‘Adelheit. If the Grand Duke has even the slightest suspicion, you must not take your eyes off him. If the shadow truly resides within, you will be able to recognize it.’

Why did the conversation with Father Padre suddenly come to mind now? Was it because his firm tone particularly stuck in her memory? Or was it strange because of his confident tone that even if others couldn’t recognize it, she herself must be able to?

“Ah.”

It was a momentary lapse of reality. Valentin Karzu Albrecht von Ansgar, who had grabbed her wrist, tilted his head. Their faces were close. Their breaths were about to intertwine. She spread her fingers in surprise. As if waiting for that reaction, Valentin bit her blood-stained finger.

“…”

A hot, damp, tingling pain arose. It stung and felt numb. He pressed the wound with his tongue, probed it, and gently chewed with his teeth. It was just a drop of blood at most. Nevertheless, he swallowed eagerly as if quenching his thirst, his Adam’s apple moving up and down.

Slurp, suck.

The wet sound of sucking the wound echoed nakedly in the particularly quiet room. Adelheit watched him focus on her finger with somewhat bewildered eyes. His sunken cheeks from sucking, eyes filled with shadows, straight nose bridge, and jawline as if carved with a knife.

And his narrowed pupils, intensely staring at Adelheit like a beast…

‘Just look at how the flesh and organs remain intact, but all the blood has disappeared.’

It was a voice that suddenly rose up. At the same time, a vision unfolded before her eyes. Sheep carcasses piled up like mountains after being slaughtered, acrid smoke. People unanimously testifying that it was not the work of beasts, but of demons.

Her thoughts jumped again like feet stepping on heated brass.

‘…Father Padre. If you say not to take my eyes off…’

‘On the night of the full moon, prepare a mirror and a silver blade.’

A blade. A chill ran down her spine at the cold answer. What expression did Father Padre make when he saw her face then?

‘You need to come to your senses, Adelheit.’

‘…’

‘No matter how kindly it treats you, a demon cannot coexist with humans. Its thinking is different from humans, and even if it imitates humans, it cannot reach full understanding. To it, we are mere playthings.’

‘…’

‘You must know this. You must keep it in mind to be able to distinguish. When it deliberately tries to bewitch you…’

So, how did that sermon continue?

The more wicked something is, the more beautiful its exterior, and the more cruel it is, the more it wears a benevolent shell. To deceive the good, it coats its tongue with sweet honey, and to seize soft flesh, its knuckles are like sharp claws, and every land it steps on becomes a wasteland where not a single life can grow.

In the end, what Father Padre wanted to say was one thing. If her husband was truly a ‘shadow’, he was not human but merely wearing a human shell. That she should not be deceived by his appearance, or else there would only be despair.

And of all times…

“Ah.”

Adelheit fluttered her eyelashes in surprise at the stinging pain. Lost in thought, she had forgotten what state she was in. It seemed Valentin’s sharp canine teeth had torn the wound. As soon as Adelheit groaned, Valentin immediately removed his lips.

“…!”

He looked startled, as if pricked by a thorn. As if he hadn’t meant to go this far, but when he came to his senses, he had already done so.

Blood flowed like a thin thread from the wound that had been thoroughly chewed. Judging by the swollen flesh, it didn’t seem like it would stop bleeding anytime soon.

Adelheit gently raised her gaze while cradling her hand.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“S-Sor…ry.”

Sorry, he said. Valentin’s face was pale, unable to even finish his words properly. With only his ears reddened, he barely breathed in and out with round eyes.

His sentences, which had been imitating coherence quite well, now came out in broken fragments, perhaps due to embarrassment.

“Mu-Much… Hur-Hurt?”

His golden eyes trembled. His head, examining Adelheit’s wound, sank pitifully, like a beast afraid of being hated.

Adelheit unknowingly softened her hardened expression a little.

“Please stop this joke now. Really, you’re scaring me…”

“…”

“The reason I came to see you today is because I received a request. Everyone is terribly worried because Your Highness is not eating. If it’s because the food doesn’t suit your taste, I’ll tell them to bring something else.”

“…”

“They say you haven’t spoken a word to the servants, except for ordering to change my room.”

Valentin’s gaze remained fixed on Adelheit’s hand. He seemed not to hear whatever she was saying. He appeared to be solely focused on the wound and blood he had created. His face looked as if he needed to examine the wound he had made again.

His well-defined jaw clenched sorrowfully, then trembled uncontrollably. As if he couldn’t believe he had committed such a cruel act against her. Although her sensitive fingertip did hurt, seeing him blame himself so much made her heart soften without reason.

Just as she was about to forgive him, it happened.

‘Full moon, midnight, blade and mirror.’

Behind Valentin’s desperate face, a chilling whisper arose. Borrowing Father Padre’s voice, something formless gnawed at her tender ear.

Be wary. Just be wary and act…

Her head was noisy. The ominous feeling that had surged whenever she faced Valentin finally transformed into human language and resonated, threatening to shatter her skull.

Adelheit barely opened her lips, pressing her forehead as she staggered.

“If you’re wary of the servants taking care of you, in the end it’s Your Highness who will be inconvenienced. Even if you don’t trust their hands, they are vassals who have long served Ansgar loyally. They wouldn’t do anything to harm Your Highness.”

“What, how… seem, in-indif-ferent…”

“You should pay attention. If you converse with them, your memories will quickly return. You’ll also be able to convey your intentions more clearly when speaking. And…”

Adelheit lowered her eyelashes as if avoiding Valentin’s gaze.

“I now understand what Your Highness has demanded of me. It was due to my ignorance that things have happened until now.”

“What is…”

“I didn’t know there was a custom in the North for couples to share a bedroom.”

“…”

“If Your Highness allows, I will stay by your side as you said. Since that is the custom…”

Adelheit thought he would brighten up and accept. After all, he had been begging for this for the past few days. Even though he was hurt every time Adelheit refused, even though he feared her frowning as if it were an awl that would stab him, he had persisted until the end…

But surprisingly, Valentin’s handsome face was filled with concern and doubt.

“Wh-Why…?”

He seemed to hardly believe this stroke of luck. While his face was excited like a beggar grateful for a queen’s unexpected favor, his eyes remained coldly wary.

Caught off guard by this unexpected reaction, Adelheit hesitated slightly. He quickly grabbed her arm. It was a very gentle force.

“Su-Sudden… Don’t, dislike it… Absolutely not.”

Only then did Adelheit seem to properly see into Valentin’s inner thoughts. His mind, filled with confusion without gaps, now seemed fully readable.

This can’t be right. You couldn’t possibly be this pleased with me… Valentin, who seemed to be anxiously thinking over and over, appeared to have suddenly come upon a possibility. His eyes lit up with life.

“Do you… pity me? Is that it?”

Is it because you pity me that you’re treating me so well?

The astonishing thing was that his face was filled with joy, as if this were a wonderful thing. As if her pitying and feeling sorry for him would be some great shackle.

Adelheit weakly pushed away Valentin’s broad, firm chest as he drew close. Even with that tiny force, he obediently moved away from her.

“Pity…”

Adelheit muttered in bewilderment. The Grand Duke of Ansgar and pity… Just putting the words together was devastating.

“Who would dare pity Your Highness? You who rule half of Bitzleben, the sole master of Ansgar.”

“…”

“Please don’t say such things again. Your Highness is the de facto ruler of the vast North, the only Grand Duke of Denburg, the Emperor’s one and only nephew, with the noblest bloodline…”

“Then.”

He grabbed Adelheit’s arm again with his claw-like hand. Because his hand was so large, even a light touch wrinkled the entire fabric of her arm.

Adelheit was reminded of her old clothes whose seams had burst, unable to withstand the strength of his grip. So as soon as she was grabbed, that was her first concern.

“First, Your Highness… If you could let go of this…”

His face, tinged red from the torch light, looked desperate. Eyes that had instantly turned pitch black stared at Adelheit. He asked:

“If I’m not… pitiful or… miserable.”

“…”

“Why do you… look back at me? You.”

Why do you look back at me if I’m not pitiful or miserable, he was asking.