“It’s ruined.”

Zegman frowned at the mirror.

He lost consciousness for only about a month, but his face was severely damaged.

“You’re still handsome.”

Zegman shook his head as Selma smiled and said.

“I’m originally more handsome than this.”

Selma shook her head at Zegman’s confident words.

Certainly.

It was Zegman whom Lady Ritena Bertrand, who is famous for her high standards, first praised for being handsome.

He didn’t like it because he looked too flamboyant.

“Wait, by any chance.”

Zegman stealthily put his hand over his abdomen.

“Ah.”

Zegman was disheartened.

The abs he had maintained until he collapsed had disappeared.

“You don’t have to take care of it now.”

Zegman shook his head when Selma brought the medicine and said that.

“I have to take care of myself. My Grand Duchess liked my face and abs the most.”

Zegman, who had finished drinking his medicine, flopped down on the bed. Now, his grey hair, which had begun to blend with the white hair, caught his eye.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

Zegman closed his eyes. Ritena boasted her rich black hair. And Zegman’s was dark grey.

It’s difficult to dye his hair now because it’s dark.

They laughed and said that if they got older and their hair turned white, they’d dye it a nice color.

He was looking for his wife even in a single strand of hair.

Smirking, Zegman got up.

“Mister Zegman.”

Selma, who was collecting empty vials of medicine, called Zegman.

“About the title of the lady. Wouldn’t it be a bit rude? I think she doesn’t like it.”

Selma had seen Daphne’s face when Zegman first called her ‘baby.’

Daphne’s face, which was always smiling and won people’s favor, was hardened coldly.

“It’s not because it feels bad.”

“Then what?”

“The baby was not used to being called that way. Not used to it? No, no.”

Mmm. Zegman stroked his chin and chose his words again.

“Yes! It was scary.”

“She was scared?”

Scary? Being called a baby? Doubts grew on Selma’s face.

“Has Selma seen? At first, she stood at the threshold and didn’t even think about entering.”

Specifically, the boundary between the corridor and the door.

Standing there, Daphne didn’t even think of entering the room.

As if that was the last domain she could enter.

“I was the only one who saw the baby then.”

Because everyone else was watching Zegman.

Daphne’s eyes that Zegman saw were those that drew a line.

She wanted to have it so badly that she reached out her hand and got burned again and again, and she cried in pain so many times.

In the end, the eyes that said she gave up and stopped herself, saying that she couldn’t have it.

“Amidst that, she was afraid that the line would disappear since I called her that.”

And if you cross the line you drew with hope, there will be nothing but pain.

Knowing that, such an expression came out.

“And you saw, Selma. When she acted like she was older.”

It was not an act that an ordinary child would do.

It would have made sense if Kael, who had been educated as an heir and swordsman for a long time, had done so.

However, Daphne was an ordinary girl who had not even mastered swordsmanship.

To say it’s okay when a child like that becomes a hostage and hurts herself.

It was an act that firmly told him that something was wrong.

“In that case, people around her have no choice but to keep telling her.”

How can it be corrected if you don’t know that you’re twisted yourself?

“That.”

Selma was shocked. Yeah, come to think of it, it could have been.

Wasn’t Daphne adopted in the imperial family, not anywhere else?

“Why didn’t I know that?”

She herself had grown old. Why didn’t she know that? If she had noticed it earlier, she would have been nicer.

For some reason, she felt a rush of guilt.

“You may not know.”

Zegman replied lightly.

“I’ve seen those eyes when I was young, and I knew because I realized what was in them as I got older.”

Tsk, Zegman clicked his tongue as he remembered his older brother.

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know her, but she is already married to Kael, so she is a part of my family.”

Zegman looked out the window.

“Isn’t that right, honey?”

***

“It’s difficult.”

Kegh, Daphne let out a groan.

In Daphne’s hand was a map showing the secret passageways of the Shadow Castle.

A place that existed from old times and was made later.

Then the place became unusable and blocked off. It was really complicated and intertwined.

‘I also memorized the one at the imperial palace quickly. This is going to take a long time.’

Kael spoke, as if he had read Daphne’s mind.

“You won’t be able to memorize everything in a few days. I’ve memorized it steadily since I was young.”

“How did you memorize it?”

She asked if there was any way, but Kael’s face darkened.

“My father called it a maze and threw me in.”

Oh, it was a bad way.

Kael smiled softly as Daphne shook her head.

“You’d better memorize some of it before the guests come.”

Guests.

A few days later, the nobles of neighbouring fiefs and the Bertrand family vassals decided to come to the Shadow Castle.

It was to greet the new lady of the house of the Grand Duke of Bertrand.

Originally, it should have been a big party led by Daphne.

However, Daphne has not yet made her social debut, so it was replaced by a simple dinner.

“I’ll be by your side, so don’t fret too much.”

Daphne nodded at Kael’s words. Still, her eyes were fixed on the map drawn by Kael.

‘I was told to memorize it slowly, but it’s good to memorize something like this quickly.’

There was one passage in particular that seemed very useful.

Daphne’s lips curved up.

It looks so useful that she was sure she’ll be using it at least once in a few days.

‘Thanks to someone.’

Daphne turned her head and looked back. Then someone quickly hid.

But it was just a clumsy act for Daphne, who already knew who was hiding.

‘I’ve removed Madeline too.’

Shall we remove the rest now?

Edia and Rachel, hiding in the corner over there and holding their breaths, were the next targets.

***

‘What’s going on here?’

The faces of the two turned blue when they saw Kael guiding Daphne.

A month ago, the two were punished for making Daphne wash her face with ice.

The punishment was that as they lacked the qualifications to be the princess’s ladies-in-waiting, they should help with other things and step down for the time being.

Frankly, it wasn’t a big punishment. However, it was enough to mercilessly trample the pride of the two.

The aristocrats themselves were demoted because of the commoner, not anyone else.

Even though they had to return to the lady-in-waiting positions as soon as possible, the return of the two gradually slowed down.

The reason was simple.

“It’s your fault!”

“Why are you blaming me for that? Isn’t it because you’re stupid?”

There was a proper crack between Rachel and Edia, who accused each other.

“This is today’s report. Nothing really happened today.”

Mariel, who became the eyes and ears of the two, faithfully gave them all the information.

It even listed everything Daphne ate that day.

It was obviously a desperate struggle not to die.

You really don’t want to die in this cursed land, do you?

It was only natural that Edia and Rachel came to trust in Mariel. In fact, they didn’t even suspect her from the beginning.

Because it was Mariel who had always been embarrassed by them for more than a decade since childhood.

Besides, it had only been a little over a month since Daphne arrived at Bertrand.

There was no way something could have happened in that short period of time, so the two of them were at ease and just wary of each other.

‘Why did they become so close!’

Rachel bit her lip hard.

It’s only been a month, but why is the famous icy grand duke even guiding her through the castle himself?

She was sure that the princess’s glaring eyes were just a meek smile at first.

More annoying than anything else was Mariel.

“No way, Mariel. Did she betray us?”

Rachel returned to her room and made a loud noise.

Edia, Rachel, and Mariel.

The three were childhood friends. To be precise, friends with a hierarchy.

Rachel and Edia, who were both from counties and wealthy, were equal friends, and Mariel, who came from a poor viscounty, was a maid.

There was no reason for a child like Mariel to hang out with them if she didn’t listen to them.

So Mariel could never complain or disobey the words of the two.

She did, but why?

“Wh-what sort of trick did she use?”

“What trick? What trick does that commoner use? She has nothing to learn, so what tricks!”

“How do I know! But Mariel is like that, so I’m frustrated too!”

Edia thumped her chest with her fist.

‘I didn’t think the job would be hard!’

Truthfully, they weren’t afraid of possibly dying.

However, the reward could not be missed.

There were three things the emperor promised to the three ladies-in-waiting going to the dangerous place.

The first is a lot of money.

The second is a stepping stone that allows you to rise to the ranks of the central nobility.

And the third and last is the position of the second prince, Claire’s, fiancée.

With these three things, the emperor added a word.

“The person who makes the greatest contribution will choose the reward.”

‘Of course it’s the seat of the crown princess!’

The second prince, Claire, was a strong candidate for the crown prince position that the emperor was pushing for.

If nothing happens, he will be the crown prince.

So even Edia and Rachel, who were so close since childhood, became wary of each other.

Then, the situation came to this point.

“What should we do?”

Edia bit her finger.

“If Mariel really betrayed us, doesn’t it mean that all the information she’s given us is a lie?”

If it’s all fake. If they lied to His Majesty the Emperor, and if His Majesty finds out.

“We’re the only ones in danger!”

“We have to do something. The first report is just around the corner.”

It was an important first report.

In response to such a report, [The wedding was held safely, but the princess seems to have joined the grand duke’s side. We don’t know how she stuck to him.] What would happen if they wrote it down?

The emperor will laugh and destroy them and their families.

Edia’s face turned white when she imagined it.

“What should we do?”

“What to do.”

Rachel bit her lip with a vicious expression.

“We’ll have to do something to reverse her reputation.”

Edia’s eyes sparkled when she saw Rachel’s face.

Because when Rachel made a face like that, it meant she had a good plan.

“I heard important guests are coming in a few days?”

“Yes, they are.”

They overheard the maids talking excitedly about the arrival of guests after a long time.

Rachel raised the corners of her lips.

“Let’s trample on that commoner then. Along with the traitor.”