I was worried that Lord Roadgo might not be able to decipher it, but now I felt a wave of relief.
However, that relief was short-lived. The overwhelming presence before me abruptly cut off my train of thought.
His eyes, filled with furious madness, were not just icy blue but carried the darkness of a moonless night.
The eerie, almost terrifying aura clawed at my heart, sending shivers down my spine.
This side of him, so different from the cold indifference I’d faced before, was unfamiliar and unsettling, making my body tremble involuntarily.
Cassius closed the distance between us with large strides, stopping only when he was right in front of me.
“Do you think I’m a fool?”
The proximity, the oppressive gaze, the disdainful expression—his overwhelming presence instinctively made me shrink back.
The man before me was far more formidable than any of the hundreds of powerful figures I’d dealt with before. But I blinked, feigning ignorance.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Thanks to years of training, my inner turmoil didn’t show on the surface.
But I couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or if it was working against me this time.
“Do you really think I’m that naive?”
Cassius smirked, one corner of his mouth curling up, and dropped something in front of me.
It was a simple stone fragment, but I couldn’t mistake its identity.
It was the very “mark” I had sent to Lord Roadgo for deciphering.
And on it, as I had expected, was the unmistakable seal of Snowfell that Lord Roadgo had analyzed.
Of course, all I could do was play dumb.
“What is this?”
Cassius let out a bitter laugh and glared at me.
His sharp, glass-like gaze seemed to pierce through me, cutting into my very flesh.
“Your acting is so convincing. Does Snowfell teach that too?”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t?”
Cassius clenched his teeth, and a maddened light flickered in his eyes.
“This was found near Rosemary Manor,” he said, his voice dripping with disgust.
As long as Diarov and I were entangled, I could never escape this cycle.
*‘Those shackles of a gaze will keep piercing me.’*
Ah, now I understood. In this state, I couldn’t sway Cassius’s heart even a little. Not unless I erased Diarov from my existence.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“What?”
First, I needed to peel off the label of Snowfell from myself. To seduce him.
“I’m no longer a part of Snowfell.”
Of course, Cassius wasn’t foolish enough to be swayed by such words. If he were, I wouldn’t have fallen for him in the first place.
Cassius glared at me sharply, as if daring me to say more.
“From the moment I became the Crown Princess, I’ve rightfully carried the name of Wolfdor.”
“You don’t actually think that just because you were granted a title, you’re now part of the royal family, do you?”
“It’s not a delusion—it’s the truth.”
“Stop spouting nonsense.”
“If Snowfell tries anything against Your Highness, I won’t stand idly by.”
“Are you seriously asking me to believe that?”
It felt like standing before a wall. Then again, given Snowfell’s past atrocities, his reaction was understandable.
Moreover, Cassius was now convinced that Snowfell had done something to me. So, of course, my words wouldn’t reach him.
“Tell your father this: he will pay dearly for his despicable actions.”
A thick vein bulged on Cassius’s neck. His gaunt face and the fear hidden beneath his anger were painfully clear.
The pure sincerity in his trembling concern for me was so beautiful, it took up a corner of my vision.
Now I understood. His sincerity couldn’t be broken by mere persuasion or feigned ignorance. To break through, this was the only way.
“It’ll be difficult to destroy Snowfell with just this.”
At my words, Cassius’s face visibly twisted.
The peaceful setting of a couple’s luncheon had instantly turned into a negotiation table.
“The arrogance of that so-called great family knows no bounds.”
His tone was as mocking as his gaze was cold.
He seemed to think I was belittling the royal family.
“I understand Your Highness’s feelings, but you need to think rationally.”
“……”
“My father isn’t someone who’ll back down easily. You need to secure the greatest advantage from this evidence.”
Duke Diarov was meticulous enough to have already anticipated Cassius’s moves.
*‘He’s probably already dealt with that mage.’*
Moreover, the mage had attempted to break the barrier. And that attempt had failed.
This meant that using this incident to condemn Snowfell in a territorial dispute would be insufficient.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was suggesting letting it go.
Duke Diarov would undoubtedly suffer significant damage if this escalated.
The crime of encroaching on another’s territory would worsen public opinion among the nobility.
For now, the best course of action was to use this to secure tangible benefits.
Take the most valuable thing Snowfell currently possesses, Cassius.
“Use that mark as leverage to seize the Benedict Trade Route.”
“……”
“Externally, the Benedict Trade Route may not seem like much, but in reality, it’s Snowfell’s primary source of income.”
The Benedict Trade Route was Snowfell’s most crucial financial artery.
During my time as Rachel, I had uncovered this while investigating Snowfell. The route held many secrets.
If Cassius had read my reports, he would undoubtedly know about it.
Perhaps that was why Cassius’s eyes flickered.
*‘He’s trying to gauge whether I know what I’m talking about.’*
He didn’t seem to believe I could know such things, as his gaze soon turned contemplative.
When he finally spoke, his voice was as cold as a winter storm.
“Why are you telling me this? Are you trying to make a deal with me now?”
His expression was one of utter disgust.
A deal. Yes, that word fit the current atmosphere perfectly.
After all, I was betraying my own family to give him this information. It was only natural he’d think I wanted something in return.
I hesitated for a moment.
Should I propose setting a time to meet? Or ask to be involved in political affairs?
Fundamentally, to seduce someone, you need to stay close to them, don’t you?
But that’s what amateurs at the negotiation table would do.
A skilled negotiator hides their true intentions deep within, to captivate the other party and secure something greater.
And there would never be a better opportunity than this.
“Of course not. I want nothing.”
“What?”
“I told you, didn’t I? I’m Your Highness’s person now.”
For the briefest moment, Cassius’s eyes wavered ever so slightly.
As if he found it strange that I hadn’t asked for anything in return.
But that didn’t immediately reflect in his demeanor.
“Don’t push your luck with this nonsense.”
“If you don’t believe me, verify it yourself. With Your Highness’s insight, you’ll surely realize that the Benedict Trade Route is Snowfell’s golden goose.”
The Benedict Trade Route was a maritime passage connecting three kingdoms, with immense potential value.
Currently, it was being used as a neglected route due to the opening of neighboring kingdoms’ passages, but their movements were suspicious.
It wasn’t just the potential that made the route valuable.
I knew its secrets well. Hidden there were vast resources.
Things like ancient relics.
If Cassius seized them, I might get a chance to see them too.
It could even help me regain my magic.
But more importantly, this was the bigger goal.
“Cut off Snowfell’s financial lifeline first.”
“You expect me to believe the words of someone who’s Snowfell to the bone?”
“The choice is yours, but you won’t regret trusting me on this.”
His blue eyes, now filled not with anger but with curiosity, studied me intently.
*‘Cassius will surely realize the truth in my words.’*
Once this was over, maybe he’d start to trust me, even just a little.
A faint hope fluttered in my heart like a gentle breeze.
*
After leaving Vivian behind, Cassius stood under the shadow of a tree, taking deep breaths to calm himself.
The Benedict Trade Route was the last place Rachel had been investigating.
And hidden there were tremendous relics.
Deep within an underwater cave lay countless ancient texts the empire had long sought.
There was an oracle that spoke of immense power hidden within.
Rachel had tried to uncover that incredible secret, intending to help him until the very end.
Just thinking about it made Cassius’s heart ache.
But then.
*‘Vivian, why would she…?’*
Vivian wasn’t the type to be astute enough to read the political landscape so well.
*‘What scheme is she plotting now?’*
Returning to his room, Cassius began frantically searching through everything about the Benedict Trade Route, as if pursued by something.
He wondered if he had missed something.
But the conclusion was the same.
The Benedict Trade Route was undoubtedly a golden goose, both in terms of its hidden relics and the current political climate.
Yet Vivian, of all people, had spoken of it with such certainty. Her eyes, so confident, lingered in his mind.
At that moment, Tikan entered the room with a grave expression.
Instinctively sensing something was wrong, Cassius’s face stiffened.
And as always, his ominous premonition didn’t miss.
“The mage from Snowfell is dead.”
At Tikan’s words, Cassius’s clenched fist trembled aimlessly.
His expression crumpled like the parchment in his hand.
Tikan bowed his head and reported in a low voice,
“It seems Snowfell has already taken action.”
“……!”