“Haah.”

Returning to her bedroom, Iella immediately collapsed onto the bed.

She was completely drained and had no energy left. Vanessa, who followed her, asked if she was alright, but she didn’t even have the strength to respond.

“Why is the emperor acting like this……”

Iella mumbled with her face buried in the blanket.

As he had said, when she went downstairs, the reception room was bustling with people from the dressmaker’s and the jeweler’s, along with the items they had brought.

Iella was dragged into the middle of it and pushed around in all directions.

Wearing all sorts of dresses and jewelry, taking them off, changing into others… later, her mind became so hazy that she was almost like a doll.

Helios, who had thrown her into such a situation, sat on the sofa, flipping through catalogs with a serious face and steadily adding comments. That this color was better, or that design suited her more.

“It’s not like he’s dressing up a doll……”

Then at the end, he purchased all the dresses and jewelry in the catalog.

When the madam and the jeweler’s owner thanked him in chorus, Iella, who had finally come to her senses, tried to argue about what he was doing, but it was completely ineffective.

In the end, uncomfortable gifts were piled upon her.

“Was it true in the novel that he had no interest in Ailexia? Really?”

Iella turned her head to the side and asked Vanessa. Vanessa, who had been sitting beside her deep in thought, turned her head toward her at the sound of her voice.

“Yes. That much was my setting. It was true even during the time I worked at the secondary palace.”

“But why on earth.”

Haah. Iella let out another deep sigh at words that wouldn’t come out further.

‘Is it because he’s not the main character, so the influence of the original work is reduced? Nix also has parts that Vanessa didn’t establish.’

But even if that were the case, such a sudden change was strange. Iella frowned deeply at her increasingly complicated thoughts as she sat up.

Whatever the reason, she couldn’t keep going on like this.

“Still no contact from Nix?”

“No. I keep sending messages, but there’s no response.”

Iella’s expression sank gloomily.

If she couldn’t contact Nix, she couldn’t hear about Ailexia’s whereabouts. Only Nix could track the flute that summoned the messenger birds.

In the current situation, all she could do was trust Ailexia and wait. A deep sense of helplessness enveloped her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll go look for Nix today. There are places where we occasionally meet secretly. I can’t promise anything, but it’s better than just waiting.”

“Weren’t you busy with the swordsmanship tournament?”

“The emperor told me to attend to you today, so I have time. I’ll go secretly at night. It might get late, so don’t wait for me and go to sleep first. When I was helping you try on clothes earlier, your body felt hot.”

Saying this, Vanessa placed her hand on Iella’s forehead. Vanessa’s face clouded with worry.

“I thought so. You do have a fever. Bathe early and go to bed today. I’ll bring some medicine just in case.”

“Mmm.”

Iella touched her forehead with her own palm where Vanessa’s hand had been.

She hadn’t felt it until now, but as Vanessa said, she could clearly feel the heat. She wondered if it was because she had been under too much stress lately.

“Iella.”

At that moment, Vanessa, who had risen to get medicine, called out to Iella.

When she looked up, she saw a very solemn face. Her golden-brown eyes seemed to have settled calmly.

As Iella tilted her head as if asking why she was calling her, Vanessa briefly moved her lips, then promptly closed them and gave a small smile. Then she suddenly asked a question.

“No. Just… you’re always on my side, right?”

“Of course. Is something wrong?”

Iella nodded without a moment’s hesitation. When she even expressed concern, Vanessa shook her head and smiled broadly.

“I was just suddenly curious. I’ll bring the medicine right away.”

As Iella blankly watched Vanessa’s retreating back as she opened the door and left, telling her to rest, she tilted her head in puzzlement.

* * *

The same day, early evening when darkness had not yet completely settled.

Allen, who had come out of the bathroom while drying his wet hair with a towel, approached the window and opened it slightly. The cool breeze entered through the gap as if it had been waiting.

He leaned his body against the windowsill and naturally directed his gaze outside. But his mind was completely filled with one person.

‘Still not a single summons from you.’

Since that chance encounter in the corridor that day until now, Allen hadn’t even seen a single strand of Ailexia’s hair. Because she hadn’t called for him, and he hadn’t gone to find her.

Her retreating figure, seemingly terrified, was his last memory.

‘Should I have followed her then?’

At the time, he deliberately hadn’t done so.

The Ailexia he knew would surely call for him soon to discipline him for being presumptuous. He believed she would call for him again.

Even though it had been quite some time since she hadn’t called for him, hadn’t he even threatened to kill her this time? He believed it would be different.

But as if mocking his arrogant prediction, there had been no news whatsoever. Ah, there were other rumors circulating.

Things like her collapsing at a tea party with the emperor, or going out with the Grand Duke. These were contents already widely spread throughout the quick-to-gossip imperial palace, even without him trying to find out separately.

At first, these helped provide justifications for his rationalization.

Because she was sick, because she collapsed, because she was disoriented, because she was busy. Justifications for why she couldn’t call him.

But now he had to admit it.

She, who continued to meet with the emperor every day, had completely forgotten about him and had no intention of seeking him out anymore.

Belatedly acknowledging this, he could now understand why he had waited, even going so far as to rationalize desperately. It was his last pride.

That Ailexia would eventually have to seek him out again, that she always left room for return so this time would be the same, and therefore he absolutely should not approach her first—such petty pride.

When in reality, she wasn’t even thinking about him.

“…Surely you don’t really think I would kill you.”

After exposing all these inner thoughts, all that remained was anxiety once again.

Allen mulled over the words he had uttered, then burst into a sneer as if mocking himself and ruffled his hair. He felt utterly pathetic for being so manipulated.

He had constantly and desperately wished for Ailexia not to seek him out, so the current situation was exactly what he had wanted, but his inability to accept it was laughably absurd.

But this was the misery he would have to feel for the rest of his life as long as he couldn’t completely let go of Ailexia.

Allen moved away from the window and opened the first drawer of the bedside table. Inside lay a small velvet box.

He stared at it for a long time before picking it up and opening the lid. Inside was a single earring with a deep pink gemstone that matched Ailexia’s eyes.

It was what Ailexia had forcibly pierced his ear with and inserted on their first night together.

[“I need to leave evidence that you’re my possession.”]

Those were the words she had uttered after forcibly pinning down his violently resisting body and finally drawing blood. In that moment, he realized that Ailexia was not his salvation but his abyss.

“……”

Allen caressed the earlobe that had been pierced then. The burning pain from the reddened skin still seemed to linger vividly.

Tormented by that sensation and the endlessly falling feeling in his heart, he had removed the earring as soon as he returned to his room the very next day.

Then, as Ailexia had said it was still a gift and formalities should be observed, he had stuffed it into this small box she had given him and never taken it out again.

Each time Ailexia saw the empty hole, she would punish him, but even at the risk of death, he never wore it again. It was one of his few points of pride.

But what use was that now?

“If it was going to end up like this anyway……”

He took the earring out of the box and rolled it in his hand.

In the end, his pride had been completely shattered as if it had never existed, so would it return just because he didn’t do this one thing?

Eventually, he put down the box and stood up, moving to the mirror. After looking at the earring one last time, he raised his hand to his earlobe.

He forcefully pierced the hole that had closed in the meantime with a sharp needle, and the same stinging pain spread faintly from the pierced area.

Allen, without even frowning, checked the red blood on his thumb once and then turned his eyes back to his reflection in the mirror.

The deep pink earring showed its presence vividly on one side. Seeing it reminded him of the affectionate command that had sounded like praising a dog.

[“This will let you know when I need you. Then run straight to your owner, understand?”]

The one who had rebelled, declaring that would never happen, was no more.

Allen burst into laughter at his predicament of finally becoming her pet, while his purple eyes flashed ominously.

Now he had only one wish.

“I shouldn’t be the only one to fall into this abyss.”

If he couldn’t have her, no one could.

Even if that included Ailexia herself.

“We should fall together, my mistress.”

As if responding to his resolution, for the first time, the earring emitted a signal.