Today was the second day of the three-day banquet, and the first time she’d face Jedrian since backstabbing him.

Laurencia hunched her body tight.

She’d poked the sleeping lion’s whiskers, so there was no telling when that beast might bite.

But for some reason, Jedrian was nowhere to be seen.

Of course, he didn’t need to attend today, but given what happened yesterday, she’d naturally expected him to show up.

Jedrian wasn’t the type who could stand being on the receiving end.

Though her plan had fizzled out disappointingly, she’d still managed to put him in an awkward position.

Enough to make that formidable man tuck tail and avoid the scene.

After showing such humiliation, she’d thought he’d be thoroughly poisoned with rage.

Yet somehow, while the aristocratic faction nobles attended, he didn’t appear.

Just in case he’d left the imperial palace again, she checked, but that didn’t seem to be it.

Glancing at the empty throne, she deliberately kept her face neutral as she surveyed the banquet hall.

Since Ashar had gone out, she’d find out soon enough if she waited.

But perhaps because her tension had eased, drowsiness kept washing over her. After mating like beasts with that beast of a man, her stamina seemed to have reached its limit.

She’d gotten a couple hours of sleep, but the fatigue hadn’t faded at all.

If there was one fortunate thing, it was that before Ashar had invaded her bedroom last night, he’d stationed his subordinate outside her door.

She’d been impressed by that meticulousness, but at least it had fooled Jedrian’s eyes—a stroke of incredible luck.

She struggled to keep her drooping eyes open when suddenly something strange caught her attention.

‘Hm?’

Some man was looking around nervously in front of the stairs leading to the second floor. Looking closer, he seemed familiar. He was the man who’d been standing beside Count Anthony yesterday.

After acting suspicious for only a moment, he suddenly climbed the stairs.

Her half-closed eyes snapped wide open at the sight of a man from the aristocratic faction heading to the second floor.

‘Why is he going up to the second floor?’

Once the banquet started, the heads of each family gathered in their designated solars, like they always did. There they’d sit comfortably, chat, gamble, and enjoy their own private banquet.

However, to prevent any unfortunate incidents between the two long-opposing factions, they’d arranged for the aristocratic faction to stay on the first floor and the emperor faction nobles on the second floor, thus enjoying a relatively peaceful banquet.

In the grand banquet hall, only nobles from humble families who couldn’t join those gatherings, noblewomen from each family, and noble heirs who attended solely for the banquet remained at their posts.

But now a noble from the aristocratic faction had gone where the emperor faction nobles were.

He could be running an errand for someone, but his behavior seemed far too suspicious for that.

Just then, she sensed someone approaching. Turning her head, she saw Ashar ascending the stairs leisurely, standing beside her with a light smile.

Then, turning his gaze to survey the luxurious banquet hall scenery with her, he spoke in a low voice.

“The nobles’ atmosphere seems quite unusual.”

Laurencia merely perked up her ears and watched the dancing nobles without speaking.

Ashar also kept his eyes forward as he quietly reported the information he’d gathered.

“In the aristocratic faction, most opinions favor doing as you wish. Seems they don’t know that b*stard has hidden the sun.”

“Is Jedrian there too?”

“No. He’s still in his office.”

Laurencia’s eyes narrowed.

In his office at this hour.

She felt uneasy not knowing what scheme he was plotting now.

“The emperor faction.”

“They seem intent on making your declaration disappear entirely. Judging by the atmosphere, you’d think the emperor faction was your enemy.”

She, who’d been sitting like a doll the whole time, suddenly stood up abruptly.

Ashar naturally turned and politely offered his hand.

Laurencia forced down her sharply rising nerves and descended the stairs, relying on his firmly supporting hand.

Given her foggy state of mind, it seemed best to rest for a bit anyway.

Squeezing her tired eyes shut then opening them, she walked while leaning on him, guessing at how the situation was unfolding.

* * *

Shortly after, having entered the lounge, Laurencia considered lying down for a bit.

Just then, the moment Ashar drew the curtains, he backed her against the wall and whispered with a wicked smile.

“I obediently gathered information, so you should give me a reward.”

She looked at the man now openly displaying his l*st with incredulous eyes, then soon let out a hollow laugh. But her expression wasn’t one of dislike.

Rather.

“What a needy lover.”

Laurencia casually grabbed the back of Ashar’s head and pulled him down, kissing him without hesitation. Ashar, yielding readily, pulled her slender body into a tight embrace.

The two of them locked together hotly again, like they’d returned to last night.

Laurencia found it truly surprising yet not unpleasant that she could be like this.

When the storm passed and she came to her senses, she’d definitely regretted it.

But only briefly.

She felt a strange sensation at the man’s instinctive action of burrowing into her arms with his face barely open.

Like a baby seeking comfort in its mother’s embrace, she too felt a sense of stability watching his peaceful face as he breathed evenly while nestled against her.

Showing it wasn’t something he’d done in his sleep, even after regaining his senses, Ashar kissed her cheeks and lips whenever he got the chance.

He acted like a real lover, even displaying uncharacteristic coquettishness and pestering her like a child craving affection.

At first, those actions were embarrassing and uncomfortable, but the exhilaration he offered was highly addictive.

Enough that she eventually became absorbed in it.

Added to that, Laurencia felt her self-esteem—trampled by Jedrian—gradually recovering each time she indulged in Ashar.

That didn’t mean her heart had softened though.

They’d simply become a relationship that satisfied each other’s desires since they were in the same boat.

A relationship that craved only each other’s bodies, without expecting anything from each other, without needing to feel guilt.

What a fantastic arrangement this was.

Though they still kept their razor-sharp blades hidden, at least in these moments they felt only each other completely.

“Haah, I want to do it.”

“How about picking a time and place?”

“You need to make it possible for me to pick them, don’t you think?”

Even while grumbling, he gently wiped her wet lips, then brought his hand moistened with her saliva to his mouth again.

The action that would have seemed arrogant just yesterday looked different after only one night. Far from arrogant, Laurencia actually felt an inexplicable sense of fulfillment from that sight.

Ashar, who’d stepped back a pace like nothing had happened, checked outside the curtain and spoke leisurely.

“Seems that b*stard plans not to come out today.”

“He must be busy devising countermeasures.”

When her expression hardened coldly in an instant, he carefully lifted her slender chin and whispered while kissing her affectionately.

“His Majesty is searching everywhere, so don’t worry. As you said, they’re also searching outside the imperial palace, so news will come soon.”

Despite his confident words, Laurencia’s expression didn’t improve.

Finding her father was something she wanted more than anyone, but the fact that Ashar was the one searching wasn’t a situation she could feel relieved about.

“You haven’t forgotten your promise, right?”

At her confirmation, his affectionate smile vanished immediately.

Ashar slowly pulled away and looked down at her with hardened eyes.

Like it had never been warm, the indoor air quickly settled into a chill.

Soon curling his lips lazily, he answered honestly as expected.

“That b*stard’s neck comes first. I have no intention of spilling anyone else’s blood before taking that neck, so don’t worry too much.”

He said quite reliably that while he wouldn’t kill him immediately, he would kill him eventually.

“Fine.”

The conclusion was already set anyway.

Having learned from experience that saying more would only sour the mood, Laurencia didn’t add anything further.

If he showed signs of breaking his promise, she’d just kill him first herself.

“Let’s go.”

“Shall I escort you?”

“No, you go back first.”

Drawing a cold line, Laurencia left the lounge without lingering attachment.

Planning to return to her seat, she passed through the lounge corridor and was just entering the banquet hall when the atmosphere felt somehow unsettled.

Slowly turning her head, she saw people gathered at the banquet hall entrance.

Her face instantly turned cold as she craned her neck to see what was happening.

She saw a familiar face among them.

‘Jedrian?’

But he was smiling and conversing with someone.

Just then, a fierce voice flowed from right behind her.

“How the h*ll is that b*stard here?”

Startled, she quickly turned her head and furrowed her brow.

Ashar had somehow gotten right behind her, and his eyes looked unusual.

The man who usually acted lazy or angry showed a rare look of clear confusion on his face.

Immediately, his eyes flashed sharply with murderous intent.

Not understanding why he was suddenly acting this way, she turned her gaze back toward the entrance.