09.

Not screaming had been the right decision, even in hindsight.

Henesstia clasped both hands over her nose and mouth, trying to stifle her breathing. Her breaths came out ragged and uneven, her chest heaving uncontrollably.

With every step Heron took, dragging their father’s body across the ground, a fresh smear of crimson was left in his wake.

Heron massaged the back of his neck casually as he passed her by, leaving her frozen in place. And just like that, he disappeared.

‘Run… run away…’

But to where?

When she pulled her hands away from her face, they were stained red.

It was the blood that had splattered onto her earlier. The hot, sticky liquid felt like it was burning into her skin, searing her flesh.

“No… no, no…!”

Panicking, she scrubbed at her hands, but it was no use. The blood clung to her fingers, and in her frantic state, she began to bite her nails, ignoring all sense of decorum. Any etiquette teacher would have had a fit if they saw her now, but none of that mattered anymore.

Just then, a shadow fell over her, blocking out the moonlight, enveloping her in darkness.

“Come here.”

It was Heron. Standing with his back to the moon, his face hidden in shadow, he simply extended his hand to her.

In her terror, Henesstia knew instinctively.

*I have to go.*

His outstretched hand demanded an answer.

Henesstia stared at it, her body trembling uncontrollably. But Heron didn’t waver. He remained patient, waiting for her response.

Their father was gone. Even a child would understand that there was no point in asking where he had gone.

‘Father… Father is already… gone.’

Questions clawed at the back of her throat, but none of them made it past her lips. She could only shake and stare at the hand before her, knowing she had no choice but to take it.

“That’s right. Good girl.”

Heron smiled, his eyes curving gently as he gazed at her. His appearance was so dazzling that anyone else witnessing the scene might have gasped in admiration. But Henesstia felt something inside her crumble.

And so, Henesstia survived that night. The next day, when investigators came and told her that her father had died in a carriage accident, she could only sob.

All she remembered was Heron, holding her tightly as she wailed, a bitter expression on his face as he cooperated with the investigation.

Soon after, he sent their ailing mother away to a distant estate, and from that moment on, Henesstia lost everything.

After witnessing her father die at Heron’s hands, Henesstia felt utterly powerless.

Eating became difficult, and leaving the castle was nearly impossible. It seemed like the entire world had turned blood-red, making it impossible for her to do anything.

It was during this period of despair, just four days before her wedding, that Henesstia first heard about her marriage. She had been living in fear, constantly smiling and nodding, trying her best not to displease Heron, knowing that he had killed their father in a staged carriage accident to prevent him from gambling away what little remained of the family’s wealth.

One day, Heron told her.

“Your marriage partner has been decided.”

At first, the news didn’t come as a shock. It was simply an inevitable event. With the house on the verge of being sold, a political marriage was the only way to save the family.

However, Heron, as the new Duke, couldn’t easily marry anyone. Despite having money, he needed someone with both wealth and an esteemed bloodline. And no woman from a respectable family would marry into a crumbling duchy.

But Henesstia was different.

Even as the family declined, there were still men who would want to marry her. Even if it meant marrying an older man, a widower, or someone with several children. Even if it meant marrying a man on the verge of death.

Everyone knew she had become someone who could be “bought” if one had enough money.

She was once a prized jewel of Ardin, a socialite cherished by everyone, and the only noblewoman who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the imperial princess. All of that prestige had vanished when her father fell into gambling.

The harsh truth spread throughout the empire: “For the right price, you can buy the Duke of Ardin’s daughter!”

Everyone knew this.

That’s why, from the moment her father died and Heron took over, Henesstia couldn’t stop thinking about her inevitable marriage.

“Who is it?”

She had some guesses. Having studied the noble family trees, Henesstia had an idea of who might be interested in her. None of them were ideal, but they were wealthy enough to save her family, and she knew they might want her.

Every night, as she cried into her pillow, she could only pray that whoever it was had no children or wasn’t over fifty. At times, she even wished it would be someone already at death’s door so the nightmare would end quickly.

Then Heron casually said.

“Riad Ingel.”

Henesstia gasped, her breath catching in her throat. It was a name she never would have imagined. Riad Ingel wasn’t even among the candidates she had considered.

“Aren’t you happy? He’s the empire’s greatest knight.”

The man who the imperial princess had supposedly been courting for years. The hero of the empire, heir to one of the largest fortunes on the continent.

Henesstia’s fingers trembled as she recalled all the rumors she’d heard about the cold and composed Riad Ingel.

“Did… did the Ingel family ask for me?”

“They did. Luckily, they were reasonable people. Lacking a bit in refinement, but you’ll manage. It’ll keep you alive.”

At first, Henesstia wasn’t so much happy as she was shocked. Why would a family like the Ingels want to marry her, a daughter of a fallen house?

After all, Riad Ingel was nearly flawless, aside from the fact that his parents were commoners.

It was well known that, even if he couldn’t marry the imperial princess, he had his pick of any woman in the empire. His mere presence at a party would increase its value tenfold. Many women vied for his attention, hoping to win his favor.

Why would he want her?

Just as Henesstia was beginning to doubt the situation, Heron explained.

“They want noble blood.”

“Oh…”

“You’re perfect for them. You’re the only daughter of a duchy with royal blood.”

According to Heron, the Ingel family was willing to wipe out all of the Ardin family’s debt in exchange for taking Henesstia as a bride. Not only that, but instead of receiving a dowry, they were even investing in Heron’s business ventures.

There was no way Heron would refuse such an offer. Even Henesstia could see that it was the best possible match.

“Did you meet him?” she asked cautiously.

“Of course. I wouldn’t send the precious daughter of the Ardin family to just anyone.”

At that moment, Henesstia felt a flicker of hope. She had resigned herself to a miserable future, but now, for the first time, something else seemed possible.

She had even momentarily forgotten that Riad Ingel was away at war.

It was only natural. After imagining the worst—being married off like a prized possession and treated like an expensive slave—being married to the hero of the empire felt like a miracle. She was still young, after all, and hope was hard to suppress.

“By the way, the wedding is in four days.”

“…What?”

“It’s happening quickly. Isn’t that good? We can’t wait for Count Ingel to return. Our family’s finances can’t hold out that long. You know how much of a mess Father left us in.”

“B-but…! How can I get married without the Count here?”

“We’ve already submitted the marriage papers to the imperial court. It won’t be difficult. We’ll hold the ceremony with his clothes in his place. Oh, and Count Ingel will be notified of the marriage today.”

Her fragile hope shattered when she learned that she would be marrying a man who wouldn’t even be there. The humiliation of standing alone at the altar, with only his clothes as a placeholder, was unbearable. And to think her husband was finding out about their marriage on the same day as she was.

The rest, as they say, was history.

“……”

Henesstia slowly awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside the window.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling. Although her body lay in the bright and clean room of Riad Ingel, her mind was still lost in the past, wandering through the painful memories of her nightmares.

It felt like the vivid memories clung to her like leeches, refusing to let go, gnawing at her spirit. The hand that had once been stained with her father’s blood seemed to burn again, and she found herself biting her fingernails, gnawing until they bled.

“…Mother.”

The memories from last night and the dream that had haunted her collided painfully in her mind. As she often did when she was troubled, Henesstia thought of her mother’s gentle embrace, and she buried her face in her hands, trying to find comfort.

* * *

By late morning, Baron Ingel sat with one leg crossed over the other, holding a teacup in a manner that was anything but dignified. Henesstia, sitting stiffly across from him, glanced up at the Baron nervously.

“Riad said he’s planning to return to the Count’s estate today.”

The Baron spoke after draining half of his teacup. Henesstia, who had not managed to take a single sip of her own tea, nearly dropped her cup in shock. The Baron clicked his tongue in displeasure, the harsh sound making Henesstia flinch, a habit that only deepened the scowl on his face.

“If you’re not the one stirring up trouble because you’re unhappy with us, then why else would the boy suddenly decide to leave?”

His voice boomed, echoing through the room.

Outside the window, birds startled by the Baron’s loud outburst flapped their wings and flew far away into the sky.

That morning, Henesstia had woken up late. But before she could even process the empty space beside her in bed, the maids had come in, dragging her off to the Baron’s preferred drawing room—the place he often summoned her to when he needed a target for his anger.

“Go and tell him properly this time. Tell him he’s not to leave for the Count’s estate.”

The Baron, having summoned Henesstia and remained silent for a long while, finally let loose his impatience in a flood of sharp words.

“You didn’t say anything foolish to him, did you? Unless you suggested it yourself, there’s no reason why he’d suddenly want to leave us!”

Henesstia kept her lips tightly sealed, as if they were clamped shut like a shell. She didn’t know what to say.

She had already told Riad not to leave for the Count’s estate, and he had made his refusal very clear. What more could she do?

“Stand up.”

The Baron grabbed her arm roughly, forcing her to her feet.

“…Ah!”

Unfortunately, he grabbed the arm that had been injured the night before, and Henesstia bit back a scream, swallowing it down painfully. Her face twisted with agony, but the Baron didn’t seem to care.

“He’s already packing to leave. Go and stop him!”

“……”

As the Baron dragged Henesstia across the room, his hand gripping her arm tightly, she finally found her voice just as they reached the door.

“Why shouldn’t he leave?”