Chapter 35

Lexion traced the line of his muscles with Adelina’s fingertips. As her fingers passed over his navel, Adelina was startled and looked up at Lexion’s face.

‘Dangerous! If it keeps going down like this… what if my brain cells melt away!’

Adelina’s brain cells seemed to be excited, and her mind was pounding. Her heart was beating so loudly and quickly that it hurt. She already had a headache, and her temples throbbed.

“Watch and touch carefully. So you can answer if asked.”

Lexion lowered his eyes and slightly raised the corners of his mouth. He gently pressed Adelina’s hands, making her palms fully touch his body. The thrill made him swallow a short moan without her noticing.

“The scars…”

Adelina felt the bumpy lines with her palm and momentarily clenched her hand. Although the scars had healed long ago, their traces stood out brightly.

“These are scars from when I was thirteen. There haven’t been any since I turned twenty.”

“It must have… hurt a lot.”

Adelina carefully touched the scars on Lexion’s abs with her fingertips.

‘How could someone do this to a thirteen-year-old!’

She looked up at Lexion’s face. His skin was clean without a single scar. Others would never imagine that his body bore so many scars.

“This one… is quite large.”

Adelina traced the largest scar on Lexion’s back with her finger as if to console him. Lexion flinched unknowingly. No one had ever touched his scars so tenderly. He turned around and hugged Adelina tightly.

“These are special gifts from His Majesty the Emperor and Duke Austin.”

When Lexion was taken as a hostage at thirteen, Emperor Grain granted him the honor of learning swordsmanship from the Imperial Knights. Since that day, his shirt was stained red daily.

‘How… could someone live such a life…’

Adelina’s nose tingled as if the scars had been passed onto her.

“Lexion… I’ll apply some ointment.”

Releasing Lexion’s arms, Adelina ran to the bookshelf and took out an ointment hidden behind a book. It was secretly provided by Stephan.

‘Ointment?’

Lexion allowed Adelina to apply the ointment to his body. He already knew. No matter how much ointment was applied, these scars would not fade even a little.

‘It… tickles quite a bit.’

Lexion, feeling Adelina apply the ointment with his eyes closed, suddenly pulled her hand, laying her on the bed.

“Gasp!”

“Shh… I’ll leave a mark. So no other man can covet you.”

He whispered seductively in her ear while covering her mouth with his hand. He liked how her golden eyes widened significantly. Lexion slightly removed his hand from Adelina’s mouth.

“You! Beast…”

Before Adelina could finish her sentence, he captured her lips. He intertwined their breaths deeply and intensely, ensuring that for the next month, she would never forget him, blushing every day at the thought of this kiss.

“Ah!”

He left deep marks on Adelina’s neck and shoulders. So that every time she saw those marks, she would think of him. So that no other man would dare to leave marks on her.

+++

The next day, Adelina went out to Emerald Street to buy gifts for Lexion and Stephan. Lexion and Stephan were scheduled to depart for the rebel region tomorrow, so they had gone to the palace for a meeting today as well.

‘With this amount of ointment, it should last for a month.’

Adelina deliberately bought ointment made by a pharmaceutical company that even commoners used. The effect might be slightly less, but it would be safer than ointment specially tailored under the name of the Duke or the Marquis.

‘I should be… okay, right?’

Adelina turned around and looked at the escort knights and maids following her. They were people personally selected and sent by the Emperor. She would have to spend a month with only these people.

“Hey! You sly fox with a pretty face! You seduced him with your body, didn’t you! In Ernst, there are only harlots like you!”

Just as Adelina was about to feel lonely, a sharp voice of a woman shouted from behind.

Adelina turned her head toward the source of the voice.

“Girls. Bring her here.”

Adelina commanded the maids in a calm voice.

“What else can a fake do but seduce with her body?”

“Shameless. As a woman, it’s so embarrassing.”

“Being a fake with unknown origins, she must have no shame.”

The woman who shouted and her group laughed and whispered about Adelina. Their voices were so loud that passersby glanced at them and then back at Adelina.

“Miss. Let’s just go. They are ladies favored by the Princess.”

‘Ha. Look at this…’

Adelina looked down haughtily at the maid who ignored her command and instead acted like she was in charge.

“Oh? So? Are you disobeying my command now? The command of a Marquis’s daughter of this empire?”

“No, Miss.”

“Then. Go and bring her here.”

Adelina watched as the maids reluctantly moved and crossed her arms.

‘These people. Do they think I’m easy because I stay quiet? Do they think I’m really kind because I look kind?’

She met many of this kind in her past life. She suffered a lot because of her gentle-looking face in her past life too.

‘Today, I’ll show them my true nature!’

Avoiding dirt because it’s dirty? Sometimes you have to throw that dirt at those who threaten you.

“Lower your eyes.”

Adelina coldly rebuked the Baroness’s daughter, who kept her head stiffly raised despite being held by the maids.

“Ridiculous. A commoner-born harlot.”

Perhaps not expecting this, the Baroness’s daughter flinched. But relying on the strength of her group, she came out even stronger.

‘So that’s how it is…’

Adelina took off her high heels and held them in both hands.

“Lower your eyes before I pierce your face with this heel.”

“You! You! Barbarian!”

The young ladies, who had never heard such rude remarks in their lives, turned pale.

“Girls, hold her tight!”

Adelina raised her high heel high and swung her arm toward the Baroness’s daughter’s face.

“I’m sorry!”

The Baroness’s daughter collapsed onto the ground, shouting. Her group also shrieked and covered their mouths with both hands.

“Didn’t I tell you to hold her tight!”

Adelina pretended to suppress her anger, her hands trembling. The high heel in her hand trembled in front of the Baroness’s daughter’s nose.

“I’m sorry, Marquis’daughter.”

The Baroness’s daughter lay even lower on the ground. She really believed this barbaric Adelina would drive that high heel into her face.

“What are you sorry for?”

Now that reason had returned, Adelina’s voice was calm.

“I dared to be rude to you, a daughter of a Marquis. I’m sorry.”

“Anything else?”

“And…”

The Baroness’s daughter rolled her eyes and turned her head to look at her group. Asking for help. Wondering what else there was.

Adelina sensed that enough people had gathered around and stood even straighter.

“First. You have committed the crime of disturbing the noble hierarchy. How dare a Baron daughter be rude to a daughter of a Marquis family bestowed directly by His Majesty the Emperor? Are you challenging His Majesty’s authority?”

At Adelina’s tremendous statement from above, the Baroness daughter momentarily looked up at her. Adelina, whom she and her group despised, was looking down at her with a noble and arrogant expression.

“What? Miss. No! I never did such a thing.”

The crime of disturbing the noble hierarchy! Daring to overturn the Empire’s social order. A crime as severely punished as treason mentioned by Adelina left the Baroness daughter and her group dazed.

“Furthermore. You called all women of Ernst harlots. His Majesty prioritizes the unity of all Imperial citizens, yet you made remarks that turn all of Ernst into enemies of the Empire. Do you have a problem with His Majesty’s policy? Do you want to make Ernst an enemy?”

“No! I never did such a thing!”

The Baroness daughter shook her head rapidly. She wanted her group to help, but with the word “Emperor” coming out repeatedly, they seemed to have no intention of intervening.

“Unfortunately. As the representative of Ernst, that’s how I felt. I felt ashamed because of your words.”

Adelina spoke in a sorrowful manner, completely opposite to her previous demeanor, placing her hand on her chest.

‘They should be coming out by now, unable to stand this commotion.’

Adelina delayed a bit more until more people gathered and the crowd’s murmurs grew louder. When people began to criticize the Baroness daughter and her group, a young lady in a splendid dress slowly approached Adelina from behind the crowd.

‘Finally, she’s here! The right hand of Princess Isabelle!’

She was the younger sister of Duke Austin. Adelina had been timing her appearance ever since she saw the Duke’s blue carriage parked in front of a nearby shop.

“To meet the Countess in such a place…”

Adelina, still mournful, slightly bowed her waist to greet the Countess and put on her high heels. Sighs of pity emerged from here and there at Adelina’s appearance.

“Adelina, daughter of the Marquis. The Baroness’s daughter was thoughtless. She must be reflecting deeply by now, so please forgive her. I will ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

At the Countess’s words, the Baroness’s daughter and her group flinched but were relieved to be able to end the situation.

“Yes, Countess. You must. Words opposing His Majesty’s will should not come from a noble’s mouth. Additionally, any words belittling Ernst.”

Adelina discarded her mournful demeanor and confidently met the Countess’s gaze.

‘Fools! You’ve only managed to elevate Adelina’s reputation more!’

The Countess’s face briefly showed annoyance at Adelina’s poised and assertive stance.

“I. Will. Teach. Her. Well.”

The Countess, elegant yet sharp-eyed, emphasized each word as she glared at Adelina. Telling her to stop here.

“Yes, Countess. I will trust only you in this matter and will graciously forgive them.”

Adelina nodded slightly to the Countess in greeting and haughtily brushed past the Baroness’s daughter and her group.

‘Oh… I’m going to die of a heart attack!’

Having caused such a stir today, they probably wouldn’t bother her for a while.

‘They like elegance and refinement. These fools can’t make a peep when faced with such brute force.’

It was the same in her past life. As a child, she was always on the receiving end, but once she grew a bit older and stood up to them, even being called a crazy woman, most kids stopped bothering her. Oh! Except for her cousins at her aunt’s house.

‘Having mentioned the crime of disturbing the hierarchy, no young lady lower in rank than me will dare to challenge me.’

The Princess and the Countess remain, but that’s a thought for tomorrow. Right now, her heart is racing too much.

‘I should hurry home, wash my feet, and sleep.’

Adelina’s steps quickened as she became suddenly exhausted.

As Adelina left, the Countess slapped the Baroness’s daughter’s cheek.

“Fool. Never show your face in the capital again.”

The Countess glared at the rest of the group and then left.