Chapter 1
Prologue
“Now, we should go home.”
“Huh? Uh… hmm…”
“We promised we’d properly greet everyone at home.”
Edwin smiled brightly at Dana.
Golden hair that seemed glazed with honey, perfectly folded eyes, a sharp nose, and a strong jawline… today, his beauty shone even more.
“He’s so handsome today too…”
“Do you like my face that much?”
Dana’s thoughts were broken by Edwin’s innocent question.
“I do… no, that’s not what I meant!”
Dana opened the window of the moving carriage.
Yes, she hadn’t noticed it before, but there were certainly many odd things.
The court dates being scheduled unusually quickly.
The flowers in their newlywed home that looked like the palace gardens had been transplanted directly.
Edwin’s innate grace and composure.
His unusually close relationship with the Minister of Magic…
…Even so, my husband is a prince!
Can I really call that huge palace “home”?
I need just a little more time to prepare myself!
“Haha… Edwin. Maybe not today…”
“That won’t do, Dana.”
He spoke with a gentle smile.
“You promised to accept me completely.”
“…”
“You’ve always been mine from the moment I first saw you.”
Dana froze. His gaze pressed into her, thrumming with obsession.
Dana Hartwin worked in the Potion Management Division of the Magical Department’s Healing Magic Bureau.
Though the title sounded grand, it basically meant she was a low-level clerk who made stamina-recovering potions.
Today, like every day, she checked potion inventories and attached labels. The work was simple, though overwhelming at times.
Dana, from a humble family, had gotten the job because she spent over a year working in the monster-infested north. The hardships she endured were proportional to the generous pay.
Apparently, the country recognized this: anyone who had served in the monster-slaying squads for over a year automatically qualified for related departments. Dana was one of them.
“The interview was strange though…”
The interviewers asked the usual formal questions. It was more a formality than a real evaluation, and she was going to pass anyway.
Then came the last question.
“Do you have a favorite poem?”
Dana had been distracted by the man sitting silently at the back, hidden behind a curtain.
“Yes, I do.”
She answered smoothly, thinking of her favorite poet.
And…
“….”
The man behind the curtain said nothing.
Dana passed the interview and worked silently for over a year, working overtime and weekends solely for extra pay.
Dana Hartwin had become the official pushover of the Potion Management Division—someone who ate cheap sandwiches for one meal a day while failing to prevent her family’s extravagance.
Her brother, Jamie, had exposed all this. When Dana refused his business fund requests, he came to her workplace to throw a tantrum, even bringing their mother along.
“Even though you earn so much, you can’t fund your only brother’s business? Because of the last loan? Or the one before that?”
“Why are you so heartless toward your family?”
Seeing the luxurious clothes and jewelry they wore, all the employees clicked their tongues in disapproval.
Even now, thinking of that day made Dana blush. While fanning her face to cool down, a colleague spoke.
“Dana, it’s lunch. Are you eating your sandwich by the fountain again?”
Dana smiled awkwardly. There was nothing left to hide.
“I’ll see you later.”
While her colleagues headed to a nearby restaurant, Dana sat by the fountain. Quiet during lunch, it was her favorite peaceful spot.
Breathing in, she caught the fresh scent of the trees in the courtyard. Being close to nature invigorated her.
She took out her cheap sandwich. It clearly contained expired ham and vegetables.
“How much is the loan interest this month…” she muttered, taking a bite.
The fountain sprayed water exactly on time, the clear sound behind her clearing her mind slightly.
Looking into the gentle water, dark circles were visible beneath her blue eyes. Her black hair fluttered in the soft breeze.
Dana played with her reflection on the water’s surface.
“My workplace is always peaceful…”
“Should I kill you…?”
The eerie voice came from the opposite side of the fountain. What? Murder in my sacred workplace?
Frozen with tension, Dana couldn’t move her feet. A large shadow fell over her stiffened body, accompanied by polished shoes.
She raised her stiff neck and met the man’s eyes.
“Huh?”
It wasn’t a rough thug. Rather, it was a man with an angelic blonde face.
A sharp nose protruded from clean skin, and despite kind eyes, his alluring red lips matched perfectly.
“….”
“….”
For several seconds, they stared at each other. His intense red eyes captured Dana’s attention.
Her thoughts were interrupted by his words.
“…You’re lucky today.”
Then, a warm, meltingly sweet smile. Dana stood in a daze, looking at him.
The man lowered the book he was holding and laughed softly.
“Is something on my face?”
“…Ah, sorry!”
Dana had stared too rudely. Fumbling with her hands, she said,
“The reason I stared… was… you said you’d kill me…”
“Oh, that’s nothing. Someone made me wait.”
A murder threat that was “nothing”… yet, seeing his smile, she felt she had to believe him.
“I see, it’s nothing! Then I’ll leave, sorry for the trouble!”
As Dana hurried to leave, she accidentally knocked his book into the fountain.
What now!
Before she could react, the book fell into the water. She quickly grabbed it and shook off the water, but the soaked book would never return to its original state.
“I’m sorry! Really sorry!”
Why is my luck so bad today! Dana furrowed her brows.
“I’ll pay for it!”
“No need,” the man waved his hand. His kindness matched his angelic face. Dana nodded in awe, handing him the book.
Looking at the cover, Dana’s eyes widened. It was Shane’s poetry collection.
“Oh? I like this poet too!”
“I know.”
Knows what?
Dana’s eyes widened further, and he gently brushed her bangs, which had gotten wet from the fountain.
“Ah… few know this poet… nice to meet you!”
Dana’s smile shone like spring sunlight.
“….”
The man froze, his bright red eyes trembling slightly. Without realizing it, his hand reached for Dana’s cheek.
Startled, she blinked. Slowly, their faces drew closer.
The man murmured in a low voice,
“I have something I want to say…”
Dana swallowed dryly. Then—
“You’re here!”
Someone appeared in the distance. Flustered, Dana pulled back. The voice belonged to the secretary of the Minister of Magic.
Not her direct superior, but certainly a higher rank.
I can’t face my superior during my precious lunch break.
Dana quickly stepped back, saying to the man,
“Sorry for the trouble! I’ll go now!”
“Wait—”
Before he could stop her, Dana vanished.
As she walked briskly, she recalled the earlier events.
What just happened?
The first fluttering heartbeat, the flush of her face…
Her chest tingled with unfamiliar feelings.
Whether he noticed or not, the angelic Edwin’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment.
Meanwhile, the secretary approached the man respectfully.
“Your Highness, the Third Prince. I have come to…”
“Ugh, clueless as ever.”
It had been a long time since they met. The man smiled, making the secretary flinch.
Seeing Third Prince Edwin Hedron smile brightly was like a death sentence. Fortunately, he passed by his secretary, Paul.
“Dana Hartwin has been well, I hope?”
“Yes, as you just saw.”
Paul remembered the low-ranking Dana well. She had been personally selected by the Third Prince. Of course, her career alone would have qualified her even without Edwin’s influence.
“Then I will guide you to the Minister.”
Paul led Edwin in a low posture.
The Third Prince was unpredictable. Better a tyrant than this—he was a true madman.
Humming a tune behind Paul, Edwin seemed completely carefree, unaware that Paul’s face might be turning pale.
