After the previous emperor’s followers supported Evelyn, Hector, feeling threatened, chased her to the border. Though he could have sent assassins to kill her since then, he hadn’t done so.

But as Andrew suggested, Hector’s eyes sometimes seemed to look at her differently. Evelyn didn’t want to know what that meant.

She could handle hatred, competition, or jealousy, but not that kind of gaze.

“Don’t insult His Majesty. Andrew.”

“…Hmm, who’s really insulting His Majesty? Evelyn?”

His hand slipped inside her top and began fondling her br*ast more deliberately. He pressed her large, soft br*ast and tugged at the protruding n*pple. Evelyn clenched her fist. She wanted to kill Andrew right there.

“Where is Sarah?”

“Don’t worry. I ordered them not to lay a finger on your maid’s body.”

“…Ungh.”

The more he touched, the harder her n*pples became. Seeing this, Andrew captured Evelyn’s lips.

“Mmph…!”

Andrew’s tongue gripped Evelyn’s and wouldn’t let go. Between his persistent fondling of her n*pples and the kiss, Evelyn’s vision blurred. She thought of Jenkins, who wasn’t here.

‘Focus, Evelyn. His touch is different from Jenkins’. This isn’t him…!’

After being intimate with a man once, her body remembered even if she didn’t want to. She longed to lean against Jenkins, recalling his hot, firm body.

Smack. Their lips separated. After the kiss, Andrew showed interest in Evelyn’s slightly disheveled appearance.

“Hmm… You’ve slept with a man, and your response is definitely different.”

The horse was still walking, not running. Seeing this, Evelyn glared at Andrew.

“…At this rate, we won’t reach the imperial palace even after two months.”

Andrew buried his face in Evelyn’s shoulder in front of him. Breathing in her scent, he said:

“Why? Eager to get there faster? Is an old emperor from an enemy country your type?”

“…”

Evelyn’s body trembled. Andrew smirked at her tightly clenched fist.

“Ah, you want to curse but you’re holding back? …Even a princess can’t say just anything. Right?”

“Just hurry up. The Peshar Emperor seems better than you.”

“…Damn. That old man probably can’t even get it up. Before you die of loneliness, I’ll take care of you. Whew, looking at you now, you’re no stranger to men. How will you handle being alone? Hmm? Once you’ve had a taste, you can’t forget it…”

Evelyn kept her gaze fixed ahead.

“You think everyone is like you. You can never be that man anyway.”

Andrew’s eyes widened slightly at her serious words. He laughed again, seemingly dumbfounded.

“Ah… So you really have a man you like. Haha. This… is a problem.”

Evelyn frowned deeply, wondering what problem he was talking about. She just wanted to get to the imperial palace quickly. Andrew’s harassment was nothing more than an annoying mosquito bite.

“Fine. I’ll take you quickly, as you wish.”

Andrew’s hands left her br*asts. He kicked the horse’s side, and the horse raised its front legs and began galloping rapidly.

Even going quickly, it would take at least a week. Facing the cold wind, Evelyn thought of Jenkins at the border.

He wouldn’t miss her.

Many women liked Jenkins. She didn’t want to claim ownership over him just because they’d spent one night together. He always seemed free, and Evelyn liked that about him. His wealth meant nothing to her.

She never intended to confess her feelings or be intimate with him. Not until she heard those words in the restaurant.

[I heard Master Jenkins is returning to the Peshar Empire.]

[Really?]

[What a shame. It’s hard to find such a wealthy and handsome unmarried man. The village women were begging him to take them. They said they’d even work as servants in his mansion, but it was no use.]

[Well, why would someone like him bother taking a woman from here? He must be popular in his homeland too. He probably has over a thousand women hidden away.]

[Even the Peshar supervisor can’t say a word to Master Jenkins. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re a duke.]

[But would a duke really come all the way here? Isn’t he more likely a wealthy count or baron?]

[You think so?]

Evelyn’s eyes wavered anxiously as she listened to the two women’s conversation.

‘Jenkins is leaving?’

She had also received a letter from Hector ordering her to return home. If Jenkins left now, what would become of them?

Both Jenkins and she would forget each other and move on. Like they never existed to each other.

Though she knew her situation—having to marry a 60-year-old man—she didn’t want to part with Jenkins like this. So she let him leave his mark on her body. Before being defiled by an unknown man, she wanted to make love with someone she cared for.

It hurt too much to dream of doing it again, but it was still good. Now she could live the rest of her life with that memory.

‘It would be better if I had a child, but that’s probably difficult after just once.’

She had told Sarah that if she became pregnant, she wouldn’t go to the enemy emperor, but that would be challenging. That was just an excuse; she simply wanted to be held by Jenkins as a woman. She was curious about what people in love do.

It felt impossible with anyone but Jenkins.

‘Jenkins…’

She missed him already, even though they would likely never meet again.

* * *

The next day, Jenkins’ inn was walking on eggshells. Harvey tiptoed around, and Max didn’t move unless he needed to relieve himself. Jenkins grumbled and rejected all the merchants’ goods. Outside the inn, merchants with bribes were pacing anxiously.

The current Peshar border supervisor was practically a figurehead. That’s why everyone sought out Jenkins, but he wouldn’t be swayed by any bribe or flattery. Harvey, his attendant, cautiously glanced at Jenkins and spoke softly:

“Master Jenkins. If you’re tired of this, wouldn’t it be better to return to the imperial palace?”

There had already been a letter requesting his return because the Emperor’s health was precarious. However, Jenkins didn’t budge.

“What? Why would I go back? Let the merchants in!”

“…You’ll just reject them anyway, won’t you?”

“Ha. Then leave them be.”

Jenkins scratched his head, then opened the window to look outside. He wondered if Evelyn might be near the inn, but only merchants crowded below.

“Ev…”

“?”

Jenkins closed his mouth, about to ask what Evelyn was doing. This wasn’t right. In the push and pull game, the one who shows more interest loses. He shouldn’t even be curious about her. He clenched his jaw until his masseter muscle showed.

He felt anxious and uneasy.

‘Could Evelyn have been toying with me? Was she actually experienced but pretending to be innocent? With that expressionless face, anyone would be fooled…’

In his imagination, Evelyn gazed at him explicitly, begging for a kiss. She straddled him, stroking his c*ck up and down while looking down at him with a flushed face. With those movements, a hundred out of a hundred men would fall for her.

“Damn it, that’s impossible.”

Jenkins kicked the table in front of him. Harvey noticed the reason for his outburst but ignored it.

‘He must be curious about that commoner knight.’

She had been an irreverent woman, exceptionally bold. A commoner, lower than himself, the son of nobility. Yet Jenkins had been mindful of her, which Harvey disliked. He felt relieved not seeing her for several days.

Until then, he had been displeased watching Jenkins lose his authority and follow the commoner knight around.

Women lined up for Jenkins even when he just sat still. Even women Jenkins was interested in confessed to him first. Once in a relationship, Jenkins quickly grew bored, even with women he had initially liked, and moved on to the next woman who approached him.

He was the ultimate playboy, but considering his wealth and title, he was qualified to have numerous women.

Yet here, Jenkins had been eagerly pursuing some commoner knight. For a moment, Harvey thought he might be an impostor wearing Jenkins’ face.

Harvey felt somewhat relieved. Jenkins was no longer making a fool of himself chasing the commoner knight. He was simply waiting for his prey to fall into his trap, as always. Though he didn’t seem quite as relaxed.

‘But something’s strange.’

Harvey tilted his head and looked out the window. This was actually a first.

Usually by now, nine out of ten women would be clinging to Jenkins’ pant leg, but it was eerily quiet. Could there have been an issue with his technique? But even so, once they’d been intimate, women wanted one thing.

‘With Master Jenkins’ money and power, many women would want to be his concubine, so why?’

Or perhaps, being a commoner, she didn’t understand?

‘She’s uneducated, so how would she know?’

She had kicked away the opportunity for asylum. She couldn’t grasp an opportunity even when it came. When Jenkins showed interest, she should have at least accepted the scraps that fell to her. She truly didn’t know her place.

‘I don’t like her, a mere commoner.’

He hoped never to see her again. He wished Jenkins would forget Evelyn.

“Master Jenkins, what would you like to do tonight? Shall I call for a pr*stitute?”

Normally, he would have gone to a pr*stitute to satisfy his urges, but Jenkins hadn’t been with any woman for days. Jenkins shook his head, showing no interest.

“No need. She’ll come today.”

“…”

He seemed to be waiting for Evelyn. Harvey considered finding out news about Evelyn but quickly abandoned the idea. If he learned anything, he would tell Jenkins, and then Jenkins might start chasing after Evelyn again.

‘I can’t bear to see that.’

Harvey reaffirmed his resolve. And so, three days passed without seeing Evelyn.