1. First meeting, First night

The beautiful orchestra performance echoed throughout the reception hall of Atlan Palace.

The dazzling chandelier hung from the ceiling, emitting a dazzling light.

On the red carpet laid on the floor, numerous people were dancing and engaging in conversations.

Except for one person.

Ariel stood in the corner of the reception hall, leaning against the wall. Only her feet, hidden under the dress, tapped along with the rhythm.

‘When will this end….’

She clenched her lips with a somber expression.

She just quietly observed the people enjoying the party.

Ariel returned to her homeland after finishing her studies in Kolnman, upon hearing the news of her mother’s declining health.

Of course, it was all a white lie told by Marquis Louis. To lure Ariel back home, confused about her intention not to get married.

Since Ariel kept rejecting all the good marriage proposals, Marquis Louis earnestly asked her to attend the victory party and meet someone.

But Ariel had a different idea.

‘Let’s just waste our time like this and then go back home.’

There was no excitement, no fun to be had here.

To alleviate her boredom, she had already finished her tenth glass of champagne.

Champagne glasses were lined up on the windowsill.

‘It’s so hot and stuffy.’

She was wearing a corset and a pannier for the first time in a long while, and it felt like her body was tightly bound with ropes.

With her intoxication rising, it was a taste of death.

She vigorously fanned herself to cool down her apple-red face, but it was of no use.

In the end, Ariel walked towards the balcony.

She opened the balcony door just enough to slip out without being noticed.

Inside the reception hall, there was a bustling noise of people eating and chatting.

But when the door was completely closed, those noises felt distant.

“Now I feel alive.”

The cool night air touched her skin, taking away the heat from her face.

Part of her wanted to take off her shoes and dance with her feet, but there were always eyes watching.

She couldn’t bring herself to do it, so instead, she raised her head and took a deep breath to ease her discomfort.

“It’s beautiful…..”

Ariel’s eyes widened slightly as she raised her head and saw something, and a sigh of admiration escaped her red lips.

Countless stars sparkled, cascading into the dark night sky.

Her emerald eyes were filled with starlight.

A chill breeze that shook the dry branches passed over Ariel’s head.

She closed her eyes while humming a tune and enjoyed the pleasant coolness.

She tried to lean against the balcony railing, but Ariel was too drunk.

Since she didn’t properly check the height of the railing, she couldn’t brace herself properly and swayed.

“Uh… Huh!”

When her body was tipping over the railing, she regained her senses and blinked her eyes.

She tried to balance herself by waving her arms back and forth, but it was useless since she was already halfway over.

But…

“You should be careful.”

Well-defined muscular arms wrapped around Ariel’s slender waist.

A deep voice resonated in her ears, penetrating through Ariel’s tipsy state.

‘Who is this… the owner of such a pleasant voice?’

Ariel put all her strength into her already relaxed eyes to confirm the face of the person who saved her life.

‘He’s so handsome.’

With his black hair and a fair complexion, he was a typical handsome man.

Ariel’s pupils trembled as she took in his features.

The place surrounded by his arms grew increasingly warm, and her heart began to tremble.

Since returning from Kolnman, she had never felt her heart move like this before. A ticklish sensation rose from inside her and enveloped her whole body.

Ariel watched in awe as the man’s red pupils shone right before her eyes.

Her face blushed again.

It felt as though she were standing in front of him, completely exposed.

‘Father told me to meet anyone at this event.’

In a short time, her thoughts completely changed.

Ariel, thinking that her change in attitude was quite ridiculous, justified herself. That this person’s face itself is persuasive.

With the help of the alcohol, Ariel leaned her body on his arm and slowly opened her mouth.

“My name is Ariel… This is also fate… How about spending some time with me?”

Reaching out her hand, she gently stroked his slick hair, strand by strand.

At Ariel’s trembling touch, he raised his right eyebrow. It seemed that he found her proposal quite interesting.

When he saw his reflection in her large irises, he smiled wryly.

“Sure.”

He straightened Ariel’s body and covered her with a blanket. Then he embraced her with both arms and kissed her smiling cheek.

But Ariel was already unbearably drunk and fell asleep against him without even realizing the suggestion she had made.

***

‘What is… what is going on?’

When Ariel regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a bed covered with white sheets. Trapped under the man’s arm, just like a baby bird caught by a predator.

All the lights in the room were off.

But the faint moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the two of them.

The buttons on his shirt were all undone.

On his chest, visible through the shirt, there were several wounds that looked like they were inflicted by a sword.

Perhaps because of the lingering effects of alcohol.

Ariel raised her hand as if possessed by something and touched the wound on his right chest.

‘It must have hurt.’

Judging by the scars, the wounds seemed quite deep.

The man’s pupils flickered possessively as he looked at Ariel, whose forehead was deeply furrowed as if the pain belonged to her.

He wrapped his slender arms around Ariel’s right shoulder, then lowered his head and kissed her neck.

‘It tickles.’

When his warm breath and soft lips touched a sensitive spot, Ariel closed her eyes tightly and trembled.

However, she couldn’t allow herself to let out rough breaths, so she covered her mouth with her right hand.

Seeing this, the man took Ariel’s hand with an annoyed expression and brought it to his own lips.

“It’s okay to make a sound.”

The man’s lips slid down again to Ariel’s white neck.

“Uh… um, I’m not okay. It’s too ticklish… Ah!”

Unable to endure it any longer, she tilted her head and let out a gasp.

Red marks appeared all over her neck.

“Leopold….”

Leaving behind a perfectly good name for her to call him.

An uncomfortable expression appeared on her face.

“What?!”

Ariel doubted her own ears.

“Call me Leopold.”

‘Leopold? The tyrant emperor Leopold that I know?’

I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy!

Ariel’s mouth dropped open when she heard his name for real.

It had been ten long years since Yerin, who possessed Ariel’s body, escaped from Leopold in order to defy the original story.

She had even fled all the way to Kolnman to avoid getting involved with this man.

Yet, here she was, meeting a man named Leopold at her very first social gathering!

What a cruel twist of fate.

It felt like the heavens were singing.

‘No… no way!’

Ariel grabbed onto her fleeting sanity and pushed him away with her slender arms.

Leopold’s brows furrowed with displeasure at Ariel’s attempts to put a stop to his boiling desires.

As he ran his fingers through his dark purple hair that fell in front of him, he spoke.

“Haa… Didn’t you want me?”

‘That was before I knew you were Leopold!’

But his words were not entirely false, so she couldn’t deny them.

Besides, his now flushed cheeks, the apparent excitement on his face, and the roughened breaths all showed that he genuinely cared about his relationship with Ariel.

‘How should I handle this situation?’

Ariel pondered, rolling her round eyes in all directions.

When no answer came, Leopold licked her dry lips, as though he were comforting her.

“Ah…”

“Look, you still want me, don’t you?”

Ariel sighed and opened her mouth.

Leopold then slipped his tongue through that narrow gap and flicked at her red tongue.

“No…”

The strength with which Ariel had pushed Leopold away gradually weakened.

The enticing sensation of his body overwhelmed her increasingly hazy mind.

Leopold’s handsome appearance, as he gazed down at her, also played a significant role.

Jet-black hair that resembled a single droplet of purple ink. Long, narrow eyes that seemed to flicker with fire within their reddened irises. And a beautifully sharp nose.

‘I know in my head that I shouldn’t involve myself with this man, but…’

Her body desired him.

As Ariel struggled with her decision, her voluptuous br*asts threatened to show through her dress.

Leopold caught it, and his eyes widened.

“Leopold…!”

Ariel stopped Leopold’s hand from ripping her dress off.

“Are you purposely trying to provoke me…?”

Due to his deeply furrowed brows, wrinkles appeared on his forehead.

As if punishing her for interrupting him, Leopold lightly bit Ariel’s lips with his white front teeth.

Every time Leopold and Ariel touched, the fortress in Ariel’s heart, which had been tightly closed, gradually crumbled.

“Promise me. Promise me that tonight will remain a secret for the rest of our lives.”

Leopold’s lips twitched slightly at Ariel’s earnest expression.

‘If you’re wondering why I’m rejecting you…. It was because I was afraid of what would come next.’

It was not because I disliked it.

A gentle smile appeared on Leopold’s lips, although it was close to expressionless.

“I promise.”

Though it was a non-binding verbal contract, it became a good excuse for Ariel to escape from reality.

As soon as his words fell, Ariel wrapped her arms around Leopold’s neck as if she had been waiting for him, swallowing his red lips.

“Haa….”

As his words fell on her ears, Ariel, driven by her instincts, surrendered her body to him, wrapping her white legs around his waist, unwilling to allow even the slightest gap.