Hopefully, at Your Mercy

My heart began to thump, thump, thump violently inside my chest. A shudder ran from the tip of my toes.

Why the hell am I feeling this way?

I didn’t know a lot of things, but I was definitely aware of the emotions stirring inside me. This emotion clearly resembles fear.

But it wasn’t just fear. No, I’m not afraid, but rather… I’m sad?

“I… Iskan Anagroke… Who is he?”

“You don’t know him?”

“Rose, I told you the other day. Are you asking that because you really don’t know that I don’t kn—”

“He’s the prince! His Highness the Second Prince of the Bakhyan Empire, Grand Duke Iskan Anagroke.”

Like last time, I tried to use her question against her, and Rose gave me the response I wanted—albeit with a fed-up expression.

“Aha. Of course. His Highness…”

Delinda tried to recall vague information. It sounded like a name she recognized, but she couldn’t think of anything.

She appeared unable to fully grasp the information because something was blocking it.

The princes of the Bakhyan Empire.

Delinda pulled out as many memories as she could and arranged them all in her mind.

There were two princes in the empire.

One is the crown prince, son of Empress Roseanne. The other is Prince Iskan Anagroek, the son of the late empress.

The emperor first married the mother of Iskan Anagroke, the second prince, but when she died, he remarried the current empress. Almost as if he’d been waiting for her.

And as soon as he remarried the current empress, he brought in a boy. That was the current crown prince.

The crown prince was the result of the emperor and empress forming a sexual relationship. So he was having an affair when he married the former empress.

That’s why the son of the current empress was older than the son of the late empress.

‘…The second prince, Iskan Anagroke, must’ve gotten trampled on a lot because of another prince suddenly taking his place. What is wrong with people? Viciously tormenting the son of their former empress… It seems that the emperor’s true love is not Iskan Anagroke’s mother but the mother of the current crown prince.’

“By the way, what was the crown prince’s name?”

“It’s Kislin Roux Crozan…”

Rose whispered quietly as if she were careful to even put the name in her mouth.

Delinda’s eyes widened.

“Oh!” 

Kislin Roux Crozan!

The Crown Prince of the Bakhyan Empire.

Iskan, the second prince, was now a grand duke with the last name Anagroke. He was given a new last name instead of the emperor’s last name, “Crozan.”

A separation from the imperial family, so to speak. It was accurate to interpret that he’d been eliminated in the battle for the throne.

As soon as I heard the crown prince’s name, strange memories began flooding my mind. My head was filled with the concealed information, popping around like popcorn.

Crown Prince Kislin Roux Crozan.

Black hair resembling the night sky and beautiful sparkling eyes. His dimples gave him a charming smile.

The warmth that held my hand tightly.

And,

[Ruyan]

A voice that turns especially friendly when calling the other person’s name.

“…”

Delinda dropped her arm to her side, causing her dress to slide off.

“Princess?”

Goosebumps rose along my forearms, and I wrapped myself in my arms.

Just a moment ago, I remembered my name from my 1st life.

‘My name was Ruyan! And I knew the crown prince of the empire!’

Although the crown prince’s face did not clearly come to mind, I saw small fragments of him. He was a handsome boy with black hair and a pretty smile.

Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.

My heart began to beat wildly. The memory came to me as if a clue. It was more embarrassing rather than welcoming.

What on earth was my relationship with the crown prince? Why would the crown prince playfully say my name while holding my hand?

Besides, I feel like… Crown Prince Kislin was the male lead of this novel!

Delinda finished putting on her dress because Rose (who was still standing next to her) asked her to finish putting on her dress in a nervous voice.

I was lost in thought again, leaving myself to Rose’s touch so she could button up my sleeves.

I was certainly not the female lead during my 1st life. This was the world of Romance Fantasy, and although I was living in it, I was definitely not a main character.

However, the novel’s male lead, “Crown Prince Kislin Roux Crojan,” affectionately called out my name.

What about the female lead?

Who is she?!

I tried to think, but nothing came to mind.

How can life be so unkind? If I was going to get sucked back in here for a 2nd time, they should’ve let me remember everything from the 1st time.

I grumbled all dolled up with my hair done.

As Rose added the finishing touches, it began to get noisy below the window. When Delinda finished pulling on her gloves, she approached the window and looked down.

About twenty knights mounted on black horses were approaching the entrance of the estate.

The eyes behind the iron helmet were sharp and hard. They were all marching in a precise row. A large group and imposing presence. At first, I saw him as a perfectly trained elite soldier. 

And the most eye-catching of them all.

The crowd of knights surrounding him halted in front of the gates.

The horse rose on his hind legs and cried, causing dust to unsettle. The horse’s cloak fluttered in response to the movement.

Not a second later, a man with unusually broad shoulders dismounted the black horse.

Long legs stepping onto the ground, hands handing over the reins to a servant. With an elegance that overshadows the attention from his disheveled attire. His unkempt, wind-blown hair was as black as the night sky.

He oozed the grace of a high-ranking aristocrat born with natural power in his hands while also appearing to be a trained knight, like the well-cut blade of a sword.

Delinda clung to the window. She bent at the waist and looked down until she almost fell.

‘Wow. How can he be so handsome…’

His silhouette was nice to look at, but seeing his face was like a fantasy.

Delinda did not bother to look back at Rose, opening her mouth to ask,

“Rose, Rose! Is that him?”

“Yes, that is the Grand Duke, Iskan Anagroke. It’s my first time seeing him too, but since he’s the only one who is expected to arrive today, I assume I’m correct.”

Aha. The younger brother of the crown prince who called me Ruyan.

Delinda gawked at him as if possessed.

Did he feel her piercing gaze? Iskan raised his head.

Their eyes slowly clashed in the air.

“…”

Unlike behind the dark window, outside was full of sunlight.

When she could clearly see the man staring back, who appeared to be engulfed in dazzling light, Delinda let out a gasp that was similar to a moan.

“Ah…” 

I couldn’t move my body.

If his eyes had physical powers, I’d have been tied up by now.

They were a strong, vivid red.

He’s definitely very handsome…

‘Why? Why am I sad?’

I was staring at the most handsome man in the world, and for some strange reason, my shoulders shrank. An inexplicable emotion caused a sharp electric current to run through my fingertips.

Am I scared of attractive people?

But… I’m used to seeing myself.

Delinda couldn’t breathe and look at him at the same time. So she recoiled from the window and hid in the shadows of her room.

As if she wanted to run from him.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing.” 

Delinda shook her head at Rose and took a couple of deep breaths. Her trembling began to settle bit by bit.

When her hammering heart calmed down, Delinda asked Rose,

“But why is he here?”

Rose let out a small sigh and replied as if it were a pity.

“Why? He’s here to purchase the duke’s mansion.”

“What?!” 

* * *

To be exact, Iskan did not come to buy the mansion. He came to loan money by placing a mortgage on the mansion.

Duke Schultz was looking for money to finance the “Spirit Stone Mine” contract, and the news reached Prince Iskan.

Delinda came down to the foyer and greeted Iskan with her father, Duke Schultz. With her back straight, she stepped inside and glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

Iskan, who led the knights and entered with confidence, gave off the impression that he was the residence’s owner rather than a guest.

His red cape fluttered gracefully with each step. His imposing steps resemble the rough waves that incessantly crash against the cliffs.

“Welcome, Your Highness. Thank you for not rejecting my request and coming personally.”

“I would gladly run if the duke had asked me to do so.”

A more friendly greeting than expected. The duke and Iskan walked toward the drawing room, continuing their brief greetings.

Delinda stood by her father’s side and followed them with her mouth sealed shut.

‘As expected, something keeps bothering me.’

Iskan Anagroke. Every glance at him made me freeze.

I must have a phobia of attractive people or something. Otherwise, there would be no explanation for why my lips have been trembling since earlier.

It was not until they entered the drawing room that the duke introduced Delinda to Iskan.

“Isn’t this your first time meeting His Highness? This is my daughter, Delinda Schultz.”

Only then did Iskan finally look at Delinda. Delinda stood there, staring at him.

Step, step.

Iskan slowly approached Delinda. As a formal greeting, Iskan extended his hand, and Delinda took it; their body temperatures slowly fused.

Iskan lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand gently.

A strand of hair fell across his forehead.

His straight lashes were long, and his unblemished skin was as smooth as finely crafted marble.

He lifted his head, his eyes catching on Delinda’s.

A clear, sharp gaze. His expressive eyes locked her in a deep trance.

“So this is how I get to see you.”

A melting smile with a soft low tone.

…Ah! 

Delinda shook her hand away in surprise. A tingling current ran down her spine.

From the moment he greeted her father, she felt a strange sense of deja vu…

A relaxed tone that doesn’t seem to feel the ups and downs of emotions. A low voice with a calming drop at the end of his words.

It was him.

Last night’s killer, who was covered in blood.