I stood at a distance, surrounded by a sea of people in the great hall.
Candlelight from the crystal chandeliers spilled across the hall.
It reflected off wine glasses and noble jewelry.
Murmured conversations drifted everywhere.
But their gazes—
were not hidden at all.
Almost everyone was looking at him.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Doesn't he notice?
Or is he pretending not to?
At that moment, he lifted his head.
Our eyes met.
Just for an instant.
The corner of his lips lifted. He raised the wine glass in his hand—
as if offering a greeting from afar.
I did not respond.
I simply held his gaze, cold and unmoving.
He pouted slightly, as though a joke had just been rejected. But the next moment, the corner of his mouth curled again.
A sly smile.
Without another word, he quickly snatched a glass of wine from the tray of a passing maid.
The tray trembled.
And then—
The glass tilted.
Dark red wine spilled across his clothes.
The maid staggered back in shock.
A few nobles nearby gasped.
"Oh!"
"How careless."
But the gasps quickly turned into laughter.
Fans lifted to hide half their faces.
Smirks appeared.
Fingers pointed.
They mocked him openly.
Without the slightest restraint.
My hand tightened slightly.
For some reason, irritation rose in my chest.
At that moment, he looked down at the wine soaking into his coat.
Then he laughed.
And spoke loudly enough for those around him to hear.
"To be splashed with the precious wine of a ducal house…"
He spread his arms slightly, as if presenting himself to the crowd.
"…doesn't that make me look more 'noble' now?"
The great hall immediately erupted in laughter.
Some nobles even applauded.
I watched him.
Is he truly foolish?
Or just pretending?
A thought flickered through my mind.
Suddenly, I wanted to drag every barrel of Father's precious wine out of the cellar—
and pour it over his head.
Pour it until—
he drowned in it.
The image almost made me laugh.
I imagined Old Brom's face when he discovered the wine cellar completely empty.
He would tear at his hair in panic.
And Father—
Father would certainly roar in fury over his precious wine.
Thinking about that, I let out a quiet breath.
Never mind.
That idea would have to be set aside.
I'm sure my sister would raise both hands in agreement if she knew what I had just been thinking.
I shook my head lightly.
Then turned away from the great hall.
I still had to meet the head seamstress.
It wouldn't be proper to keep her waiting.
----
As I passed through the inner garden, the air grew cooler.
The flower bushes were neatly trimmed. Hanging lanterns cast a soft golden light over the stone paths.
A few knights and servants stood in small groups, attending to nobles who were resting in the garden.
I walked past them.
But as I passed, fragments of their conversation drifted into my ears.
"The duke's daughter marrying a baron?"
One voice scoffed.
"House Mariel is lowering itself."
Another voice let out a mocking laugh.
"What a joke."
Each sentence reached my ears.
One after another.
With every word, my chest tightened.
An uncomfortable feeling rose within me.
I didn't want to hear any more.
I quickened my pace.
I just needed to get past this area.
But as I walked by, a few people in the group turned their heads.
A whistle rang out.
I halted for half a step.
…There were probably too many noble ladies here tonight.
They didn't recognize me.
One of them laughed loudly.
"When I become a baron, I'll propose to you, beauty!"
Another immediately cut in.
"Hey! My older brother is a baron too!"
Laughter erupted behind me.
I didn't turn around.
I pretended not to hear.
And simply continued walking into another corridor.
------
The stone corridor led back toward the main hall.
Lamps hung along the walls, stretching into long bands of light.
Just then, a group of guests approached from the far end.
I narrowed my eyes.
Their faces… were very familiar.
My heart tightened slightly.
Of course.
Duke Barta.
My father's rival—like fire and water.
Beside him walked Count Ragi.
And Marquis Tilon.
The three power figures of the court.
The very men Father always mentioned with a troubled expression.
I immediately stepped back.
Pressing myself into the corner of a narrow passage.
Hoping they would pass without noticing me.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the stone floor.
Their conversation grew clearer.
Duke Barta's voice sounded first.
"A baron?"
He chuckled softly.
"He thinks he deserves this marriage?"
Count Ragi snorted.
"To overlook my noble son… just to choose a baron."
Duke Barta shook his head.
"Albus's judgment truly leaves me… disappointed."
Marquis Tilon's voice joined in.
"Gentlemen, perhaps the royal family is backing him."
He gave a thin smile.
"His title may be elevated someday."
The count stroked his beard.
"No."
He drew out the word.
"I find this marriage… quite interesting."
A brief silence followed.
"Choices like this… are rarely about love."
Duke Barta laughed.
"In any case…"
He tightened his gloves.
Then placed a hand behind his back and continued walking with firm steps.
"…I'm waiting to see their little show."
His shoes struck loudly against the stone floor.
As if crushing an ant beneath his heel.
They continued their conversation.
Then passed by the corner of the corridor where I stood.
Not one of them looked my way.
But every word they spoke continued to echo in my mind.
My heart grew heavy.
I kept walking.
One step.
Then another.
I didn't know where I was going.
I just walked.
My mind was empty.
Until I stopped.
When I looked up—
I was standing in front of Father's study.
The long corridor outside the room was completely empty.
The maids and servants were probably busy preparing for the banquet. That was likely why this area was so quiet.
The door to Father's room was slightly ajar.
From inside—
I could hear two people talking.
I quietly stepped closer to the door.
In the silent corridor, the voices from Father's room carried clearly.
One of them was my father's.
The other… deeper.
I pressed myself against the wall.
Through the narrow gap of the half-closed door, I could see Father.
He was sitting behind his desk.
Both hands pressed against the heavy wooden surface, his head slightly lowered.
His brows were drawn so tightly together they almost met.
Across from him, a man in a brown cloak was holding a sheet of paper.
The man stood with his head slightly bowed.
Then his voice spoke.
"My lord, I have investigated Baron Alasto as you ordered."
"Since he inherited the territory, the people there have lived in relative peace. The taxes are not heavy, and the harvests are well protected."
"The people respect him. Many even admire him."
"Under his rule… the Alasto house appears to be rising rather quickly."
At that, my father let out a faint snort.
The sound was quiet—
but in the silent corridor, it carried clearly.
He leaned forward slightly, both hands pressed against the desk. His gaze darkened.
His brows were tightly drawn together, as if he were waiting for something.
I felt a faint sense of unease.
Why would Father investigate Baron Alasto…
so thoroughly?
The man in the brown cloak continued speaking from inside the room.
"Furthermore… his territory has recently attracted quite a few merchants."
"Trade routes are gradually shifting through his lands."
"Several smaller houses in the region have already begun relying on him for protection."
"It seems… his influence is steadily growing."
The man paused briefly before continuing.
"At present, every faction within the court is trying to draw him to their side."
"Additionally… based on my preliminary assessment of the current situation, things are not looking very favorable, Your Grace."
"There are two pieces of news. One good, one bad."
"Which would you like to hear first?"
My father answered quietly, his voice lowering.
"The situation for our family…"
"cannot become much worse than it already is."
"Speak."
"Do not hesitate."
The hooded man coughed softly before continuing.
"The bad news is… if the other side offers greater benefits, Alasto could very well betray us."
"And when that happens…"
"The young lady will be in danger."
He paused briefly.
"The good news is… at least for now, Alasto has not made any move."
"The rebels have not revealed their claws either."
"But… the situation cannot truly be called safe."
His voice lowered further.
"If something happens to the young lady…"
"Alasto will certainly change sides."
"And when that happens…"
"The royal family will be in danger."
My father's voice echoed from inside the room.
Low.
And cold.
"Do you not think…"
"If Alasto truly intended to betray us…"
"The first thing he would need to do…"
"would simply be to eliminate my daughter?"
The hooded man immediately replied.
"Yes."
"Even if he intends to betray you… eliminating the young lady and presenting it as a gift to those damned nobles…"
"would be enough to prove where he stands."
He slowed his speech.
"The young lady right now…"
"…is truly in the position of a fish on the cutting board."
"Death could fall at any moment."
Every word felt like a nail being driven into my chest.
I already knew I was nothing more than a hostage.
But I never imagined…
that in their eyes…
I was not even a valuable hostage.
Just a chess piece.
Once I was no longer necessary…
they would discard me without hesitation.
My thoughts spiraled.
My legs trembled slightly, almost losing their balance.
At that moment, my father's voice sounded again from inside the room.
"It would be best to send more people to investigate the secrets of House Alasto."
He spoke slowly.
"We must uncover them."
"We need to grasp his weakness as soon as possible."
"Only then…"
"…can we ensure my daughter's safety."
Then he continued.
"Also, Riculos."
"Send more men to accompany the young lady's escort."
"If possible…"
"you should go with them as well."
I froze slightly.
Riculos…
So the man giving the report was Knight Riculos.
My father's most loyal guard.
And…
Father had always been worried about me.
I quickly raised both hands to cover my mouth, stopping the gasp that almost escaped.
Inside the room, Riculos continued.
"There are many nobles present at the banquet."
"We have tried our best to keep this information from spreading."
"You said only people from the safer regions were invited."
His voice lowered.
"Then why—"
My father cut him off.
"Who else?"
He spoke slowly.
"Of course."
"Alasto."
He was the one who spread the news of the wedding to those ill-intentioned nobles.
Clang.
A faint metallic sound rang out.
Something fell to the floor.
Perhaps Riculos had dropped something.
Then his voice came, unable to hide his shock.
"What?"
"Then… Your Grace… are you saying…?"
I froze as well.
He…
Was he really the one who spread that rumor?
What exactly was he planning?
My father's calm voice echoed in the quiet room.
"Not so fast."
He paused for a moment.
"I also want to see… what exactly Alasto is plotting."
Riculos cleared his throat.
His hands clenched into fists.
"Your Grace… in my opinion, He's clearly cutting off his own retreat."
"If we win the territorial war… and the royal family regains its power, they might very well discard his contributions."
"That's why he spread the news of this marriage."
"Not only to block the young lady's retreat…"
"…but also the royal family's."
The room fell silent for a moment.
My father let out a quiet hum.
"I once thought the same."
He slowly leaned back in his chair.
"But the more I think about it… the more something feels wrong."
His gaze darkened.
"Alasto is not the type to act so recklessly."
"What I see now is not a man driven by fear…"
"…but a man deliberately stepping into the center of the storm."
My father tapped his finger lightly against the desk.
"The rumor of this marriage spreads."
"All the nobles are talking about it."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"They will laugh at him."
"They will say he is reaching above his station."
"They will say a baron dares to dream of marrying a duke's daughter."
"His name will become a joke among the nobles."
My father lifted his head.
"And yet he still did it."
"He even made sure everyone would know."
My father raised a hand and rubbed his temple.
His voice grew lower.
"The most frightening thing… is not how powerful Alasto might be.
It is that we have absolutely no idea…
what he is thinking."
A long silence followed.
Then he spoke slowly.
"A man willing to stand beneath the scornful gaze of every noble…"
"…must be planning something far greater."
My father shook his head slightly.
"Alasto…"
"He's the kind of man you can never read."
He leaned his head back against the chair.
His brows were drawn so tightly together they nearly touched.
His eyes drifted toward the door.
Then suddenly—
His gaze froze.
He stared directly at the gap in the door.
A shadow.
Before I could react—
My father slammed his hand onto the desk.
"Who's there?!"
His shout thundered through the room.
Immediately—
Clang!
The sound of metal leaving its sheath.
Riculos had drawn his sword.
Everything happened too fast.
I only saw a flash of silver tearing through the air.
The blade shot straight toward me.
I froze where I stood.
The sword stopped—
Right in front of my face.
Only a few inches away.
A single strand of hair drifted down.
Riculos froze.
His eyes widened.
"…Lady Rosa?"
His voice was filled with shock.
"Why are you here?"