“But these voices that are ringing in my head right now.”

Niel curved his lips in satisfaction while admiring the tip of the shard in his hand.

“How strange that they’re so similar to the base temptations I was taught to guard against since childhood.”

It was a voice that stimulated the most extreme sensual pleasure.

If he just stopped threatening Yuria now, it felt like he would be as happy as if he owned the whole world… Such a chilling and stimulating temptation.

And Niel had been rigorously trained since a very young age not to be swayed by such stimulations.

If it had been other men, they would have embraced her right here just from a single strand of that voice, but…

“How regrettable. You chose the wrong opponent, Miss Yuria.”

Niel whispered in a pitying voice.

“It’s so unpleasant that every time I’m stimulated, I want to strangle you to death.”

“S-s-s-s-s-spare… spare me…”

Yuria begged with a tear-stained face.

“Hic. I-I won’t do it again. That voice, that power, never again, s-so please sp-spare me…”

At this, Niel burst into laughter.

It was a hearty laugh, unlike his usual self who rarely laughed out loud.

“My, how pitiful. You’re mistaken.”

Having barely contained his laughter, he looked down at Yuria.

“You’re not dying because of this voice trying to enchant me.”

He explained in a kind voice to her, still trembling with fear.

“I just told you, didn’t I? Ordinary temptations can’t sway me. Though murderous intent wells up whenever your filthy voice rings in my head, I can’t soil my hands with blood just because of you.”

“Th-then, why…”

“But even I had one thing. One temptation I couldn’t refuse.”

Yes, just one.

The single temptation that made the young duke, called Alpenhayer’s most perfect masterpiece, secretly pick flowers from the Duchess’s garden, and break mirrors with his bare hands because he couldn’t stand looking at his own perfect face.

The single temptation that made him, who always walked the righteous path, break a long-standing marriage agreement between families and violate this world’s taboo.

“Jella.”

Just saying that name was ecstatic, making Niel’s lips curve up roundly.

At such times, his face showed excitement and elation equal to those who struggled under Arne’s enchantment.

“The one your voice presumptuously included.”

In an instant, the smile vanished from Niel’s face.

He swung the sharp shard he had been holding all along.

Swoosh.

As the shard cut through the air and dug into Yuria’s flesh.

Thud!

“Kyaaak!”

Yuria screamed and threw a vial she had been hiding in her bosom at his face.

Hissss…

The corrosive liquid from the broken vial made a burning sound as it ate into Niel’s right eye and cheek.

She had brought it just in case, for an absolute emergency.

Of course, such poison couldn’t kill that man, but the poison entering his eyes would obscure his vision and buy her some time.

Yuria took advantage of this moment to flee.

“Lady Yuria? Why so soon… Gasp! Blood…!”

“I-I’ll call a doctor right away… Lady Yuria! Where are you going!”

Niel stood still, listening to the commotion in the corridor.

Though the pain of his burning skin was bearable, his vision had become cloudy and he couldn’t see ahead.

Tsk.

He had let the woman who walked in on her own escape.

Perhaps he had gotten a bit too excited.

At the thought that the day had finally come to kill that woman and offer it to her.

“Your Majesty, Lady Yuria just… Gasp!”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

The servants who rushed in belatedly were startled at the scene in the reception room.

It was a mess as if there had been a struggle, with shattered vase pieces and blood drops scattered about, and Niel standing facing the opposite wall.

Fortunately, they couldn’t see Niel’s face corroded by the poison.

If they had seen his face, they would have fainted from shock right there.

“The vase is broken. Please clean it up.”

Niel, who disliked noise, gave instructions in a calm voice while covering his right eye and cheek with one hand.

“Y-yes…?”

“Do I need to say it twice?”

“F-forgive me, Your Majesty.”

“And call the priest here. My right eye’s vision isn’t returning…”

He paused.

Something suddenly entered his left field of vision as it gradually returned.

The flower basket on the table was what he had bought for Jella a few weeks ago.

The poison had splashed onto and corroded the crimson petals that resembled her eyes.

“…Alex.”

His gaze turned menacing in an instant.

“Call Nelson.”

“Assistant Nelson was keeping watch all night and just left…”

Niel slowly lowered the hand covering his face.

He elegantly turned to face the head servant.

“Gasp! Your Majesty, y-your face…!”

The head servant cried out, looking like he might faint.

The right side of the Emperor’s face was corroded by the poison, oozing blood and pus, and his right eye had turned cloudy white.

However, unlike the shocked head servant, Niel’s expression remained utterly indifferent.

He despised noise.

Niel had always preferred quiet things over loud ones.

Like those moments of quietly turning pages while secretly watching the young princess dozing off, or the tranquil atmosphere of forest paths while walking alongside her with their horses’ heads aligned.

Therefore, he had intended to quietly handle his injury as if nothing had happened.

“There has been an attempted assassination of the royal family.”

If that woman had touched not just his face but disturbed his precious memories of her fragrance, wouldn’t he need to endure the commotion to drag her here and crush her immediately?

“Put out a warrant for Yuria, right now.”

***

Niel Alpenhayer was quite observant.

Especially when it came to his beloved fiancée.

In childhood, duty required him to visit her once a week to spend time together.

During those times, he would quietly read books to avoid disturbing the sensitive princess’s nerves while secretly observing her.

The princess, rumored to be tyrannical, was actually kind, contrary to what people said.

She was someone who indifferently showed mercy for servants’ small mistakes, and couldn’t ignore those being bullied.

Unlike himself, a manufactured heir of Alpenhayer, the young princess was a true ruler like his grandfather often spoke of.

Despite reportedly being sent to the Grand Temple right after birth and not receiving proper heir training.

Perhaps because he became aware of his feelings for her?

The more time they spent together, the more he learned about her.

Like how her right eye corner creases slightly more when she squints at sunlight through the window.

Or how she always rubs both eyes after yawning. Or small habits like picking out raisins when eating dessert.

Though the princess’s doll-like delicate features were beautiful, these small and trivial habits were even more lovely.

Perhaps that’s why he kept looking at her.

When their eyes would meet while he was stealing glances, the princess would glare and snap curtly.

“What are you looking at.”

“I’m sorry.”

Then he would quickly apologize and hide his face, red to the neck, behind his book.

Peeking over the thick book, he’d see the princess pouting and grumbling ‘why do something you need to apologize for.’

It seemed the princess didn’t particularly like him.

He hoped these Thursday afternoons at 2 o’clock, which were such a privilege for him to secretly watch her, would be remembered as good moments by her too.

Though he knew her feelings weren’t the same as his, he still hoped they would remain peaceful and comfortable moments.

He tried very hard to make her feel comfortable around him.

But despite his efforts, dark shadows would occasionally fall across the princess’s face.

Niel was always anxious, unable to identify their cause.

Then at some point, Niel discovered another fact about her.

She never, ever mentioned her own future.

In her consciousness, her future did not exist.

When he realized this, Niel became terribly frightened.

It was just like someone facing imminent death.