I Refuse This Life, Your Highness! - Chapter 75

“We can’t rule it out,” the duke said, nodding thoughtfully.

If that were true… then from childhood, every action my parents took—just like the duke’s past—could have been dictated by the emperor’s mind control, compelling them not to care for me.

“…”

Though the duke’s words seemed to validate my thought, I quickly realized how absurd it was and turned my gaze away. Many noble families had Lamia children. Would the emperor really go to every one of those families and brainwash the parents? Or did he specifically target my parents in Airden, compelling them to despise their child?

There was no real reason for him to do that, nor did the emperor have the time. Back then, he was only the second prince.

“Does the emperor have a particular obsession with Lamia?” I asked, trying to shake off the unsettling thought.

This time, it was Lyol who answered.

“There’s a rumor that the empire’s missing first prince was a Lamia.”

I stared at Lyol, startled. It was the first time I had heard such a thing.

“It’s a story that only circulates in whispers. They say the former emperor kept the first prince hidden to protect him because he was a Lamia,” Lyol explained.

“Really?”

The revelation was shocking. I’d never encountered such a rumor before. If this was true, it had been kept under wraps with extreme secrecy. But given the duke’s silence as he listened, it seemed this was no baseless gossip.

“And…”

Leya, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. All eyes turned to her, but she didn’t seem to care.

“Prince Lyol seems to know an awful lot about the empire’s hidden stories.”

“Oh, I just have a knack for picking up on rumors,” Lyol replied casually, shrugging.

But Leya wasn’t wrong. From the emperor’s use of magic to these rumors about the first prince, Lyol’s knowledge was suspiciously extensive. How could the third prince of Hasein, of all people, know such secrets that were forbidden even to the empire’s nobles?

“Does the Hasein royal court have someone particularly skilled in gathering gossip?” I asked, my tone laced with suspicion.

Lyol raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Don’t be so wary. It’s not the royal court—it’s me. You seem to have forgotten, but I’m not just a prince of Hasein. I’m also the head of the Rubes Trading Guild.”

“Oh…”

Embarrassment washed over me. Of course, as the leader of a trading guild as influential as Rubes, Lyol would have access to an abundance of information, including classified secrets.

“When the emperor—then the second prince—was young, he was excessively attached to the first prince,” Lyol continued. “The former emperor deemed it dangerous and arranged for the first prince to flee to a faraway place. That was 25 years ago, and since then, the emperor’s obsession with Lamia has only grown. That’s the extent of the rumor.”

It was chilling, but knowing the emperor’s character, it didn’t seem far-fetched. I glanced at the duke, who remained silent, listening. His composed demeanor lent an air of credibility to the rumor.

“Where is the first prince now?” I asked cautiously.

“Well, the rumor is… the emperor eventually tracked him down and…” Lyol hesitated, then finished, “killed him.”

“…”

A cold shiver ran down my spine. Killed. It was entirely plausible for the emperor to have done such a thing. But killing his own brother… It was a horrifying tale. If true, it made the emperor’s obsession with Lamia all the more revolting.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the nauseating thoughts. A brief silence followed, broken by the duke.

“Let’s discuss the main issue at hand.”

“…”

Everyone straightened up, their focus sharpening. The duke spoke with calm resolve.

“I’m preparing for war.”

No one seemed surprised. It was something we had all expected. Even in my first life, the duke had been willing to risk war to prevent my execution. This time was no different. Now that he had rescued me, the emperor would undoubtedly find a pretext to attack Iser.

The emperor had always coveted Iser and the duke. This incident would only solidify his resolve.

“So, it’s come to this…” I thought bitterly.

“However, I won’t allow the war to take place in Iser. We’ll move our forces to the capital,” the duke continued.

“What?!”

The capital? It wasn’t just about Iser now—the capital housed far more people. A battle there would mean even greater casualties. I hadn’t expected the duke to make such a decision.

“The capital has evacuation facilities everywhere,” the duke explained. “People can flee to the outskirts if necessary. But in Iser, fleeing could lead them into regions infested with monsters. The capital will see fewer casualties overall.”

Monsters.

I was reminded once again of how perilous Iser truly was. It felt safe only because of the duke and his knights. But if a war broke out here, even that sense of security would crumble.

Still, I couldn’t help but wish for a way to avoid the war altogether. It might seem childish, but the desire to prevent unnecessary bloodshed was something I couldn’t suppress. However, I knew this war couldn’t be stopped simply because the duke or I wished it. The emperor had likely been preparing for it from the moment he orchestrated my abduction.

“Are you all right?” the duke asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

I must have looked deeply troubled. Quickly, I composed myself and offered a small smile.

“I’ll do my best to prepare as well.”

As the Duchess of Iser.

No further discussion followed, and everyone dispersed to their respective duties. Later, as I searched for documents in the east library, I let out a deep sigh. War…

“So this is what a sigh heavy enough to sink the earth sounds like,” came a voice behind me.

“Eek!”

Startled, I dropped the book I was holding. A large hand reached out and caught it effortlessly before handing it back to me.

There, standing in the library, was the duke.

“When… when did you get here?”

“I’ve been here for a while, watching you. Counting how many times you sighed.”

“…You were counting my sighs?”

“Five times, to be exact.”

“…”

And yet, he hadn’t said a word? The duke stepped closer, and I instinctively cradled the book he handed me, taking a hesitant step back. The solid thud of the bookshelf behind me reminded me of my mistake—I had trapped myself.

As expected, the duke stopped in front of me, placing his arms on either side of the bookshelf, effectively caging me in. His broad frame loomed over me, and I could only blink up at him, unsure of what to do. His lips softened, curving into a faint smile as he leaned down.

His lips met mine. This was a library, a place where anyone could walk in at any moment, yet here he was, kissing me. I wanted to tell him to stop, but his kisses always felt like gifts I couldn’t refuse.

The kiss deepened, and I could feel the faint vibration of the shelf as it shifted slightly. When I instinctively pulled back, the duke wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. His other hand brushed along the hem of my dress, lifting it above my knees. The cool air on my exposed skin made me shiver.

Then his hand slipped beneath the fabric, brushing against my bare thigh. His touch made my mind go blank, his kiss pulling me further under his spell. Just as I was on the verge of surrendering entirely, there was a sudden clack sound.

“…!”

It wasn’t a person. Just the wooden shelf creaking in the cold draft. Still, it snapped me back to reality. With all the strength I could muster, I pushed against the duke’s chest. Whether he let me or was caught off guard, he stepped back a couple of paces.

I seized the moment to flee, bolting from the library like I had when I escaped him after that kiss in the courtyard. My heart raced as I sprinted down the halls, not stopping until I reached my room. Resilia looked up at me, puzzled.

“Your Highness?”

“Ah, ha… I just need to rest for a bit,” I stammered, quickly collapsing into a chair.

Without a word, Resilia draped a white sable fur blanket over me. I clutched it tightly, trying to calm my pounding heart. Just as I began to feel my face cool, there was a knock at the door.

And in walked the duke.

‘Why does he always follow me…?’

My cheeks burned even hotter.

“You’re quite the escape artist,” he said with a smirk. “I almost thought you were a lizard.”

“…Why a lizard, of all things?”

“The tail.”

He held up the book I had so gracelessly abandoned in my escape, giving it a slight shake. Right… I had gone to the library for that book.

“Thank you for bringing it,” I mumbled.

“No trouble.”

But his approach was anything but innocent. With deliberate, measured steps, he closed the distance between us. One hand rested on the desk, the other on the back of my chair.

“This time, you won’t run, will you?”

“…”

I heard the quiet shuffle of the attendants leaving the room. Their impeccable sense of discretion was normally commendable, but at this moment, I wished they had less of it. The duke leaned in closer, and I had no choice but to meet his gaze. This time, there was no escape as his hands moved to lift my dress.

By the time dawn broke, I was utterly spent. His unusual intensity had left me weak and aching. My throat was parched, my voice barely a whisper. I’d fought, pleaded, and clung to him, but it had only seemed to encourage him. Now, every inch of me hurt.

I had practically passed out, only waking when the first light filtered through the curtains. The duke lay beside me, deeply asleep. Careful not to disturb him, I crawled to the bedside and poured myself a glass of water. The cool liquid soothed my dry throat.

As I returned to bed, his arms wrapped firmly around my waist, pulling me back into his embrace.

“Would you like some water?” I offered softly.

“…I’m fine,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my back. The familiar scent of him filled my senses—a scent only I could detect, as his body had adapted to mine after countless nights together.

He began to trail kisses along my spine. I turned to him, pressing my lips to his, silently asking for more. He obliged without hesitation. The peaceful quiet of the morning was only broken by the gentle knock at the door. We both froze.

At this hour?

“Your Grace, Your Highness. It’s Leon,” came the voice from the other side.

“What is it?” the duke called out, his tone edged with irritation.

“There’s someone demanding entry. They say it’s urgent.”

“At this hour? Who is it?”

“Sir Liseon Sierra.”

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