Now Come and Regret

“What are you talking about? Your Highness .”

The duke’s face was like a calm night lake without a minute of air. It’s a face that makes people impatient.

“Please speak comfortably. A while back, the talks about the one from the Genaire’s imperial family; to love her as a person….”

Edgar waited for the Grand Duke’s answer with a rather anxious mood.

The answer that came back after a while was not so different from what he expected.

“Does it matter if I was sincere or not?”

The Grand Duke looked at Edgar’s hardened expression and tilted his head.

“I thought you would be happy. Edgar.”

“….”

“You didn’t really want that woman to be your wife, or did you intend to go to war again?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Edgar sighed as he looked at his cousin’s face, seemingly emotional.

Prince of Rezan and Grand Duke of Eleanor. They had been raised in the same cradle since they were not even weaned. When there was no eye to see, they used a comfortable title like now.

That’s how close they were. Therefore, it was not difficult to guess what the Grand Duke did not say out loud.

It was a lie. He did not mean it.

Treat illegitimate children as human beings? That can’t be possible. Rayen Eleanor was by nature a human being who could not tolerate illegitimate children.

More after witnessing his parents dangling from the walls of the Principality.

Such a man voluntarily declared that he would make the royal family of Genaire the Grand Duchess. From that moment on, the fate of that imperial family had been decided.

Moreover, for Rayen Eleanor, marriage was only a political tool. Even if the imperial family had not been an illegitimate child, it would have been nearly impossible to elicit the feeling of love from him.

Edgar chose his words for a while.

“… I’d rather use a different method. Isn’t brother’s method overly harsh on her? If it wasn’t toying….”

“Edgar. You seem to be overly generous with a woman who might be an enemy spy.”

Edhar couldn’t protest against that.

Edgar bit his lip, and the Grand Duke stood up. He seemed to want to leave, but he circled the table and headed towards the wall.

“It’s toying. It’s not wrong. So what should I do…..”

On the bottom of the wall was a portrait, roughly leaning. It was a portrait painted without sincerity.

The woman in the picture had dark hair and blue eyes that hung down to her waist.

Her eyes were weak, her cheeks were lifeless, and her body was overly thin.

If done well, she might belong to the beauty group, but the woman more beautiful than him looks just full of coldness.

Rayen did not take his eyes off the woman and exhaled quietly.

“Then should I take her to the basement of the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes?”

“I’m asking if she should be tortured.”

It was a voice without a single emotion.

“Should she be forced to change her mind by breaking bones, cutting flesh, and not sleeping for days and days?”

“….”

“Definitely not a bad way. But what to do when there is a more efficient way. It would be better for the woman.”

“…..”

“It is enough to be an illegitimate child. I shouldn’t make a fool of her and put her in the Grand Duchess’ position.”

Edgar had nothing more to say, so he bit his mouth. There was nothing wrong with Rayen’s words.

In the end, this is the best. He murmured towards his cousin, who turned completely.

“She’s a kid I saw at Genaire eight years ago, brother.”

“… .”

“When I attended the masked ball held at the Imperial Palace.”

Old memories were brought up. Big eyes and a small voice flashed through Rayen’s mind.

“… Well. I don’t know.”

But that’s it. He doesn’t remember anything that is worthless.

But Edgar was different.

“I remember she was a naive and lovely kid. Please treat her well. That child, too, is just one of the victims of Genaire.”

Rayen smiled softly at the whisper.

“What are you worried about, Edgar? Are you afraid that I will abuse that woman?”

“…..”

“In your eyes, I seem to be that emotional.”

Edgar was silent. Clearly, Rayen Eleanor was far from being the emotionally driven kind.

“I am not interested. I don’t care if she’s an illegitimate child or whoever she is.”

Rather, he is closer to the side where the human emotions have dried up.

Rayen made eye contact with the woman in the picture.

“If she just keeps quiet, knows her place, and pretends she doesn’t exist… In a few years, she may be able to leave the Principality in good health.”

There was an illusion as if the woman’s blue eyes were trembling anxiously.

As he lowered the gaze, he saw the name written in elegant calligraphy at the bottom of the portrait.

‘Ines’ was the name of the woman who would become his wife and Grand Duchess of Eleanor.

* * *

Flop.

A small body, pushed by a wretched hand, rolled over the dirt floor.

Rough black hair that had grown up to her waist was tangled with coarse dirt. The thin woman staggered and stood up.

“Even in Rezan, you shouldn’t be fooling around. Ines, do you remember what you were taught?”

“… Yes.”

The soldier, who took Ines out of the cage and tossed her on the floor, looked down at her with tired eyes.

‘Persistent bitch.’

During the full month from Genaire to the capital of Rezan, she could not wash, eat and sleep properly.

She was a slender woman who was now said to be an adult, but looked younger than her age because of her brittle bones. She could not withstand the forced shove of the soldier’s hand.

Yet, let alone weeping, she did not even groan. No, they didn’t see a single gasp in her breathing. Not even the slightest scratch was found on her body, which was thrown to the stone floor with all their might.

This made the rumors that she was born with a strange seed of misery seem true.

The soldier’s tone became harsh.

“Lucifer will hand you over to Rezan. Say the last thing His Majesty commanded.”

“‘Go to Rezan. Go and take the noblest as your husband, so that they may acknowledge their insignificance to the whole continent.’ That’s what he said.”

The blue eyes were out of focus. No matter how she was trampled on, the illegitimate child, who was good-looking, lost her vitality when she was brought to Rezan.

“Good. Now follow Lucifer. Quickly!”

Ines staggered at the rough touch and moved her steps away. Black smoke leaked out from under her sloppy sleeves. It was accompanied by a small whisper.

[Are you okay?]

“Hmm…. Thankfully. Thank you. Kian.”

The black smoke that gently swirled around Ines’s body circulated around her shoulders and chest for a long time, as if it was not relieved by her words.

[I want to kill them all. Ines, they hurt you a lot.]

“Killing…. you know you can’t. Then you’re going to kill me too?”

Ines smirked. Kian, who lives close to her heart, is the only one on her side, and at the same time, it is the main culprit in slowly killing her. This is because it feeds on the life force of the host.

Still, there was no one else that worried and cared for her. Ines whispered helplessly towards the smoke that had settled on her palm.

“I’m really fine, so come on in. Anyone who sees it might be suspicious.”

[… alright.]

The dark smoke reluctantly seeped into her left chest. Her tender heart thumped, and then it began to beat a little erratically.

Ines caught her breath and looked around.

She eventually came up to Rezan.

The imperial palace of the enemy country, Rezan, lacked splendor compared to the golden palace of Genaire, but it was much more elegant and old-fashioned than that.

The majesty of the millennium empire, which Genaire could not imitate no matter how much they tried to imitate it, was scattered throughout the imperial palace.

But in this beautiful palace, Ines had only two places to go.

At first, she will be imprisoned, and in a few days she will be called to the largest and most dazzling hall in the Imperial Palace.

There she will declare that she will accept the Crown Prince as her husband.

‘After that….’

After that, she doesn’t know.

Ines followed in Lucifer’s footsteps, and she thought to herself.

It wasn’t just the selection of her companion that Genaire ordered her to do. For the first time in her life, she was dragged into a lavish room and learned a lot. Most of the things she didn’t want to know.

There was nothing in Ines’ life that she could choose at will. It had been like that from the beginning, so there’s nothing new about it….

The words of her grandfather, the old emperor of Genaire, echoed in her ears like hallucinations.

However, she did not want to endure such a thing.

To seduce man, give birth to unwanted children, and destroy a country….

Tears that she had been holding back were welling up in her blue eyes. No matter how many times she blinked her eyes, her vision, covered with despair, was only dark.

‘… I’d rather run away.’

Ines groped over the wall with desperate eyes. It wasn’t impossible if she borrowed Kian’s power.

Wouldn’t it be possible to run away to a place where no one knows her if she cut her lifespan by 10 years? But that was all the lifespan she had already lost in her life.

So she never knows when or how she will die.

If so, wouldn’t it be better for her to live freely, even for the rest of her time….

While she was in deep agony, Lucifer handed Ines to the Imperial Knight of Rezan.

“Is this what it is? Sent from Genaire.”

The knight, clad in gold satin-lined armor, clasped her cheeks with one hand. Ines was startled and woke up from her thoughts.

The knight forcibly turned her head to both sides and spoke contemptuously.

“Dirty. She is filthy, did you send her out like this on purpose?”

“Rezan knight. Be careful with your words. She is the one who will rise to the most precious place in this country.”

Lucifer responded with a sneering tone. Rezan’s knight threw Ines away with swear words.

“Ah…!”

The thin body staggered for a while. The moment when the sharp black smoke tried to support her body.

Someone grabbed Ines from behind.

“What are you talking about? Your Highness .”

The duke’s face was like a calm night lake without a minute of air. It’s a face that makes people impatient.

“Please speak comfortably. A while back, the talks about the one from the Genaire’s imperial family; to love her as a person….”

Edgar waited for the Grand Duke’s answer with a rather anxious mood.

The answer that came back after a while was not so different from what he expected.

“Does it matter if I was sincere or not?”

The Grand Duke looked at Edgar’s hardened expression and tilted his head.

“I thought you would be happy. Edgar.”

“….”

“You didn’t really want that woman to be your wife, or did you intend to go to war again?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Edgar sighed as he looked at his cousin’s face, seemingly emotional.

Prince of Rezan and Grand Duke of Eleanor. They had been raised in the same cradle since they were not even weaned. When there was no eye to see, they used a comfortable title like now.

That’s how close they were. Therefore, it was not difficult to guess what the Grand Duke did not say out loud.

It was a lie. He did not mean it.

Treat illegitimate children as human beings? That can’t be possible. Rayen Eleanor was by nature a human being who could not tolerate illegitimate children.

More after witnessing his parents dangling from the walls of the Principality.

Such a man voluntarily declared that he would make the royal family of Genaire the Grand Duchess. From that moment on, the fate of that imperial family had been decided.

Moreover, for Rayen Eleanor, marriage was only a political tool. Even if the imperial family had not been an illegitimate child, it would have been nearly impossible to elicit the feeling of love from him.

Edgar chose his words for a while.

“… I’d rather use a different method. Isn’t brother’s method overly harsh on her? If it wasn’t toying….”

“Edgar. You seem to be overly generous with a woman who might be an enemy spy.”

Edhar couldn’t protest against that.

Edgar bit his lip, and the Grand Duke stood up. He seemed to want to leave, but he circled the table and headed towards the wall.

“It’s toying. It’s not wrong. So what should I do…..”

On the bottom of the wall was a portrait, roughly leaning. It was a portrait painted without sincerity.

The woman in the picture had dark hair and blue eyes that hung down to her waist.

Her eyes were weak, her cheeks were lifeless, and her body was overly thin.

If done well, she might belong to the beauty group, but the woman more beautiful than him looks just full of coldness.

Rayen did not take his eyes off the woman and exhaled quietly.

“Then should I take her to the basement of the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes?”

“I’m asking if she should be tortured.”

It was a voice without a single emotion.

“Should she be forced to change her mind by breaking bones, cutting flesh, and not sleeping for days and days?”

“….”

“Definitely not a bad way. But what to do when there is a more efficient way. It would be better for the woman.”

“…..”

“It is enough to be an illegitimate child. I shouldn’t make a fool of her and put her in the Grand Duchess’ position.”

Edgar had nothing more to say, so he bit his mouth. There was nothing wrong with Rayen’s words.

In the end, this is the best. He murmured towards his cousin, who turned completely.

“She’s a kid I saw at Genaire eight years ago, brother.”

“… .”

“When I attended the masked ball held at the Imperial Palace.”

Old memories were brought up. Big eyes and a small voice flashed through Rayen’s mind.

<What is the name of the gentleman in the white mask?>

“… Well. I don’t know.”

But that’s it. He doesn’t remember anything that is worthless.

But Edgar was different.

“I remember she was a naive and lovely kid. Please treat her well. That child, too, is just one of the victims of Genaire.”

Rayen smiled softly at the whisper.

“What are you worried about, Edgar? Are you afraid that I will abuse that woman?”

“…..”

“In your eyes, I seem to be that emotional.”

Edgar was silent. Clearly, Rayen Eleanor was far from being the emotionally driven kind.

“I am not interested. I don’t care if she’s an illegitimate child or whoever she is.”

Rather, he is closer to the side where the human emotions have dried up.

Rayen made eye contact with the woman in the picture.

“If she just keeps quiet, knows her place, and pretends she doesn’t exist… In a few years, she may be able to leave the Principality in good health.”

There was an illusion as if the woman’s blue eyes were trembling anxiously.

As he lowered the gaze, he saw the name written in elegant calligraphy at the bottom of the portrait.

‘Ines’ was the name of the woman who would become his wife and Grand Duchess of Eleanor.

* * *

Flop.

A small body, pushed by a wretched hand, rolled over the dirt floor.

Rough black hair that had grown up to her waist was tangled with coarse dirt. The thin woman staggered and stood up.

“Even in Rezan, you shouldn’t be fooling around. Ines, do you remember what you were taught?”

“… Yes.”

The soldier, who took Ines out of the cage and tossed her on the floor, looked down at her with tired eyes.

‘Persistent bitch.’

During the full month from Genaire to the capital of Rezan, she could not wash, eat and sleep properly.

She was a slender woman who was now said to be an adult, but looked younger than her age because of her brittle bones. She could not withstand the forced shove of the soldier’s hand.

Yet, let alone weeping, she did not even groan. No, they didn’t see a single gasp in her breathing. Not even the slightest scratch was found on her body, which was thrown to the stone floor with all their might.

This made the rumors that she was born with a strange seed of misery seem true.

The soldier’s tone became harsh.

“Lucifer will hand you over to Rezan. Say the last thing His Majesty commanded.”

“‘Go to Rezan. Go and take the noblest as your husband, so that they may acknowledge their insignificance to the whole continent.’ That’s what he said.”

The blue eyes were out of focus. No matter how she was trampled on, the illegitimate child, who was good-looking, lost her vitality when she was brought to Rezan.

“Good. Now follow Lucifer. Quickly!”

Ines staggered at the rough touch and moved her steps away. Black smoke leaked out from under her sloppy sleeves. It was accompanied by a small whisper.

[Are you okay?]

“Hmm…. Thankfully. Thank you. Kian.”

The black smoke that gently swirled around Ines’s body circulated around her shoulders and chest for a long time, as if it was not relieved by her words.

[I want to kill them all. Ines, they hurt you a lot.]

“Killing…. you know you can’t. Then you’re going to kill me too?”

Ines smirked. Kian, who lives close to her heart, is the only one on her side, and at the same time, it is the main culprit in slowly killing her. This is because it feeds on the life force of the host.

Still, there was no one else that worried and cared for her. Ines whispered helplessly towards the smoke that had settled on her palm.

“I’m really fine, so come on in. Anyone who sees it might be suspicious.”

[… alright.]

The dark smoke reluctantly seeped into her left chest. Her tender heart thumped, and then it began to beat a little erratically.

Ines caught her breath and looked around.

She eventually came up to Rezan.

The imperial palace of the enemy country, Rezan, lacked splendor compared to the golden palace of Genaire, but it was much more elegant and old-fashioned than that.

The majesty of the millennium empire, which Genaire could not imitate no matter how much they tried to imitate it, was scattered throughout the imperial palace.

But in this beautiful palace, Ines had only two places to go.

At first, she will be imprisoned, and in a few days she will be called to the largest and most dazzling hall in the Imperial Palace.

There she will declare that she will accept the Crown Prince as her husband.

‘After that….’

After that, she doesn’t know.

Ines followed in Lucifer’s footsteps, and she thought to herself.

It wasn’t just the selection of her companion that Genaire ordered her to do. For the first time in her life, she was dragged into a lavish room and learned a lot. Most of the things she didn’t want to know.

There was nothing in Ines’ life that she could choose at will. It had been like that from the beginning, so there’s nothing new about it….

The words of her grandfather, the old emperor of Genaire, echoed in her ears like hallucinations.

<All men are like that. In front of a skillful woman, they won’t use their hands….>

<Blind the man’s eyes. Plant the seeds of darkness you have in his country. Give birth to heirs born of misery, Ines, let them rot from within.>

However, she did not want to endure such a thing.

To seduce man, give birth to unwanted children, and destroy a country….

Tears that she had been holding back were welling up in her blue eyes. No matter how many times she blinked her eyes, her vision, covered with despair, was only dark.

‘… I’d rather run away.’

Ines groped over the wall with desperate eyes. It wasn’t impossible if she borrowed Kian’s power.

Wouldn’t it be possible to run away to a place where no one knows her if she cut her lifespan by 10 years? But that was all the lifespan she had already lost in her life.

So she never knows when or how she will die.

If so, wouldn’t it be better for her to live freely, even for the rest of her time….

While she was in deep agony, Lucifer handed Ines to the Imperial Knight of Rezan.

“Is this what it is? Sent from Genaire.”

The knight, clad in gold satin-lined armor, clasped her cheeks with one hand. Ines was startled and woke up from her thoughts.

The knight forcibly turned her head to both sides and spoke contemptuously.

“Dirty. She is filthy, did you send her out like this on purpose?”

“Rezanne knight. Be careful with your words. She is the one who will rise to the most precious place in this country.”

Lucifer responded with a sneering tone. Rezan’s knight threw Ines away with swear words.

“Ah…!”

The thin body staggered for a while. The moment when the sharp black smoke tried to support her body.

Someone grabbed Ines from behind.