It was a voice like scratching hard glass with a sharp metal shard. Unpleasant and grating to hear. I shouted again.

‘Who are you? And where is this place?’

Then that voice answered.

[Have you already forgotten me? Ah, I suppose. This is the first time you’re hearing my voice so close.]

That voice drew closer. I instinctively tried to back away, but my body still wouldn’t move at all. Finally, the voice whispered in my ear.

[I really enjoy watching you struggle so desperately to survive. I made the right choice in reviving you back then.]

Feeling goosebumps all over my body, I shouted.

‘…What do you mean? Then could it be that you…!’

At that moment, I felt the voice cover my mouth. I mumbled, unable to finish my sentence. The voice kept giggling as it spoke.

[Just keep doing that from now on. Keep amusing me like that.]

‘Urgh…’

[…And if I ever get bored of watching you.]

‘Mmph…!’

[Then I’ll come to take back the life I saved.]

With those final words, the voice released its hold on my mouth.

And began to strangle my neck.

‘Let go!’

I screamed and struggled to remove the force pressing on my neck. But it was impossible to escape from that formless thing. I felt the strength draining from my body. Tears flowed from the misery. Am I going to die like this? As my consciousness faded, the darkness lifted and the face of the ‘voice’ strangling me was revealed.

‘Danae!’

I let out another scream. From far away, I heard someone’s voice calling me.

* * *

“…My lady.”

“Ugh… urgh!”

“Lady Christine!”

At that moment, I opened my eyes wide. I hurriedly turned my head and looked around.

The familiar ceiling, soft bed, ornate dressing table. And Annie standing next to me, looking at me with concern. The familiar scenery of my bedroom came into view. I panted roughly. Annie asked me.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“A nightmare…?”

“Yes. You were screaming until just now. And you’re drenched in cold sweat like this.”

Annie wiped my forehead soaked with cold sweat with her sleeve as she added. I reached out and touched around my neck. I felt no pain. Only then did I let out a sigh of relief and say to Annie.

“…You’re right. I must have had a bad dream.”

“It’s because you’ve been too busy lately. It’s good to help the Duke, but take it easy. You’ll harm your health at this rate.”

“Okay. I will. …By the way Annie, what time is it now?”

I asked, looking at the curtained window. Annie replied kindly.

“It’s almost dawn.”

“I see. Then I’ll get up.”

“Shall I prepare your bath water?”

“Yes. I’d like to wash up.”

I said as I got out of bed. Annie soon called the maids, and I washed off the cold sweat with hot water. As I was drying my hair at the dressing table after changing into a new dress, Annie, who had left me with the maids, returned.

“My lady, I’ve received a letter addressed to you.”

“Thank you.”

After drying my hair completely and being left alone in the bedroom, I finally opened the letter addressed to me. After checking the letters sent by the informants in order, I picked up the last white envelope. It was a letter from the Duke.

I carefully opened it and checked the contents inside.

[The Princess wants to meet you. If it’s alright with you, she’d like you to come to my mansion tonight.

Let me know by reply when you’re available. I’ll be waiting for your letter then.]

I couldn’t take my eyes off even after confirming the entire contents. He’d be waiting. Until now, the Duke had never written any unnecessary words when sending me letters. After briefly wondering about that point, I soon shook my head as if it wasn’t a big deal.

‘He probably just wants a quick reply.’

I tore the letter to shreds. Somehow I felt strange. After throwing the instantly shredded pieces into the burning fireplace, I shouted towards the closed door.

“Annie!”

“Yes, my lady!”

Annie responded immediately upon hearing my voice. I spoke to Annie as she opened the door and entered.

“I’m going to send a reply to this letter. When I give this to you, can you send it straight to Duke Haven’s residence?”

“Yes, my lady. Leave it to me.”

“First, bring me a quill pen and parchment for letters.”

After writing ‘I’m fine with anytime, so I’ll adjust to the Princess’s schedule’ on the parchment Annie brought, I handed the sealed letter to her.

“You’ll be going out again when the reply comes, right? Should I contact the carriage guild in advance?”

After thinking for a moment, I shook my head.

“…Hmm. No. Don’t make any contact for now. I’ll decide tomorrow depending on the situation.”

“Yes, my lady.”

As Annie left the bedroom, I stared blankly at the closed door.

‘The Duke said he’d send a carriage because it’s dangerous for me… But I can’t just accept that kindness. If Danae sees me using the Duke’s carriage often, she’ll find me even more suspicious.’

Danae’s vicious glare flashed by.

‘She must be seething with anger right now. She’ll try to find fault with even the slightest action to frame me as a traitor. She might even make up faults that don’t exist.’

So I still need to be careful with my actions. After making that resolution, I picked up the quill pen again to write replies to the informants.

* * *

Morning dawned.

As Duke Yusten was heading to his office after changing clothes, he received a letter from the butler. His expression, which had been indifferent as he took the letter, suddenly hardened upon seeing Princess Meradith’s name written at the bottom of the envelope. The Duke turned to the butler and said.

“Wake up Danae and bring her here. Right now.”

“Yes, Duke.”

After sending the butler to Danae, he went to his office with quick steps, closed the door, and opened the letter.

[I received your letter well.

As it happens, I was planning to hold a tea party this afternoon to discuss future measures with Father.

Please join us, Duke and Young Lady. I’ll tell the head maid to prepare tea and desserts for you as well.]

A satisfied smile spread across the Duke’s face after confirming the contents. He put it in a letter box decorated with gold and jewels, locked it, and then leisurely gazed at the sunlit window.

A few minutes later, the office door burst open and Danae entered in a casual dress.

“You called for me, Father?”

“…Tsk, Danae. Don’t you know how to knock?”

The Duke gently scolded her as he turned around. Danae pouted her lips and said.

“That’s not important right now, Father. Why did you call me at this hour? Could it be that the Princess’s reply has already arrived?”

“Yes. The Princess said it worked out well, and invited us to a tea party to be held this afternoon.”

The Duke nodded and said. Danae narrowed her eyes slightly as if something occurred to her and asked him.

“The Princess didn’t invite my sister too, did she?”

“Of course not. …We have our secrets that she shouldn’t know about in this matter.”

“You did well. As I told you yesterday, it could be dangerous to blindly trust my sister.”

Danae said in a meaningful voice. The Duke sighed and shook his head.

“Not this again. Didn’t I tell you to stop suspecting your sister without any evidence?”

“Father, you’re the one who doesn’t know. These days, my sister is completely different from before. My intuition is telling me so.”

She insisted, widening her already large eyes. The Duke gave up on arguing. If he carelessly added a word saying she was making unnecessary suspicions, it was obvious that it would lead to another argument. The Duke cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Ahem. I understand what you mean, so hurry back to your room. Don’t you need to change your dress and get ready to attend the Princess’s tea party?”

“…Oh my. That’s right! I understand. I’ll get ready and come right away!”

Danae answered excitedly before quickly closing the office door and leaving. The Duke muttered softly as he looked at the closed door.

“It’s only because that child is my own daughter. If she wasn’t, I would have driven her out long ago.”

Would he have just driven her out?

When he learned about that ‘secret’, he would have pierced her heart and killed her on the spot.

The Duke smiled maliciously, thinking how fortunate that was.

* * *

That afternoon.

The Duke rode in a carriage with Danae, who had finished preparing, to the Imperial Palace. Perhaps thanks to the Princess’s attendant sending word in advance, the carriage carrying the two arrived at the front of the Prince’s Palace without any special procedures. The luxurious fortress built with yellow bricks enchanted with protective magic and a black roof painted with crushed magic stones clearly revealed how much the current Emperor cherished the owner of this palace, Prince Louis.

As the Duke and Danae got out of the carriage, the Prince’s Palace’s head steward, Count Ufen, approached them and politely greeted.

“The Princess is waiting for you. Please come this way.”

“Very well.”

They passed through the large and wide entrance hall displaying frescoes of the moment of creation, dozens of marble sculptures, and splendid exotic souvenirs, then through a long corridor to the glass conservatory. The Count opened the door made of opaque glass.

In the place full of hundreds of types of flowers in full bloom, forgetting the season, in the center of it all sat Princess Meradith and Duke Klein at a huge round table. With her long reddish-brown curly hair tied up high and topped with a tiara set with peridots, wearing an olive-colored dress embroidered with small purple lilacs, the Princess looked just like a fairy from a storybook.

She looked at the Duke and Danae with bright yellow eyes like freshly bloomed daffodils.