“If he dies, Her Highness Princess Marian will also be in danger. The Empress won’t sit still. That’s not what you want either, Abel.”

Rosette shed tears continuously.

It was foolish to think she could secretly deal with him. She banged her head on the floor repeatedly.

“This will never happen again. Never, ever again. I swear!”

Abel narrowed his eyes.

It wouldn’t be bad to kill her now and frame the Crown Prince. Marian’s hatred and anger would be directed at Benjamin, and Abel could comfort her weakened heart. That way, Abel could increase his presence in Marian’s heart.

Abel smiled coldly.

“Never again. I really don’t like such words.”

Abel narrowed his eyes. It was truly strange how his heart softened when it came to matters related to Marian. Killing Rosette would be nothing, yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Abel clicked his tongue.

‘I’m too soft.’

He spoke languidly.

“What would happen if I told Marian about this?”

Rosette’s face turned pale. She shook her head.

She didn’t want Marian to discover her betrayal. She wished Marian would know nothing.

“N-no. Just kill me instead!”

Rosette trembled. She didn’t even know what emotion this was. All this time, Rosette had protected Marian like a child in her arms.

To her, who had nothing, Marian was her only friend and family. She didn’t want to disappoint her. She feared those eyes full of trust and affection would change. She was afraid of becoming useless to her.

She had been jealous of Abel and Liebe.

She didn’t want to be abandoned by Marian. Rosette burst into tears while lying face down on the floor.

“I’ll die here. So, please……”

“Shh. The decision is mine to make, Rosette.”

Abel smiled coldly while looking at the completely broken Rosette.

“You should have been like this from the start, Rosette. Why did you make it so difficult to come back?”

Rosette hiccupped and cried. Had Rosette done something so wrong to be driven to such a low point?

“I, I was wrong……”

Abel said mercifully,

“I won’t kill you, Rosette. You’ll have to live remembering this moment for the rest of your life. Today, when you nearly betrayed your master with your own hands.”

Rosette bit her lip tightly.

“From now on, you’ll obey whatever I say unconditionally, and do whatever I tell you to do. Understand? Remember that your leash is in my hand.”

“……Yes.”

Abel snapped his fingers. Even Rosette could see the red magical field rising like a mirage and seeping into the Crown Prince. Abel smiled coldly.

“Watch carefully. See what happens to him.”

Abel disappeared suddenly. At the same time, the space that had stopped began to move again. Benjamin blinked slowly.

“Huh, what?”

Benjamin looked around with a stupid expression, meeting eyes with Rosette. The hands of the knights restraining Rosette also loosened.

At that moment, Abel’s magic took effect.

“Ugh, aaaaargh! What is that monster!”

Benjamin fell backward. He crawled away like an insect, pointing at her.

“What is that! Get rid of it right now!”

“Cr-Crown Prince, Your Highness. What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean what’s wrong! Aaaaargh! That damn monster is moving!”

Benjamin had a fit like a madman. Benjamin’s urine, released in terror, spread dampness on the carpet. The smell of excrement filled the room. Everyone in the room witnessed Benjamin crawling on all fours to escape through the window. The knights’ eyes turned to Rosette. They helped her up with bewildered faces, took her out of the room said,

“Forget everything you saw here today. Nothing happened. Understand?”

Rosette nodded, she was also dazed from the shock.

‘Have these knights also forgotten everything?’

Rosette swallowed dryly and carefully parted her lips.

“……The conversation we were just having……”

“Conversation? What conversation.”

The knights sighed and gestured to Rosette.

“Fix your clothes and go quickly.”

“Yes…… Thank you.”

From inside, the Crown Prince’s screams could be heard continuously.

“Stay away! You monster!”

Rosette staggered away from that place, dropping her head. Now she understood that there was a river between Abel and Rosette that could never be crossed.

She let out a small laugh.

Abel had the power to break a person like that. Rosette rubbed her eerie arms. Silent tears flowed down. She staggered back to the Princess’s Palace.

Having forgotten even why she had gone out.

Marian, who discovered the disheveled Rosette, let out a shrill scream.

“Rosette! What happened to you!”

“……It was nothing.”

Rosette shook her head. Her eyes met Abel’s behind Marian. He was smiling like an emotionless doll.

“Really, it was nothing.”

Marian embraced Rosette.

“How can this be nothing, Rosette…… you fool.”

Rosette didn’t have the courage to watch this warmth and affection turn into anger. Abel was right. Today, Rosette had handed her own leash to Abel.

**

The long day, which had been lengthy for different reasons for everyone, finally ended.

Finally, the day of the main tournament dawned.

Marian grabbed Abel’s arm as he was about to leave the palace first. She stared at him with a serious face. Having seen Rosette return in a complete mess yesterday after saying she was going out to receive supplies, she felt needlessly anxious. She feared Abel might also leave with such a normal face and return in shambles. Or perhaps not return at all.

Marian said with a worried expression,

“……You need to be careful, Abel.”

Abel smiled smoothly and kissed her forehead. At this casual gesture, Marian opened her eyes wide. She pushed Abel away with an embarrassed face.

“R-Rosette is watching.”

Abel’s eyes turned toward Rosette, who then turned her head, pretending not to notice anything.

Yesterday’s events felt distant like a dream, but the wounds remaining on her body seemed to scream at her. Rosette turned around and left. She could no longer oppose Abel, and she had lost the right to hate him. Rosette hugged herself with her arms.

From behind, Abel’s voice was heard.

“There’s no one here.”

“Ah. You’re right.”

Marian’s voice was also heard. Everything was the same as usual, but only Rosette was different from her usual self. She couldn’t believe that she had brought all this upon herself. Rosette laughed emptily.

Abel gazed at her retreating figure with satisfaction.

The person who had stood guard like a sentinel, glaring whenever Abel clung to Marian, now tucked her tail and voluntarily left.

It was truly puzzling. Why don’t people understand when you speak to them nicely?

“Anyway, be careful, Abel. Don’t get hurt, understand?”

“Yes. I promise. And you, don’t get too close with Cesare.”

Marian nodded awkwardly.

“I’ll try.”

Abel left the palace first. Marian placed her fist over her left chest as she watched his retreating figure.

She thought she had somewhat awakened to the principles of the world, however, the world still remained in a realm beyond her control. Marian blinked slowly.

Yesterday’s incident was like that too.

Rosette said it was nothing, but it must have been Benjamin’s doing. He must have taken out his anger on her for some reason.

Marian composed herself as she watched the Empress’s palace maids approaching from a distance. She needed to become more ruthless, stronger. She needed to become more meticulous to protect her people.

‘I won’t endure it anymore, Benjamin. I’ll return everything you’ve given me.’

Within the boundaries drawn by God.

**

The curtain of the main tournament rose. The chaos of the past week had evaporated without leaving a trace. People ignored Helena’s empty seat as if it were nothing. As if she had never existed.

In front of the chattering spectators with smiling faces, a battle was taking place where blood splattered and flesh was torn off. Marian slightly frowned. It couldn’t be comfortable watching people fight for their lives like dogs.

This fighting tournament seemed to draw out the cruelty dormant in people’s hearts. Excited people’s curses could be heard from here and there.

Cesare said to Marian,

“……I heard you didn’t leave the palace for a week, Marian.”

“I wasn’t feeling well. Is Vanessa doing well?”

Marian asked with a transparent face. Cesare frowned and turned his head. He had tried to investigate Marian and Ellie for a week but still found nothing. Vanessa was also using pregnancy as an excuse to stay home. Cesare pressed his forehead with his hand.

He said with a voice mixed with a sigh,

“I thought how nice it would have been if you had that child, Marian.”

Marian stared at Cesare with a surprised face.

‘What a terrible thought.’

Cesare, unable to guess ger inner thoughts at all, added in a low voice.

“It’s good for the legitimate child to be the first son. It would be even better if the first son inherited the family. Thanks to Vanessa getting pregnant first, everything has become complicated. If you had gotten pregnant first, there wouldn’t have been any hard feelings between us.”

She didn’t want to respond at all, but there was one thing that needed to be addressed. Marian asked back in a cold voice,

“Are you blaming me now for not getting pregnant?”

No matter how she interpreted it, considering the tone and content, it sounded like he was blaming her. Marian’s expression stiffened. How could he be so consistently selfish?

“……If it sounded that way, then yes, it is.”

“Ha.”

Marian coldly turned her head. Why did she have to listen to this?

“Anyway, I hope we don’t have any more conflicts over Vanessa’s pregnancy. What’s already happened can’t be helped, and let’s think of this as proof that there’s nothing wrong with my health.”