PMBA | Chapter 11

“This wouldn’t have happened if the Lady had just sat down in the first place. It was dangerous.”

At his shameless words, Kyrie’s frown deepened.

“It also wouldn’t have happened if Your Grace hadn’t taken my necklace.”

“”Then, by that same logic, it really wouldn’t have happened if the Lady hadn’t snuck into the Crown Prince’s bed.”

“I don’t regret it.” Kyrie said calmly, “That incident isn’t even a weakness for me. As I said, feel free to spread the word around.”

“You want to marry the Crown Prince that badly?”

“Yes.”

“Yet you don’t seem to love him all that much.”

“What are you…?”

“The look in your eyes isn’t the fear of your love being rejected.”

“…”

“It’s the fear of something else.”

Dominique had astutely sensed the prey’s fear, hitting the nail on the head. At his words that seemed to be probing blatantly, Kyrie narrowed her eyes and stared at the Duke.

Was the Duke planning to tell Lexion something like that? That Kyrie Ernberg doesn’t love or want him as much as she pretends?

Was that why Lexion was avoiding her?

Even as she thought so, she knew it was an unreasonable assumption. Last night was the first time the Duke had met her and there was no way he could have influenced Lexion’s opinion of her. This was excessive speculation.

Still, she wanted to blame him. This man who, in just a day, or rather, half a day, kept trying to take away her weapons, to disrupt the composure she had maintained.

A grating feeling, like a hangnail, pricked inside her heart.

As she struggled to suppress these emotions, the Duke continued casually.

“Then shall I give you some advice, Lady?”

Kyrie looked up at the Duke at his words. For a moment, she couldn’t understand what he meant.

“Excuse me?”

“I asked if you need advice.”

“What…?”

“I say this because it seems the Lady operates in a rather inefficient manner. Or perhaps I should say, you expend a considerable amount of futile effort.”

Kyrie felt momentarily dazed.

‘Inefficient?’

Instead of advising her to stay away from the Crown Prince like others, the Duke immediately dismissed her efforts in a single stroke. As if he was evaluating a failed military operation, without even knowing how she had spent the past few days.

Kyrie clenched her fists. She was about to retort that she didn’t need his advice, but the Duke was one step ahead this time again.

“First, get rid of that smile you’re always wearing.”

He spoke purely on impulse, but Dominique easily rationalized it. Kyrie Ernberg was a potentially valuable asset. An asset that if nurtured properly, would certainly be useful.

‘So I should point her in the right direction.’

Dominique also wanted her to stay by Lexion’s side. If she lost her position to that woman from yesterday, it would render his efforts to approach Lexion useless.

So, this much advice should be fine.

“I mean, stop smiling at him.”

There was no particular reason for saying that. Dominique simply preferred Kyrie Ernberg when she wasn’t smiling. The moment she stiffened her expression, as if stung by his words, gave him a sense of conquest, as if he had pinpointed the prey’s exact weakness.

‘It might work for Lexion in a different way.’

‘That woman always clings to me like this, smiling so stupidly, no matter what she hears.’

Thinking about those words made it even more so. The more brightly Kyrie smiled and clung to him, the greater the thrill Lexion would feel, and the more he would want to drag out this situation. However, if she acted coldly, on the other hand…

“Why don’t you show interest in other men instead? That would help pique Lexion’s interest.”

“Help?”

“Yes, help.”

The Lexion that Dominique knew couldn’t stand it when the attention showered on him shifted elsewhere. If Kyrie withdrew her interest from him, Lexion would react immediately. To Kyrie Ernberg, who wasn’t smiling at him, who wasn’t clinging to him.

Dominique was a little curious about the moment when Kyrie Ernberg wouldn’t smile brightly at Lexion. If it hurt Lexion’s pride, he would also find it amusing.

It was the first time in his life that he had given advice to someone. For Dominique, it was no different from offering all the favors he could. He hadn’t said it expecting gratitude, but Dominique thought Kyrie would react appropriately. At least to the extent of considering his words.

‘She seemed intelligent enough for that.’

It was at that moment, as he was thinking this, that he saw Kyrie Ernberg’s face.

“…”

The woman who had been spewing sharp words just moments ago simply kept her mouth shut. Her expression was as blank as a sheet of paper, as if all emotion had been erased.

As Dominique frowned slightly,

“Haha.”

Kyrie let out an emotionless laugh and bloomed a more brilliant smile than ever before. A smile like a flower bud blooming freshly in the morning sunlight. It was the most radiant and beautiful smile Dominique had ever seen. It irritated him greatly.

“What’s the matter, Lady?”

“Thank you for the advice, Your Grace.”

Kyrie was also trying to control her anger. 

A man she’d met less than a day ago had not only belittled her weapons as useless, but also dismissed all her efforts as if they were meaningless. A man who couldn’t possibly know how she’d struggled to get this far. A man who wouldn’t know anything about her bloodied hands.

…What made her even angrier was the fact that his words weren’t wrong.

Now that she thought about it, Lexion Roman Callak was indeed that kind of man. A man who wouldn’t be moved by her desperation.

‘Rather…’ 

The Duke’s words might actually be right. Considering Lexion, who occasionally gave her attention as if he was bestowing a favor or controlling her. He would be displeased and react immediately if she showed interest in another man. 

But what if Lexion, in his displeasure, broke their agreement altogether? 

Kyrie couldn’t afford to take such a risk. She was already walking on thin ice. If she lost her balance even slightly, she would fall into the freezing water below. 

The Duke’s words were something only someone with nothing to lose could say. Words someone could say whose life wouldn’t be ruined if they were immediately dismissed from the agreement.

So, instead of getting angry, Kyrie smiled. As she always did.

“I’ll give it some serious thought.”

“Do you mean it?”

“What else are you dissatisfied with? I’m saying I’ll think about what you said.”

“I see.” 

The Duke also replied dryly. He sounded like he was accepting her response, but Kyrie keenly picked up the displeasure in his voice.

Puff.

The smoke from the cigar the Duke exhaled wavered like a heat haze. For a moment, tension hung heavy in the air.

“We have arrived, Your Grace.”

Screech. 

The carriage came to a stop, and the coachman’s voice was heard. It seemed that they had arrived at the entrance to the Imperial Palace. Kyrie immediately opened the carriage door and got out.

“Thank you for your kindness.”  

And she nodded with her back straight. It was a polite and respectful greeting, as if she had never answered him sharply before.

Thud. 

This time, there was no one to stop her as she closed the carriage door. The sound of the carriage rolling away echoed behind her.

“Ha.” 

A sigh escaped her lips as she stood there dumbfounded. Kyrie’s eyes slowly turned towards the Crown Prince’s Palace. The midday sun shone brightly, sweeping across the ornate roof.

Then, instead of heading towards the Crown Prince’s Palace, her steps led her to a nearby garden. Since she had come here for the pendant necklace and her purpose was achieved, there was no need to go to the Crown Prince’s Palace.

‘But since I’m already here… should I see Lexion before I go?’ 

However, she didn’t feel like doing that right away. Perhaps after a short walk, this suffocating feeling would subside.

As she walked mechanically and made her way through a thicket of roses,

“Hahaha!” 

An overly familiar laugh reached Kyrie’s ears. Two figures came into view not far away.

“Lexion?” 

The vibrant auburn hair next to him blurred Kyrie’s vision.

* * *

The carriage Dominique was riding in stopped shortly after dropping Kyrie off. Dominique, who got out of the carriage where a faint mint scent still lingered, mixed with the smell of cigars, looked up at the bright sunlight.

“…” 

The vast garden connecting the Crown Prince’s Palace and the Imperial Palace stretched out before his eyes. Even as he looked at the dazzling blue-green foliage, a lingering sense of displeasure remained in his chest. 

The fact that the first piece of advice he’d ever given, which he’d deemed quite useful, was blatantly ignored wasn’t a big deal. After all, if she didn’t listen, it was only her loss, not his.

However, it was the fact that Kyrie Ernberg, who had frowned and revealed her true emotions in front of him, immediately put up a wall and responded with a smile. The same way she treated everyone else. With a perfect posture and aristocratic demeanor. 

The more he thought about it, the more Dominique’s mood deteriorated. 

If he hadn’t seen her previous appearance, he wouldn’t have known, but Dominique had already seen Kyrie Ernberg looking at him defiantly in his arms. 

The expression she had at that time.

The incredulous look in her furrowed brow made him laugh.