A bear emerged from the shadows. It wasn’t an ordinary bear; it was a monster covered in ice from head to toe.

Brown managed to create some distance between him and the bear and hid Iren behind a tree.

“We’ll draw its attention. Madam, please go in the opposite direction.”

Before Iren could protest, Brown lunged towards the bear. The old man was already shooting arrows at the bear.

Iren bared her teeth and moved with the lowest possible posture. In this situation, the only thing she could do for them was to bring reinforcements.

“You damn bastards. We are your opponents!”

Brown, who had joined forces with the old man, shouted loudly. The bear, which had been approaching them, suddenly stopped and turned around. It was headed towards Iren.

“Madam!”

With a screaming sound as if something was being torn apart, a dreadful feeling struck her spine. The bear’s paw swung towards Iren. She was filled with a terrible sense of impending death, and Iren couldn’t even breathe.

Am I… am I going to die like this? Unable to save Lahart, who was broken because of me?

“Wife.”

A voice that should not have been heard pierced gently into her ears.

Arms that weren’t supposed to be there suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

“How should I understand the situation where my wife, who claims to be unwell, was being carried on another man’s back? How should I comprehend this?”

Blazing eyes, burst blood vessels staining the whites of his eyes red, an arm wrapped around her waist as if it would break her.
And the smell of blood.

In that moment, Iren had a delusion that blood was flowing out from her own body. That Lahart had stabbed her with his sword.
Lahart was so furious that she didn’t even find those thoughts strange.

He was always angry at Iren. Although he didn’t hide his emotions, he stopped short of directly pouring out sharp words at her. He didn’t harm her directly.

But now, Lahart seemed capable of killing Iren.

He hugged her waist so deeply that Iren’s chest was pressed against the hard, cold armor. A tremendous force gripped her heart. His extreme anger was as fierce and cold as an iceberg.

It felt like her blood was freezing. She couldn’t breathe.

“Iren.”

His ungloved, purple hand gently brushed against her eyes. Even his hands that had just held a sword moments ago now felt chilly.

But the coldest thing here was Lahart’s eyes. No, perhaps it was the most boiling thing.

Either way, it was terrifying. It’s an emotion that is far beyond what she can handle.

Iren tightly closed her eyes.

“Open your eyes. Who said you can close your eyes.”

His arrogant tone implied that everything of Iren belonged to him. But Iren had no choice but to adhere to his words.

As soon as she opened her eyes, instead of the armor that had obstructed her view, she saw the dead body of a bear, bleeding. Lahart killed with a single stroke.

Lahart clenched her jaw, preventing Iren from turning her face away.

“Can you see it clearly? I killed it because it dared to try to kill you without even understanding its place. Aren’t you grateful?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“This time, did you close your ears instead of your eyes? I told you to say thank you. Or is your mouth broken?”

“Duke, hmm…!”

His thick finger entered her mouth. His rough touch forcibly pulled out and moved her fleeing tongue inside.

The pain was painful, but to see him like this in front of the old man who risked his life to help him… It was embarrassing.

Please, Lahart. Please… Iren sobbed as she grabbed Lahart’s wrist.

“I don’t know what you’ll do if I push you away. Behave yourself.”

“Ugh, huh.”

“It seems like you finally know how to properly respond.”

Just as when it entered, his finger slipped out at his own will. The roof of her mouth was sore and the inside hurt.

Iren, pale with embarrassment, replied.

“Thank… you.”

“What for.”

She already knew the words he wanted to hear. The day she was dragged to the prison along with the family members as a traitor, Lahart saved only her.

He extended his hand to her. A dirty, worthless person who couldn’t even stand upright because she couldn’t properly eat.

“Irelaide, I am your savior.”

“Thank you… for saving me. Thank you for saving me.”

“But still, you tried to run away from me. You deceived me.”

“I didn’t try to run away. I will tell you everything, Duke.”

“Would you believe yourself, if you were me?”

It wasn’t a question. It was a declaration that he didn’t trust her.

Words wouldn’t get through Lahart when he’s at this state. Iren tightly clenched and then released her coat.

His presence here meant that he had found Jane in the castle. Iren clung to Lahart’s arm.

“You don’t have to trust me. No matter what punishment you give me, I will accept it willingly. Please save Jane and the other two. They are only people who were forced into this by my request.”

“Hah.”

Lahart burst into a muffled laughter. His subordinates arrived late and got off their horses to stand beside him.

“Tie them up. We’re going back to the castle.”

“Please, Duke… I beg you. I can’t let them die because of me.”

“You must know that. You think I spared them here just because of you. You have the audacity to ask for more than that.”

Iren lowered her head. Lahart’s words were not wrong.

Regardless of the circumstances, Lahart had enough reason to kill the two since he was carrying the missing Duchess. There was no point in saying anything anymore. Iren, who understood the situation, fell silent.

Lahart lifted her up and settled her on his horse. He put the fur cloak over her shoulders and took hold of the reins behind her.

“You damn Irelaide.”

Lahart muttered under his breath, burying his face in Iren’s neck.

Yeah, that’s right. I am the damn Irelaide. I ruined everything.

Iren didn’t say a word until they reached the castle.

* * *

As soon as Lahart arrived at the castle, he threw the two into the dungeon. Iren lowered her head deeply and didn’t even give them a glance.

She didn’t want to see them because she couldn’t face them and also to not provide an opportunity for Lahart.

“I’m sorry. Just endure a little longer. I’ll find a way to get you out no matter what.”

“Ah…!”

Iren’s wrist caught by Lahart and she was dragged away. The knights and servants were watching, but Lahart paid no attention.

In Sirencia, where the Emperor’s authority could not fully reach, he was an absolute presence.

Even if that’s not the case, there was no one with enough courage to stop him, who was radiating a chilling aura.

Lahart pulled Iren into the couple’s bedroom and pushed her onto the bed.

He took off the armor he was wearing and threw it aside. The heavy sound of metal hitting the ground made her heart drop.

This is not the time to be frightened. I should ask if Jane is safe. I’m the one who caused this mess, so it’s fine if you do whatever you want, but please forgive them. But her throat was blocked and no sound came out, no matter how much she begged and pleaded.

Iren took a deep breath.

As she tried to sit up, Lahart’s shadow covered her.

“It seems you’ve regained some color. Did you enjoy your affair?”

“It’s not for the reason you think, Duke.”

“Well then, what is it that you wanted so desperately, to sacrifice even your beloved maid who was so dear to you?”

Sacrifice? Could it be Jane?

“You… killed Jane?”

Iren’s pupils shook. She was hit by even greater shock than when she faced Lahart in the woods.

“That child only followed my orders. That’s all. How… how. There was no need to kill her!”

She was careless. It’s not that she hadn’t even considered the possibility of him coming back early. It’s just that she had a small handful of remaining trust for Lahart at the bottom of his heart.

That wven if he comes back early in a far-fetched possibility, she had a false belief that he would overlook her actions to some extent…

Knowing how cruel Lahart is.

Especially since he never spared any mercy for me. I experienced it firsthand.

Terrible. Not Lahart but me. My own human ignorance and arrogance.

It wasn’t Lahart who killed Jane. It was me.

I should have moved carefully. I shouldn’t have just believed Lahart’s words that he’d be back three days, but examined his actions.

Her opponent was Lahart. The sharpest sword in the Empire. To deceive him, one had to be flawless without any gaps.

Iren covered her face with both hands. Tears flowed through her fingers. Grgh. Lahart gritted her teeth from above.

“Are you so heartbroken that a mere maid like her died?”

“She’s not just a mere maid. Jane… She was the only one in this castle who sincerely cared for me.”

“The only one, you say.”

Lahart, who spat out the words, took a deep breath. It was a breath soaked with a boiling, stinging anger from deep within him.

If it had been someone else, they might have pitied Iren’s situation, knowing she was the only maid she could rely on in this vast castle.

But not Lahart. He lightly grabbed her hair with his hand, veined with anger.

“I am the only one you need. Even if I abandon you and throw you away. Your husband is me, not your servant, isn’t that right?”

“How, uh…”

“Stop crying.”

“……”

“If it doesn’t matter to you whether Jane or whoever dies, then keep crying.”

Iren’s trembling shoulders gradually calmed down.

Taking advantage of the moment her body weakened, Lahart removed his hand from her face. Iren blinked her eyes, and tears that had been welling up gushed out.

Lahart grabbed Iren’s chin and held it firmly. His cold eyes and large hand pressed against Iren as if they would suffocate her.

“If you want to save them, show me evidence that you didn’t try to run away from me.”

Iren’s teary eyes cleared up.

There is enough evidence. I went off into the woods in a frenzy.

For a flower with the same name as mine, an irelaide flower.