26 - Deal
Mariana did not breathe again until the heavy door of her chamber slammed shut behind her. The echo rang through the quiet hallway like a declaration of war.
She pressed her back against the door, chest rising and falling in uneven breaths as if she had sprinted across the entire estate instead of merely fleeing down a corridor. Her fingers tightened around the brooch. Cold metal dug into her palm.
“… calm down,” she whispered hoarsely to herself.
The room was quiet—too quiet compared to the chaos in her head.
Sunlight poured through the tall windows, illuminating the silk curtains and the polished floors of her luxurious chamber. Normally, Mariana adored this room. It was large, comfortable, filled with soft furniture and embroidered pillows.
But right now it felt like the only safe place in the entire duchy. Her gaze dropped to the object in her hand. The brooch. Slowly, she opened her palm.
The silver ornament glimmered under the sunlight. It was shaped like an intricate snowflake with delicate filigree branching outward. At its center was a faintly glowing crystal no larger than a fingernail.
Mariana’s eyes sparkled. “… a magic artifact.” Her earlier panic momentarily evaporated.
In her previous life, magic had only existed in books and fantasy novels. But in this world, magic was real—mysterious, powerful, and carefully controlled by the noble families and the royal court. She had always been fascinated with it.
Ever since awakening her memories, Mariana had secretly devoured every book about magic she could find in the duchy’s library. But artifacts? Artifacts were rare. And expensive.
Even among high-ranking nobles, possessing one was a mark of immense wealth and power. Mariana turned the brooch in her fingers, studying the faint lines engraved along the silver surface.
A defensive artifact that nullifies a certain strength of spell…
Her father’s words echoed in her mind. It meant the brooch could cancel out a magical attack—at least once. Her heart fluttered with excitement. “This is amazing…”
She quickly crossed the room and sat at her vanity table, carefully placing the brooch under the light. Mariana leaned closer, eyes shining like a scholar discovering a lost relic. The crystal at the center pulsed faintly. That meant the artifact was active.
Magic flowed through the tiny gem in thin, almost invisible strands. She couldn’t fully see it, but she could feel it—the faint vibration in the air around it. Mariana clasped her hands together. “I want to take it apart.” The thought came out instinctively. She froze. “… no.”
Absolutely not.
If she dismantled a rare magical artifact her father just gave her, she would probably be disowned on the spot. Reluctantly, she sighed. “Fine. I’ll just study it.”
Carefully, she pinned the brooch onto the ribbon at the collar of her dress. A warm pulse spread across her chest. Mariana blinked. “Oh?” The magic activated the moment it made contact with her body.
Interesting, very interesting.
She grabbed a notebook from the desk and began scribbling observations like a mad researcher. However, her quill slowly stopped moving. Because the memory of a certain pair of amethyst eyes resurfaced.
The Crown Prince. Zafiel Abaddon Morrigan von Clematis.
Mariana groaned and dropped her head onto the desk. “… why is he here?”
Her voice was muffled against the wood. In the original story, the Crown Prince rarely left the capital. But here he was. In her house. Walking around like he owned the place.
Worse, he had cornered her. Her fingers curled against the desk. He knew. She didn’t know how. But Zafiel knew. That quiet murmur earlier replayed clearly in her mind. “The deal was successful.” A chill ran down her spine.
“What deal?!” she hissed.
Her imagination immediately spiraled into worst-case scenarios. Had he made some kind of arrangement with her father? Did he suspect something about her strange behavior?
Or—
Mariana sat up suddenly. “… does he know about the future?” The thought made her stomach drop. That would be catastrophic.
If the Crown Prince knew the future events of the story, then her entire survival plan was doomed.
Because Zafiel in the original plot was not someone you could outmaneuver.
He was brilliant. Cold. Calculating. The type of person who would sacrifice entire noble houses if it benefited the empire.
Mariana hugged herself. “He’s dangerous.
” That was the only conclusion she could draw.
Even just standing near him earlier had made her instincts scream. It was like standing beside a quiet storm. You couldn’t see the lightning yet. But you knew it would strike eventually. Mariana looked around her room.
Then she stood up decisively. “That’s it.”
New plan.
She marched toward the door and locked it. Then she dragged a chair under the handle for good measure. Next, she shut every window curtain. Darkness filled the room. Mariana nodded firmly. “I’m not leaving.”
If she stayed inside her room, she wouldn’t run into Zafiel. Simple. Perfect. Flawless. Her maids might find it strange, but she could easily claim she was feeling ill.
Yes, that would work.
Mariana returned to the bed and collapsed dramatically onto the mattress. “I will remain here until the Crown Prince leaves the estate.” Her voice echoed with solemn determination.
This was a tactical retreat. Absolutely not cowardice. Definitely not hiding.
Minutes passed. Then an hour. Eventually her panic began to settle. The silence of the room became soothing. Mariana rolled onto her side and held the brooch again, tracing its silver edges.
“... at least today wasn’t completely terrible.” She had gained a magical artifact. That was a huge victory. And she had successfully escaped the Crown Prince. Another victory. Two victories in one day. Mariana smiled weakly. “Yes. Things are going fine.”
Meanwhile, across the corridor. Inside the chamber prepared for the imperial guest. Zafiel stood by the tall window overlooking the Vernon estate gardens. Golden sunlight reflected in his calm eyes. Behind him stood Sir Leonhard, arms crossed. “… she ran,” Leonhard said flatly.
Zafiel hummed quietly. “Yes.”
“That wasn’t the reaction of someone confused.”
“No.”
Silence lingered. Leonhard frowned slightly. “You’re certain?”
Zafiel’s gaze remained fixed on the distant garden paths. Where a certain golden-haired girl had fled minutes earlier. His lips curved faintly. “The bait was effective.”
Leonhard sighed. “I don’t like this plan.”
Zafiel chuckled softly. “But it worked.” He turned away from the window. “And now we know.”
Leonhard raised an eyebrow. “Know what?”
Zafiel’s amethyst eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction. “That Grand Princess…” His voice lowered. “… is definitely hiding something interesting.”
Outside, the wind stirred the garden roses.
And inside her locked room, Mariana sneezed violently. Then groaned into her pillow. “Why do I suddenly feel like someone’s plotting against me…?”