Beneath the Savior’s Feet

Prologue

The ball was as vibrant as the midsummer sun.

Under the sparkling chandeliers, young men and women in pairs twirled and danced gracefully.

The waltzes echoing through the ballroom were as soft as water interrupted by the occasional burst of laughter from the chatting crowd.

Liese walked away from it all and approached the refreshment table. She could use some juice to soothe her burning throat.

With trembling hands, she reached for the glass of liquid the color of green apples.

“Did you feel uncomfortable?”

A low voice whispered behind her back. Startled, Liese sucked in a breath and stopped in her tracks, recognizing the voice’s owner without turning around.

“Not at all, Your Grace.”

“Your Grace?”

“…Marcus.”

“That’s more like it”

His breath tickled her earlobe as he chuckled. Marcus stepped closer, one hand cupping Liese’s lower back. Their bodies were so close it was almost impossible to tell they weren’t touching.

“This is a white wine from the Haile, and it’s quite a bit stronger than it looks.”

Reaching out with his other hand, Marcus pushed the glass away from her fingertips.

“I know how tempting it is, but I think it would be wise to avoid strong liquor on a day like this.”

“I just mistook it for apple juice, I didn’t mean to drink alcohol.”

“Were you nervous?”

“… It’s just, my throat is a little sore.”

The sight of a woman flirting with a man who could draw attention anywhere was a sight to behold for everyone in the ballroom.

Curious glances were cast her way, and an eerie silence fell over the room as the music continued. Liese glanced around then spoke quietly.

“Don’t worry, I won’t make a mistake.”

The man’s low chuckle followed, and she could tell from his back that he was enjoying the situation immensely.

Liese stared down at the forearms wrapped around her waist. She felt foolish for allowing herself to be drawn into the Duke’s pace. She knew she had no choice but to follow his lead in front of so many eyes.

“I wasn’t worried about you making a mistake.”

A large hand grasped Liese’s wrist and spun her around. It was a gentle gesture, nothing more than a twirl at a ballroom dance.

“It’s the brazenness of your behavior that bothers me.”

Liese swallowed dryly as she turned to face the man.

“Some men mistakenly assume that the unattainable young lady is trying to seduce them.”

His blonde hair glistened in the chandelier’s light along with his beautiful silver-blue eyes. It was a wonder that such a beautiful face, without a single angular feature, could say anything but piercing words.

Liese looked up at him with a hint of defiance in her eyes.

“Surely a gentleman would not have such a foolish misunderstanding.”

“Look over there.”

Marcus gestured toward the end of the long table. Groups of men in threes and fours were sipping wine and glancing in their direction.

“Those gentlemen, horny as dogs, are eagerly waiting for you to drink.”

“…….”

“Even though they clearly realize you are my partner.”

“Your Grace, no… you’re the one who’s getting carried away.”

Liese’s heart pounded hard as she hastily corrected his title. Her hands twitched like a child who had done something wrong under the attention she was receiving.

She wondered why she chose to do things that would get her in trouble, especially in front of this man who, unlike her, was so good at pretending to be a lover in love….

“There’s no way they’re making sport of me, so that must mean you’re the problem.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You don’t seem to love me, so all that nonsense is just trying to get to you.”

The man’s cool fingers brushed Liese’s cheek impatiently.

“I knew you were a bad actor, but I didn’t realize you weren’t desperate.”

“No, it’s not like that, I won’t make a mistake again.”

“Kiss me then.”

Marcus’ crooked grin flashed across his face, and a short gasp escaped between Liese’s parted lips in embarrassment.

“If it’s going to be a lame misunderstanding, would you rather I do it?”

She’d seen this coming ever since she’d accepted the wad of money he handed her. Except she didn’t realize it would be in a ballroom with dozens of eyes watching under the bright lights.

“We’re okay with that kind of misunderstanding.”

Marcus’ voice was as light as a hum, but the unspoken condescension in it weighed heavily on Liese’s shoulders.

She glared at his chiseled face and slowly reached out her hands. Her cold hands gripped his wrinkle-free jacket and tugged. His body, which shouldn’t have been able to move with any amount of force, obediently yielded.

Liese glared at him, then brought her hands up and cupped his firm cheeks, her eyes narrowed and her cocked head raised.

Her lips parted in an insincere smirk as she realized how close he was to laughing at her.

She refused to imagine what her jerky movements must have looked like to the people standing around them. The unscrupulous and rude duke took her clumsy first kiss with satisfaction.

Marcus Balthazar del Bachmann, everyone’s hero, was the reason she was always sulking due to the buttons from their first encounter, which had been misplaced for a long time.

01. Beyond the Orchard is…

It was an unusually hot day with the sun blazing down.

Bachmann, a city located in the northwestern part of the Kingdom of Rosen, had been bustling all day as if a festival had been held. There was more excitement than when the kingdom’s army won a victory at the end of a long war.

Rows and rows of brick buildings were draped with red floral garlands symbolizing reverence and admiration, and the central square, with its large stone fountain, was crowded with flower-bearing citizens. The crowds stretched all the way to Bachmann Central Station.

Instead of flowers, Lieselotte Brennan was the only one hastening her steps with a shabby basket under her arm.

“Excuse me. Please let me through.”

Her soft voice was quickly drowned out by the murmur that filled the square. Liese pushed her way through the crowd of people unwilling to move aside.

Having been raised on a country estate for most of her life, she was unaccustomed to crowded city centers. She hunched her shoulders in frustration as barrels bumped into each other.

Her neatly pressed straw hat was knocked off by someone’s hand. Instead of fixing her hat, she clutched her basket tightly to her chest as she walked. She couldn’t afford to spill food when she had to save every penny.

If her stubborn grandfather had seen this, he might have clicked his tongue. A few apples and fluffy rye bread was more important to her than the finery of a nobleman.

A month ago, Liese would have agreed.

But right now, she needed at least one person to get down to earth, someone who knew there were things that had to be prioritized over bells and whistles.

Liese knew it had to be her.

“A family is made up of people, after all.”

Her grandfather’s face loomed over the stolen mansion. It was a face that reflected a steadfast determination that belied his muffled voice.

“As long as people don’t fall, families will never fall.”

Liese nodded at his encouragement not to lose hope.

But the only people left in the fallen Viscount Brennan family were her crippled grandfather, her younger brother Charlie, who attended a small school, and Liese, who had just come of age.

“Ugh…!”

Liese stumbled through the crowd as she tried to drown out her suddenly growing anxiety. She lost her balance and fell hard on the stone floor.

The apples in her basket rolled across the floor. Liese quickly scooped up the apples, ignoring her aching knees.

No one paid any attention to the petite woman on the ground. She was glad no one had landed on her as she dodged their steps.

What was all the fuss about?

With a sigh, she wrapped her head in her hands and a black-and-white sheet of paper fluttered down in front of her as if responding.

“Hooray!”

A kid in a sorrel-colored hat ran across the square, scattering the papers. His gaze was drawn downward like a magnet.

The return of the hero who conquered the central continent.

The headline on the front page was big and simple. It was then that she realized the source of the moody air sweeping across Bachmann.

Today was the return of the Duke of Balthazar from a series of victory ceremonies in the capital.

Balthazar, whose family had served in the army for generations and had earned great pride and honor, was a force to be reckoned with. It was publicly claimed by some that the family held greater authority than the royal house of Rosen.

Duke Balthazar was the hero of this extended war, and Bachmann was his domain. Even in the countryside, where there was little contact with the outside world, his name had been heard a few times.

The young duke had left his estate before his prime and was now returning with his accomplishments as a military commander. It was understandable that the crowd would want to see his vehicle, even if it was just a glimpse of it. So this commotion was nothing new.

Nevertheless, it had nothing to do with Liese.

She couldn’t afford to be impressed by the lights, the singing, and the confetti falling overhead in honor of the Duke’s military service.

What did she have to do with the great nobleman who ruled Rosen in the first place?

If there was any connection at all, it was that the mere rumor of his return had shaken the entire region into a frenzy, making Liese’s day more difficult.

Her slightly sullen gaze dropped to the bruised apple.

“… Such a fool.”

Shaking her head, Liese brushed off her knees and stood up. She folded the newspaper that had fallen to the ground and stuffed it into her basket. She thought of her grandfather, who would be cowering in his cramped house in the midst of the crisis.

The black and white photo beneath the headline failed to catch her attention.