âNo, no. I made a mistake.â
Thankfully he understands. Sabina loosened her fist. She looked at the man in amazement before spitting out a word.
âTo laugh at the sight of people being beaten is quite a bad taste.â
Then he laughs even more.
Sabina had never seen anyone whose laughter was so profane in her life.
âThe faceâ¦â¦.â
Sabina had to admit after scanning the manâs appearance up and down.
ââ¦â¦ Heâs filthy handsome.â
Black hair contrasted with pale skin and obsidian-like eyes that seemed to have absorbed all light.
It was a combination of colors that looked neat. However, because of the exceptionally reddish lips and eyes, the man gave off a strange atmosphere.
In particular, the languid eyes were the highlight. Along with the color around the eyes, it gave a sad feeling for some reason.
âHeâs not that bulky at all.â
Tall height, shoulders and chest that are close to a soldierâs.
Even though he had a manly appearance, the first impression was that he was strangely beautiful.
A person of unparalleled beauty with both classical beauty and splendid beauty.
âA friend of the Grand Prince? Or is it like a face madam* who helps by his side?â
Sabina, who had never set foot in the social world before, did not recognize who she was talking with. She didnât know much about the ecology of the nobility.
Perhaps thatâs why.
She was able to speak naturally with this helpless-looking drunkard like a friend she had met in years.
âAre you going to keep standing there?â
But the man who got up from his seat grabbed her hand without hesitation and pulled her.
Sabina, startled by it, tried to shake him off, but the man was faster. He lifted her with one hand and pulled her into the seat across from him.
âGet comfortable. Itâll be a long trip.â
The man tapped the coachmanâs side of the wall, and the carriage started immediately.
Sabina sat down in her seat, blankly looking down at her own hand.
She then raised her head.
âHuh.â
He seemed unaware that he had committed an unscrupulous(?) act. He leaned back in his seat, and nonchalantly closed his eyes.
Sabina, who had been frozen for a while, managed to get the words out.
âWhat are you doing?â
The man was resting his arm on the handle of his seat, his head slightly raised and his eyes narrowed.
âWhat?â
âWho said you could hold my hand?â
Sabina had little contact with strangers, let alone members of the opposite sex.
She had never been out of the family, and she had lived while being ignored by the family, so she had never been properly escorted.
So of course, she reacted sensitively.
âWere you offended?â
âAre you kidding me?â
âItâs troublingâ¦â
Troubling? What the hell? When she pursed her lips to ask, he spoke first.
âWe have to do worse.â
The man reached out his hand and touched her fingertips, playfully curving his eyes.
âGet used to it quickly.â
Only then did Sabina realize that this man was Tristan Valentine, the Grand Prince.
âI want to kill youâ¦â¦.â
What? She has to do worse? On whose permission?
Sabina trembled as she clenched her fists.
âIt hasnât been long since we met, but youâre talking like that.â
He must have taken her for granted.
Or an easy-enough man who would say such words without hesitation to a woman he saw for the first time.
However, that didnât mean she could swing her fist at the Grand Prince.
Because she was being sold.
âYour face looks like you want to kill me.â
He saw straight through her.
Sabina got startled and looked up at Tristan. She then noticed a smile on his lips and got more startled.
Is he crazy?
âIs this an unfamiliar treatment for you?â
ââ¦â
âYou donât seem to have any intention of adapting to your circumstances.â
âYouâ¦â
Sabina managed to swallow the curse from escaping her mouth.
âUntil now, the reason I was able to treat the Grand Prince disrespectfully was because I didnât know his true identity.â
Now that she has learned that he is the Grand Prince, her situation has changed.
They would marry soon, but Sabina was still an illegitimate child of the County.
An illegitimate child cannot enter the social world and cannot even be listed in the family. Even after she dies, she could not be buried in the family grave.
But her opponent is a person so high that if she hadnât been sacrificed, she wouldnât have even seen the hem of his clothes in her life.
âThat one over there seems to know that Iâve finally found out who he is.â
At first, he probably allowed her who didnât know who she was talking to because it was funny. But now itâs different. He would not tolerate rudeness any longer.
Sabina swallowed her anger.
âIâm sorry, but we canât afford a new bride. You have to get used to it.â
She is obviously a sacrifice. It doesnât matter who she was, just give birth to a baby and dieâ¦â¦.
She suppressed her anger as hard as she could and put on a casual face.
And she spoke in a calm voice.
âAre you saying that I should get used to it quickly and bear a successor?â
âSomething like that.â
âYouâre not willing to let me go because you canât afford a new brideâ¦â
Tristan smiled broadly. That means yes.
âA hand that had held the sword before.â
When did heâ¦â¦. Sabina frowned.
She remembered Tristan escorting her and brushing the calluses on her palms.
Just as people who study develop calluses on their middle fingers, sword holders also have distinctive calluses.
He recognized it quickly.
âBefore you get to the Grand Dukeâs castle, let me give you one piece of advice.â
His nonchalant gaze fell on Sabina. The pitch-black eyes that came upon her were like pits where no light could enter.
It was so deep. It was just black. She couldnât see anything underneath.
âGive it up. Your dreams, your life, your future, your talents, your potential, everything.â
ââ¦â
âBecause Valentineâs is such a place.â
Conform and obey. Then you will feel comfortable.
âI promise you a more luxurious, splendid, and peaceful death than anyone else.â
Tristan whispered softly like a seducing devil.
When he said he wanted to bathe her in diamonds, she was more than willing to listen.
â
*face madam refers to the most beautiful or handsome people in the whole group