#27

The Hesperi estate, located in the capital, had recently become quite famous for its gardens.

The Marchioness of Hesperi personally tended the grounds as a hobby, and her skills were so exceptional that even professional gardeners expressed their admiration.

In particular, the white roses she had cultivated and improved herself were the most well-known—when they bloomed in full splendor, no one could hide their amazement.

However, this year, the flowers were slightly wilted.

Especially in the garden near the annex, the petals had lost all their strength and fell with a quiet thud.

The sense of desolation was amplified because the roses, though short-lived, had been so beautiful.

“...Look, brother.”

Someone gave a melancholy smile while gazing out the window at the bare rose bushes.

“It looks like my future.”

Brown hair and blue eyes.

“I think I’m going to die now.”

Though she was slightly thin, the girl’s face, lined with firm muscles, carried a solemn expression as if she had resigned herself to death.

“But it’s okay.”

Manique was writing her will.

“Just... please don’t show my corpse to my mother. If she sees my body, shredded to bits by the Fangs of the Beast, she’ll be heartbroken.”

Despite her young age, Manique’s eyes were empty, as if she had given up everything.

“I didn’t save up much money, but give all of it to Mother.”

“......”

“And finally, glory to the West and the White Tiger—”

“Manique.”

Scandia, who had been watching her cousin write her will, let out a deep sigh.

The hand that had repeatedly wiped her face with dry fingers moved once again.

“I’m sorry.”

But Manique could not accept the apology.

“You think this can be solved with a simple ‘sorry’?!”

Manique finally exploded.

She was too bitter.

Not just generally resentful—she felt that her entire life, which she had lived for Scandia and the West since childhood, had all been meaningless.

“I even wore a wig and pretended to be the princess just to protect your identity, and this is how it ends?!”

Manique resented the gods.

She knew her childhood had been far from ordinary compared to others her age.

But she had never thought of herself as particularly unfortunate.

Even so, if there were gods, they shouldn’t have cast her aside like this.

The girl who had risked her life to protect Hesperi as a child deserved comfort, not this cruel fate.

Manique always carried concealed weapons under her skirt.

It was a habit developed during her time impersonating the princess in Scandia’s place.

Even now, she still moved covertly under secret orders, so it was necessary to be armed at all times.

That day was no different.

However, she had tightened her belt holding the weapons too much, and it hurt—Scandia noticed and asked if she was okay.

Naturally, her gaze had gone to her cousin in pain, and her hand’s movement toward the skirt was simply to guess where it hurt.

And in that very instant, Leonia had seen everything.

Manique realized something for the first time—that human eyes could hold such intense emotions... and that those emotions could change so quickly.

Leonia’s eyes, as she arrived to pick up Scandia, had sparkled like jewels.

They were like a galaxy bright enough to light up the night sky.

But then that galaxy swiftly dried up and turned into scorching heat, tightening her throat like a merciless drought.

Or perhaps it was a blizzard so thick one couldn’t see an inch ahead.

Either way, the conclusion was the same.

“If she catches me, I’m dead...”

Manique realized in that split second what bone-chilling fear truly was.

The black eyes that turned away with cold ruthlessness were filled with killing intent, as if to say, “I’ll tear your limbs apart, soak them in sewage, and grill them front and back.”

“Manique.”

Scandia spoke with a very serious expression.

“She’s not guilty of anything.”

“You lunatic!”

And in that moment, she’s defending her?!

Manique hurled the cushion next to her at Scandia.

“You say that only because you didn’t see it! Lady Voreoti is terrifying, and I saw it with my own eyes at the Academy!”

“She’s strong and beautiful.”

“Oh, come on!”

Manique shut her eyes tightly, exhausted from the whole conversation.

“...Well, yes, she is strong and beautiful.”

Who could deny that?

Not just because she was a Voreoti, but because of her stunning appearance that widened your eyes and her utterly merciless temperament.

At the Academy, students were first captivated by Leonia’s beauty, only to shrink away in fear from her temperament.

“You know the Perdyx family, right?”

The Count family of Perdyx had taken a major hit after it was revealed they hosted illegal auctions in the black market.

The biggest problem was the evidence that they had tried to acquire monsters native to the North.

This had been the hot topic even at the Academy.

Partly because the young master of the Perdyx family was a student there—but the real reason was the rumor that Lady Voreoti herself had taken the matter into her hands.

“Their heir harassed Lady Kerata.”

“Oh no.”

Scandia instantly felt pity for the Perdyx heir.

“He kept making passes at her, even followed her while she was out—and got caught.”

The kind and wise Flomus had not handled it herself. Instead, she reported it to Leonia.

And then—

On a bright sunny day...

Leonia accidentally broke the Perdyx heir’s shin.

And then, by accident again, she grabbed him by the collar and slammed him to the ground.

“Leo may look tough, but she actually has a fragile side.”

Scandia defended Leonia, saying it was understandable since she grew up in the North, where sunlight was scarce.

“That’s why I should have stayed by her side.”

Had she been there, she could have taken care of the pests bothering her lady’s peace of mind.

“You idiot...”

Manique swallowed down the boiling frustration in her gut.

‘Is everyone like this when they fall in love?’

This wasn’t love—this was a full-blown addiction.

For the first time, Manique questioned Scandia’s intelligence.

“Anyway.”

Manique steadied her breath and continued.

“Perdyx submitted a complaint to the Academy over the incident.”

And exactly one week later, the front page of the newspaper exposed Perdyx’s scandal.

It was the illegal auction case now shaking the public.

“Brother, do you know what the lesson is from all this?”

Manique asked, summoning the last of her patience.

There was only one lesson.

If you cross Leonia, you die.

Thanks to this incident, Leonia earned the honor of being the most brutal Voreoti in history.

Scandia, who had quietly listened, opened her mouth.

“Anyone who angers her dies.”

“I wasted my entire childhood protecting someone like you.”

Manique seriously considered petitioning the Marchioness of Hesperi for permission to land a punch on this man’s face.

“Brother, I wish you’d just hurry up and go back to the North.”

“I want to too, but I can’t.”

“Ugh, I wish Lady Voreoti would just kill me already.”

Then she could escape this suffocating moment.

Drained from the short conversation, Manique collapsed face-first onto the table.

“If I die, please gather my bones.”

At this point, Manique had half given up. It seemed like a good idea after all to have written a will.

“I’m sorry.”

Scandia offered her a late consolation.

“Forget it. It’s not like I’ll really die.”

“You won’t die.”

“That depends on whether you explain things to her quickly.”

The question was when that would be.

Her cousin’s grim outlook weighed down even Scandia’s heart.

Truthfully, he wanted to run to the North right now, explain everything, and apologize for the misunderstanding.

But he couldn’t.

“...So?”

Between the fingers that had been wiping his dry face over and over, Scandia’s pale gray eyes flashed coldly.

“Did you find it?”

“Of course I did.”

Manique looked up at the ceiling and shrugged her stiff shoulders.

That day, there had been a reason she wore weapons beneath her skirt.

“They’ve got hands in all sorts of places.”

The Perdyx family had been working behind the scenes to seize control of the black market, and surprisingly many noble families were connected to the operation.

And they uncovered another issue.

Some members of the group hired by Perdyx had fled to the West.

“It’s probably the cause of the recent surge in bandit attacks in the Western region.”

“...Hoo.”

Scandia exhaled slowly.

Beneath his calm expression, emotions were tangled in a storm.

Rage and anxiety. Frustration and urgency.

To think that, because of such fools, Leonia had come to misunderstand and resent him so deeply—if they were in front of him now, he would’ve torn off their limbs and used them for a grotesque human flower arrangement.

“I have to clear this misunderstanding fast.”

He stood and picked up the cloak he had set aside.

Manique said Leonia was angry, but what Scandia had seen was something entirely different.

She was disappointed.

Those black eyes, stained with betrayal, looked as if they were about to cry at any moment.

Just the thought of it made Scandia’s chest tighten painfully.

She’s someone with a soft heart.

What if she was crying alone?

What if her grief made her stop eating?

What if, even in the smallest part of her heart, she doubted his sincerity?

“...You really mean it?”

Manique, who had accidentally overheard Scandia’s muttered words, made a bizarre expression.

“If you ask me, Lady Voreoti is the type who’d conquer the entire Western region just to kill you and me.”

“If that’s what it takes to see her again, I’d welcome it.”

“Oh, come on. Seriously?”

He really was a lunatic.

Appalled, Manique fled the room like she was running for her life.

***

Conquer the West, huh.

And ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) just as Manique feared, Leonia was vividly picturing an invasion of the Western region at that very moment.

Estimated timeline and cost.

Food supply routes and tactics involving the sea.

Using the bandits might actually work.

As part of her succession training given by Ferio, Leonia was independently analyzing each region’s affairs.

According to her intel, the West had recently been struggling with bandit attacks.

The vast forests—once the pride of the Western region—were unfortunately also perfect for hiding criminals.

Maybe I’ve been too lenient.

Scribble scribble—her pencil, shading the paper, suddenly paused.

But I can’t just lock him in a cage either.

Just imagining Scandia alone on a swing in a golden birdcage made her stomach flutter with delight.

But Leonia was a righteous and well-behaved minor who upheld common sense.

She was too diligent and decent a child to act on such wicked thoughts.

Still, the moment I conquer it, it’ll turn into a tragedy-romance...

That had its own appeal too—but whether her father and mother would allow it was another matter entirely.

Her mind was a whirlwind of ideas and speculation, but her hand continued to draw gracefully on the white paper.

Knock knock.

A sudden sound made Leonia pause.

The scowl on her face melted away like it had never been there.

Such adorably tiny fangs, really.