Even in the novel, Setren didn’t trust Evelyn at first.

He tested her multiple times, and only after confirming that she really was a fool did he let his guard down. But the novel made it clear—he later regretted that.

This test, too, would eventually pass.

Setren sat down next to me. I thought he’d leave right away, but he stayed.

The sofa, already narrow, felt even smaller with his large frame leaning back against it. His broad shoulders brushed against me, pressing me slightly to the side.

I rolled the candy in my mouth.

I could feel his warmth at my back, enveloping me completely. His breath, his scent…

Had I ever sat this close to such an insanely handsome man before?

No. I had no immunity to this kind of situation. It was like this man could make candy taste better just by existing.

Damn it.

I focused on breathing and tried to concentrate on the candy’s flavor.

It’s sweet.

Thanks to the candy, I managed to calm myself—barely. Without it, I might’ve already burst into flames from embarrassment.

I struggled to keep my eyes from drifting toward Setren’s hands.

His scarred hands stood out, with faded marks that hinted at old wounds. Long, slightly rough, and perfectly proportioned—annoyingly, even his hands were my type.

What the hell am I thinking?

As if he could hear my thoughts, Setren suddenly asked in a low voice, “What do you usually do to pass the time?”

“Um… I read books.”

I blurted out the first answer that came to mind. Evelyn probably read books, right?

At least I could read, so that was a safe answer.

Evelyn’s memories had been absorbed into mine, but honestly, the girl had been so clueless it was painful.

Even in the Duke’s household, she’d been tricked and used, completely unaware of what was happening to her. She hadn’t been mature enough to recognize her situation.

This was the girl I was supposed to be.

“Hey, that’s Evelyn’s! Why are you taking it?”

“I’m just keeping it safe so you don’t lose it! Precious things should always be entrusted to your closest friends.”

“Really? Then you’ll protect it for me?”

“Of course! We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Friends!”

That’s how easily Evelyn had been fooled—tricked into handing over her things to so-called friends. And now, not a single one of those ‘friends’ was anywhere to be seen.

Not that it mattered right now.

The only thing that mattered was the massive presence seated next to me.

“Books, huh?” Setren mused. “So you like reading. I think one of the gifts we prepared might be a book. Bring it in.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I suddenly had a bad feeling. Was it normal to feel uneasy about receiving gifts?

The steward entered with a box.

One by one, he began taking out the contents and arranging them on the table.

The brightly colored items were clearly meant for children.

This wasn’t what I meant by books.

Although, to be fair, Evelyn probably would’ve loved these kinds of things. She adored anything cute and shiny—her room was proof of that.

The steward’s voice was cold as he introduced the items.

“This is a coloring book, this is a storybook, these are crayons, and this is a puzzle. Your Highness.”

The way he looked at me was full of hostility.

I understood why. He’d served a war hero, only to come back and see his master saddled with a dimwitted Crown Princess.

Honestly, I couldn’t blame him.

He didn’t hate me personally—he hated Evelyn and what she represented. He hated the Duke of Spendel, who’d arranged this ridiculous marriage.

And he had every right to.

The Duke had orchestrated everything, even using his own daughter as a tool to weaken the Crown Prince’s influence.

In the novel, it was all part of Spendel’s plan. He used Evelyn to plant a spy in Setren’s household while also sabotaging the prince’s chance of marrying a strong and influential noblewoman.

The stewards had already handpicked a suitable bride for Setren—someone with status and power. There had even been a formal engagement.

But all of that had been destroyed when I showed up. No wonder they hated me.

“Wow! Thank you for the gifts! You must really like me! I like you too!”

I’d tried to sound cheerful, to lighten the mood, but instead, Setren’s expression darkened.

His eyes were filled with contempt.

Damn it.

I turned away and reached for the first book I saw.

Snow White.

It wasn’t bad. It even had pictures.

This might actually be decent.

It looked expensive, too—the cover was embossed with gold leaf.

Well, they probably had to pick something nice for the Crown Princess.

Setren’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“Can you even read?”

Pretending not to know how to read would be too much, right? Besides, Evelyn had known how to read before her brain was damaged at age ten.

“Yes! I can read perfectly well. Do you want me to read for you? Princess White ate some grapes and then fainted—”

Setren narrowed his eyes and smiled.

It was the kind of smile that made my throat go dry—the kind that only a villain in an R-rated novel could pull off.

Why are you smiling? Do you like my acting?

“And why did she faint?”

“She ate poisoned grapes.”

I forced my voice to sound as cheerful as possible. Surely, he didn’t actually know what poison was, right?

“You know what poison is, don’t you?”

Oh no.

He picked this book on purpose, didn’t he?

Every word felt like a trap. My grip on the book tightened as I told myself to stay calm.

Focus. This is a lion’s den.

Why didn’t I just stick to coloring books? Those were safe.

Tension made my fingers tremble slightly.

Setren’s blue eyes glinted as he watched me, sharp and calculating.

“Poison is bad,” I said, trying to sound innocent. “It made the princess faint, didn’t it?”

“Smart girl.”

Setren leaned closer, his face inches from mine, and I felt his breath against my skin.

His scent washed over me.

It was deliberate.

He was testing me, and I knew it.

I forced myself to stay calm. Setren was an expert at making people nervous.

I could feel his every breath.

My body flinched instinctively, but I managed to suppress the reaction.

Blink. Just blink prettily.

Our eyes met.

I rolled the candy in my mouth, trying to drown out the tension.

Then, Setren reached out and covered my hand with his.

I froze.

He guided my hand to turn the page.

It was the hand I’d been staring at earlier.

I clenched my teeth around the candy to stop myself from crying out. My body tensed so much that I forgot to swallow.

His voice brushed against my ear.

“Do you think you’ll learn anything your father didn’t teach you? Poison’s bad, you know. You should understand things like that—things that can hurt people.”

His hand…

It was surprisingly pale, which made the veins stand out even more.

Elegant but still masculine.

I stared at his hand so hard that I forgot there was something in my mouth.

When I opened my mouth to answer, the candy slipped out—

—and rolled right onto the book.

Along with a splatter of spit.

And just like that, a drop of saliva landed right on the back of Setren’s hand.

No. No, no, no!

My hostage!

I stared at the candy in horror, unable to fix the situation.

“…My candy.”

I mumbled in disbelief.

What the hell was I doing in front of such a good-looking man?

“…I don’t think we need to test her any further, Your Highness. Please, go wash your hands.”

The steward’s voice dripped with certainty—and contempt.

I barely noticed. I just stared at the candy.

Setren pulled back his hand and wiped it off. The suffocating tension he’d surrounded me with finally eased.

“…Maybe you’re right.”

I didn’t care what they were saying anymore.

I just sat there, frozen, staring at the candy like some pathetic child.

The picture book next to it was now smudged, its pages soaking up the saliva.

God. I want to die.

The door clicked shut as Setren and the steward left the room.

The moment they were gone, I slammed my head down onto the desk.

The half-melted red candy was still in front of me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and muttered under my breath.

“…I want to die.”

I’d pretended to be a fool to survive, but at this rate, I was going to die of humiliation first.

Was that his plan all along? To kill me with shame?