Chapter 10.4

The next day, Claire’s steps as she walked toward the office felt both light and heavy.  

She wanted to see Rexion as soon as possible, but at the same time, she felt embarrassed to face him, making her hesitant and unsure of her movements. The closer she got to the office, the more her emotions seemed to mix and swirl into a complex mess.  

Just as she managed to steady her racing heart and was about to enter the office, she saw Helion approaching from the opposite direction.  

Claire greeted him with a small nod and tried to walk past him, but Helion stopped in his tracks and called out to her.  

“I have something to say. Could you spare me a moment to talk?”  

“If it’s just for a moment, that’s fine.”  

Ever since learning Helion’s true nature, Claire didn’t feel like she had much to say to him. Their relationship now felt awkward, and she didn’t want to engage in conversation. However, suddenly rejecting his request seemed strange, so she reluctantly agreed.  

“Follow me.”  

With a bright smile, Helion walked toward the archway, and Claire followed behind him.  

“Uh, don’t you think this is far enough?”  

When Helion kept heading toward the wooded path between the columns, Claire cautiously asked, and only then did Helion stop walking.  

“Very well. Let’s stop here.”  

“Wh-what is it that you brought me here for?”  

Being alone with him in such a deserted place was unsettling, and Claire’s voice trembled. She tried to sound calm, but her uneasiness made it impossible.  

“Did you, by any chance, visit the villa yesterday?”  

“!”  

How does he know? 

Claire was so startled by his unexpected question that she couldn’t hide her expression.  

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out? It’s easy to investigate and uncover the fact that you met Lady Obelir and visited the villa.”  

Helion’s expression, as if he had stepped in something unpleasant, felt completely unfamiliar. The soft demeanor she had seen before was gone, replaced by a face that filled her with dread.  

“Did you have a servant tail me? Why would you do such a thing? It’s not like you wanted to marry me because you liked me that much.”  

“Did you think I’d stay quiet after you rejected my proposal?”  

“….”  

Claire recalled the time she had met Helion to decline his proposal.  

When she told him she was rejecting the proposal, he had seemed unable to accept it, but he hadn’t clung to her or acted desperate.  

She had thought his feelings for her weren’t strong, but now it seemed he had been secretly investigating her, waiting for an opportunity to harm her.  

“You let Lady Obelir go, so why are you doing this to me? Shouldn’t you be showing the kind and gentle side of yourself?”  

When Claire had spoken with Lady Obelir, she didn’t seem to have suffered any harm from Helion. On the contrary, she had only looked annoyed at having been involved with him.  

Why would he let Lady Obelir go but try to threaten me?  

“There’s no need to wear a kind mask when I’m about to do something terrible to silence you.”  

When Claire narrowed her eyes at him, Helion, noticing her gaze, responded. The word “terrible” sent chills down her spine.  

“D-don’t worry. I have no intention of telling anyone else.”  

Helion’s private life had nothing to do with Claire, so she had no plans to reveal his secrets to others. Desperate, she quickly voiced her thoughts.  

“How can I trust that? Besides, the best way to provoke that bastard is…”  

Helion showed no signs of listening. Instead, he grabbed Claire’s wrist and lifted it.  

“To defile you. It’s the perfect way to keep you quiet and gain leverage over Rexion. Why would I just stand by when the opportunity is right in front of me?”  

Helion’s eyes, unfocused and wild, made Claire break out in a cold sweat. She couldn’t believe he had managed to hide such a side of himself until now.  

“We’re in the Imperial Palace! You should watch your behavior!”  

As the conversation continued, fear crept in, and Claire no longer wanted to listen to Helion’s threats. She tried to intimidate him in return.  

If she screamed, the Royal Guards would come running immediately. Yet, seeing Helion attempt something so vile within the palace itself made it clear he was too consumed by uncontrollable rage to think rationally.  

“If people see you disheveled and alone with me, Lady Mansfield, you won’t escape unscathed either.”  

Screaming seemed like the best option, but as Helion said, being caught alone with him could lead to damaging rumors.  

Even if she screamed, the guards wouldn’t arrive instantly, so how quickly they could come was also a concern.  

“I can silence the guards with money. And Rexion, who wouldn’t want rumors about you being defiled by me to spread, will do whatever I ask….”  

As he spoke, Helion reached out his hand.  

“Ahhh!”  

In an instant, Helion grabbed her hair. Claire struggled to push his hand away, but the more she resisted, the tighter his grip became. He yanked her head this way and that, leaving her completely powerless in the situation.  

“Let go of me! You bastard, let go! Do you think no one will notice that you’re taking out your anger on me because you can’t confront your brother?”  

Claire shouted harsh words, deliberately provoking him.  

In this situation, it was better to push Helion into a fit of rage so he would resort to violence. That way, she could scream and summon the guards.  

“What did you just say?”  

As expected, Helion, whose pride was sky-high, seemed to lose his composure at her crude remarks.  

“I said you’re a coward and a bully!”  

Claire continued to provoke him. Helion’s grip on her hair tightened, and his face flushed red with anger.  

“You… you need to be taught a lesson!”  

Unable to contain his fury, Helion raised his hand, forgetting his original intent.  

“Ugh! Argh!”  

Suddenly, something struck Helion’s wrist with great force. He let out a pained groan and clutched his wrist with both hands.  

Claire immediately looked at the object that had fallen to the ground.  

“A… rock?”  

“This is as far as you go.”  

When she lifted her head to see where the rock had come from, a familiar voice called out from a distance.  

“Ah….”  

Seeing Rexion running toward her, Claire’s tension finally broke, and she collapsed to the ground.  

“Are you all right?”  

Rexion, who had rushed to her side in an instant, helped her up with a worried expression. His forehead was drenched in sweat, showing how quickly he had run.  

Following closely behind him, the Royal Guards approached Helion.  

“Let go of me! How dare you touch me? Rexion! This is your doing, isn’t it?”  

Helion, his face twisted in rage, thrashed about, but the guards struck the back of his knees, forcing him to the ground.  

“Argh!”  

Helion let out a pained cry as he fell, and the guards didn’t miss the opportunity to restrain him.