“Your mistress has just arrived, so go greet her.”

“What? Miss? Yes! Then I’ll take my leave!”

Bell hurriedly left the room.

At the words that Marienne had returned, Nigel’s raging tempest plummeted. Violently tangled with both relief and anger.

Lowering her shawl, the Imperial Princess approached with a rustling water-colored nightgown that revealed her skin. Her platinum blonde hair swayed at her waist.

“Did you have a good trip? I’m glad you’re safe. I’ve been waiting for you all this time.”

When the words he had wanted to hear flowed from someone else’s lips, Nigel felt his stomach turn.

“Duke, don’t reject me. Give me a chance to approach you. I have wanted and yearned for you alone for so many days. Please……”

The Imperial Princess embraced Nigel’s waist and pressed her smooth cheek to his chest.

“I don’t want to be the Empire’s Star or Imperial Princess. I only want to be your woman. I’ve cast aside both pride and shame. You cruel man, how long will you leave me like this?”

The Imperial Princess’s long fingers traced up Nigel’s spine.

Nigel stared at her with cold eyes.

“It wouldn’t be bad, would it? If we unite, we could break down Grencia’s borders and dream even beyond them.”

Nigel wished she was just the Imperial Princess.

He wished the woman who held his heart in her grasp was Elizabeth Cruneau and not Marienne Rose.

He couldn’t understand why keeping Marienne by his side was harder than embracing the Empire’s Imperial Princess.

“If what you desire is ambition, then use me. I’ll be your golden stepping stone. Ah…… Nigel. Imagine the empire we could create. It would be perfect, like you and me.”

The enraptured Imperial Princess embraced Nigel. Then she scratched his scarred abdomen with her nails and burrowed down toward his dark lower regions.

Nigel stood silently without refusing.

He was curious whether his helpless desire for Marienne Rose was merely the pleasure of first experiencing flesh.

In his confusion, he truly wanted to know.

“I’ve dreamed of this moment. I know you have too.”

The Imperial Princess smiled up at his ash-colored eyes.

However, as she met the man’s gaze, cynicism gradually crossed it, and even mockery settled at his mouth.

The Imperial Princess had no choice but to withdraw her shamed hand.

Nigel spoke with resignation.

“Now do you understand our fatal problem?”

He bent down and whispered in Elizabeth’s ear.

“I can’t get hot for you.”

“Duke, what insolence……”

Nigel wiped his apple juice-stained hands with the cloth thrown on the table.

His expression and actions showed no sign he was a man who had just received such blatant seduction.

The black lace shawl fell to the floor. The nightgown that slipped down after caught on the Imperial Princess’s hips.

Covering her chest with one hand, she held her head high proudly. Then she reached out to trace Nigel’s jaw and turn him toward her.

“I will have you. I will no longer tolerate your defiance. So show your loyalty to the Empire’s Star whom you should properly serve.”

Nigel grabbed the Imperial Princess’s wrist as she tried to grasp his nape. Then he lowered her hand and asked dryly.

“If you have your answer, would you please leave now?”

As the Imperial Princess’s humiliation was covered by venom, there was a knock.

Without permission, the door opened and Marienne Rose rushed in.

“Duke, I wanted to explain in case you misunderstood……”

The Imperial Princess, showing her back to Marienne, slowly pulled up the nightgown caught at her waist.

Marienne quickly dropped her gaze and ground her molars.

Her nails dug into her tightly clenched palms.

Unable to make the Imperial Princess bow her head, Nigel picked up the shawl and draped it over her shoulders.

The Imperial Princess showed a smile to the man who had given her such devastating humiliation. She had to use all her strength not to crumble.

Clutching the shawl tightly, the Imperial Princess stopped as she was about to pass Marienne.

“I’ll see you again at His Majesty’s birthday banquet. I’ll be waiting.”

After the Imperial Princess left, tense pressure filled the room.

Nigel was about to open his cigarette case when he let out a self-mocking snort.

It was pathetic how his heart, which hadn’t stirred even for the n*ked Imperial Princess, was begging for a cigarette in front of that woman.

“What were you two doing?”

Putting the lit cigarette to his lips, Nigel stared at Marienne.

It was thrilling how she glared fiercely and bit her lips. He felt relieved and vindicated.

Because he wasn’t the only one going mad.

But the moment was brief. Lester Godwin—that bastard—came to mind, his cloak shielding Marienne. Damn it.

“Why are you only wearing pants?”

“None of your business.”

He suppressed his rage that was spreading like wildfire as he blew out a long stream of smoke. Otherwise, he felt he would pounce like a beast and tear that woman apart.

“Get out.”

Crackle, the sound of the dry cigarette burning seemed to be burning his own body.

“You heard from Bell. So why aren’t you asking?”

“Do I need to know? Whatever you did with whatever man, whatever you’ve done.”

Nigel took out a pouch from the side table and threw it in front of Marienne.

The falling sound was quite heavy.

“Good work. I put in plenty, including payment for last night. Take it.”

Marienne’s eyes trembled as she looked at the pouch that fell at her feet.

“You’re lying…… While you’re dying to know. Dying to know where that man’s hands touched my body under the cloak, whether I shared even a breath with him.”

“Shut up.”

A slow, ominous warning.

The suppressed anger in those short words dangerously flashed with madness.

Marienne squared her shoulders, unable to control her heightened emotions as she clenched her fists.

“I want to know. My heart feels like it’s being torn apart wanting to know if you kissed Her Highness, if it was as hot as when we did it. Tell me. Did you? Did you do it!”

“What would you do if I did?”

Marienne covered her mouth with the back of her hand and contorted her face.

Her chest felt like it would shatter from forcefully swallowing her sobs.

“I’ll never see you again, Duke!”

Leaving behind the pouch of silver coins, Marienne ran out.

Back in her room, she pulled out a bag and stuffed clothes and belongings into it haphazardly.

But Nigel, who had followed right after, grabbed her wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Who said you could!”

At his fierce bark, Marienne grew calm instead.

“I want to quit.”

“I gave you what you wanted. What’s the problem?”

“I hate to say.”

“Is it not enough? Does three hundred deniso seem like a losing deal?”

“Yes. That must be it. I thought it would be sufficient, but it was a ridiculous amount.”

Marienne smiled bitterly.

“You drew the line saying it was a contractual relationship. You can do it but I can’t? You can carelessly hurt me with your lines but I can’t?”

“Does it hurt when I draw lines? Your pride might be a bit wounded, but you’re not like me.”

“What do you mean, not like you?”

Marienne looked down at her hand in his grip before raising her wet eyes.

“I feel like I’m dying. I can’t breathe. I know I shouldn’t think this way, but just the thought of you holding another woman…… a woman who isn’t me……”

Marienne bit her lower lip, afraid a scream-like sob would burst out.

She clenched her mouth shut until her face turned bright red, holding back again and again.

Blood vessels popped on her forehead and her eyelids swelled from crying out in anguish.

Words that burst from her heart filled her mouth, choking her throat.

I love you. I truly love you.

But I can’t get any closer. I can’t be greedy. Because I have nothing and am only lacking…….

What should I do? Should I ignore the relationship between the imperial family and House Bernac since it has nothing to do with me?

Should I act like an ill-mannered woman and disregard your mother’s desperate request?

Should I threaten you since you can’t escape your seizures without me?

What must I do to have you, Duke? When I can’t do any of those things.

So Duke…….

Won’t you love me more?

Even if the weak me who can’t cross the line refuses your flowers, won’t you approach me again and again?

Won’t you love me more, more passionately than I do, so I can at least make the excuse that I was helplessly swept away?

Is this too cowardly?

Marienne shook off his grip on her hand.

But Nigel pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Tell me. What you think of me.”

Marienne pushed against his shoulders with all her might.

The harder she pushed, the tighter he held her as Nigel pleaded.

“Chain me with those words, Marienne.”

Exhausted, Marienne dropped her arms and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

“I won’t say it, ever.”

Marienne raised her eyes to look straight at Nigel.

“I’ll make you keep wondering, keep burning inside, so that even if I leave someday, you’ll never be able to forget.”

Nigel’s fingers tightened their grip on Marienne’s arms.

A pained groan escaped his throat.

His ash-colored eyes burst blood-red and monstrous markings bloomed on his left hand.

Nigel couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh.

“To think I could welcome a seizure.”

Marienne deliberately ignored the markings spreading up his forearm.

“Want to leave? Go ahead. I’ll cut off the heads of your brother, those things you called mother, the giggling maid you drag around — I’ll hang them all on the castle gates and wait.”

“How could you say such things! If you want to punish someone, punish me! Cut off my head!”

Nigel crumbled and pressed his forehead to her nape.

“For whose sake? You’d like it if I killed you.”

“Do you know my heart so thoroughly?”

Nigel raised his distorted face to stare into her eyes.

“I do. Because that’s how I am.”

As the seizure intensified, Nigel held his breath and painfully lowered his eyelids.

His bloodless lips turned visibly pale.

She couldn’t ignore it anymore.

“I’ll heal you.”

Nigel slowly opened his eyes, clouded with pain.

“So…… how was it with that bastard?”

“Open your mouth so I can heal you.”

“Was it good?”

“I hate to say. You didn’t tell me either!”

Nigel’s chest heaved heavily with his roughening breaths.

A harsh smile spread across his lips.

“It was boring. Even seeing her n*ked body, my head was full of thoughts of you…… I was going mad thinking only of you giggling with some other bastard. Now tell me.”

“What should I tell you? No, what would satisfy you?”

“That you love me. That no other bastard catches your eye because of it. That even in this moment you feel like you’ll die wanting to have me! Beg like that.”

“Are you practicing being a jealous lover? I’m sorry but I can’t. I hate it.”

Nigel pulled back Marienne’s waist as she tried to retreat and crashed his lips into hers.

At his rough kiss, Marienne’s moan burst out like a sob.