Episode 126

“Yurian.”

“…”

“Stop pretending to be asleep and get up. I can’t breathe.”

Even though Yurian had fallen asleep with Yvonne, it was strange that he still dreamt of her.

“That’s really odd.”

“What is?”

“Now that I’m connected to you physically, I want to be connected to you emotionally too.”

“Stop talking nonsense and let go of my waist. Feels like it’s going to break.”

“My waist should be the one hurting, not yours.”

“Think about what we did yesterday!”

Yurian didn’t want to let go of Yvonne, who was struggling to sit up, because he liked her too much. Still, because of what she said, the memory of last night flashed back to him, making his face heat up terribly.

“Can we do it again?”

Yvonne was momentarily speechless. Her claim that her waist hurt was a lie. If it really did, she wouldn’t be able to squirm around like that.

Somehow, she felt embarrassed—not just about being caught lying, but also about how Yurian so openly expressed his desire. It was like he knew everything, even though she tried to act like she didn’t want it.

“If we do it again, I’ll die. You didn’t stop even when I asked you to yesterday.”

“But you didn’t let me go when you said to stop.”

“When did I do that?”

“Your legs didn’t let me go. Am I wrong?”

“…Be quiet.”

Yurian quietly closed his mouth and nodded. Yvonne’s cheek flushed from feeling his chin move up and down on the crown of her head.

“You’re so shameless.”

“Can I speak now?”

“Who said you could?”

Yurian shut his mouth again and gently let go of Yvonne, whom he’d been hugging. But Yvonne, who had asked to be released, couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes, seemingly too embarrassed.

“You’re touching me again without a word.”

Yurian knew that, even as she spoke up about his hands, she wasn’t actually pulling away. He inhaled her scent deeply and gently stroked her cheek. That made Yvonne look up at him.

“Can we do it again?”

“This time, I want to be on top.”

“Just imagining it makes me ecstatic.”

Yurian smiled joyfully and lifted her up, setting her on top of him.

“Ugh…”

“It’s just because it’s morning.”

Yvonne looked at how full of energy he was so early in the morning and let out a soft chuckle.

“Yurian, are you broken or something?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never seen you tired.”

“That’s because I’m with you.”

“Try getting tired for once. I’ll give you a reward.”

“Do you know what kind of reward I’d want?”

“Hmm, maybe something like this?”

Yvonne guided his hand to her cheek, then softly bit his finger.

“Yes, that’s exactly the reward I want.”

“Pffft…”

Yurian wanted to do exactly what she asked. But Yvonne was currently sitting on his thighs, her pale skin exposed to him. Her radiant platinum hair flowed over her shoulders like waves and draped across her chest.

And underneath that, he could see the marks he had left.

“When do you get tired?”

“Probably never.”

“Hurry up and do it.”

“…Yes.”

Yurian knew that once he met her eyes, he wouldn’t be able to resist, so he shut them on purpose. But even with his eyes closed, he saw those loving eyes staring at him in awe, felt her soft skin, smelled her sweet scent.

None of it could calm him down.

“What are you thinking?”

“I can’t think.”

Yurian spoke through clenched teeth, trying hard to calm himself down.

“I can’t do it.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to be punished.”

“Yes, please punish me.”

Yurian said that because he looked forward to both the reward and the punishment. Yvonne gave another soft laugh and stroked his cheek.

“Then that’s it for this morning.”

“I’m dying.”

“Hurry up and die, then.”

“I think I just did.”

“Really? Ah…”

Yvonne looked down to check, but Yurian caught her lips before she could see.

“Hngh…”

Yurian softly explored Yvonne’s lips, pressing inside. In response, Yvonne moved as if to reciprocate, gently caressing his body with her palms.

Perhaps it was because they had gone too far the night before—sharing a deep kiss felt taxing for Yvonne. Her jaw ached from overuse.

“Ugh…”

“What’s wrong?”

“My jaw hurts.”

Yvonne leaned her head on Yurian’s shoulder as he half-sat up.

“So Yvonne can be sly like this too. Did you really think I’d stop because of that?”

“Why are you so quick to catch on?”

“It’s one of my strengths.”

She then rose to her knees and wrapped her arms around Yurian’s neck.

“Stay still. You’re being punished right now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

And just like that, their morning lasted all the way until noon.

* * *

“Why did you run, tactician of Rohan?”

“Ugh… Your Majesty…”

Marquess Rohan had been captured and dragged back by Francis. Only now did he realize that it was the amulet his sister had given him that had caused him to fall under Hildebrandt’s hypnosis.

He was now in the imperial palace of the Bricesys Empire—in the underground chamber of the Emperor’s residence.

“Where is my daughter?”

“Your Majesty…”

Marquess was filled with resentment. He had been happy when he ran away with Yvonne out of love.

“Why did Your Majesty have me give her that thing?”

“It was just a precaution.”

“What do you mean?”

Hildebrandt was too irritated to speak further. He wanted to snap the man’s neck right there or use his powers to force him to reveal where Yvonne was.

But Marquess was in poor condition. If he used his mental abilities now, it might break him. He couldn’t risk losing the only chance to locate Yvonne.

Hildebrandt had regained his rationality for the first time in a long while. Francis, watching from the side, felt a small relief seeing the Emperor act with restraint—something rare these days.

“There’s a spell of mine on your sister. If you ever ran, she was to give you the amulet.”

“Why?”

“That amulet carries a power that makes one lose control of their reason.”

Hildebrandt despised the throne, but he was still the Emperor. And so, he couldn’t allow one of the empire’s most valuable assets—a top-tier ability user, especially one with mental powers like Marquess Rohan—to defect to another country.

Rohan held multiple nationalities. He might be a marquess in the Bricesys Empire, but in a smaller kingdom, he could easily become a duke.

That was why the emperor had prepared a countermeasure.

To Hildebrandt, Marquess Rohan’s greatest weapon wasn’t his power—but his reason. If that rationality were paralyzed, he’d become like a rider on a rampaging elephant—driven mad and soon to cause destruction.

And then, all the Emperor would need to do was dispatch troops to retrieve him.

“Do you still care for the Princess Royal?”

“Shut up.”

“Guh…!”

At Hildebrandt’s harsh words, Francis’s men exchanged glances before stepping on the marquess’s back. A restraint collar around his neck sealed his abilities. With his hands bound behind him, Marquess’s cheek was pressed against the ground.

“If I find Yvonne, do you know what I’ll do?”

“…”

“I’ll cut off that wench’s head and hang it on the city wall.”

“Your Majesty.”

“What? Want to leave some last words?”

“You’re shaken to the point of tears.”

Only then did Hildebrandt realize he was crying. He scoffed at himself for being so pitiful.

“Ha…”

“Your Majesty.”

“You must have known everything.”

“…”

“And yet you still deceived me.”

Hildebrandt believed Marquess Rohan had known it all. In truth, he hadn’t—but his suspicions had been dangerously accurate.

“If I say I’ll kill you, maybe that wench will come back.”

“…No.”

“…”

“Yvonne won’t come back. We’re finished.”

Marquess spoke with a hollow look. Even so, the knowledge that Hildebrandt was the one who had ruined everything filled him with a clenched, burning resentment.

“That’s perfect, then.”

Hildebrandt turned away, deciding he wouldn’t be able to interrogate the man today. Trackers were already searching for Yvonne’s location. Unlocking Marquess Rohan’s mind would take time—and he needed to recover his body first so that it wouldn’t break once his psyche was invaded.

For the first time since ascending the throne, Hildebrandt was exercising patience.

“Your Majesty.”

“What now.”

Marquess Rohan missed Yvonne. Though he had gone mad and pushed her from the balcony, perhaps it was still something she could forgive. That was the nature of abilities that dulled one’s reason—desire that couldn’t be controlled.

“If I tell you where Yvonne is…”

“…”

“Will you spare her?”

“I told you—I’ll kill her.”

“Then I won’t say anything.”

Everything had gone wrong, but Marquess believed that maybe, just maybe, some of it could still be made right. At least the Yvonne who had been with him had tried to live happily by his side. If only he hadn’t been so desperate, perhaps they’d be living a peaceful life together by now.

“I really tried to hold back, but I can’t anymore.”

“Your Maj—ugh!”

Hildebrandt gestured for the knights to remove their feet from the marquess’s back. He looked straight into his eyes and said:

“Tell me where Yvonne is.”

Then, the emperor’s power began to invade Marquess’s mind.

“Yurian… Leonhardt has her…”