IHDOE Ch 91
[Lexion] "Does such a man even exist?"
Of course not.
Still, if Satina looked carefully, men who commanded high society alongside Lexion did exist. The problem was that one was her stepbrother, and she had just kicked the other one's shin on her way here.
She spoke in a steady voice.
[Satina] "Anyone would be better than you."
[Lexion] "Hmm?"
[Satina] "At least other men possess enough shame to know they shouldn't see another woman while engaged."
While nobles secretly kept mistresses or cheated behind closed doors, the Empire legally enforced monogamy. Lexion could flaunt his affairs so boldly only because Satina, driven mad by family pressure, had tolerated it all.
She had likely harbored a sliver of genuine affection for him back then, too. Perhaps she had foolishly believed he would return to her if she waited long enough.
At any rate, the past was the past. Whether he cheated or brought in three thousand concubines meant nothing to her now. She simply wanted an annulment.
[Lexion] "Didn't I break things off with Coraline?"
[Satina] "A wound may heal, but the scar remains."
[Lexion] "Is that why you are wandering around looking for another man?"
[Satina] "You met another woman while engaged to me, so why shouldn't I do the same?"
[Lexion] "Seeking attention with such nonsense is getting tiresome."
She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and replied indifferently.
[Satina] "Think whatever you wish. From now on, I intend to enjoy a delightful romance with someone else."
Lexion noticed the red handprint on her wrist, his eyes gleaming with a strange intensity.
Unaware of his gaze, Satina turned and walked away, her business finished.
To Lexion, Satina's words always sounded like meaningless rambling. Her bragging about restored holy power, her elevated status in her family, her desperate attempts to stir his jealousy with demands for an annulment—it was all tiresome.
Yet her claim that she would find another man was ridiculous enough to make him laugh. He would sooner believe House Bersabet had collapsed overnight than believe such nonsense.
Her family had chased him so persistently. Satina in particular used to look at him with desperate eyes, as if he were her sole savior. And now she claimed she would find someone else.
He dismissed it as empty talk. Until he noticed the mark on her wrist. The bruised skin looked as though someone had gripped her tightly. It was far too large to belong to a woman.
A man?
Come to think of it, Satina had walked over from the secluded gardens where lovers met in secret. Her dress had looked slightly disheveled, too. It was the result of her struggle with Tyron in the bushes, but Lexion had no way of knowing that.
He stared down the path she had taken, lost in thought. Just then, Tyron stepped onto the path.
[Tyron] "Were you here, Your Highness? You look serious. Is something troubling you?"
[Lexion] "No."
Troubling.
Satina wasn't worth worrying about.
[Lexion] "I met Satina."
He bit the inside of his cheek to hide his reaction.
[Tyron] "Is that so? It seems she attended the party today as well."
[Lexion] "Yes."
Irritation flared in Tyron's chest. He hated that Lexion paid Satina any attention, even for a moment.
Lexion dismissed her with a careless wave.
[Lexion] "She has grown arrogant lately, claiming she will find another man."
[Tyron] "..."
[Lexion] "What a foolish delusion. Who could possibly want a woman like her?"
[Tyron] "Someone might like her."
[Lexion] "What?"
He turned to look at Tyron, surprised by the sudden contradiction from a usually submissive vassal.
Tyron felt his master's sharp gaze and quickly bowed his head.
[Tyron] "It is nothing. I thought it plausible given her status as a ducal daughter."
He stared silently at the back of Tyron's head.
[Lexion] "Come to think of it, Tyron, did you see her today?"
[Tyron] "No."
[Lexion] "I see."
He glanced down the path Tyron and Satina had walked. Like an annoying snag on silk, an unpleasant mood washed over him, though he couldn't understand why.
He asked, his face perfectly composed.
[Lexion] "Tyron, do you know why I chose you as my confidant among countless nobles?"
[Tyron] "Is it not because you know I am your most loyal servant?"
[Lexion] "Good that you know."
He patted his shoulder.
[Lexion] "Enough of that. Report on the situation in the west."
After parting from Lexion, Satina returned straight home.
Seeing his face had brought on a throbbing headache born of pure stress. Though she went to bed early, sleep proved elusive.
She counted on her fingers, calculating how much time she had left.
About a month and a half...
It was both long and short.
Deep anxiety gnawed at her as she wondered what horrible ending awaited if she failed to break the engagement before her time ran out.
Will I be executed? Or framed again and imprisoned for life?
No matter how hard she tried to stay optimistic, only gruesome possibilities came to mind.
It was tragic yet absurd, but dying painlessly of a heart attack almost sounded preferable.
Satina pulled the heavy duvet over her head. Though the weather had warmed considerably, she still buried herself beneath a thick cotton quilt.
Cheney frequently asked if she was too hot, but Satina couldn't help it. Even under the warm sun, memories of her past bad endings chilled her to the bone.
She tried to clear her mind, but her thoughts raced unchecked, eventually dredging up a bad ending she had experienced firsthand.
She remembered the temple, where knights had cut her down as she fled from Serpens. The crowd had cheered over her lifeless body.
We eliminated the villainess Satina! She tried to kill the Saintess!
Peace has returned to the Empire! Praise the Lord!
Satina curled into a ball and buried her face in the pillow.
It's fine. It's a game. This is just a game.
Even knowing it was a game, the vivid memories made her stomach turn. Perhaps her senses had heightened after successfully clearing Sharlan's route.
She spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, tormented by nightmares.
She let out a soft sigh as she sat down for breakfast the next morning.
What a gruesome dream.
In her dream, Lexion had suffered a sudden change of heart, declaring he didn't care about her wishes and adamantly refusing her request for an annulment.
Though her head throbbed from sleep deprivation, she couldn't stay in bed. Today she was scheduled to view Countess Sorwen's art collection. Canceling on short notice would lower her affection score, which she couldn't risk.
She wanted to skip breakfast, but Sharlan had requested her company for once, making a refusal impossible. She needed to maintain Sharlan's high affection score.
Satina quietly sliced her steak.
[Sharlan] "I heard you are visiting House Sorwen today?"
[Satina] "Yes."
She fought back her headache and nodded passively. The rich smell of cooked meat, which usually stimulated her appetite, now made her nauseous. Forcing a smile felt impossible.
[Sharlan] "Since it's on my way, shall I give you a ride?"
Is our blood connected? Are we family?
We are complete strangers with no real connection at all.
The mocking voices from her past bad endings echoed in her ears. Her fingers tightened around her knife. Without realizing it, she spoke in a cold, sharp tone.
[Satina] "No need."
Clang!
Her hand slipped under the tension, and the blade struck the plate with a harsh clang. The sound snapped her back to reality.
She looked up to find Sharlan staring at her, surprised by her sudden harshness. She quickly forced a warm smile.
[Satina] "Ah, I'm sorry. Forgive me. I couldn't sleep last night, so I must be a bit tired."
[Sharlan] "In that case, wouldn't it be better to postpone today's appointment and rest?"
She shook her head.
[Satina] "It's not that severe. Besides, I am looking forward to the artwork the Countess possesses."
He studied her face with suspicion before nodding.
I just need to endure until summer.
She reassured herself again.
Until summer.
Once she broke her engagement and left the Empire, she would never have to see Sharlan again.
Suppressing her nausea, she forced down a piece of meat.
Her reflection gleamed faintly in her glass. She was wearing a perfect smile.
Forcing herself to eat through her nausea resulted in severe indigestion.
As she leaned against the carriage window, Katan looked over at her.
[Katan] "Is your stomach unwell?"
[Satina] "No, I'm fine."
[Katan] "You look pale."
[Satina] "I'm fine."
[Katan] "Is that so?"
He suddenly took her hand. Before she could ask what he was doing, he pressed firmly on the pressure point between her thumb and forefinger.
[Satina] "Ugh."
She winced at the sharp pain, but he remained composed.
[Katan] "Indeed, your stomach is unwell. It seems like indigestion."
She pulled her hand back and rubbed her sore skin.
[Satina] "You're quick to notice. How did you know?"
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