Chapter 11

During the first prince's evening party, while I was stepping out onto the balcony to catch the night breeze, I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder.

"Zain, you were here all along?"

"...Boris?"

Turning around, I saw Boris, the son of a marquis and a childhood friend, standing there, and I let out a small sigh.

Boris stood beside me and frowned.

"Hey, I heard that Mariabel was kidnapped and almost killed. Are you okay?"

It had only been three days since the incident, but somehow the rumor of Mariabel's attempted murder had already spread in the gossipy social circles.

During the party, I had felt unusually intense gazes, which was likely due to this.

"Yeah. Thanks to Grace Sentsberry."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

But apparently, even Boris didn't know that Grace Sentsberry had saved Mariabel. Even if he did, no one would believe it.

I myself wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen her hugging the battered Mariabel.

"...Oh, that..."

The sight of her, looking relieved and tearful when she saw us, was completely different from the Grace I knew. Even she must have been shaken by the attack from the monsters.

──A woman who is charming, greedy, selfish, and arrogant. That's who everyone knows Grace Sentsberry to be.

"Miss Grace protected me. Even though she was trembling, she kept hugging me and telling me 'It's okay'..."

That's why I couldn't understand why she would risk her life to save Mariabel.

When I rushed to Novak Mountain, she was using clumsy earth magic to protect herself from the monsters. I only learned then that she could use magic.

"...I didn't come to save you."

"I just happened to encounter you while I was out for dinner. Really, I can eat it raw."

I couldn't understand any of Grace's actions, but if what the knight, Evan Hail, the best wind mage in the country, said was true, she had come to Novak Mountain at night specifically to save Mariabel.

There were many puzzling aspects, such as how she knew Mariabel had been kidnapped and that the location was Novak Mountain.

The anonymous letter that had arrived at the mansion, stating that "Mariabel might be imprisoned in Novak Mountain," was also a mystery.

"Brother, I want to thank Miss Grace! I hope we can have tea together someday..."

Despite everything, the fact that Grace had saved my sister was undeniable, based on Mariabel's account and what I saw.

As a result, considering Mariabel's wishes and my own position, I visited the Sentsberry Marquis' mansion.

──If I had lost my only family, Mariabel, in such a way, I don't know if I would still be sane. I am truly grateful to Grace.

That's why I told her I would grant her any wish.

"So, what happened? Did she blackmail you or something?"

"I became her lover."

"...Sorry, maybe my ears are bad. Could you repeat that?"

"I became Grace Sentsberry's lover."

When I told him this, Boris's eyes widened, and he let out another bewildered "Huh?"

"Would you like to be my lover?"

I never imagined I would agree to such a request. If it weren't for her saving Mariabel's life, I would have rejected it outright.

"Are you out of your mind? Dating that wicked woman?"

"She'll get bored soon, and I have my own plans."

It's well-known that Grace gets bored easily. She wants everything but gets tired of it once it's hers.

I have no intention of doing anything to please her. She probably just likes my looks and will soon move on to someone else.

I myself had been advised to become engaged to a noble lady from a family close to the king, so using Grace as a buffer was convenient. Everyone would assume I was forced to be with her for some reason.

"The king hates the Sentsberry Marquis' family. When he finds out I'm dating Grace, he'll be furious."

The Sentsberry Marquis' family has power and wealth rivaling that of a duke and is aligned with the temple faction, which opposes the royal family.

Just imagining the king's angry face makes me feel better. Ever since my parents died, my frustration and distrust of the king, who uses any means to bring the Winslett Duke's family under his control, have only grown.

"Could it be that Miss Grace wanted to get close to you or the duke's family, so she risked her life to save Mariabel?"

"I don't know, but she must have some ulterior motive."

She wouldn't act on her own without any benefit.

Given the many suspicious points, it's possible she was involved with the criminals and set up the incident to do us a favor.

Grace Sentsberry is capable of such a scheme. I plan to use our relationship to investigate further.

"Still, Miss Grace doesn't learn. Didn't her ex-boyfriend almost kill her in a fit of rage recently?"

"Really, it's ridiculous."

"But she might be a surprisingly good girlfriend. She's one of the most beautiful women in the country. Even you might fall for her."

"...Can you stop making such unfunny jokes?"

I will never have any affection for her, only more disgust.

"Stupid, I could never really like you. Don't get too full of yourself."

"You'll never understand my feelings."

"Of course not. I don't want to understand."

I once overheard a conversation between Grace and what seemed to be her ex-boyfriend. She definitely doesn't like me and never will.

"I've always admired you, Lord Zain."

I mock myself, thinking it's all a ridiculous farce.

Mariabel seems to have started admiring Grace because she saved her life, but I am different. I plan to use her until she gets bored and then end the relationship casually.

"──I hate people like her the most."