Chapter 13

Since Cali became Emperor, no one had ever dared to bring up such a thing.

The Empire was a nation built on the swords of knights, so its Emperor had to be a master of the blade.

The fact that Dylan, a member of the Imperial Family, possessed exceptional swordsmanship meant that he had the qualities befitting an Emperor.

Cali had expected Agnes to flounder or panic, yet she only lowered her head modestly with a flawless, gentle smile.

“I consider it an honor that someone who has been such a great help to Your Majesty is to become my husband.”

With that simple remark, Agnes made it sound as though Cali herself had praised her brother as a fine groom.

What a cunning woman.

Kind, proper, and obedient.

But that was clearly not all there was to her.

Cali laughed heartily like a magnanimous ruler, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.

Waiting for Dylan to return might not be as boring as she thought.

* * *

A black horse galloped toward the Vasteron Townhouse.

It was a magnificent steed, large as a warhorse, with glossy black fur that shone under the sunlight.

Dylan pulled sharply on the reins to stop it, then dismounted in one smooth motion.

He rarely ever lost his composure, as befit a royal, yet his haste was obvious, making the servants scramble to greet him.

“Where is Her Majesty?”

“Her Majesty is in the parlor with Lady Everchen…”

“I am late, then.”

Frustration shadowed Dylan’s face.

He had never intended to let Agnes meet the Emperor alone. Cali might have been his beloved sister and ruler, yet that did not mean he approved of all her ways.

Above all, the Emperor was not someone as gentle or easy to face as Agnes, who had spent much of her life confined in a mansion.

If Cali were to find out that he and Agnes were not true lovers but merely bound by contract, she might try to stop the marriage altogether.

That was how Cali had always been.

She was not planning to use Dylan for political marriage deals, yet she would still find a reason to provoke Agnes for amusement.

Dylan did not want Agnes to be hurt by the Emperor’s mischief or whim.

Even if their relationship was only a contract, she had shown him kindness.

“Your Grace, you have arrived.”

From within the townhouse, Gavelin appeared. When Dylan gave a slight nod, the butler immediately followed behind and began reporting.

“Her Majesty came unannounced, dressed in plain clothing. She ordered that no one be informed of her visit, so even the head maid could only tell Lady Everchen that an important guest had arrived.”

“And how did Lady Everchen handle it?”

“Fortunately, she seemed to recognize the guest’s identity right away. However, Her Majesty was… somewhat teasing toward her.”

“I can imagine what that means. Let us hurry.”

As Dylan quickened his steps, Gavelin added carefully,

“You may not need to hurry so much, Your Grace.”

“What do you mean? I know you do not approve of Lady Everchen, but I trust you are not speaking out of personal dislike.”

At that, Gavelin’s neck flushed red with shame. It was not a servant’s place to judge his master’s chosen lady.

He had always thought he never showed a single crack in front of Dylan, yet clearly his master had seen through everything.

Embarrassed but sincere, Gavelin hurried to explain.

“I never meant it that way, Your Grace. I only said so because Lady Everchen did not seem easily swayed by Her Majesty’s words.”

“Not swayed?”

This time, Dylan was the one taken aback.

He knew Agnes to be strong-willed, but her opponent was Cali.

Cold, mischievous, unpredictable. A ruler whose whims no one could read.

He had thought Agnes would be struggling under her words by now.

“Yes, Your Grace. Her Majesty appeared to be enjoying their conversation. At first, as always, she began with her usual… jest.”

Dylan knew better than anyone that his sister’s idea of a jest was never mild. Still, he wanted to understand what was happening, so he let Gavelin continue.

“The last I saw, they were simply having a pleasant conversation. Her Majesty was asking when you met Lady Everchen, whether she looked forward to marriage, and other ordinary things.”

Dylan stopped walking.

The urgency that had driven him here faded, replaced by a strange sense of relief.

Why had he come rushing like this?

When he first heard that Cali had come to the townhouse, his spine had gone cold.

He could still recall the fragile body that had trembled in his arms, the faint gasp that escaped when his fangs pierced her skin, the fear that flickered in her golden eyes as she lost her blood.

And afterward, the warmth of her gentle hand that had reached toward him despite it all.

He had felt both comfort and resistance in that moment.

‘Was it because I thought I owed her something?’

Perhaps that was reason enough.

Instead of dwelling on it, Dylan began walking again. Staying here too long would not let him repay that debt.

As he neared the parlor, Cali’s hearty laughter echoed through the corridor.

Dylan gestured for the servants to keep quiet, then leaned closer to the door to listen.

“My brother may be mine, but he really is frighteningly perfect. I can understand why you would say so, Lady. But tell me honestly, are you truly fine with it?”

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

“I mean his… eating habits.”

At that, a chilling silence filled both the parlor and the hallway outside.

Dylan’s jaw tightened, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly.

Not everyone knew his secret, but few were ignorant of the rumors.

‘Since Her Majesty herself keeps spreading them, who could not know?’

He could no longer bear the thought of Agnes facing that question alone. His hand tightened on the doorknob.

But then, from within the room came a soft, graceful laugh.

Agnes’s gentle voice carried through the hallway, melting the frozen air.

“I was surprised myself. He is quite a picky eater. It seems he does not care much for vegetables.”

“Oh my.”

Cali sounded startled, then quickly let out a bright laugh.

“Haha, that is true. He was like that as a child too. He used to pretend otherwise whenever he dined with me, but it seems his taste has not changed.”

What had felt like a dangerous exchange turned, in an instant, into nothing more than a sister teasing her brother and his fiancée.

Dylan exhaled slowly, the breath he had been holding finally leaving his chest. He then knocked on the door.

A clear sound spread through the wooden panels, and from inside came a curious voice.

“Who is it?”

“It is Dylan.”

“Your Grace? Please, come in.”

When he entered, Agnes rose to her feet in surprise. Cali, on the other hand, smiled as though she had been expecting him.

Dylan walked straight to them and bowed respectfully before his sister. Then he spoke, his tone sharp and cool.

“Your Majesty, it has been quite some time.”

Considering he had been at the Imperial Palace just the day before, his words carried an unmistakable meaning.

‘I told you not to come.’

Cali was not one to back down.

“My dear brother must love his sister very much. We met only yesterday, and already you say it has been a long time.”

Agnes covered her mouth and laughed softly as she looked between the two siblings.

“You two truly have such a close relationship.”

Naturally, Cali burst out laughing at that remark.

The only one who could not smile in this situation was Dylan. He let out a weary groan, pressing a hand to his forehead before glaring sharply at Cali.

“Please stop tormenting my fiancée.”

“Me? You think I tormented Lady Everchen? Lady Everchen, do you agree with that?”

Agnes smiled faintly and answered with composure.

“Not at all, Your Majesty. I was having a wonderful time. Though I admit, in this situation, my words may not sound very convincing.”

Cali laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes.

“At the very least, I had a delightful time. Look at her, Dylan. Your fiancée is far more charming than the rumors say.”

“Ha…”

With an exasperated sigh, Dylan reached out his hand toward Agnes.

She blinked, puzzled, but obediently placed her hand over his.

He escorted her from the doorway to the sofa with steady grace, guiding her to sit.

“Since yesterday… have you been well?”