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"Honestly, I thought it was absurd, but I guess that's just how things are in a novel world."
The setting of the second prince, known to be sickly, making a name for himself in the underworld was truly a story fitting for a romance fantasy novel.
I don't know how he hid the silver hair passed down through generations of the imperial family, but it wasn't impossible for there to be a treasure among the imperial family's possessions with such an ability.
However, given the empire's culture of considering eyes as the window to the soul and a reflection of one's inner self, there would have been no way to hide his eyes.
'Well, if such a method existed, I would have known about it long ago. Raymond hated my eye color...'
Eyes like the center of a blazing flame, a vivid yellow.
Separately, they were beautiful, but combined with equally painfully red hair, it was overwhelmingly excessive.
...That was Raymond's explanation—or rather, his criticism.
It was a bitter story.
The empire's culture, societal gaze—everything took a backseat in front of Raymond. Looking back, I pitied my past self.
To avoid pitying my future self as well, I had to succeed in this deal with that insane second prince right now.
Yevgenia, having perfectly calmed her trembling breath, straightened her head.
Then Knox, who had been scrutinizing her with narrowed eyes, asked in a lowered voice.
"Where might a noble princess like you have heard about the abilities of a lowly person like me?"
"...Are there fools who reveal their sources of information in a place like this? I can't say."
"Right, right... 'Places like this' originally operate that way. Exactly."
Exaggeratedly nodding and muttering, he stretched the corners of his mouth into a smile.
It was a smile that seemed endlessly ominous.
"What are you thinking of offering in exchange for erasing your name?"
"...If possible, even my life, as much as needed."
"Ah, your life."
His tone, mixed with a faint laugh, seemed to mock her.
'That's understandable. A well-bred princess suddenly talking about offering her life and such.'
But Yevgenia was more sincere than ever, and she wanted Knox to clearly understand this fact.
As her eyes quickly scanned the table, she suddenly spotted an elegant quill pen.
Swiftly grabbing the quill, she instantly raised it and plunged the nib straight down onto her own name.
"Ugh!"
"Hah...!"
Knox, who had been quietly watching, assuming she would make an exaggerated show of it, had a look of bewilderment cross his face for the first time.
Knox, pressing his temples as if he had a headache, clicked his tongue.
"...You're thoroughly insane."
At his low murmur, a small smile appeared at the corner of Yevgenia's mouth.
'It won't make a difference if I get one scar in a place hidden by my name anyway. If this can earn Knox's trust, it's actually a gain.'
Clutching her collarbone, where a throbbing pain and heat were beginning to rise, she asked.
"With this much, can you at least see how determined I am?"
"...You certainly seem quite different from the 'Princess Martyr.'"
"Good, that's enough. ...A handkerchief?"
At her question, asked as if it were obvious, Knox looked at her as if it were absurd.
But Yevgenia was not one to be intimidated by such a gaze.
"Hah, shouldn't a gentleman always carry a handkerchief for a lady? Your manners are severely lacking."
"...My apologies. I've never had a lady in my office who needed a handkerchief."
"Now you know. Just give me whatever you have, won't you?"
Entranced by her endlessly confident attitude, Knox found and handed over a napkin.
Yevgenia, leisurely wiping the skin stained with ink and a little oozing blood, slightly raised her head.
"So, then. How do you erase a name? I'd like to erase it today if possible."
"...Ah."
"I can wait a day or two... But I'd prefer it to be done as soon as possible."
Then, Knox, who had been obediently listening, fixed his gaze on her.
Her hand, which had frozen for a moment in his clear green eyes, was grabbed by Knox.
"What? Why, why are you doing this?"
She stumbled over her words for a moment, but fortunately, he didn't seem to mind that.
Knox, silently staring into her eyes, spoke.
"Princess, be honest. Why do you want to erase your name?"
Each time his thick, cold fingers rubbed the back of her soft hand, a faint shiver ran through her.
Whenever the searing pain tingled up from the back of her hand, her fingertips stung.
Yevgenia, biting the inside of her cheek, subtly withdrew her hand and said.
"Is, is such information necessary to proceed with the request?"
"Depending on the situation. I'd rather not get involved in unnecessary matters and draw the ire of those above."
"...Ah, are you worried I might use this to blackmail someone or something?"
If she just tweaked one letter and then insisted that the reason her sacred 'name' disappeared was due to Raymond's infidelity—it would be laughable, but still—?
Probably most, no, everyone except Raymond and Stella would condemn them.
Since Raymond actually did engage in problematic behavior, public opinion would inevitably flare up even more.
The problem was that if such a thing happened, the already plummeted status of the ducal house, due to Yevgenia's various antics, would fall even further.
His argument was that he wanted to avoid unnecessary sparks flying from this outcome.
'...Is he really the second prince?'
A commoner who dominated the back alleys in just seven years wouldn't miss such a huge opportunity just because it might be troublesome.
Tsk, clicking her tongue inwardly, she sarcastically provoked him.
"Knox, you seem to care more about the empire than I thought. To discard an opportunity to gain a fortune or become a noble just for the 'status of a noble house.' Maybe the reason you created this organization was to cut out the rotten parts of the empire you love, or something like that?"
Please get angry, please get angry!
"Well, maybe yes, maybe no. I think I'm pretty ordinary. If those above make a fuss, those below inevitably get noisy too, right?"
'Hah... Right, as a member of the imperial family, you'd be ordinary...'
Seeing how far his imagination went upon hearing she wanted to erase her name, it seemed unlikely that saying she simply fell out of love with Raymond and wanted to break off the engagement would be helpful.
Moreover, if even her father, her maid, and even the nanny who raised her didn't believe her, would Knox, whom she was meeting for the first time, believe her?
'This is karma, this is karma.'
Yevgenia, pressing her throbbing forehead, waved her hand dismissively.
"There's no reason for it to become noisy. I can't give details, but I'll tell you this: I'm the one who wants this matter to pass as quietly as possible."
"Hmm, is that so?"
"In return, I'll add one more thing you desire. Mines and titles? Land and mansions? Just name it."
At Yevgenia's high-handed attitude, Knox's smile deepened further.
Rising from his seat, he took one step, then two, approaching and grabbing her shoulder.
Instantly, she remembered that when she first entered this room, his hands had been stained with blood.
A faint shiver ran down her forearm beneath the draped robe.
Not wanting to show she was scared, she glared into his eyes.
Between his gracefully curved eyelids, an icy green glinted.
"Princess, is that really all?"
"......"
"If that's all the mighty Princess Martyr can offer, I don't want to waste any more time either."
His low voice was utterly stubborn.
She was certain that if she didn't present a condition meeting his standards right now, she might be thrown out the next moment.
Swallowing hard, Yevgenia took a deep breath.
"What if... I know your true identity?"
A glint flashed in Knox's green eyes for a moment.
The slightly raised corners of his mouth deepened into a cave-like shape, revealing straight teeth.
"Ah-ha, now we're getting somewhere."
The hand gripping her shoulder seemed to tighten, then soon released it cleanly.
Returning to his seat, Knox looked at her with a noticeably more relaxed posture.
As if a superior were receiving an audience from an inferior.
Yevgenia, moistening her parched lips with her tongue, spoke.
"You seem to enjoy this, Your Highness Yulan Artlux, the second prince."
"...Hmm. 'Your Highness.'"
His voice sounded as if he were hearing an interesting nonsense, but Yevgenia was confident in her hypothesis.
The chill emanating from beyond his indifferent expression confirmed it.
Soon, she felt his dry eyes slowly scanning her neck.
It was a gaze as if pondering how to kill her to dispose of her quietly.
Before he could make a rash decision, Yevgenia spoke up.
"By the way, if you kill me here, tomorrow's front page will be quite interesting."
"...Ah-ha?"
"I've ordered that if I don't return by dawn, letters containing secrets be sent to every newspaper, big and small."
Yevgenia, continuing with a brazen face, crossed her legs defiantly.
"Don't worry. My subordinates are very loyal; they absolutely won't read what they're told not to. Only I know your secret."
"......"
"For now, at least."
Yevgenia's golden eyes, directed straight at Knox—no, Yulan—glittered in the candlelight.
Sitting with her head straight and her back erect, she exuded an unapproachable noble authority.
Boldly displaying the small scab forming above her name, she lightly looked down at Knox, who had slightly leaned forward, and reopened the negotiation.
"Now that we've seen each other's cards, how about you tell me how to erase the 'name'?"
Her tone sounded both respectful and disrespectful toward him.
But one thing was clear: Yevgenia was truly risking everything by being here.
Knox, staring at Yevgenia with narrowed eyes, soon gave a small nod.
"Alright, if you're that determined to erase it, I can't say no."
"......!"
Finally.
The fact that the goal was within sight heightened her emotions.
He stood up, lightly brushing back his disheveled hair, and asked.
"One last question. You really won't regret it, Princess?"
Yevgenia, biting her lip, firmly nodded.
It was a declaration of her resolve to accept any pain that might come.
Knox, staring straight into Yevgenia's vivid yellow eyes, stood up.
Fearing he might try to intimidate her by force, her body tensed up instantly.
But Knox didn't grab her shoulder; instead, he took hold of her chin.
'This posture is a bit... inappropriate, isn't it?'
Held lightly by the tip of her chin, she looked at Knox with uneasy eyes.
As he drew closer, their noses lightly brushed.
"What are you doing...?"
At a distance close enough to feel each other's breath, Knox, who had hesitated for a moment, soon tilted his head slightly.
A hot breath touched her lips, coated with sticky lipstick.
The setting of the second prince, known to be sickly, making a name for himself in the underworld was truly a story fitting for a romance fantasy novel.
I don't know how he hid the silver hair passed down through generations of the imperial family, but it wasn't impossible for there to be a treasure among the imperial family's possessions with such an ability.
However, given the empire's culture of considering eyes as the window to the soul and a reflection of one's inner self, there would have been no way to hide his eyes.
'Well, if such a method existed, I would have known about it long ago. Raymond hated my eye color...'
Eyes like the center of a blazing flame, a vivid yellow.
Separately, they were beautiful, but combined with equally painfully red hair, it was overwhelmingly excessive.
...That was Raymond's explanation—or rather, his criticism.
It was a bitter story.
The empire's culture, societal gaze—everything took a backseat in front of Raymond. Looking back, I pitied my past self.
To avoid pitying my future self as well, I had to succeed in this deal with that insane second prince right now.
Yevgenia, having perfectly calmed her trembling breath, straightened her head.
Then Knox, who had been scrutinizing her with narrowed eyes, asked in a lowered voice.
"Where might a noble princess like you have heard about the abilities of a lowly person like me?"
"...Are there fools who reveal their sources of information in a place like this? I can't say."
"Right, right... 'Places like this' originally operate that way. Exactly."
Exaggeratedly nodding and muttering, he stretched the corners of his mouth into a smile.
It was a smile that seemed endlessly ominous.
"What are you thinking of offering in exchange for erasing your name?"
"...If possible, even my life, as much as needed."
"Ah, your life."
His tone, mixed with a faint laugh, seemed to mock her.
'That's understandable. A well-bred princess suddenly talking about offering her life and such.'
But Yevgenia was more sincere than ever, and she wanted Knox to clearly understand this fact.
As her eyes quickly scanned the table, she suddenly spotted an elegant quill pen.
Swiftly grabbing the quill, she instantly raised it and plunged the nib straight down onto her own name.
"Ugh!"
"Hah...!"
Knox, who had been quietly watching, assuming she would make an exaggerated show of it, had a look of bewilderment cross his face for the first time.
Knox, pressing his temples as if he had a headache, clicked his tongue.
"...You're thoroughly insane."
At his low murmur, a small smile appeared at the corner of Yevgenia's mouth.
'It won't make a difference if I get one scar in a place hidden by my name anyway. If this can earn Knox's trust, it's actually a gain.'
Clutching her collarbone, where a throbbing pain and heat were beginning to rise, she asked.
"With this much, can you at least see how determined I am?"
"...You certainly seem quite different from the 'Princess Martyr.'"
"Good, that's enough. ...A handkerchief?"
At her question, asked as if it were obvious, Knox looked at her as if it were absurd.
But Yevgenia was not one to be intimidated by such a gaze.
"Hah, shouldn't a gentleman always carry a handkerchief for a lady? Your manners are severely lacking."
"...My apologies. I've never had a lady in my office who needed a handkerchief."
"Now you know. Just give me whatever you have, won't you?"
Entranced by her endlessly confident attitude, Knox found and handed over a napkin.
Yevgenia, leisurely wiping the skin stained with ink and a little oozing blood, slightly raised her head.
"So, then. How do you erase a name? I'd like to erase it today if possible."
"...Ah."
"I can wait a day or two... But I'd prefer it to be done as soon as possible."
Then, Knox, who had been obediently listening, fixed his gaze on her.
Her hand, which had frozen for a moment in his clear green eyes, was grabbed by Knox.
"What? Why, why are you doing this?"
She stumbled over her words for a moment, but fortunately, he didn't seem to mind that.
Knox, silently staring into her eyes, spoke.
"Princess, be honest. Why do you want to erase your name?"
Each time his thick, cold fingers rubbed the back of her soft hand, a faint shiver ran through her.
Whenever the searing pain tingled up from the back of her hand, her fingertips stung.
Yevgenia, biting the inside of her cheek, subtly withdrew her hand and said.
"Is, is such information necessary to proceed with the request?"
"Depending on the situation. I'd rather not get involved in unnecessary matters and draw the ire of those above."
"...Ah, are you worried I might use this to blackmail someone or something?"
If she just tweaked one letter and then insisted that the reason her sacred 'name' disappeared was due to Raymond's infidelity—it would be laughable, but still—?
Probably most, no, everyone except Raymond and Stella would condemn them.
Since Raymond actually did engage in problematic behavior, public opinion would inevitably flare up even more.
The problem was that if such a thing happened, the already plummeted status of the ducal house, due to Yevgenia's various antics, would fall even further.
His argument was that he wanted to avoid unnecessary sparks flying from this outcome.
'...Is he really the second prince?'
A commoner who dominated the back alleys in just seven years wouldn't miss such a huge opportunity just because it might be troublesome.
Tsk, clicking her tongue inwardly, she sarcastically provoked him.
"Knox, you seem to care more about the empire than I thought. To discard an opportunity to gain a fortune or become a noble just for the 'status of a noble house.' Maybe the reason you created this organization was to cut out the rotten parts of the empire you love, or something like that?"
Please get angry, please get angry!
"Well, maybe yes, maybe no. I think I'm pretty ordinary. If those above make a fuss, those below inevitably get noisy too, right?"
'Hah... Right, as a member of the imperial family, you'd be ordinary...'
Seeing how far his imagination went upon hearing she wanted to erase her name, it seemed unlikely that saying she simply fell out of love with Raymond and wanted to break off the engagement would be helpful.
Moreover, if even her father, her maid, and even the nanny who raised her didn't believe her, would Knox, whom she was meeting for the first time, believe her?
'This is karma, this is karma.'
Yevgenia, pressing her throbbing forehead, waved her hand dismissively.
"There's no reason for it to become noisy. I can't give details, but I'll tell you this: I'm the one who wants this matter to pass as quietly as possible."
"Hmm, is that so?"
"In return, I'll add one more thing you desire. Mines and titles? Land and mansions? Just name it."
At Yevgenia's high-handed attitude, Knox's smile deepened further.
Rising from his seat, he took one step, then two, approaching and grabbing her shoulder.
Instantly, she remembered that when she first entered this room, his hands had been stained with blood.
A faint shiver ran down her forearm beneath the draped robe.
Not wanting to show she was scared, she glared into his eyes.
Between his gracefully curved eyelids, an icy green glinted.
"Princess, is that really all?"
"......"
"If that's all the mighty Princess Martyr can offer, I don't want to waste any more time either."
His low voice was utterly stubborn.
She was certain that if she didn't present a condition meeting his standards right now, she might be thrown out the next moment.
Swallowing hard, Yevgenia took a deep breath.
"What if... I know your true identity?"
A glint flashed in Knox's green eyes for a moment.
The slightly raised corners of his mouth deepened into a cave-like shape, revealing straight teeth.
"Ah-ha, now we're getting somewhere."
The hand gripping her shoulder seemed to tighten, then soon released it cleanly.
Returning to his seat, Knox looked at her with a noticeably more relaxed posture.
As if a superior were receiving an audience from an inferior.
Yevgenia, moistening her parched lips with her tongue, spoke.
"You seem to enjoy this, Your Highness Yulan Artlux, the second prince."
"...Hmm. 'Your Highness.'"
His voice sounded as if he were hearing an interesting nonsense, but Yevgenia was confident in her hypothesis.
The chill emanating from beyond his indifferent expression confirmed it.
Soon, she felt his dry eyes slowly scanning her neck.
It was a gaze as if pondering how to kill her to dispose of her quietly.
Before he could make a rash decision, Yevgenia spoke up.
"By the way, if you kill me here, tomorrow's front page will be quite interesting."
"...Ah-ha?"
"I've ordered that if I don't return by dawn, letters containing secrets be sent to every newspaper, big and small."
Yevgenia, continuing with a brazen face, crossed her legs defiantly.
"Don't worry. My subordinates are very loyal; they absolutely won't read what they're told not to. Only I know your secret."
"......"
"For now, at least."
Yevgenia's golden eyes, directed straight at Knox—no, Yulan—glittered in the candlelight.
Sitting with her head straight and her back erect, she exuded an unapproachable noble authority.
Boldly displaying the small scab forming above her name, she lightly looked down at Knox, who had slightly leaned forward, and reopened the negotiation.
"Now that we've seen each other's cards, how about you tell me how to erase the 'name'?"
Her tone sounded both respectful and disrespectful toward him.
But one thing was clear: Yevgenia was truly risking everything by being here.
Knox, staring at Yevgenia with narrowed eyes, soon gave a small nod.
"Alright, if you're that determined to erase it, I can't say no."
"......!"
Finally.
The fact that the goal was within sight heightened her emotions.
He stood up, lightly brushing back his disheveled hair, and asked.
"One last question. You really won't regret it, Princess?"
Yevgenia, biting her lip, firmly nodded.
It was a declaration of her resolve to accept any pain that might come.
Knox, staring straight into Yevgenia's vivid yellow eyes, stood up.
Fearing he might try to intimidate her by force, her body tensed up instantly.
But Knox didn't grab her shoulder; instead, he took hold of her chin.
'This posture is a bit... inappropriate, isn't it?'
Held lightly by the tip of her chin, she looked at Knox with uneasy eyes.
As he drew closer, their noses lightly brushed.
"What are you doing...?"
At a distance close enough to feel each other's breath, Knox, who had hesitated for a moment, soon tilted his head slightly.
A hot breath touched her lips, coated with sticky lipstick.
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