Idren spoke with a calm expression.

“You can do as you wish. If you want to take your own life, then do so. If you want to run away, then run.”

“……”

“It’s alright if you don’t marry me.”

The moonlight fell on the man’s face as he spoke those words. With a slightly pale face, he continued.

“But know this one thing. Even if something happens to you, I will not take that money back.”

Ophelia frowned at his unbelievable words. She parted her lips to ask if she had heard him correctly.

However, Idren did not give her a chance to speak.

He continued on.

“That’s not all. As long as I am alive, your remaining family will live in wealth and glory for the rest of their lives. I will make sure of it.”

As if she could no longer bear to listen to his words, Ophelia abruptly stood up from her seat.

Idren wondered how much more he could wag his tongue before she would slap him.

He knew very well that she was not the type to hold back her anger.

But what did it matter?

“If you want to get angry, then get angry. I don’t care.”

Her swinging her hand at him had no impact on him. It would be the same even if she punched or kicked him. It was only natural considering the difference in their physiques.

That was not the only difference between them. They differed in what they had, in status, in emotions. There was nothing but imbalance between Ophelia and him.

Until now, Idren had deliberately concealed that fact. No matter how much he had the upper hand in other areas, Ophelia definitely had the high ground when it came to emotions.

But what was the use of that now?

Ophelia would never come to like him anyway.

And if asked which is more cruel between indifference and hatred, a hundred out of a hundred would choose the former.

So Ophelia’s anger was nothing compared to her indifference.

Idren looked down at the eyes filled with the clearest blue anger he had ever known.

“If you really want revenge, there is only one way. Marry me and steadily go through the stages as you did before. I promise I won’t interfere like this then.”

There was only one reason he set such a condition.

The Ophelia of his previous life had taken about three years to bring down Leden.

In about three years, he thought he might be able to sort out his feelings.

Naturally, Ophelia protested. She asked in a raised voice.

“Are you in your right mind? Why are you doing this!”

“I won’t tell you.”

He would never tell her for the rest of his life.

Seeing how Ophelia treated him during the day, Idren had an intuition. The memories that were precious to him and could not be exchanged for anything held no meaning to Ophelia.

Even if she remembered their past, that would not change.

It was only natural. To her, it was a cheap kindness both then and now.

But not to him.

So Idren had no intention of ever mentioning their past to Ophelia.

Because no matter how much he prepared himself, it would still hurt to see the other person treat something that held the weight of his heart as worthless.

He continued.

“Because the reason is too precious to let you know.”

Ophelia glared at him fiercely and shoved his chest. With an expression that said she wanted to strangle his neck, she snapped.

“Get out right now.”

As soon as the sun rose the next day, the wash water came in.

Having spent the night awake, Ophelia realized this before anyone came to wake her. The servant girl glanced at her lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and said.

“His Highness the Prince said for you to come to breakfast.”

And the girl pointedly placed a dress on the chair by the bed. The fluttering fabric was dyed in the exact hazy color she hated.

The brass basin, reminiscent of the one she had thrown yesterday, was filled with water dotted with flower petals. Ophelia dipped her hand in it. Her hand was wetted by the lukewarm water, not much different from her body temperature.

As she washed her face, the servant drew the curtains of the balcony. Bright sunlight poured into the room. Only then could Ophelia properly see what the room looked like.

The room was so clean that it did not even remind her of the chaos from yesterday. Although the furniture looked hastily procured and the curtains were too thick for the season, it was in very good condition.

Last night, not long after Idren Sigrasal left her room, the servants suddenly knocked on the door and swarmed in.

Clearly having received someone’s orders, they thoroughly cleaned the room that the man had roughly tidied up, brought in new furniture, and then disappeared.

Ophelia did not make a mess of the new room again.

Instead, she stared at the dented mark on the bedpost for a long time. The bed, being a large and expensive piece of furniture, seemed to have no immediate replacement and was left as it was.

Gazing at the scratch, Ophelia wondered why Idren was trying so hard to interfere with her path.

If time were to turn back and the marriage had never happened, she would have gone about her own business and lived her life. Yet he kept trying to get involved with her.

“Because the reason is too precious to let you know.”

At the time, she did not understand what those words meant. But after being left alone to cool her head, Ophelia could understand why he was being such a nuisance to her.

Idren Sigrasal had feelings for her. She neither knew the reason nor cared to know, but he liked her.

“How did I come to like a woman like you…”

He had even said so himself.

Through those words, Ophelia realized that Idren was far more foolish than she had thought.

If she were him, Ophelia would not have liked a woman like herself.

It wasn’t that she had a hobby of self-deprecation, but Ophelia knew she was not suited to be someone’s mate.

She was not the type to love and be loved. At most, she might be the type to hole up in a room and sharpen a knife to stab someone.

Moreover, Idren was good-looking. Although he wasn’t her preferred type – she liked gentle and quiet people – even Ophelia knew that with a face like that, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to find a lover.

He probably didn’t like her personality either and only liked her appearance. That could be resolved by meeting a woman who looked similar.

The more she thought about it, the more Idren Sigrasal seemed like a fool. Ophelia had never encountered such a man in her life. How could he be so bad at distinguishing between gains and losses?

But even if he was a man who didn’t know he was at a disadvantage, his threat was effective.

Thinking about her family living well made Ophelia’s stomach churn. That was the one thing she wanted to prevent at all costs.

So if Idren wanted to marry her, he had used his head properly.

Although it was for a pathetically shameful goal.

Sighing deeply, Ophelia took off the clothes she was wearing. Anyway, Idren was not a man to go back on his word once he had spoken.

So her choice was already set.

“If you really want revenge, there is only one way. Marry me and steadily go through the stages as you did before.”

It wasn’t impossible. Standing still so the approaching servant could drape the fluttering cloth over her body, Ophelia thought. Hadn’t she perfectly completed her first revenge?

Then what about the second time?

Ophelia pressed her eye sockets to wash away the fatigue.

Although it would be a long and tedious time, she knew she would win this time too.

Since hope had died, she had never lost.

Mahanas Mevasa believed he was perfect from birth.

The first prince of Leden. The one and only heir to the thousand-year Mevasa dynasty. His bloodline was noble from the start.

And those born as special as him were bound to have more rights than others.

For most people, rights would be exchanged for labor, but not for Mahanas. Because he had beings to labor in his stead, to sustain his rights. The people of Leden.

As he was the prince of Leden, it was the duty of the Leden people to sustain him. They were born to support his authority through taxes and corvée labor.

Occasionally, there were those who said it was harsh.

“Your Highness, the aftermath of last year’s famine has not yet subsided. The people are starving.”

Mahanas could not understand them. No food? Then shouldn’t they work harder?

If he was born noble and to be treated well, there were also those in the world who were born solely to serve him. Why were they discontent with their own fate?

Mahanas did not heed the words of the dull-witted who complained about what they were born with. It wasn’t worth it. He had many other things to do besides that.

For example, his refined hobbies.

As befitting the heir to Mevasa, Mahanas had very sophisticated tastes. No king or prince would be as noble as him.

He chose only the best in everything he enjoyed, from clothes to food to women. As he was Mevasa and Leden itself, he naturally had to do at least that much.

And the most special among his refined tastes was none other than dalliance.