Chapter 3. You’re Alive.

Alexis rested his arm on the window frame, surprised that he had only just now noticed her gaze.

It had been a long time since a woman had looked at him so openly.

The woman had honey-colored hair neatly tied back and wore a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over her face.

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But her eyes—violet, like wild violets in bloom—were fixed directly on him.

Her dress was noticeably outdated, something that had long since gone out of fashion. She looked almost as if she had just arrived from the countryside.

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Yet, she didn’t seem unsophisticated.

Perhaps it was her posture.

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Straight-backed, poised—a mark of refined upbringing.

Of course, he hadn’t dismissed her as a country girl based solely on her attire.

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What truly set her apart was her unwavering gaze.

Even after meeting his eyes, she did not look away.

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Most people, when caught staring at him, would flinch, avert their gaze, or pretend they hadn’t been looking.

But not her.

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The moment their eyes met, she held his gaze even more firmly.

No one in the capital—at least, no one familiar with its rumors—would ever dare to do such a thing.

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That alone was enough to tell him she hadn’t been here long.

And yet…

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There was something strange about her.

She looked at him as if she wanted something.

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But for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what.

Because he had never seen her before.

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For a long moment, their gazes remained locked, neither looking away.

Then, Alexis casually lifted a hand and tapped his fingers against his temple before pointing at the ground.

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A silent command: Lower your eyes.

The signal was clear enough, and the woman frowned immediately.

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Still, after a brief hesitation, she pulled her wide-brimmed hat down, obscuring those violet eyes.

Somehow, the disappearance of her gaze left an odd feeling in his chest.

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Now, she was actively avoiding looking at him.

How amusing.

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Rather than ordering the carriage to move, he remained still, watching her in amusement.

It was then that Glenn, his aide, spoke up.

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“Do you know her, Your Grace?”

At that, Alexis shut the window, his response flat and indifferent.

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“Not at all.”

With that, the carriage finally began moving once more.

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* * *

The man’s fingers had gestured once toward his eyes, then toward the ground.

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Depending on how one looked at it, it could have been considered a rude gesture.

But then again, Grace had been the one staring at him so openly—it wasn’t as if she had the right to complain.

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‘That caught me off guard.’

Adjusting the brim of her hat, she stood still, waiting for the carriage to pass.

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Moments later, the heavy weight of his gaze drifted away as the carriage disappeared into the alley beyond.

Only then did Grace lift her head, exhaling a quiet sigh.

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She had never expected to run into that man here.

And after thinking about him just last night, no less—as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

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Her heart thumped strangely in her chest.

‘You’re alive.’

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He looked far more put-together than she had imagined.

Seeing someone she had once wished well—someone she had quietly hoped was still somewhere, living—felt surreal.

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‘As expected, he doesn’t recognize me.’

The look in his eyes was the same as if he had seen a stranger.

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Then again, when they had met, he had been blind.

Trapped in that dark underground trench for so long, he had kept his eyes covered.

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So this was the first time she had seen his gaze.

The first time she had truly looked into his eyes.

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“Red eyes…”

They were different from what she had imagined.

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But even so, they suited him perfectly.

She had been stunned by his features before—when she had washed away the grime from his skin, revealing the man beneath.

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Even with his eyes closed, his presence had been striking.

But now, his gaze was even colder than she had expected.

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Like a wolf standing at the edge of the forest in the dead of night.

Predatory. Warning others to stay away.

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And yet… his eyes were the kind of eyes that belonged to someone who was protecting something.

That, at least, hadn’t changed.

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‘I suppose I should be glad he’s doing well.’

Though, could she really say he was?

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People had whispered about him, calling him the Devil Duke.

And he had seemed used to it.

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If only they knew—if only they spent just a little time with him, they’d realize he was warmer than he appeared.

Grace sighed, feeling a pang of regret as memories of the past surfaced.

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The square, which had been lively just moments ago, had grown eerily quiet.

The crowd had dispersed after enjoying their spectacle, leaving behind an odd sense of emptiness.

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Then, as if to break the silence, the cathedral bell rang, marking the seventh hour.

Deng— Deng—

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Realizing the time, Grace shook herself free of her thoughts.

It was time to head to the market.

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She had wasted enough time lingering in the past.

* * *

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As her father finished his meal, he clicked his tongue in disapproval as he scanned the newspaper.

“The world has gone mad. That man is still a duke of the empire? No matter how great his military achievements, this is too much.”

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“What is it, Father?”

Valentina, who had been idly enjoying her lemon sherbet, tilted her head at his words.

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“The Duke of Václav has stirred up trouble again.”

“Who is that?”

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She replied absentmindedly, barely interested, but peeked over at the newspaper nonetheless.

Then, in the next instant, her eyes lit up.

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“Oh my! Who is this handsome man?”

The question was the same as before—but her tone was completely different.

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Moments ago, she had merely echoed her father’s disapproval, but now, her face showed genuine curiosity.

Without hesitation, she snatched the newspaper to examine the photograph.

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Count Helio scowled and yanked it back.

“Who else? He’s Empress Amy’s only family and the war hero who secured victory.”

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“Oh my, even his status is perfect! Father, if we attend the upcoming imperial banquet, will I be able to meet him?”

Among those who had strongly supported moving to the capital, Valentina had been at the forefront.

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She had always complained that Helio was a boring, backwater province and had desperately wanted to escape.

But the more excited she became, the darker her father’s expression grew.

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“Forget it. If you see him at the banquet, the best thing you can do is avoid him altogether.”

“Why would I do that?”

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“If you even so much as speak to him, your face will be on the front page of the newspapers the next day. And that will ruin your chances of marriage, won’t it?”

“Father, what could be better than becoming the sister-in-law of the Empress?”

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“And has that high and mighty duke shown any interest in marrying you?”

“Tsk, Father! Weren’t you the one who always said I was the most beautiful girl in the world? That men would be drooling just from looking at me?”

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Valentina pouted dramatically, stirring her sherbet with exaggerated indignation.

At her sulking, Count Helio sighed, switching to a gentler tone.

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“I mean that you’re too good for him. That duke—he may have noble blood, but he’s nothing more than a gilded shell. His title means nothing now.”

“What do you mean nothing?”

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“They say he suffered a fatal injury in the war. His eyes turned red due to some barbarian curse. Rumor has it he doesn’t have long to live.”

At the mention of red eyes, Grace—who had been quietly reading—lifted her head.

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Until now, she had paid no attention to the conversation.

But this time, she reacted immediately.

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“His eyes… are red?”

She suddenly recalled the man she had encountered in the square that morning.

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His eyes had been red.

Unknowingly, she had stepped into the conversation.

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As if reading from a script, her father continued.

“Because of it, he’s become an unruly beast—causing trouble and embarrassing the imperial family. They say his temper is uncontrollable, and some rumors even claim his hands are just as restless as his temper. How could I ever send my precious daughter to someone like that?”

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“Is that so…”

“And worse still, they say just looking into his eyes could curse you. Valentina, if you ever see a man with red eyes, you must run in the opposite direction. Who knows what might happen if he becomes obsessed with you?”

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“Ugh! A curse?! That’s terrifying, Father!”

Valentina practically jumped into her father’s arms as if the mere thought of it horrified her.

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But Grace’s expression darkened.

She knew exactly what that man had gone through in the war.

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He had nearly died.

And yet, now people whispered about him as if he were some cursed monster.

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As if his survival meant nothing.

His red eyes were nothing compared to the fact that he had miraculously lived.

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More than that—he was the reason the empire had won the war.

If anything, he deserved praise, not scorn.

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Suddenly, she remembered how he had been driven away from the square.

Now, it was obvious—the commotion had been because of his eyes.

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Without thinking, Grace murmured,

“There might be another explanation for all this.”

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Under normal circumstances, she would have never spoken up.

But her words sounded too much like a defense of the Duke, and her father frowned.

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