Even in the midst of this, the frivolous man flashed an enchanting smile at Emily, who stood there awkwardly, and praised her.

“You’re quite skilled, aren’t you?”

“Ah… th-thank you.”

Emily twisted her body, caressing her cheeks that had turned red in an instant. Anyone could see she was a woman in love.

Watching the two of them quietly, Laurencia commanded in a blunt voice.

“Go and attend to your duties.”

“Y-yes. Your Highness the Princess.”

Even as she quickly bowed her head and turned around, the maid’s brazen appearance as she sent a strange look to Ashar made Laurencia let out a hollow laugh.

“I wonder if you’ll still make that face when you find out what you really are later.”

“She’s acting like this even knowing I’m your lover, so would she care if she knew my real identity?”

At the brightly smiling man’s expression, she scoffed.

“You seem to be having fun.”

As Laurencia slowly stood up, he stepped back and smiled brightly while watching her turn around.

“When there’s someone more interesting by my side, why would I bother finding amusement in a mere maid?”

“Am I entertainment to you?”

“There you go again, twisting my words. Can’t you drop those thorns with me now? I’m human too, so it hurts when I get pricked.”

“Fix that bizarre way of talking first. You’re consistently impudent.”

“Then, can I speak comfortably—”

Ashar’s expression, having suddenly stopped speaking, instantly froze. Just as she was about to turn around to see what was wrong.

“Nice atmosphere. Looks like you two have gotten closer.”

An unexpected voice flew in.

The air that had been warm with the sunlight streaming through the window instantly froze.

Just from hearing the voice alone, Laurencia’s complexion, which had stiffened immediately, turned pale.

When she barely managed to finish turning her half-turned body, she saw Jedrian leaning crookedly against the bedroom entrance.

In front of him stood Ashar, his expression completely twisted, glaring into space with his back to him.

When she quickly shifted her gaze, sure enough, crimson eyes that revealed his unpleasant mood stared piercingly at her.

Laurencia tried to calm her wildly beating heart and looked at Jedrian.

Seeing his wrecked armor and face thick with fatigue, she could tell where he’d been without having to ask.

And at the man’s appearance, seemingly having come straight to her like before, she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek.

Seeing him reminded her painfully of the fact that she’d wasted the golden time of nearly two weeks when he hadn’t been at the palace. Unfortunately, she’d only learned two days ago that he’d been away from the palace.

The reason she’d been completely unaware of this fact was because of that dress the cunning man had sent.

On the day she’d properly joined forces with Ashar, she’d only checked the dress Jedrian sent in the evening. And inside the box was a letter he’d sent.

The letter only contained words about “a dress prepared for you,” along with the date of the celebratory banquet for her, and nonsense telling her to be patient even if she missed him since he’d be busy for a while.

Back then, she’d been so consumed with the thought of being temporarily freed from that terrible man’s embrace that she hadn’t suspected anything else. More than anything, she’d never even imagined he’d leave the palace when she was right there.

While she’d let her guard down like that, he’d secretly left the palace. And from the looks of him, it seemed he’d been off fighting a war somewhere.

A strange thought suddenly occurred to her.

If Jedrian’s armor was in that state, knights must have gone with him.

Among them would surely have been Ashar’s subordinates. Yet she wondered why Ashar also hadn’t known about his outing.

“I greet the Lokan.”

In the meantime, Ashar quickly prostrated himself, pressing his forehead to the floor in greeting.

Her frozen gaze watched the back of the man prostrated so servilely, retracing the uncomfortable situation.

‘If it had been a planned schedule, someone would surely have reported it. Was it something decided so suddenly there wasn’t even time for that?’

“Did I interrupt? Why do you both look so cold?”

Jedrian, who approached leisurely like a predator eyeing its prey, stood before Ashar who was prostrated flat.

His boots, a mess of dirt and dust, swayed like they might crush his head at any moment.

In the precarious situation, Laurencia forced her frozen legs to move and quickly approached, drawing Jedrian’s attention to herself.

“Where have you been? You should have told me…”

Realizing immediately that her words could be misunderstood, she trailed off.

Jedrian, slowly shifting his gaze to her, narrowed his eyes and smirked.

“Pretty. It suits you well, as expected. Though of course, you’re more beautiful n*ked.”

The smile she’d awkwardly formed cracked without fail.

Just as she tried to quickly fix her expression that had unconsciously shown her feelings, Jedrian suddenly pulled her slender waist close and licked up her snow-white nape while pouring out vulgar words.

“Is it because I haven’t seen you for a few days? Even with clothes on, you’re turning me on. I could f*ck you with this on and cum right away.”

Laurencia, who’d caught on to why he was acting this way, forcibly pushed down the rising shame and viciously pulled up the corners of her mouth.

Then she shamelessly asked back.

“Is it that pretty? I really like this dress too.”

Jedrian’s brow was furrowed as he slowly raised his head.

As expected, this kind of seduction heightened his wariness.

Still, she was certain he’d fall for it.

If Jedrian was only doing this because he was crazy with l*st, he would have kept numerous lovers by his side all this time.

However, during the past three years of her absence, there had been no one by his side, and horrifyingly, he’d said he’d only m*sturbated while looking at her portrait.

When she’d first heard that story from Jedrian, she’d dismissed it as just a ploy to use her. But when she heard the story from Ashar’s mouth, she finally knew those words hadn’t been lies.

So she could be certain.

Those words meant this cruel man’s heart was still with her.

It was proof that he hadn’t forgotten her body, to the point of shaking that hideous organ while looking at her portrait.

So from now on, she wanted to make it so he could never escape, and make him feel the miserable and desperate feelings of being abandoned.

If she could give him a wound deeper than the one she’d received, defiance boiled up that she could do anything.

Harboring such poison, it seemed she could now readily comply with whatever shameful demands he made.

The pride she hadn’t yet discarded still felt shame, but nevertheless, she planned to continue seducing him.

Until he completely adapted.

Just like he’d brainwashed her.

While she was still his weakness, she had to perfectly grasp him in her hands.

The corners of Laurencia’s eyes curved prettily.

She whispered, making that smile she’d worn in the past when he’d helplessly fallen for her.

“Jedrian, will you escort me today?”

Jedrian, who’d been looking at her with suspicious eyes, kissed her probingly and countered.

“As much as you want. But as you can see, I’m a mess. I need time to prepare—will you come with me?”

For an instant, Laurencia hesitated, then quickly answered with an even brighter smile.

“Let’s do that. I’ll help you. Like before.”

His increasingly narrowed eyes openly displayed suspicion.

Even in the midst of this, his approaching lips nibbled at hers as he muttered.

“This is trouble. When you act this pretty, I have no choice but to fall for it even knowing it’s a ploy to manipulate me.”

Instead of answering, she showed an embarrassed expression.

“But is it okay if your lover doesn’t escort you?”

“How can I enter holding my lover’s hand when it’s supposedly a welcome ceremony for the princess returning to the empire? You, as the Lokan, need to escort me so the nobles won’t look down on me. That way, when I later become empress…”

She trailed off and turned her head, lowering her eyes like she was embarrassed.

Sure enough, the reaction came immediately.

Jedrian’s eyes widened as he turned her cheek and urgently asked back.

“What?”

“Let’s go first. We’re late.”

“Say what you just said again.”

“I said let’s go first. That talk can wait until after the banquet when it’s just the two of us…”

As she trailed off again with an embarrassed expression, he twitched the corners of his mouth and smiled brightly like he was genuinely delighted.

“Alright, let’s go. You need to enjoy the banquet I prepared for you first.”

He pulled her hand with an unprecedentedly affectionate face.

In the meantime, Ashar, who had completely hidden his presence, exchanged a covert glance with a knight following the two.

Soon, after everyone had left, just as he slowly stood up with a hardened face, Emily, who had approached at some point, asked carefully with her eyes lowered like she was shy.

“Um, Sir Ashar. I need help with something… Could you spare me some time?”

For the first time, murderous intent appeared in Ashar’s eyes as he looked down at the woman twisting her body.

While that b*stard could be excused for making a mistake given the situation, he hadn’t even noticed until a mere maid came before him.

‘What is this?’