Once again, Ashar clicked his tongue at the sight of Laurencia returning like a living corpse.

He had helped her out when she couldn’t fully control the emotions she’d clumsily hidden, but it seemed the seduction had failed after all.

Something must have happened in the meantime, because when she returned to the princess’s palace after two days, she just lay there like she was dead.

But this time, it didn’t seem to be because her body was hurting. She looked more like something was wrong with her mind.

‘What kind of shock did she receive to end up in that state?’

Ashar shook his head as he watched her stare blankly into space with empty eyes, like her soul had left her body.

He’d known all along that the man was cruel, but he hadn’t expected him to be this vicious even to a woman he seemed to care about.

Then again, would a mercenary who valued human life no more than an insect’s even know what real love was?

The life of the mercenaries Jedrian had lived among was simply to take by force, and when the thrill wore off, to kill without mercy.

Having fallen into the arms of such a dangerous man, she could only be torn apart and shattered to pieces.

Still, it was certain that she was special to him.

After all, he kept her by his side without k*lling her, even though she was a woman who threatened his position.

Ashar’s blue eyes turned cold.

He felt irritated that the useful bait he’d barely gotten his hands on had been broken like this.

It seemed he’d have to delay his plans a bit.

Just then, he heard the knights conversing outside.

Quickly concealing his presence, Ashar swiftly returned to his room and lay down on the bed.

And while lying there quiet like a mouse, someone knocked on the door.

When he opened the door with an expression like he’d just woken up, squinting one eye, a fierce-looking knight gestured with his finger for him to come out.

Ashar glanced toward the room where Laurencia was, then quietly left his room.

Then, bowing his head like a slave, he followed behind the knight who had come to fetch him.

The moment they left the princess’s palace, Ashar’s bowed expression turned ice-cold.

The knight who had come for him was one of Jedrian’s knights.

He’d thought he’d be summoned soon, but the timing wasn’t good.

It wasn’t that he feared meeting that b*stard, but the problem was that he hadn’t been able to assess the situation because of her poor condition.

The fact that the man had suddenly summoned him must mean he knew that he had become her lover.

The key question was whether the princess had definitively announced that fact.

If she hadn’t acknowledged it or hadn’t spoken up as royalty, the path he was walking now might be a path to death.

Perhaps that b*stard, enraged by the fact that she had taken a lover, had broken that woman so thoroughly.

If that were the situation, he should be able to preserve his life.

Since the man couldn’t fully usurp the imperial throne he’d barely grasped because of appearances, he wouldn’t be able to kill a royal’s lover carelessly.

But he couldn’t feel at ease.

If things went wrong, the man would have no problem removing his mask and revealing his cruel nature at any time.

It seemed best to prostrate himself completely today.

If he acted as upright as that woman, unlike her, he would certainly lose his head.

His stomach turned at the fact that he had to bow his head to a b*stard he couldn’t satisfy his anger toward even by devouring him, but for the greater cause, he could endure anything.

‘I’ll crawl for you as many times as needed. In the end, it will be you who bows your head at my feet.’

As they entered the corridor of the separate palace rather than the imperial palace, Ashar’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.

It seemed the man who should be attending to state affairs in the imperial palace office by now was still in his bedroom.

Glancing at the sun high in the sky, Ashar grimaced at the increasingly ominous premonition that kept creeping over him.

When they arrived in front of his room, a knight who had been waiting stood before them.

Ashar, quickly putting on a submissive expression, obediently spread his arms and submitted to being searched.

Just as the knight who had been thoroughly examining him by feeling and touching his entire body stepped back, a small sound brushed past his ear.

“Blood.”

Ashar’s straight eyebrows twitched for a moment after hearing it clearly, but he skillfully concealed his expression and bowed his head.

Soon, the knight who had announced his arrival opened the door.

At the same time, the smell of alcohol hit him sharply.

Ashar, barely managing to smooth out his naturally wrinkling expression, bent at the waist and entered the room looking only at the floor.

“Lokan, I’ve brought him.”

He quickly knelt and prostrated himself flat.

“I greet the Lokan.”

But there was no response. A precarious atmosphere wrapped around his entire body.

Ashar, who had sensed from the word “blood” he’d heard earlier that his life hung by a thread, tensed his entire body in preparation for any possible situation.

The meaning of “blood” was that someone had died by Jedrian’s hand today.

Executions were usually carried out by knights. But the fact that he had wielded the sword himself meant this wasn’t an ordinary execution.

That meant his mental state right now wasn’t normal.

The situation was worse than expected.

If things went badly, he might have to risk his life here to kill the b*stard.

The chances of success were slim, but he had no intention of dying obediently either.

After a moment, a languid voice asked.

“How is Lauren?”

“She seems unwell and has been sleeping the entire time.”

“Oh dear, did I torment her too much?”

He giggled with laughter, seemingly amused by something.

Judging by his voice, he seemed to have drunk quite a bit.

However, Ashar had no intention of acting rashly.

The swordsmanship skills of a man who had long worked as a mercenary weren’t weak enough to be dulled by mere alcohol.

“I hear you did the job properly?”

“…I was, lucky.”

“How did you do it? How did you seduce her that Lauren fell for it?”

Ashar’s brow wrinkled ever so slightly at the frivolous words that made his outstanding abilities seem worthless.

It was pathetic that an emperor had lost his country to someone like this.

Not that he felt sympathy for the emperor. After all, he too was just an enemy that needed to be dealt with by his own hands.

Suddenly, a large foot covered in calluses appeared before his hands pressed against the floor.

Jedrian, who had approached Ashar as he lay flat, tilted his head crookedly and asked again.

“How did you do it? Did you perhaps sleep with her?”

The moment he saw Jedrian’s ankle revealed beneath his long robe, Ashar’s blue eyes flashed with murderous intent.

If he cut that ankle, he could finish the b*stard off right here.

But unfortunately, he had no weapon.

More importantly, Jedrian was a man so thorough in his vigilance that he had stationed several of his men even in this room.

“You’re not answering.”

A voice filled with murderous intent immediately descended.

At the same time, a cold liquid dripped down onto Ashar’s head. The sticky liquid that flowed down his forehead reeked of strong alcohol.

Ashar, who had been clenching his teeth while being doused with the endlessly pouring alcohol, forcibly suppressed his anger and belatedly pressed his forehead to the floor before answering.

“That person took me in as a conversation partner. She desired nothing else from me. All I did was listen attentively to her words.”

At that moment, the pouring alcohol stopped abruptly.

It seemed to be a satisfactory answer.

Though he wanted to turn the b*stard’s stomach inside out by fabricating a night with her that never happened, Ashar temporarily swallowed his anger for the sake of the final feast.

“Hmm, I can see why Lauren would be attracted.”

Jedrian, who had backed down unexpectedly easily, nodded his head and turned back, then plopped down on the sofa.

Then, staring into space like he was recalling the past, he rambled on.

“Even though she acts so cold now, she used to be really bright, you know. The way she chattered endlessly was so pretty that sometimes I’d watch her for half a day without even noticing the time passing.”

Ashar, who had slightly raised his head, observed Jedrian’s expression.

He gulped down alcohol straight from the bottle while staring into space with a bitter expression, then clicked his tongue.

At that moment, Ashar was certain.

Jedrian’s feelings for her ran deeper than he’d thought.

He seemed to truly love the princess.

‘Then why did he betray her?’

Ashar narrowed his eyes in puzzlement and bowed his head again.

He didn’t know the reason, but one thing was certain.

She was perfect bait to catch the b*stard.

Confirming that his choice hadn’t been wrong, his boiling insides became somewhat more comfortable.

Then, words signaling the end of this meeting flew at him.

“Just be her conversation partner like you have been. And report everything Lauren says without missing a single word.”

“Yes, Lokan.”

“If.”

A suddenly chilling voice delivered a cruel warning.

“If I hear that your flesh has touched hers, I’ll immediately cut off that c*ck and flay your skin to feed you to the beasts.”

“I will, keep that in mind.”

Contrary to his submissive answer, a dangerous goal was established in Ashar’s mind.

He hadn’t intended to, but after hearing his warning, he wanted to steal her away.

It wouldn’t be bad to make him feel that desperate and helpless feeling of losing someone you love before k*lling him with his own hands.

‘Thank you for telling me a good method. On the day I take your head, the princess will be standing by my side. And I’ll make sure you can’t meet her even in death.’