The moment he said we would be going with them to the duke's estate, I froze.
Nothing in the original storyline ever mentioned Jin-ho going there with Seongjin.
How did I suddenly become part of this?
The head butler continued speaking:
"I did not expect this from either of you—not even by one percent—but you never fail to make me nervous. Go inside and prepare yourselves. The prince and his men have already begun getting ready."
Jin-ho and Rora remained rooted in place.
And they had every right to be.
They were the two servants who had been insulted, exploited, and ignored more than anyone else.
This was a major event.
Maybe Rora didn't know much about it, but I had read everything—every detail had been prepared with precision.
So I told them bluntly:
"A place like that isn't suitable for an airhead like her."
My words may have sounded harsh, but she was a girl, and the arena and the hunting competition were no place for her.
Rora screamed at me so loudly that I had to cover my ears in annoyance.
"Not suitable for me? Are you joking? Move your backside already and stop delaying me! 'Not suitable', he says!"
I stuck my little finger in my ear, trying to ease the ringing her explosive voice caused, and muttered with a sigh:
"I'm wrong for ever thinking of you as a girl…"
The two of us walked away from each other—despite heading to the same place—leaving behind a trail of confused faces.
Some whispered, "Since when are they this close?"
Others muttered, "So this is their true nature?"
None of it was good.
But what troubled Jin-ho the most was the fear that the story was beginning to shift out of its intended path.
He entered his room, searching for something appropriate to wear—something that wouldn't embarrass the prince or make others assume he neglected his own servants.
The choices were limited, but he picked what suited him best.
He put on a long coat of deep gray, slightly darker than his hair, giving his features more definition and making his green eyes gleam like emeralds in the mist.
The fabric was thick—perfect for a merciless winter—with soft ivory wool lining the collar and cuffs, adding warmth without diminishing its dignity.
Beneath the coat, he wore a crisp white shirt, fastened by a dark brown leather belt around his slim waist.
His trousers were straight and dark, practical for a servant constantly on the move yet still neat enough for formal settings.
A small silver emblem hung on his chest, bearing the crest of the household he served—simple, but grounding.
While he finished dressing, he heard someone calling Rora with a cheerful tone that revealed it was her roommate.
"Rora! Rora! The prince asked you to wear these clothes!"
I ignored them and went downstairs calmly in what I already had, hoping not to embarrass the prince.
It was between eight and nine thirty in the morning, and the palace felt warm inside with these layers.
Five knights stood behind the prince, watching Jin-ho and Rora finish their preparations.
If I remembered correctly, the event lasted a full week, and during that week the two servants would finally be spared the exploitation and mistreatment they had suffered—
especially since the duke's servants wanted their positions.
Seongjin didn't say a word.
But the prince's and Seongjin's appearance was striking—so striking I almost commented on it.
The five knights wore matching military-style uniforms:
a black coat, sharply tailored, giving each man steady shoulders and unshakable confidence.
Polished golden buttons lined the chest in strict symmetry, catching the light with a disciplined shine.
Golden embroidery traced the edges as if a royal hand had stitched them.
On the shoulder, golden fringes draped down—a symbol earned only by those who had passed through battle and returned stronger.
The large badge on their chests resembled a star forged under hammer and flame, its center holding a faintly glowing stone—as if guarding a secret only the worthy could know.
Their posture reflected all of it: straight backs, sharp gazes—time itself seemed to pause in respect when they walked.
Everything about them was flawless.
But what truly caught my attention was Rora's entrance—wearing an outfit no servant should even have access to.
Her coat was a deep wine-red, like winter plucking a blush from a chilled cheek.
The heavy fabric fell around her in a wide circular shape, like a frozen wave following her steps.
At the collar wrapped a white fur scarf, soft and warm, topped with a silk bow of the same shade, adding grace and charm.
The short cape draped over her shoulders fluttered lightly with the breeze, like two small wings carrying her into a new story.
The same white fur circled her sleeves, pure as morning snow, giving her the elegance of a princess preparing to walk into a candlelit hall.
Raphael: "You look shocked."
Jin-ho: "How can I not be shocked? None of this is what I expected."
The prince chuckled softly, smiling.
"It was his idea."
He pointed at Seongjin, who looked utterly confused as to why the prince was gesturing toward him—
especially when he was the one who suggested the idea half an hour ago in the courtyard.
Seongjin simply smiled at Jin-ho in a gentle gesture, and Jin-ho returned it with an even bigger smile.
Everyone was stunned.
It had been a long time since Jin-ho—stripped of his princely title—had shown a smile like that.
Rora stepped forward.
Rora: "I know I don't have the right to ask this, my lord… but… why would you order a servant like me to wear such clothes?"
Raphael replied with warmth, his eyes shining kindly:
"It wouldn't be right to have a girl among seven men, all less elegant than you.
And I don't want anyone to say that those around me lack refinement.
Seongjin chose your outfit well—
it suits you perfectly."
Jin-ho murmured unconsciously:
"I don't know which one of you is the prince—her or you."
Silence fell across the room.
Everyone expected that after Jin-ho's disrespectful, sarcastic remark, the prince would be furious.
But instead, Raphael's expression showed he was trying not to smile, and he simply ordered them to follow him outside.
Jin-ho lightly bit his lip, regretting the unjustified comment he'd made.
He assumed that because they had treated him kindly the night before, they would continue being gentle with him—
yet he had managed to ruin the atmosphere with a single sentence.
"You never fail to amaze me with the things you say, Jin,"
Rora said as she walked behind the knights, with Jin-ho following her, head lowered.
How could he even dare look Raphael in the eye after basically calling his servant more princely than him?
The knights boarded the carriage waiting at the palace entrance—
a large white carriage engraved with the empire's emblem in pale blue, its black wheels pulled by sleek black horses.
The second carriage was for Jin-ho and Rora—
white as well, but decorated with black embroidery forming elegant patterns,
touched with silver in places so that it resembled a slice of night sky scattered with stars.
As for the prince, his carriage was smaller since he rode alone.
Painted white, adorned with golden patterns, with a flag bearing the empire's crest waving above it.
"All this preparation just to visit a duke," Jin-ho muttered while looking out the window as the road behind them began to shrink.
"It feels excessive… it almost makes the prince seem lesser. Don't you feel that too?"
Rora:
"I won't lie to you… I thought the same. Even if the duke once saved the Empress, that still shouldn't entitle him to evaluate the prince."
Jin-ho:
"Didn't Emperor Kaito love his wife Navis deeply? I understand his devotion… but he's allowed the duke to cross certain lines."
Rora shrugged with obvious indifference.
"Those who fear losing something will always fear its return.
And they'll always exalt the one who saved them from it."
Jin-ho found himself partially agreeing.
Losing someone you love—or witnessing them on the verge of being lost—was terrifying.
He understood why Emperor Kaito owed the duke so much.
Rora, suddenly remembering something:
"Jin—aren't you even a little curious about the duke's daughter?"
He thought for a moment.
The duke's daughter, Marianna, twenty years old—
with rare crimson eyes and black hair streaked with white.
She was the heroine of the story.
Yet she died shortly after marrying the prince…
for a reason that was never revealed.
But many things were said about her.
After all, the novel wasn't entirely romantic.
It mainly focused on the bond between the knights and the prince during wartime,
and how they fought desperately to protect their land.
And Jin-ho's own death had simply served as a convenient push to set the plot in motion.
Rora:
"Hey—what are you thinking about now?"
Jin-ho, resigned:
"I'm thinking about how hard it will be when I reach the point where I have to die."