“Hmm. But if I keep at it steadily for a month, wouldn’t that work?”

“…A month? I see you haven’t gotten tired of it yet. When you didn’t wake up to the morning bugle today, I thought you had given up.”

Erica glared at Duke Felix, making him chuckle at the sight.

“Just joking, just joking.”

“How much physical training do I need to do? I should be learning swordsmanship, but I haven’t even held a sword yet.”

“…My, didn’t I tell you? With those delicate wrists, you should be holding something else instead of a sword.”

“I can hold a sword just fine, you know?”

“Build up your strength first.”

“Hmph.”

Duke Felix’s explicit advances continued, but Erica didn’t mind. Of course, if another man had made such s*xual jokes while flirting with her, she would have been upset. But why? 

She wasn’t angry with Duke Felix.

She enjoyed being able to have such conversations with him, and above all, she could tell from their dialogue that Duke Felix was seriously considering making her a knight.

Erica was cradled in Duke Felix’s arms like a princess. From a distance, Crown Prince Dicon called out to him.

“Kai!”

“…Your Highness.”

Duke Felix, carrying Erica who had collapsed from wine, nodded slightly. It was extremely rude behavior, but the two were close friends. As other nobles whispered among themselves, Crown Prince Dicon whispered to Duke Felix.

“Since you have a partner, stay at the palace tonight. I want to drink with you after so long…”

Crown Prince Dicon occasionally used drinking sessions to consult with Duke Felix, his only friend. Duke Felix wanted to take Erica to his residence immediately, but reluctantly nodded.

He carried her through the wide corridor and laid Erica on the bed in the palace guest room. However, to drink, he would have to leave Erica here and go to the Crown Prince’s palace. That made him somewhat anxious.

“Hmm…”

“What’s wrong? Afraid someone might steal your partner?”

When Crown Prince Dicon teased him lightly, Duke Felix nodded with a serious face.

“…Let’s drink here.”

When alone, they spoke casually to each other.

“What? Not going to the Crown Prince’s palace?”

The Crown Prince’s concerns were not trivial. While the tight-lipped Duke Felix might be trusted, it could be disastrous if a one-night partner who wasn’t even a duchess overheard.

“Moreover, isn’t Count Mills aligned with Duke Cox’s nobility faction? I was honestly surprised. That you brought Count Mills’ daughter as your partner. No matter how beautiful she might be, it’s my principle not to touch a flower surrounded by thorns, so why did you…”

“Just remove such thorns and that’s it. Without such courage, how could one possess a beauty?”

“Ha. You’re really insufferable.”

Crown Prince Dicon shrugged his shoulders. The fact that Duke Felix, who had never seriously dated any woman, was so concerned about a woman made him think Erica Mills must be an important figure to him. 

Crown Prince Dicon had a maid set up drinks and snacks on the guest room table. Once the alcohol flowed, Crown Prince Dicon opened up.

“Actually, I’m under pressure to marry… There will soon be a party to find a Crown Princess.”

“I see.”

“…What’s with that? You received your duke title without marrying, but I’ll be driven out if I don’t marry.”

“Who would drive out the Crown Prince? That’s nonsense.”

“Who else? Duke Cox. Duke Cox is backing Prince Josh, born of a concubine, instead of me. Josh married as soon as he became an adult and already has two children. He keeps using that to attack me for being unmarried.”

“…Everyone knows Prince Josh is a womanizer.”

“Well, he’s touched every lady-in-waiting and maid. I don’t know how many illegitimate children he has that haven’t been revealed to the world. If Josh becomes Emperor, even noble women won’t be safe. No, knowing him, he might even touch married women. Duke Cox is surely trying to fill the world with that guy’s illegitimate children.”

“Trying to establish such a man as Emperor, Duke Cox is clearly insane.”

“Anyway, because of that madman, I need to hurry with marriage.”

“…Then just get married. What’s the problem?”

At Duke Felix’s words, Crown Prince Dicon flared up.

“Is it that simple…! The woman by my side will become Empress, and I can’t just put anyone in that position!”

“Well, did Prince Josh find a good woman?”

“Being Duke Cox’s daughter, she’s guaranteed power, wealth, and safety.”

For a moment, silence enveloped the table. Only Erica’s faint snoring revealed her presence. Crown Prince Dicon took another long drink of wine.

“…With me being the Crown Prince, what can Duke Cox do? But finding a woman to become Empress is truly difficult. Kai, what’s your relationship with Erica Mills? Have you gone all the way?”

“Well… somewhat.”

When Duke Felix answered ambiguously, Crown Prince Dicon’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh… What’s this? Wasn’t your ideal type originally Emma?”

“I’m not so obsessed with women that I’d touch the Prince’s consort. Besides, ideal types change frequently.”

“Hmm? Is that so… Well, Emma was so pretty and elegant that most noble men were after her, but Erica Mills is a completely different type. She’s also the first woman you’ve brought as a partner… You’re not thinking of breaking off your engagement with the Marquis’s daughter because of Erica Mills, are you?”

“…Of course not.”

Crown Prince Dicon kept giving him suspicious glances. Duke Felix downed his wine in one shot, then filled Crown Prince Dicon’s glass to the brim.

Everyone knew about the relationship between Sienna Harper and Otis Cox. So if he sent a letter breaking off the engagement, everyone would understand.

“If you’re maintaining the engagement because of me…”

“I’m tired, let’s end this drinking session.”

Duke Felix pushed Crown Prince Dicon’s back, forcing him out before he could continue. With a “Hey,” Crown Prince Dicon went outside, and Duke Felix slammed the door shut.

Crown Prince Dicon lacked the power to confront Duke Cox. So it wasn’t bad for him, who supported Dicon, to remain engaged to Marquis Harper’s only spoiled daughter. If that could draw Marquis Harper to their side.

‘The engagement doesn’t matter. I’ll marry someone else anyway…’

Duke Felix’s eyes gazed at Erica who was sleeping sprawled out on the bed. Crown Prince Dicon thought his ideal type was Emma, but he was wrong.

It was when both his parents were still alive. Duke Felix, who was tall enough to be mistaken for an adult despite being only 13, attended Count Mills’ party by chance, and there he fell in love for the first time with a girl.

With slightly curly blonde hair and emerald eyes, the 10-year-old girl captured the hearts of all the boys present with just her smile. Even Otis, the young Marquis who was her fiancé, couldn’t take his eyes off Erica.

As it was an engagement announcement party, everyone clapped and congratulated them.

[Erica Mills! Congratulations.]

[Wow, you two really match well!]

He also thought they were a well-matched couple, but he couldn’t hide the emotion boiling inside him. The girl he had given his heart to for the first time already had an owner.

Kai circled around Erica without saying a word. Erica was so small and delicate that he thought she might get scared and avoid him if she saw him. He hated Otis, who monopolized Erica’s gaze and smiles. He was angry because they looked good together.

‘I am also a young lord…’

The Felix ducal family had traditionally lacked ambition and didn’t participate in politics. So they had less power and wealth than the Cox ducal family, but they had the Emperor’s deep trust. Kai Felix, who had been satisfied with that, tasted bitter defeat for the first time that day.

At 14, Kai suddenly lost his parents on the battlefield and couldn’t share his inner feelings with anyone.

Even when he had his first wet dream, the butler took care of him.

[What’s happening to my body?]

[This is not strange. It happens to all men, Duke Felix.]

[Did the butler experience it too?]

[Of course.]

Kai, who was sexually innocent despite frequently going to war in place of his parents, took quite some time to earn the nickname “monster” from his enemies. Monster, not bad. It was much better to instill fear than to be underestimated for being young.

Even after becoming an adult, his first love, Erica Mills, never left his mind. He had thought, ‘Is there another way to possess Erica Mills?’

If he brought Duke Cox down, his son Otis would lose power too. Then wouldn’t Erica Mills become his?

But Erica Mills seemed to love Otis. The rumors he heard only said that Erica had a crush on Otis. Though he thought he should give up, he infiltrated his right-hand man Hali into the Mills mansion.

He disguised it as monitoring Count Mills, but in reality, it was to keep an eye on Erica.

Hali’s reports came once a week and were generally similar.

<Count Mills mentioned the engagement again while hunting with Duke Cox. Miss Mills attended parties of lower nobility but complained about not meeting Young Lord Otis often.

In fact, the two don’t seem to meet much unless it’s Miss Mills’ birthday. Duke Cox seems to be blocking their relationship, and from his attitude, it doesn’t seem like he intends to take the engagement to marriage.

Wouldn’t it be good to inform Count Mills of this fact and draw him to our side?>

If only Count Mills could be drawn to their side, Erica could also become his. It was a very sweet temptation, but Duke Felix replied:

<No. Let’s observe for now.>

Then one day, when Erica herself requested a private meeting through Hali, he let her stay at his mansion despite his suspicions. Whatever she was thinking, this was his last chance.

A chance to possess Erica.

He had planned to wait for her heart to come to him slowly, but when he saw Erica talking with Otis at the palace party, his blood boiled. 

Remembering the day of their engagement announcement, he thought he couldn’t wait for her any longer.