81. Damn Young Masters (2)

“Is everyone here?”

“Yeah. I think we can leave now?”

Just as the members holding each girl were paying the coachmen and getting in one by one—

“Oh, here you are? How could you leave without me?”

Someone called out a friend’s name from behind.

The commoner student whose name was called was in a dazed state from alcohol, and her partner, a member, stopped in his tracks, startled.

When the members turned toward the voice, they saw a platinum-blonde beauty standing there.

“Ah…… Hello?”

Katya approached with a seemingly shy greeting.

The members’ faces simultaneously brightened upon seeing the blue rose on her chest.

Why hadn’t they noticed such a beautiful woman until now?

“I was looking everywhere for my friends who disappeared while I was in the powder room.”

Katya said, as if answering their questions.

“Everyone seems drunk already.”

“Ah, that……”

“My friends can’t handle alcohol well. Are you young masters kindly supporting them?”

Seeing her bright expression with sparkling large eyes, lecherous smiles spread across the members’ faces.

After exchanging glances briefly, they all seemed to be of one mind.

Let’s take this innocent and beautiful girl with us.

“The ballroom was too crowded and noisy, so we were about to move to a quiet place where we could be alone.”

“Would the lady care to join us?”

“That’s right. All your friends are coming with us—wouldn’t you be lonely and bored alone?”

The members spewed nonsense trying to persuade her.

Though it was pathetic flirting, Katya acted as if she was tempted but conflicted about the offer.

“I’m not sure if I should. Everyone has pairs to have fun with, but I don’t have a partner.”

While the members desperately trying to take Katya were racking their brains, one of them came up with a clever idea.

“Actually, we have one more person in our group there. He doesn’t like parties so he didn’t come. That makes it even pairs, so let’s go together.”

Having forgotten about Mikhail, they internally rejoiced.

Though they regretted not being able to make her their own partner, they judged it was fairer for her to be His Highness Mikhail’s partner rather than fighting among themselves over her.

“Really? Then thank you……”

Katya placed her hand on her chest and bowed.

Not knowing what thoughts this innocent-looking woman harbored inside, smiles bloomed on the men’s faces.

Soon after, the line of carriages arrived in front of the Despot Clubhouse.

“Did His Highness leave? I don’t see him.”

Mikhail’s classmate muttered in confusion while looking toward the billiards area.

He hadn’t noticed the slightly different furniture arrangement.

The sofa that had been in front of the fireplace before they left had moved in front of the bookshelf.

Mikhail, who had been sleeping in front of the fireplace, had gotten hot midway, put out the fire, and moved the sofa away from the still-warm spot before falling asleep on it.

Since it was placed facing away from the entrance, they hadn’t discovered him sleeping, hidden by the sofa’s back.

When Katya’s supposed partner disappeared, the members’ eyes glinted as they vied to claim her.

Getting her drunk was their urgent priority.

Previously, they had secretly entered sleeping girls’ rooms and succeeded in bedding them through persuasion, but not wanting to put in even that much effort anymore, they had come up with the method of spiking drinks with illegal drugs.

Since the girls wouldn’t remember anything when they woke up the next day, there was no need for cleanup.

The member who had brought the illegal alcohol suddenly thrust a glass toward Katya.

“Everyone’s a bit tipsy—it’s no fun if you’re the only one sober.”

The current Despot Club president spoke softly to her.

‘Stupid fools. It’s too obvious you spiked it when you’re all staring at my glass and licking your lips.’

While cursing them internally, Katya took the glass.

Her lips touched the glass before pulling away as if she’d remembered something.

The members who had been fixated on her red, plump lips all sighed simultaneously.

“By the way, are there no servants here?”

“Huh? Why suddenly?”

“Because you’re bringing the drinks yourself.”

“Right. They only come briefly during the day to clean. Like I said earlier, it’s just us here. So we can do any kind of secret things……”

The president who had gradually mixed in informal speech picked up a strand of her hair and kissed it.

His action of taking the lead when it hadn’t been decided who would claim her displeased not only the current students but also the graduates.

It seemed the title of president had made him forget even his seniors.

They weren’t the only ones cursing him internally.

‘These young bastards dare to speak informally.’

Katya wanted to grab the president’s collar and throw him to the ground, but she held back to avoid ruining the plan.

Even though she had learned fighting techniques from her husband, she couldn’t handle all these men at once by herself.

They could ambush her from all directions.

‘Why is the Grand Duke so late?’

So she needed to buy time until Nikolai arrived.

In fact, she was more confident than anyone when it came to clever tricks.

“Speaking of secret things, have you all heard that story?”

Katya instantly captured everyone’s attention.

“There’s a famous anecdote passed down from the Eastern Continent. One day, a king held a feast for his officials, when suddenly a wind blew in from somewhere and extinguished all the candles inside.”

Though everyone knew the story, they kept quiet wanting to hear more of her clear voice.

“In the darkness, the king’s woman suddenly screamed. Someone had kissed her, she said. She said she had cut off his sleeve, so when the lights came on, she asked for the culprit to be punished.”

“……”

“As you know, desiring the king’s woman is high treason in any country, right? But that king said this for his official’s sake. It was my fault for inviting my women to the feast, so let’s not ruin this joyous occasion and all cut our sleeves together.”

All the officials in the banquet hall were moved by the king’s consideration and cut their sleeves, so when the lights came on, no one could identify the true culprit.

“Later when war broke out, the one who risked his life to save the king turned out to be the very man who had kissed the king’s woman at the feast. They say he did it to repay the favor—a predictable ending. I think that king was wise.”

Actually, Katya didn’t think so.

In this story, no one considered the position of the woman who was harassed by a man who was not her husband.

It only emphasized the men’s magnanimity and loyalty in repaying kindness.

But she had another reason for bringing up this story.

“I think the king’s woman overreacted. How could she be so sure it was intentional when it happened in the dark?”

Everyone started agreeing with her words.

“Indeed, as expected of a Molnitsky Girls’ Academy student, such deep thoughts. A man could make mistakes.”

“Even if it wasn’t a mistake, what did that official do wrong? It’s natural for men’s hearts to stir at the sight of a beautiful woman. Our bodies are designed that way.”

“Wasn’t it the woman’s fault for sitting next to the official in the first place? She should have been prepared for such things before sitting next to a man. Or been careful on her own.”

“Who knows. Maybe she was aroused and tried to seduce the man first.”

While watching the snickering members, Katya felt disgust rising.

These idiots wouldn’t know.

That they too were about to commit high treason by desiring their ruler’s woman.

“I brought up this story because I heard there’s a game among nobles based on that incident. They say there’s a rule that when lights go out during parties, no one can be held responsible later for whatever happens—is that true?”

Of course, this was a game Katya had just made up.

The members who had been salivating to do something to her got excited and spoke with spittle flying.

“Of course! There absolutely is!”

“It seems our lady has never played it before? How cute.”

“Why don’t we play that game now for this lovely lady?”

Thanks to the men moving in perfect coordination, all the candles in the living room were extinguished except for the lamp placed in the center of the table.

“Then I’ll put out the last one.”

Katya smiled sweetly and blew out the lamp on the table.

Just as they all wriggled their perverted hands trying to pounce on her, Katya quickly gagged the first mouth that came at her with her handkerchief.

She had soaked it in the drugged wine while everyone was distracted with turning off the lights.

The drugged man collapsed to the floor with a thud.

As the group became confused by the sound, Katya quickly moved behind them and struck their heads hard one by one with the pommel of her dagger.

The attacked members fainted and fell one after another.

While they were helplessly succumbing to her sharp night vision, the president who had been keeping his distance pounced on Katya from behind.

“Who sent you?”

He muttered while squeezing her neck and waist, filled with betrayal.

“Why are you so angry? We promised. No one would be held responsible for whatever happens while the lights are out.”

“How dare you, you commoner b*tch!”

Mikhail, who had been sleeping behind the sofa, frowned and jumped up at the commotion.

Just as he rubbed his eyes and turned his head over the backrest—

“Everyone come here! I’ve got her!”

At the president’s shout, the members who had adjusted to the darkness rushed toward her.

Using the president’s arm around her neck as support to hold her upper body, Katya lifted both feet simultaneously and kicked the stomachs of those rushing in.

When her full weight suddenly shifted onto him, the president who was weak from only studying staggered momentarily, and Katya elbowed his stomach.

In the moonlight streaming through the window, he saw the sight of a woman doing flying kicks while fighting the men.

‘She’s absolutely killing it……”

Just as Mikhail, who had fallen for her at first sight, unconsciously gulped, a man broke through the window and jumped in from outside.

His skill at beating up the members barehanded with murderous eyes seemed somehow familiar.

No, Mikhail knew who he was!

‘Brother……’