Perhaps because Aidan had left the banquet hall so late, the corridors were almost empty. Moreover, although the knights participating in the tournament had to stay overnight in the annex palace, separate quarters had been prepared for Aidan and Lloyd. Only a few servants and palace knights standing guard were present in that area.

They didn’t find it particularly strange that Aidan came with Karina. There were exceptions to every rule. They didn’t think Karina being with Aidan would greatly affect the tournament results, and since they were newlyweds, it seemed natural that they’d want to spend time together.

As soon as they entered the bedroom, Aidan shook off Karina and sat on the bed.

“That’s enough, now go back.”

Even in those few words, his labored breathing was clearly evident. He kept his head down, not even looking at her. Seeing him clearly suppressing something made it difficult for her to leave.

“Your Highness.”

Karina knelt in front of him, trying to see his face. His bangs had fallen forward, making it hard to see his face even looking up from below. However, she could feel how hot his breath was.

“This won’t do. I need to call someone to bring a physician…”

When Karina rose to her feet, she turned back when he grabbed her wrist. Aidan held onto just her wrist while maintaining his head-down position.

“Why–!”

Before she could ask why, his forceful pull made her body fall over. Thump. Only when her back hit the mattress did she realize she’d been laid on the bed with Aidan mounting over her.

“I don’t need any physician.”

His low, sunken voice sounded unfamiliar. So different from his usual voice, it almost sounded like an animal’s growl.

“But Your Highness’s condition… ugh!”

Aidan pinned both her wrists down with his hands. The unexpectedly strong force caused pain in her wrists, making her involuntarily groan.

“I told you you might regret it.”

His voice had sunk so low she could barely hear what he was saying. Before she could ask what he meant, Aidan lowered his head and buried his lips in her neck.

“Ah!”

She instinctively shrank her shoulders at the hot lips on her neck, but with both hands pinned by Aidan, she couldn’t escape.

“Karina…”

When his fever-laden voice brushed her ear, she realized what kind of situation this was.

“Your Highness! Come to your senses!”

He had clearly lost his reason to the drug. Though she struggled to push him away somehow, he didn’t budge.

His lips, which had traced up her neck, now reached her earlobe. Every time he exhaled, his hot breath made her skin tingle. The heat that traveled from her earlobe across her cheek suddenly overtook her lips.

It was completely different from their previous kisses. He crashed against her lips so forcefully it hurt, involuntarily creating a gap. His tongue, as if waiting for this chance, slipped through the gap and entangled with hers. She couldn’t even breathe properly. The sensation of him roughly exploring her mouth made her head spin.

When she tried to avoid him by turning her head to the side, Aidan persistently followed. Rather, through the gap between their lips came rapid breaths, whose she couldn’t tell, making it overwhelming just to keep up with the situation.

At some point, he gathered both her hands above her head with one hand, using his freed hand to trace near her collarbone. The unfamiliar sensation almost made her scream, but she barely held it in. Though everyone might think nothing of a married couple being in the same room, if she screamed in rejection of Aidan and people saw that scene, all sorts of rumors would surely spread.

“Your Highness, please…”

She pleaded while twisting her body to somehow avoid his touch. However, her voice didn’t seem to reach Aidan’s ears.

“Aidan!”

When she called his name loudly in urgency, his movements suddenly stopped. He raised his head and looked down at Karina. His face contorted as he took rough breaths, and his jaw muscles stood out as if he was clenching his teeth. Gradually, the force pinning Karina’s wrists weakened.

Whoo. After slowly exhaling a long breath, he moved his body off Karina. Then he struck his own thigh with his fist, making a thud sound. After repeating this action several times, he extended his hand to Karina, who was staring with wide eyes in shock at his pained expression.

“Sorry.”

After offering this brief apology, he furrowed his brow again.

“It wasn’t intentional. It felt like something just snapped… I couldn’t control myself.”

Aidan’s voice was dejected. She could feel how troubled he was too. And that he was truly sorry.

“I understand.”

Knowing it was because of the aphrodisiac, she couldn’t really blame him.

“But you must have been scared…”

Aidan’s voice trailed off. Was she scared? She was surprised, but it felt different from fear. However, hearing his words made her think that normally, it could have been frightening. Perhaps she had believed that Aidan wouldn’t go all the way no matter what.

Suddenly looking down, she saw him gripping the edge of the blanket tightly. His knuckles were white from how hard he was clenching his fist. He was trembling from the force he was exerting.

He’s still holding back.

She saw him in a new light as he tried to overcome the drug’s effects through willpower. He was definitely different from the Aidan she had known. This man wasn’t someone who would easily yield to even slight temptation, let alone drugs.

“I’m sorry, but could you please leave? Having you in front of me makes it harder to control…”

Aidan requested in a tightly controlled voice.

“Why…”

When she opened her mouth, his gaze turned to her.

“Why are you trying to hold back instead of going through with it? No one would blame Your Highness if you took what you wanted.”

Aidan let out a hollow laugh at Karina’s question.

“I told you before. I don’t have a habit of forcing myself on others.”

“I am Your Highness’s consort. There would be no issue even if you took me.”

Setting aside whether feelings were involved or not, that was officially true. After saying it, Karina belatedly realized. It was another reason why she hadn’t been afraid. After all, she had lived as his consort for three years. Though they had never consummated their marriage, it was deeply ingrained in her that this man was her only one.

“We may be married, but… whoo… your heart isn’t in it.”

Aidan took long breaths between words, as if even speaking was difficult. He kept his gaze completely turned away from Karina. It seemed looking at her face made his desires surge even more.

“What I want is Karina Hewitt herself, not just your body.”

After saying that, he seemed tired as he raised a hand to rub his face.

“Will you please leave now? I need to take care of this alone.”

When she tilted her head, not understanding what he meant by taking care of it alone, Aidan waved his hand, gesturing for her to leave quickly. Though she reluctantly stood up, she hesitated about leaving him like this.

“At least a physician…”

“No, forget it. There’s no benefit in spreading rumors about me taking an aphrodisiac. Besides, those gossipmongers would surely claim I took it voluntarily with ulterior motives.”

He seemed more wary of rumors than Karina. She took a deep breath that made her chest heave before leaving the bedroom. They couldn’t stay together all night here anyway.

What could she do for Aidan? If she couldn’t call a physician, perhaps she could at least get an antidote for the aphrodisiac. As she was thinking about having Kai visit the Hewitt duchy, she saw a servant approaching. Upon seeing Karina, he first bowed deeply.

“I came to see His Highness.”

“His Highness has just fallen asleep.”

She couldn’t let anyone see him affected by the aphrodisiac. She made up an excuse, thinking they wouldn’t insist on seeing him immediately if they thought he was sleeping.

“If you have a message, tell it to me.”

The servant hesitated at Karina’s command. Wondering what the matter was, she waited while staring at him intently.

“This…”

After much hesitation, the servant, seemingly unable to withstand Karina’s pressure, reluctantly pulled something from his pocket and handed it over. Karina’s face hardened when she received the item. It was the handkerchief with the Hewitt family crest that she had given to Aidan.

“Why do you have this?”

Karina’s voice turned cold with suspicion. The servant, thinking he was being accused, waved both hands in panic.

“No, no. I only followed His Highness’s orders.”

“His Highness’s?”

“Yes. His Highness ordered me to retrieve this handkerchief from His Highness Lloyd.”

This answer made even less sense. She couldn’t understand why her handkerchief had been with Lloyd.

“I will deliver this to His Highness. You may go.”

After dismissing the servant, Karina unfolded the handkerchief. Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw the message written inside.

[Tonight, I will come to see you.]

Come to see whom? Me? Who?

The message on the handkerchief was quite ambiguous. However, since it was a handkerchief with her name on it, it could easily be interpreted as “Karina” going to meet someone.

Why had it been retrieved from Lloyd?

Remembering Aidan’s calculating smile when he received the handkerchief made her suspicious. Why was it necessary to make Lloyd think she would visit him? He would quickly realize it was a lie since she hadn’t gone anywhere near Lloyd, so why this pointless act…

As she pondered, a thought struck her, and she looked back at the entrance to Aidan’s bedroom.

Kate Spencer. Where was she now, the woman who had drugged Aidan?

‘It’s not like I’m just going to let myself be taken advantage of. What I mean is, that woman isn’t in my quarters. Don’t worry.’

Remembering his confident declaration that Kate would definitely not come looking for him, she let out a sigh.

*