Click. Click. Click.

The sharp sound of high heels echoed through the corridor.

Zahid, leaning against his Divine Wolf Beast, panted heavily.

Even as cold sweat trickled down his face, he forced himself to rise, staggering as he did so.

Enduring the pain, he straightened his back and sat down in his chair.

It was sheer willpower—he refused to show any weakness.

With a loud bang, the door swung open, and Elizabeth entered.

Elizabeth Sonoren.

Before marriage, she had been Elizabeth Dyfenril. She was Zahid’s aunt.

And now, she was the woman who had seized control within Dyfenril Duchy.

“You can just lie down and listen, you know.”

Elizabeth smirked as she looked at Zahid’s face.

“You’re barely able to sit up, aren’t you? There’s no need to put on a show for me, dear.”

“…Why are you here.”

Zahid’s voice was sharp with hostility.

But Elizabeth, idly filing her nails, responded with indifference.

“You looked through the documents I sent last time, didn’t you? The marriage proposals that came in for you.”

“…What?”

“I’m planning to arrange your engagement again soon.”

Zahid’s face twisted in sheer exasperation as he instinctively tried to spring to his feet.

But the searing pain that shot through his body forced him to collapse back into his chair.

“The moment your fourth broken engagement hit the papers, we were swarmed with offers. My handsome nephew is quite popular.”

“What the hell…!”

“I’ll choose the best match for Dyfenril, so just sit back and stay quiet.”

Elizabeth’s voice turned chilling.

“And this time, don’t go canceling the engagement like the last three. Understood?”

She stepped forward, gripping Zahid’s chin between her fingers.

“Before I decide to crush that precious seal of yours.”

Even the slightest pain sent waves of shock through Zahid’s already battered body. His face contorted in agony.

Yet, not once did he let out a sound. Instead, he glared at Elizabeth with unyielding defiance.

“Fine,” Zahid spat through clenched teeth, venom in his voice.

“Go ahead. Sell off your nephew a fourth, a fifth, a sixth time. I’ll just break the engagement a seventh, an eighth, and however many times it takes.”

“How amusing.”

Elizabeth let out a delighted laugh.

“You do realize how much money you’ve already lost in breach-of-contract penalties, don’t you? Hmm?”

Elizabeth had already engaged Zahid three times.

Each of those engagements had been arranged without him even knowing the face of his so-called fiancée.

Every single time, the chosen partner was a woman at least a decade older than him, one who already had children.

Zahid had only realized who they were when he saw their names in the newspapers.

Each time, he personally stamped the documents to dissolve the engagement.

And each time, the penalties were exorbitant.

Because Elizabeth had already secured massive financial clauses in the agreements.

“Remember this. Even if I have to be the last head of Dyfenril myself, I will never hand this house over to outsiders.”

With the last of his strength, Zahid swatted away Elizabeth’s arm.

“Especially not to your people.”

Zahid was shackled by the Dyfenril Ducal Family’s house law.

A minor head of the family’s engagement can be decided by the acting family representative and the council of elders. In times of emergency, the fiancé(e) is granted the same status as a legal spouse.

To maintain objectivity, all incoming proposals must be reviewed, and the decision made by majority vote.

However, if the family head does not consent, the engagement may be annulled.

But Zahid’s reality was this:

The Magic Tower could no longer produce his painkillers due to financial struggles.

The Temple refused to provide him with divine healing because they had their own demands for Dyfenril.

His condition would only worsen.

At this rate, by the time he reached adulthood, he would have completely lost his mind.

And if he happened to have a child on paper before then—

That child would become Dyfenril’s next successor.

Because of the clause: “In times of emergency, the fiancé(e) is granted the same status as a legal spouse.”

That was why every single fiancée Elizabeth arranged for him was a woman with children.

Her people.

A child who would never inherit the Divine Beast’s recognition.

But with the Divine Beast’s power already fading—what did that even matter?

As long as they could claim Dyfenril’s title.

“Well then. Let’s go all the way.”

Elizabeth grinned, grabbing Zahid’s hair and forcing their eyes to meet.

“You’re a smart boy. You do realize where all that breach-of-contract money is going, don’t you?”

Dyfenril’s house law had been structured to be relatively fair.

But Elizabeth had introduced penalties.

With each engagement Zahid broke, the money flowed straight into her hands.

The Divine Wolf Beast beside Zahid bared its fangs, growling in fury.

Of course, Elizabeth showed no sign of fear.

After all, she carried the blood of Dyfenril as well.

Which meant that Dyfenril’s Divine Beast could never harm her.

“The council of elders will finalize your fiancée tomorrow,” Elizabeth whispered, her tone laced with amusement.

“You don’t have anyone particular in mind, do you?”

The decision was technically based on a majority vote, but there was no need to worry about that.

The elders only moved for money, and every single one of them had already been bought.

They had no choice but to select the woman Elizabeth had already chosen.

Zahid groaned as his scalp burned from her grip.

And at the sight of his suffering, Elizabeth cackled.

“Not that it would have mattered even if you did.”

With that, she threw his head aside.

Zahid’s body, hypersensitive to pain, felt as if his skull was about to split apart.

But he clamped his teeth shut, swallowing his screams.

“You’re just like your damned father—so damn proud it’ll get you killed. If you’d just fallen to your knees and obeyed me, you wouldn’t be treated like this.”

Elizabeth laughed for a long time before turning on her heel.

With sharp, deliberate steps, she clicked her way out of the room.

Click. Click. Click.

“Whimper…”

The Divine Wolf Beast curled up at Zahid’s feet, as if trying to comfort him.

‘This is truly… hell.’

Zahid let his trembling body collapse onto the beast’s back.

‘…I’d rather just die.’

Gasping for air, he clung to the wolf’s fur.

‘But there are things I have to protect.’

Grinding his teeth, Zahid glared at the door where Elizabeth had vanished.

‘I will protect them. Dyfenril. My Divine Beast. No matter what.’

An eleven-year-old boy with barely a scrap of strength left, yet still forcing himself to endure.

He refused to acknowledge the truth—that simply enduring wasn’t enough.

Because the moment he accepted that fact, even enduring would become impossible.

He bit down hard on his lower lip.

Once again, a fiancée would be chosen for him against his will.

Once again, with shaking hands, he would have to sign ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ a document annulling the engagement.

Once again, unknown people would infiltrate Dyfenril, trying to use him for their own gain.

And he, who couldn’t even take a few steps without collapsing, could do nothing to stop them.

He despised himself for being too weak to even stand up to them.

‘Mother… Father…’

There was no one left to trust.

Exhausted beyond words, tears welled in Zahid’s eyes.

‘…I miss you.’

He had once loved, and been loved.

There was a time when warmth had been a given.

That time now felt like a distant, faded dream.

Back then, he hadn’t been in pain.

He had parents he could trust.

He hadn’t been afraid of people.

But now—

Everyone he had once known had betrayed him.

Every elder now bribed by Elizabeth—each of them had been men he had respected as a child.

The nannies, the maids, the coachmen, the servants—they had all chosen Elizabeth.

‘This miserable hell…’

Zahid clenched his jaw, swallowing back his tears.

‘…It’s lonely when there’s no one left to trust.’

As he curled into himself, his Divine Wolf let out a sorrowful whimper.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep