I Don’t Want the Obsession of a Twisted Archduke

I sighed with relief as I heard Marina following with the cart. Kyle had finally left my office which had become my safe place.

‘He didn’t care about me in his office before, he just kept on doing his job.’

In my office, somehow his actions were the opposite.

For instance, are you not supposed to look at the document in front of you instead of my face?

Don’t you think you’re overreacting every time I make a single movement, asking me if everything is alright?

Kyle was so tenacious; I only wanted some quiet time to myself while I work. I stayed on edge all morning.

‘But he did help me out.’

He took the initiative in telling me everything I needed to know without even needing to ask. Kyle was too competent to say so.

He solved all the calculations in mental arithmetic so easily that it was overwhelming considering that the Empire lacked proper mathematical symbols. Besides, he was quick and good at budgeting. Even gave tips to make things easier for the hostess.

‘He’s of course a fictional man.’

At this point, I felt numb when we were together. Unlike him, I was not the perfect human being.

The smell of fragrant rose poked my nose, disturbing my thoughts.

I asked Marina to change my mind. “Marina, when does your vacation start?”

“Thank you for asking, your Highness. It’s tomorrow.” Marina replied with a nervous face.

I believe her agitation was due to the fact that I asked her to report to me first.

‘It turns out that Marina’s stuttering has decreased noticeably these days. Her face is also showing good colors. Is she emotionally more stable?’

It was a great pleasure to notice those changes in Marina.

“Well, tomorrow. I see.”

I quietly opened the desk drawer after answering with a sincere smile.

“Marina, can you hold out your hand?”

“Yes? Oh, yes!”

I quickly grabbed the gift in front of me and transferred it into Marina’s expecting hand. It was a jewel that I had prepared in advance to give it to her.

Jewelry made up only of those that can be obtained from the common people. Carrying too expensive jewelry would have been dangerous in many ways for her. This gift had been carefully picked so that would not happen.

“Yo, your Highness. I ca, can’t take this.”

Seeing my hands twinkling, Marina waved her hands with wide eyes, looking like a fearful rabbit. In addition, her stuttering became worse again.

‘’This is the reaction I expected.’

With a calm face, I tried to persuade her. “Marina, this is my sincerity for you who have been working hard, besides it’s not that expensive.”

“Ha, but…”

“Hmm. Or did you not work hard enough to get this?”

“Yes? Oh, no! I always serve you with all my heart and soul.”

“Really? Then you can take it. It’s only a small present.”

“Ah…”

Marina became stiff with a rather complicated look. She seemed embarrassed, not knowing how to act.

I kept staring at Marina and continued with the same calm attitude as before.

“Marina, I have the authority to set the salaries for the employees of the Great Duchy. This is a small gift I decided after watching you at work. This is my choice. This is a legitimate remuneration.”

Marina seemed to realize she made a mistake while listening to my serious remarks. That not accepting this gift can be an act of ignoring me. It wasn’t an act of favoritism or injustice.

Knowing very well my personality, I would never have given it to her if she was a slut or a jerk, even taking into account that Marina was the novel’s heroine. If she was anything like that, I would have taught Marina thoroughly, most likely shouting at her, ‘You mustn’t live like that!’

To make her live standing tall without being shaken by any of those winds.

Of course, she would have done as well as now.

Anyhow, sensing victory was close by, I pushed further with a harmless smile.

“So, will you take it?”

“Yes, your Highness. Che, cherish, I will cherish it dearly.”

I could barely hear Marina’s voice crawling with tears near her eyes, as if she were feeling a little emotional. Marina’s eyes were filled with admiration and respect for me.

This, um… It was nothing but a small gift. I scratched my face feeling a little shy all of sudden.

***

The present time, when the sun sets after all today’s events, has finally come to an end.

In the office, only the scrambling pen notes filled the silence. Then I casually looked at the clock, the hour hand was pointing to 9 o’clock.

‘I think it’s time for you to come.’

Well, I was not in any hurry.

‘If I take care of my work silently and forget about it, he will come. If he doesn’t come, plan b it is.’

When I tried to grab over the next document while taking my time, since I had so much of it to spare, I heard the sound of the window opening. A cold winter wind filled the room.

The sudden breeze made the end of the document flutter in my hands.

I adjusted my posture without any hesitation; then I looked towards the window and greeted my new visitor.

“Welcome, Sejan.”

There was no pretense. Nevertheless, I was sure Sejan would be in front of me. He was such an absurd man in the original work, acting randomly, he would never take the normal path. Always go around the other way.

‘As expected, I knew it.’

Sejan, dressed in a red knight’s uniform, stood in front of me. Covered in enough red today to lose his uniform, he was smiling with a very pretentious face.

‘At this point, I wonder whose blood is all over his body.’

After a long silence, Sejan, whose eyes met face to face with me, immediately opened his mouth.

“Every time I see her Highness, it surprises me. How did you know I was here?”

“I thought it would be you. Today is the day I mentioned.”

“Could have not been an assassin?” Sejan murmured to himself.

He had a point. However, the current situation was one of my own. Knowing very well the possible things of this second lead male. This was a fictional world, and I knew the characters.

‘Even if it’s a little unlikely that it would be an assassin, it would not be a problem.’

On the other hand, it would be strange if an assassin came in considering the security of the Great Duchy was not lax in any way. There was one more important thing here.

I stood up from my seat and spoke clearly.

“Unless this assassin is a complete fool, there’s no way he would come in making such loud noises.”

“Well, I guess so.”

Sejan acknowledged my reasoning with a refreshing look. He had no sense of defeat at all. Well, I didn’t call you to ‘win’ anyway.

“Let’s stop talking about this nonsense and get down to business.”

Sejan showed a deep smile instead of an answer to my neat remarks.

Following me, I moved to the table. Before I knew it, Sejan and I sat facing each other.

“Do you want some tea?”

“Not at all. I don’t need it.” Honestly, Sejan could answer so rudely.

It didn’t bother me. He was usually like that. However, from now on, it would be very important not to be pushed back by him. I purposely put on an arrogant look in order to take the initiative.

“Then let me get to the point and tell you what you’re curious about.”

“Good.”

Sejan answered me without feeling overwhelmed by the momentum and the conversation continued naturally.

“As I said before, I know who you’re looking for. I have a special ability.”

“Ability?”

“Yes, an ability. I can see the past or the future in my dreams. This is how I came into learning about it.”

It was a lie. I didn’t have this kind of power.

There was no proper word to persuade him, so I was just going around the subject. There were a lot of people in the Empire who had various abilities.

Sejan didn’t change his expression and soon asked me.

“Then let’s hear it. What does her Highness know of my story?”

There was a silent for quite a long time after that. I noticed what Sejan said.

The ability I’m talking about is an unknown ability that no wizard or fortune teller has ever had. That’s why Sejan wanted to check for himself how much I knew.

‘If Sejan really wants to hear it all, I will let him hear it.’

It wasn’t difficult.

But…

I hesitated for a moment; it was no exaggeration to say that I faltered into coming into action. I was quite hesitant.

Sejan has lived a devastating life.

‘I can’t believe that I, the original author, have to recite it myself.’

The guilt was burning me from the inside.

‘I should still do it.’

I breathed out to get myself together, then muttered to myself in a certain tone of voice. One that didn’t have any emotion.

“Very well, your full name is Sejan Garth, member of the Garth clan, made up of a minority, and a nobleman’s son who had made a great contribution to the war before the fall of his clan. By the age of seven, plague had begun to spread throughout the Empire.”

“…”

“In the meantime, a series of terrible incidents occurred in which sick people were found to be bitten by a beast occurred one after another, and the bodies somehow continued to appear only near Garth’s clan.”

“…”

“It caused the Garth to be highly suspicious, and later on…”

“Your Highness.”

Sejan, who was quietly listening to the story, suddenly cut me off. Instead of answering, I stared at him.

Then Sejan burst into laughter.

“And is this what you will say? Afterwards, rumors spread that the members of the Garth’s clan were eating people by spraying them with plague. The clan was eventually framed and deprived of the authority of the aristocracy and expelled to the periphery of the Empire.

“Yes, that’s true. Everyone knows the story this far…”