Chapter 57

Jocelyn’s laughter froze, her expression turning to ice. Behind her, Marlena gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth, while Aidas, the escort standing rigidly at her side, flushed crimson with fury. His grip tightened on his sword hilt as if personally insulted.

“How dare you insult royalty? Do you have a death wish?” he bellowed, his voice sharp with anger. His stance tensed, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

But Odelliana remained unmoved. She didn’t shrink back, didn’t tremble. Instead, she folded her arms and met Jocelyn’s gaze head-on.

“You can’t kill me,” she said plainly.

Jocelyn’s eyes narrowed. “…What?”

Odelliana tilted her head slightly. “You were the one who barged in here uninvited. You were the one who first showed discourtesy. If you kill me now, the Duke of Grüsewald—your key ally—will turn his back on you. Are you prepared for that?”

Jocelyn’s lips curled into a sneer. “What makes you think a mere disgrace of a noble family is enough to make the Duke abandon me?”

Odelliana arched a brow. “And you don’t find it strange that the ever-cold Duke keeps a so-called disgrace alive? If your judgment is this shortsighted, I wonder what great ambitions you think you can accomplish.”

Aidas’ fury snapped. His hand flew to his sword.

“This insolent wench—I’ll kill her at once!” he roared.

The blade flashed as he drew it, the steel catching the light with a chilling gleam. He lunged, the weapon slicing through the air toward Odelliana’s throat.

But just as it was about to strike—

The door swung open.

Someone rushed in—swift as the wind.

Clang!

A sharp metallic clash rang through the room as Aidas’s sword was struck aside.

Jocelyn’s eyes widened in shock. Aidas blinked, his mind scrambling to process what had just happened. His grip flexed instinctively, but the weight of his blade was gone.

“Are you unharmed?”

The voice that broke the tense silence was steady, unshaken. Matthias.

Only then did Jocelyn and Aidas turn to see the young boy standing in front of Odelliana, shielding her as though she were a priceless treasure. Aidas’s jaw clenched. The humiliation of being disarmed by a mere child sent his pride spiraling into fury.

“How dare you insult His Highness the Prince and expect to walk away unscathed?” he spat, his voice trembling with rage.

But Odelliana, unruffled, met his fury with composed defiance.

“The Second Prince I know is kind to all women,” she said coolly. “And he happens to be my younger sister’s esteemed fiancé. Therefore, you are no prince—you are nothing more than a common thug. And I see no reason to treat a common thug with courtesy.”

Aidas’s breath hitched. “How dare you! His Highness is the radiant sun of the great Kingdom of Reveln!”

Odelliana’s lips curled in a knowing smile. “Do you truly believe His Highness would behave so crudely and disgracefully? If you insist on impersonating the kingdom’s shining sun, I shall summon my father at once and have the royal family informed.”

Aidas’s face burned crimson. Words failed him. He trembled with barely contained fury, his bloodshot eyes dangerously close to bursting with frustration. His rage consumed him so entirely that, for a fleeting moment, he looked as if he might clutch his chest and collapse from sheer indignation.

Jocelyn, who had remained silent, her expression stony, finally spoke. Her voice was low, measured.

“Enough, Aidas. Do not make a scene.”

“B-But, Your Highness—” Aidas stammered, his breath ragged.

Jocelyn ignored Aidas’s sputtering protests, turning his gaze to Odelliana instead. The corners of his lips curled into a smirk.

“It seems I’ve suffered quite the humiliation at your hands today,” he mused, his voice light, almost amused.

Odelliana met his gaze without a flicker of hesitation. “You should have thought twice before acting so disgracefully.”

Jocelyn chuckled. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

“There won’t be a next time,” she said firmly. “Neither of us wishes to see the other again.”

At her resolute tone, Jocelyn tilted his head, regarding her with quiet amusement. Then, with a soft shake of his head, he sighed.

“That’s unfortunate,” he murmured. “I have a feeling I’ll want to see you again. I find it hard to let things go without paying them back in kind.”

Odelliana’s expression remained unchanged, her voice cool and unwavering. “What a pity. I, on the other hand, haven’t even begun to return what I’ve received.” She stepped forward slightly, the air between them crackling with unspoken challenge. “Regardless, next time, I suggest you follow the proper procedures before barging in. If you wish to be treated with dignity, you ought to show some yourself.”

A blatant dismissal—bold, impudent.

Yet Jocelyn did not correct her insolence. He simply studied her for a moment longer before turning on his heel.

He had been humiliated by a so-called lame noblewoman, his composure rattled beyond what he cared to admit. Though frustration simmered beneath his skin, he saw no merit in staying and stirring further trouble. At least, not for now.

And so, he left. His movements were smooth, composed, as if to feign indifference. Aidas hesitated for a moment, casting Odelliana a glare that burned with unspoken threats before hurriedly following after him.

Silence settled in the wake of their departure—tense, thick, like the calm after a violent storm.

It was Marlena who finally broke it.

“How could you be so outrageously disrespectful to His Highness the Prince?” she asked, her voice edged with disbelief.

Odelliana exhaled, her tone flat. “He was the one who was rude first.”

Marlena shook her head, exasperated. “And what if he demands accountability for today?”

“He won’t,” Odelliana said simply.

Marlena’s brow furrowed. “What makes you so sure? His Highness the Second Prince may have a stellar reputation, but he’s not the type to let an insult slide.”

Odelliana’s lips curled ever so slightly. “He’s also not foolish enough to go around publicly declaring he was humiliated by a woman.”

Exactly. How could he possibly retaliate?

This was the Grüsewald Ducal Estate, and Jocelyn was the future son-in-law of the duke. He had trespassed into a forbidden annex, uncovering secrets that should have remained buried. He wouldn’t dare spread word of it.

To openly seek retribution for today’s insult, he would first have to expose Odelliana’s existence. And Jocelyn wasn’t reckless enough to pull such a stunt.

“He wouldn’t boast about it,” Odelliana said, her voice tinged with quiet certainty. “He’s someone who puts great effort into maintaining his image.”

Marlena frowned. “This was your first time meeting His Highness, wasn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

“Yet you speak as though you know him well.”

Odelliana’s lips curled into a faint, weary smile. “…People like him are easy to read.”

She had seen enough of them.

Turning away, she met Matthias’s gaze and softened. “Matthias… Thank you. You saved my life.”

“I’m just glad you’re safe,” he murmured.

Without another word, Matthias pulled her into a tight embrace, his grip firm, almost desperate. He didn’t let go. His usually calm expression wavered—an unusual flicker of distress flashing in his eyes.

Odelliana gently patted his broad back, offering silent reassurance. Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Marlena quietly excused herself to fetch some tea.

“…You must have been really scared,” she said softly.

Matthias remained silent.

Odelliana sighed, still nestled in his arms. A complex wave of emotions settled over her.

She had now faced Jocelyn. Faced Odette. Her enemies from a past life. And yet, rather than plotting revenge, she found herself struggling just to survive.

The esteemed daughter of a northern lord. The king’s own son, the Second Prince. The ones she sought to crush were far larger than she had imagined—immovable as boulders, while she was nothing more than an egg.

Matthias’s voice cut through her thoughts, low and simmering with rage.

“I want to kill every single person who stands against you, Master. If possible, I’d do it right now.”

She stilled.

“The only thing I want is for you to have peace,” he continued, his tone raw. “But even that simple wish isn’t being granted.”

His breathing grew heavy, his arms tightening around her. His agitation was palpable—the way he gritted his teeth, the sharp exhale as if struggling to contain his emotions.

It was a rare sight.

Odelliana’s breath caught. Matthias was always so unshakable—what could possibly frighten him this much?

“Are you afraid to stay by my side?” she asked, her voice quieter than before.

Matthias exhaled sharply. “I’m afraid of losing you,” he admitted. “You have too many enemies, Master. And because of that…”

“Yes,” she murmured. “I’m surrounded on all sides.”

She had never asked for much.

Had she been born in a different body, she might have quietly settled into this second life, content with a peaceful existence. But fate had not granted her such mercy. She was neither noble nor commoner—she existed in an ambiguous state, caught between privilege and abandonment. If only she had not been born as Odette’s sister, perhaps things would have been different.

Her gaze sharpened. “Matthias, can you wield your sword—not to protect me, but for my sake?”

Matthias stiffened.

“If I wished for it,” she continued, her tone unwavering, “would you be able to kill for me?”

Someday, she would have to stain her hands with blood.

A time would come when the sword must be drawn—not for justice, but for necessity.

“Would you be willing to fight, even if it meant getting hurt for someone like me?”

Matthias slowly pulled away, his dark eyes unreadable. For a long moment, he simply stared at her, his expression betraying nothing. Then, at last, he spoke.

“How many?”

“…What?”

“How many lives must I take?”

Odelliana hesitated. “Two… No, perhaps dozens. Maybe even hundreds. Thousands. More than we can count.”

Matthias did not answer. His gaze dropped, lost in thought, his fingers curling at his sides.

Odelliana did not press him.

By then, Marlena had returned, and their conversation was left unfinished.

“…I’ll step out for a while,” Matthias murmured.

And with that, he was gone.

Odelliana took his silence as his answer.

After all, her enemies were no mere nuisances—they were the prince of the kingdom and a duke who ruled vast lands.

The question she had posed was not just a question—it was a demand. Would he become her sword? Would he resign himself to a life of servitude, bound to her cause?

His silence had been a refusal.

She didn’t blame him.

No one, unless a fool, would agree to take on such an impossible battle for the sake of a single person.

But then—

Past midnight, Matthias returned.

Dragging behind him a corpse Odelliana knew all too well.