“You’re late, aren’t you?”

Elliope murmured subconsciously, her lips still pressed together. 

It almost felt as if she had uttered the man’s own unspoken complaint, but there was nothing she could do about it. 

“You said you’d come right away.” 

When Kallian had left for battle, Elliope had felt no fear – no anxious waiting, no restless nights. Instead, she had been calm, as quiet as a still lake. 

Even when rumours spread that the Empire was on the brink of defeat, and warnings came that if Kallian did not turn the tide, it would mean true disaster, she remained calm. 

Perhaps it was because she had heard so much of Kallian’s plans – she had known from the beginning what was to come.

“Now, I will truly bring you victory.”

Perhaps it was because, as Kallian spoke these words while looking at her, there wasn’t a trace of hesitation or doubt in his gaze.

“Only one step remains.”

Not once did he speak of the possibility of failure. His words carried a force—an undeniable conviction—that made her believe he would succeed, without question.

“I’ll return before it’s too late.”

Just before leaving, Kallian had said this, his lips hovering near the back of Elliope’s hand as if about to kiss it. Then, he vanished into the distance.

For weeks, there was no news.

“Your Grace, honestly. If he’s going to the battlefield, he should at least send a letter so we don’t worry.”

“It will be all right, my lady. He’ll be safe.”

Sien complained more than Elliope about Kallian not sending letters, while Emma, seemingly worried, kept telling her that Kallian would be safe.

However, Elliope didn’t mind. She knew that Kallian would rather cut down one more enemy than pause to write a letter—because to him, every battle won meant a shorter wait before he could return to her.

Her role was to prepare this place for his arrival. So she placed her full trust in him and dedicated herself to her work.

And in the end, he truly returned—not just victorious, but having personally beheaded Crown Prince Seor.

“Oh my, something even the Crown Prince and the Second Prince couldn’t accomplish…”

“Wait a moment. So what happens now?”

“…Lady Elsen is the last remaining heir to the throne.”

“Then, could it be that Lord Elsen and his wife…?”

At the time, the idea of granting the right of succession to an illegitimate princess seemed absurd. However, Elliope was still married to a man of the Empire. 

Though some were disheartened by the Emperor’s decision to remove Princess Leanne, there was a growing public sentiment – better to recognise an illegitimate child than to give the Imperial throne to a foreign king. 

“After all, we are people of the Empire!”

“My home is still my home!” 

The invasion of Seor had instilled a strong sense of Imperial identity in the hearts of the people of the Empire. Despite its relatively short history, it became a turning point for the true unification of the Empire. 

Even the Emperor tacitly recognised Elliope’s right of succession. 

Moreover, her husband, Kallian Elsen, had achieved what many thought impossible – the defeat of Seor, the force that had brought suffering and devastation to the citizens of the Empire. 

Praise for Kallian poured in from all sides. Some called for him to be crowned a hero, while others suggested that he be given the official title of Imperial Consort, thus ensuring that their children would be the rightful heirs to the throne.

But amidst all the chaos… Elliope remained steadfast, waiting only for him to return to her.

“My lady.”

The moment Elliope was in Kallian’s arms, she unconsciously rubbed her face against his chest and collarbone. It was something he often did with her.

“…Elliope.”

Kallian’s body trembled slightly for a moment, as if trying to hold back a laugh.

“I fought for you and won.”

“…”

“It seems you’ve become a spoiled child.”

As Kallian said this, he kissed Elliope on the forehead. After feeling the warmth of his lips, Elliope slowly opened her mouth. The complaints she had been holding back burst forth.

“You kept me from coming back.”

“If you came with me, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the fight.”

Without hesitation, Kallian slid his hands gently down her waist and then cupped her bottom. Elliope could feel her body willingly accepting his touch.

“Besides, you’ve done an excellent job here.”

“For you.”

Just as Kallian had fought and won for her, she had worked hard for him. Realising this, he smiled warmly and whispered.

“Now all that remains is your decision, my lady.”

“My decision?”

Soon a low, sweet voice filled her ear. A lazy breath trailed along Elliope’s earlobe, then down her temple and the line of her neck.

“Whether you will accept the right of succession, or declare your separation like the other princesses.”

“…”

Kallian paused after saying this and let out a short breath. His hand stroked gently over her hip.

“It all depends on you, my lady.”

“On me.”

After a moment’s thought, Elliope spoke quietly.

“…I can decide whether or not to sever the bloodline of the Kartan Imperial Family.”

If she rejected the right to succession, no one would remain to carry on the name of Kartan.

‘In truth, even if I accept the succession…’

No child would be born to inherit the name of Kartan. She had long known that she could not bear an heir.

It was the imperial family that had made her this way. And they had deceived her.

Yet, despite everything, the emperor still acknowledged her right to the throne because…

The Emperor himself may not have been aware of Elliope’s inability to bear an heir. Perhaps only the Empress and Leanne knew the truth. 

But that knowledge did nothing to erase the years of humiliation she had endured. 

And so, whatever choice she made… 

“…I could end the Imperial bloodline with my own hands.”

“That’s the end of it.”

Kallian replied to her words.

“The end?”

“Yes.”

The moment Elliope heard the final answer, her body involuntarily shivered.

“You…”

She had thought that Kallian’s target was only Theodor, for he carried the blood of Elsen, a name drenched in blood. He had a reason to defeat Theodor.

And she had been satisfied with that.

If Theodor von Ilmos could die in disgrace, stripped of honor, that alone would have been enough for her. She had wished for his end to come not with the pity and sorrow of others, but with their anger and contempt.

She had never imagined that his fate would be even crueler—that Theodor and Ilmos would be left to rot in an abandoned field, their bodies unrecovered, decaying beneath the howling wind.

But Kallian had gone even further.

Not only had he destroyed Theodor and Ilmos, but he had also placed in her hands the fate of the imperial family—the very family that had condemned her to shame.

‘It’s like…’

This wasn’t just revenge from the Eliazen family against Theodor and Ilmos. It seemed as if it was all done for her…

As the thought settled in her mind, a shiver ran from her neck down her spine, spreading through her entire body. It was intoxicatingly sweet to realise that the whole plan had been made just for her. 

“So all you have to do is take your time and choose, my lady.”

Kallian murmured, his voice low as he lightly bit Elliope’s ear. His warm breath brushed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. 

Instinctively, Elliope tightened her grip on his collar. 

Kallian tensed for a moment, but as she pulled him closer, he followed without resistance. 

Then, without hesitation, Elliope parted her lips and sank her teeth into his lower lip, biting deeply. 

It was a kiss designed to take his breath away – just as he had always done to her.

“Mm.”

Kallian responded with a short, muffled sound. 

His fingers, which had been meticulously tracing and exploring – the roof of her mouth, the tender flesh of her cheeks, even the tendons beneath her tongue – moved slowly downward, slipping between Elliope’s thighs. 

When his fingers finally reached under the hem of her dress, pressing firmly against the fabric as if to separate the seam, Elliope’s hips jerked involuntarily. 

“… …!” 

The m*an that escaped her lips went straight into Kallian’s lungs. 

His touch lingered over the seam, pressing and tracing, as if intent on digging deeper, over and over again.

Every time he rubbed her cl*t with his firm, thick fingers, she could feel her soft silk underwear getting damp.

“Haa.”

The moment their lips parted, Kallian lifted Elliope into his arms and began to walk away. Soon he opened the door to the outside again.

Since Elliope and Kallian had been staying temporarily in the annex of the Grand Duke’s residence, opening the door immediately revealed the hallway of the main estate.

As if in anticipation of such an event, the hallway was completely empty, with no one passing through.

A faint feeling of embarrassment stirred in the back of Elliope’s mind. But that fleeting feeling quickly vanished the moment Kallian brought his lips to hers.

Perhaps in the early days of their marriage she would have refused, not wanting to do such things in a place where others might see.

But now she felt no inclination to resist.

It almost seemed like one of the bad habits he had instilled in her.

‘But…’

But if she really thought about it, hadn’t their first union taken place in front of others? Even if it had been in front of a corpse.

Of course, she had no intention of brazenly doing such things in front of other people…

But now she had reached the point where she no longer cared if someone happened to see them kissing in the hallway.

‘For the servants, this might feel like an unfortunate sight to witness.’

Elliope chuckled at her own thoughts, realising that she had undoubtedly picked up the wrong habits. The only thing she noticed was how much thicker her skin had become.

“Haha.”

Hearing her laugh, Kallian lifted her a little higher and nuzzled his face between her cleavage.

Feeling his hot breath between the soft, pressed flesh, Elliope called out to him.

“Kallian.”

“……”

He lifted his head at the sound of her voice. His deep blue eyes, darker than ever, seemed to hold a sense of pure rapture.

“My lady.”

Adjusting his grip on her, Kallian planted a series of kisses on Elliope’s forehead, cheeks, nose and lips. Then, without hesitation, he pushed open a large door and stepped inside.

“…Ah.”

It was only after they had entered that Elliope belatedly realised where they were.

This was Theodor’s bedroom – the very place where she had stood pressed against the wall in her previous life.