Chapter 37
“Judging by your reaction to her, it’s hard to believe you and Lady April were once close friends at the academy.”
Of course, he thought to himself, because the April he once knew was not the one currently in the Duke’s household.
He could barely fathom what had happened. Where was the April he’d once known? And if she had indeed left the Duke’s family, why hadn’t she reached out to him? If she needed his help, he would be there in an instant, yet in all this time, she hadn’t contacted him even once.
“So why, Your Highness, do you intend to annul your engagement with Lady Ryze?”
Persephone’s gaze flickered briefly as Demian deflected the question back to him.
Demian, catching Persephone’s lingering gaze, offered a faint smile. He could still recall how Persephone had looked at April.
That gaze had been filled with adoration.
It was then that Demian realized how gentle gold could be. The look Persephone directed toward April was not that of a fond sibling—it was more.
Anyone who saw Persephone’s eyes in those moments would know: the Crown Prince held a deep love for Lady Ryze.
Hearing their story, it was easy to understand why Persephone’s heart had turned to April.
Without waiting for an answer, Demian’s smile deepened, sensing he didn’t need a reply. He already knew.
“I believe…” Demian’s voice was quiet, his words spreading softly through the office, edged with a touch of bitterness.
If even he had noticed, then surely Persephone, who had spent far more time with April, knew as well.
“I believe the reason for this annulment is likely the same as the cause of the rift between Lady April and myself.”
He looked up and gave a small laugh.
And there it was—the subtle hardening of Persephone’s expression.
Cliff stole a glance at Rian, who was walking alongside him.
He had been ordered by Alexis to gather information on Daniel Devine and had planned to do so alone, slipping out quietly at dawn. He hadn’t anticipated Rian’s insistence on coming along.
“Sir Cliff, my father asked you to investigate Irina’s father, did he not?”
“I’ll be going with you.”
Cliff hadn’t expected Rian to take an interest in this matter. Alexis had requested it be handled quietly, which left Cliff worried.
Though Rian’s company was preferable to that of Barak, the fact that he was investigating Irina’s father alongside Rian made him uneasy.
“Truly, I can handle this on my own, my lord.”
“Am I an inconvenience?”
Yes, Cliff thought, the words almost spilling from his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud. They were nearly at the secluded cabin where Irina and Alicia had been living, and it was too late to send Rian back.
Sighing deeply, Cliff dismounted as the dilapidated cabin came into view.
Cliff’s gaze fell upon the old wooden door, his face taut with nerves. He had worn a path here over the past week.
He couldn’t tell whether his unease stemmed from the individual within the cabin or the fact that he was accompanied by Rian.
It was probably the former. He recalled how hostile the resident of this house had been the first time he had come to take Irina away.
He suspected he might have been gravely injured that day if Irina hadn’t been there to mediate.
“Be cautious.”
After knocking on the door, they received no answer. Cliff tilted his head.
Was she gone? He raised his hand to knock again when—
“Who is it?”
The door opened, and Cliff inhaled sharply as he straightened. Standing there, her face shadowed with fatigue, was Alicia. Their eyes met, olive locking with steel.
The moment she recognized him, her expression hardened.
Alicia, a wolf beastkin with physical abilities far beyond that of any human, stood nearly at eye level with Cliff, who was quite tall himself.
As she prepared to shut the door without a word, Cliff quickly slid his hand into the gap.
“I won’t take up much of your time. I only have a few questions—”
“I’ve nothing to say to you. Let go.”
It took all her willpower not to rip him to pieces right then and there.
Her restraint was not for the sake of morals or the empire’s laws.
It was solely because Irina now resided in the Duke’s household.
If she harmed one of the Duke’s knights, Irina might be placed in danger. If Alicia were imprisoned, Irina might have nowhere to return to. So she held herself back, for Irina’s sake alone.
“If only for a moment, I would appreciate a chance to talk.”
From behind Cliff, Rian moved closer, catching a glimpse of those olive eyes through the small opening. The feral gleam in her gaze made him recoil slightly.
“Get out.”
The low, guttural growl was far more animalistic than human.
“You already took Irina when you deemed her ‘necessary,’ so what is there to talk about?”
The Duke’s household repulsed her.
The Duchess, who had promised to protect Daniel and had vowed to care for Irina as if she were her own daughter, had killed Daniel and cast Irina aside in less than a decade.
Cast aside? The word was almost laughable. Irina had never truly been their child. She was merely a placeholder, a stand-in for the daughter they had lost.
“There’s nothing I wish to discuss with the likes of you or that woman. You’re all the same.”
The words she wanted to scream—to be rid of them forever—hung heavy in her throat.
“We only wish to speak about Lady Irina’s father,” Cliff tried to explain, but Alicia’s face darkened before he could finish.
The door swung open with a violent creak, and Cliff stumbled backward from her strength, nearly losing his balance before Rian caught him.
“How dare you utter Daniel’s name,” she snarled.
“My lord, please be cautious.”
Her face, which had begun to shift to a lupine form, was contorted with rage as ash-gray fur started sprouting from her skin.
Though Cliff had heard stories of beastkin reverting to their animal forms in moments of heightened emotion, witnessing it firsthand left him frozen, his hand instinctively moving toward his sword.
“You soulless wretches. Daniel died because of you.”
“…What?”
At those words, Rian frowned and stepped forward, gently moving Cliff aside.
“Are you saying that Irina’s father died because of us?”
“Playing ignorant now?”
The look in Rian’s eyes, pretending to be oblivious, disgusted her.
She remembered the feigned guilt and sorrow on their faces when they took Irina. It had been repulsive then, but now it filled her with unrestrained contempt.
Rian was at a loss. Alicia’s accusation left no doubt that something had indeed happened between Daniel and the Duke’s household.
“Daniel’s been dead for years.”
This wasn’t about Irina’s more recent departure from the Duke’s household. No, Alicia’s words implied that Daniel had died years ago—back when Irina was still with the Duke’s family.
But if that were true, how had his death gone unnoticed by the Duke’s household? Surely Alicia would have informed Irina, or at least the Duke’s household, of his passing.
How, why… and under what circumstances?
Watching their confusion, Alicia let out a hollow laugh. Did they genuinely not know?
“You broke your promise and killed him.”
Alicia’s gaze was cold as she spoke to Rian.
“Do you know what your precious Duchess said just before he died?”
The memory was burned into her mind—racing through the forest with Daniel’s body on her back, his blood staining her fur as she fought against the blades that pierced her.
She tried to remind herself that Rian, being only a child back then, might not have known. But seeing his resemblance to the Duke, and knowing that half his blood came from the Duchess, only fueled her rage and disgust.
“For the future of my daughter, who will take your daughter’s place.”
Alicia took a step forward, her face and body half-transformed into her wolf form, yet neither Rian nor Cliff could back away.
The words struck them as harshly as a blade.
Alicia’s clawed hand, resembling the forepaw of a beast, gripped Rian’s shoulder tightly. Despite the pain, he did not flinch, meeting her gaze with steady defiance.
“Just die already.”
Tears filled Alicia’s eyes as the horrific memory surfaced once more, a nightmare she could never escape.
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to rate 5 stars and review in NovelUpdte!