How foolish she was. A woman so deeply sentimental it bordered on stupidity. If it had been anyone else, they would surely have frowned and demanded such a useless person be removed immediately.

But because it was Yerena, it was all fine. To the man, Yerena was already perfect. No matter what she looked like, no matter what foolish actions she took, it didn’t matter. She was lovely just as she was.

“You’re truly terrible, Jane. How could you…… to me……”

Yerena finally spoke with difficulty, unaware of what kind of face the man behind her was making. Watching her, the man curved the corners of his eyes. His grip tightened as he embraced Yerena. But Yerena, nursing her tattered wounds, had no attention to spare for this.

Jane trembled at the man’s appearance. A chill ran down her spine. To wear such an expression while committing this deception that destroyed a person. She wanted to reveal the truth to the princess who was being deceived by the man’s lies. But wasn’t she herself part of the man’s deception? Jane dropped her shoulders and spoke, disgusted with herself.

“So Lady Yerena, stay healthy and live long. I’m telling you this because of our past connection.”

Though her voice was mocking, the content alone was sincere. But to Yerena, it was nothing more or less than mockery.

Yerena just stared at Jane with a dazed face. The man then signaled to Jane with his eyes that it was time for her to exit.

“I don’t know how you got in here, but would you please leave now? You woke me up and I’m tired. I have to travel far in a few days.”

Jane turned away and performed her final command. Tears wet her face from guilt and remorse. But her sincerity couldn’t reach the blind princess.

“……Live well, Jane.”

After a long moment, the blind princess said her farewell in a trembling voice. Jane couldn’t answer due to the sob that rose to the back of her throat.

Creeak. With the same chilling sound as when they entered, the door closed. Only after their footsteps had faded away did Jane, who had been covering her mouth, finally collapse to the floor and burst into tears.

* * *

After parting with Jane, Yerena spoke noticeably less. The new maid who stayed by her side kept her mouth tightly shut unless Yerena spoke to her first or gave an order. If not for the noisy cicadas crying out of season, the tower might have been shrouded in eerie silence.

“Lady Yerena.”

“Sir.”

After the incident with Jane, Yerena stopped deliberately ignoring ‘Kian.’ She returned his greetings and occasionally spoke to him first. However, she never mentioned his confession from before.

The man also didn’t mention it. Though the current situation wasn’t entirely satisfactory to him, it wasn’t unbearable either.

“I have quite a bit to tell you about the Sedas Kingdom today.”

Whenever he brought up news of the Sedas Kingdom as an excuse to speak, the princess looked at him. Her face, now much more focused on him than before, showed a loneliness that couldn’t be expressed in words.

Having suffered greatly because of Jane, Yerena was extremely reluctant to open her heart to the new maid. The new maid also didn’t try to approach Yerena, knowing the current situation where only Yerena was being deceived and the fate of her predecessor. But loneliness is like an innate disease in humans. Despite pretending otherwise, Yerena needed someone to lean on.

And the person Yerena would choose was predetermined from the start. The cool Alicia and the priestesses. Frederick who had drawn a line since some time ago. Yerena could no longer push away ‘Kian,’ who had consistently shown her affection.

“Next…… There is a concubine the emperor has recently begun to favor. I hear her country of origin is the Sedas Kingdom.”

“What?”

And now that Yerena had begun to depend only on him as he wanted, the man decided to eliminate even her purpose. Though Yerena looked weak as she began to hear news of the Sedas Kingdom again, she still thought of entering the emperor’s bedroom if given the chance, for the sake of her homeland.

The man couldn’t bear this. He couldn’t tolerate even the thought of the princess considering another man’s bedroom.

“Seeing that she’s moved her residence to a separate palace within the Central Palace, His Majesty seems to cherish her quite a bit. Moreover, thanks to her, I hear His Majesty has been having frequent private audiences with the envoys from the Sedas Kingdom.”

“……”

“We’ll need to watch further, but judging by the current atmosphere, it seems it will benefit the Sedas Kingdom.”

“……”

“Aren’t you pleased? You’ve always worried about your homeland.”

That’s why the man secretly used his influence to help a woman from the Sedas Kingdom secure a position as the emperor’s concubine. And thus eliminated the purpose that the princess pursued despite hating it.

“……That’s good news.”

The princess showed her most distinct expression since Jane’s departure after hearing the news the man delivered. A face where dejection and relief coexisted. Drained of energy, she had empty eyes, having lost her life’s milestone.

“Could I meet that woman? I’d like to talk with her about the Sedas Kingdom.”

“I’m sorry, but that would be difficult.”

“Oh…… I suppose so.”

“……”

“……I’m sorry. I made a needless request.”

Yerena nodded slowly, then suddenly stopped. Her small hands resting on her knees tensed.

If a woman from Sedas was pleasing the emperor and benefiting her homeland, it was indeed good news, as the man said. Yerena felt sorry for the woman who had accomplished in a short time what she herself had failed to do, yet hoped she would continue to do well.

But what was this empty feeling? Even now, imagining going to the emperor’s bedroom made her shudder with revulsion. But despite how repulsive it was, that had been her goal for a long time.

“What am I doing here……”

Helplessness consumed Yerena. Along with the thought that her task had disappeared overnight came questions about her own existence. Would she have to live here forever like this, unable to do anything, worrying about being assassinated by Bianca who hated her?

‘Come to think of it, Alicia’s visits have decreased a lot too. Is the temple slowly washing its hands of me as well?’

Or should she prepare to leave? But what could she do if she left? Would even one person welcome her out there?

‘Why hasn’t Pria replied? Did my letter reach the Sedas Kingdom? No. Don’t expect anything. I thought there was a high chance I wouldn’t receive a reply.’

The wound from Jane’s betrayal had become a deep pit, preventing Yerena from escaping her depression. Only negative thoughts swirled in her mind, making her body tremble.

“You mustn’t forget the promise you made to me.”

“……”

“I think I would resent you greatly if you broke it.”

The man spoke as if he had guessed Yerena’s thoughts. Having momentarily forgotten his presence, Yerena finally came to her senses and turned her head toward him. The man exhaled softly as he saw her focusing on him once more.

“……Yes.”

Yerena nodded with a pale complexion. After pondering for a moment, she called out to him.

“Sir.”

“……”

“Though the weather is clearly hot…… why is it so cold?”

“……”

“In this weather, I’d surely be drenched in sweat if I covered myself with more fabric here……”

“……”

“……I’m so cold.”

At first glance, it sounded like nonsensical whining. But seeing Yerena’s pale face and hands, and her trembling—which wouldn’t have been out of place if she were headed straight for a coffin—it was clear she truly felt cold.

The man hesitated. What should he do? Concern appeared on his face.

“Sir. Do you still like me?”

While he was hesitating, Yerena suddenly asked. The man froze momentarily, not having expected her to bring up this topic first. But he soon nodded and clearly said, “Yes.”

Yerena’s stiff shoulders lowered slightly. She pondered something for a long time with her head bowed. Then, trembling more and as if unable to bear it any longer, she suddenly raised her head.

Still seated, she hugged herself and bit her blue-tinged lips. And as the man approached, unable to just watch her like this any longer, she said,

“Then could you…… could you hold me?”

At her request, the man looked surprised. But soon he gradually sank into ecstasy as he approached Yerena.

The man stood before her, bent deeply at the waist, spread his arms, and practically pulled her small body into his embrace. Yerena immediately leaned against him in response.

The woman’s slightly rapid breath against his neck, between his shoulder and face, tickled the man’s ear. As he found it harder to endure and tightened his arms, Yerena moaned in pain yet clung to him even more.

The man’s breath grew hotter at the woman’s gestures that seemed to crave him. He exhaled languidly over her shoulder, then slightly turned his head.

At that moment, Yerena also slightly raised her face, which had been buried in the man’s neck. The man’s lips touched just below her lips, on her chin.

Yerena was startled and tried to pull back her body held by the man. But unable to restrain himself, the man pressed against her more firmly and deliberately brought his lips to just below her lower lip once more.

And next was her lips. The man swallowed in one breath her lips, which had turned blue from psychological coldness and were dry.

With her mind going blank from the sudden situation, Yerena tried to push the man away immediately, but somehow her hands wouldn’t obey.

She relaxed her body and surrendered herself to the man. Then the man, who had been very carefully touching her lips, soon bit and licked her, and finally passed his hot breath to her.

It was a heat that instantly dispelled the cold. A fireball entered and warmed Yerena’s body.

Though it was difficult to breathe and she made involuntary sounds from the pressure of the man’s body, a strange sense of relief came over her. Yerena closed her eyes, thinking she wanted to fall asleep like this.

But unlike the princess, the man didn’t close his eyes. The deceiver with red eyes continued to devour the craving princess, clearly engraving every scene in his red eyes.

* * *