He felt it when he saw Whilton, his face beaten to a pulp by a Noble.

<A Noble will not be punished for killing a Commoner.>

That single law created by Duke Grey, how many lives it had driven into the mud.

Take Arthur White, for example.

He was a self-made man from the Sys Empire, a Commoner by birth. With brilliant business ideas, he rose from the bottom and gained wealth and connections comparable to any Noble.

But Arthur’s wife, while out shopping for groceries, was shot and killed by drunk young Nobles who were playing a game. Inside her womb was Clara’s younger sibling.

Although Arthur had urged her not to go out since she was in the final month of her pregnancy, she insisted on going out to buy ingredients, saying Clara wanted to eat a dessert she made herself…

Arthur vehemently protested to the judge. He poured money, begging them to arrest the young Nobles who, when drunk, treated a Commoner like prey.

But even though Arthur spent a fortune that could have ruined him, reality didn’t change. Instead, he was banned from doing business in Sys for rebelling against the Nobles.

The aristocracy law made by Duke Grey was that strong. It was a distant peak that a single Commoner, no matter how hard they worked their entire life, could not reach with the money they earned.

At that time, Reizen, despite witnessing everything as a Prince, felt worthless, unable to do anything. That’s when that man appeared before him.

The very person who created that damn aristocratic law.

‘Rudville Grey.’

As a child, he admired the little Miss Grey who strolled through the rose garden, and during his academy days, he resented the name Grey with all his heart.

And finally, when they fell…

Reizen stopped thinking. The air grew heavy. The sky was filled with gray storm clouds. The rain, which had stopped for a while, began to fall drop by drop.

He felt the large raindrops falling on his head and spread his hand. Hoping that the blood of his friend on his hand would be washed away by the rain.

Soon, it poured. He walked through the rain-soaked, ashen streets of the pleasure district without an umbrella.

Everyone would be waiting.

He had to go back to the hideout in the forest. Riding the horse he had hidden would be faster than going to the Asphalia Hotel in the city. But…

His whole body refused the order ringing in his head. Even though he knew he shouldn’t.

He grabbed the horse’s reins, then let go. He dismounted, took one step, two steps back, then turned and started running towards the hotel in the city.

* * *

“…Melissa.”

Reizen was drenched. His clear, shining blue eyes sparkled under the light.

His blonde hair, falling over his smooth forehead, was in disarray. Drops of water from the ends of his hair fell onto the carpet with soft thuds.

Just how far, from where had he run? Reizen was covered in rain and sweat, unable to even catch his breath.

Melissa was so surprised at the sight of him as soon as the door opened that she couldn’t speak. Her eyes widened, and she gaped like a fish a few times before she could finally speak.

“Your Highness, were you out in all that rain?”

No, how did this happen?

She closed the book she was reading and rose from her seat, walking towards Reizen.

Her ankle throbbed, so she walked gracefully, but the man couldn’t even wait for that short moment and strode towards her, pulling her into his arms.

A strong smell of blood emanated from him.

“Melissa, Mel…”

The dampness Reizen brought in seeped into Melissa’s dress. She hugged him tightly, sharing her warmth.

She didn’t ask what had happened. She roughly guessed, as he had said he was going to see Sion.

Melissa stroked his back to calm him down. She pulled away from his embrace and smiled softly, raising her hand to his cheek.

As if uncomfortable with her gesture, Reizen bent down, lowering himself so she could easily touch his cheek. His face was a mess from the rain, but his blue eyes were so beautiful they seemed to draw her in.

“You’ll catch a cold, so go wash up first. I’ll get you a towel.”

Melissa turned around with a deliberately light tone.

She bustled about, filling the bathtub with warm water, preparing dry towels and a bathrobe. The robe provided by the hotel might be a little small for him, but it was better than nothing.

After checking the steaming bathtub, Melissa came out to the living room. Reizen, who was drying his hair with a towel, met her eyes and smiled faintly.

It was a smile so serene it was frightening.

“What are you going to do about your wet clothes?”

She was worried about him still wearing his suit. As she glanced at him, urging him to take it off, Reizen approached her with a smile and stroked her back.

“Your clothes are wet too.”

His damp hand touched her dress. It had gotten wet when he hugged her as soon as he arrived, but it wasn’t as bad as Reizen’s.

“I’ll… later…”

“Shall we bathe together?”

Melissa’s breath hitched in surprise. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her face flushed bright red, and she shook her head silently.

But his words just now didn’t seem like a suggestion, but an order. Reizen, right then and there, untied the ribbon of Melissa’s muslin dress.

“I, really… later…”

Ignoring her feeble resistance, he peeled off her outer dress. The white blouse she wore underneath was revealed. The thin, soft blouse was buttoned up to the neck.

He was the one who needed a bath, but she was the one being undressed.

He unbuttoned the blouse, starting from the collar, then her chest, and down to her stomach. With each button undone, the blouse fell open, revealing her white br*asts and flat stomach.

Reizen’s touch was uncharacteristically hurried. His hand roughly grabbed her soft br*ast. As he tilted his chin slightly to kiss her, Melissa, now half-n*ked, blocked him with her hand.

She, who had never refused a kiss before, was stopping his lips. Because she wanted him to soak in a warm bath before he caught a cold.

But Reizen’s eyes narrowed slightly, displeased. Perhaps misinterpreting her actions, he grabbed her hand, lifted it, and began to lick her palm, all the way to her wrist.

“Ah, uh.”

This wasn’t right.

She was getting caught up in his pace again.

Eventually, his lips trailed up her inner arm, over her collarbone, along her neck, and claimed her lips as he desired. When Melissa stubbornly refused to open her mouth and give him her tongue, the man chuckled lowly and roughly pulled down her last remaining undergarment.

“Ah!”

As Melissa squirmed, not knowing what to do, Reizen scooped her up like a princess and headed for the bathroom.

Melissa was the first to be dipped into the bathtub that had been warmed up for him.

“Ouch, it’s hot!”

A tingling sensation ran through her as her feet and hips touched the hot water. Reizen, perhaps realizing from her reaction that the water was too hot, lowered her very slowly.

As she soaked in the warm bath, she felt her body relax. But Reizen was still wearing his soaking wet clothes. This wasn’t fair.

“You said we’d wash up together.”

“Yes.”

As if he had been planning to take them off anyway, he took off his thick black jacket and undid his vest buttons. Bloodstains were splattered all over his white shirt.

Melissa turned her head, pretending not to see. Noticing her averting her gaze and biting her lip, Reizen took her hand and placed it on his chest.

She could see the mark on his firm chest.

It wasn’t as bright as Melissa’s, but it flickered faintly.

“This, this hurts, Melissa.”

Was that really where it hurt?

Wasn’t there a place deeper inside that hurt even more?

The man, now n*ked, stepped into the bathtub. The hot water overflowed as his body displaced it.

He pressed his body close to hers in the tub and slowly brought his face closer. So close that their eyes met, he touched his forehead to hers and smiled.

“…Heal me, Melissa.”

She wished he wasn’t hurting. She wanted to apply a soothing balm to his wounded heart. But Reizen was afraid to open up about himself.

What was he hiding?

“…”

Melissa held her breath silently. The man’s blue eyes were so calm. Looking into those blue eyes, as clear as a coral reef on a sunny day, she felt a lump in her throat.

If this was the only way to connect with him.

Melissa slowly closed her eyes, tilted her chin slightly, and touched his lips with hers. As if in response, the hot water splashed and swayed.

Reizen, afraid her lips would leave his, cupped her face in his hands, holding her still.

With a splash, water sloshed over the edge of the tub and spilled onto the floor.