Chapter 1 Part 2
* * *
“I need to meet Hyle Feros.”
After racking my brain all day, it wasn’t until sunset turned to night that I finally concluded I would need Hyle’s help.
After sitting for a long while, I slowly got up and headed to the corridor with large windows, working out the details of my plan.
Even among the Feros family, Hyle possessed unprecedented sacred power so strong he was called “the Feros,” truly a balance-breaking second male lead.
Hyle, the current viscount of Feros and heir to the family, was clearly the best option to remove the sacred power from my heart and save me.
“Raphla.”
At my call, something with black wings flickered and quietly appeared from the empty corridor.
The cursed eagle-type magical beast ‘Raphla’ was a top-tier level 1 beast among magical creatures.
Being quite intelligent and good at communication, Raphla often served as my eyes and feet.
“Monitor Hyle Feros for now. I hear he’s returning from subduing magical beasts in the north, so they’ll definitely pass through the ‘Black Forest.'”
Raphla nodded slightly before vanishing into the deep darkness.
The bright yellow moonlight shone down on me through the scattered black feathers in the air.
As if enchanted by that moonlight, I made a small, mysterious pledge.
“Hyle is my perfect opportunity. I must seize it no matter what. Even if it means being a bit forceful…”
No matter how I thought about it, getting help from high-ranking priests deep within the Grand Temple was absolutely impossible.
Getting them to come out in the first place was a challenge.
Moreover, relying on their unproven abilities would be a gamble.
While I was troubled by this, I noticed an article about Hyle recently leading the Feros Knights around to subdue magical beasts.
And the precious information that he was coincidentally returning to the capital.
Having read the original story hundreds of times, I knew his strength well enough—Hyle was the perfect choice for me.
“Well, I don’t expect Hyle to help me willingly.”
The probability of Hyle, the heir to House Feros, willingly helping me, the ducal lady of House Laté, was practically zero.
“It’s a bit extreme, but… I guess I’ll have to use that method.”
“What method?”
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind, accompanied by an unpleasant breeze.
Barely swallowing a reflexive sigh, I turned my head to find a man covered in someone’s red blood staring at me with cold eyes.
“…Fergio.”
He was Fergio Laté, Rosiel’s older brother and one of the second male leads in “For Hertiana.”
Fergio took a step closer to where I was leaning against the window frame.
Judging by his disheveled clothes and the metallic smell of blood, he must have been to the ‘breeding grounds.’
“Go wash up instead of dirtying the corridor needlessly.”
The breeding grounds were where numerous magical beasts lived in the Laté manor, created to efficiently manage them in keeping with the family’s infamous reputation.
“Don’t be so cold, it hurts your brother’s feelings.”
“What brother?”
At my harsh response, Fergio’s low laughter briefly echoed through the empty corridor.
“I heard you caused trouble this morning? Announcing your engagement termination to the Crown Prince by letter. As expected, our Rosi is so bold.”
Fergio was naturally cruel and harsh, making extended conversations with him mentally exhausting.
I’m already tired—rather than deal with Fergio, I’d prefer talking to a wall.
I pretended not to hear and started walking toward the opposite corridor.
But when I sensed him following me, I had to reluctantly stop.
“Sigh… Don’t you have work to do on father’s orders?”
“I have enough time to congratulate my beloved sister for finally throwing away her useless toy.”
His smoothly curving lips showed he was genuinely enjoying this situation.
…Come to think of it, if Fergio hadn’t kidnapped Hertiana, I wouldn’t have died so early, would I? He’s just unhelpful no matter what.
Just as I was about to pass by him with a halfhearted nod—
“Um… my lady.”
A maid quietly stopped me with anxious eyes.
“What is it?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. He wishes to see you.”
“…The Crown Prince came here?”
“Yes, his entry into the manor was confirmed by the creatures at the main gate just moments ago.”
As soon as the maid finished speaking, Fergio burst into obvious mockery.
“Now I see you weren’t raising a toy but a lover. Looks like he came to confront you about his fiancée’s cold engagement termination.”
“Shut up.”
“You must have played the role of fiancée quite well? For the Emperor’s dog to dare come here… how fearless.”
Fergio’s voice that followed was mixed with both pleasure and displeasure.
This is dangerous. Fergio has a fiery temperament that’s completely incompatible with the rigid Abel.
In fact, one of the reasons the imperial family wanted to secure Laté through engagement was Fergio himself.
Because the Laté possessed such unique and overwhelming power, they refused to serve others and often showed disrespect even to the Emperor.
Among them, Fergio was particularly one of Laté’s uncontrollable rogues.
After he once caused an assassination incident by summoning magical beasts in front of the Emperor, the imperial family gave up on controlling Laté.
In other words, the imperial family would never visit Laté first, no matter how urgent the matter.
Just what… what was Abel thinking, coming here?
The magical beasts in the manor were connected to the Laté family members, so they wouldn’t attack insiders.
But outsiders? They were trained to attack intruders, so the outcome was obvious.
“He wouldn’t have come alone to this place full of magical beasts. How many troops did he bring? Did he bring the imperial army?”
“Well… he came alone.”
“What?”
“He came without any guards.”
I was so dumbfounded by the maid’s words that I was speechless. He really came alone to this place crawling with monsters?
Even though Abel possessed vast amounts of sacred power, it wouldn’t be easy if all those magical beasts attacked at once.
“Is he trying to stage a suicide protest in the middle of the night…. Lead the way.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“…Fergio, why are you following?”
I was hurrying my steps, thinking of slowly greeting the probably tattered male lead in the reception room, but Fergio was still following behind me with slow steps.
“It’s quite entertaining to see an uninvited guest covered in magical beast blood. Even better if it’s the other way around.”
“Don’t think about causing unnecessary trouble. Abel is the Crown Prince. There’s nothing to gain from hurting him.”
Growl-
Just then, the roar of a magical beast outside the mansion echoed through the windows. …Seems like quite a fight is going on.
“Go calm down the rampaging children. I’ll hold you responsible if my carefully tended poisonous garden gets ruined.”
“Rosi, you know what?”
Before I knew it, Fergio’s low voice sounded right behind me, his gaze subtly trailing down my exposed nape above my dress.
The metallic smell of blood from him as he gently embraced me made my head spin.
“I like it when you get angry.”
Fergio’s voice whispering in my ear was unfathomably tender.
“What terrible taste.”
I irritably sighed and sharply removed his hands, hearing a disappointed sound from behind me.
Despite appearances, we weren’t particularly close as siblings.
This was just… because of Fergio’s unnecessary sister complex setting.
That’s why he kidnapped the female lead in the original story claiming to avenge me. Sheesh.
Only after finally shaking off the clingy Fergio could I reach the reception room.
But… what’s this? Did the maid serve tea before the guest arrived?
Why is there already a sweet fragrance?
