“Your minstrel is doing quite well at Aeskis Castle.”

Dion warned in a low voice. At those words, Bella flinched. Her gaze busily traveled between the two men. She was clearly curious about this story she didn’t know.

“What do you mean?”

“Forgotten already? I thought you particularly cherished that one among your many lovers, but apparently not. Then there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll tell you one thing—not much of that minstrel’s body remains either.”

Jerbek’s cheeks trembled. Red feathers shook like petals.

“You must have a new lover in Umbarot Kingdom. Then stay there and behave. Foolish actions might cost you a wrist.”

“Don’t worry about me, Your Highness.”

“How can I not worry, cousin?”

Dion emphasized the last word. If Jerbek would be here as a cousin, he should behave accordingly—an indirect warning. But though Jerbek clearly understood, he had no intention of taking it at face value.

Jerbek stepped back. This naturally placed him beside Bella, standing right behind him.

“Those days of casual affairs are behind me, Your Highness. Who knows? I might meet someone good and marry.”

Jerbek grinned widely, stretching his large mouth to both sides.

At Jerbek’s artificial smile, Clementina clenched her fists tight.

“Bella.”

Clementina called her sister in a gentle voice and smiled.

“Let’s go.”

Clementina called Bella affectionately but firmly. The usual Bella would have acted willfully without batting an eye at Clementina’s summons, but now was different.

Bella had her heart set on Jerbek. To meet him, she needed Clementina’s background as Duchess of Drasia. A daughter of the declining House of Sustain couldn’t marry Umbarot Kingdom royalty.

Besides, the Duke of Drasia was frightening. Some called him a man gentle as spring sunshine, but Bella had never once felt such warmth from him.

Dion had simply treated Bella as a villain tormenting his sister-in-law. So Bella naturally pouted before Dion.

The one thing Dion appreciated about Bella was she never cowered before him.

Bella had no choice. Even while taking Clementina’s extended hand, her pitiful eyes wouldn’t leave Jerbek’s face.

A troublesome one-sided love.

Having escaped the strict surveillance of Lili and Kitan, Pink Lili and Leon were exploring Tarian Gorge.

Below the red cliffs, rocks now fused into one body revealed sharp cross-sections like knife cuts, precariously exposed. Wind from dragon wingbeats raised red dust storms.

“Kek, kek!“

Pink Lili began sneezing. Then flames suddenly burst forth. Larger flames than Pink Lili usually breathed.

Pushed back by the force of flames from his mouth, Pink Lili crashed into red rock.

“Kuek!“

A pained scream followed and Pink Lili rolled tumbling down the narrow path between rocks. Leon’s eyes widened as he hurriedly chased Pink Lili’s rear end.

After rolling for a while, Pink Lili finally stopped upon hitting a stone blocking the path. Leon spun his head round and round following Pink Lili’s rolling pattern, then dizzy, stopped flying and fell onto Pink Lili’s head. Both rolled on the ground clutching their heads with front paws, crying in pain.

“Kyuut, kyuut!“

“Kyuut!“

Soon they stood, keeping appropriate distance while glaring at each other. Pink Lili and Leon, who’d been circling with wiggling rumps, suddenly lowered their bodies and raised their heads skyward.

“Kuo—”

A demonic beast’s low voice split the air. At that sound, Pink Lili and Leon stuck close together and surveyed their surroundings. Sound vibrated between rocks. The low voice resonated thickly.

Pink Lili and Leon pressed flat to the ground, then unable to contain curiosity, jumped onto rocks and peeked out.

There sat a demonic beast whose identity the two baby dragons’ heads couldn’t possibly comprehend.

Naturally larger than Lili, and far larger than Kitan. It was a monster with a body bigger than any dragon they’d seen.

Sharp protrusions covered its entire body, and massive wings were torn in places. Two horns jutted below its jaw, while the baby dragons’ small heads couldn’t count the horns atop its head.

A mud-like surface, five legs, claws dripping pus—not a single thing was beautiful about this creature. The demonic beast just drooled and cried grotesquely.

Pink Lili and Leon felt like they’d seen something forbidden and fled immediately.

They quickly rushed to the cozy window of the ducal couple’s room at Issiliad summer palace and burrowed into the warm bed. The baby dragons huddled tightly, feeling like they’d glimpsed someone’s secret.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Clementina, waking from sleep, asked the two baby dragons huddled at her feet. But they couldn’t speak dragon language yet. Choosing silence, Pink Lili and Leon spread their wings to wrap around each other while watching the window warily, finally unable to resist sleep and dropping their heads.

A soft bed, warm bed, gem-sized jewels always prepared at the bedside—with these things, worry was a useless waste of time.

Bella was anxious. After this ball, she might never see the Duke of Kowan again. Tina, who’d only thought of herself since childhood, clearly had no intention of helping her love.

No, far from helping, she was desperate to interfere.

Tina was a duchess of Ronakia Empire while she was merely a duchess of Umbarot Kingdom. Compared to Ronakia Empire’s massive, overwhelming power, it was like a pig’s nostril—why couldn’t she even have that?

Already displeased about marrying for a position inferior to Tina’s, she couldn’t bear the anger at being prevented from even having that much.

Bella recalled what the Duke of Kowan possessed. Splendid clothing, overflowing jewels—she even pictured a crown perfect for her wavy brown hair, then groaned in frustration thinking she might not have it.

‘Wait, could I wear a crown? He’s the king’s brother! Ah, whatever! I’ll just wear it.’

Bella chewed her thumbnail vigorously. Then ground her teeth hard. The maid brushing Bella’s hair watched briefly, then gently massaged from her neck to shoulders.

“Ah!”

Bella closed her eyes and surrendered to the maid’s touch.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

The maid spoke to Bella in a languid voice. Bella opened her eyes drowsily and nodded at the maid through the mirror.

“Haven’t seen you before? Where’s the girl who attended me yesterday?”

The maid wasn’t the one who’d attended her yesterday. Actually, changing maids didn’t matter. Bella couldn’t remember who attended her anyway. She’d just spoken because this maid suddenly caught her eye, keenly noticing her uncomfortable mood and nimbly massaging her shoulders.

“The maid attending you had a critically ill mother, so I came instead. I’m an experienced maid, so don’t worry. I’ll attend you while you’re here. Is that alright?”

Bella shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter.”

“How’s the pressure? Not too painful?”

“Well, it’s good. My shoulders were stiff anyway. Mm. The girls working here all lack sense. At Sustain Castle where I lived, maids would apply rose oil daily and massage me.”

Of course it was a lie. Rose oil was extremely expensive. She couldn’t enjoy such luxury daily at Sustain. But Bella boasted as if it happened every night.

“Then I’ll do the same here. How’s that?”

“Well, go ahead. What oils do you have?”

The maid pulled out the bag she’d brought. From a thick leather bag engraved with unusual patterns, she removed various glass bottles. Then she took out an incense holder, placed a small triangular mountain-shaped incense on it, and lit it.

Instantly the room filled with grass scent and flower fragrance.

“Herbs to relieve tension. Lie down. I’ll loosen you up.”

The maid took Bella’s hand and led her to the bed. She naturally lowered Bella’s dress. Bella, left in only undergarments, lay on the bed and closed her eyes.

The maid lifted a glass bottle and poured oil generously onto her hands. Then she stroked down Bella’s shoulders and back.

A bit hard, appropriately gentle, hard again, then gentle. Bella felt her whole body relax.

“Very good. Ah, this feels nice.”

The maid glanced at Bella’s face. Sleep poured over Bella’s languid features.

“You brought many dresses. How can they all be so splendid? I lost track of time admiring them.”

“Really? Well, they’re no different from what I usually wear. Tina did pay special attention though. Ah! Tina is the Duchess of Drasia, you know?”

“Of course, you’re her sister. Correct?”

“Mm. You’re saying we don’t look alike?”

“Well, the atmosphere is a bit different……”

The maid’s touch momentarily stopped. Just as Bella frowned and tried to turn around—

“You’re more lovely, Miss. The Duchess is, how to say, looks too strong. Cold-looking. Compared to that, you’re truly……”

The maid bent down and whispered in Bella’s ear in a languid mid-low voice.

“Cute and lovely. Men prefer someone like you.”

The grass scent from the incense grew subtly thicker. Bella’s room filled hazily with smoke.

“You think so? But men are so difficult.”

“Even a beautiful miss like you has worries?”

“Not quite worries but.”

“May I hear those worries? I’m actually good at romance.”

“Heh. Really? But a maid’s romance hardly seems applicable to me.”

“Lowly ones like me actually know well how to melt men. So many men have died because of me.”

“Really?”

“I’ll help you get the man you want.”

“How……?”

Bella’s voice grew smaller. Unable to resist sleep, she buried her head deeper into the cushion.

“Do as I say. Then you can have who you want.”

“You think……?”

“Of course. Others who listened to me never failed. Understand?”

“……Fine.”

“Shh. Sleep now. You’ll feel refreshed when you wake.”

With the maid’s final words, Bella began snoring softly.

“Bring the Duchess to me. Then I’ll let you have that man, just briefly.”

The mole below the maid’s eye glinted.