It was as if they could hear ice freezing. Abel glared at the head butler.

“To Marian?”

“Yes.”

It was a confirmation kill. Damage Marian’s womb?

The head butler revealed the truth without any hesitation.

So they’re bothered by the bloodline Marian might give birth to.

“Is Marian taking that medicine?”

Abel’s gaze turned to Rosette. Rosette felt goosebumps rising all over her body. Rosette shook her head.

It meant she had never put such medicine in anything.

“N-Not yet. I heard it’s difficult to obtain the medicine.”

“Crazy bastard.”

Abel ran his hand through his hair.

Abel gave orders to the head butler.

“Get medicine that causes impotence.”

“Yesss.”

Rosette unconsciously bit her tongue. Im-impotence? She heard something incredible.

“You will feed that medicine to the Crown Prince. You’ll do it yourself. Can you do that?”

“Yesss, trust me.”

Abel crossed his arms. Of course, the Crown Prince already had illegitimate children, but those kids would never inherit the throne. Not while Abel exists!

Marian must become the Emperor of this empire.

Rosette covered her mouth and hiccupped.

And finally…

The palace’s owner returned.

“What…… is going on?”

**

She walked down the corridor. Fortunately, she wasn’t discovered today either.

‘I don’t know how long I can avoid being discovered.’

When they notice Marian’s changes, the imperial family will make their move.

The reason they had been neglecting Marian until now was because they had let their guard down.

Their judgment was that ‘The tamed Marian won’t do anything else.’

Marian let out a faint sigh.

But when Marian reached the bedroom at the end of the corridor, she had to face an unexpected scene.

“Wh-What. Me?”

Marian muttered unconsciously.

Black hair with blue eyes. No, blue eyes with a slight reddish tint? Marian blinked again. Only then did the magic lift and the truth hidden within was revealed.

‘Abel!’

Marian covered her mouth before a scream could escape. Next to Abel was Rosette covering her mouth, and in front of them was the emperor’s head butler.

The head butler, seemingly enchanted by magic, was nodding with a stupid expression. When she focused, she could feel Abel’s magic field spread across the space.

Marian removed the hand covering her lips and asked.

“What…… is going on?”

Rosette’s pupils dilated. She wanted to tell everything that had happened today, what kind of person Abel was. However, whenever she tried to speak about Abel, her mouth would shut tight. Even her breathing became restricted. Rosette glared sharply at Abel.

Abel greeted Marian with a composed face.

“We were getting out of a crisis.”

Rosette blurted out whatever she could.

“Lord Abel says he’s going to make the Crown Prince impotent!”

“What?”

Marian’s eyes went round. It was such an unimaginable statement that even a hiccup escaped. Abel grinned.

“You should explain properly, Rosette. Speaking like that will surprise Marian. It makes me look like a villain.”

You are a villain.

Rosette’s eyes flashed, but whatever magic it was, she couldn’t make any negative statements about Abel. Rosette trembled violently.

‘Shameless!’

Rosette sharply turned her head to stare at Marian. Abel was talking away with a composed face.

“The Crown Prince was trying to do something frightening. He was trying to make you take medicine. Head butler?”

“Hi-His Highness the Crown Prince……”

The head butler continued speaking with completely unfocused eyes.

“Medicine that damages the womb…… to feed to Princess Marian……”

Marian’s brows furrowed sharply. Medicine that damages the womb. This must have happened before too, right? Marian lightly bit her lip. The humiliation she suffered from Cesare for not being able to have children was deeply embedded in her mind. But it was because of Benjamin?

Marian staggered slightly and leaned against the wall.

“So, you were going to do that?”

“Ye-Yes…… I was just following His Highness the Crown Prince’s orders……”

The head butler’s whites of his eyes showed.

“Let him go now.”

Marian said with a voice mixed with a sigh. Abel shrugged and released the magic. They watched as the head butler staggered and turned to leave the palace. It would take some time for him to regain his senses. Marian clicked her tongue.

“The head butler didn’t come here to say that.”

“Are you hurt? That Benjamin is that kind of person.”

“No, not at all. Just…”

Lingering attachment surged up suddenly. Marian shook her head to shake off all emotions and smiled awkwardly.

It’s fine.

It won’t happen anymore, and she won’t be tied to Cesare in marriage. Marian rubbed her lips with the tip of her tongue.

“I’m fine, really.”

“……They said they’ll send you to Cesare. Said it’s what the Emperor wants.”

“Duke Cesare? Why?”

“They want you to please Duke Cesare with your body and make him open Madrian’s vault.”

Marian let out a hollow laugh. The Emperor of this country treats his daughter worse than a street courtesan. Marian adjusted her clothes.

“……This might be better actually. It could be a way to approach Duke Madrian.”

“Do you like that Cesare bastard?”

Abel, still in Marian’s form, approached her. Marian opened her eyes sharply. Seeing that appearance made her laugh bitterly again.

‘Really unsightly.’

She could understand why Cesare treated Marian like a block of wood and criticized her as ‘a woman who could kill even nonexistent desire.’ With that skinny body, rough-looking skin, and those eerily gleaming eyes…

There wasn’t a single pretty aspect. She could understand why people hated Marian. Marian trembled slightly.

“Return to your original form, Abel.”

Abel snapped his fingers. He returned to his own form more smoothly than before. Seeing Abel wearing only pants, Rosette screamed. Rosette ran into the room and came out with a robe, wrapping it around Abel’s shoulders.

“You must show proper manners to Her Highness, Lord Abel!”

Abel slowly closed the robe. Only then did Marian exhale. She preferred Abel being Abel. Moreover, for someone who grew up in such harsh conditions, Abel possessed a truly beautiful body.

Healthy and sun-like. Overflowing with vitality.

It was worlds apart from Marian who reeked of revolting death.

Marian unconsciously touched her own back.

The marks from Benjamin’s beatings in the past were tangled messily on her back. Added to that were Marian’s nail marks. Marian bit her lip hard.

“Now continue your story, Marian.”

Abel approached Marian. Abel lazily grabbed her elbow and gently rubbed it. Marian seemed not to feel even that.

“Why do you need Cesare? Do you actually like him as a man?”

“What kind of bullshit are you saying, Abel. I need to encourage Duke Madrian to continue war preparations. And I’ll make Duke Madrian commit treason.”

Marian spoke viciously. Abel and Marian’s eyes met. Blood-red eyes like the sunset and clear blue eyes like the ocean. Marian continued speaking.

“I’ll return exactly what Madrian did to you, Abel. I’ll dry up Madrian’s bloodline. I’ll do it in your place.”

“Why you?”

Abel asked quietly.

“For my sake?”

“That’s……!”

It wasn’t just for Abel’s sake. It was for Marian’s sake too. She wanted to see Cesare struggling in despair. She wanted to break Cesare’s women. Just like they broke Marian.

Yulian was also on Marian’s list for revenge.

They say Marian had become unable to bear children? She would make Yulian the same way. She wasn’t afraid of marrying Cesare again.

If necessary, Marian was willing to throw herself away.

“For me, for my sake.”

Marian trembled.

“Duke Madrian must fall for the imperial family to fall. The imperial family must fall for me to live. I hate war, Abel.”

“You hate war?”

Abel completely wrapped his hands around Marian’s elbows. He pulled Marian one step closer. Though Rosette’s eyes bulged, Marian didn’t notice even that. That’s how numb she was. Abel frowned.

“……I hate killing people. I hate seeing people I know die, Abel.”

Marian answered in a cracked voice. This was why Marian had to stop this war at all costs. Marian was already exhausted. Her shoulders trembled like a child caught in the rain.

“I’m scared, Abel. I…… I’m scared I’ll really become a monster. War is bad.”

“I think so too.”

Abel said nonchalantly. He was willing to start a war to bring down Federico. That was also why he specifically chose Lorenzo. But, well. Since Marian hates it…

“Let’s not have war.”

He wasn’t afraid of killing people or dying.

However, if Marian wished for it, he could pretend.

“It’s better if we all live together.”

Abel embraced Marian.

Though Rosette let out a shrill scream she couldn’t hold back, he paid no attention. Abel brushed his lips against Marian’s forehead as she trembled like a fragile bird. Marian didn’t even notice such an intimate gesture. Abel played with her neckline where a hot pulse beat.

Then he slid his hand down to Marian’s waistline.

“Shh.”

The body that had been trembling like a fragile bird slowly calmed. Marian clearly had secrets she was hiding. But Abel didn’t do anything reckless, like trying to uncover them. 

He helped Marian find stability. Marian’s magic tended to have cold properties. In contrast, Abel’s magic contained warm energy. Abel infused his magic with warmth.

So Marian could feel the warmth.

Questions would come after.

Abel snapped his fingers at Rosette.