Damien La Lucretia.
How could she ever forget that cold voice, when all she'd felt in her previous lives was resentment just hearing the words that came out of his mouth?
Solenne flinched and instinctively jerked back, snatching her arm from him. Her wide eyes trembled as she held her breath. He might be hidden by his robe, but it wasn't enough to conceal his identity now.
What is he doing here?
Panic surged through her. Damien had never been here this early in any of her past lives. The first time they met was two days after she arrived in the North. But then again, in her first three lives, the delegation left the same day because King Jaro had told them of the princess's frail condition, making her unfit to travel.
Hang on. Does this mean… he's with the delegation in all three lifetimes?
Deep lines appeared between her brows as realization dawned in her eyes. Of course he would disguise himself. That was so like him—twisted, calculating, always three steps ahead.
Meanwhile, Damien tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes at her panicked expression.
"Apologies if I startled you," he said quietly.
Solenne swallowed, putting on a brave front to try and still conceal her reaction. She took a step back.
He doesn't know who I am. Not yet. Don't give him a reason to find out… for now.
She pressed her lips into a thin line, recalling how her life had ended in the last lifetime. In each lifetime, one of the triplets' heads would always roll to her feet. First, Lucien. Second, Mathias. And the last one was… his.
Thinking of it, her shoulders relaxed. They were not her enemies; at least, not right now. They might not have liked each other, and if there was anyone who opposed this engagement as much as she did, it was her husbands.
Solenne straightened her back and lowered her hands to her sides.
"The King's Palace may have welcomed the delegates of the North with open arms," she said. "However, a small misstep and things could go south very quickly."
Taking another step, she lowered her head. "I'll pretend I didn't see you tonight, sir."
Solenne didn't plan to linger, turning on her heel to leave at once. Forget about Damien, but she had a fever to deal with. Otherwise, if this fever reached the king, her plans in this timeline might all go to waste.
But after just a few steps, he spoke.
"It is customary in the South that a simple touch of a man to a woman may lead to marriage," he said. "Do I need to take responsibility to not taint your honor?"
She froze. Then, with ice in her voice, she glanced over her shoulder and replied:
"It is customary for an unmarried woman and a man, depending on the situation. I am married, sir," she explained. "My husband may not let this slide, for he adores me, but for the sake of peace that the King has been trying to keep, I'll pretend this didn't happen."
"Your husband must be a powerful man for you to utter such confidence in him."
Solenne didn't answer immediately, and only did so when she peeled her gaze from over her shoulder and resumed her steps.
"I chose him. That alone proves my confidence in him."
Damien stood still, watching Solenne go. Her words echoed in his ears a few times, his eyes narrowed at that frail-looking young woman wrapped in her thick robe.
Once she was out of sight, he pulled down his hood, revealing his slightly unruly black hair. His deep, golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Squeak.
His brows twitched up as he glanced at his shoulder, where the squirrel was perched.
"Did you come here to find her?" he wondered, rubbing the squirrel's chin with his index finger. "What do you think of her?"
The squirrel tilted its head to the side, and Damien handed it a nut, which it munched quickly. Damien slowly set his golden gaze on where Solenne disappeared.
"Chose him, huh?" the corners of his mouth curled upward.
Unlike what Solenne believed, Damien already knew what his bride looked like. For someone in his standing, he could have easily gotten a sketch of what his bride looked like.
"No wonder the King adored her. It wasn't just court gossip…" he murmured, his gaze lingering on the path she took. "The Fourth Princess… so it was you."
Rumors that the Fourth Princess's beauty exceeded a man's expectations. That if a man set their eyes on her, they would think it was a goddess who had walked among mortals. And a beauty that could start a war.
It was true, after all.
****
When Damien returned to the palace, where the delegation was staying, Ronin was leaning against one of the pillars of the open corridor.
Ronin arched a brow as soon as he caught sight of Damien approaching. He peeled his back from the pillar, watching as the latter walked past him. But before he could say anything, Damien spoke quietly.
"Ronin, find out if the princess has a secret lover."
Ronin furrowed his brows, gazing at the Grand Duke's broad shoulder. "A secret lover?" he repeated. "Your Grace, you don't think the princess is having an illicit affair that no one knew about, do you?"
Damien didn't answer.
"Your Grace, this isn't because you want to nullify this engagement, right?" Ronin walked closer, his voice even more hushed. "If the empire knew about this, they could treat it as treason."
"No," Damien remarked. "I'm simply curious."
Curious if this "husband" of hers was simply a lie, or if there was a secret lover he had to know of.
"Do it with discretion, and do not let anyone find out about it."
With that, Ronin's steps halted, his eyes on Damien's retreating figure.
"A secret lover, huh?" he whispered to himself, cocking his head to the side. His face soured at the mere thought of it.
He shook his head. "I hope she doesn't have one."
Because Ronin knew exactly what Damien was capable of… and how high the cost might be—for the girl, or everyone.
****
The next day came, uneventfully. Just as ordered, Ronin had investigated the matter with discretion.
Heading to the morning banquet for the delegation, Ronin quickly ran to the end of the group where Damien was.
"Your Grace," he called quietly.
Damien cast him a side-eye. "Did you find out anything about what I asked of you?"
"Yes." Ronin looked around cautiously before he continued. "Although it didn't seem like the fourth princess had a secret lover, there is one rumor I heard."
That made Damien's steps slow down, his ears wide open to whatever Ronin had for him.
"The Fourth Princess had a childhood friend, whom she was very fond of," Ronin added. "And rumors have it that before this arrangement, everyone was expecting the Noble House of Rune to propose marriage to the Royal Family."
"The House of Rune?"
Ronin nodded. "Apparently, the heir of the Marquis Rune and the Fourth Princess had a long history together. And with the Marquis' loyalty to the royal family, even with their highly regarded reputation in the economic strategy, he's a perfect candidate."
"I see." Damien's jaw tightened, but at the same time, they heard some noises on the side.
Intuitively, he stopped in his tracks and turned his head to the other open hallway on the side, catching sight of men and knights carrying gifts. Among the palace knights, a few men bore the Rune family insignia on their cuffs—hardly subtle, even from this distance.
"Your Grace," Ronin leaned closer and whispered. "And I heard that the heir of the House of Rune is scheduled to visit the princess today."
He frowned. "I would say it's rude that another man can see her, but not her groom. But I also knew you're to blame, Your Grace, for not letting everyone know you're here."
Damien didn't answer, keeping his gaze on the gifts and the men carrying them.
"A childhood sweetheart, huh?" he whispered, his eyes narrowing but not enough to hide the glint in them. He was reminded of Solenne's subtle provocation the night before. "So, he's the one you chose, huh?"
Pity. Your choices amount to none in this engagement.