IHDOE Ch 8

[Maids] "Young Duke!"

Sharlan's appearance panicked the nearby maids, forcing them to bow lower.

Rebecca glared at him, who gripped her wrist tightly.

[Rebecca] "What are you doing right now, Brother?"

[Sharlan] "I asked the question first, Rebecca."

[Rebecca] "Do you need to ask to know? I am slapping this worthless girl who doesn't know her place."

[Sharlan] "Is that so?"

Without warning, he struck Rebecca across the face.

Slap!

A sharp crack echoed as her face jerked to the side. She cradled her reddening cheek in disbelief.

[Rebecca] "W-What on earth are you doing, Brother? I demand an explanation!"

Venom dripped from every word forced through her gritted teeth.

[Sharlan] "I merely did as you said."

[Rebecca] "What?"

He tilted his head, a peculiar smile playing on his lips.

[Sharlan] "Is it not your method to teach a worthless girl her place with a slap? So I acted according to your philosophy."

[Rebecca] "So right now, you are calling me—a worthless girl who doesn't know her place?"

[Sharlan] "I appreciate your quick understanding."

[Rebecca] "Are you out of your mind, Brother? Or did her face bewitch you? Just because I tried to slap her once, you dare—you dare slap my cheek? Who do you think you are!"

[Sharlan] "Rebecca, do you think I don't know what you intended to do with Satina?"

He surveyed the empty iron cage and the trembling, bowing maids.

[Sharlan] "I knew you brought in a Red-Horned Snake, but I paid no mind. Whatever cruel games you play with her, feel free to indulge yourself. However, Rebecca, killing her crosses the line."

The Red-Horned Snake carried lethal poison. A single bite meant death for Satina.

[Sharlan] "Regardless, she remains the Crown Prince's fiancée. If she dies and the Crown Prince demands accountability, what did you plan to do?"

[Rebecca] "T-That……"

She stood mute, caught entirely off guard. The thought had never crossed her mind. What did she care whether Satina lived or died?

[Rebecca] "A-Anyway, His Highness doesn't love her either!"

[Sharlan] "Yet it justifies attacking our house. When that happens, who cleans up the mess? You, who lack even a title? Or me, the Young Duke?"

It was an excuse, of course. Sharlan knew well that the Crown Prince would never trouble House Bersabet over such a matter. Considering how he treated Satina, Sharlan doubted the prince would even pretend to mourn her death.

Yet the moment Satina's lullaby echoed in the garden, he had seized Rebecca's wrist without realizing it.

He offered a faint smile and asked back.

[Sharlan] "Do you understand now that you stepped out of line?"

Leaving Rebecca glaring in silence, she grabbed Satina's wrist.

[Sharlan] "Let us go, Sister."

As Satina walked away from the garden led by Sharlan, she turned her head toward Duchess Bersabet.

Furious, Rebecca hurled curses at the Duchess, while she absorbed her daughter's rage with a calm, gentle expression. It was a loving side the Duchess had never once shown to Satina.

As she glanced back, Sharlan yanked her forward.

[Sharlan] "What are you looking at? Why, do you still wish to remain there?"

[Satina] "It is not that."

She couldn't grasp why Sharlan had suddenly saved her. However, having received his help and needing to build his Affection to 50, Satina offered sincere thanks.

[Satina] "Thank you for helping me."

Midway down the hallway, Sharlan halted abruptly and cast her wrist aside.

[Sharlan] "Don't mention it. I saved you only because you finally managed to use a thread of holy power. Getting slapped by Rebecca might turn you back into a cripple."

Ah, holy power.

He had heard her sing.

Now that I can use holy power again, my value must have increased.

He spoke in a polite tone.

[Sharlan] "However, going forward, it is best not to use holy power everywhere. After barely regaining its use, throwing it around and returning to your former state won't do, right?"

Unlike his smiling face, every word cut sharp as a blade.

In truth, Satina regaining holy power held little importance to Sharlan. She would never become a saintess anyway, so whether she used holy power or not meant nothing to him.

Yet Sharlan despised the thought of others listening to her song.

Satina failed to understand why he said such things, but instead of arguing, she nodded quietly.

[Satina] "Yes, I will."

Her gaze shifted to the status window floating beside him.

[Liv] "Current Status: Enraged after a deep conversation with his father."

[Liv] "Tip: Act utterly submissive. Even if subjected to verbal abuse and physical violence, don't run away. If you act as though you exist solely for him, raising Affection will prove easy."

Unlike the status display, Sharlan's fair face revealed no emotion. He controlled his composure with absolute perfection.

[Satina] "Is something wrong? You look displeased."

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He had not expected anyone to notice his emotional state.

[Sharlan] "Don't concern yourself."

[Satina] "How can I not concern myself? You are my younger brother. Did you meet Father?"

Duke Bersabet was a cold, calculating man. Every judgment he made depended entirely on profit. Family was no exception.

From a young age, the Duke assigned tasks to Sharlan, punishing him with starvation whenever his performance fell below expectations. He considered spending bread on Sharlan a waste.

While hating the Duke, Sharlan grew to resemble him, calculating every aspect of life strictly by utility. Yet paradoxically, he longed for pure affection.

Devotion without reward.

That was Sharlan's target keyword.

I don't know what happened…… but he probably received another scolding from the Duke.

He let out a dry chuckle.

[Sharlan] "Why? After receiving help once, do you think I became your ally, Sister? Don't misunderstand. I acted because taking your side brought more profit than taking Rebecca's."

[Satina] "I don't misunderstand. I am worried if something happened."

[Sharlan] "You should worry about your own situation rather than mine. If your betrothal with the Crown Prince breaks, Father is determined to sell you off as a second wife to an old man over seventy."

[Satina] "Does my situation mean I shouldn't worry about you?"

[Sharlan] "Because it yields no profit to you, Sister."

[Satina] "Then what about to you?"

[Sharlan] "What are you trying to say?"

[Satina] "Does it harm you?"

His brow furrowed.

[Satina] "Whether I worry about you or not, you suffer no loss, right? So I will handle my own actions."

Satina reached out to touch the skin near his eyes, but Sharlan swatted her hand away roughly.

[Sharlan] "……Foolish. Do as you wish."

Though her struck hand stung, she paid no mind.

Ding!

[Liv] "Sharlan's Affection increased by 3."

Unlike his words and actions, the system couldn't hide reality.

---

The Imperial Palace of the Crown Prince.

When the sun rose, the gold-decorated palace sparkled brilliantly, earning the name 'Sun Palace' among the populace.

The master of the palace and future ruler of the empire, Crown Prince Lexion, lay lazily listening to an attendant's report.

Having just awakened, he wore only a robe over bare skin. Though he lacked a golden crown or fur-trimmed cloak, an aura of supreme authority overflowed from him. Between the parted robe, his wild physique showed.

[Lexion] "Satina Bersabet used holy power to drive away a magical beast, you say……"

His voice carried no emotion, sounding as though he spoke of a stranger rather than his fiancée.

Even so, she is his fiancée, yet he can be so cold. Well, His Highness acting like this is nothing new.

The attendant recalled the last day Satina visited. When she came to see Lexion, he ordered knights to drag her out by force.

I heard that day was her birthday…… Quite unfortunate, really.

The attendant held little fondness for Satina.

Timid, gloomy, prickly, sensitive, foolish. She appeared to combine all the worst traits a noble could display.

Yet that day, the sight of Satina being dragged away by knights was pathetic enough to elicit pity even from him. It looked not like turning away a fiancée, but throwing out a persistent stalker.

Yet I don't know why he maintains the betrothal.

Lexion differed from Satina, whose standing in her family was unstable. He was the Empress's sole son, promised the Emperor's throne from birth—an arrogant man who had never bowed to anyone.

When such a man declared his engagement to Satina—who was not even Duke Bersabet's biological daughter and held little standing in the family—the empire's high society was thrown into turmoil.

Romantic rumors spread that the Crown Prince loved Satina, but the attendant was certain that was false.

No one treats a loved person that way.

If he wished, he could end the betrothal with Satina at any moment, yet for years he maintained the engagement. It remained the empire's greatest mystery.

He tossed the report into the wastebasket and spoke.

[Lexion] "There is no need to report such trivial matters. I know well that the woman can't use holy power. Duke Bersabet must have schemed something."

[Attendant] "However, Your Highness, what if Lady Satina can actually use holy power now?"

[Lexion] "Well……"

He tilted his head lazily, his red hair swaying softly. His golden eyes showed no interest whatsoever.

[Lexion] "Even so, Satina remains Satina."

---

Meanwhile, Satina stared at the quest window floating before her with a serious face, lost in thought.

My entire wealth right now is 199 gold. How do I get money?

[Liv] "Quest: Win the auction for Male Lead Target 4 from the slave trader within 3 days."

[Liv] "Reward: Male Lead Target 4's Affection +20"

---

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