Before I knew it, Daniel and I were getting married tomorrow.
It was the day before the wedding, so there was nothing special about it.
âToday is our last dinner together, so letâs enjoy it slowly.â
âDad, even at lunch, Iâm sureâ¦.â
âIt was the last lunch, and this is the last dinner, so itâs a completely different story.â
My father said so with a bitter smile. I felt a little sad thinking it was our last meal.
âfather. Take care of your health even when Iâm not by your side. Let me know if you get any sickness.â
[The emperor died of a chronic illness.]
Because of that sentence that remained in my head, leaving my father and leaving the imperial palace kept bothering me.
But every time I asked him to let me know if there was something wrong with his health, my father smiled as if he had no idea what it meant.
âYou see, in your eyes, I look like a person who will stumble in pain.
Donât worry, I am still full of energy.â
ââ¦â¦â
âI should be more concerned about you. He⦠⦠No, it sounds like grand duke Prauseâs private life seems to be a big deal.
After hearing the false rumors that Daniel had deliberately spread, my father was very displeased with him.
Iâm sorry for my father, but Iâm planning to divorce him, so I have a reason to return, so itâs not a bad situation.
âAnyway, if you like the way he looks, giving your heart away is not like your mother⦠⦠.â
My father offered me food, saying something that I donât know if he was praising himself or scolding me.
Even though the Word seemed to oppose marriage, my father was working harder than anyone else to keep it from falling apart.
âI hear that the Duke of Gelon is using all kinds of tricks.â
I heard that the high priest, who will declare the marriage, recently received a threatening letter from an unknown source.
It must mean that my marriage is such an annoyance to them.
âI know very well that this marriage is against them.â
After eating, I simply washed up and read the letter. The letter I had been waiting for had finally arrived.
[Mr. Frey. I am not feeling well, so I am not able to attend the ceremony tomorrow. â Evelyn Vliette.]
âHow heartbreaking it must be to have given up Daniel Prauseâs wedding dress.
It wasnât enough to avenge her shamelessness at my motherâs funeral.
However, since the wedding was tomorrow, there was no more time to torment Evelyn Vliette.
âI have to travel a long distance tomorrow, so letâs get a good nightâs sleep.â
Better to get a good nightâs sleep than to devote oneâs attention to a loveless wedding.
It would take a lot of stamina to just pass through all the sarcastic remarks heard at the wedding.
The moment I headed for the bed thinking, I saw a familiar man through the window.
Silver hair and mysterious purple eyes that glow in the moonlight.
It was Daniel Prause, who would become my husband in a few hours.
âOh, Grand Duke Prause.â
ââ¦â¦â
I didnât want to pretend to know first, but since our eyes had already met, I said hello first.
Itâs quite a distance from his room to my room.
You came all this way because you have something to tell me.
It must have been, but Danielâs eyes looking at me were unusual.
His purple eyes were full of contempt for me and doubts about why.
After he saw my future, he always looked at me that way, even when he ran into me in the hallway.
What the hell did I do in the future?
âSorry if I was rude.â
Daniel said with an apologetic face.
My heart was relieved because of her beautiful face that shines even at night.
I donât know if itâs better than I thought to be able to see this kind of face over and over again.
âBesides, Daniel isnât interested in the opposite sex anyway, right? Heâs not even dating.â
He was rumored to be a promiscuous man, but in reality he was perfectly safe.
Even a male friend from elementary, middle and high school would not be as safe as Daniel.
âOf course, when talking about problems between the opposite sex.â
Daniel was also the biggest variable in my plan for a peaceful retirement.
Even if I prevent his assassination and become friendly with the youngsters of the house, if Daniel thinks I am eyesore, itâs complete nonsense.
I never thought that the noble Grand Duke Prause, who was close to absolute goodness, would imprison me or harass meâ¦. It was just in case.
âI hate this forced marriage, to the point of creating an image of a promiscuous man.â
Therefore, I needed to build a minimal bond with Daniel.
So that he wouldnât bother me or kick me out sooner than I thought.
I didnât mean to be soggy, but I wanted to be a good friend or someone he could trust.
âThat way, the cute Grand Dukeâs children will make me feel more comfortable.â
Thinking of the soft cheeks, the corner of his mouth went up slightly.
If itâs for the short children waiting for me, itâs about talking to the man in front of me.
âGrand Duke Prause, since you came late, do you have anything to say to me?â
âNot like that.â
ââ¦â¦â
Iâm dying of awkwardnessâ¦.
I joked around because I didnât want to share this vibe with him.
âBy the way, letâs talk about it.â
âTell me.â
âAre you skipping the first night tomorrow?â
ââ¦â¦â
Iâd rather keep my mouth shut.
âNo, donât look down on me like that. I mean, letâs be clear.â
ââ¦â¦.â
âWhen did I even insist on forcibly holding the first night?â
However, my regretful excuse didnât work for Daniel.
âThe first night is omitted. We will never spend the night together again.â
He spoke in a blunt tone and then looked at my wrist.
âCould it be that youâre going to spend more magic to read my future again?â
Well, you might want to make sure that youâre sick of love and affection.
Besides, Daniel is transcendental.
I donât know if itâs divine power, but if itâs magic power, he was thousands higher than me.
The joke that Prause is a walking mage tower exists for nothing.
âWho cares about who.â
Without thinking, I held out my arm to him.
âSince I was talking nonsense, I know you want to make sure nothing happened on the first night, but this is the last time.â
Daniel lightly grabbed my wrist. He seemed to be reading the future with considerable magic, though I didnât feel it very well.
ââ¦â¦â
Soon, his expression hardened slightly.
It looked like he had seen something he couldnât see this time, but he didnât tell me what he saw even when I asked him with a glance.
âGrand duke Prause?â
âItâs getting late, so bye.â
If you have seen someone elseâs future, please tell me what you saw.
But Danielâs face seemed quite shocked, so I couldnât hold on to him and ask him.
I waved my hand at his broad back as he walked away.
âI donât know what you saw, but we have a wedding tomorrow, so donât fall asleep too late.â
* * *
Daniel stopped walking as soon as he got out of Freyâs sight.
âIâve decided to prevent such a future, so why am I servilely holding on to it again?â
His head was dazed by the future he saw now.
To be exact, the conversation he had with Frey in the future was shocking.
[âDaniel, donât you remember? âThe first night is omitted. We wonât be spending the night together again.â It was you who said that.â]
When Frey, who looked a little more mature than now, snapped at him, the future Daniel looked at the world collapsed.
[âFray. I was stupid back then.â]
Then he reached out and placed Freyâs hand on his broad, firm chest.
[âI want you so much right now.â]
His low voice was stained with obsession.
A future self throwing away all pride and holding on to Frey.
Besides, Frey didnât seem to blink an eye.
Daniel frowned, unable to believe his clinging appearance.
âDid the princess use magic on me in the past 2 years and 7 months?â
But unlike his cynical present self, future Daniel Prause pleaded without pride.
[âFray. Will you watch me if I seduce you?â]
[âWell, it seems difficult to give a definitive answer⦠⦠Wait, donât keep throwing off your shirt!â]
ââ¦â¦â
Daniel was going crazy because he was so manly.
[âFrey. I told you I liked it because I was promiscuousâ]
[âDaniel, I donât want you to show off your chest muscles.â Itâs good to see, butâ¦â]
[âYou just donât have to watchâ]
***
Daniel, recalling the enchanting voice, closed his eyes tightly.
I didnât know why the future self I had peeked at was choosing such absurd things, but one thing was certain.
âI am crazy.â
The future self must have had a slight turn of the head.
The face that begged to hold onto Frey was clearly not that of a normal person.
Anyone could see that he was a bit crazy.
Daniel finely folded the future he had glimpsed into a corner of his mind.
He thought that the more he thought about it, the more he would be distraught.
When he was about to go back to his room and cool his head, someone blocked his way.
âGrand Duke Prause.â
âYour Highness the Crown Prince.â
Daniel looked at the crown prince who appeared in front of him as if he had been waiting.
Certainly he was not one to be encountered at such a late hour in a place like this.
He certainly wasnât the kind of person to run into in a place like this late at night.
âWhat brings him here?â
Daniel was wary of the crown prince without being revealed.
The prince and Tahar were also curious about why their opponent was here.
âI couldnât believe it, but he really is in a place like this.â
There are many more beautiful gardens in the imperial palace, but was there a reason for Grand Duke Prause to walk in such a secluded garden late at night?
Tahar, thinking quietly, twisted his lips and smiled.
âDid he even try to negotiate with Frey, since he couldnât avoid the absolute right to obey anyway?â
Tahar had also heard that the two had reached an agreement of some sort.
âThat stupid Frey is negotiating.â
A considerable amount of time has passed since Frey, who was
struggling every day like an animal cornered, began to shine as if she had become a different person.
She used to be just an idiot trembling in a corner.
After she said she wanted to marry Daniel, she thought she might be a threat.
âIt was fine when she did stupid things on her own.â
Even though her eyes, as if she would no longer live the way she used to, bothered him too much.
I wanted to kill her when she went to the temple on her own and received the divine power test.
So Tahar decided to make the move himself.
âGrand duke. Youâve decided to accept it, but you still seem reluctant.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âThe marriage using the right of absolute obedience and Princess Frey.â