Chapter 23

Three hearts.

The five hearts had dropped again, now down to three—my heart sank at the sight.

It meant Etias’s condition had worsened significantly.

“I’ve done everything I could… so why…?”

I’d donated bags of gold to support him, provided warm shelter, and even sent aid through the Systina charity foundation to keep him from starving.

Some of the donated supplies included medicines and supplements.

“So why did it fall this much?”

The image of Etias lying in pain flashed through my mind, and my chest throbbed.

“What was happening to Etias in the original during this time?”

I racked my memory, but nothing stood out clearly.

Etias had always suffered until the revolution succeeded, so maybe this was just one of those unnamed, painful moments.

“Heros.”

Had I been too complacent until now?

Heros’s brows twitched when he saw my clenched fists trembling.

“Let’s exchange secrets.”

I raised my head and locked eyes with Heros.

I couldn’t carry everything on my own anymore.

I needed solid help.

“…Pardon?”

“What, don’t you trust me?”

“O-of course I do, my lady!”

Taking a deep breath, I spoke first.

“I’ll go first. Then you can tell me a secret of equal weight.”

“But my lady…”

I ignored his flustered reaction and pressed on.

“I’m helping His Highness, Prince Etias von Clyde.”

At that, Heros’s eyes widened and shook violently.

Etias von Clyde.

The only son of the late emperor—and the man who would’ve been emperor himself if not for the current ruler’s usurpation.

“I threw the gold coin pouches to him. And all my plans—Systina foundation and more—they’re connected to him.”

A man with countless enemies, persecuted by all.

“L-Lady!”

Our house—Elemoer—is the leading family of the emperor’s faction, the very ones at the forefront of that persecution.

No wonder Heros looked so horrified.

“Why would you do something so dangerous?”

If I wanted to make excuses, I wouldn’t be telling the truth now.

If the hearts disappear at this rate, Etias will die. The revolution will fail. And I’ll…

…die.

I met Heros’s brown eyes again and said firmly,

“My fate is connected to Prince Etias.”

He looked at me in utter confusion.

Understandably so—“fate” is a vague word.

“Do you mean some magical soul-binding? That kind of thing?”

This world did have magic, even if it wasn’t common, so it was close enough for him to grasp.

“Something like that. What matters is—if Etias dies, I die too.”

At the word die, Heros’s gaze trembled again.

He stepped closer and asked desperately,

“Is that the truth? Who did this to you?!”

“It doesn’t matter who.”

His brow tightened further.

I let out a small sigh.

“Now… your turn.”

The truth I’d just shared carried weight.

If Heros opened his mouth to the wrong person, my life would be in danger.

We may have a master-servant relationship, but to him, it might feel like coercion—If you don’t give me an equal secret, you won’t leave this room alive.

After a long pause, Heros bit his lip.

Then, with a complicated expression, he finally spoke.

“…You must already know I’m connected to the Scavengers. You’ve seen the crest.”

…He knew?

He knew I’d snooped through his room, and he still pretended not to?

He really is something else.

I looked at him with intrigue.

“You’re a sharp one, Lady Katrin. I figured you’d find me suspicious and investigate. I was honestly hoping you’d interrogate me more harshly… pity that didn’t happen.”

The Heros who used to blush and stammer at my words seemed gone. This one had a darker gleam in his eyes.

He was even more of a weirdo than I thought.

“As you saw, I’m connected to the Scavengers. Though I’m not currently in contact with them.”

He paused and looked straight at me.

Then, kneeling on one knee, he slowly reached for my hand.

“I am not here to steal from House Elemoer or harm you, my lady. Not even for the Scavengers.”

“Then why? Why would someone with no debt to Elemoer be groveling for my sake?”

There’s no such thing as kindness without cost.

Given his combat skills, he could easily make more money as a mercenary.

“At first, I had my reasons. But now, I’m here solely by choice.”

“Choice, huh.”

“I never had the chance to discover myself before.”

His quiet voice brushed past my ear.

“But here, I’m learning who I really am. What kind of person I am. What I like.”

My brow twitched slightly.

“So… you’re doing this for yourself?”

At least he wasn’t playing the loyal servant out of twisted motives.

“Exactly. I genuinely enjoy my work.”

“Then why should I trust you?”

“If you don’t… you can kill me right here, my lady.”

He placed a small dagger in my hand.

Then raised his head—my blade hovering just above his throat.

“…Ahh. If it’s by your hand, I’d die gladly.”

He can make that kind of dangerous face too?

A smirk tugged at my lips.

“You know me well, Heros. That’s why you dare pull stunts like this.”

He knew I wouldn’t slash his throat.

This was a dramatic show of loyalty—a violent sort of flirtation.

“And I’m starting to know you too.”

Not that I’ll entertain this little act.

I retracted the dagger and returned it to him.

Heros, his eyes quivering slightly, blushed faintly and lowered his head.

“Please let me be your dog, my lady. Allow me to do whatever you need.”

– He hasn’t reported to the ministry. We checked his residence, but it was locked, and we couldn’t assess the interior.

Now that Heros knew my secret, I tasked him with finding Etias.

After running all over the capital, Heros returned with no results.

– I’ll look into Prince Etias’s status through another route.

Did I do the right thing?

I let out a small sigh, my face clouded with gloom.

I had lived boldly and shamelessly as a proud villainess, but with the hearts dropping so suddenly, I lost my confidence.

Everything I did to help Etias…

I thought it was the best choice. But what if it had only pushed him further to the edge?

What if he’s worse off now than before I got involved?

We plan to return Presla’s Frozen North to His Majesty. Please retrieve any belongings from the late Empress’s villa before it is demolished.

Even the actions meant to help… if they ended up as knives stabbing him.

“….”

I placed a hand over my aching chest.

I hadn’t explained this emotion to Heros—just used the vague excuse of fate.

But Etias… is my favorite.

Inside the book and outside of it—just seeing him makes my heart flutter and a smile bloom.

…I miss him.

As I recalled how I had coldly brushed past him in the palace, tears welled up.

And just then, a knock—and Heros’s voice came from outside the door.

“My lady. I’ve found him.”

– To refuse a drink offered by His Majesty… is that not a sign of disloyalty?

The day he visited the palace, after speaking with Katrin, Etias attended the emperor’s banquet with a frosty expression.

The emperor had summoned him to impress foreign envoys.

And to publicly humiliate him.

Sniveling officials took every chance to mock Etias.

He wasn’t in the mood to take it lying down.

He downed the strong liquor in one go, then glared at them with an icy scowl.

– Is that enough for you?

There was murder in his gaze. The sycophants shut up quickly, unable to continue.

The emperor’s brow twitched in displeasure.

Katrin.

Just thinking of that woman—smiling coldly as she declared she’d tear down his mother’s villa—made his chest burn with nausea.

She was certainly capable of such things… but the pain that pierced deeper, like betrayal…

Had he, subconsciously, relied on her? Because of their similar misfortunes?

He didn’t even know why this disgusting emotion plagued him.

And then he overheard the whispers.

– Katrin Elemoer, choosing to give the Frozen North to His Majesty instead of letting us have it. What a sly fox.

– She clearly won’t yield even an inch of power from House Elemoer. Let’s see how long she can stand alone.

Etias ignored them all and left the banquet hall.

As he walked through the corridor, about to exit the palace—

“…!”

He sensed the assassin’s presence in an instant and turned swiftly, drawing his sword.

But not fast enough—his shoulder was deeply slashed.

CLANG—

Had he not righted his posture immediately, his head would’ve been taken off.

The assassin, shocked by the missed strike, pressed the attack. Etias, dulled by drink, still held his own.

“Damn it. This headache…”

The potent liquor throbbed in his skull, disrupting his focus. Still, he steadied himself and slashed the assassin across the chest.

Spraying blood, the assassin realized he had no chance and fled.

Had he not been drunk, Etias would’ve given chase.

It had been three days since that incident.

“….”

Karon now sat beside Etias’s bed, looking down at him with a complicated expression.

“Your Highness…”

Etias’s brows twitched faintly in his unconscious state, twisted in pain.