then who is it? Who is ordering you to steal our company’s confidential documents!’

Why does everything keep going wrong, why does it suddenly feel like the world is trying to crush her to a pulp…

Staggering in confusion, Odette suddenly felt a heavy pain constricting her belly.

“Ow!”

Odette let out a sharp scream and sank to the floor.

“D-Darling…?”

Simon, who had been keeping his distance and watching Odette’s tantrum, finally approached her falteringly.

“Ugh… oh no, damn it….”

Odette gritted her teeth.

No. This can’t be happening.

It seems the world is trying to crush her to a pulp once again. Tears welled up in fear.

What should I do? What should I do?

At a time like this… Kasha Lyuschino, what would you do?

Odette cried out with a face contorted in pain.

“Simon! Don’t just stand there, go call a doctor! I think the baby is coming!”

“What, the baby…? But there’s still a month and a half until the due date!”

“I don’t know either, but I feel like the baby is coming now, so hurry and call the doctor!”

Odette shouted, frustrated.

“Oh, alright… just a moment…”

Simon hurriedly left the room in a flurry.

Feeling another wave of sharp pain crashing over her like a tsunami, Odette gritted her teeth.

“Someone, someone please help me….”

She was scared.

The fact that from now on, she had to endure this pain all alone.

The fact that in the end, she too was just a fragile human being, no different from all those people she had looked down upon until now, was so terrifying that hot tears burst out.