As she listened to the voices filling the room, Elliope realised that Kallian had not come alone.

“Your Excellency, please have mercy!”

She heard the clanking of the knights’ armour as they moved.

Now and then she recognised familiar voices – such as Baron Taleon, her chief attendant, and the treasurer who had taught her the duties of a duchess.

The waiting room had become a scene of chaos, filled with the cries of nearly a dozen people.

The air was stiflingly warm.

As the relentless noise continued, her body trembled.

At that moment, a hand gently covered her ear under the cloak that was wrapped around her.

“My lady, you don’t need to listen to this.”

“…….”

“I will take you somewhere safe soon…”

Kallian said as he started to move.

“Kallian Icerick!”

Theodor spat out his name as if it were venom.

The moment he called out the last name Kallian had carried as a bastard – a name no one used anymore – someone nearby gasped sharply and sucked in their breath.

Another person hiccupped immediately afterwards. Everyone in the room knew what a serious insult that name was.

“If you walk out of here like this…”

A grinding sound echoed as Theodor clenched his teeth. He spat out his next words with barely contained anger.

“I will have you court-martialled.”

“…….”

A short silence followed.

Kallian did not answer.

Then, as the others finally realised the gravity of the situation, a chorus of panicked voices erupted.

“Your Excellency!”

“Your Grace, please reconsider!”

“You must not do this!”

“Your Excellency, you are far too intoxicated…!”

A series of desperate voices followed, but Theodor seemed completely unwilling to listen.

“No. I am perfectly sane. Completely in my right mind. Do you understand me?”

“Your Excellency, please calm down -“

“Shut up!”

Clang!

“Agh!”

There was another sound of something breaking.

It seemed that whatever Theodor had thrown had struck someone, for a cry of pain followed immediately.

But he showed no sign of remorse and continued to speak, his voice filled with unrelenting anger.

“I won’t just let you stand trial. No, I won’t let the people of the Grand Duchy take your side and hand down some meaningless, trivial punishment.”

Through clenched teeth, Theodor spoke quickly, his voice filled with rage.

“I will have you tried by the Imperial Court Military Tribunal – not for some minor offence, but for daring to go to Nahir without my orders, despite my authority as Grand Duke, and for harming a foreign Crown Prince.”

“I never ordered you to go there.”

“Your Excellency!”

“Shut up! All of you, get out!”

Crash!

The sound of something breaking once again echoed through the room.

Only then did Elliope remember – Theodor had drunk far more of that wine than she had.

Even a single sip had set her body on fire and made her blood boil, so rational thought was probably out of the question for Theodor, who had drunk far more.

“Just wait. I’ll make sure…”

“Do what you want.”

The one who threw a stone into the already volatile atmosphere was none other than Kallian.

Still holding Elliope in his arms, he spoke in a detached, emotionless voice, as if completely unaffected by the chaos around him.

“In any case, His Grace the Grand Duke of Ilmos is my master and superior.”

“You…!”

“If that is Your Excellency’s wish, then I will obey.”

Though Kallian spoke of obedience, his tone carried an unmistakable air of condescension – almost as if he were the one granting Theodor a favour.

There was even a subtle challenge in his words, as if daring Theodor to carry out his threat.

And in reality, attempting to hand Kallian – not just anyone, but him – over to the Imperial Military Tribunal, rather than the Grand Duchy’s own courts, would be no easy feat. The opposition Theodor would face would be overwhelming.

Some of the vassals present, having witnessed all that had transpired, were already looking at Theodor with expressions of utter disgust.

“You worthless scum!”

Sensing the thinly veiled defiance in the room, Theodor exploded in anger.

“You’ve always looked down on me! You think I’m a fool! But I am the rightful ruler of Ilmos!”

“Your Excellency!”

“Hand over the woman now! Leave the Imperial Princess, Kallian Icerick.”

Theodor showed no signs of calming down. His anger only escalated.

Sensing that the situation was becoming dangerous, several voices called out to Kallian.

“Just go for now, Viscount Elsen!”

“My lord, we will deal with the aftermath – please, hurry!”

It seemed that some knights had stepped in to block Theodor’s path.

Kallian said nothing. Without a word, he just started walking, still holding Elliope tightly in his arms.

A thud.

Soon the door slammed behind him.

The angry shouting and chaotic noise faded to a distant murmur.

When the late arriving servants and maids met Kallian’s gaze, they quickly averted their eyes as if burned by fire and hurried back to the waiting room.

The Grand Duke’s residence soon became a noisy place.

No matter who passed by, Kallian remained silent, his pace steady.

He walked so fast that the cold wind seeped through the cloak Elliope was wearing.

“Ah.”

She let out a faint sound at the chill, hoping it would help cool the unbearable heat surging through her body.

However, it seemed that a mere breeze was far from enough to quench the fire raging inside her.

“Haa.”

As Elliope exhaled a hot breath, the cloak covering her shifted slightly.

And at that moment, she met Kallian’s gaze – no longer cold or indifferent, but filled with smouldering heat as he looked down at her.

It was as if his anger towards her had never existed.

“My lady.”

“…….”

“Just hold on a little longer.”

As Kallian spoke, he pulled Elliope’s shoulders closer, wrapping her more tightly in his embrace.

Even that small act made the fire inside her unbearable.

Between her legs, deep in that most vulnerable part of her, an unbearable itch tormented her.

She wanted Kallian to reach out and soothe it, to scratch away the maddening sensation.

It felt as if her mind was slowly melting away, one thought at a time.

Was it like this in my past life?

Had she felt like this when she drank the wine spiked with an *phrodisiac in her previous life?

She couldn’t remember.

The only thing she knew for sure was that Kallian had been there, by her side.

Unconsciously, Elliope murmured,

“Please… hold me.”

“……”

“Like you did then… take me…”

Just as he had once been the one to teach her what sin was, she wanted Kallian to be the one to quench this relentless thirst.

She desperately tried to scratch the insane itch that was consuming her entire body – an unbearable heat that she couldn’t escape, as if it was trying to tear her apart from the inside.

It felt as if tiny insects were crawling under her skin, an unbearable sensation that tormented her. Her body felt swollen in several places, as if it were inflamed.

Even the tips of her fingers and toes and the hardened, flushed ridges of her br*asts ached with a stinging, tingling sensation that wouldn’t go away.

“P-please… hurry….”

“Ha.”

As she pressed her body against Kallian’s chest, he let out a short sigh, his teeth grinding audibly in restraint.

Elliope rubbed her lips against his chin and neck again, then pressed down, leaving heated kisses wherever she could reach.

“Honey…”

Her movements were clumsy and rough, but to Kallian they seemed more than enough to overwhelm him.

“What in the world…”

“…….”

“If I take my eyes off you for a moment…”

The moment those words left his lips, Elliope whimpered without realising it.

“Then don’t look away.”

“…….”

“From the beginning… you told me to take you with me wherever I go.”

Then why… why do you keep leaving me behind?

Before she could finish, Kallian suddenly pressed his lips to hers, silencing her words with an urgent kiss.

From their pressed bodies, Elliope could feel Kallian’s heart pounding violently, as if it were trying to break free from his chest.

The force of that heartbeat was so intense that it felt as if it could shake her own body as well.

Soon the trembling spread to her own heart.

As her lips parted and a warm, solid mass pushed in and clung to her, her heartbeat increased to a frantic, uncontrollable pace – like a wild horse galloping at full speed.

The rapid, violent pounding made it feel as if her fragile ribs would shatter, her heart bursting with a rush of blood.

“Mmh….”

As Kallian began to pull away, Elliope instinctively followed, tilting her head as if chasing his lips to continue the kiss.

In response, Kallian lightly bit her tongue, a small sigh escaping his deep, lowered voice.

“…That’s right.”

“…….”

“It’s my fault, my lady.”

It was only when Elliope saw the blood smeared across Kallian’s lips that she realised she had bitten the inside of her mouth earlier, hard enough to draw blood.

It was a miracle the flesh inside wasn’t torn to shreds.

Kallian gently wiped the blood from her lips with his fingers.

In an instant, the corner of his mouth looked as if someone had pressed a thick layer of lipstick against it and smeared it over his lips.

Despite everything, Kallian’s expression was one of pain and anguish.

“It’s my fault.”

He whispered again.

The sight of his face made the unbearable itch between her legs flare up again.

Only now did she notice the metallic taste in her mouth, but it didn’t matter.

“I understand, so please, do more.”

“…….”

“Please. It itches too much….”

As her fingertips trembled slightly, Kallian suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.

A few knights rushed past them, rushing outside as if there had been an emergency at the Grand Duke’s residence.

Watching the scene, Kallian glanced around to make sure no one else was present, before suddenly kicking something nearby.

“Ah.”

Only then did Elliope realise where they were.

They had entered Theodor’s private study – not far from the corridor where they had last shared a kiss.

Seeing the room filled with Theodor’s belongings made Elliope frown in irritation.

In the study, the lingering scent of Theodor’s personal perfume mingled with the familiar rose scent Charlotte often used.

On closer inspection, Charlotte’s favourite perfume even sat by the window.

Disgust twisted Elliope’s expression and her forehead instinctively furrowed.

Kallian watched her reaction in silence before locking the study door firmly.

Even if someone came, it wouldn’t be easy to open, although it was unlikely that anyone would disturb her for the time being.

Theodor would undoubtedly be taken away by his personal physician, made to inhale the strong scent of sedative herbs and then sent to his bedroom – as had often happened in her past life when he lost control.

Without hesitation, Kallian approached the desk in the study and carelessly swept everything off its surface.

But as Theodor was never the kind of man to sit and read in his study, there was little of value on the desk – only empty bottles and half-smoked cigars that rolled and fell to the floor.

Kallian spread his cloak over the empty desk and then laid Elliope on it.

Elliope winced as the deep scent of roses filled the air.

“This is actually better.”

“…….”

“Because I’m going to cover it with another scent.”

What scent…?

Before she could even ask, Kallian quickly untied the ribbon at the front of her dress.

The fabric loosened and her gathered br*asts spilled out as the bodice fell open.