Chapter 13
With the help of the High Priest, Natasha set out for the village, accompanied by the knights Sieghart had assigned to her.
Once she arrived at her destination, she glanced back. It wasn’t easy to carry out her plan with the knights quietly tailing her. Though they were supposed to be her guards, they were clearly keeping an eye on her. If she wanted to act, she had to shake them off first.
As she wandered aimlessly, thinking of a way to do that, a shop caught her attention. It looked like the perfect excuse. She stopped right in front of it.
“I’d like to walk alone for a bit. Could you step aside?”
“We’re under orders not to let you go anywhere alone, my lady. It’s the Duke’s command.”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to follow me into that shop.”
Natasha motioned toward the store with a nod of her chin. The knights looked away solemnly, then one by one, began to look unsure.
“…Very well. We’ll wait here. Please take your time inside.”
After hesitating a bit more, the knights finally stepped back.
Natasha entered the shop and was momentarily taken aback by the eerie-looking merchandise. Clearly, the Empire was far more open than the Kingdom. The customers browsing casually, and the staff kindly explaining how to use the items—it all felt strange to her.
After a moment, she pulled a cloak from her bag and wrapped it around herself. Then, slipping out with a group of customers, she quietly left the shop.
Her next stop was a jewelry store nearby.
“I’m here to sell a few things.”
“Y-yes… What do you have?”
The jeweler responded without much interest as Natasha handed over her items—two pieces of fine jewelry from her personal collection.
“How much can you offer?”
The jeweler examined the items closely, and his expression quickly changed to one of surprise. It was understandable—what she’d brought was far too rare for a small shop like his to handle.
He furrowed his brow, trying to calculate a price. But if she owned pieces like these, she likely knew their value, so he couldn’t offer too little without risking the deal.
Eventually, he named a price—slightly above what he’d normally offer.
“How about 120 gold?”
“Let’s make it an even 100. Nice and simple.”
“…One hundred?”
“Would you prefer I raise it back to 120?”
“N-no, of course not. One hundred it is.”
For some reason, Natasha kept lowering the price—as if she wanted to make it easier for the buyer.
They didn’t seem like fakes… The jeweler fiddled nervously with the gems, watching her with suspicion. But he didn’t dare argue and quickly prepared the payment.
“Here’s your 100 gold.”
Natasha didn’t even check the contents of the pouch.
“How about we make this a regular arrangement? I’ll sell jewelry like this every week for a low price. In return, your job is to keep quiet. You don’t tell anyone who sold it, or when. Not a word.”
“E-every week? At a low price?”
Instead of answering, Natasha calmly repeated the importance of secrecy.
From then on, Natasha visited the village whenever she could to sell more jewelry.
The day before her next trip, she opened her jewelry box like always—and noticed something strange.
‘This is…’
There were unfamiliar accessories inside. She was sure they hadn’t been there last week.
To be sure, she counted the pieces. There were more than before.
‘Why are there more?’
No one could’ve mistakenly entered the Duke and Duchess’s chambers and accidentally placed their belongings in her jewelry box.
If someone meant to give her a gift, they wouldn’t do it secretly like this. They would’ve presented it properly, wrapped in luxurious paper.
There was only one possible explanation—someone had added them in secret.
‘…Sieghart. It has to be him.’
The likely culprit popped into her mind immediately.
‘How much does he know?’
Her hand tightened around a pendant as anxiety surged through her. It felt like he’d discovered her plans again, and she was growing nervous.
“My lady, what are you doing over there?”
Startled, Natasha turned to see Kayeina approaching with a tray of tea.
“Oh my! You look so pale. Would you like a cup of freshly brewed tea to calm your nerves?”
“…Yes, please. I’d appreciate that.”
She took the tea, hoping to soothe her uneasy heart. Even after she finished drinking, the sweet scent lingered pleasantly in her mouth.
“Do you like it? It’s the most famous tea from my hometown. You used to drink it often, remember? You always liked it.”
“Really? It feels a little stronger than I remember.”
“I added a few extra herbs this time. Should I make it like this next time too?”
“Maybe not too often… but once in a while?”
“Hehe, leave it to me.”
Kayeina’s kindness seemed to calm her a little. But when Natasha noticed her glance subtly shift toward the jewelry box, her tension spiked again. Her heart, already restless, began to pound even faster.
She leaned over her cup and took in the warm scent. Just like Kayeina had said, it helped a little. Her nerves settled—but only just.
As Natasha grew visibly restless, Kayeina, who had brought the tea, approached her.
“Oh my, you look so pale! Would you like to calm down with a cup of freshly brewed tea?”
“…Yes, please. Just one cup.”
She took a sip, letting the warmth of the tea soothe her shaken heart. Even after swallowing, the sweet aroma lingered in her mouth, leaving behind a gentle, comforting trace.
“Do you like it? It’s the most famous tea from my hometown. You used to drink it often before, remember? You really liked it back then.”
“Really? It feels a bit richer than I remember.”
“I added a few extra herbs this time. Would you like me to make it like this again?”
“Not all the time… but once in a while?”
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
Kayeina’s gentle tone seemed to settle Natasha’s anxious heart. But when she noticed Kayeina’s subtle glance toward the jewelry box, the tension quickly returned. Her heart, steeped in unease, began to beat faster and harder.
Trying to steady herself, Natasha lifted the teacup to her nose, inhaling the scent. Just as Kayeina had said, the turbulent thoughts inside her slowly began to calm.
After requesting another cup, Natasha sat quietly with the freshly filled teapot beside her, waiting for Sieghart. Her posture remained tense—like a prisoner awaiting judgment.
A short while later, Sieghart entered the bedroom, having finished his work.
His eyes landed on the same spot Natasha had been staring at—the pendant placed beside the jewelry box.
Even in this tense moment, his expression didn’t change. His composure was startling.
He walked over to her without hesitation and sat down, as if everything was completely normal.
Natasha quietly sipped from the teacup on the table.
Maybe it was because the truth had already been discovered, or perhaps the tea Kayeina had made really had a calming effect. Either way, Natasha found herself suddenly speaking with clarity and resolve.
“I’m not planning to go out this week. Actually, I think I’ll be staying in for a while. Could you let the visiting priest know when he comes by?”
“That’s unexpected. Your rebellion ended sooner than I thought.”
Once again, he didn’t ask for an explanation. He simply moved his gaze.
Through his clear, red eyes, she saw what he was truly looking at. It was red—just like his beautiful irises.
Before Natasha could speak again, Sieghart cut her off with a quiet murmur.
“This place still feels like hell to the princess, doesn’t it?”
“…”
“Do you really want to leave that badly?”
His voice sounded as if he were hurt.
Natasha believed it was just another tactic—just another method to sway her feelings. But even as she reminded herself it was a well-crafted performance, his sorrowful expression continued to cling to her mind.
She hated it.
She hated herself for being moved by such a false display, and she hated him for trying so hard to hold on to her in this way.
“You hate me. That’s why you abandoned me… isn’t it?”
Her voice trembled as she pushed back.
“And now you pretend to love me? Do you think I’ll just fall for it like a fool? What is it you really want from me? Why do you keep twisting our relationship like this?”
After pouring out all her anger, she finally opened her eyes—and found herself face to face with a curtain of dark hair.
Sieghart had leaned in close, casting a sharp shadow over her face. The darkness around him slowly descended across her vision.
It was inevitable.
Moments later, their breaths mixed in a kiss. The sudden heat of their closeness made Natasha instinctively wrap her arms around his neck. At some point, Sieghart’s hands had found her back and shoulders, holding her firmly.
Their kiss, deep and silent, cut off all rational thought. The intense, lingering contact stirred her senses. Maybe that was why—despite how sudden and unintended it was—she didn’t want it to end.
Even the faint sound of water trickling outside had faded. Only after she let out a breath full of heat did the two parts.
But even after the kiss ended, an aching desire still lingered. Beneath that fading warmth, something raw and instinctual stirred in the depths of them both.
“Don’t leave me, Natasha.”
“…”
“Stay. Here, with me. Forever. Your presence is all I’ve ever wanted.”
She should have pulled away from his hand. She should not have let herself be swayed by that dangerous smile and sweet words. But her body wouldn’t move. The caution and suspicion she had built up crumbled away.
His kiss had been like a drug, fogging her mind. As the restraints she’d clung to unraveled, her instinct took over.
Again, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Another long, greedy kiss followed. And when it finally ended, Natasha’s body collapsed onto the bed.
Everything after that… was a blur.
The last thing she remembered was Sieghart leaning in close, whispering something with a softened, unfamiliar voice, his flushed face closer than ever.
It felt like someone had sliced her memory clean in half. All that remained were scattered fragments—the sensation of hands running along her skin, the strength of his grip, so intense it still ached even in her sleep.
Much later, she felt someone else beside her.
She sensed quiet movements, someone tidying the bedding. It was Kayeina.
Her expression and gestures were empty, unfamiliar. She seemed like a stranger. Even Natasha’s fatigue fled at the strange feeling of unease.
“…Kayeina?”
“Oh, madam. You’re awake?”
A gentle smile bloomed across Kayeina’s face. Natasha, still groggy, chalked up her earlier discomfort to a dream or a passing illusion.
“Oh no, did I wake you? I’m sorry. I was just trying to change the sheets quickly…”
“The sheets?”
“Yes. If I don’t wash them right away, the blood won’t come out. I was going to quietly slip them out and hand them to the maids while you were still asleep.”
Natasha looked down—and just as Kayeina said, there were bloodstains on the bedding. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
“Oh no… I haven’t had my period in so long, I didn’t think to prepare. I must have started sometime during the night…”
“Your period?”
Kayeina stared at her curiously, as if looking at a naive child, then let out a small laugh.
“Your period? No, my lady. That’s not what this is. It’s a sign of love. Proof that you and the Duke shared a passionate night together.”
Natasha wasn’t ignorant. Even if Kayeina had been speaking in euphemism, she understood what was being implied. What she couldn’t understand was why those words were being said about her and Sieghart.
“You don’t know how loud it was last night. I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t even bring myself to walk past your door! At first, I thought it was coming from someone else’s room.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come now. You know exactly what I mean. The sounds of two people making love.”
Though she playfully scolded her, Kayeina kindly repeated her words.
To put it plainly—last night, the Duke and Duchess had spent the night together.
