“The line is so long.”

I poked my head out of the six-horse carriage and gaped at the white castle with sharp spires rising on Yurahil Hill, the carriages entering Blanc Casa.

The line of carriages passing through the main gate after having their invitations checked one by one by the Imperial Palace gatekeeper seemed endless with no sign of shortening.

In the distance, nobles tired of waiting were seen grabbing each other by the collar and fighting, shouting “I came first”, “Are you blind?! I’m first!”, throwing away their noble dignity.

It felt surreal.

Up until last year, I had a hard time separating those nobles fighting over there from the subordinates of the Imperial Knights.

Now that Aaron Pioni is the captain of the Imperial Knights, is that jerk being cursed at and grabbed by the ill-tempered nobles in my stead?

“Shall we enter in the middle of the ball?”

When I looked at him worriedly, the Grand Duke shook his head.

“We will pass right through. It’s one of the privileges of being a high noble.”

“Ah.”

I had forgotten. I now remember that high nobles could pass through just by showing their face without lining up or receiving separate inspections.

For high nobles, their face is their pass.

Our carriage went straight to the entrance without lining up in the long queue.

The Grand Duke told me that one of the many privileges granted only to the sixteen high noble families of the four directions is not having to line up at any event held by the imperial family. There’s also the privilege of not having to take off your hat in front of the emperor.

“I guess all the nobles of the empire are here.”

“It’s the first time all the high nobles have gathered for an imperial ball since the late emperor passed away and they all convened to enthrone the new emperor.”

Back then, Justin Della Ponti couldn’t ascend the throne right away due to opposition from the North and South. After a heated debate, it was difficultly concluded that the Empress Dowager would serve as regent until he came of age.

It’s said the Empress Dowager and the Emperor didn’t reconvene the high noble council meeting because they were so harshly dealt with by the northern and southern high nobles last time.

But why did they summon the high noble council now? Especially at this time when public sentiment is already grim due to the coma disease.

“It seems it will be more like a flea market than a ball.”

“Shall I have the carriage turn back? I’d prefer to rest at home with you.”

The Grand Duke, who had been sticking close to me the entire way to the Imperial Palace, gently kissed the back of my hand and flashed a bewitchingly charming smile at me.

That smile was downright lethal, so I tried to flinch back. But I had already been cornered by the Grand Duke’s smile attacks on the way here and had no more space to retreat.

“Thinking of other men stealing glances at my beautiful wife like this naturally makes my murderous intent rise. There shouldn’t be any man so bold.”

Does sugar maple syrup flow through his veins instead of blood?

His gaze is sweet, the smile lingering in his eyes and lips is sweet. Even the brutal words “I’ll kill anyone who covets what’s mine” sound honey-dipped, making me not know what to do with myself.

This man. Since when did he become such a creature?

Where did he learn to caress with his gaze and speak with his eyes?

Wherever the Grand Duke’s blue eyes lingered, heat rose hotly.

I shook my head violently. To the point my head spun.

I widened my eyes and tightly reined in my heart.

Now is the time to focus on my mission. I mustn’t be bewitched by this creature.

This imperial ball is the first battlefield I’m stepping onto as Grand Duchess Yuriella Ielheim!

My mission is to pave the Grand Duke’s path smoothly without any mistakes!

“Are there any families or individuals I should pay special attention to at the ball?”

“There is only one person you need to look at. Here.”

The Grand Duke pulled my hand and gently placed it on his face. Whether by chance or intention, where my fingertips touched were his faintly red-tinted lips.

Despite belonging to someone whose entire body was as hard as rock, his lips were unbelievably moist and soft. The slightly parted lips looked defenseless.

At that moment, a fragment of the memories from last night that I had forgotten suddenly flashed through my mind.

When I jumped into the Grand Duke’s arms from the 2nd floor rooftop of the annex, sharing breaths with each other…

‘Stop. Stop! Get a grip!’

I shook my head and glared at the Grand Duke. That gaze, those gestures. Even that breath. It must all be intentional.

I now realized that when he graciously said I don’t need to remember last night, what he meant was he would strive with all his passion to make sure I can’t help but remember.

I had briefly forgotten and let my guard down.

About how Frost Ielheim, the Grand Duke, had led countless battles to victory.

The title of War God was not a nickname earned simply because he was physically strong.

He was a warrior who never let his guard down, whether the enemy was strong or weak.

He was a tenacious general who instead made the enemy let their guard down, relentlessly found their weakness, and inevitably brought them to their knees no matter the foe.

‘Don’t let your guard down, Yuriella. If your weakness is exposed, you lose.’

I evened my breathing and sharply honed my rusted combat instincts.

Frost Ielheim isn’t the only undefeated knight.

I too am the continent’s top swordsman who rivaled him! It would be embarrassing to even call myself the owner of the invincible sacred sword if I only let myself be overwhelmed one-sidedly!

I reviewed my overall record against the Grand Duke since becoming Yuriella.

I was at a disadvantage at the start. The Grand Duke was very hurt in his pride that he had to marry “the likes of me”.

But in the end, I became the Grand Duchess and firmly established myself as his exclusive physician.

Not only that. I even share the top secret that Shavell is His Majesty Lewis to the point of earning his trust.

When the Grand Duke said he wanted me to be in all of his scenery, I was briefly faced with a huge crisis but didn’t lose.

That’s right. I’m still in the lead in our overall record.

Confidence surges in my chest. Yes. This is definitely not a fight where I’m at a disadvantage. No, my chances of winning are much higher. I will win. I have to win.

I regained my confidence and slowly opened my eyes. And the moment I met gazes with the Grand Duke looking at me with eyes full of love…

I lost my resolve.

Because in the Grand Duke’s two eyes, I saw myself barely holding back a smile as sweet as the Grand Duke’s expression.

Love is.

Affection is.

Unlike other wars, losing is winning. Giving becomes receiving. A very strange fight.

The Grand Duke let me win, but instead of winning, I kept losing to him.

The more he conveyed his sincerity to me, the more my heart was crossing over closer to him.

Uncontrollably, dangerously so.

“Halt! Halt!”

Suddenly, the sound of the carriage stopping was heard.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the carriage door.

Who dared to stop a high noble’s carriage, and at that, Ielheim who was second in line to the throne?

The Grand Duke’s expression turned icy.

But for me, it was fortunate. If the carriage hadn’t suddenly stopped, my two arms that had somehow risen into the air were about to pull the Grand Duke’s cheeks. I was about to steal the Grand Duke’s lips. Have I gone mad?

It’s clear that the war against myself is more serious than the war against the Grand Duke.

Inside me… lived a small beast I didn’t even know about. A dangerously wicked little beast that could pop out and commit atrocities at any time!

As the carriage door opened and the meddler revealed himself, the Grand Duke’s brows furrowed.

“What is it?”

“Greetings, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Seeing you has made it not so pleasant. Close the door.”

I turned to see what kind of guy it was. Tsk. Aaron Pioni. The traitor.

“Your Grace the Grand Duchess. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager requests to see you briefly.”

“Her Majesty wants to see me? Why?”

“She said since you’ll be busy during the ball, she wants to share some simple refreshments with you. To congratulate you on your marriage as well. Other noble ladies have also been invited.”

If she’s not asking to see me separately, am I about to witness the scene of inner court politics?

“I understand. Lead the way.”

“I’ll escort you to the Swan Palace.”

The Grand Duke got out of the carriage first and offered his hand to support me.

Aaron blocked the way.

“Your Grace the Grand Duke should go to the Emperor’s Palace.”

“What?”

Despite trembling at the Grand Duke’s fierce glare, Aaron endured the murderous aura emanating from the Grand Duke with all his might.

“His Majesty the Emperor summons you. He says he has an urgent matter to discuss before the event.”

I nodded to the Grand Duke, who was looking at me with a worried face, to indicate I was fine.

“See you later at the ballroom.”

I gathered myself and recalled Empress Dowager Sophia’s cold face.

The heat that had flushed my cheeks cooled, and my pounding heartbeat also calmed. Even the little beast inside me had the decency to hide without a trace.

That’s right. Fighting the Empress Dowager right now has a higher chance of success and also carries great meaning in scouting the enemy.

“Let’s go.”

I lifted my chin slightly at Aaron, preserving the dignity of the Grand Duchess.

The Grand Duke’s worried gaze clung heavily to the back of my head, but I straightened my back and took confident steps.

‘Grand Duke, I’ll definitely win and return to you!’

The Imperial Palace was unchanged from before. But the days I ate, slept, and sweated here felt as distant as a past life, making me feel strange.

That traitor Aaron glanced at me and spoke to me indifferently.

“I heard a lot about Your Grace from Carina. That you wiped the tears of the people of Collina Rosa and bravely wielded your sword against a bandit as big as a house.”

“It’s Didio.”

“Pardon?”

“Not a bandit, it’s Didio.”

Aaron looked at me with a stupid face.

“He committed crimes, so he’ll receive the appropriate punishment. But after paying for his crimes, he is my man who will cultivate the northern lands and be buried in that soil.”

Aaron burst into loud laughter as if he heard the most ridiculous thing.

“What’s so funny?”

“Seeing Your Grace reminded me of my old superior. He would become extremely serious at absurd points too. I apologize. For comparing Your Grace to a traitor.”

“Didn’t you hear from your sister why Didio staged the raid? It was to punish the traitors who sold out their captain to the Security Division and filled their own bellies.”

“How pathetic. Bandits looking for loyalty.”

I strode up to Aaron, pulled out his sword from the scabbard, and pointed it at his neck.

“I said Didio is a man of the North. You shouldn’t blabber whatever you want with that loose mouth of yours.”

“I, I am the captain of the Imperial Knights, Your Grace!”

Aaron must have been quite upset as he gnashed his teeth and glared at me with sparrow-like eyes.

“According to the rumors, you sold out your superior and colleagues to snatch that position?”

“Your Grace! You go too far with your words!”

“That’s what the rumors say.”

I sheathed Aaron’s sword back and patted his shoulders.

“If the rumors are true, you’d best be careful walking at night. Even if they’ve become fugitives, would it be a big deal for your former colleagues, the ex-Imperial Knights, to kill one traitor? Ah! There are ominous rumors these days that Solas’ ghost is wandering around the capital. Solas might come for you first.”

Aaron walked the rest of the way in silence with a face like he bit shit.

They say the one who shat gets angry. Tsk tsk.

Finally arriving at the destination, Aaron glumly opened the entrance.

“The Empress Dowager is here?”

The place Aaron guided me to was not the Empress Dowager’s Swan Palace.

It was the war memorial hall where the relics, spoils, and paintings commemorating the empire’s war heroes were exhibited.

“Enter.”

I tilted my head as I watched Aaron scurry away with his tail between his legs.

Strange. Has the Empress Dowager’s taste changed while I was away?

I remember when she invited noble ladies and young misses, she would call them to the Swan Palace rear garden or the glass greenhouse.

What was even stranger was that there were no maids to greet me at the entrance.

There was no one inside the memorial hall either.

“Your Majesty. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager?”

Of course, there was no answer. What is this supposed to mean?

‘Did they hide assassins here?’

I heightened my senses to the maximum and searched the 1st floor and all the way up to the 2nd floor, but not even a single ant was in sight.

‘That damn traitor Aaron! He brought me to an empty building?’

I was going to put off personal revenge for the sake of the great cause, but this guy needs a beating. Who the hell is instigating him to pull this kind of stunt?

I was about to go back down to the 1st floor when I suddenly stopped walking towards the stairs.

Because the wall covered with a wide red curtain caught my attention.

What is it?

As if entranced, I approached and slowly drew back the curtain.

“What is this…!”

I was there.

I was smiling inside the painting large enough to fill the entire wall.

Fiery red hair fluttering in the fierce wind. Jet-black armor shining in the light.

The tip of the sacred sword Flamma, enveloped in a crimson aura, cutting down house-sized monsters. In the sky, a gigantic vermilion firebird spreads its wings blazing with pure flames and spews sacred fire.

“Solas.”

Justin’s voice came from right behind me.

“Do you like it? My Solas.”