Alicia and Riley, who had just left Jay’s Workshop – that is, – were walking down a narrow path without exchanging any words.

Alicia was simply lost in deep thought, but in Riley’s case, he couldn’t bring himself to speak carelessly because she had such a serious expression on her face.

How long had they walked like that?

Unable to bear Alicia’s silence any longer, Riley began to search inside his clothes with a determined look on his face.

After finding what he wanted, Riley moved close to Alicia, who was walking with her gaze lowered, lost in thought, and suddenly popped something into her mouth.

“Wh-What!”

Startled by the sudden intrusion, Alicia tried to spit out whatever was in her mouth, but Riley spoke up.

“It’s candy.”

“…Pardon?”

Indeed, she could feel sweetness spreading from the tip of her tongue throughout her mouth.

“I know it’s rude behavior, but Your High- I mean, Ari, your face looked too serious.”

“Even so, to suddenly give me candy…”

“When you’re feeling down or have a lot on your mind, eating something sweet can help.”

Riley shook a small pouch he had taken out in front of Alicia’s eyes, smiling with a mischievous expression.

Staring blankly at him for a moment, Alicia unconsciously let out a small laugh.

She had heard of putting candy in a crying child’s mouth to comfort them, but to put candy in a princess’s mouth just because she looked serious?

Whether it was because of the sweetness of the candy in her mouth or because of Riley’s unexpected behavior, strangely, she couldn’t stop laughing.

‘How long has it been since I laughed like this?’

Covering her mouth with her hand, Alicia laughed for a while, then wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes from laughing so much and looked at Riley.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I had a good laugh.”

“…”

“Sir Ilse?”

Riley was staring at Alicia with a dazed expression, as if entranced by something.

Is there something strange on my face?

She briefly thought this and ran her hand over her face, but didn’t feel anything unusual.

Then why is he making that face?

Could there be something wrong with Riley’s body?

Just as Alicia was reaching out her hand towards Riley with such worries…

“What are you two doing here?”

Suddenly appearing, Killian grabbed Alicia’s hand that had been reaching towards Riley.

Alicia froze in shock at the unexpected encounter, as unexpected as when she had run into Riley in a wrong back alley.

“Duke Diaz.”

While Alicia was stunned by Killian’s sudden appearance, Riley regained his senses.

Until just a moment ago, Riley had been staring at Alicia’s smiling face as if bewitched, seriously pondering whether the woman before him was human or an angel.

Killian, who had abruptly pulled Riley back to reality, was now glaring at him with his handsome eyes narrowed menacingly.

“Did you not hear me? I asked what you’re doing here.”

“I-I…”

“…Duke Diaz, what brings you here?”

“You speak as if I’ve come somewhere I shouldn’t be.”

Riley, furrowing his brow as he looked at Killian’s hand gripping Alicia’s, grabbed his hand.

“There’s nowhere Duke Diaz can’t go. But please, let go of this.”

“You remove your hand first, Viscount.”

“…Let’s release at the same time.”

Was that the signal? The two men who simultaneously let go glared at each other.

Freed from Killian’s grasp, Alicia felt as if her soul might fly away at this unbelievable situation.

Why on earth did Killian suddenly appear here?

After returning to the capital and once the spring banquet ended, Killian usually stayed in his mansion until summer, rarely going out except for important matters.

In the past, she had used secret passages several times to try to see his face, but there were countless times when she returned to the imperial palace without being able to see Killian for such reasons.

She could have just revealed her identity as the princess and entered the duke’s mansion, but… Killian already didn’t like her much.

It would be burdensome enough for him to have someone clinging to him saying they liked him when he had a lover. If she went to the mansion where he was resting and insisted on seeing his face, she might really incur his hatred, so she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

In any case, because of such past experiences, even if she happened to pass by his mansion, Alicia had moved towards the marquis’s house with the certainty that she would never run into him.

But to encounter Killian in a place like this, not even near his mansion…

‘When I wanted to see him so badly, I couldn’t even find a strand of his hair, but now when I don’t want to meet him, we run into each other like this?’

She felt like asking if there was a god, how could they be so inconsiderate?

“Princess Alicia, I’m asking for the third time. What are you doing here?”

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I’m asking why someone who should be in the imperial palace is here with the Viscount.”

“…I had something to look into, so I received the Viscount’s help.”

“Now that you’ve heard Her Highness’s answer, would you answer my question as well? Why are you here, Duke Diaz?”

“Do I need to explain my personal business to you, Viscount?”

It seems the relationship between these two wasn’t this bad around this time in the past…

‘More precisely, it seemed Riley had some interest in Killian, but Killian ignored him.’

Their relationship changed drastically after the current marquis died due to Killian’s schemes and Riley inherited his position.

So right now, there should be no need for them to glare at each other as if they want to kill one another, right? Why?

“So, is your business finished?”

Killian, still glaring at Riley, asked Alicia.

“Yes, it is.”

“Then, allow me to escort you.”

“Ah, no, I should return to the imperial palace now…”

“Are you telling me to pretend I didn’t see the princess who left the palace without guards?”

If she hadn’t been caught, it might have been different, but now that Killian had discovered her, the emperor would soon know about this as well.

Knowing that several of the emperor’s eyes were watching Killian, Alicia let out a long sigh.

She realized that from the moment she encountered Killian, she had no choice.

‘If I ask Riley to escort me…’

It felt like Killian might kill Riley.

There was no reason for Killian to kill Riley, but she had a strong premonition about it.

Alicia turned to Riley, who was still glaring at Killian, and spoke.

“I’ll accept your help up to this point, Viscount.”

“I can escort you, Your Highness.”

“The Duke offered first.”

Killian was a duke, while Riley was still just a viscount who hadn’t inherited his title yet.

It was clear whose words carried more weight without even competing.

Of course, if Alicia refused Killian and chose Riley, the outcome would be different… but as long as that strong premonition didn’t disappear, it was a dangerous choice for Riley’s well-being.

Alicia, who had received much help from him today, had to follow Killian for Riley’s sake as well.

“…I’m sorry, Riley.”

Riley, who had been looking at Alicia with a seriously hardened face, was surprised to hear his name from her lips and widened his eyes.

She had always maintained proper etiquette and called him Viscount.

At some point, he had started to feel distance from that title…

“To call me by name at a time like this, you’re really too much, truly.”

Riley laughed dejectedly, smoothed out his crumpled expression, and bowed his head politely.

“Then I’ll see you next time, Your Highness. Duke Diaz, farewell as well.”

Killian, who had been watching their farewell with undisguised displeasure, held out his hand to Alicia.

Just like the moment he had asked her to dance on the first day of the banquet, Alicia hesitantly placed her hand on top of his outstretched one and moved her feet to match Killian’s steps.

She could feel Riley’s gaze on her back, but she couldn’t carelessly turn her eyes.

Guided by Killian into his carriage, Alicia removed her hood and tidied her disheveled hair.

Come to think of it, she had pulled the hood down low to cover her face, so how did he recognize her?

“If you have questions, you can ask. Don’t just stare like that.”

“Ah, was it that obvious?”

“Your Highness is someone who can’t hide your expressions.”

Alicia’s complexion darkened at Killian’s tone, which seemed to be blaming her for her shortcomings.

Perhaps disliking her gloomy appearance, Killian clicked his tongue briefly and turned his gaze to the window outside as he spoke.

“So what’s your question?”

“…I was wondering how you recognized me…”

“You didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding your identity.”

“What? But I covered my face?”

“Keen-eyed knights can identify who an assassin is just by their skeletal structure, even with their face hidden.”

That’s quite impressive, but… why compare her to an assassin of all things?

Killian had surely said it without much thought, but it strangely bothered Alicia.

“Are you saying you recognized me by my skeletal structure?”

“You laughed so loudly, it was harder to pretend not to know.”

So he recognized her by her laughter and skeletal structure.

Unsure whether to consider this amazing or a bit strange, Alicia raised her hand to smooth her hair once more.

At that moment, Killian, who had turned his gaze back to Alicia, froze his face to a frightening degree.

Had she made another mistake?

Just as she was about to turn her head to examine what her mistake might have been…

“Who was it?”

“Pardon?”

“Who did that? Was it the Viscount?”

“I don’t quite understand what you’re…”

“That wrist. Who was it?”

Where his gaze had landed.

Alicia’s eyes also fell upon the mark of someone’s hand left on her thin, white wrist, exposed by her fallen sleeve.

“Ah…!”

It was a mark left when the thug she had encountered in the wrong alley a few hours ago had grabbed her.

It had hurt enough to bring tears to her eyes when he grabbed her, but to think it had left such a mark?

As she was pondering how to erase this mark…

“Tell me, which bastard left that on your wrist?”

Killian, who had suddenly come close enough to be right in front of Alicia’s face, was staring at her with deep green eyes that couldn’t hide his murderous intent.