Chapter 1 – 【 The Princess’s Preference 】 (Part 7)

[Please use it carefully.

– With love and affection, Charlotte Mowbray]

A small packet of medicine fell out when she shook the envelope. It was the aphrodisiac she had asked Charlotte for. The letter detailed its usage and dosage meticulously. Even though no one was in the room, she was too scared to sit down and read the letter, standing in a corner instead. Although she had consummated the marriage, she hadn’t achieved her goal.

Why did Cedric ej*culate outside? 

She wondered if it was because he didn’t want a child with a wife he was planning to abandon soon. That hurt more than the lack of gentle kisses or tender caresses during their wedding night.

Why did he even do it if this was how it would end?

If they were going to divorce anyway, why did he get so angry about her setting up another household? Either way, if they divorced, they would be living separately.

Perhaps Cedric is also regretting his actions, thinking similarly. That’s why he hasn’t shown his face for three days. Just like the first night when she was neglected, her nose ached with bitterness.

However, a sense of defiance arose within her. How could she live with the humiliation of being skewered by his club-like c**k on a table, not even a bed, and then getting divorced?

Yuria read and reread the instructions for the aphrodisiac. Just thinking about their wedding night made her lower region, which she usually didn’t even feel, throb. She was probably frustrated from all the effort with no results.

“The stronger the flavor of the drink, the less likely it is to be detected.”

Yuria carefully read the instructions again, thinking about what beverages Cedric liked to drink. She wasn’t sure about drinks, but he seemed to drink alcohol occasionally.

“How do I get him to drink alcohol with the aphrodisiac in it?”

She wondered if she should invite him for a drink and if he would come if she did. Feeling hopeless, she sighed. When she had asked for the aphrodisiac, she had been desperate and hadn’t thought it through. Now that she had it, she couldn’t think of a way to get him to take it.

She could almost hear her brother’s voice telling her to think things through before acting. He often nagged her to learn from Cristal, to the point it was ingrained in her ears. She used to grumble about it, but now she realized he wasn’t wrong.

Cristal was different from her. If it were Cristal, she would have planned how to secretly administer the aphrodisiac from the moment she decided to get it. No, Cristal probably wouldn’t have needed an aphrodisiac in the first place.

Even if Cedric were like a priest who vowed celibacy, he wouldn’t be able to resist someone as beautiful as Cristal. Even if he could, Cristal was wise enough to find a solution somehow.

At the very least, Cristal wouldn’t be acting like a fool, worrying about getting divorced for cheating. A fool who didn’t know how to get Cedric to take the aphrodisiac or how to get him back into bed. That was exactly who Yuria was.

She wanted a drink. Yuria rang the bell and ordered the strongest liquor. She didn’t usually enjoy strong alcohol, but she needed it for her current mood.

“Leave it here.”

She spoke without turning around at the sound of the door opening, expecting a compliant “Yes,” but instead, she heard an unexpected voice.

“Drinking in the middle of the day?”

“You’re one to talk, in broad daylight…”

She wondered if she should ask why he was in her room in the middle of the day, or why he was dressed like that in the middle of the day.

She was at a loss for words. In the bright afternoon, Cedric, fresh out of the bath and dressed in just a robe, was fiddling with a bottle of liquor in her bedroom.

Cedric coming to see her in the middle of the day. Him being in a robe. Everything about this moment felt unfamiliar. Yuria hesitated, unsure of what to say first, while Cedric leisurely poured himself a drink as if it were his own room.

“Are you going to work?”

After considering various questions, Yuria finally blurted out the first one that came to mind.

“No, I just finished work and came out after washing up. I heard the Princess was drinking in the middle of the day, so I came to see.”

For such a trivial reason?

“I wondered what could make you want to drink while reading a letter from Lady Mowbray.”

So he hadn’t come to drink with her after all. His subtly mocking tone oddly reassured Yuria. His suspicion of her infidelity meant he hadn’t given up on her.

“It’s just a letter asking how I’ve been. I just wanted to drink…”

As she answered without meeting his eyes, as usual, the crinkling of the packet in her hand made her stop mid-sentence. She had completely forgotten what she had been reading due to Cedric’s sudden appearance and his unexpected attire.

What if he discovered it? 

The letter detailed not only the instructions for the aphrodisiac but also the fact that she had requested it from Charlotte, leaving no room for excuses.

Charlotte would be punished for distributing illegal substances, and Yuria would likely face divorce. If the reason for divorce included possession of an aphrodisiac, she would be too ashamed to show her face. Yuria swallowed a scream and threw the letter into the fireplace.

“…It must have been something very important. Something I absolutely shouldn’t see.”

“That’s not it. I’ve already read it, so I’m just burning it. There’s no need to keep it.”

Spouting a ridiculous excuse, she glanced at the fireplace, but unfortunately, it was daytime, and the fire had gone out. The letter wasn’t burning, and her mouth felt dry.

“Of course not. If it’s a letter from Lady Mowbray, the content is obvious.”

As Cedric approached with his drink in hand, the letter finally began to singe at the edges. The thick packet was, of course, taking its time to burn.

“She probably wrote about finding some fresh guys and suggested going fishing. Men aren’t fish, but she talks about them being fresh and going fishing. If the late Lady Mowbray heard that, she’d turn in her grave.”

Luckily, Cedric didn’t seem too interested in the letter. He didn’t even look at the fireplace and handed Yuria a drink.

“How did you know that?”

Amid her relief, one thing puzzled her: how did Cedric know the words Charlotte used like a catchphrase? Fresh, going fishing—Charlotte often used fishing metaphors to describe new encounters.

Although she was open-minded, she didn’t use such expressions in front of just anyone. It was a mischievous joke among close friends, so how did Cedric know about it?

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

“Could it be that you and Charlotte…”

Were they involved?

Her mind instantly conjured an image of Charlotte linking arms with Cedric. She didn’t want to suspect Charlotte, but she was an attractive woman, and many men fell for their wives’ friends, so it wasn’t impossible…

“Do you think I’m like you? Scratching an itch by lifting another woman’s skirt?”

Cedric denied it firmly. His disdainful look conveyed his innocence. Yuria wasn’t someone who scratched an itch by unbuttoning another man’s pants either, but that wasn’t the point right now, so she let it go.

“Then how did you know? Did Charlotte tell you? She’s not the type to do that. Did you threaten her…?”

“No. I didn’t need to threaten her for something so trivial.”

“Then did you investigate me?”

Cedric answered with silence. She never imagined he would investigate her. She thought he didn’t care what she did, but it seemed he kept track of where she went and with whom.

Yuria felt as relieved as she did when she was certain that there was nothing between Charlotte and Cedric, though she wasn’t sure why she felt that way.

“…….”

Meanwhile, Cedric suppressed a burst of laughter. The silence that replaced his answer clearly indicated he had investigated the Princess, yet Yuria’s face showed a faint blush. 

Normally, wouldn’t someone be displeased upon learning they were investigated? She must really have a thing for jealous men and now it seems she even likes being investigated. 

He confirmed her preferences in yet another way.