The cold rejection of his long-held unrequited love was enough to twist Beriel. Raiden’s refusal ultimately fueled his growing hatred for Rihana, and that hatred led him astray when he happened to entertain Melissa, who had arrived with the delegation.

Learning that Casian had come to see Rihana, Melissa joined the delegation and came to meet her. The moment Melissa saw Rihana, she glared daggers at her and shouted.

“Lord Casian came to see you?!”

“Yes.”

Rihana answered quite calmly to Melissa’s attitude.

Beriel, who had been assigned to entertain Melissa, glanced at them with curious eyes and eavesdropped on their conversation.

“You two are truly ridiculous. When you were engaged, you acted so unlike proper fiancés, but now that you’ve broken off the engagement, you’re acting more affectionate than any loving couple.”

“Whether when we were engaged or after we broke off the engagement, His Lordship the Marquis and I have never had feelings more affectionate than lovers.”

“After liking Lord Casian for all those years?”

“That’s right. Lord Casian didn’t like me. So affection like lovers doesn’t suit us.”

“I didn’t come here to play word games.”

“……”

“What scheme did you hatch with Lord Casian? Did you agree to run away together? Or did he promise to break off your political marriage?”

“Neither. And I have no intention of running away together or breaking off this political marriage.”

“Ah, that’s right. The Prince of Tarecus was surprisingly that slave you tried so hard to hide. Did you know from the beginning that the slave was actually the Prince of Tarecus?”

“I didn’t know.”

“Hmph, a fox like you couldn’t have not known.”

Melissa muttered quietly in annoyance.

Feeling that saying she really didn’t know wouldn’t be believed anyway, Rihana closed her mouth and glanced at Beriel, who was in charge of entertaining Melissa here, waiting for the next words to come from Melissa’s mouth.

“I will marry Lord Casian within this month.”

“I know.”

When Rihana nodded once and spoke, Melissa’s face immediately brightened.

“Lord Casian told you?”

Though she didn’t know for sure, it seemed Melissa still liked Casian, so Rihana deliberately nodded and lied.

“Yes. I heard it the day His Lordship the Marquis came. It seems His Lordship the Marquis still feels somewhat indebted to me.”

“Indebted?”

“He stabbed me directly and broke off the engagement because of it. Perhaps he still feels sorry for me, so instead of sending the marriage news by letter, he came personally to deliver it.”

“……Ah.”

Seeing Melissa’s face finally relax, Rihana thought she was too easy a type to handle. Being still young and the Empire’s princess, it was understandable that she was naive and ignorant of worldly affairs. Rihana was grateful that Melissa wasn’t a more difficult opponent than she was now and said to her.

“Will you return with the delegation?”

“No. I’m returning separately tomorrow. I have many things to do. Marriage is like that, you know?”

“……Yes, well.”

“Before I go, I should meet the Prince of Tarecus. To apologize for my previous rudeness.”

“It was something you did unknowingly. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Your Highness.”

Rihana stood up and bowed her head. Melissa nodded to her and gestured for her to go. She was relieved and quite reassured by the fact that Casian had come here and told Rihana about their marriage.

But that joyful relief and reassurance would soon be shattered by words from Beriel’s mouth. Beriel told Melissa exactly what she had heard from a maid who had eavesdropped on Casian and Rihana’s conversation.

“He was worried about Count Rihana’s health. It was probably concern about the wound the Marquis had stabbed directly. And he also said he regretted everything that had happened.”

“Regretted……?”

“Giving his body to another woman to save the Count.”

“……!”

“And he also said he wanted to ask for forgiveness and that he loved her.”

Melissa’s body trembled. Unbearable anger rose toward Rihana, who had lied to her. Unable to contain her anger, Melissa immediately stood up from the sofa and told them to call Rihana back, but Beriel calmed her down.

“Your Highness is currently negotiating. If you act rashly, it could affect diplomatic relations.”

“……!”

“That’s how crazy our Highness is about that woman.”

When Beriel whispered quietly enough for only Melissa to hear, Melissa’s eyes flashed. Beriel also had the same hostility she felt. That fact was strangely pleasing, and she wondered what kind of disagreeable personality Rihana had to make even people of this country her enemies.

“So you’re telling me to just endure this?”

“There are various ways not to endure it.”

Melissa stared intently at Beriel. She began to suspect whether Beriel knew about the existence of the rare poison she had secretly brought.

In fact, the moment she heard that Casian had gone to see Rihana, she had packed the rare poison she had obtained from across the sea from a foreign country. Forcing her way into the delegation to come here was all because of the terrible thought of eliminating Rihana with the rare poison.

She couldn’t bear the fact that Rihana had met privately with Casian. Her eyes rolled at the thought that even while in a foreign country, they could have secret meetings anytime. 

Rather than living while suspecting whether Casian and Rihana were secretly meeting or not, she thought it would be better to remove Rihana from this world. The rare poison was something she had brought with such thoughts.

“Who are you?”

Only now asking about Beriel’s position, Melissa pretended to be surprised when she heard that she was the daughter of Tarecus’s only ducal family.

“The daughter of the kingdom’s highest ducal family is entertaining me. Tarecus really puts its heart into welcoming guests.”

“It’s only natural.”

“Then can you also fulfill this guest’s request?”

Melissa stared intently at Beriel. Beriel seemed to know that her request would be related to Rihana, so she looked at Melissa with shining eyes.

* * *

Beriel put her hand in her pocket and fingered the rare poison Melissa had given her. Receiving the poison from her had been impulsive. She too thought it would be good if Rihana disappeared, and she felt a strange relief and intimacy in the fact that she wasn’t the only one thinking such thoughts.

‘This is a rare poison obtained from across the sea from a foreign country. It’s a poison without an antidote. So if you feed her this, you can make her disappear cleanly.’

When Melissa held out the poison to her and said such things, she even felt a slight thrill. She already hated Rihana to an unbearable degree. She thought that if such a woman disappeared, her future life would become infinitely brighter.

And for good reason – if Raiden’s partner, who would soon ascend to the throne, suddenly died, they would hastily choose a queen from among Tarecus’s noble daughters to fill that position. 

Among this country’s noble daughters, no one suited the position of queen as much as herself, and even if they forced the political marriage to continue, she thought she could somehow prevent the political marriage through her relationship with Melissa.

Melissa seemed unlikely to marry Raiden over Casian, and even if they picked someone else as a political marriage partner, she thought Melissa would somehow prevent it if she asked. She believed that those who shared secrets would be closer than those bound by political marriage.

Though it was truly a foolish thought, Beriel didn’t realize at all that such thoughts were foolish.

Having finally decided to feed Rihana the rare poison without an antidote, Beriel mistakenly thought heaven was helping her when, after Melissa returned to the Empire, news came that Raiden suddenly had to participate in a subjugation campaign. 

She had been racking her brains for an opportunity to give Rihana the medicine since Raiden stuck to Rihana like glue, so it was natural for her to feel that way.

After Raiden left for the subjugation campaign, Beriel recommended wine that would help with sleep to Rihana, who had to sleep alone every night. 

However, Rihana only moistened her lips with the wine Beriel recommended, making Beriel worry that she might be suspicious. Of course, Rihana had no suspicion of poisoning at all. She simply didn’t like drinking and sleeping, and couldn’t spend nights without Raiden alone in a tipsy state.

Not knowing her feelings, Beriel recommended different types of wine to Rihana every night, and finally became anxious at the news that Raiden would return tomorrow. Beriel mixed poison into Tarecus’s most precious and expensive wine and went to Rihana.

“His Highness returns tomorrow, so tonight is the last night you’ll sleep alone.”

“That’s right.”

“This is Tarecus’s most precious and delicious wine. I hope you drink it deliciously tonight and sleep happily.”

“Thank you as always.”

“Not at all. Then, sleep well.”

Beriel closed the door and left, hoping desperately that Rihana would drink all the wine. Rihana stared at the wine Beriel had left, then turned and headed to the bathroom. 

She thought that since Raiden was returning tomorrow, it would be fine to get drunk and fall asleep tonight. She soaked in the bathtub, thinking it would be nice if Raiden was back when she woke up after drinking wine and falling asleep.

* * *

At that moment, Raiden had returned to the western palace a day earlier than the subjugation force. He had returned home so quietly and secretly that no one in the western palace knew Raiden had returned.

Raiden had his blood-reeking body thoroughly cleaned by bathing attendants and headed to his bedroom where Rihana was. Realizing that Rihana was bathing, Raiden took off and put on his robe several times to surprise her. 

When the sound of water stopped, he quickly came to the bed to lie down, but seeing the wine on the nightstand, he immediately poured wine into a glass and held it in his mouth.

Right then, with a click, the bathroom door opened and Rihana came out.

“……Raiden?!”

Surprised to see Raiden standing in front of the bed, Rihana’s eyes widened as she ran to him and hugged him. Raiden held her tightly and pressed his lips to hers, letting the wine he held in his mouth flow into her mouth. Then he moved his tongue again to take back part of that wine and swallowed it. Rihana also swallowed the wine Raiden had given her through his mouth.

“How did you come back so quickly? You said you’d come tomorrow.”

Rihana smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around Raiden’s neck with both hands. Raiden kissed her face here and there, then took the wine glass again and held it in his mouth. He gave her wine the same way and swallowed half himself.

“I missed you so I came alone first…… Cough!”

That was the moment. Red blood clots spewed from Raiden’s mouth.

Before the startled Rihana could call Raiden’s name, Raiden bent his upper body in pain and collapsed, and Rihana also suddenly felt nauseous and hastily covered her mouth with her hand, and bright red blood clots spewed over that hand. 

Feeling her vision gradually becoming blurry, Rihana desperately flailed her hands to check on Raiden’s condition, but collapsed on top of Raiden, who had fallen unconscious.

The two were discovered the next morning.