There was a slightly chilly breeze, but it was a pleasant late autumn day with warm sunlight.

Until Richard informed him of any news about Ariel, Leopold had been somewhat impatient when she left without a word.

But it didn’t matter now. They would meet again.

As Leopold exited, an imperial carriage appeared. It was a golden, gilded carriage.

Leopold silently boarded the carriage. After ensuring the Emperor’s safety, Richard followed, boarding the silver-gilded imperial carriage.

The carriage soon set off, but it didn’t sway at all. This was due to the magic cast by the imperial magicians.

Inside the quiet carriage, Leopold fell deep into contemplation.

‘The fact that a woman who spent the first night with the emperor ran away so irresponsibly… Should I take it as a sign that she didn’t like me? If that’s the case, then there’s no chance she would be swayed by whatever words I used to seduce her. Haa… What should I do? If she wouldn’t agree with my proposal, it seems she’s not the kind of person who will follow me obediently.’

Leopold let out a sigh. His long eyelashes trembled.

‘In that case, I should tie her by my side as a pretext for taking away the emperor’s virginity.’

It was impossible for the Emperor’s pride to do such a thing, but there was nothing more important than her. No matter how much his own pride was at stake.

***

Ariel rushed out in a hurry and immediately ran into Marquis Louis as she entered the entrance.

“Are you coming in now?”

“Ah… yes. That’s how it turned out.”

“You can’t attend the palace party without a knight. But I was so worried about you disappearing without saying anything last night.”

He looked like he hadn’t slept a wink, worrying about his daughter.

“I fulfilled my purpose of attending the party. That’s all. You look very tired. You can rest easy now.”

Ariel quickly finished the conversation and left. She couldn’t focus on the conversation because what happened last night with Leopold was stuck in her mind.

Ariel returned to her room on the second floor and threw off her dress as though she were shedding skin.

She also took off the corset and chemise, which made her body feel constricted.

Then she took out her indoor clothes from the closet and changed into them before immediately lying down on the bed.

Perhaps because she was relieved, or maybe because of a hangover, Ariel grimaced from a severe headache.

‘Just a little sleep, just a little bit.’

The autumn sunlight poured silently through the half-closed curtains.

It was enough to make someone who hadn’t slept properly at night feel lethargic.

Ariel fell into a deep sleep.

It was the first time she had slept so deeply after returning from Kolnman.

How much time had passed…

Knock, knock.

“Miss?”

Even though she was very sleepy, Ariel’s ears caught May’s voice calling her from outside the door.

Despite her efforts to open her eyes forcefully, she couldn’t overcome the weight of her eyelids.

May called Ariel again from outside the door.

Even with her ear pressed against the door, she couldn’t hear her mistress’s response.

This was because Ariel was still in a drowsy state, mumbling as she answered.

The frustrated May burst into the room.

She immediately approached the bed and shook Ariel, who was completely covered with the blanket.

“Miss.”

But Ariel couldn’t get up at all. Her head felt like it was going to split due to the hangover. Her damp body felt sore as if it had been beaten from muscle pain.

It was a pain she hadn’t felt in the early morning due to her confusion.

‘Stop shaking, May. My head is spinning.’

Ariel, who had no strength to reply, could only curse May silently.

She rested her forehead in her hands and closed her eyes, reflecting on why her body was in such pain.

Last night, Leopold patiently waited for her to be ready. He treated her very carefully, as if handling a baby.

He laid her down, positioned in the center, and held onto the bed with both hands.

A strange smile appeared in his eyes as he looked down at her, and his lips gently touched Ariel’s delicate flesh like the petals of a flower.

She moaned, trying to make a face at the newfound pleasure.

As his gentle lips traveled along her spine, an intense pleasure washed over her. Her large eyes closed slowly, making her white skin shiver.

He took advantage of this moment and wrapped his strong arms and thighs around her body.

It wasn’t frustrating. On the contrary, she felt thirsty.

Ariel’s instincts took over, and she clawed at Leopold’s back.

With her half-closed eyes, she noticed her own reflection in his red pupils and felt embarrassed, turning her head away.

Her cheeks, already flushed with desire, turned even redder.

Ariel, guided by Leopold’s hand, turned her head back and saw his face.

His eyes were damp.

She wondered what emotion was hidden in them, but at that moment, he nibbled on the tip of her nose, and the two of them became immersed in the rising pleasure once again.

‘Ah, maybe it’s natural that my body isn’t normal.’

Ariel finished reminiscing and lowered her hand from her forehead to wash her face.

May, who had been waiting for her to wake up, became anxious.

She had something urgent to tell her, but Ariel didn’t even blink.

“Miss, please wake up.”

In a desperate voice, Ariel finally opened her sleepy eyes and looked at May.

“Why…”

Her voice was cracked, like a straw on rice paddies, creating a metallic sound.

“This is not the time to sleep! His Majesty has arrived.”

“His Majesty?”

Her narrow eyes widened in an instant.

May nodded her head as she saw her reaction.

“Yes. His Majesty the Emperor has come looking for you, Miss.”

May’s voice was filled with a sigh.

Ariel jumped up from the bed in surprise.

“Leopold…Diaz…?”

Ariel muttered, looking blankly at the empty air.

She clearly asked him to forget about what happened that day. He promised to bury them.

But he came searching right after the sun came up.

‘Unbelievable.’

Ariel pursed her lips and frowned.

“Yes. Emperor Leopold Diaz has arrived. He’s been waiting for a long time, Miss. Let’s hurry and get dressed.”

May leaned against the bed and pulled Ariel’s arm, making her sit in front of the dressing table.

Ariel let out a small groan at the pain radiating from her waist and legs.

Not hearing it, May smiled broadly.

Last night, May had come to Ariel’s room before going to sleep. She had expected Ariel to return early from the ceremony, and she wanted to check on her.

But the room was empty, and that only meant one thing.

“Seeing that you came home this morning, it seems like you met a compatible person yesterday. Am I right?”

“…….”

“How was it? It’s been a while since you attended a social gathering.”

May maintained a faint smile as she applied makeup to Ariel’s face. She thought it was fortunate that Miss was gradually recovering her daily life.

Ariel didn’t respond in any way to May’s murmuring. She just tightly held back the words that reached her throat.

‘May, don’t you know, even after His Majesty the Emperor came to see me today? That compatible person is Emperor Leopold, the person who might kill me.’

Ariel let out a small sigh and offered his face to May.

May, who was brushing her face, heard the sound and flinched.

“I got excited to see you participating in social activities after a long time… I’m sorry.”

“May, I’m telling you because you seem to misunderstand, but I’m not sighing because of you. I can’t avoid it forever, so I have to face it even though it’s difficult, and that’s why I keep sighing.”

May felt relieved when she heard the words that it wasn’t because of her.

May’s hand moved busily over Ariel’s face.

Ariel stared blankly at the mirror hanging in front of her.

The reality of not being able to live as a swordmaster because all her mana had been taken away and being forced to live as a noble lady. And the fact that she had to face Leopold immediately, weighed heavily on her.

She couldn’t guess why he had come all the way here if they’d already agreed to bury yesterday’s incident.

If he’d come to welcome her as his mistress, as in the original…. she had intended to clearly express her refusal.

‘Why are you trying to take responsibility for the decisions and actions I’ve made?’

When Ariel’s thoughts reached that point, she coldly stared at her own reflection in the mirror.

In the mirror, May’s image was reflected, tying Ariel’s hair.

She held about half of her shimmering blond hair in her hands and tied it with a white lace ribbon.

May’s touch as she stroked the ribbon to make it look full seemed affectionate, but her gaze was directed towards her mistress.

As someone who didn’t know what happened between her and Leopold, she could only understand her owner’s words as meaning that Ariel was having difficulty facing the reality that her mana had been sealed and that she was forced to return to Atlan.

She had to meet the emperor soon, but May sensed that Ariel was not in a good mood and changed the subject.

“Why did His Imperial Majesty come? Even the Marquis didn’t seem to know the reason.”

After finishing her words, May headed towards the wardrobe to take out a dress.

Because she doesn’t understand the situation, the change of subject happened poorly. Fortunately, May didn’t notice that her question further provoked Ariel’s anger.

“So why did he come at all?”

Ariel replied dismissively as she turned away.