Chapter 6 (Part 7)

Crash.

Ophelia threw a teacup and vase to the floor in a fit of rage. The sound of shattering glass and sharp shards of the vase scattered everywhere.

“Annoying! That wretched Loengrin.”

Ophelia, screaming as loud as she could, began slapping her maids in a fit of anger.

“Princess, please forgive us.”

Slap.

“Please spare us. Forgive us.”

Thud!

“Forgive? I will never forgive you. It’s because of your poor service that Anthus doesn’t look at me!”

The maids fell helplessly under Ophelia’s slaps.

“Lara!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Have you still not found any weaknesses on Lady Loengrin?”

“I’m sorry. Duke Rockbellion does not leave Lady Loengrin’s side.”

“Yuliana Loengrin… How dare she flirt with my man?”

Seria, who was beside her, tried to dissuade Ophelia.

“The Duke of Rockbellion is already a lost cause. No, he’s a ship that never docked at your port in the first place. He’s a ghost ship. Is becoming a Duchess really that important in your life? If you want to be a Duchess, aim for the Duke of Rosenbach. Didn’t he say he liked you?”

“Why are you here to upset me? And I despise a playboy like Rosenbach.”

Ophelia stopped hitting the maid and spoke to Seria.

“I like Anthus.”

“It’s not the Duke you like, but the magic stone mine he owns. If you have a child who becomes the head of the family, that magic stone mine will be yours.”

“Be quiet.”

“But it’s not just you; others are also aiming for that magic stone mine.”

According to the dragon’s covenant, only the head of the Rockbellion family or the Duchess who bears a child of Rockbellion can enter the magic stone mine.

“If only Yuliana Loengrin didn’t exist…”

Ophelia planned to become the Duchess, have a child, and raise that child to be the head of the family, thereby owning the magic stone mine.

“Even without Lady Yuliana, it would be difficult to achieve unless the Duke loves you. As your sister, I’ll give you one piece of advice today.”

“What advice?”

“Brother has been making it convenient for us to date and marry freely without using us as pawns in political marriages. Isn’t that enough to be satisfied with?”

“I like Anthus!”

Despite Seria’s blunt statement, Ophelia continued to blame Yuliana.

“I won’t leave her alone.”

“Regardless, the Duke already likes Lady Yuliana. What can you do? I hope you don’t get hurt by messing with her. Brother also warned you not to touch Lady Yuliana.”

Ophelia clenched her fists tightly and trembled.

“If only the handsome Pope Rybid had appeared earlier, would he have dated Lady Yuliana? I wonder.”

“Right! That day at the banquet!”

“The banquet day?”

“Pope Rybid.”

She recalled how Pope Rybid had asked Yuliana to dance in front of everyone and had a tense argument with Anthus. 

If only he would take Yuliana away, Anthus would be mine!

“The Pope was infatuated with Lady Yuliana and asked her to dance.”

“But he returned to the Holy Kingdom.”

“I heard Pope Rybid will come back to the Sirius Empire to purify the land contaminated by the monsters that appeared during the hunting competition. And he will bring a marriage proposal for Earl Loengrin.”

“Is that true?”

“It’s true.”

“Seria, how do you know that?”

“I was with Brother when Pope Rybid suddenly showed up and said it.”

“Really? So if Pope Rybid takes Yuliana away, all my problems will be solved?”

Ophelia thought that if Pope Rybid married Yuliana, Anthus would surely return to her.

“Come to think of it, if Lady Sophia hadn’t cheated with Young Lord Beonar… The engagement wouldn’t have been broken, and Duke Rockbellion would still be single… Right?”

“Stop talking about that annoying woman. Just seeing her makes me want to tear her face apart.”

Ophelia, suddenly enraged by Seria’s words, grabbed a whip and started venting her anger on the maids again.

“I won’t leave her alone.”

Slap.

Ophelia picked up the whip again and began beating the trembling maids. Seria clicked her tongue at the sight of the violent Ophelia.

The whipped maid shuddered and burst into tears, and Ophelia simply laughed.

“It seems like you’re throwing away your chance to be happy.”

Ophelia threw down the whip and turned her gaze to Seria.

“I don’t like men with a snake coiled inside like Duke Rockbellion. A woman should meet a man like Maxwell, who is gentle and devoted only to her, to be happy.”

“Maxwell is a dirty bastard. Seria, get a grip.”

“Sister.”

Seria’s face hardened at Ophelia’s illegitimate child remark.

“An illegitimate child is an illegitimate child. Their blood is dirty, unlike ours.”

“Sister, stop it. Have you forgotten? We survived thanks to Sarah.”

“The maid who gave birth to Maxwell was named Sarah.”

“If you hadn’t screamed back then, Maxwell’s mother would have lived.”

“So? Are you saying Maxwell’s mother died because of me?”

“It’s the truth.”

Seria and Ophelia’s gazes met. Seria spoke with a soft smile.

“What’s the point of bringing up the past? What I want to say is that I hope you stop looking down on Maxwell as an illegitimate child and stop speaking ill of Sarah, who died for us. And above all, Maxwell is my lover.”

Seria spoke with a smile in her eyes.

“Then, sister, did you hear that rumor? The one saying that Lady Yuliana originally still had feelings for Young Lord Beonar. So, she’s using Duke Rockbellion to forget the man she broke up with.”

“I haven’t heard such a rumor.”

“Rockbellion made sure that rumor didn’t spread.”

“If Lady Yuliana still has lingering feelings for Young Lord Beonar…”

“If Young Lord Beonar and Lady Yuliana are destined to be together, they will meet even if left alone. As Brother said, it’s best not to touch Lady Loengrin.”

“There’s no smoke without fire, Seria. Loengrin is so lucky with men. Whether it’s Young Lord Beonar or Pope Rybid, one of them just needs to take her away…”

“Sister, I’ll say it again, don’t forget Brother’s warning.”

“I’m not touching Lady Yuliana. I’m just helping her love.”

“Do as you wish. I’ve clearly told you.”

Thinking she just needed to play the role of Cupid, Ophelia picked up a new whip and started beating the maids again. Finding the sight unpleasant, Seria frowned and left Ophelia’s room.

Naturally, Lara reported their entire conversation to Anthus.

* * *

Anthus looked at the clock. She would arrive soon. His heart was filled with excitement.

Just lying on the bed, his body started to heat up. Just running his hands over the bed sheets and blanket made his body and mind think of the night before, and his whole body burned with longing. His heart beat faster and faster, causing him pain.

Thinking of Yuliana made his body tense up. He tried to restrain himself, thinking she might dislike it if he pushed too hard, but his rationality was being consumed by his desire. If he had known it would be like this, he should have waited until they were married. How could he resist the sweetness he had already tasted?

But he wasn’t a man with enough self-control to reject Yuliana’s temptations. Yet, when his body ached like this, he sometimes thought he should have protected her until they were married.

Now, without Yuliana by his side, he felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff. He was driven to the brink of a terrible fall.

“But just meeting her makes this worst feeling disappear…”

He realized that the saying “love governs people” was true. The suppressed desires were instantly released, and he held Yuliana over and over. He kissed her without realizing the time passing, praying to God that time wouldn’t move. Every time he looked at her face as she moaned, the obsessions hidden within him ignited, making him want to confine her in this room forever.

Snap.

Anthus got up and unbuttoned his shirt from the collar. After checking in the mirror that his collarbone was well visible, he unbuttoned another button and took off his wrist cuffs, throwing them onto the bed.

A peacock’s feathers are splendid to attract a mate. He also had to always look pretty and charming.

“I need to look seductive to Lia… If she sees how I feel, she might run away. But she’s ten minutes late… Why isn’t she here? Did something happen?”

Feeling uneasy, Anthus got up and approached the teleportation device. Just then, the teleportation device started ringing.

“Yan? Were you very busy? You look tired.”

Anthus immediately wrapped his arms around Yuliana’s waist and nodded while holding her in his arms.

“Yes.”

“I was going to come early today, but I received a sudden invitation to a tea party.”

“A tea party?”

“Princess Ophelia sent it.”

“Princess Ophelia sent you an invitation to a tea party… this morning?”

“Yes.”

“A tea party from Princess Ophelia…”

Anthus’s expression remained smiling, but there was a coldness in his tone when he mentioned Princess Ophelia.

“When is the tea party?”

“Tomorrow. So, I’m very flustered. I can’t refuse an invitation from the Princess.”

Anthus’s lips curved into an elegant arc as he spoke to Yuliana.

“That’s perfect. I also have to go to the palace tomorrow, so we can go together.”

Anthus lifted Yuliana and sat her on his thigh.

Yuliana looked down at Anthus’s face, which was smiling mischievously. She cupped his face with her hands and kissed his eyelids.

Anthus held Yuliana’s hand and kissed her fingertips several times.

“Why are you so beautiful, Yan?”

“A man in love is naturally beautiful.”

Anthus traced the delicate lines of Yuliana’s body as she sat on his lap.

“Yan, no.”

With a blooming smile, Anthus quickly pressed his lips to Yuliana’s. His urgent and desperate feelings flowed through his lips.

His hand, which had started caressing her lily-white skin under her dress, soon reached her neck.

“Lia, tell me you want me. Quickly.”

Anthus looked into Yuliana’s flushed golden eyes. Each blink made him fall deeper in love. She was so lovely that even the time spent closing his eyes felt wasteful.

Feeling weak all over, Yuliana felt slightly resentful, thinking she had been swayed by Anthus’s seduction again. She had resolved not to fall for his temptation today, but that resolve seemed meaningless now.

But Anthus was incredibly seductive, making her understand why the phrase “there’s nothing you can do” existed.