Chapter 5: Not According to Plan
Seraphina was halfway through a very expensive peach when the front doors of her estate were practically kicked off their hinges.
“Seraphina von Astrea! Explain yourself!”
She didn’t even look up from her fruit. She knew that voice. It was the sound of a man who had never been told “no” in his entire life. Crown Prince Kallisto stormed into the dining hall, his cape billowing behind him like a dramatic storm cloud.
“Your Highness,” Seraphina said, finally dabbing her mouth with a silk napkin. “You’re trespassing. My contract clearly stated that our engagement is over. That usually includes the ‘barging into my house’ part.”
Kallisto slammed a handful of papers onto the table. They were the gossip rags from the morning. The headlines were screaming: DUCHESS SELLS FAMILY HEIRLOOMS TO FUND SECRET ESCAPE? and THE SHADOW KNIGHT: SERAPHINA’S NEW LOVER?
“You bought a war prisoner,” Kallisto hissed, his blue eyes flashing. “A man from the conquered territories. Do you have any idea how that looks? People are saying you’re building a private militia because you’re heartbroken!”
“Heartbroken?” Seraphina let out a genuine laugh. “Kallisto, I haven’t slept this well in years. And as for Ixion…”
A shadow shifted in the corner of the room. Ixion stepped into the light, his hand resting casually on the hilt of the new sword Seraphina had bought him. He didn’t say a word, but the sheer aura of violence radiating from him made the Prince stumble back half a step.
“He’s my personal security,” Seraphina finished. “Since I’m no longer under the protection of the Crown, I had to outsource.”
“I won’t allow it,” Kallisto snapped, though his voice wavered as he looked at Ixion. “I’ve come to… to renegotiate.”
Seraphina paused. “Renegotiate? The annulment is signed, sealed, and delivered to the High Priest. There are no refunds in the game of love, Your Highness.”
“I haven’t submitted the paperwork to the Emperor yet,” Kallisto muttered, looking at the floor. “I thought… perhaps you were just having a tantrum. Eara is… she’s sweet, but she’s a commoner. The court is being difficult. I realized that having you by my side, even if you’re insufferable, is ‘stable.'”
Seraphina felt a cold chill. This wasn’t supposed to happen. In the book, Kallisto couldn’t wait to get rid of her.
“You want me back because I’m stable?” she asked, her voice dropping. “Kallisto, I spent three years being your shadow. I ruined my reputation for you. And the moment I stop, you suddenly find me interesting? That’s not love. That’s just a bruised ego.”
“It’s not an ego! I just… I don’t like this version of you!” he shouted. “You’re supposed to be looking at me, not at some brute you bought in a cellar!”
Ixion’s eyes narrowed, and the air in the room grew heavy. Seraphina stood up, her emerald eyes cold.
“Get out, Kallisto. If you don’t submit that paperwork, I’ll take it to the Emperor myself and tell him you’re harassing a private citizen. I have a vineyard to run, and you are officially a distraction.”
Kallisto looked like he wanted to argue, but Ixion took a single step forward. The Prince turned on his heel and fled, though his parting glance wasn’t one of hatred—it was one of lingering, confused longing.
“That was… satisfying,” Seraphina whispered, sinking back into her chair.
“He will be back,” Ixion said, his voice deep and resonant. He moved to the table and picked up a peach, turning it over in his scarred hands. “Men like him don’t like losing their toys.”
“I’m not a toy,” Seraphina sighed. “I’m a woman trying to retire early. Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?”
She looked at Ixion. He was watching her with an unreadable expression. In the original story, he was the hero. Now, he was her employee. And the Crown Prince, who was supposed to be her executioner, was now acting like a jilted ex-boyfriend.
The plot wasn’t just broken; it was shattered.
“Ixion,” she said, looking at the map of the southern coast on her desk. “Pack faster. We’re leaving for the villa tomorrow morning. I have a feeling the capital is about to get very crowded.”
“As you wish, My Lady,” Ixion replied. For the first time, he didn’t call her ‘Duchess.’
Seraphina smiled. She had escaped the executioner, secured her fortune, and hired the strongest man in the world. Now, she just had to survive the fact that she was accidentally becoming the most popular woman in the Empire.
