The fiercely rippling blue eyes stopped abruptly, and Jedrian, seemingly intrigued, released the hair he’d grabbed and crouched right in front of him, speaking like a tattletale.

“Your friend, the one you abandoned your family to protect. He rushed over like he’d been waiting for this moment.”

When Ashar showed no reaction, Jedrian exaggeratedly furrowed his brow.

“Ah, is this not interesting enough? Then how about this? Lauren called him. The atmosphere was strange from when they were dancing earlier, and she ended up inviting him to her bedroom.”

“Hah, what a truly interesting story. But if that’s true, isn’t it a story that’s not very fun for you?”

“Hmm, that’s right. But it’s fine.”

The sharp blade of the dagger now in his hand drew a thin line down Ashar’s neck as it descended.

“I’ll flay this skin off you first, cut off your c*ck, then flay that b*stard next.”

Soon the blade tip that stopped at his lower body poked playfully.

Meanwhile, blood seeped out from the long cut on Ashar’s body.

Ashar, who quickly recovered his momentarily stiffened expression, counterattacked with a fairly calm face.

“Still, the fact that she f*cked another b*stard won’t disappear. Hmm, Rubid will taste ecstasy today too. Right?”

Thwack—!

“Ugh!”

The sword hilt mercilessly struck Ashar’s face.

Thick streams of blood flowed down from his instantly swollen nose.

“Let’s get a grip on the situation. I’m telling you an important fact for your sake right now. That the b*stard who betrayed you is betraying you again.”

“Hah… You just want to vent your anger on me, don’t you?”

When Ashar grinned, blood seeped into his white teeth.

Jedrian’s bright red eyes, which had been relaxed all along, flashed with k*lling intent.

Soon he snorted and tilted his head crookedly.

“Are you begging me to kill you right now?”

“That wouldn’t be bad either. Then I could remain as a bruise on her heart for a long time.”

“You son of a b*tch.”

Thud—!

“Ugh! Haah! Cough, cough!”

Jedrian’s knee, rising instantly, struck Ashar’s chin with no chance to dodge.

Ashar, who fell backward helplessly, rolled on the filthy floor coughing up blood.

Clicking his tongue at the blood on his white pants, Jedrian glared at Ashar rolling on the floor with cold eyes before soon returning to his seat.

Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs stopped abruptly.

After a moment, someone cried out in a desperate voice.

“My lord!”

The Knights of Silvarnel in black clothes trembled as they saw Ashar, who’d become a miserable sight in the meantime.

But their faces soon filled with dejection, as they were already in a state where their entire bodies were restrained and they could do nothing.

Expressions of despair and resignation that everything was over.

Then the knight who’d been worried about this operation all along shouted loudly.

“Turner! Why are you there!”

“Ugh, so noisy. Seems like the Silvarnel bastards only practiced raising their voices instead of sword training.”

“Jedrian! You f*cking—urk—”

The body of the knight who was spewing curses collapsed as is. In the center of his neck was precisely lodged the dagger Jedrian had been holding.

All the Knights of Silvarnel froze at what happened in the blink of an eye.

“Haah… I said it’s noisy.”

As Jedrian irritably messed up his hair, an even louder shout burst out through the quiet silence.

“Jedrian!!”

“f*cking h*ll, I said it’s noisy! You vermin bastards!”

Jedrian, who shouted until his face turned red, suddenly stood up and drew the sword of a subordinate standing beside him.

Then he strode toward where the Silvarnel knights were and swung his sword mercilessly.

“Uugh!”

Another knight died helplessly from the sword he swung.

The completely terrified Silvarnel knights hunched their bodies, and Jedrian grabbed one knight’s hair, rolled his eyes, and glared at Ashar.

“Shout again. Shout again! I’ll cut this b*stard’s throat right now.”

As he rolled his eyes and pressed the blade close to the knight’s neck, thick streams of blood oozed from the tender skin and seeped into the black clothes of the knight on the verge of fainting.

Ashar, grinding his teeth, trembled. His swollen face was so miserable it was hard to recognize, but only his blue eyes remained sharp as ever.

“Why? Not shouting now? I said shout. I’m giving you a chance, so shout.”

“…Stop. I understand, so please—”

“If you’re going to beg, beg properly. You know well from your long slave life. How to beg when begging.”

Ashar, who released all the tension from his body, looked at Jedrian with a face that had lost its will to fight.

Soon his large body slumped helplessly. Just as he was forcibly pushing away the humiliation, thinking at least his arms were tied so he avoided the sight of bowing to that b*stard.

Thud!

His forehead was forcibly crushed to the floor by shiny shoes that mercilessly trampled his head.

“Like this, you have to press your forehead down too. Seems the slave education was terrible.”

Though fury surged in his chest, Ashar desperately endured.

He couldn’t lose any more subordinates. Even if he endured, there was no chance they could live, but still, he couldn’t let them die without mental preparation.

“Phew… Finally it’s quiet.”

Jedrian, exhaling loudly as though relieved, finally lifted his foot.

Then, watching Ashar who remained motionless with his forehead on the floor even as he returned to his seat, he grinned.

Then he opened his mouth with a fresh face like before, as though nothing had happened.

“Now then, shall we begin in earnest?”

After leisurely taking a sip of tea, he crossed his legs.

Then, tapping the armrest, he asked the prostrate Ashar.

“How many bastards entered the palace?”

Even before an answer came, shing—the chilling sound of a sword rang through the underground prison.

* * *

At that moment, Laurencia’s expression had become much lighter.

Unlike the beginning, she’d communicated quite well with Rubid.

Of course, she didn’t trust him enough to consider him completely on her side, but after conversing with him, her thoughts changed from judging him as sinister and cunning to thinking he wasn’t that bad.

Of course, looking deeper inside, there could be other schemes, but right now she couldn’t just be wary of everyone.

The priority was to pretend to trust appropriately, compromise at a suitable line, and make even one person her ally.

That compromise had gone well now.

Though Rubid had one thing he found regrettable.

“But now that we’ve finished talking, it seems like a losing deal for me.”

“You’re not trying to overturn what’s already been decided, are you, Rubid?”

At her sweet smile, which had changed not only in address but also in expression, Rubid’s eyes widened before he soon burst into hearty laughter.

“This was a deal I couldn’t win from the start.”

“They say sometimes losing is winning.”

“Then let me lose to Lauren every day.”

His words, which would have felt uncomfortable earlier, now sounded natural.

After having a serious conversation, she could understand his unique way of speaking a little.

Rubid was a more honest man than expected.

Like now, he tended to say the opposite of his sincerity like a joke, so there was misunderstanding at first, but actually, it was largely because she’d looked at him through tinted glasses.

It started because of Jedrian. He appeared together with that man, so the first impression wasn’t good.

What fanned the flames next was Ashar. He kept badmouthing him, so she unconsciously became guarded.

The biggest spark of misunderstanding was Emily, but perhaps because she’d been close to a more dangerous spy, she could now readily overlook that much.

And whether she had a connection with spies, Laurencia had kept a spy by her side this time too.

“I’m counting on you, Emily.”

“I will serve with loyalty, Your Highness.”

The maid who’d somehow been irritating at first now seemed very reliable.

Perhaps because she’d seen her skills, her heart pounded thinking there would be many uses for her in various ways going forward.

Most of all, she liked best that being a woman, she wouldn’t catch Jedrian’s eye.

Since he’d already encountered her before, there was nothing more to worry about.

“It’s gotten too late.”

“Oh my, you’re right. I’ve kept you too long. What should I do, I’m sorry.”

The man who slowly stood smiled warmly.

“Not at all. It was a very pleasant time. I’d like to talk with Lauren all night if I could, but I’m only getting up because you don’t look well.”

“Me?”

Laurencia, who quickly covered her cheeks with both hands, looked at Emily.

“Haha, I mean you look tired. But to my eyes you’re still beautiful, so no need to worry.”

“Then… that’s a relief.”

When she lowered her hands and smiled prettily, Rubid’s expression suddenly darkened.

The man, who briefly moved his lips, carefully opened his mouth.

“Your intention to marry him—even if I bring a better method, that can’t be changed, right?”