Chapter 36

At last, the carriage door opened, and a man stepped out.

Sevar Kardian.

The first thing that drew attention was his broad shoulders and solid frame.

Silver hair that reached his shoulders and cold blue eyes.

As a Top-Tier Ability User, his mere presence radiated overwhelming pressure.

Diena felt cold sweat run down her back.

‘He doesn’t seem like someone you’d want as an enemy.’

Someone she desperately wanted on her side.

That was Diena’s first impression of Sevar.

A memory of something Varkan had once said suddenly crossed her mind.

“If it weren’t for Mother’s upbringing, wouldn’t I have grown up with a personality like Father’s?”

At a glance, he seemed to be Varkan’s complete opposite.

Cold, rational, and someone who valued logic over emotions.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the noisy atmosphere instantly froze.

The maids standing nearby lowered their heads and whispered in trembling voices.

“I can feel his presence even from this far away. It’s terrifying.”

“They don’t call him the Demon of the Battlefield for nothing. I heard even High-Grade Ability Users avoid getting close to him. What chance do we have?”

Their voices held both fear and admiration.

Then another man stepped out behind Sevar.

A man with dazzling platinum blond hair.

‘So that’s the First Prince.’

He was so beautiful he looked like a doll.

Standing beside him was a familiar brown-haired man.

‘Master?’

Diena had expected Ardin’s arrival, but Malakar’s appearance was completely unexpected.

The unfamiliar visitors caused another stir among the maids.

“Is that really the First Prince everyone talks about?”

“I think the man beside him is Lord Malakar. What brings him all the way here?”

“How can His Highness Ardin shine that brightly? It’s like the sun took human form.”

Diena could understand why the maids reacted like girls in love.

‘The tragic crown prince.’

Ardin had long been famous as a prince destined to become a wise ruler.

‘The commoners adored him too.’

She remembered how heavily her uncle had kept him in check.

‘And he ended up getting engaged to Romie because of my uncle’s schemes.’

Even now, Romie was still aiming to become Ardin’s fiancée.

“I like beautiful things. Among all the men I could get engaged to, Prince Ardin is the most beautiful, isn’t he? He’s going to be mine.”

She had fallen in love with his beautiful face at first sight.

The image of Romie boasting confidently came to mind.

The possibility that the man she wanted might actually dislike her simply didn’t exist in Romie’s world.

‘She eventually succeeded in getting engaged to Prince Ardin.’

The Duke of Rothwell used Ardin to stage a rebellion.

He claimed it was to eliminate the Emperor and place Ardin on the throne.

Though in the end, he was the one who sat there himself.

At that moment, one maid clicked her tongue as she listened to the others fussing over Ardin.

“What’s the point of being handsome? He’s only a Low-Grade Ability User.”

“That’s true. Compared to the Second Prince, who’s an exceptional Ability User…”

“Shh. What if someone hears you?”

Diena clicked her tongue as she listened to their conversation.

‘Ability isn’t what matters.’

Ardin was hiding many things they knew nothing about.

If everyone learned the truth, they’d be shocked.

As Diena continued watching him, she suddenly felt a chill run down the back of her neck.

She had made eye contact with Sevar.

He turned to Varkan and asked,

“By the way, who’s that kid, Varkan?”

“She’s not a kid.”

“…?”

“Isn’t sixteen a little too old to be called a kid?”

“Sixteen? She doesn’t look that old at all.”

“Looks aren’t everything.”

“Fine, then she’s not a kid. Why is she here?”

Without realizing it, Diena shrank her shoulders and held her breath.

She immediately understood one thing.

Sevar didn’t think highly of her.

It was a skill she had desperately developed to survive in House Rothwell.

What kind of person was Sevar really?

Were the suspicions that he had colluded with the Duke of Rothwell true?

Or did he have reasons that no one else knew about?

‘I’ll find out once I experience it myself.’

As she watched Sevar warily, he spoke in a cold voice.

“Come with me, Varkan. You have something to tell me, don’t you?”

* * *

Sevar headed straight for the study without hesitation.

Once he sat in the seat of honor, Varkan sat down as well.

Despite not having seen each other for a long time, things felt less awkward than expected.

Sevar spoke with an indifferent expression.

“What happened in the family while I was away? I received word from the Council of Elders. Apparently you beat up the Young Master of House Roche.”

“He caused trouble in our family, so I disciplined him.”

“It sounds like you also dealt with him outside the family grounds.”

Varkan’s eyebrow rose in annoyance.

“Oh? Was I not supposed to?”

“Varkan.”

What Sevar said was true.

Even after Daniel left the estate, Varkan followed him.

Then he continued beating him until his anger subsided.

“Explain.”

With a sullen expression, Varkan recounted everything that had happened.

How Bianca had been insulted.

How Diena had protected her.

And how he had stepped in when the situation escalated.

After hearing the story, Sevar’s eyebrow rose slightly.

“You should’ve beaten him more.”

Varkan couldn’t tell whether Sevar was joking or serious.

As always, Sevar’s expression never changed.

Still, he liked the answer.

“If I’d hit him any more, he would’ve died.”

“Next time, don’t worry about things like that and just hit him.”

“You’re serious? Really? I’m not perceptive enough to realize that’s supposed to be a joke.”

Ignoring Varkan’s response, Sevar asked coldly,

“That’s not all, is it? You have something else to tell me.”

“…What exactly are you asking about?”

“You brought someone from House Rothwell.”

“…”

“And you assigned that person to be Bianca’s maid? A young lady from Rothwell? I’m curious what you were thinking when you brought her here.”

Varkan answered while trying his best not to reveal his emotions.

“I didn’t think much about it. I liked the way she talked.”

It was an unusually honest and reckless answer.

Sevar pressed a hand against his throbbing head.

Varkan continued,

“But Bianca likes her a lot too. She’s staying by Bianca’s side as her maid, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere.”

“…”

“She’s smart and kind. The two of them get along really well. Ever since she arrived, Bianca’s become much brighter.”

After hearing everything, Sevar replied flatly.

“No.”

“Father.”

“What brought on this sudden change of heart, Varkan?”

Sevar’s cold gaze pierced straight through him.

“I told you that no one from House Rothwell can be trusted. If you’re that concerned about her, wouldn’t it make more sense to send her away? There’s no reason to keep her in this estate.”

“…”

“The opposition from the family’s elders is fierce.”

“So you’re going to do whatever they tell you to do?”