“Why? Never got hit by mom, so your pride’s hurt getting hit by your little brother?”

“How old are you to still bring up mom? Aren’t you the one obsessed with not being able to forget our mother who killed herself?”

Selheim retorted sarcastically.

The knights watching silently around them were dripping with sweat, extremely tense.

The study was filled with a taut tension, not knowing when they might clash.

Outside the open door, servants were silently in chaos. A fight in the imperial palace? While the Crown Prince had often bullied the princes one-sidedly, the reverse had never happened before.

The panicking servants soon scattered in all directions. Reizen just realized that being quick-witted could be both advantageous and disadvantageous.

He knew where the servants were heading to stop them. So there was no time to waste with words.

Reizen leisurely wet his lips and looked down at the floor. Just when those around thought there was a momentary lull, he lunged forward and grabbed Selheim’s collar again.

Thwack, thud, whack!

“Kyaah!”

Along with someone’s scream, multiple punches were exchanged this time.

Selheim wasn’t just taking the hits. While receiving punches lying down, he kicked Reizen in the abdomen. Pushed back, Reizen charged forward undeterred to strike Selheim again.

Selheim caught his fist.

One trying to hit, one trying to block.

Their power struggle continued.

“How do you plan… to handle this?”

Selheim, his face covered in blood, chuckled, looking amused.

“Never thought I’d see a day like this.”

As Crown Prince, no one dared to hit him like this. Who would dare strike the future Emperor?

But Reizen had done that crazy thing.

“You’ve lost it, but f*ck, there should be limits.”

Selheim spoke while simultaneously releasing the fist and grabbing Reizen’s throat.

“Die here. This works out better! One mark is enough anyway.”

Selheim had been training his body consistently since childhood, having survived many dangerous situations. His tremendous grip strength strangled Reizen’s neck.

Blue veins bulged on Reizen’s neck. Even while choking, Reizen had no intention of avoiding it. Rather, while holding his breath, he tried to drive his fist down again…

“What are you doing!”

With Vincent’s shout, the Emperor’s knights rushed at the two men. While those around hadn’t dared touch either of them, the Emperor could.

The Emperor seemed quite troubled by this situation. Though he stopped the fight, neither man showed signs of calming down.

Moreover, the state of his most beloved art piece was in ruins.

“You should have at least avoided the face when hitting! What kind of state is this!”

He tried to stroke Selheim’s face as though he were handling a precious orchid. Selheim twisted his head away from the touch in disgust.

Unfazed by this, the Emperor smiled warmly at Reizen who was restrained on the opposite side.

“At least that one is unharmed.”

His tone suggested relief that one side was safe when a flower pot had been knocked over. Reizen gave a cold snort.

The Emperor ordered the two to be kept apart for the time being. The Crown Prince would remain in the palace, while Reizen was ordered to return to his territory and wait until summoned back.

In the car returning to his territory, Reizen stretched out his legs and drew on his cigar. That bastard had strangled his neck so hard that the skin was bruised black and blue.

Reizen felt the slightly swollen skin with his hand while exhaling smoke.

The convertible car cut through the wind refreshingly. Without the black cover like a roof, it felt liberating.

The wind violently tossed his hair.

The sharp smoke brushed his face and quickly flew away.

He rested both arms on the seat and appreciated the passing scenery with the cigar in his mouth.

Whilton, sitting in the front seat, asked.

“…Are you pleased?”

“Hmm?”

“No, you’ve been smiling this whole time.”

“Do I look like it?”

Well, that’s good then.

Reizen deeply drew on the cigar until his cheeks hollowed, then exhaled with a laugh. His sunlit golden hair fell back, refreshingly revealing his forehead.

“It was really good to buy this car, wasn’t it? Being fast feels so nice.”

The feeling of racing through the deepening greenery wasn’t bad. Reizen brushed back his messy, disheveled hair and said.

“Now we can only move forward, not back.”

After causing trouble, the chance to retreat disappeared. Bold decisions tend to solidify that path.

This is why he had moved carefully until now.

The mark responds most strongly to the most recent one. Which means Selheim would be the most effective person to reduce Melissa’s pain.

‘Damn it.’

Just thinking about it made him sick.

But when Melissa learns the truth, she’ll surely be shocked, and might even seek out Selheim if necessary.

‘I need to end this before that happens.’

The preparations were done anyway, all that remained was the resolve to pull the trigger. Rather than waste time trying to move carefully, it was time to take a leap forward.

Reizen’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.

* * *

“So… you hit Selheim? With your hands?”

Melissa asked with round eyes.

She gently stroked the back of Reizen’s hand as he sat at the edge of the bed. The injured hand flinched before eventually accepting the gentle touch.

“Why would you do such a thing…”

Melissa’s heart ached.

When he saw her lying in the coffin, when he learned another’s mark had been placed on her, she felt sorry seeing the wounds that remained on his hands from the pain he must have felt.

However, contrary to her concern, a cold laugh escaped from Reizen’s lips.

“Why? Worried Selheim might have been hurt badly?”

What kind of thought process would allow someone to say such things?

She understood he had suffered because of her capture, but rather than wanting to thank him, she wanted to smack his back.

Melissa grumbled as she pushed away the man she had been embracing.

“Are you a snake? How twisted are you going to be?”

Reizen’s lips twisted fiercely as he was weakly pushed back.

“Right. Am I… the twisted one?”

Blue eyes stared blankly at the bed.

“I don’t recognize myself. I won everything and brought you back too, so why do I feel like I’ve suffered the most miserable defeat in the world?”

Reizen smiled coldly while running his hand over his face. Thanks to this, she could see the dark bruise on his neck. Her gaze also went to his left chest that wasn’t responding despite being close to her.

Melissa became anxious.

Until now, she could stay by his side using the mark as an excuse, but with the new mark, the situation had changed.

The connection she felt with Reizen had diminished. If Melissa could feel it, there’s no way Reizen couldn’t. After all, they were connected to each other.

‘Will he tell me to leave the castle now?’

Reizen wasn’t the type to take on unnecessary risks. Now that the mark’s power had weakened, he wouldn’t need her anymore…

He too would be better off abandoning Melissa like other husbands. He would think he doesn’t need a troublesome wife who only causes problems.

Hadn’t she decided from the start?

To stay here only until Reizen needed her. Since it was a temporarily extended life anyway, she had no attachments.

‘Really?’

Really?

Melissa wondered. If this man told her to leave, was she really ready to shake everything off and leave for Tavania like Rael?

Reizen stared directly into Melissa’s red eyes and asked.

“I heard you called for Selheim in front of the hotel.”

Melissa quietly nodded. She didn’t want to lie to him even if it was disadvantageous to her.

“Why did you do that? You should have let him die.”

“…”

“Do you still have lingering feelings for your ex-lover? Or were you on their side from the start?”

Their side? There were thorns in his words.

The label she had to live with her entire life for being born with the name ‘Grey’ was felt once again.

Come to think of it, women were supposed to take their husband’s surname after marriage, but Reizen had never once called her ‘Kalphenster.’

It was always ‘Melissa Grey.’

Even now.

She smiled bitterly and nodded.

“So you’ve been suspicious of me. All along. If that’s the case… I understand.”

“Then don’t just understand by yourself, help me understand too.”

Reizen looked at her with calm eyes. He seemed to want an explanation. But she wasn’t sure. Even if she spoke, would he be able to understand?

‘But if I don’t say anything at all, I can’t hope for even a bit of understanding.’

Melissa took a deep breath after letting go of her reservations.