CH 16

‘Why is there no magic in the world of 〈The Marriage Alliance.〉’

Marienne pressed a hand to her furrowed brow.

‘Actually, as a reader, my personal preference is that 〈The Marriage Alliance〉 works just fine without magic. It feels more like a realistic political revenge drama.’

Once magic is introduced, many problems are solved with magic tools or divine powers.

You can talk to someone on another continent with a crystal ball. You’ll be able to create illusions and teleport objects and people.

And you can cast a spell on a pesky Duke to make him lose his hair.

After deciding to make Cain Blackwood a peeled egg, Marienne felt sorry for the world without magic.

A spell for hair loss. What a fascinating phrase.

It wasn’t a life-threatening, high-level spell, so it should be more reasonably priced, right?

I mean, it could have been covered by Marienne Didi’s civil servant salary.

‘What’s the use of making assumptions now?’

Marienne had admitted her incompetence yesterday and turned to Vileon for help, a man with a heavy mouth and a brain to rival Odette’s. She could appeal to him for recognition.

An unexpected problem arose. Despite her resolve to keep the information to a minimum, Marienne finds herself caught up in his barrage of questions.

“What on earth are you trying to put in the Duke’s hair?”

“It’s not poison, so you can rest assured about that.”

“Come to think of it, Aide Didi has a particular dislike for the Duke’s dark hair, and the other day, she suggested I dye mine, citing Her Highness the Fourth Princess’ taste for black hair…”

He quickly developed his reasoning. He quickly came to the conclusion that the substance the Third Aide was applying was a depilatory.

I was still a little confused by the fact that he was calling me his own person, but this was a calmly worded question!

Vileon’s attractiveness has increased by +999.

Marienne’s Heart Rate is increased by +999.

Marienne’s reason is ‘paralysed’.

A sense of crisis overtakes Marienne, so she scrambles out of her chair and kneels on the floor.

A thud!

“Lord Byers, could you please think of a way to save a few lives?”

Vileon’s composure was shattered as Marienne Didi cast her proprietary kneeling technique.

“Once this is over, I’ll never be seen next to the Duke of Blackwood again, and it’s not a dangerous cream, I promise you on my life!”

So much for the flashback. Marienne snapped back to reality. She was quite pleased with her reflection in the hallway mirror.

She had a brown wig on her head, a striped dress, and a white apron. In the pockets of her apron, she hid a depilatory and a wooden spatula.

Today she planned to disguise herself as an imperial maid and slip the depilatory into the northerner’s shampoo container.

‘Genius idea, Vileon. Sun of the Empire!’

Vileon’s solution was deceptively simple.

If the cream didn’t smell bad, it would most certainly be in the Duke’s shampoo container.

Five minutes was not a problem, he said, if the habits of his Imperial Academy days were still with him.

The Duke has a habit of leaving his hair lathered, then shaving, and scrubbing his body with a sponge.

Suddenly, Marienne remembered that the two were seniors at the Imperial Academy. Marienne’s eyes lit up at the information Vileon had provided.

Habits are not easily changed.

‘He was summoned to the Crown Prince’s palace earlier. They usually clean the room while the owner is away…’

Marienne draped a snow-white towel over her arms.

‘My chance is now!’

She rounded the corner and came to the door of Cain’s room. Marienne opened the door after a soft knock.

The northerner occupied the most luxurious of the palace’s guest rooms. It included a private study, a sitting room, a reception room, and a bathroom with golden taps.

Marienne closed the door behind her back and turned on her heel. She stepped past the gorgeous grand piano and into the bathroom.

The plateau was finally in sight. With excitement, Marienne pushed the long doorknob of the bathroom. The ornate doors opened on either side.

‘I just need to find the shampoo container. It’s usually near the bathtub…’

Marienne took two steps into the bathroom. The air was strangely moist and fragrant.

She turned her head to the side and her heart dropped to the floor. How could this be? Surely she’d seen Cain Blackwood on his way to the Crown Prince’s palace earlier.

‘But why is he in the bathtub…? When did he get back? How did he get here before me?’

Marienne froze in place, panicking.

‘Ca, calm down. Marienne Didi. He hasn’t seen you yet.’

But it was only a matter of time before he did.

Should she run now or not? To hit or not to hit. To hit or not to hit.

“There, you. You’re letting in cold air. Close the door. Change the hot towel before you go.”

Cain dropped the towel over his eyes onto the tray. He leaned back against the tub, head tilted at an angle, and waited for his instructions to be carried out.

Marienne had been debating whether or not to flee until the last minute. She noted that the northerner kept his eyes closed.

And what did he just say? Something about changing the hot towel.

‘He thinks I’m a maid.’

A long strand of black hair hanging out of the tub caught Marienne’s eye.

That damned hair. I can’t get rid of it so I don’t have to see the tears in Vileon’s eyes.

‘Even if this is your trap, I won’t walk into it.’

Determined, Marienne grabbed a spare steaming towel from the sink. She prayed he wouldn’t open his eyes until she was in his blind spot.

Slowly. Calmly.

Marienne moved behind Cain’s back. Stretching only her arms, she dipped the washcloth in the hot water and wringed it out.

The dried herbs in the towel’s pocket soaked up the water, sending an aromatic scent into the air.

A normal romance fantasy novel would have started describing Cain Blackwood’s naked body at this point: broad shoulders, muscular chest, blah, blah, blah. A trickle of water running down his war-scarred back.

But she’s already read that in the original. Marienne’s concern was not the northerner’s hide.

‘The shampoo container… is here.’

Deep sky-blue eyes flashed. Marienne mapped out the route in her head.

It was then.

“That’s a pretty sloppy move…”

There was a hint of irritation in Cain’s voice, just in case he opened his eyes. Marienne immediately covered his eyes with a steaming towel.

When the towel was just damp enough, it slammed into Cain’s face with a hard, kicking sound.

“You’ve got a pretty good grip.”

The maniac said, even as he was slapped across the face.

“Rub my shoulders.”

I swear I’m sending you to jail.

Marienne dropped her gaze to the shampoo container and placed a hand on Cain’s shoulder. Cain frowned of his own accord. The feel of bare skin against bare skin was disgusting.

I haven’t even seen my favourite bare skin yet, and touching a naked northerner is the worst.

“Right.”

He pointed in the direction I’d been trying to focus on.

“Left.”

Doesn’t this fucker actually know what he’s doing?

“Pound it with your fist.”

Marienne rolled up her sleeves. You started this, Cain Blackwood. Marienne slammed down on his shoulder with all the force she could muster.

His shoulders were hard enough to make her think they were made of iron and covered in human skin. Marienne hadn’t been pounding for long when sweat broke out on her forehead.

‘These are all fake muscles, bullshit muscles, and if he didn’t have any hair, he’d be a pushover!’

Marienne poured her hatred for him into her fists.

“You’re quiet and strong, much better than the handmaiden you came as.”

Damn him, he dares to judge. Marienne gritted her teeth and picked up the shampoo container with one hand.

Carefully, she managed to get the lid off. She poured most of the shampoo out onto the bathroom floor. Cain didn’t even notice until she placed the depilatory at the mouth of the shampoo container.

That’s when the white depilatory oozed into the container.

“Why are you suddenly using only one hand?”

Cain turned without warning, and the compress covering his eyes fell into the water.

Emergency! We need to cover up the evidence.

In a flash, Marienne, who had returned the depilatory to her apron and the shampoo container to its place, threatened her opponent.

“Don’t move.”

In her hand, Marienne held a large pair of scissors. They were in another pocket of her apron.

How she moved her hands so quickly, She don’t know. Perhaps it was a superpower, born of a desperate need to avoid being seen as a last resort.

“If it moves, its cut.”

“…Cut what?”

“This.”

Snip.

Marienne sliced off a clump of black hair that she had been clutching, then jumped out.

The countdown to death had begun. How long would it be before Cain Blackwood realised what was happening and gave chase.

‘Stay dazed a little longer. Give me some distance.’

Marienne was halfway down the stairs. The sound of a door breaking came from the guest room.

Marienne’s eyes locked with Cain’s, who stood bare-chested and wearing only a pair of trousers. The crisp flesh of his back was bare.

‘Let’s run.’

Marienne ran down the stairs two at a time. She shouted as she ran down the corridor with all her might.

“You wanted this! Can’t you cut me some slack?”

The madman gave chase, his momentum terrifying. Die. Die. This time it would break her neck. Marienne screamed, the momentum stirring up a fear she didn’t have.

“It’s an old custom to keep the hair of your favourite!”

Disgusting. Stop chasing me. My lungs felt like they were going to burst from the continued sprint.

A small part of me wondered if I should have just kissed him, since that was the shock therapy I was going to use anyway. But that would be worse for me.

“Gahhhhhhh! Lord Vileonnn!”

Marienne finally screamed Vileon’s name at the top of her lungs.

“Help!”

Marienne’s cries for help echoed down the corridor. Those who poked their heads out to see what was going on realised that her pursuer was the Duke of Blackwood, and quickly slammed the door back shut.

‘Can I make it back to the top?’

I wasn’t sure. I couldn’t see how close he was following. I’m afraid he’ll catch me as soon as I turn my head.

“Lord Byerssss!”

We’ll all die. But Marienne Didi shouldn’t die today. At the very least, I’ll close my eyes and watch the northerner’s head turn into a hard-boiled egg.

As Marienne rounded the corner, the painting on the wall suddenly moved. It was Vileon who had opened a secret passage.

In the beginning, God said, let there be light, and Vileon Byers was born.

Marienne cried and leapt into her saviour’s arms. Just as the door to the secret passage closed, Cain Blackwood rounded the corner.

Marienne’s life was prolonged by a few moments.