Hestia decided to entrust her end to Aslan.

‘That’s the only atonement I can make.’

Aslan believed that the deaths of the people of Calaty during the Grand Rebellion were all because of an oracle given by Hestia.

Hestia took a trembling breath.

‘That’s true. The fact that I couldn’t prevent it… will never change.’

She tried to swallow the bitter feeling, but it wasn’t easy.

‘I was a coward.’

She fled by avoiding the situation, neither properly refusing nor accepting Aslan’s request.

〈Wait. I will definitely kill you too.〉

As if deeply wounded in her soul, she had never forgotten those words for a moment.

‘If that’s what Aslan wants.’

Perhaps the most valuable thing she could offer him was exactly that.

Hestia did not shy away from Aslan’s gaze, which poured onto her.

She saw her reflection in his golden eyes.

But it was too small to tell what expression she was making as she looked at him.

‘What does it matter? Aslan won’t care anyway.’

The more she suffered, the happier he would be.

He had no reason to sympathize with her, so if she simply agreed to die, he might even welcome it.

So, Hestia thought it was important to entice him as much as possible to persuade him.

“If you marry me, you won’t only be at a loss.”

Hestia spoke calmly.

“I promise not to constrain you in any way.”

But the first condition didn’t seem to please Aslan.

“Constraint, huh…”

She had a face as if she could really stop him.

Undeterred, Hestia continued to lay out her conditions.

“Just marry me, and I will live as if I were dead. So much so, that you’ll forget you’re married.”

“If we don’t marry in the first place, there’s no need to forget about it, right?”

“That’s… true.”

Hestia hesitantly agreed, swallowing a sigh.

“But really, I won’t interfere in anything, and I won’t mind even if you embrace other women.”

“……What?”

Aslan’s eyes hardened.

“Just take me to the north and give me a quiet annex.”

Aslan, who had been leaning back with his arms crossed, watching to see how far she would go, clicked his tongue in annoyance.

His face showed an irritation incomparable to before.

“Huh… listening to this…”

Watching Aslan closely, Hestia thought his patience was about to run out.

So, she spoke more quickly.

“And I will be much more useful to you than you think.”

“Useful? For what?”

With a sneer, Aslan began to scrutinize Hestia closely.

His gaze was merciless, as if appraising an object’s condition and determining its value.

Hestia had to bite the tender flesh inside her mouth, feeling the chill and harsh gaze.

She didn’t lower her gaze or bow her head, keeping her chin up was the only thing she could do amidst this overwhelming pressure.

Aslan spoke slowly.

“The princess who shamed the royal family, a saintess about to be expelled.”

He didn’t raise his voice.

He was just listing the situation Hestia was in.

Though she thought she was prepared, hearing those words made Hestia feel as if Aslan was recklessly tearing through her with an awl.

Aslan stabbed her heart precisely, yet slowly.
“Tell me, what about you is useful?”

There wasn’t a single falsehood in those words.

Even Hestia herself swallowed a hollow laugh, knowing she had nothing of her own to offer.

Finally, she played her last card. Her only value lay in money.

“I’ll give you all the income from the southern plains that I own.”

At that moment, as Hestia anticipated, Aslan’s face showed a hint of surprise.

“That’s my personal property. So, I can dispose of it as I wish.”

It must have been a hard offer for Aslan to refuse.

‘The North is always short of food.’

It had been exactly 13 years since winter began.

In the frozen land where nothing sprouted, the people of Calaty always lacked food.

If the crops from the plains could be supplied steadily, the situation of the Northerners would certainly improve.

Aslan seemed to consider differently than before, due to this fact.

“If you marry me, I’ll transfer the ownership immediately. And ensure there are no issues after my death.”

Aslan’s face contorted.

While the offer was tempting, its one-sided benefit made him more suspicious.

“I knew you were naive, but…”

He straightened his posture.

He wasn’t going to bite the bait Hestia threw so easily.

“What do you gain by offering me all these conveniences?”

“What I gain is…”

Hestia swallowed dryly.

With a hesitant voice, she finally spoke.

“Freedom.”

“What? Freedom?”

Ha. A cold sneer slipped through Aslan’s lips.

“Do you even have the right to enjoy freedom?”

Hestia asked with a clear face.

“Were your words to me false?”

“What did I say to you?”

“You said, when you want to give up everything… to come to Calaty.”

Aslan looked as if he had been struck.

He had never dreamed she would remember those words.

Hestia continued calmly.

“Now is that time. When I want to give up everything.”

Sweat seeped out, and she tightly gripped the hem of her dress.

She thought he might have already forgotten, which squeezed her heart.

But contrary to Hestia’s earnest hope, Aslan’s demeanor turned harsh in an instant.

His golden eyes glaring at Hestia were as sharp as an eagle’s talons.

“6 years ago. During the Grand Rebellion. Do you not know the state the North was left in because of your precious oracle?”

Her face instantly clouded.

“Your Grace… That is…”

“You dare to come to the North?”

Aslan burst into mocking laughter.

“Shameless. Truly admirable.”

Now older, Aslan understood.

His request in his younger days was one-sided, and it must have put her in a difficult position.

‘I was too intoxicated with negative emotions.’

But his heart, once set on a twisted path, refused to steer back in the right direction.

His feelings, grown wildly, now reached a point of no return.

So his words came out sharper than his thoughts.

Silence fell between them again.

Hestia felt disheartened.

She had anticipated that persuading him wouldn’t be easy.

But the realization that she was nothing but a horror to him, nothing more or less, was devastating.

‘There’s still one last move left.’

If even that was rejected by Aslan…

It would be better to give up then.

“How about this then?”

Holding her breath, Hestia brought up her final offer.

“I’ll… let you kill me.”

At that moment, Aslan’s pupils wavered.

“What… Are you insane?”

His voice was weary.
Hestia, unable to comprehend why she made such a statement, felt compelled to ask, even though she knew she might seem foolish.

“You’re saying you want to die?”

Hestia sighed as she saw the look of confusion on Aslan’s face, assuming his reaction meant he did not believe her words.

“Yes, by your hand.”

She kindly repeated her offer, making sure to clarify it.

Aslan’s lips twisted.

His jaw tightened again, as if he was clenching his teeth strongly.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply, visibly agitated. Each breath made his chest swell and deflate threateningly.

But his mind would not calm down, and finally, Aslan, suppressing the rising anger with his reason, spoke.

“You’re offering to die by my hand?”

That was the limit of Aslan’s patience.

He let out a fierce laugh, as if he couldn’t hold back any longer. Shaking his head in disbelief, he fixed Hestia with a forceful gaze.

His golden eyes seemed so cold.

Feeling almost suffocated by the intense aura he emitted, Hestia swallowed dryly.

He spoke bitterly, his voice dripping with icy sarcasm.

“Well, that’s quite the generous offer.”

“Your Grace, the Duke of Calaty.”

“Listen, Princess.”

Aslan cut off Hestia’s words.

“Do you think I, Aslan Calaty, have let you live because I couldn’t bring myself to kill just one woman?”