A scream, nearly a shriek, burst from her lips.

“You can’t marry him, Reina!”

She shoved at his chest with all her might, but the force only made her stumble. A large hand steadied her gently by the elbow.

“That was my one and only chance! Do you even understand what you’ve done?!”

She pounded on his chest, shouting, voice raw with fury.

“I can make you so much happier than a man like that ever could!”

“That’s not it… That’s not the point.”

“Marry me, Reina. I’ll be an adult soon. Just a little longer.”

“No, Pipi. No…”

“I told you I’d take responsibility. I’ll cherish you more than anyone else ever could.”

She wanted to scream that this had been their first and last chance, for both of them to be free and happy. Instead, the words caught in her throat. Her eyes stung, and she squeezed them shut.

As she stumbled again, half-sinking into Zephion’s arms, he held her firmly, supporting her.

“Reina… I love you.”

Please… don’t say that. She prayed silently, desperately.

No matter how she struggled to escape, she had ended up right back where she started. The arrow had already been loosed—there was no changing its course now.

Zephion would come to hate her. And Reina… would carry out the revenge she had dedicated her life to.

The version of herself who once believed—naively—that she could throw it all away and run off with hope… now seemed laughable. As if anything could ever be that simple.

Was this fate’s cruel joke? Or simply the price of harboring such darkness in her heart for so many years?

“…Ha. Haha.”

A dry, broken laugh escaped her lips as she collapsed to the ground. Zephion wrapped his arms around her again.

It was unbearable—how everything had simply gone back to the way it was.

“How dare you.”

Her voice came out in a low, trembling hiss, each word bitten off with venom.

She lowered her head. She had known this would anger Kaelid if it ever came to light.

‘But if she had really become the Duchess of Kinanas…’
‘Even he wouldn’t have been able to stop her.’

A bitter laugh slipped out.

Had things gone to plan and the talk of marriage moved forward, Reina would be standing tall right now, confidently telling this man that she was going to become the Duchess of Kinanas.

Now that everything had fallen apart, however, she just wanted to let it all go. She didn’t want to beg Kaelid for forgiveness or make excuses. After all, he already knew perfectly well why she had chosen the Duke of Kinanas.

***

“Come on—spit out an excuse, at least.”

A large hand clamped around her chin, the fingers tightening as though he intended to crush it. The pressure made her wince.

“Did you really think you could get away?”

“…”

“How did that man seduce you this time?”

She clenched her teeth hard.

“Probably the way you’re best at.”

He sneered—and let out a short, ugly laugh.

“So—was he so taken with what’s between your legs that he proposed on the spot?”

He pressed her cheek, clearly demanding she open her mouth, but she kept her lips stubbornly sealed.

“Speak!”

Kaelid, who had been hurling accusations on his own, suddenly shouted, voice hoarse with rage.

“I said, speak!”

His furious face loomed so close she could feel his breath. The walls rang with his roar, leaving her ears buzzing. Then, abruptly, he smiled.

“Beg me. Tell me you’re sorry.”

“… …”

“Maybe—just maybe—I’ll show a little mercy.”

His tone now coaxing, she squeezed her eyes shut.

He swung between wheedling, raging, and laughing—yet Reina didn’t utter a single word. She knew there was no defense she could give, and more than anything, she refused to abase herself before him.

What did a little extra humiliation matter now? Still, she wouldn’t. Perhaps her spirit had finally broken. Or perhaps she knew the arrow she’d loosed was still streaking toward its target.

Nothing had changed at all—and that realization weighed on her like lead, dragging her into hollow despair.

“Reina!”

Kaelid shouted her name. The hand gripping her chin slipped downward for a moment—then suddenly swung upward.

Smack!

A flash of light exploded before her eyes. Her head whipped so violently to the side that pain shot down her neck.

“Ah…”

Even as the sting bloomed across her face, it didn’t feel real. She let out a faint gasp, blinking slowly.
Only then did the throbbing begin to spread across her cheek.

Kaelid seized her chin again, turned her face back toward him—and struck her once more.

“Hhk!”

The blow was laced with unrestrained fury. Her head swam, her mind going blank. The moment she staggered from the force of it, her weakened leg gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.

Teeth clenched, Kaelid crouched down and leaned close. She felt his hand grasp her chin again.

Smack!

Her head snapped to the side once more. Before she could even raise a hand to shield herself, she crumpled to the ground.

Kaelid forcibly dragged her upright.

Was this some kind of punishment for hitting Zephion?

Even now, that was all she could think about.

The sound of her palm slapping his cheek echoed in her memory.

‘Did it hurt?’

She had never struck him before.

‘Did I hurt him?’

Blood welled up inside her mouth from where the inside of her cheek had torn.

“Hhkk…”

Reina’s face was already badly swollen and turning purple on one side as the bruise spread. Her vision swam.

She’d thought she’d endured plenty of violent moments before, but only now did she realize—until this point, Kaelid had always held back, in his own way.

Her hair was a tangled mess, and she could no longer stay upright. Her body swayed with exhaustion and shock until she collapsed in a heap.

Only then did Kaelid finally lower his hand.

Hot blood dripped from the corner of her lips. Her nose had started bleeding, too, and thick drops were falling freely.

Her vision was blurred on the side he had hit her. With a faint rasping sound, Kaelid reached out and began to lift her skirt.

She couldn’t even twitch a finger.

His hands forced her knees apart, pulling her legs towards him. Her limp body offered no resistance as she was dragged like a puppet.

Then she felt it — that heavy, looming pressure between her legs. Suddenly, the memory returned.

‘Ah… right. He gets off on violence.’

She had almost forgotten. Ever since the fall of House Baltgar, Kaelid had neither gone off to battle nor fought. There hadn’t been a reason.

Now, blood pooled in her nose, slipping down her throat and into her mouth.

“Kuhh— cough…”

“Ah!”

She shut her eyes tightly, unable to bear the sensation of being forced into such a narrow space. Her fingertips trembled.

“Ha…….”

She could feel Kaelid breathing heavily on the back of her neck. Her body, which had never accommodated anything large before, tensed as if unsure what to do.

Reina’s body shook violently as he forced his way in and thr*st deeply. The hand that had slapped her face repeatedly tore at her clothes.

The man holding her br*ast smiled crookedly. His waist moved without hesitation.

Kaelid stabbed her dry flesh as if to crush it, wounding her tender inner walls with his solid pillar. He raised his hand again.

“Hic…….”

Reina reflexively shut her eyes tightly. She felt her stomach shrinking in anticipation of the pain that was about to come.

She could feel the lump of flesh inside her more clearly than ever before. Her cheek ached whenever she clenched her teeth. He could feel blood moistening his mouth.

But his hand was in a completely different place. The large lump of flesh shook violently when he hit her br*ast hard, as though he were slapping her cheek.